Thursday, February 20, 2025

Our day began in Adelaide, Australia which is a city in South Australia. All four of us were felt energetic this morning after a good night’s sleep in comfortable beds. Our rented airbnb condo unit is located in Adelaide’s CBD (Central Business District; Australians’ term for a “downtown” area) and the area was surprisingly quiet last night.

This morning, I blogged and exercised in the building’s fitness center. I was a little bummed to learn there aren’t any free weights, but there is a cable machine, treadmills, and a rowing machine. I won’t be able to resume my lifting program, but at least I have equipment I can use.

We rented a three-bedroom apartment this week so Tory and Aden could each have space and privacy. Both kids needed it, I think. They sounded so happy chatting with their friends this morning on FaceTime. Tory sat outside on the patio and painted her nails while she talked, and Aden played video games with his friend. (Wednesday at 5pm in Wisconsin is 9:30am Thursday in Adelaide)

Adelaide has a vibrant coffee culture, so Andi decided to walk to a coffee roaster to buy some coffee this morning. He visited a place called SoHo, and had an excellent experience. The roaster invited him into the back room to show Andi how their coffee is processed. He even gave Andi a stack of AeroPress coffee filters from his own personal stash because the store had just sold out of their supply. Andi was really impressed by the staff’s friendliness and willingness to help.

We took a break from schoolwork during our Tasmania travels, but now it was time to get back into routine. I gave Tory and Aden a heads up that school would resume in Adelaide, so both kids were mentally prepared to work today.

This afternoon, we decided to check out the Central Market in Adelaide. With over 70 vendors under one roof, this is one of the largest fresh produce markets in the Southern Hemisphere. We love the atmosphere of markets like this one with so many fantastic products for sale. There were produce stands, butchers, cheese vendors, food stalls, and even bulk seasonings for purchase.

The market wasn’t busy at all in the afternoon which allowed us to slowly wander through the aisles and admire the offerings. We purchased some dried fruit and cheese today.

Next, we visited the famous Haigh’s Chocolates store. Andi, Tory, and Aden picked several pieces of chocolates from the display case. Their verdict: pretty good, but not the best chocolate they’ve ever had.

We stopped by a nearby convenience store for waters, and I was pumped because I found Alani there! I love traveling in Australia and being able to get almost anything I can get at home in the United States.

Our next stop was to Rundle Mall. Rundle Mall is one of the longest and busiest malls in Australia. It’s not a traditional mall in the sense of a being inside a building, but rather a pedestrian street filled with every type of restaurant, shop, and entertainment venue imaginable. We visited Sephora, Lululemon, and Cotton On stores. We also spotted the infamous Rundle Pigs statues. Rundle Mall was a great place for people-watching, so I’m sure we’ll be back many times during our stay in Adelaide.

We also took a quick stroll through Adelaide’s Chinatown which was mostly filled with restaurants. Adelaide has a diverse Asian population, thanks to the migration of Chinese immigrants during the 1890’s Gold Rush, as well as modern-day trade, commerce, and universities.

By 5:00pm, we were all pretty hungry so we decided to walk back to our apartment and make dinner. I made taco meat with refried beans and salad. We gobbled up our food while talking about our day in Adelaide over the dinner table.

We were all feeling tired this evening, so our day ended with early bedtimes. Adelaide is a 30-minute time difference than Tasmania, and even that small adjustment made a difference in how we felt today. It felt like it was later than it was.

We’ll be in Adelaide for a week, so we have plenty of time to explore all the city has to offer. More to come…