I knew Ryan online via the airliners.net website and we met up with him in Singapore over a decade ago when Alex was but 9 months old. Since then he'd moved to Adelaide and we arrange to meet up for an early lunch at a Vietnamese Pho place near his workplace.
The pho is excellent and so was the conversation. Unfortunately, Alex feels sick and makes a mess on his shoes. They're an old pair, but we need a replacement! Back in Sydney, not a problem. We know where the shopping centres are. In outer Adelaide we have no clue. What's more, we don't want to go too far off course.
I'm driving and B can't navigate. We try one shopping centre, nothing but a rubbish bin for the stinking shoes. And enough time to search for a Kmart and put it into the navigation system. It delivers us to a boring little suburban shopping centre but the Kmart has a cheap replacement pair of shoes for Alex.
We finally pass through areas I'm a little more familiar with. Passing the historic toll booth and driving up to the Adelaide Hills and Hahndorf brings back many memories. The town of Hahndorf was founded by Lutheran settlers escaping from Prussia. Old Germanic buildings housing craft shops and boutiques, cafes, restaurants and pubs line both sides of the leafy main street.
Our shopping is restricted to ice creams, pastries and drinks, along with some local cherries and strawberries. I look around the museum and a gallery, but it's hot and we lack the energy to explore further.
Our drive back down the motorway is interrupted by a truck fire and we are forced to detour via the narrow, steep and winding Greenhills Road. There are magnificent views of Adelaide city from altitude, but it is rather nerve-wracking at times.
But when we exit we are in a place where the street names themselves bring back memories. I tell B to ignore the GPS and guide her myself along the streets I walked as a child.
And there it is, my Nanna's house! It's been ruined by owners with no taste and a preference for cars over gardens. But it's still there, along with the shopping centre on the corner.
Memories shared with Alex, it's time to head off for dinner. On Ryan's recommendation we head towards Katong House, a small Singaporean restaurant hidden next to Ethiopian and a vegetarian restaurants alongside a main street of car dealers and rental services.
The Katong Laksa is good but just lacks a little zing of the genuine one of Roxy Square in Katong, Singapore. The har cheong gai fried chicken wings have great flavours, as does the beef rendang that accompanies B's nasi lemak. A definite recommendation from us!
And there you have it: Our international journey without leaving the greater Adelaide region!
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