Home Sweet Home - Day One

I knew that travelling would be disruptive to my life but I just never knew how much.  Maybe it's just because I'm not 21 anymore but I am SO pleased to be in my own home and not living in a tiny hotel room and out of suitcases.

We searched high and low for a place to live and finally when we were beginning to despair,  the right one came along! Patience...... This place popped up on the internet and we got to view it straight away, were deemed to be ok by the owners (?) and last weekend we moved in (See below). Well, we moved our 3 suitcases and lots of shopping bags. Furnished places are hard to find so we ended up getting a place just with the white goods and we have to get the rest.  We have a table and 4 chairs and a bed, oh yes, AND we have 2 bedside tables purchased after a harrowing trip to Ikea in Milton Keynes.

Milton Keynes is an hour and 5 mins away from where we now live. I thought we could take a simple drive there, whizz into Ikea, get our goods and then out again.  But no! We arrived at Milton Keynes to find that EVERYONE wanted to shop this weekend as it is a holiday weekend.  There were literally thousands of people there.  Now, I thought Ikea in Brisbane was big but I haven't seen anything like the Milton Keynes store....  We were starving because the UK sadly lacks places to stop for a bite to eat (cafes are rare when you are on the road ), so we decided to eat at Ikea.  Well, the wait for that was 30 mins. The food filled us up thankfully and left us ready, I thought,  to embark on the Ikea never ending journey.  We got to the chair section at which point instead of liking my selection, the other person in the relationship decided he liked something else.  Something VERY SIMILAR to what we had had in Australia.  Now, my idea is that we are somewhere different so we should take the opportunity to do something different.  I had been sweating over catalogues and magazines and had a fairly clear idea of the design direction we should be taking.  Alas this was not to be. So we left Ikea without seating but with bedside tables, which are built and functioning very well. Lesson = never take husband to Ikea again!!

On arriving back at our new house we were hungry for our dinner and looking forward to cooking our first meal.  I turned on the new induction cooktop but alas, we could not make it work..... turns out our new ceramic cookwear does not work on induction cooktops  - another lesson learnt.  No problem we thought, we'll head down to the local pub (our village has 2 pubs, a cafe, and a general store).  We walked down  (2 minutes) and then discovered that neither pub does meals on a Saturday night! We looked at each other laughed, ordered a drink, walked back up the hill to home and made a dinner of cheese and tomato on toast.  Day One complete so we fell into our new bed and the next morning we both agreed that it is one of the best beds we have slept in.

These photos are of the grounds and the beautiful big home where we live. 

Mulling it Over in Scotland

Starting life in a new country highlights differences in culture, food, systems, governing bodies, language and oceans. We are now sorted with bank accounts but because we have no credit history here in the UK we can't be considered reliable enough to have a credit card. We gained our Nino (aTFN in Australia and an IRD number in New Zealand) so that we can work.  We speak the same language (English) but a different one because we choose to call things different names, or use brand names as descriptors or speak with such a broad accent that understanding is challenging. We have phones but no one to call.
I'm not sure how to describe myself here in the UK because I am a Kiwi (and proud of it) but I have lived in Australia for so long that my life experiences are often referencing Australiana.  It's all a bit tricky to explain what makes me tick.  So, the commonplace has become uncommon and the world has slighlty shifted on its axis.  Same, same but different.

But you know what?  As long as I remember that I chose this adventure and that the differences are just that, then things are fine. I'm learning each day. My listening skills are being put into play tuning my ear into the local accent, the other night in the taxi I was completely lost when the driver was trying to communicate, and when a car salesman called I had to ask him 3 times to repeat himself and in the end had to admit that I could not understand him at all!!!

And the weather in Scotland? Well, it's a bit like New Zealand, summer and winter in one day.  In fact this afternoon as I write, the cousins are sitting outside on the deck in the sunshine having a coffee while I am inside in my jeans and merino jersey! The sun is lovely though. I am thankful for the down jacket I brought in Brisbane and never wore there, for my shoes that I brought in Perth but never wore in Brisbane and for my NZ merino clothing that just about makes things the right temperature for me. 

We have traveled to Oban, Mull, Iona and Staffa.  It was a slighlty, haphazardly organised tour but we got there in the end.  Yesterday started with brilliant sunshine, the flatest bit of ocean I've seen in years (not usual) and the best car, bus, train, boat rides. Our trip took us from Oban across to Craignure on Mull by boat, onto a bus and westward passing Glens, Bens and Lochs on the way (valleys, mountains and lakes). We also saw red deer, otters, and sea eagles and we traveled on a single carriageway road (woohoo that was exciting when the big truck was heading straight for us and didn't slow down before sneaking into the passing area - phew!).  Arriving at Fionnphort we transferred to a smallish boat and were whisked out to sea (about 35mins) to the island of Staffa.  What a privilege to go to this amazing island so small that you can't find it on most maps.  When we approached it was unclear how we would get close as the waves were crashing all around it.  But with some superior boating skills in use, the guys navigated their way into the little jetty. We were able to climb to the top of the island and then scramble down again and walk around the rocks to Fingal's Cave which had massive oceans waves rushing in and out; the noise and energy of the waves was fantastic.  This was the cave that inspired Mendelsson to write The Hedribes Overture, Fingal's Cave.  The drama of the music definitely reflects the dramatic island, this You Tube clip gives a good video of what it is like on Staffa. 

After a couple of hours we were taken off to the island and headed back towards the Isle of Iona.  On our way we stopped and saw Puffins floating in the sea, getting ready to head for land for nesting.  These creatures are tiny, I was busy looking out for big penguin-like birds but they are more the size of a sparrow! We also stopped mid ocean and watched a pod of Bottle Nosed dolphins who  followed the boat for a while when we took off again.
Iona was stunning.  It was mid afternoon, the sun was shining, there was no wind and the island was seen in the best light.  Tiny cottages dot the village area, beautiful little craft shops abound (I brought an exquiste woven blanket and He-who-cares-about-me brought me a beautiful little ceramic cathedral), the ruins of a nunnery were waiting to be walked through and then the Priory was waiting to be explored.  Our Historical Scotland card has already paid for itself allowing us free access to the site. Stunning.  Afterwards we found a little hotel and got ourselves a nice drink to have while we sat in the sun overlooking a paddock of black faced sheep and sweeping views of the bay.  Along the pathway was the hotel's superbly organised and planted organic garden and in the distance we could see the boat that would take us back to Fionnfort.
Eventually we headed back to the  wharf, onto the boat to Fionnphort, bus back to Craignure and boat back to Oban. It was dinnertime when we arrived back so we ordered ourselves Haddock and chips,  and sat at the waterfront to eat them.
Our day ended at midnight back in Glasgow after a very cold train ride from Oban. Tired but satisified with our brilliant day, we both slept soundly!! 

Double Shot Please!

It's ages since we have eaten at Riverbend Bookshop in Bulimba so when we turned up today and found it is now Double Shot Cafe it was a nice surprise. The eating area is all outdoors but mostly undercover and today's temps finally lowering to a pleasant level made eating there a delight.
The service was great.  The staff circulated constantly and new arrivals were made welcome as they walked up to the entrance area.  The menu is sure to please everyone with all day breakfasts and lunch specials as well.
I was after a salad today and my Green Papaya, Mango, Shredded Chicken, and Mint Salad hit the nail on the head for me. Beautifully presented and clean fresh flavours. He-who-paid-the-bill ordered the Shredded Pork and Apple Pie with salad.  It came on a large wooden board and looked really appetising though it did take a while to cook and so my belly was nearly touching my backbone by the time it arrived.  (Dear close friends, please stop snorting with mirth at that image!).  I really was hungry.

 I passed off the ritual coffee (I had a headache later in the day for my effort) in favour of a fresh pressed apple juice which arrived in a lovely glass jar; delicious.
The new cafe is fresh, and bright with black and white subway tiles and splashes of yellow as an accent colour in lemons and a wonderful vase of fake but lovely flowers.  The glass display case had a good selection of goodies in it.  Most of the tables were full but there was a good turnover of customers and no one seemed to be waiting to find a seat.
This meal more than met expectations for lunch on a summer's day.  Nice changes, worth going back.
 

A Spoonful of Goodness - East Brisbane

Spoon, situated on Lytton Road in East Brisbane is a great place to drop in. They have express coffee that can be obtained from their outdoor cafe nook which sits just outside the indoor eating area. The fabulously huge indoor / outdoor cafe and seating area has a range of fixed seating, chairs and stools around small to large tables so there is somewhere for everyone to sit.  I prefer the larger tables because I love to spread out the paper and have a good read. The big long table is great when there is a group of you wanting to share. 

I had a very pleasant meeting there the other morning. The coffee was good and I had a quick breakfast of avocado and haloumi which was much bigger than I expected (but I ate it all!).  I have eaten here many times before though and find they have a good selection of eats. One meal I particularly liked there was the breakfast rice with a poached egg on top,  I'm unsure if this is still on the menu but if so, it's worth a try. They always have a great selection in their showcase too. The food is fresh, hearty and consistently well presented.

I've also been to a private function at Spoon and it was a great place to hold a special event. The space works well for a small crowd providing easy indoor /outdoor flow. The only complaint I've ever had about Spoon is that the service can be so slow but that was not the case this visit so they have redeemed themselves!  I will be back.

A few things to do in Melbourne

Sunday morning early my daughter-in-law and I zipped into Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne city to check out the vintage clothes stalls. We both ended up with goodies to come home with. I love to walk into the food hall at the markets, I could get lost there for the morning. There cheese shops, bread shops, meat shops, fruit shops, and variations of all those. The goods are amazing and well presented. You get to taste test and the shop owners are generally passionate foodies. I particularly liked the coffee we got from the little Italian coffee van. The Italian food looked amazing though I couldn't eat the beautiful pastries (rats!), my hands were full and I didn't grab a photo or the name of the van but it was a stand out because it looked clean, fresh, and the offerings were different.

After lunch we wandered down to the Morondah Community Fair and enjoyed watching the smallest boy's delight at driving a fire engine, jumping on the jumpy castles and dancing with the Tickety Toc crew on main stage (yes I was the only adult in the front row but I was SUPPORTING my grandson!!).  There were an amazing amount of free activities so we had a very happy boy that afternoon.

 We headed out for a coffee the next morning and went straight to Bekendales.  This is a cafe we love to head to when we are in Croyden.  Dale is a real character; welcoming and warm, loves his food and coffee, and he serves the normal breakfast fare with nice treats in the cabinet. The cafe is small and cosy on a cold day, air-conditioned on a hot one, and there are outdoor seats for when the weather is lovely....

Monday saw us alone with Mr I-Must-Have-2-Marshmellows (3.5years old). We went up Mt Dandenong which is another favourite thing to do. Main destination was Sassafras for breakfast and as much shopping as the 3.5 yr old would allow (not much apart from in Geppettos Workshop).  The  Cafe de Beaumarchais beckoned us in on this cool morning.  I had held off having breakfast and thought I would get something healthy to eat. NOT! One look at the offerings and I just had to have something so NOT good.  I settled on a white chocolate, raspberry, lemon curd cheesecake.  It was decadent to say the least. but I washed it down with a short macchiato which cut through the sweetness. Of course someone lactose intolerant should take a little more care over their choice of breakfast, the consequence was that I suffered a little but it was a lovely thing to eat at the time. Husband ate a fritatta and Grandson had banana bread which went down a treat and was enjoyed all morning as the left overs were wrapped, taken with us and munched in the car. This cafe is a little bit of Paris, the pastries are beautiful to look at in an old glass fronted case, the furniture has a distinctly French look and the atmosphere is dark and moody which reminds me of that night we had in Paris.....

Australia Day Ride

Australia Day dawned with the weather predicted to provide (1) rain and (2) heat, so we decided to jump on the motorbike and head to the hills early in the morning to avoid both.  While the sky was overcast and threatening rain, we managed to be out for 3 hours and not get wet or too hot. We headed to Dayboro first, such a pretty spot. Usually we stop at the Dayboro Deli Country Kitchen for a bite to eat but we were too early. I've got to do a plug for this cafe because we have always had great food here. We have been for breakfast several times and for dinner (special set menu) on St Patrick's Day; that meal in particular was fabulous with the green theme prevalent in food and service! I have also been there on a breakfast outing with Nat and Carol (the bird scarer). Thanks go to our friends Michael & Pip for loaning us Carol who loved the convertible, with the wind blowing over her feathers. The Dayboro Deli staff even brought Carol a "birdie chino" to enjoy while we had our breakfast - very accommodating I thought! Here's a few pics of Carol, Nat and our adventure.
Anyway, I digress. No Dayboro Deli for us this time so we headed the bike towards Samford and enjoyed being one of only a few vehicles/ cyclists on the road which was really surprising since it was a holiday - we must have been early!!  From Samford we headed up the hill to Mt Glorious.  This hill is massive and full of switch back turns which I hate as a pillion passenger (my thrill is speed) but it is a beautiful drive climbing rapidly up through the trees. Once you reach the, turn right and in no time you arrive at the Maiala Rainforest Teahouse at Mt Glorious.  This stop is made for cyclists and bikers. There is covered seating stretching out in front of the long low structure which fronts straight onto the road allowing great views of cycles and motorbikes passing, stopped and leaving. On this particular morning there was plenty of action with one side of the frontage filled with cyclists and the other with motorbikers.  If you want to see serious $$$ all lined up then this is the spot to go. You don't come to Maiala for the food experience, this stop is a fueling station for the next part of the ride however, the coffee surpassed expectations and the scrambled eggs on toast were well done if plain.

We would have expected a surcharge on this holiday weekend but instead there was a big sign at the door saying no surcharge for the holiday but all food would be served on plastic plates and we would have to come and pick up our order when our number was called.  I was perfectly happy with that arrangement and I doubt that anyone else there would have cared either.

Once we had finished breakfast we headed back home along the top of the mountain range, through Mt Nebo and down through The Gap. The view across the valley from the top of the range is breathtaking and if you have time it is well worth stopping for a while at Jolly's Lookout on Mt Nebo Road. Even though we haven't stopped there for ages, the Dr Red Vineyard, is worth having a look at. The views from the cellar door out of the valley are amazing and the wine is ok too.

This is a nice easy ride (not too bum numbing) though care needs to be taken on these roads which are narrow and shared with cyclists and cars, there is not always enough room for everyone plus the corners require a high care factor.  Coming home we saw someone gathering bits after a spill from his bike, thankfully he was ok.  It's always disappointing to drop down out of the cool of the mountain and back into the heat of the city but the pleasure of the ride usually outweighs the disappointment of the heat.

A night to remember....

Don't you just love dining with good friends? We had the opportunity late last year to trial dinner at at Cinco on Cleveland Road, Camp Hill with some very special friends who were visiting.It may be in the midst of suburbia but this restaurant can hold it's own against the city restaurants.  We were not unhappy!

One of our party of 4, Reece, is a chef.  I can vouch for his cooking skills because he and his family lived with us a long time ago and we all looked forward to the nights he was on dinner! For me it was a good time to not have to think about the cooking but I also loved watching him at work. Now, whenever I can, which is rarely because we don't live close anymore, I love nothing better than to jump in and stir, slice or be his lackey to make a feast for friends and family.

There is always a little pressure when you take a chef out to make sure that what is served up will thrill his tastebuds and meet his stylistic standards! Cinco thankfully satisfied all four of us.  We all enjoyed each mouthful of our dinner, the service was exceptional with a waiter who knew the menu inside out - we do all like to ask questions about what we are eating, and a good wine menu.

I hadn't done any research into this restaurant, it had been a recommendation and I had been gifted a voucher to dine here so I feel like a winner. I had thought this was an Italian restaurant (after all there is a pizzeria next door - Piccolo Pizza) however I think it is best described as Australian fusion.  All the best fresh local ingredients with global ideas.

The menu has changed a little since we went and I can't remember the exact dishes we had but the pictures all still remind me of a lovely evening dining out.