Festivale

Posted on February 21, 2020 by kathy

The first weekend in February brings a very special event to Launceston in the form of Festivale. Our first experience was in 2009 soon after relocating to Tasmania and, even though we had good intentions, we hadn’t attended since. This year we couldn’t resist the drawcard on the music menu. Festivale was launched in 1988 as a big street party in the CBD as part of Australia’s bicentenary celebrations. After seven years in the CBD, the annual event moved to City Park, showcasing Tasmanian gourmet food, wine, beer, cider and spirits along with entertainment by local and interstate artists. Unfortunately, the weather gods did not cooperate this time. We arrived for the 10am opening armed with raincoats and umbrellas and, resisting the temptation at the myriad stalls, sought a hot chocolate starter.

The sounds of jazz filled the park as the Ross Challender Big Band defied the elements,

8.Ross Challender Big Band

their melodies accompanied our survey of produce on offer.

Ample seating, hoping to deflect the rain, awaited in anticipation of the crowds to come.

12.seating

I was more than a little disconcerted when the local constabulary accused me of having them under surveillance but with some smooth talking, I convinced the kindly Commissioner that I was merely there to enjoy the festivities.

15.Commissioner

With wine in hand, we secured seats as the big band concluded their last number.

16.Ross Challender Big Band

The Dave Adams Band changed the tempo and rocked for the next hour before Russell Morris took to the stage. Yes, Russell Morris, Australian rock legend, stirred the gathering with his stalwarts from the early years (I remember The Real Thing from 1969, how can it be that long ago?) as well as his more recent melodies. Natures canopy that had sheltered us from the rain earlier was now shielding us from the sun

17.tree canopy

as the crowd eagerly awaited the main attraction.

18.The Whitlams

The Whitlams have been one of our favourites since their inception nearly thirty years ago yet we had never seen a live performance. They didn’t disappoint and hopefully we will have the opportunity to see them again soon (if you think there are a lot of photos of Tim Freedman, you are absolutely right).

23.The Whitlams

We left our empty friends

28.the last three

and strolled the short distance to our hotel to indulge in a nanna nap before dinner.

29.The Cornwall Hotel

Pienza

Posted on February 14, 2020 by kathy

We took our time driving from Le Grazie to our next destination, Podere Montepozzo, in northern Lazio and stopped to explore Pienza. Established as the medieval village of Corsignano, Pope Pius II renamed and redesigned the place of his birth in the late 15^th century. He enlisted the help of architect, Bernardo Rossellino, to create the ideal Renaissance town and it has remained unchanged since that time. We parked the car and made our way to the centre of town,

1.Pienza 2.back of Pienza cathedral 3.Pienza

the colours of spring brightened the pavements.

On the lookout for somewhere to lunch,

we found ourselves at the edge of the village

20.Pienza 21.Pienza

stunned by the breathtaking vista across the Val d’Orcia to Mount Amiata beyond.

22.Val d'Orcia 23.Val d'Orcia 24.Val d'Orcia 25.Val d'Orcia 26.Val d'Orcia

Returning to the main square, we couldn’t resist a peek inside the walls of Relais Chiostro di Pienza, an exquisite hotel on the site of a 13^th century Franciscan convent. The beautiful ancient cloister

27.cloister

led to the former garden of the friars and the perfect venue for lunch, La Terrazza del Chiostro.

28.La Terrazza del Chiostro

With storm clouds gathering on the horizon, we risked outdoor dining.

The service was impeccable, from the leather bound menu to the handbag holder (hastily produced when I placed my bag on the floor), the unique cutlery

and that spectacular view.

36.Val d'Orcia 37.Val d'Orcia 38.Val d'Orcia

The meals were delicious, starting with a colourful palate cleanser and a selection of breads.

The pigeon was a work of art with breast, leg and a wing lollipop coated in hazelnut & mushroom powder and the local pork fillet with wild fennel carbonara sauce and seasonal vegetables was mouthwatering.

We finished our meal just in time before the heavens opened and wandered through the opulent interior of the hotel

before braving the weather the short distance to Pienza Cathedral. Built in 1459 on the ruins of an ancient Romanesque church, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

49.Pienza Cathedral

The gothic interior is quite spectacular

with elaborate altars

53.altar

and intricately designed labyrinthine ceilings.

The baptismal font seemed simple in comparison.

I think someone was contemplating a quick confession before we left.

Returning to the car, we found divine inspiration to remind us of our objective.

65.Aperitivo Van

Cascade Brewhouse

Posted on January 31, 2020 by kathy

When Michael was recently invited to play at Cascade Brewhouse in Hobart, it was the perfect excuse for a short break and an overnight stay. Despite living in Tasmania for ten years, we have never visited Cascade Brewery. The gothic façade of Australia’s oldest operating brewery seems to dwarf the majesty of Mount Wellington.

1.Cascade Brewery

Across the road, the brewhouse is more than just the ticket office for brewery tours.

2.Cascade Brewhouse 3.Cascade Brewhouse

Snippets of history await in the entrance hall

and in other rooms adjacent to the light, airy restaurant and bar.

7.restaurant 8.bar

While Michael set up his paraphernalia,

I ventured out to explore the three acres of immaculate heritage gardens.

12.fountain 13.hop cart 14.garden path

It’s easy to see why the venue is perfect for weddings and functions.

15.brewhouse garden

22.garden 23.water feature

Needless to say, the afternoon entertainment was superb, as was the beer.

24.Michael

We returned the next morning to sample the new brunch menu, I don’t have photos but believe me, the offerings are amazing. I did take the opportunity of an empty bar

27.bar

to share with you the liquid delicacies on tap at Cascade Brewery.

28.bar

A big thank you to Kirk for your hospitality and generosity, looking forward to catching up again.

Riomaggiore

Posted on January 24, 2020 by kathy

Although every town in the Cinque Terre has its own charm, for me Riomaggiore was the most magical. Approaching from the water, the village nestled in a valley between two steep hills

1.Riomaggiore

and the colourful buildings beckoned.

2.Riomaggiore

Alighting from the boat, we climbed a series of stone steps, rewarded with a spectacular view along the coastline we has just travelled.

3.Riomaggiore

The small harbour of this 13^th century village is beautiful. Despite tourist numbers, there was a feeling of tranquility as the fishing boats lazed upon the water

4.Riomaggiore 5.Riomaggiore 6.Riomaggiore

or patiently awaited their next outing.

7.Riomaggiore 8.Riomaggiore 9.Riomaggiore

We wandered up the main thoroughfare, Via Colombo, lined with colourful dwellings, fascinating shops, restaurants and bars.

10.Via Colombo

13.Via Colombo 14.Via Colombo

Retracing our steps, we digressed for beer and bruschetta at Il Maggiore

19.Via Colombo 20.Via Colombo 21.Il Maggiore

while others attended to the mundane chores of life.

A storm was threatening by the time we returned to the harbour,

25.storm brewing

wondering if we would arrive in Porto Venere before the heavens opened.

26.return boat

Back in Le Grazie, a gentle rain accompanied our walk to La Marinara for a pizza dinner and reflection on our wonderful day in Cinque Terre.

Werribee Zoo

Posted on January 18, 2020 by kathy

Our arrival at Werribee Open Range Zoo timed perfectly with the start of a safari bus tour.

1.Safari Bus

Fortunately, the new bus is a lot more reliable and rhino proof.

2.Safari Bus

The 225 hectare zoo, originally agistment land for Melbourne Zoo, opened in 1983 and is home to many African and Australian species. Werribee is more than just a zoo, with breeding and recovery programmes and a commitment to conservation of wildlife, the future of these precious animals is in good hands. Setting off toward the open plains, it wasn’t long before the familiar silhouette of a bison came into view. His companion, the Addax, is critically endangered with less than 300 remaining in the wild.

We witnessed the results of the breeding programmes that have brought the Mongolian Wild Horses back from the brink of extinction. Named after the Russian explorer who first described them, Przewalski’s Horses have recently been reintroduced to reserves in Mongolia.

Crossing a waterway,

7.waterway

we were surprised to see Texan Longhorn cattle.

Apparently, they look similar to cattle found in Africa and the context became clear as we passed a replica African village.

10.African Village 11.African Village

The tour was momentarily held up by a group of young Scimitar-horned Oryx cavorting around the bus.

12.Scimitar-horned Oryx

It was wonderful to see wild animals roaming freely together across the savannah. Eland grazed sedately

13.Eland grazing

alongside majestic giraffes

16.giraffe

and zebra, all able to relax and enjoy the sunshine without threat of predators.

A herd of Southern White rhinoceros, the largest of the rhino species, share the same pasture.

24.rhinoceros

A nearby waterhole gives them the chance to wallow in the mud but the only resident this day was a lone Cape Barren goose.

25.Cape Barren goose

As the tour drew to a close, the last animal in our sights, the dromedary camel, was first imported in the mid 1800s and Australia now has the world’s largest population of wild camels.

26.camel

We lunched at the Meerkat Bistro, presumably named because the meerkat enclosure abuts a full length window along one side of the café. The heat lamps took the chill off the winter air, I could watch these gorgeous little creatures for hours.

Once sated, we set off to explore the African Trail, a leisurely 1km stroll with many more animals to discover.

31.Kniphofia

The Vervet monkey was well camouflaged within the branches, seemingly deep in thought.

It was lunch time for the African Wild Dogs with their unique ‘painted’ coats. Numbers in the wild are dwindling, yet again thanks to humans.

Along with the lions, habitat destruction, trophy hunting and the killing by farmers to protect livestock are threatening their existence. These peaceful pussy cats certainly didn’t appear menacing.

43.lions

Moored at the edge of the hippopotamus enclosure

sat the African river boat, Kuba Queen.

50.Kuba Queen

Hippos have long been my favourite animal

53.hippo

and I was very excited to capture one as it seemed to test the water before deciding on a swim.

Three Western Lowland gorillas live at Werribee, a magnificent silverback, Motaba and his two sons, Yakini and Ganyeka. I don’t know which one this is but isn’t he handsome?