a more comprehensive coverage of Easter delights

I have finally been able to view the CD of Easter photos sent by Lady Jayne.  So it's back to Mintaro.  Below is the decorated Simnel Cake - beeeeooootiful.

 Bron's photo of the dining room and garden from the kitchen.

The Paymaster's Cottage where Mum stayed.

The buttressed walls of Thomson's Cottage where Bron, Heths and I stayed.

The back garden.

The cottages are part of the Reilly's vineyard.  There is also a garden where produce for the restaurant is grown.  We could step from our cottage driveway to the garden, eg like when you needed a lettuce late at night...

Behind the cottages and the garden are the vines.

Paradisical (?) as it was, we did leave on occasions, for instance to visit the Mintaro Maze on Easter Sunday and do the treasure hunt.

Of course, you can't fool us for long... and we found it to the centre.

So used to walking in Indian file did we become that we stayed in formation through the Timandra Gardens a hop, skip and a jump away.

Crab apples or coffee beans?  I don't know.

No journey to the Clare Valley would be complete without a visit to Martindale  Hall, used as Mrs Appleyard's academy for the filming of Picnic at Hanging Rock, and prototype for Grimshaw's Academy For Young Ladies of Good Breeds.

The lost girls returned, perhaps?

and Bellerive

Last Saturday we went to a dinner celebrating the release of a facsimile edition of Edward Abbott's cookery book, the first published in Australia around the 1860s.  The menu was taken from the book and it was a marvelous night - although oats featured a bit too much for my comfort.  The MC was (allegedly) a French man who refused to leave when the search party for La Perouse's boats arrived in Tassie.  He was enjoying the Hobart life too much...  It was a fine conceit, and the actor was excellent.

Sadly Sis couldn't dine with us and had to stay to guard my Tuesday to Thursday home.

There was snow on Mt Wellington, viewed with difficulty from an upstairs window

but easily from the carport area.

Sunday we revived old traditions and shared sausage rolls with Sis, who is keen to continue the tradition.  We breakfasted under the Tasman Bridge after taking the obligatory snap of Mt Wellington from Kangaroo Bay for Georgia.

a trip to the chemist

You probably don't need to know that I went out to by heaps of drugs as prescribed by the doctor.  Fortunately we get them much cheaper now Steve is on a pension.  However

 

here's Sis and I tripping around Tribes.  Our mayor has recently commented on the ugliness of the town of Triabunna but this is not totally true.  Admittedly I have omitted a photo of the pharmacy which is one of the square concrete boxes to which he objects.

 

 

We've turned the corner now and Sis is getting a bit tired of stopping for all these little details.
We're heading towards the water and the marina,

 pass the former marine barracks recently bought by a Canberra couple (I live in hope B&B),

pass the pub

and we're at the waterfront

with its intriguing sights and smells,

including the fish van which isn't the prettiest thing but sells wonderful fish and chips and wet fish.

From there we can head for the pine trees down the lane to Melbourne Street

 and home sweet home

where Sissy can have a little rest in the new studio.

Hello Triabunna

So nice to come home to.

I arrived the day after Anzac Day in April.

To my huge surprise, Georgia and Ella had organised my bedroom for me.

Another joy of living here is that rellies can visit.  Here is Sarah, looking at home...

Over the river, in easy walking distance, is an amazing garden.

Below is the view back to our side of the harbour.  The drive through that golden paddock (admittedly, via the highway) always makes me feel I'm home.

Here's the house opposite us by moonlight.  I think it is the best looking house in Tribes.
Below is the house next door to it, which is actually the ambulance station.

Here's the harbour and marina.

It's all rather Sea Change-ish and I love it.

 As does Sis.

Hello world!

Its been a long time getting here but hopefully blogging is back on the agenda.  Lets do a catch up with some Easter shots - yes, that long ago.

The Gang of Four spent Easter at Mintaro in South Australia this year.  Sadly Corinne couldn't join us this time so we took my Mum instead.

Here's the lovely cottage that Heths, Bron and I shared.

Mum's cottage was at right angles to us with rather nice gardens to stroll through.

We rendezvoused at the pub.

Then proceeded in our eating, drinking, indulgent usual mode.  This year Bron made a simnel cake which we decorated.  Sadly I have no pictures of the finished spectacle.  It was delicious and much better than getting married again to have marzipan and rich fruitcake.

The cottages provided breakfast so we ended up with enough eggs and bacon to feed an army, so we astounded ourselves with egg and bacon recipes and supplemented our menu with local foraging - quince, walnuts, some grapes, the odd Peter Rabbit acquired lettuce...

We were shocked to learn that Heths had never had yorkshire pudding!!!  So yorkshire pud and toad in the hole are listed for next year.