My Garden is dressed for Christmas

I love my garden especially at this time of year when everyone is frantically rushing around, the malls are packed, the roads are clogged and the social calendar is fit to burst.  A quiet half hour in my courtyard at the end of the day is the perfect antidote.  It is time for peace and quiet reflection on all the good things in life and for counting blessings.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and, if at all possible, take some time for quiet reflection.


For some reason this video won"t play.  You can see it on my Facebook page A Wandering Widow Solo Travel

Auckland's Winter Gardens - Victorian Charm

The Winter Gardens, Auckland Domain

I never have to go far from home if I want to have a wander. Auckland is blessed with lots of parks and beaches in every direction. In fact right opposite my home is a 50 hectare farm park where I enjoy a walk amongst the cows, it's a slice of country in the city.  Sometimes, though, when I feel the need for a change of scenery I head to the Auckland Domain. Yes, New York may have its Central Park, London, its Hyde Park, but Auckland has it's Domain. At 75 hectares  not quite on the same scale as the other two, I grant you, but  like them it is a lush, rolling green oasis in the heart of the city and a popular place to hang out and relax. The impressive, classically designed, Auckland Museum stands proudly overlooking the park
where pathways wind between massive trees, through flower beds and sculpture gardens. It's a perfect place to people watch and there's always something to see. Last time I visited an Indian family was holding a gathering in the picturesque Victorian band rotunda, the women dressed in saris so beautiful that I sat for some time admiring them as they fluttered about like a flock of exotic birds. For generations children have swarmed to the duck pond to feed the ducks although this practice is now frowned on. Apparently the over generosity of the children was making the ducks ill. If people watching is not your thing you will often find a cricket or football match or a free music concert and once a year the Domain hosts a Teddy Bears Picnic for children, big and small. When you feel the need for refreshment you can have coffee or tea or buy a luscious ice cream from the quaint Kiosk, built in 1913 for an exhibition as "the ideal New Zealand home".  For tourists, strolling the Domain is a refreshing break from sightseeing.

One of my favourite spots is the Winter Gardens.  I love them.  Opened in 1913 the two Victorian style glass houses face each other across a fishpond and this old world charm is part of the attraction for me. It is like stepping back to a simpler, less hurried time, a chance to just stop and smell the roses. One glass house is heated and contains permanent  tropical plants, palms and exotic species, the other is temperate and provides an ever changing kaleidoscope of glorious flowers which change with the seasons. It is a tranquil place and you would be hard pressed to find anyone there without a smile on their face.   Pausing to admire the foliage or sitting on a park bench to marvel at nature's artistry is pure balm for the soul.  It is a photographers delight, where even an amateur like me can get some pretty shots. Here are a few I took on my last visit.

 

Christmas Cake mmmm...mmmm!

I'm one of those people who believe no Christmas decorations should go up before the 1st of December.  It's crazy how Shopping malls now try to preempt each other, even decorating in early October.    I realise they have commercial interests to feed but, come on, there is nothing worse than seeing tired decorations and dying Christmas trees before Christmas even arrives. In Victorian England Christmas trees were not decorated until Christmas Eve but I think that's holding off the joy just a bit too long..

Also, nowadays, there is a move afoot to "get rid" of Christmas lest non-Christians are upset.  How silly is that?  I greatly enjoy the festivities of other cultures.  They add colour and joy to life and it is not necessary to believe in what they stand for to get great pleasure from them.  For a lot of people Christmas has nothing to do with religion anyway.  Historically it was a pagan festival  later adopted by Christians to celebrate the birth of Christ, whose actual birth date is unknown.  It would be a very sour grinch who didn't enjoy taking part in the giving of gifts, the feeling of goodwill and the joy of children at Christmas time, not to mention the office parties, gifts from bosses etc, etc.

Enough of the moaning, though, I love Christmas.  I love the spirit of goodwill, the family gatherings,  the decorations and the carols.  The whole nine yards.  And I love Christmas cake.  That is one thing that IS best done early.  A rich fruit cake, especially one doused in brandy, improves with age.

Last weekend I  made my Christmas cake,   I was in my happy place, enjoying the delectable aroma filling the house as it baked.  I made this cake for the first time last year and it was popular with everyone who tried it.  Even my daughter-in-law, a professed hater of fruit cakes, asked me for a slab to take home. It is not my original recipe, I got it off the internet, (Channel4-4food) but it is worth repeating here. It is quick, easy and contains apple cider and brandy.  

MIRIAM'S CHRISTMAS CAKE 

(It's not mine but that's what the family call it)

INGREDIENTS

900gms dried fruit - I use fruit cake mix

300mls dry apple cider

225gms soft brown sugar

225gms butter

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

2tbs black treacle

170gms nuts - almonds, hazelnuts, pecans

4 large eggs, beaten

225gms plain flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 (half) teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 tablespoons brandy

METHOD

1. Chop fruit if necessary so it's all about the size of a raisin.  If you use fruit mix this step is unnecessary.  Put the fruit in a pan with the cider and bring to the boil.  Cook for 2 - 3 minutes and leave to cool.  Fruit should absorb all the cider, if not drain it.

2. Cream the butter and sugar with the finely grated zest.  Add the treacle.  Add the beaten eggs and mix well.

3. Sieve the flour with the spices and fold into the mixture with the fruit, the chopped nuts and some juice from the orange to get a dropping consistency.  You may not need to add the juice.

4. Line an 8"/20cm cake tin with two layers of baking paper.  Wrap a thick layer of newspaper around the tin and secure with string.  Place the tin on a baking sheet with a few layers of newspaper between the tin and the sheet.

5. Spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth it down keeping a hollow in the centre so the cake will rise evenly with a flat top.  You can decorate the top with almonds at this stage if you wish.

6. Put it in the oven and bake for 3 to 4 hours at 150c or gas mark 2 checking now and then.  If the top starts to brown too much, cover with a couple of sheets of baking paper.

7. When the cake is cooked prick it all over with a fine skewer and pour over the brandy.  Leave in the tin until cold. Mmmmm-mmmmm!  You can then decorate however you wish - my family prefer the cake unadorned.  If not iced you can "feed" it more brandy once or twice before Christmas.

Step 8 - Clean up - oops, I seem to have used a lot of bowls!

Strange Goings On at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire

A naval officer in full uniform is the last person I expect to meet as I pick my way through the ruins of Fountains Abbey early one morning.  Not only is it miles from the sea but I had thought I was alone on this vast estate.  Yet, there he is, standing rigidly to attention and staring fixedly ahead.  He doesn't turn to look at me so I walk on, keeping my distance and feeling more than a little unnerved.

The naval officer in the abbey (sorry about the poor quality photo...I was trying not to be intrusive)

Fountains Abbey is part of the 760 acre estate which comprises Yorkshires first World Heritage site.  This much sought after status conferred for its wide variety of buildings and gardens spanning different eras of English history.  It is a privilege to be strolling around alone, or so I thought, so early in the day.  The gates don't open to the public until 10 but my son and daughter-in-law have treated me to a short break in a National Trust apartment in Fountains Hall, the magnificent Elizabethan manor house within the estate.  While they sleep I have wandered off to explore the ruins and ponder on nearly 900 years of history. It is a fresh spring morning. Swathes of golden daffodils and crisp white snowdrops line the River Skell which runs beside the Abbey.  My only company, whirling flocks of doves which make their nests high in the crumbling walls, hooting pheasants and the rabbits and squirrels which caper about in the early morning dew.  It is quite magical and I relish the opportunity to explore alone.

Our accommodation - Fountains Hall

It is hard now to imagine what it must have been like when a group of dissident monks made their way here in 1132.  They had broken away from their fellow monks in York, believing they had become too liberal and worldly.  In what was a bleak and desolate valley they formed a new community in order to return to their basic ideals.  Having survived failed harvests, the plague, Scots raids and, ironically, increasingly liberal attitudes, Fountains Abbey eventually became famous for the quality of its wool and grew wealthy and powerful.  This led to its ultimate downfall and life at the abbey came to a sudden harsh end when Henry V111 dissolved it in 1539 taking control of its wealth and plundering the roof for its valuable lead.

Fountains Abbey

So, here I am five centuries later, wandering through this vast crumbling ruin, thinking of the lives lived here. The cellarium, or dining room, oozes atmosphere and retains its glorious vaulted ceiling.  The bell tower soars defiantly to the sky and the massive church, with its lush, green carpet of grass is a peaceful meditative place.  I move through the cloisters, chapter house, guest houses, and even the toilet blocks which hang out over the river so that the waste could drop straight in.  No eco-warriors amongst those monks!  I linger in the warming room where huge fires were lit from November until Easter and which was the only place the monks could warm themselves against the bitter winter.  As a self contained town the abbey would once have hummed to the sound of bells and prayers, chants and industry but this morning it dozes quietly by the gentle murmur of the river, its mute, ivy clad walls standing testimony to the awesome skills of medieval builders and masons.

I could wander happily here all day but now I am feeling peckish and it is past breakfast time.  I retrace my steps through the abbey and, to my surprise, he is still there, my naval man, standing to attention and staring straight ahead.  How strange.  I stare at him but he ignores me.  I walk by and then, curiosity getting the better of me, I decide to circle around behind him for a closer look.  I approach nervously through the stone work but there is no sign of him.  He has disappeared into thin air.  I am bemused and wander around for a while trying to decide where he has gone.  It is then that I realise he was an illusion, his image created by the play of light on the crumbling ruins.  Early the next morning I take my family back to show them.  They spot him instantly.

The Beauty of Clouds

Life has been pretty topsy turvy around chez Miriam the last couple of weeks - I have had builders in to do bathroom renovations and overseas visitors to stay, hence no time to blog and not a lot to blog about either.

But something interesting happened as I drove home from the city today - the sky above Auckland was filled with dramatic and unusual cloud formations. I just had to stop the car at various points to take a few photos.  My cell phone camera hasn't really done justice to nature's celestial art work, however, here are a few shots.  Beautiful as they are, I think they mean a storm is brewing! 

I've always loved clouds and, yes, I love a clear blue sky as much as the next person but clouds add character to the sky and give us clues to the coming weather.  When I was a child I used to lie on my back on the lawn with my younger brothers and make pictures in the clouds, it was a competition to see who could find the most.  Even now I will, often unwittingly, see a face or a ship or a giant sleeping in them.

Rows and floes of angels hair

and ice cream castles in the air

And feather canyons everywhere

                         I've looked at clouds that way  (Joni Mitchell)

As a pretty optimistic person I like to believe the saying that 'every cloud has a silver lining'.

                                         I hope all your clouds have silver linings too.

Fiji - a Holiday or a Holiday?

There are two types of holidays. There is the "travel-to-exotic-location-and-see-as-much-as-you-can" holiday and then there is the relaxing, laid back "holiday" holiday. As an addicted traveller I love both. Recently I was thrilled to be invited to share a  "holiday" holiday in Fiji with my son and his family and what a joy it was.

The plan was simply to kick back, relax, enjoy the warmth, the surroundings and have some quality family time.  The plan worked, it was an absolute delight.

View from our villa

Our week was spent at the Sheraton Villas on Denerau Island just out of Nadi. The villas are very large, with kitchen and laundry facilities, ideal when you are travelling with two young children.  Ours had a romantic view of the sea framed by softly waving palm trees and  overlooking one of the swimming pools. When the children were asleep we spent long hours on our deck admiring the view, people watching, reading, drinking wine and chatting.

Oh, Look!  I think we may have ordered some cocktails.

 Denerau is almost exclusively a resort area with several hotels lining the beach frontage joined by a pretty seaside pathway. The Sheraton and adjoining Westin Hotel belong to the same umbrella company so that guests at one can use all the facilities at both. Blessed with a week of glorious weather our days kicked off with long, lazy, sumptuous breakfasts at the Sheraton, Master Three's eyes popping as he surveyed the vast buffet selection and then settled on pretty much what he normally eats, such is the nature of a three year old.  Over breakfast we discussed  plans for the day, pressing things like which pool of the many would we swim at, where would we go for a walk and where would we eat dinner.  Some times we took the Bula Bus for a tour around the island or to the Denerau Port shopping centre. One evening we had a memorable, waterside, meal at Nadina Authentic Fijian Restaurant there, my lobster chowder was sublime, and later we watched dancers from many Pacific nations perform in the town square. Another day we took the village bus into Nadi to shop for fruit and vegetables at the market. Master Three kept the other passengers amused with his delighted whoops as we passed over bridges and under palm trees.

Fire Dancers with their small fan

My own coconut drink!

 He was enthralled by the fire dancers who performed in the evenings at various hotels insisting that we watch them again and again. One day my son and I spent a pleasurable hour at the Denarau Golf Course driving range  followed by a tasting of Fiji's own delicious rum.  The golf club is also an ideal place to eat as a family with expansive views over the  course and very reasonably priced family type meals.

 Master Three was spell bound by the Fijian man who climbed  coconut trees to collect the fruit and then offered him one, complete with straw, so he could enjoy drinking its sweet and refreshing nectar.  But small children are easy to entertain, playing in the playground, feeding the prolific schools of fish near the shore with bread, watching the toads who come out in the  evening and hop around the resort, and, best of all, swimming. One day Master Three went on a fishing tour  with his dad but generally we simply relaxed with a capital "R"

Glorious Denarau sunset, Sheraton, a travel brochure cliché, but true. 

The Fijians are known to be a lovely, warm, happy people who will never pass you by without a  cheery "Bula" greeting.  I'm sure you've heard of "babe magnets", well my eight month old grand daughter was a "magnet babe" to the child loving Fijians who lined up for cuddles with her, even our apartment cleaner rushed off to get her friend to come and admire her. 

I can take any amount of this love and admiration!

 It was a marvellous holiday. None of us wanted to return home, however, sadly, holidays do eventually end and I guess that's partly what makes them so good. They are a relaxing break from normal life.  We all said, rather half heartedly, that if that was normal life you wouldn't appreciate it so much but then quickly agreed we wouldn't mind testing that theory!  We returned home refreshed, completely contented and very relaxed I highly recommend a
" holiday" holiday every now and then.

www.denarau.com

Easy Recipes for Maori Food (Kai)

Our week in Rotorua has inspired me to revisit some Maori recipes I had tucked away in my recipe folder.  They are simple, straight forward and delicious.  Try them, you won't be disappointed.

MAORI POTATO BREAD - REWENA PARAOA

STARTER

400gms floury potatoes, 300gms plain flour, 55gms caster sugar

Peel and slice the potatoes and then cook in boiling water until tender.  Drain and mash until smooth.  Cool and place in a large container - it will expand as it ferments.

Add the flour and sugar and mix to form a dough-like consistency.  Cover with a fitting lid and leave in a warm place to ferment. 24 hours should be sufficient in warm weather but it may take up to three days in cold weather.  It is ready when it begins to swell  and bubble.

BREAD

1 cup of starter, 350gms plain flour, 110gms caster sugar, 125mls hot water, 1tbsp melted butter

Place the starter in a bowl with the flour, sugar and hot water.  Stir to form a dough and then knead for several minutes until smooth.  Grease a 1 litre pan with butter and place the dough inside.  Cover and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 180c and bake bread in the oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven, brush with melted butter and return to oven for another 15 minutes.

Rewena Paraoa

PAUA FRITTERS

Paua, also known as abalone, is considered to be a taonga or special treasure by the Maori.  The spectacular shells are used as eyes in the carvings in meeting houses and are also widely used in the New Zealand souvenir market for jewellery and ornaments etc.

1 chopped onion

6 paua or abalone, Shell the paua, chop into small pieces and then mince, preferably in an old fashioned mincer.

Combine 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 egg.

Add the minced paua and the chopped onion and some finely chopped parsley and combine

Add 1 cup of milk or more if required to make a smooth batter.

Fry in tablespoon lots oil at a low temperature

Paua shell

KUMARA PUDDING - ROROI

This has to be one of the easiest puddings ever and is delicious.  Any left overs can be sliced and eaten like bread the following day.  There are no specific measurements required.

Take some kumara, I prefer golden kumara but any type will do and if you don't have kumara use any type of sweet potato.

Peel and grate the kumara and spread in a greased oven proof dish.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Cover the surface with thick slices of kumara to prevent the grated kumara from hardening.

Bake for 1 hour at 180C or 350F

That's it!  Simple as!  Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.  Enjoy!

These three recipes together make up an authentic Maori meal which can be made anywhere in the world.  Hope you have fun experimenting with them.

Kumara ready for grating

Rotorua - Boiling mud, steaming pools and glorious lakes

Prince of Wales Geyser and Pohutu Geyser  (photo: Destination Rotorua)

I can't believe I haven't written about Rotorua before since it is one of my favourite places.  It is the first place I ever visited with my husband as part of our honeymoon, we  took the children there countless times and I still visit at least once a year. Judging by the whoops of delight coming from the back of the car I think it might  now be one of my grandson's favourites too.  Little boys delight in the sulphurous smell that permeates the town.  It gives them all sorts of excuses to make rude jokes, not that small boys need excuses.  That aside, my grandson, born in England, had never experienced a town so unique, a town where random pools of boiling mud are fenced off for visitors' safety and steam wafts out of roadside gratings, where Maori culture is a vital part of the town's fabric, where the city is surrounded by picturesque lakes  and where you can while away a whole winter's afternoon in steaming thermal pools.

The Marae or meeting house at Whakarewarewa village

We are in Rotorua as a family group, consisting of myself, my two sons and their families. One son is visiting from England and as it is winter in New Zealand  Rotorua is the best place to go for a family break.  Rainy, cold weather doesn't matter in Rotorua,  there is still plenty to do.

My awe struck  grandsons at the concert Whakarewarewa

Our first day is spent at the Maori village of Whakarewarewa, built right in the heart of the thermal area.  The small boys are fascinated by the steaming hot pools where the villagers cook their meals by lowering pots and baskets into the water and by the mesmerising plopping of the boiling mud pools. We wander through the village to view the Marae (meeting house) and, from a safe distance, the  impressive Pohutu Geyser shooting rockets of boiling water into the air, before taking  our seats in the small village hall for a Maori cultural concert.  The children are entranced by the performance and enjoy re-enacting the haka (war dance) at home later in the day.

Swan, trout and pristine pools at Rainbow Springs

Our second day is spent at the beautiful Rainbow Springs.  We wander beside pristine trout pools fed by springs and shaded by lush native bush.  The huge trout swim in lazy, contented circles, waiting to be fed, as mute swans glide above. We view the nocturnal kiwi in a darkened pavilion and the prehistoric tuatara (native lizard) before enjoying the spectacle of well trained  native birds in the bird show. Then it's time for the water ride, a ride which meanders through recreated prehistoric times and some early history of New Zealand before plummeting down a steep chute accompanied by our squeals and screams and a few tears, from the little one.  The children, big and small, love it and have several turns, even the little one who had cried.

My son and grandson at the top of the gondola, Lake Rotorua in the background

Fun on the luge

The next day we take the gondola to the top of Mount Ngongotaha, a thrilling ride offering panoramic views of Lake Rotorua and the city.  Excellent and all as the gondola ride is the main purpose in going up the mountain is to ride the luge which winds down the mountain side. My sons and  grandsons absolutely revel in it, whooping with delight as they hurtle down the hillside, catching their breath on the chairlift back to the top in time for another ride.

Our rented lakeside house is in a magic location and the children enjoy feeding the ducks each morning while the adults linger over cups of coffee.  The afternoons are spent wallowing in the thermal hot pools at Polynesian Spa.  On our final day we take a drive out to Lake Tarawera, a serene and awe inspiring place and stop to admire the Blue and Green lakes. Both lakes can be seen from a viewing point and are different colours.   Reluctant to leave Rotorua we head back into town for lunch at  Eat Streat, a covered street lined with restaurants and a great new addition to the Rotorua dining scene. And then, sadly, it's time to head home

Feeding the wild life at our lakeside accommodation

We have had a wonderful time..   I can't think of a better place we could have gone for a family trip.  Rotorua is crammed with attractions.  We only managed a few of them on this trip but that's good because we now have an excuse to take the children back. 
Oh, and the weather? - perfect for three of the four days!

Mysterious and peaceful, Lake Tarawera

                                                              www.rotoruanz.com

Adelaide - South Australia's "free" city

The old man sitting next to me on the bus enquired if I was a visitor.  When I said I was he was eager  to tell me that Adelaide "Was never a convict colony, you know."  I was aware of that but rather surprised that it was still a source of great pride to some of the residents of this fair city.

Adelaide from my hotel room

I was pleased to be spending a few days in Adelaide at the end of the Ghan train trip since a friend of mine was born there and had long extolled the city's virtues.  And she was right, it is a lovely place.  One of the founding fathers of this "free" city was Colonel William Light who drew plans for a one mile square city centre in a grid pattern,  with wide streets and public squares, completely surrounded by parkland.  The plan was adhered to and although nowadays the suburbs sprawl out well beyond the parklands, which now have heritage status, the city centre remains compact, attractive and easy to walk around. I couldn't help but compare it to my home city of Auckland, with an almost identical population (1.2million). Auckland sprawls endlessly in all directions with little thought to planning and, unfortunately, continues to gobble up surrounding green space as fast as it possibly can.  One amusing fact is that the founding fathers of Adelaide believed that because the city was not a convict colony there would be no need to include a prison in the plans.  That belief was quickly overturned!




Adelaide Central Market

Adelaide  has regularly featured highly in the World's Most Liveable City lists and I can understand why. It has a pleasant vibe and although, as the capital of South Australia, it is a busy productive city it still felt relaxed and easy  to get around. Don't worry, though, it offers plenty of interest and all that a city this size should.  The Museums and Galleries on North Terrace are well worth a visit.  I particularly enjoyed the Aboriginal Culture Gallery at the Adelaide Museum and the Asian ceramics at the Art Gallery but, of course, both have extensive galleries of interest to suit everyone. 

Adelaide Arcade

The Adelaide Central Market has 80 stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meats, cheeses and all the other
delights of a good food market. Right next to Central Market is Adelaide's China Town with a great range of  ethnic restaurants to choose from and across the nearby square is the beautiful St Peter's Anglican Cathedral. Rundle Mall in the heart of the city shopping district boasts the usual chain stores but I preferred the lovely laneways and beautiful little arcades, nearby, with their independent shops. Adelaide Arcade dating from 1885 is Australia's oldest arcade and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a caretaker who fell to his death there. Unfortunately, or maybe, luckily, I never saw him despite spending  a lot of time in the arcade, strolling, drinking coffee or simply people watching.

No visit to Adelaide would be complete without a visit to Haigh's Chocolates.  Haigh's is an Adelaide company founded in 1915 and now into the fourth generation as a family run business.  I think their chocolates are delectable, this from someone who rarely eats chocolate.

Glenalg

One day I took the tram out to the seaside suburb of Glenalg.  It has a lovely beach with golden sands and a pier and the usual seaside ice cream shops, cafes and bars.  Although the weather was fine there was a chill autumn wind and it was quiet and sleepy and a bit dead. Beach resorts are never at their best in the off season, I imagine it is a buzzy, busy place in summer.




So,   my friend was right, Adelaide is a beautiful city, one  I can quite happily imagine living in and that's something I don't say about many places I've been.

Australia's Barossa Valley and a wine master class

I'm standing at a bar in a winery trying to work out whether I am drinking a red or a white wine.  I am not blind folded, the wine has been served to us in black glasses so it is impossible to tell its colour.   As it happens all of us are able to pick which is a red and which is a white but the wine type is a little more difficult to judge, only one of us aces it.  Prior to the wine tasting we have sniffed at cotton wool drenched in various essences to test our ability to pick the key notes in various wines.Our group of ten  is at a wine master class at Jacob's Creek Winery in Adelaide's beautiful Barossa Valley.  This is my first wine master class and I had no idea it would be so interesting or so much fun.


At Jacob's Creek Winery

I am on a day tour of the Barossa Valley and a visit to Jacob's Creek was one of the stops which most attracted me to this particular tour.  For one thing I have a son named Jacob and secondly, as newly weds in the early 1970s, when the now famous New Zealand wine industry was still developing into an international industry, drinking wine from the Barossa Valley seemed glamorous with Jacob's Creek becoming one of my husband and my favourites.  A visit to the Barossa Valley was on my husband's bucket list which he, sadly, never made, so it is up to me to fulfil his dream.  It is no hardship.  The Barossa Valley is beautiful with verdant rolling hills, pretty villages, wineries and a number of unique points of interest.

Seppeltsfield Winery

Our first stop, after driving through vast plantings of grapes dripping gold for autumn, had been at the exquisitely maintained Seppeltsfield Estate. Seppeltsfield now belongs to a trust so that the lovely ochre buildings and courtyards adorned with palms and fountains can be enjoyed by the public.  There we had a wine tasting of 7 different wines. It's early in the day but, what the heck, I'm not driving!  We were also shown a 100 year old port which we could sniff but not taste.  It smelt like maple syrup.

Chateau Barrosa

Lunch is at Barrosa Chateau (the different spelling is correct) This faux chateau was built by Herman Thumm at the remarkable age of 85.  He lived to be 98. A tasty lunch is served here in an old fashioned  and slightly gloomy room. After lunch we tour Thumm's private museum in an  adjoining gallery.  This is an amazing collection of fine glass, porcelain, art works and furniture. The chateau's rose garden is purported to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere but it is the wrong time of year to see any roses.  It must be magnificent when in bloom, nevertheless, for some reason I find the chateau dreary and soulless.

Art Gallery at Chateau Barrosa

Next is a short stop at the Barossa Resevoir to test the Whispering Wall, a fascinating phenomenon, allowing someone to whisper a message at the far end of the dam wall which is heard clearly more than 100 metres away at the other end of the dam.  The story goes that it was discovered accidently by a boss who heard his staff complaining about him at the other end.  Rather embarrassing for his staff, I would think! We test it....it works.




German Architecture, Hahndorf

The final stop is at the pretty German village of Hahndorf, founded by Prussian Lutherans in 1838.  It is a strange sight to see buildings with steeply pitched roofs designed  to cope with heavy snow which never falls in this part of Australia.  The shops are crammed with very expensive German souvenirs, cuckoo clocks, Christmas decorations etc.  There is a German bakery with delectable pastries and several German restaurants to choose from.  The village is pretty and quaint but rather ruined by the constant noisy traffic flowing right through it's centre.


German novelties, Hahndorf

Our trip back to Adelaide is through beautiful, lush, fertile countryside.   The long steep highway back into Adelaide from the top of the Adelaide Hills is a marvel, it seems to go down hill, almost straight, forever.  It's been a great day.  I'm happy.





A Taste of Home and a favourite recipe

One of my sons has lived in the United Kingdom for nearly 20 years, yes, surprising but true! He is, nevertheless, still a Kiwi boy at heart and the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" certainly rings true for him when it comes to food.  On his recent trip to New Zealand, with his family, he arrived armed with an extensive list of New Zealand delights unavailable, or at least hard to find, in the UK, and a determination to tick everything off the list. Over the course of his three and a half week visit he managed to achieve his wish and the rest of the family were left in awe of his amazing ability to sniff out a treat on his list from a thousand paces!

First off was a New Zealand lamb roast dinner with fresh vegetables from my garden and a bottle of good New Zealand Savignon Blanc.  That was easy because I had prepared that for their welcome home meal.  Tick one!

Tamarillos - a delectable winter fruit

Then, of course there was the deliciousness of feijoas (refer my post:  Feijoa - Autumn's delicious bounty) which I had ensured a supply of in the form of jams and chutneys, and the wintry delight of ruby red tamarillos sliced and sprinkled with brown sugar.

Then the wickedness began...lots and lots of sweet unhealthy treats.  He tried to convince me this happens only once every few years.  Yes, um, Ok, I believe him, I think.

L & P, Peanut Slab, Anzac Biscuits and
 Peanut Brownies

I had already bought his all time favourite, Ginger Crunch, which he devoured greedily and then  we were off on the trail to buy L & P, short for Lemon and Paeroa, a New Zealand soft drink, Whittakers Peanut Slab, Anzac Biscuits, Raspberry Slice and boy was he over the moon when he found his first ever triple decker Raspberry Slice in a small bakery in Warkworth, an hour north of Auckland. Then there were Peanut Brownies, and Lamingtons.  The Lamingtons posed a problem.  They seemed to have gone out of fashion and despite calling in at every bakery we passed no one seemed to sell them anymore. But those amazing detection skills came into play and there in the main street of Howick, a suburb of Auckland, he somehow knew that a bakery further down the road had Lamingtons...and he was right.


Lamingtons and Ginger Crunch

A visit to the Clevedon Farmers Market where he bought Feijoa juice and a huge Whitebait Fritter completed his food odyssey and he was contented.  Not exactly a gourmet's journey through the wonderful food available in New Zealand but more a journey through childhood memories of home which become all the stronger when you live far away. To be honest I think his memories of the food were more enjoyable than the actual eating of them in some cases and, no doubt, if he lived in New Zealand he would eat most of them only occasionally, but food does have an amazing power to evoke a time and place and bring back happy memories in much the same way as a piece of music or a perfume does. And we all enjoyed the journey.

My daughter in law and Grandson enjoying a Whitebait Fritter
 at Clevedon Farmers' Market

Here is the recipe for my son's all time favourite. 

                                                GINGER CRUNCH
                                    (This is the oaty version we prefer)
INGREDIENTS

• 150gms butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

ICING

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 teaspoons golden syrup
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 8 tablespoons icing sugar

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180C. melt butter, golden syrup and brown sugar in a pot and then remove from heat.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and then add the mixture from the pot and mix thoroughly.  Press the mixture into a lightly greased 20cm by 30cm tin and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Mark into squares while still warm. Ice when cool with the ginger icing.

Heat all icing ingredients in a pot until melted and beat until smooth.  Poor over the cool base.  When completely cold cut through the icing to separate the squares. Some people prefer a thicker icing so add more icing sugar.  Small pieces of crystallised ginger can be added to the icing too.