Almost time to go home

My time away from home is rapidly drawing to a close. It is only a few days now when MacK will be able to cuddle me instead of the computer screen. I have a friend who was away for a considerable length of time last year, and was only able to speak to his kids via skype and phone. For the first couple of weeks after his return, his youngest (three) would only talk to him if she was holding a phone at the same time. It is both funny and sad at the same time. I cannot begin to imagine how those long since departed managed their absences from home during times of war and work away from home.

I will have been away for almost thirteen weeks by the time I get back home, and it has been difficult both for Jane and I (much more difficult for Jane, dealing with a boisterous toddler). Jose Paronella (Paronella Park, near Cairns) came out from Europe to build a life for his fiancé with the intent of returning for her when he was established. His return took eleven years. It simply beggars belief!

As much as I am a closet luddite, I am also very grateful for the technology that we do have available to us in this ‘enlightened’ age. I owe a lot to skype and the power of the internet.

I would love to bring MacK to where I have been staying. I think he would get a kick out of the animals that are around us. In front of our accommodation, we have a lake (I think it is an enhanced natural feature) that has goldfish and a monster carp (I am the only one yet to see ‘Nessie’). There are ducks, wood ducks, egrets and marsh hens. We have seen several clutches of ducklings born, and it has been a little sad to see their numbers drop over the first couple of days of life. Rabbits and kangaroos surround us, and the variety of birdsong is brilliant. I know rabbits are a major pest, and I am quite happy to pot them in the future. Right now as I wander across the lawn I think MacK might get a kick out of seeing them, with their funny, floppy ears, hopping across the lawn.

I have been able to have a bit of fun while away (although would rather have spent the time with Jane and MacK). Last Saturday we went to the Rutherglen for a winery tour. We started at All Saints (Wahgunyah), which is lovely. They have built a red brick castle as the backdrop for the winery and have a really good restaurant and cellar door. We had a tasting in the VIP room (must have had us muddled with someone else), and were able to sample a cross section of their range. I wasn’t too keen on their whites, but the reds and fortifieds were well worth the effort! We were lucky enough to get a taste of one of their top flight Rare Muscats (aged a minimum of twenty years in barrels). It has the richness and depth of a Pedro Ximinez sherry, and similar fruity characteristics.

Our last port of call for the day was the aesthetic opposite of All Saints. Chambers Rosewood Winery has just been nominated the number one cellar door in Australia. You walk to the cellar door past barrels which have the Australian coat of arms, and the date 1887 carved into the front. The cellar door itself is a rugged corrugated iron building with little to recommend it to passers by. When we walked in and asked for a tasting, the old bloke pretty much turned his back on us. We stood around for a bit, unsure what we were doing when he turned around and told us to help ourselves to both the glasses and the wines. Some of the wines were excellent, and the fortifieds were really good. They have a sign on the wall saying something along the lines of:

We like to keep our products reasonably priced.

Accordingly we choose not to spend money on fancy buildings, fancy labels, bottles or any other bullshit!

It turns out the old bloke in the cellar door was the owner, and is a fifth generation vigneron. His family replanted the vines in 1907, and he has been one of Victoria’s top wine judges since the 50’s. Appearances truly can be deceiving!

On the Sunday morning I took an early train to Melbourne (think 0400 departure time), arriving in the city just after 0730. I walked across to the South Melbourne Markets, and caught up with a couple of friends for breakfast. It was a little cool, and I thought I might buy a jumper if anything took my fancy.  I was lucky to see a lined woolen duffel coat at a 75% discount. It was a much-appreciated addition to my travelling wardrobe for the day! In addition to breakfasting with Lauren and Ash at the markets, I spend the afternoon catching up with an old friend and his family in the city. I was able to realise a long held goal (as insignificant as it is in the grand scheme of things) by being able to sample the bread baked at Baker D. Chirico. I bought a loaf of the Casa Linga sourdough. It really is as good as the reports say. If you ever get to Melbourne, his bakery is definitely worth a trip to St Kilda. The train back to Albury didn’t get in until 2315, so I was a little fatigued come Monday morning.

In a couple of days I will be able to return home to Jane, MacK and the tropical build up. Not looking forward to the weather, but can’t wait to be with family again. Then we are on the downhill run to packing up the house and moving south to Brisbane.