Adelaide, Paris and Hobart, oh my!

Thanks to Kell, Roh, Mum and Dad, and our early 10th anniversary present, this is our new favourite thing - making our own coffee in the morning! Lovin' the red in my kitchen too...

We also have a bunch of lisianthus in a jug on the bench. Keeping it fresh, flowers are nice!

I made this trellis out of bamboo sticks today, attached to the top portion of the dividing fence between us and our neighbours. I plan on growing a climber up it, but will need to put a big pot there as the soil at that particular spot is basically rock.

Last night I finished this lampshade for Sienna's bedside table - used an old pillowcase I was given with a pile of fabric and random textiles from a friend. I also snuck some of the lace trim from April's Q Tea kit out of my supplies, shhh! Finally, I stitched on a satin rose and a crochet flower, both in hot pink. Sienna loves it and now that she has a decent amount of light, (but not too bright, thanks to the shade), we can shut her bedroom door while she goes to sleep.

Today Ash and I spent ten minutes making use of my camera's remote control. This one (above) was taken by Ash after I got sick of it and popped the camera on the foyer desk, telling him to go nuts - as long as he didn't touch the camera! Such a funny expression on his face, excuse the mess in the background ;)


Those three shots are the results of our little camera play-time, a bit for posterity, so to speak. I don't plan on doing this regularly during my pregnancy, but I think a few times won't hurt, since I've never really bothered before ;) We are having a family photo shoot on the day of our 10th anniversary, in Hobart, so that will be fun! Not to be in front of the camera so much, but to look back on later, LOL.

Speaking of Hobart, thanks Mish and Sharmaine for the suggestions. I have been looking forward to visiting Salamanca Markets, it seems to be the first thing that comes up when it comes to Hobart! And our accommodation isn't too far from it, in South Hobart. So that is our Saturday basically sorted, that and pottering about in general of course. Deciding what to do makes me think about why I like travelling so much, and what we (Ben and I, really) like to do when we go to a new place. It's not so much about being a tourist, that doesn't excite me, as much as it's about just being in a place, wandering around, observing and enjoying the details.

Also, eating a variety of good food! I was thinking about what I would recommend to others about places I know well, and realised a lot of it was food related, which is quite funny :) If you visit the Adelaide Hills, for instance, there are three places I love getting pizza from - Bullocks, in the main street of Mt Barker, Giovanni's (also Mt Barker) for their Della Casa or Genoa in particular, or Jimmies from Crafers. There is also a place just past Hahndorf that I want to try that makes their own beer and also serves pizza - maybe next visit. Hahndorf is quite a tourist town, with a German flavour, and the bienenstich at the German Cake Shop is the best I've had since visiting Hamburg, totally worth the trip (every time!). Just up the block (toward the city) from that cake shop is a fun little boutique shop called Storison, with indie crafts, great little gift books and quirky stationery items. I've picked up a few things for Q Tea kits there before.

If you're in Rundle St, grab a falafel roll or yiros from the Falafel place (forget the name) just past the entrance to the Palace cinemas. Assuming it's still there. I like to browse in the book shop next to the Nova cinamas. And the kawaii-style store next to Buongiornos is so fun :) But the general area is a requirement when I visit because I love checking out the local art in the Urban Cow Studio! Last I checked there was a vintage clothing shop just next door, which is also fun.

I love Hudsons coffee (much better brew than Gloria Jeans, Starbucks, other chains), and generally head to the one on King William St at the top end of Rundle Mall. Hindley St has a couple of good bookshops and a great music store too. Since I'm nearby, I might pop into Adelaide Booksellers, a secondhand and antiquarian bookstore up a narrow flight of stairs from the Mall. It was my first job, and the source of some great gifts, if you're a bibliophile that is.

I think I'm making Adelaide sound more interesting than Melbourne, LOL, since I live here in Victoria and don't have as much to say! Hmm, except Chapel St Bazaar, that place is awesome. And the Globe cafe is across the road, also fantastic. But the truth is, holiday mode is much more fun for making discoveries.

With Viv in Perth, she and I found a bunch of cool places to browse through and around, mostly by accident, just wandering and driving around. Even when we were in Paris 4 years ago now, Ben and I only got to the major tourist attractions by accident. Seriously, we'd take the metro out to some district I'd chosen for whatever reason, wander around all day, and take the metro back to the hotel at, or after, dinner time. In the meantime running into the Sacre Couer, Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame, largely without intending to! That was fantastic, and also quite 'Paris', it is a brilliant walking city.

So, Hobart. I'm looking forward to finding quirky stores and great pizza, trying eggs for breakfast at at least two cafes, and letting the kids find a new playground each day :) And, after what seems like months, I am in the mood for photography again, and am looking forward to capturing our 5 days as much as enjoying them.