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.

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

Working holidays

It's a half and half thing. A working holiday is neither work nor holiday, but will be more of one than the other depending on your outlook. Last weekend I was in Tasmania helping run a chess training camp. I had to prepare lessons, present lessons, oversee some activities and help to look after some of the kids. Some of the time I was able to do my own thing as well. I was pretty excited before going, and had a great time during the long weekend. The lessons I prepared went down well (I think), and I had some fun presenting them. The kids were great and it was a rewarding experience in helping them to have a fun camp.

We started off really early on Saturday morning flying into Hobart, and then went straight to Salamanca for an open air chess display. It was time to promote our sport to the public, and we all had some chance to go look round the market. If you've never been, it is a great treat. There is some great locally made produce, loads of great food and street entertainers, artists workshops and restaurants/cafes. My personal favourite is the Retro cafe which does a great coffee, smooth with a fairly nutty flavour.

Traditional buildings around Salamanca

After that we went to our resort which was on seven mile beach. Now Tasmania in the middle of winter is not exactly a hot spot, so no one took a dip (to the best of my knowledge) in the open air, though there was a heated pool in the resort. All the work took place at the resort but we weren't confined the whole time. On the penultimate day we took an excursion to historic Richmond and the nearby zoo. The zoo is small, but charming and we held a chess tournament for the kids at zoo while the traditional Aussie Barbie served as lunch.

The locals were pretty friendly

After the zoo, it was a short stop in Richmond which is a pretty little village with a 200 year history. The main attraction for us was the sweet shop, but I could easily spend a day walking around the old buildings (including the oldest Catholic Church in Australia) and the rolling countryside.

Historic Richmond Bridge nestled in the lush rolling countryside

The weekend was full on, starting for at about 4.30am Saturday morning and getting a flight back to Melbourne which landed close to 10pm on Tuesday. I was at work for 8am the following morning so I was feeling a little nervous about how tired I was going to be. However, the feel good factor of the weekend was a 'pick-me-up' and for the past couple of days I've been buzzing off the experience. Any exhaustion that I felt has been trumped by enthusiasm and I've had some great lessons this week. Going into the weekend with a positive attitude meant that the working holiday was more holiday than work and as a result I came back fully refreshed and ready to annoy people with my positive attitude!

Third Wave Cafe

The more good places to have a coffee and something to eat, the better in my mind. A 'local' is a must with familiarity being a nice comfort zone. However, it's also good to try new places, or even to go back to places that you visit once in a while. So I had a very pleasant surprise while I was walking around Port Melbourne the other morning when I came across a cafe advertising excellent coffee and great food. Big claims often fall down, so I had to try it out, especially as it has a Russian ethnicity to it. So I ordered a long black and had an absolutely delicious coffee, great texture and smooth flavour. It was so good, that I went back a few days later with my wife for lunch.

The Third Wave Cafe is modern, clean with indoor and outside seating areas. It's friendly and the food and drink is great. The staff are not hovering over you but are attentive to your needs, and it was an even bigger surprise that I actually knew the people running the cafe. Caroline wasn't feeling 100% so she had some fruit toast, but I decided to try something different and went for a cheese and cherry blintz. These thin Russian style pancakes were filled with cherries and mascarpone and were more like a dessert than the breakfast/lunch pancakes that I'm used to. However, the taste was amazing! And for the second time, the coffee was fantastic.

I will definitely be going back to the Third Wave cafe when I'm in Port Melbourne. There are plenty of other places to try out in the area, but I think I may have found my 'local' by the bay.

Maling Rooms

The Maling Room Cafe

My work follows school terms here in Melbourne and generally the term starts easily, sets into a rhythm, builds to a crescendo and eases off towards the end. Well, at the moment we are in the middle of the crescendo and work is fairly hectic. After next week it will ease off considerably and then the following week will see the school holidays. My working week runs from Tuesday to Saturday and each morning before I start work, I stop at one of my favourite cafes to pick up a coffee for work. If I'm heading south, I'll drop in Saloop in Gardenvale, while if I'm heading north I'll drop into the Artful Dodger in Elsternwick. The coffee in both of these is excellent, strong and flavoursome. So it was very disappointing when I picked up my coffee from Artful Dodger on Thursday morning and it was terrible. The coffee tasted awful, was not hot, and the wrong lid was on the take away cup so it didn't fit on properly. I drank some of it, and not long after felt pretty ill. This incident won't stop me going back to Artful Dodger as I reckon it was a one off, but when something like that happens from somewhere you expect high quality it seems worse than when you're getting something from somewhere you don't know or don't expect much from.

Sunday is my day off with my lovely wife Caroline so we try to make the effort to go somewhere or do something. Sometimes that effort is beyond one or both of us, and sometimes we can manage a quick trip out. Today we headed to Canterbury and Maling Road. I'm often in this area as one of the biggest chess clubs in Melbourne meets walking distance from Maling Road, but I don't often go there with Caroline. Besides the cafe scene, there is also an excellent antique market in Maling Road where we dropped into today. It is an eclectic mix of antique dealers wares all housed under one roof. You can find the weird and the wonderful in a place like this with old jewellery, glassware, furniture, collectibles, earthenware etc. We were on the lookout for an old perfume bottle, which Caroline collects. We saw some, but none that caught the imagination. I did, however, see an attractive amethyst ring which I bought for Caroline.

A new Amethyst ring

Maling Road has a number of cafes and restaurants. We tried out the Maling rooms (in the picture at the top of the post) on the corner of Maling Road and Canterbury Road. The cafe used to be a post office and has an unusual shape to it, being on the corner of 2 roads and having a rounded feel to it. The coffee was excellent, smooth and sweet. I was told it was an Ethiopian blend. We also had some breakfast which was not overfacing and full of flavour. My scrambled eggs were well done (I must be old school but I don't really like to see runny eggs on my plate, whether they be fried or scrambled), and I had thick cut smoked bacon. The service was friendly, and the prices were reasonable so I'd have to say that this is a great place to try out if you're in the area. The breakfast came before buying the ring. After antique market shopping we continued the treats with a hot chocolate in Xocalatl. I would be hard pressed to think of anywhere I've had better hot chocolate than here, and even I forego my usual long black to take in the beautiful drinks they make. My choice was an orange hot chocolate, while Caroline had her favourite Chili Chocolate.

So all told, today was a day of self indulgence and being in the company of the person I love most. It was relaxing and enjoyable. It was pretty much all I wanted from my day off this week!

Spout

I have rather neglected this part of my blog recently. It isn't that I haven't had things to say, I just don't seem to have got round to writing things. So I'm going to make a big effort to post here once a week. So first on the issue of coffee, I have to admit to becoming pretty set in my ways. I have a number of cafes around Melbourne that it is always a joy to go to to have a coffee if I'm in the area: Artful Dodger in Elsternwick, Saloop in Gardenvale, Dundas Street Cafe in Albert Park, Old Paper Shop Deli in South Melbourne, Amsterdam Street Cafe in Richmond, Cafe Nova in Fitzroy, etc. But I'm always on the lookout for somewhere new. One suburb that has had a distinct lack of decent cafes since I've been living in Elsternwick is nearby Ripponlea, which is a big surprise as it is the home of the culinary delight, Attica. Apart from this, one of my favourite Indian restaurants, Bala da Dhaba, is also in Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea. So it was with great hope that I went to the relatively newly opened Spout cafe in Ripponlea yesterday. Spout has only been open 3 months and is basic from a decor point of view. The walls are brick and the chairs and benches have little or no padding. There were no pictures or photos on the walls, and I didn't even see a menu jazzing the wall space. However, that didn't belittle the place, but actually made it feel quite intimate, and didn't detract fromt he coffee or food. It seems that more and more cafes are going for this basic look, and it has something to be said for it, in my opinion.

Now, because I'd just pigged out at my friend's, Nick and Zoe (thanks for the brekky), just before going out for this coffee I didn't order food, except for a biscuit with my coffee. Looking at food being served made my mouth water though, which is a good sign. I'll certainly be going back to try either the breakfast or lunch, which had a middle eastern flavour to it. Also the menu wasn't too big, which makes me believe that what is on it will be cooked to a good standard. I always tend to be a bit dubious when the menu is massive and has lots of different influences. The coffee was excellent. My long black had quite a strong acidic hit initially, but then rounded out to a fairly earthy and smooth flavour. It was full bodied and maintained texture throughout. I'd give the coffee an 8/10 and say it was the among best coffees I've had for quite a while. I suppose the main criteria for judging how good a cafe is, should be how comfortable you feel in there. Personally, I found the staff friendly and helpful without being pushy and didn't feel overcrowded or in too open a space. So, all in all, I really enjoyed the ambience and had a great cup of coffee! I also had a melt in the mouth piece of shortbread that will take a few kilometres of running to burn off!

Running

I definitely had a mid year lull to my running program. Earlier I had injured my knee which knocked the enthusiasm out of me. I then picked up a bit before the Puffing Billy Run, but it wasn't the greatest build up, and I didn't pick up my running program afterwards but made excuses to not run. About 3 weeks ago, I had a minor cold and was getting disgusted with myself finding reasons not to run. So I started again on a 3-4 day week running plan with the goal being a half marathon. My running program is not too stressful and I am not running to try to break records, but because I enjoy it! Of course, it is great to run faster, but I'm happy just to jog around and take in the sights as I go. Basically, my weekly plan is:

Saturday evening: long run 10-12km+
Monday morning: slow short recovery 5-6km
Tuesday evening: mid distance reasonably paced 7-9km
Thursday evening: mid distance steady 8-10km

Now my plan is to push these distances out a little. The Saturday run will hopefully get out to 20km. This week I did 15km for the first time and it hurt towards the end. The Monday run will stay where it is. I just jog to the bay which is a bit under 3km, take a break, and then jog back again. The Tuesday run will also probably stay the same as well, while I might try to push the Thursday run out to 10-12km as I get more used to the distances. Anyway, the aim is to run the Great Ocean Road half marathon next year so I will not only have to get used to the distance but I'll also have to get used to hills, as it is apparently a tough course. So there will be no excuses to stop me running. I have to go after work most days and if I'm feeling tired, then I'll just run less or slower. And the weather will be no deterrent. Today was a classic example!

Fog Shrouded Port Phillip Bay

Autumn in Black Rock

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year, and some of my most favourite memories are associated with it. It was always holiday time for Caroline and myself when we were in the UK and chief among these was a fly-drive to the North East of the USA, where we saw the breath taking colours of the fall. Autumn in Melbourne is also beautiful, especially when summer lingers like it is this year. Today was a bright sunny day in the mid 20'sC, perfect for a walk by the bay.

We drove the short distance to Black Rock, and had a coffee before walking. We tried Cafe Odo which is right on the corner of the Beach Road and Balcombe Road and I had a great long black, full bodied, decent strength, gentle, with a pleasant after taste. There were plenty of snacks that all looked good and some bigger sized meals. I think this is a regular haunt for many cyclists stopping on the Beach Road, but by the time we got there, I guess many had been and gone.

Sun glistening off the waves at Black Rock

We then took a walk along the bay to Ricketts Point which is a couple of kilometres. The bay has beaches and rocks along it at this point so it is interesting to almost anyone. There were snorklers, swimmers, people looking in rock pools, walkers, runners, dog walkers and families enjoying a glorious day in early autumn. The deep blue sky reflected off the water, giving it a beautiful blue appearance, and the combination of resting sea birds such as Cormorants, Silver Gulls, and Albatross with a group of Black Swans added to gentle feel to the day.

The view to Rickett's Point

Rickett's Point has a cafe and rest area, which was really busy, not a big surprise for a sunny Sunday afternoon. We had an ice cream, admired the view and walked back to Black Rock and the car. Taking into account that Caroline has a bad back, and that I ran 13km yesterday and was feeling pretty stiff, this was the perfect day out. A gentle walk along the bay on a beautiful autumn day.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

For many, an ideal Sunday afternoon involves a Sunday roast dinner, a glass or two of wine or beer, and sleeping it off while the TV runs a film that everyone's seen a few times, or some cheesy series (Little House on the Prairie comes to mind). The traditional Sunday lunch takes a bit of effort, though, and some cleaning up afterwards. So today, I went out with Caroline, and our great friends Nick and Zoe, in a search for a great Sunday roast dinner in Melbourne.

Now the first thing that should be mentioned is that a traditional roast dinner is not complete (at least for us English) without a decent Yorkshire Pudding. However, we've come to accept that the typical Australian roast dinner doesn't necessarily include a Yorkshire Pudding and may include some unusual vegetables such as pumpkin which we wouldn't have in England.

The crackling on the roast pork looked amazing (courtesy of The Roast Kitchen)

The natural place to look for a Sunday roast would be a pub, and it was the first thing we all thought of. You start going through all the pubs in the country you've visited that aren't too far from home. But a quick google search for "best Sunday roast Melbourne" brings up a place not too far from here that specialises in roast dinners. The Roast Kitchen is in Kew and sounded too good to be true. So with a nothing ventured, nothing gained attitude, we headed North out of Caulfield and in about 15 minutes were parked outside and salivating. Walking in the door, you are first hit by the smell which tells you that things will be good. You are then greeted by a counter which houses the meats and vegetables in hot plates and which looks amazing. Chicken, lamb, turkey all look amazing. The pork has a beautiful layer of crackling, and would have been my choice if it hadn't been for the "special board" which announced Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding! Unbelievable!! Both Caroline and I had to look no further than this. I had roast potato, carrot, sweet potato and peas as well as gravy (delicious) and wholegrain mustard condiment. I think the only difference on Caroline's plate was a roast onion instead of the sweet potato, and a small dollop of mashed potatoes. Nick and Zoe both wanted the lamb which looked succulent but they also wanted the Yorkshire Pudding. It was no trouble for the friendly staff.

The food was excellent, the meat cooked tenderly and succulently, the vegetables still full of flavour and the gravy thick and tasty. I don't think any of us could face the stodgy desserts that were on offer (eg, apple crumble and custard) so we took a drive to nearby Canterbury and dropped into my favourite chocolate shop in Maling Road, Xocalatl. If you want to indulge yourself in chocolate heaven, then you won't go far wrong here. There was an impressive array of eggs on display for Easter, and of course, a great cabinet full of speciality chocolates, but a hot chocolate was enough. I had an orange chocolate hot drink which was rich and to die for (in fact, I probably will die when I next run!), and Caroline had her favourite chilli chocolate.

Drool, slaver, drool (image by yourrestaurants.com.au)

It was a fantastic way for me to start my holidays, on a binge with my beautiful wife and our best friends eating great food at reasonable prices.Has our search for the perfect roast dinner already concluded? Well, I doubt that as there are always other places to try. Now, I'm off for a snooze....

A day in the Life....

I am a very lucky man. I have a job I love, I live in a place I love, with a person I absolutely adore. Life is beautiful. Take today for instance. A normal Wednesday for me starts with a class at 8am before school starts properly. This means getting up about 6.30am, getting ready and driving to wherever I have to teach. En route to my first school I pick up a coffee to start the day, and if I get to the school early, then I just sit and read a book to kill the time. So it's a pretty relaxed start to the day, and as I love my job as a chess coach, things don't get much more stressful. The first lesson, in a primary school goes sweetly enough with a mixture of kids who I taught last year and some raw beginners. Teaching groups of mixed ability is perhaps the most testing part of my job, but I've had plenty of experience and things run pretty smoothly.

9am and I leave my first school with a 4 hour break before my next class at about 1pm. Today I will not finish work until about 7.30pm, which some people would consider too long a day. However, the breaks I get in the day compensate these things for me, and during the morning break today, I visited Port Melbourne to check out the World liner which is docked in Melbourne. It was a beautiful morning, about 20C with mainly blue skies and a pleasure to walk along the promenade. While there it seemed natural to grab a coffee and some breakfast at one of my favourite cafe's in nearby Albert Park, and I was still back home for about 10.30am.

The World in sunny Port Melbourne

This gave me some time to do some admin work and preparation for my classes. Again, I got to admit that as my job involves teaching my favourite pastime, chess, preparing for classes is quite enjoyable for me. Then came the hard part of the day for me. From about 1pm through to 7.30pm I am either doing classes or travelling between classes. These were on the whole pretty good fun, as the classes had a range of different level kids. I have one toddler class, a couple of Primary School classes, and a Secondary class. These classes need to approached and handled differently, so I have a great diversity in the material I show and the teaching methods I employ. Boredom does not enter my job but with the amount of classes I do There is a fatigue factor, which can almost be described as burn out which usually starts to happen around week 7 or 8 of the 10 week terms we have in Australia. Luckily, to compensate for this I get school holidays mostly off to recharge. That works out as about 12 weeks of holiday per year, so I don't suppose I can grumble too much if my hours are slightly antisocial.

I'm currently at home writing this article and looking at some chess articles partly for work and partly for pleasure. It's 9pm and I'll be awake for a few hours more, relaxing with my wife and 2 cats and at some stage, I guess I'll wonder how it was that I became so lucky as to end up in this idyllic life.

Holiday in New Zealand

Caroline and I decided on an active holiday this year, so we searched for treks in New Zealand and eventually chose to walk the Milford Track. We flew from Melbourne to Queenstown and had a couple of days there before the walk started. I've only been to New Zealand once before, and that was to Auckland on what was essentially a business trip to validate a new visa. It was in the middle of winter, and Auckland was cold and wet and certainly not at its best. However we were still excited about heading to the South Island.

Queenstown

Sunset over Lake Wakatipu

Queenstown is a beautiful resort nestled on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand's third largest lake. It is surrounded by mountains such as the Remarkables range, which reminded me of when I was Switzerland. Queenstown is a major snow sports resort in the winter and an adventure sports haven during the summer months. For the adrenalin rushed, activities such as bungy jumping, jetboating, paragliding, skydiving, canyon jumping, luge and much more can be attempted. For those of us who prefer things at a more leisurely pace, the natural beauty of the surroundings, including the botanical gardens is enough to take your breath away.

 Queenstown, nestled in the mountains

For the more sedate there are cruises on the lakes, cycling tours, views from Bob's Peak accessed by the gondola cable cars, and a fantastic nightlife with many good cafes, pubs and restaurants. Although we were only there for 2 days, we sampled some of this excellent fare. I can certainly recommend Speights Ale House which reminded me of an English Pub, something I've missed since my emigration to Australia. There are a number of haute couture establishments and one we found ourselves in was Les Alpes. This was a fabulous French cafe/restaurant with an excellent regional French menu. We went in for just a snack, and I had the best French onion soup I've ever had.

TSS Earnshaw

A charming cruise of Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnshaw was another outing we took. It is a one and a half hour round trip along the lake with excellent views back to Queenstown and of the mountain ranges which come directly to the lake's edge. The Earnshaw leaves from the Casino complex which has a number of high class restaurants and bars.

An oversized kiwi near the Casino complex

All in all, Queenstown is an excellent holiday destination. Whether you're looking for fun and adventure, or peace and beauty Queenstown is the place to be. The morning I left for the Milford Track walk I have to admit it was going through my head whether it wouldn't have been better just to stay and spread out around the town to see the environs fully. I was wondering whether the Milford track could top what I'd already experienced in Queenstown....

Caroline and I and a stunning sunset over Lake Wakatipu on our last night there.

First Coffee of the Year!

After an early start to the day, I waited for things to heat up before venturing out in search of the first coffee of 2012. And heat up they did, as Melbourne topped out at about 38C today, and we are all preparing ourselves for the 40C they are forecasting for tomorrow! The reason for leaving things late is that usually not much is open early on New Year's Day, and today was no exception as life began to come back at a leisurely midday.

Not all places open on New Year's Day, and I didn't want to travel very far so I went to the local shops at Glenhuntly Road in Elsternwick and looked for inspiration. In the end I chose the Goathouse which is located close to Elsternwick train station. It's a big building and restaurants have tried and failed in the location before. However, the Goathouse is part of the same group who own the very successful Brown Cow in Hampton and they are trying the same formula. Outside some decking has been laid allowing for outside alcoholic drinks, and al fresco eating. The place is a combination of cafe, restaurant and bar which is an eclectic mix lacking in Elsternwick. We have plenty of cafes, and no shortage of restaurants, and a few bars/pubs, but nothing which mixes the genre....until now.

I went in for a coffee and a light snack. The coffee was a little disappointing, not because it was bad but because they make it out to be so good. The coffee is better than average, but not special. It is smooth but a bit too gentle for my liking. It lacks the liquorice aftertaste and the acidity on the tongue doesn't quite make it. Saying that it is a perfectly acceptable cup of coffee, and if it was the worst I had this year (and it definitely won't be!) I would have had a good year. I'd give it 7/10.

For a light snack I had a fruit salad which was mainly melon but with a few strawberries and pineapple, sered with yoghurt. It was ok and there was plenty of it, but again it wasn't special. It was the sort of thing I'd do myself and I'd again probably expected a bit more. However, it was presented excellently on a serving board and was really just what I wanted.

I wish the owners of the Goathouse success, and it has a lot of good features. The decking area is excellent and will be a great place to hang out. Today the service was prompt and friendly and the menu has a bit of everything. The late alcohol license is a must and I know they had to wait a while for that to come when the place started getting together. The alcohol license gives the place more of a restaurant feel than a cafe, and that is probably where they will succeed. I am more of a cafe type, but I will still go to the Goathouse whichever way it decides to go. The presentation of food was excellent on plates and serving boards with pitchers of water brought promptly to tables.

The Goathouse was fairly packed today, and by the look of things they are getting their act together and turning the place into somewhere to be. Cafe's and restaurants have to be good to survive around here, so that will be the true test of the Goathouse. We'll know it's made the grade when I'm going in there for the first coffee of the year in 2022!

New Year's Resolutions

It's the last day of 2011 and about 35C outside, so today I've decided to stay inside, try to stay as cool as possible, and work out what goals I should set for next year. Most of these are to do with running, but I'll get some others out the way quickly.

1. Play more chess and push my rating towards 2300. This is what I need to become an FM titled player. I have about 140 points to rise, but at this level that is very hard. I will have to up my game, which means putting some work in :(

2. More coffee!! My best coffee of 2011 was probably at St Ali's in South Melbourne. Unfortunately, St Ali's is always packed and the service is always stretched (don't get me wrong, they're really good in there, just always rushed off their feet). So I'm on the search for more good coffee places, and I'll no doubt hit some bad ones around the place.

3. Running. So here it is. What are my goals for the New Year? Well first, as far as this blog is concerned, I'm not going to post about every running session. I've decided to break my training into 10 day blocks and I'll blog about my sessions rather than each individual workout.

The sessions will consist of 3 long runs, 2 of 10km and one longer. There will also be interval training, speed and strength training as well. OMG, this sounds serious! Actually, it is pretty much the same as what I'm doing now except each run is targeted at improvement, even if only a small bit.

And the reason for this is that I don't want to make a complete idiot of myself when I enter some runs this year, which I am going to do!

Puffing Billy Run: I became aware of this after joining an Australian Runners Forum, CoolRunning, and the more I think of it, the more it appeals to me. So I am going to work towards running this race which is about 13.2km and I'll be happy to complete it in anything under 80 minutes which is roughly 6 minutes per kilometre. It's on 6th May so I have 4 months to prepare for it and as I'm already running 10km, I should be able to handle it....I hope!

De Castella Run: this is one I saw a flyer for in 2011. Unfortunately, it was about 3 days before the race was due to take place. The Rob de Castella run is a 15km run for a cause which is quite important to me, mental health research. My wife has been a mental health nurse for about 15 years so this seems an appropriate run to aim for. The de Castella run is on 26th August, so there is plenty of time between Puffing Billy and this one for me to train and try to improve more!

The big goal for 2012 is to push my running out to 20km. Then I will consider a half marathon for 2013, and maybe even take on the marathon distance in the future.

Melbourne Cafe Culture

It has been my absolute pleasure to have a week off work with my wife, Caroline, this week. We have spent Christmas with our great friends. chilled out, and trawled around a few of Melbourne's fantastic cafe's. Coming originally from England, it is a big surprise to find the European style cafe culture on the other side of the globe in an English speaking country. But for those of us who loved travelling across the English Channel, and equally loved the European cafe culture, Melbourne is very appealing, from this perspective.

Dundas Place Cafe

Open frontage at the Dundas Place Cafe

For us it is a short drive to the bay where we can easily choose to spend time anywhere from Port Melbourne to Black Rock (in fact we've walked from Brighton to Port Melbourne, about 10km). A couple of days ago we had breakfast in Albert Park Village at the Dundas Place Cafe. Albert Park Village is a beautifully located place, with loads of cafe's and restaurants walking distance from the bay, and from Albert Park. As a long black drinker, I really enjoyed the coffee which was full bodied and yet smooth of flavour, and although it was strong, there wasn't a bitterness about it. For breakfast I had porridge (yes, it was fairly cold in Melbourne that morning, only about 15C) and it was the best I've had in Melbourne, made with almonds and butterscotch banana. Caroline and I have been here before, and there's always plenty to choose from, the staff are always friendly without being in your face, and to beat everything, the quality is great at cafe prices!

Being close to many places, the only difficulty after having breakfast in Albert Park Village is choosing what to do next! We went to Port Melbourne and walked around Beacon Cove where the Dawn Princess Cruise Ship was berthed. For those interested in cruise ships, there's a schedule for Port Melbourne, the highlights being the QE2 in February and Queen Mary in early March, while for those who want to watch decadent luxury, The World comes to Port Melbourne on February 20th.

Beacon Cove: Caroline with the Dawn Princess in the background.

Brunetti's

Plenty of outdoor seating at Brunetti's in Carlton

It may be one of the most touristy places in Melbourne, but Caroline and I love hanging out in Lygon Street once in a while. Today we spent a bit of time there, and had a coffee in the legendary Brunetti's. The first thing that hits you as you walk in the door is the cakes! There are hundreds of cakes, pastries and biscuits, and they are all calling out to you and saying choose me. Brunetti's has 2 full counters of sweet things, and a savoury counter as well (and I'm not talking about a couple of feet long with a few slices!). I couldn't resist an almond tart and Caroline had a pesche (peach shaped pastry filled with custard). The coffee was smooth, but for me not as full bodied as it could be. Brunetti's is huge with loads of seating inside and outside and again a very relaxed atmosphere, typical of little Italy!

Brunetti's is not the place for those on a diet!

Apple Coleslaw

My lifestyle lends itself to grabbing coffees and snacks from cafes around Melbourne. The diversity is amazing, and after a while I've found places I like to go to regularly. That doesn't stop me trying new places out, and I've not been too disappointed very often. It seems that the quality of food and drink is generally quite good, at least at the affordable level where I'm looking at going. Today I went to my local cafe Rocleys, in Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick.

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I was in there for an early lunch today, and saw some coleslaw. Coleslaw might be simple but it's my favourite salad, so I had a chicken pie (the pastry on both sweets and savouries are to die for) and some coleslaw. The coleslaw had apple in it, and it really freshened the salad up. I'd never seen that before. I'd seen coleslaw with sultanas in, or various types of dried fruit, but never apple. I'm going to try it myself, and have seen loads of recipes on the internet.

I have to say that the most mouth watering one I've seen so far has been on this blog.