Tag Archives: photography

Wild Island Tastes

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Tasmania is renowned for its clean water, fresh air and rich soil. This, of course, means quality fresh produce in abundance. Now, imagine those unique flavours of fruit, honey and lavender and add…chocolate. This week, I was fortunate to witness the launch of a fabulous new Tasmanian product, Wild Island Tastes Chocolate Bark.

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Mingling for a while with the benefit of wine and cheese,

the Mayor then introduced the creators of this fine concoction. Anna and Joan have been firm friends for thirty years and have worked hard together to realise their dream. They shared with us their journey from inception to induction of their wonderful handmade chocolate bark.

4.Anna & Joan

I shall acquaint you with these taste sensations. Tarkine Treasures

5.Tarkine Treasures1

is a treasure trove of Tasmanian flavours, plump freeze-dried raspberries, natural leatherwood honey-roasted almonds nestled in the finest dark chocolate with a crunch of exotic cacao nibs.

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Summer Love

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delivers delicious Tasmanian freeze-dried strawberries on a bed of the finest white chocolate, sprinkled with Tasmanian lavender flowers, exotic coconut flakes and white chia seeds.

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Shipwrecked is my favourite.

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Shards of premium milk chocolate and delicate white chocolate swirls enhance the flavours of Tasmanian freeze-dried blueberries, earthy pepitas, crunchy caramel and Tasmanian sea salt.

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It is impossible to describe the fusion of flavours, a mouthwatering and memorable taste experience.

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I should mention the very talented graphic designer who, when presented with the name Wild Island Tastes, created the identity, encompassing logo design, packaging and promotional material – my husband, Michael Cannon.

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I hope you have the chance to experience Wild Island Tastes Chocolate Bark for yourself.

https://www.facebook.com/wildislandtastes/

Cosmeston

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After wrenching ourselves away from Cornwall, we continued on our travels to Wales. Staying in Penarth, we were able to explore the surrounding Vale of Glamorgan. We discovered Cosmeston Medieval Village.

13.Cosmeston

The remains of 14th century stone buildings were unearthed during the development of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park in 1978.

1.Cosmeston

A unique archaeological project restored the medieval village of Cosmeston on its original site and foundations. We were greeted by a man dressed for the year 1350, then left to roam at will.

2.Cosmeston4.Cosmeston

5.Cosmeston

The pigs had a very cosy house.

There was plenty happening in 1350 – Britain was in its twelfth year of the Hundred Years War with France

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and was slowly recovering from the Black Death of 1348, which killed almost half the population.

13.Cosmeston

Some of the pigs were shy

17.Pig

but the sheep seemed contented.

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We wandered around Cosmeston Lakes, with 12 hectares of open water

19.Cosmeston

there was plenty of birdlife.

The park was beautiful

24.Cosmeston

and the autumn colours quite spectacular.

We had worked up a bit of a thirst and luckily, stumbled across the Traherne Arms. Situated on a hill called the Tumble, overlooking Cardiff, it was actually a very busy restaurant. The gentleman behind the bar was initially not very happy but took pity on us and served us a pint. He took the time out for a chat and then gave us a souvenir ‘Brains’ bar towel!

27.Traherne Arms

I like this story. Until the 19th Century it was known as the Tumbledown Dick Inn. Named after Richard, the son of Oliver Cromwell, following an ample lunch in the company of the Jones’ of Fonmon Castle, fell off his horse while descending the hill, giving him the alias of Tumbledown Dick.

Sounds of Silence

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One of the highlights of our stay at Uluru was the Sounds of Silence dinner. It began with a bus ride to a sand dune in the middle of nowhere. We indulged in canapés and sparkling wine

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as we watched the descending sun

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change the hues of Uluru.

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Behind us, Kata Tjuta was transforming

5.Kata Tjuta

as the sun sank lower. Sol finally slipped below the horizon

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and while trying not to take our eyes off the spectacle around us,

8.Uluru sunset9.Kata Tjuta sunset

we made our way along a path to our restaurant. The kitchen was well equipped

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and the formal table settings contrasted sharply with the surrounding landscape.

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While we got to know our fellow travellers

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we listened to the stirring sounds of a didgeridoo

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and enjoyed some of Australia’s finest wines. The bush tucker inspired buffet included barbecued barramundi, kangaroo, emu & crocodile. The last glow lit up the horizon

14.sheoak sunset

and the dark sky came alive with stars.

The resident star talker introduced us to the wonders of the universe and we had the opportunity for a close up view of Saturn and the Earth’s moon through his amazing telescope. The lighting around the perimeter created a warming ambience

and as the desert evening cooled down, the gas heaters were welcomed.

Replete with food, wine and good company, it was a very quiet bus ride back to the resort.

Vico Pancellorum

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Sunday was a day of rest for the hardworking luthiers so, having been recommended a certain restaurant, we drove to the village of Vico Pancellorum to sample for ourselves. The village is the last in Bagni di Lucca heading up the Lima River. We spent some time before lunch exploring the village

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and admiring the majesty of the countryside.

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The houses cling to the steep hillside leading to one of the tallest mountains in Tuscany,

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each had its own character.

This monument appears to be a memorial to those who fought in the Apennines.

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We paused to look back at the village

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and the neighbours across the valley

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before continuing up the hill.

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Once again, I was intrigued by the old doorways

and gates.

We ambled on,

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bursts of colour revealed themselves

and it was time to take in the gorgeous view over the village

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before returning for lunch. There were some lovely surprises as we strolled back.

We had worked up an appetite and Buca di Baldabò didn’t disappoint.

39.Buca di Baldabò

With no written menu, we were happy to be guided by our hosts. Unfortunately, I didn’t take food photos but the four of us shared a selection of traditional Tuscan dishes including Gnocchi with Gypsy Sauce, Tagliatelli with Wild Game Sauce, Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli with Basil, Slow Cooked Lamb and Rabbit with Olives. I came up for air long enough to snap the wonderful finale of Biscotti con Vin Santo.

40.Biscotti con Vin Santo

Before leaving the village, we had a closer look at Pieve di San Paolo.

41.Pieve di San Paolo

Dating back to 873AD, it is the oldest church of the Val di Lima.

One last look at the gorgeous mountains and we were braced for the drive home.

44.view from Pieve di San Paolo

A perfect way to spend a Sunday.

The Bridge

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Whichever way you look at it, Sydney Harbour Bridge is spectacular.

1.The Bridge2.The Bridge3.The Bridge

When it was opened in 1932, after eight years of construction, it was the longest single span steel arch bridge in the world.

4.The Bridge

Today, there are eight lanes of traffic, two railway lines, a pedestrian pathway and a cycleway connecting the city of Sydney with the North Shore.

5.The Bridge6.The Bridge

The closer you look, the more fascinating it becomes.

7.The Bridge8.The Bridge

Six million hand driven rivets and 53,000 tonnes of steel come together with artistic precision.

The Bridge Climb was on our bucket list for quite some time and we weren’t disappointed.

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Dressed in regulation climbing gear, we had a safety briefing and practiced climbing narrow, steep ladders before the real thing. The climb started below the highway and after navigating catwalks with ease, we had to ascend four ladders that took us up through the traffic to the start of the upper arch.

The jelly knees soon settled and the rest of the 1,332 steps was quite leisurely. We weren’t allowed to take cameras or anything else that could drop to the roadway but we had a few photos taken by the leader.

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Though a tad windy and overcast, it was pleasant for walking.

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134 metres above the harbour, we lingered for a while to admire the breathtaking panorama.

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Too soon, we returned to solid ground, vowing next time we will do a sunset climb. There is certainly something magical about that bridge.

24.The Bridge