http://www.rubysuitcase.com Intoxicating Adventures with Sheila Whittaker Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:20:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en All that is fabulous was on parade at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The parade route was warmed up by the Dykes on Bikes, a lesbian motorcycle group that encourages its members to "ride with pride."  There was plenty of honking, whistles, lights and leather. After they roared through, ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/02/28/mardi-gras-fab-parade/ In the mood for a stroll? Late lunch with a glass of wine? A smidge of shopping? Victorian heritage houses and tree-lined streets? Look no further than Woollahra, just five kilometres east of Sydney's central business district. We discovered jewellery, fashion, shoes galore, antiques, boutiques, galleries, cafes, delis and charming garden ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/02/26/woolly-woolly/ After deciding that a harbour cruise was for suckers, we bought tickets for the ferry to Manly for $12.80 return. Who doesn't like something cheap and Manly? The ferry departs from  the quay right beside the Opera House. As the ferry makes its way towards Manly through the harbour, passengers are ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/02/25/take-me-somewhere-manly/ We headed a ways out of the city to check out Coogee beach. It was windy, but there were still a few handfuls of people braving the water on boogie boards. Coogee is a smaller beach with a great walkway through it that you can follow to the next bay ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/02/23/coogee-beach/ I arrived on time into Sydney and my sister was there to meet me. We dashed to her place (a $50 cab ride) to drop my stuff and allow me to freshen up. Then it was off to Martin Place Bar to watch Canada take on the USA in Olympic ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/02/22/winter-disappointment-helped-by-sydneys-summer/ My sister lives in Sydney and our family has decided to drop in on her. We like to get together every year or so -- our last trip was to France.  My parents have already been down in Sydney for a couple weeks, while I've been enjoying the Olympics at ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/02/20/adieu-olympics-gday-mardi-gras/ A local restaurant and a BC winery have both come up with a way for you to help the relief effort in Haiti while enjoying the best that BC has to offer. We should all remember how lucky we are to live here and have these options available to us. On ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/01/18/make-a-difference-in-haiti-with-wine-and-food/ Week 4 of wine snob class took us to the Loire Valley, Burgundy and the South of France. We began in the Loire Valley, where our instructor James Cluer, a Master of Wine, told us "you don't exactly go shopping for red wines of the Loire." The Loire Valley is one ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2010/01/16/loire-burgundy-and-the-south/ Wine awards are making news this week, as the outcome of a couple competitions were announced. The 10th Annual Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging is a competition between wineries of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and BC. Wineries are invited to enter wines that have already won gold medals. The panel then tastes ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2009/12/08/december-8-weekly-wine-news-roundup/ As we head into December and the holiday season, it's time to curl up with a celebratory flute of bubbly (Blue Mountain's Brut is delicious) and find out what's going on in the world of wine. If there is a favourite American wine that you have had on your wish list, ... http://www.rubysuitcase.com/2009/12/01/weekly-wine-news-roundup/