A Week Away in Mildura

The long weekend in Melbourne celebrating a horse race with obligatory drunkenness seemed a perfect time to head into the Victorian countryside with my wife, Caroline and our close friends Nick and Zoe. We hired out a houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura and planned a stop in Hall's Gap on the way back to break up the journey. And a long, boring journey it is up to Mildura from Melbourne. It is about 6 hours of driving, with the last 2 hours particularly mind numbing. There are some pretty little places on the way up, such as Bridgewater on Loddon.

Bridgewater on Loddon

But the drive is definitely worth the effort. Once in Mildura, and settled on the houseboat, time stopped and we all felt the strains of life melt away. We traveled a short way down the river and were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to operate the houseboat.

Zoe and Caroline in front of our Houseboat

We spent a little time in Mildura, but most of the time we were on the houseboat. The cafe and restaurant precinct around the Grand Hotel is the place to be, and we particularly liked a cafe called The Office, though Hudak's Bakery was also great! Mainly though we had barbies and salads, which suited the climate, about 5C hotter than Melbourne, but we had one day in the high 30'sC!

Grand Hotel Mildura

Our time in Mildura was utterly relaxing. It was a combination of easy food, good drink (including beers from the local microbrewery and a beautiful Nebbiolo from Trentham Winery), great company, laughter, freedom and slow paced living that made this one of the most relaxing times of my life. On the trip back to Melbourne we stopped in Hall's gap in the Grampians which is a natural beauty spot. A drive around the lookouts is breath taking while there is plenty of local wildlife including some very friendly kangaroos!

Kangaroos on the Rec in Hall's Gap

All in all it was a total recharge of spirit and energy which has put us all in good stead for the final burst of work for the year, through to Christmas, though saying that getting back to work was tough after such a relaxing time. I was also able to run again, which I hadn't for a few weeks due to a bad back and tight chest. Running in Mildura was very pleasant, though a bit warm while running Hall's Gap was better from a climate perspective but did include some sharp climbs that got the juices flowing! It would be difficult to find a better place to relax and spend time with friends than on a houseboat in Mildura on the Murray!

 Murray River Sunset

Our great friends, Nick and Zoe with us at Trentham Winery.

My Strange Addiction

The first step in fighting an addiction is in identifying that you have it. The second step is rationalising that the addiction is bad for you. The third step is taking the plunge and doing something about it. This is my story about the development of my addiction!

In the early 1990's I spent some time in Paris. I played in a chess tournament and then stayed with one of the players in his apartment in Pigalle. I had a cool time there. I didn't have much money, but I busked in the side streets, juggling for cash. One day I even walked to the Seine from Pigalle. I explored the back streets of Montmartre and found myself for the first time of my life in the vicinity of 'cafe culture'. Coming from the pub culture of England, it was at first difficult to get to grips with, especially that my French was far from fluent. However, I became very comfortable in those cafe's, and even started conversations with people, mostly in French! In fact, one quick convo with some young guys led to me getting a couple of nights work juggling with their band in one of the venues on the Boulevarde de la Chapelle, Le Chat Noir.

During these Bohemian times, I found something that amazed my taste buds. I went into a Parisian cafe near Anvers (I have no idea what its name was, or even if it still exists) and tried an almond croissant. I had never had anything like it before, and immediately fell in love with the rich buttery taste which blended the nutty texture.

Anyway, as that was close to the end of my time in Paris, I only had one almond croissant before heading back to England. At the time I was living in Coventry in central England and I made a huge effort to find almond croissants. However, to my disappointment, it seemed that bakeries in Coventry (and nearby Birmingham) did not make almond croissants and as I didn't drive back in those days, it was difficult to travel to places where they may be found (ie London). So it was about 10 years before I had my second almond croissant, this time on a long weekend break in Salzburg with Caroline. We were looking for places to go to in Europe as quick breaks, and settled on the small Austrian city for 3 nights. If you ever go to Salzburg, among its many treasures is the cafe Tomaselli's, one of Europe's most famous cafe's and a place where once, allegedly, Mozart and Strauss frequented. It is like walking into a part of history when you enter Tomaselli's and the service and wares are fantastic. Here, I had the second almond croissant of my life, and this one was even better than the first.

Back in England I still couldn't find them, and it was a few more years before I had my third. In 2005 I emigrated to Melbourne, Australia little knowing that I was moving to a city steeped in European style cafe culture. I landed to blazing sunshine and a non stop summer (I didn't associate this with the 10 year drought suffered by Melburnians till much later) which encouraged outdoor living and beach culture. But it didn't take me long to start drinking coffee and finding cafe's to suit my taste. At the end of our first year, Caroline and I moved to the suburb of Elsternwick in Melbourne's inner south east and we have stayed here since. We are walking distance from the bay, and close to the city. It is convenient for my work, and Caroline has also found work not too far away in Richmond. It was in Elsternwick that I had my third almond croissant. I was walking down the main thoroughfare, Glenhuntly Road, and stopped in at a cafe called Rocley's. I'd already tried out others in the strip, but when I went in I saw a basket with French pastries, including almond croissants. Since then, I have been going back to Rocley's regularly for the past 6 years, and almost always have an almond croissant with a long black (making up for those lost years when I was denied them!).

Pastry Basket in Rocley's

What sparked me to write this blog post was an article I saw in Broadsheet Melbourne about French pastries. I was looking at the cafe's suggested in this article and realised I had been in a few of them: Chez Dre I have written about in this blog, Noisette I had a mediocre experience with a couple of years ago and haven't been back, and likewise with La Tropezienne, though I haven't been to the others. So when I think about it, I have actually had quite a few almond croissants, at quite a few different cafe's around Melbourne, and I think it's time to rate them. Here are the 3 best almond croissants I've had in Melbourne:

- the almond croissants at Rocley's are among the best. The filling is delicately flavoured, and the texture of the croissants is generally soft with a slight crispness to the outside. The best time to go into Rocley's is about 9.30 am, because the almond croissants will have just been made and they are excellent when fresh and warm. This is the big appeal to me of this cafe. They makes everything on the premises, pies, pastries, salads etc.

Today's almond croissant from Rocley's

- Chez Dre also make their own almond croissants and they are as good as Rocley's. Personally, I prefer the texture at Rocley's but the flavour of the Chez Dre croissant is unreal. Again, the filling is delicate but there is slightly less sugar coating which allows the croissant itself to retain something of its flavour.

- another cafe not mentioned in the Broadsheet article is Frou Frou in Malvern Road, Prahran. Again, the texture of the almond croissant was a little softer than Rocley's, but the filling was delicious with something other than almond essence, perhaps rum or vanilla, giving it a twist.

So those are my top 3 almond croissants in Melbourne (so far) and it's hard for me to pick an order as they are all so good. Of course, I am happy to have one in any of the Laurent Boulangerie's in Glenferrie, Brighton or the CBD, and am always happy to try a new one wherever I may find one.

Writing this post has helped me to identify that I have an addiction. However, I see nothing wrong with it and intend to keep searching for the ultimate almond croissant, making up for all those years when I desperately wanted one, but couldn't find them.

Planning a Holiday

There are times when you say to yourself, I feel like going somewhere for a long weekend, and you stick a pin in the map and head off by plane or car almost on the spur of the moment. There are other holidays that involve some detailed planning (and saving), and Caroline and I have just started the ball rolling on a fly-drive trip to Western USA. We started off with a basic idea of what we wanted to do which was go to San Francisco and drive to Yellowstone National Park seeing some natural wonders along the way. With a little bit of probing, and some imaginative timetabling we've decided we can drive a loop which hopefully will get us to some amazing places, seeing and experiencing some amazing things.



View Larger Map

The trip is to last about 2 weeks and involves serious driving most days, but it's not the first time we've done this sort of thing and our last fly-drive to New England in the Fall was one of the most memorable times of my life.

So here's the plan:

1. Fly to San Francisco - a brief stop in S.F. to catch some sights
2. S.F. to Twin Falls Idaho - 2 days through Nevada into Idaho and the Snake River

Shoshone Falls, Idaho

3. Twin Falls to Yellowstone - including a day in the National Park to see geysers and wildlife

4. Yellowstone to Cody Wyoming - this is a short trip, and includes a planned trip to the Buffalo Bill Museum

5. Cody to Cheyenne Wyoming - probably the most boring bit of the trip

6. Cheyenne to Breckenridge Colorado - a trip through the Rockies taking in Estes Park and Boulder

7. Breckenridge to Moab Utah - High country to the wild west, with Arches National Park a planned stop

Spectacular views in Arches National Park, Utah

8. Moab to Grand Canyon, Arizona - A day and a half through Navajo country including a trading post stop in Tuba City

9. Grand Canyon to Bakersfield, California - A long drive skirting Death Valley en route to S.F. Will stop at Sunset Crater Volcano to walk on lava!

10. Bakersfield to San Franciso - if time permits, a trip to Sequoia National Park to see the big trees!

This is a 'trip of a lifetime' type thing, and will cost a fortune but we both want to do it and will make it happen! Some of the itinerary items may change a bit bu this is the basic blueprint of what we want to do. However, for me, the scariest part is that we're planning this trip for about this time next year! That's a long time to plan, but a long time to wait to see some of the world's natural wonders.

Getting Back on Track

I had a really rough period at work for a few weeks and that was enough to shake the enthusiasm out of me for doing the things I wanted to do, running and finding good coffee. Well, I've had a couple of days off and am starting to get back in the swing again. Today, I went for my first run for a couple of weeks and I took it pretty easy. I ran to the bay and back (about 6km) at a slow pace with a break when I got down there to look for dolphins but unfortunately I didn't see any. The last run also took me to the bay, and when I stopped to look for dolphins I thought I was in a luck as a group of people were pointing into the bay. To my amazement the furore was being caused by the sighting of a duck! At least I had a laugh about it on the run back.

To be honest, I had lacked motivation for running. I was tired and found myself making excuses. I think the main problem was there was no goal, and so running was the end in itself and if I couldn't be bothered to run then I wasn't going to do it. So I have set myself a goal. In about 5 weeks I am going to Mildura for a short break, and I intend to run 15km when I'm there. This will equal the longest run I've done, so the aim is to get back to the best fitness I was at in 5 weeks. I will then try to run 20km when I go back to England over Christmas. A good long run will hopefully help to burn off some of the calories that will no doubt piled on me when I see mine and Caroline's families.

Motivation is an important part of life and I have found a lethargy in my life generally. For example, I have not experimented in my reading, drinking, eating or hobby habits and feel as if I've bee in a bit of a rut. While I enjoy having things that I trust and enjoy, it is good to try different things every so often. Just like yesterday when I went to South Melbourne with Caroline to try out a new cafe. If you're walking up Coventry Street on the North side of the market, down a side street there is Chez Dre patisserie and boulangerie. This sounds a bit over the top, and it looks like nothing from the outside. So when you get inside and see the converted warehouse with loads of space, a beautiful open kitchen layout and a great serving display with the most mouth watering looking cakes, you just can't believe your luck. I had a long black (sweet and strong) and a half baguette that took me back to when I was in France. I also had an almond croissant which was among the best I've ever had (and I've had a few!).

 Caroline's Cappuccino

 Open kitchen layout

Patisserie display at Chez Dre

Cottle on Coventry

It was a fairly lazy Sunday for me today. At a loss of what to do on a fairly nice early spring day, I decided that I wanted to restart my running program that has been on hold for a few weeks, and I would take a trip to South Melbourne Market. In South Melbourne coffee drinkers are well catered for. One of Melbourne's top rated cafe, St Ali's, sits on a back street behind the main Clarendon Street. St Ali's truly has magnificent coffee, but the last time I was there it was really busy, the price of fame I guess.

So instead of heading to St Ali, I tried somewhere I'd never been to before. Walking along Coventry Street on the way to the market I noticed Cottle on Coventry, and gave it a go. Funnily enough, I wan't expecting much and was pleasantly surprised.

I had a long black which was as good as any I've had in Melbourne, smooth yet strong and with a soft sweetness. What I liked best was the serving of the coffee, in short black form with hot water on the side so the drink can be made as long as the drinker wants. Cottle is more than just a cafe. It is a roastery, and has specialty teas and coffees for sale as well as coffee makers of all types. Today there was also free 'home barista' courses between 11am and 2pm. I have now found a new regular haunt for my trips to South Melbourne!

First Day of Spring

Well, actually it's the second day of Spring and only if you consider Spring is a monthly based season and not one that starts on the equinox. My God, I'm sounding like an old hippy! And what better thing for an old hippy to do on one of the first 20C days of the season than go to Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens and look at the trees and flowers!

Caroline and I love walking around the Botanical Gardens. It is a total sensory experience. As well as seeing the amazing shapes and colours of the plants, there are the great smells (eucalypt gardens smelled great today, and touching herbs like fragrant sage, and mint bring beautiful scents to life), loads of different textures ranging from wispy soft ferns, rubbery succulents, sharp grasses and sticky pollen, and the sounds of birds above and around you, especially the unmistakable and haunting bell birds. I didn't taste anything, though I'm sure there was plenty edible throughout the gardens.

I guess everyone has favourite parts of the gardens. Personally, I like variegated leaves, and plants with interesting colour combinations, not necessarily pretty but for me interesting. We had a great day walking around in the sunshine and I can't wait for Caroline to post some photos.

Beautiful variegated leaves 

Beautiful colour contrasts 

Blue skies and Eureka Tower in the background 

 Magnificent!

The lakes were spectacular in the sunshine 

Furry textured Lamb's Ears :D

Melbourne Museum

I enjoyed a rare day off with my beautiful wife, Caroline, and took advantage of this by visiting the Melbourne Museum. I'm embarrassed to say that after 7 years in Melbourne, this is the first time I've been to the museum (I went once before for the Tutankhamun exhibition, but didn't go round the main part of the museum). For me, the joy of walking around a museum is being educated and inspired in whatever subjects the museum might specialise in. What I was really looking forward to was discovering Australian and Victorian history and the Melbourne Museum doesn't disappoint. The Melbourne Gallery has interesting displays charting the history of the city. To me it is most amazing how quickly Melbourne has grown. It was only around 100 years ago that new immigrants had to make new with a camp city on the banks of the Yarra River when they arrived.

Camp City

While Australia doesn't have the same historical depth as Europe, I still find primary evidence and artifacts the most inspiring details, and seeing photo's of a changing Melbourne through the ages is a powerful tool.

Melbourne in the 1950's

The natural history part of the Museum is also fascinating with dinosaur skeletons and bug and animal displays. But I was particularly interested in the geological exhibition which went a long way to explaining the formation of our continent. It is a subject I remember studying at school, but I don't recall much about it. I am inspired to look into this subject more. I also found the exhibition on the mind very interesting. Of course, this might have something to do with Caroline's work in the mental health sphere, though thought, emotion and the workings of the brain are subjects which I find fascinating anyway.

Situated in Carlton Gardens on the site of the 1880 Melbourne Exhibition the Museum is a stone's throw from Lygon Street with it's famous strip of Italian restaurants and cafes. This is where we went after the Museum, for a coffee and cake at Brunetti's. Like all big cities, the art and history in Melbourne is not limited to the galleries and museums. Melbourne Zoo has situated 50 fibreglass elephants around the city to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Of course, Melbourne Zoo's baby elephant, Mali, is a star attraction.

 Mali in Carlton

Caroline and Mali

This was one of the most interesting things I saw, a medal given to a seaman on the Carpathia for rescuing survivors of the Titanic