I’ve been away the last couple of weekends, and thought it was about time I updated you. Apologies for the lenghth. I really need to do this more regularly!
Every year there is a group of girls who go away for a weekend. A weekend of drinking, fun and mainly…a weekend without children. Yes, the infamous ‘Mothers Club’ weekend. I am the only member of the club without a child, yet I am bestowed an honourary membership. We all used to work together, and now we make an effort to get away at least once a year. This year’s weekend was extra special, as our long distance member was able to make it along for the first time! Melli came down from Townsville for the weekend, so we picked her up from the airport and headed to Montville.
Now, I can’t remember who decided Montville in the middle of winter would be a good idea, but someone did. There were romantic notions of reading books by the fire and wandering through markets. There were markets, and there was a fire, but there was certainly no leisurely reading, and I think we were a little too hungover for the market on Sunday, but never the less, it was a fabulous weekend.
We showed up at Apple Tree Cottage in Montville late Friday afternoon, where we found out Apple Tree Cottage really did live up to it’s name! Every decoration in the house was apple related. Wooden figurines, paintings and decorative wallpaper. But, there was a fire, which we promptly stocked (Honi was voted Chief Fire Operator) and popped the first of many champagnes. It was during the champagne toasts, that we were interrupted by a piercing noise. For no reason, the burgular alarm had gone off, and WOW, was it loud! We all attempted to follow the directions to turn it off (obviously the owners were quite used to it going off!) before we voted Mel, the most sober one to have a serious go. She had no luck, so we were forced to call the owner Jonathon to come and rescue our eardrums.
Dinner was at Poets Cafe, one of the only restaurants in town open! It would have an amazing view during the day, but at night this was no use to us. The food was also was disappointing.
For breakfast the next day we headed to The Edge Cafe, were the food was great and the view spectacular. After that, we wandered aimlessly through town, then it was time for me to depart…it was off to the 1st birthday of my Fairy Godchild!
Yes, Ava Molly was turning 1, and I wasn’t going to miss it. Back to Brisbane for me, where I enjoyed a party complete with decorate your own cupcakes, face painting and gourmet pumpkin soup! Ruthie, you really know how to throw a party! For those interested, I gave Ava Molly a ladybug beanbag, tutu outfit and her first pair of fair wings (my pair that I wear to dress up parties).
Back in Montville, we headed to the pub for dinner where i was stoked to meet SANTA! Yes, they were having a Christmas in July, so much to the other girls embarassment, I called him over for a photo. You can never miss a photo with Santa! Then, by 10pm (the ragers that we are!) headed back to the ‘cottage’ for more wine and board games. Oh the life 🙂
After a week back at work, I was off again, this time to Adelaide. But this weekend I was the tag along. 2 friends were headed to Adelaide for an engagement party, and convinced me to come along by promising a wine tour. It was to be another weekend of wine & drinking.
We set off Friday morning, and arrived in Adelaide to a balmy 10 degrees! Bob, our driver picked us up & we set about on our wine tour of McLaren Vale. Let me say, it is a bizarre feeling to hop off a plane (after getting on in almost darkness) and head straight out on a wine tour before breakfast with even checking in to a hotel.
Our first stop was Paxton, where we the only people around & embarked on our first tasting. Paxton was then follower by Samuel Gorge, Kay Brothers & Settlement wineries before lunch. McLaren Vale is well known for reds, so there was a far bit of tasting Grenache & Tempranillo, as wellas the usual suspects – Shiraz, Cab Sav & Merlot. We did discover that there was a fair bit of port around too, which pleased me immensly!
After a beautiful lunch (with very slow service – which further supports my theory that the more touristy a small town is, the worse the service!) at The Barn in the actual town of McLaren Vale, Bob took us on a driving tour of the area, including the coastal town of Willunga. Very pretty, but very cold! On the beach at Willunga, anyone can drive onto the actual beach, regardless of whether or not you have a 4WD. Apparently in summer they can have up to 2000 cars on the beach.
After lunch it was off to Wirra Wirra (great wine but to commercial) and Dog Ridge. Then we sent back 21 bottles between the 3 of us…eek!
Friday night was a quite night after all that wine, but we did stubble across an amazing little tapas restaurant – Casablabla – highly recommended!
Saturday morning saw us venture to the Central Markets for breakfast. For those who haven’t been, it’s a great place to get all sorts of fresh food, coffee, deli meats, spices & a random assortment of other great stuff. After a slightly dubious breakfast of what we believed to be powdered scrambled eggs (!) we set of to explore. We did the obligatory walk through Rundle Mall & visited Haighs Chocolates (an Adelaide instution), watched off the wall street theatre & generally just had a lazy day.
While the other 2 headed off to an engagement party in the Adelaide Hills, I was booked for a night with the Harrington Clan. Caught up with James, Lucy & Al at my favourite place in Adelaide – their House! Lucy & I then headed out for dinner with her friends to The Gilbert Hotel, a funky hotel on the outskirts of the city with red walls & reflective decorative stamps on the wall.
Lucy’s friends were winemakers, so that was one less decision we had to make for the night. It did allow us to play an entertaining game of ‘Let’s make the winemakers guess what type of wine we’ve ordered!’. Get the feeling the didn’t think it was as funny as we did! Food was great, so can highly recommend the Gilbert Hotel. Moroccan Chicken with chick peas & mashed sweet potato. Plus table salads of pumpkin & betroot salad and broccoli & bacon salad – yum!
We went for breakfast at a gourmet grocery store – Jones the grocer, in Hyde Patk. I had got the hot tip the night before from locals. Great atmosphere, packed full of Adelaidians avoiding the rain that had set in, though some did sut on the enclosed deck to try to at least get the feeling of enjoining the outdoors. We sat at a large communal table & read the paper. Heaven! I read the travel section & stories of places I have to go to.
After breakfast it was home. Living the high life is tiring!
