Rural Victoria

Posted on April 6, 2017 by wonko

For our 34th Wedding anniversary (and just because …reasons) we decided to head south for a week of food, shopping and fun. We flew to Melbourne, picked up a hire car at the airport and drove out to Daylesford in regional Victoria.

Jo loves to research, and is really thorough so we had places to eat and visit planned out.

We had lunch at “The Larder”, a hipster cafe with tasty food and a relaxed seating plan (shared tables) which was a nice start to the day and a good way to unwind from the perils of transit. They made an awesome cup of tea also.

We then set out on a provisions hunt on the main street of Daylesford, seeking cheese and charcuterie.  The shops in this area were interesting, full of art, craft and things we had not see a dozen times over in other tourist regions. We afternoon tea’d at Lake Daylesford accompanied by a flock of mallard, then we drove to the Daylesford Cider Company for some cider tasting.

After trying all 7 on offer (some lovely, some just plain weird), we decided on a clutch of 4 bottles for later.

We then drove to our accommodation at Trentham – a lakeside “cottage”. We decided, even though it was fairly late, to walk up town to familiarise ourselves with the layout. We then headed back to Daylesford and Mercato restaurant for dinner. Read more »

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Postcard From Paris.

Posted on May 16, 2015 by wonko

They say a change is as good as a holiday. They lied.streets

Our 6 weeks away has seen us explore cultures and food from many different countries, seen sights that simply do not exist in suburban Brisbane, met people from many walks of life, gained a little more international perspective and I think that merely makes us want to do it again.locks

As we plan to leave Paris, not sure if we will return (because there are so many other interesting places to visit), reflecting on the holiday that was means focussing on the notables, and there have been many, most mentioned in other blog posts – this post will focus on some memorable moments for us in Paris. Read more »

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Another Perfect Day in France – a bicycle, a baguette, a bottle and a garden

Posted on May 14, 2015 by wonko

imageWe both had a passing interest in Monet and his art, Jo had done some research and found a bicycle tour run by a company we had used when last in Paris to skip the queue on the Eiffel Tower and so we decided to book the day out with them.image

It was no forgone conclusion we would go – both still battling coughs and flu symptoms, we had a restless night sleep but woke up feeling like it was worth a shot, given there was a cancellation fee so we girded our loins, dosed up and after a restorative morning pastry for breakfast (one of the advantages/disadvantages of being so close to Paris’s best Boulangerie) we headed off on the metro to Gare St Lazare, a regional train station. There we met up with our guides and the rest of the group – 30ish people, all ages and shapes which made us feel better and more capable of actually coping. Read more »

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