Sunday

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Up in the early light and off to Banjos Bakery for breakfast (having checked the night before that they open at an early hour!). Breakfast pide were appealing - ham, cheese and tomato for me and egg and bacon for Eric. I enjoyed mine although I felt it was a little light on fillings - and being a minimalist kinda gal, that is seldom my complaint. Eric was not keen on the sweet mayonnaise that his egg was mashed with - but apart from that, nourished and happy.

Off to pick up our hire car. Last time here we had a Hyundai Getz and were hoping for the same again but instead we are allocated a Kia Rio. We soon discover it sounds like a buzzy kinda racing car under acceleration. Back to the hostel to check out (hot showers again today YAY) and then off to the Farmgate Markets. I have been receiving their beautiful weekly newsletter detailing what is in season week by week, for a few months now and I am eager to see it for myself. The weather is stunning, the pristine produce is sparkling in the sun and it is all that I have hoped for. We buy some bunches of purple garlic, with stems still attached, a bag of itsy bitsy pink eye potatoes (most of them no more than two centrimetres across) a punnet of the most glorious cherries (the lady at the stall was calling out - come and have a taste - eat all you like!). Eric had a gourmet beef burger with caramelised onion and garlic and horseradish aeoli and gourmet greens - all splendid and on a wonderful roll. I had the extreme pleasure of buying a hand rolled sushi from a fantastic sushi stall there - all the available ingredients are laid out and you just tell the sushi chef what combination of ingredients you would like, and he rolls it for you on the spot. A mother with a couple of little boys each ordered their own combinations ahead of me - the youngest one opted for only shredded carrot and avocado as his fillings. His mother said somewhat apologetically "he likes simple things" and the beaming sushi chef replied "simple is good!". A couple of boys came from a nearby stall with 2 trays of shining oysters and gave them to the chef. He bowed and beamed and made them sushi rolls in return. I admired the tuna glowing softly, freshly ruby red in the clear light. I ordered tuna, cucumber, finely shredded spring onion and avocado. I was offered fresh wasabi for $1 extra and excitedly agreed. The chef said "it will get in your sinus but is good"...I know! It was far and away the best sushi I have ever had. The nori was crisp, the rice was light and subtle, the tuna was fresh and fragrant and the wasabi - such a joy. I wanted another one when I was only halfway through the first one. If you are in Hobart and enjoy sushi, go to the Farmgate Markets on any Sunday morning.

In a fog of sushi induced bliss, we ascent Mount Wellington, dodging the very many pushbike riders going up and down, and admiring many little crystal springs flowing from the sides of the road. On the summit it is not anywhere near as cold as we expected/hoped but we admire the breathtaking views - Hobart has so many coves! and stride into the strange heath/rocky terrain and find a flat rock to set up a little picnic - cherries and tea. Soon there are a large number of small insects flying all around us. On closer inspection they turn out to be very large mosquitos. They buzz around harmlessly and we decide that they are not biting mossies, however after a long while one of them bites me listlessly, so we amend our conclusion to being that they will bite if they can be bothered. We are interested to find out the situation regarding mossies and midgies in the Tasmanian summer, given that we are bedevilled by them the whole year in the tropics. When we were here in the winter, the only insect we saw in almost three weeks was one tiny moth in the toilets at the Richmond caravan park. We descend the mountain, again careful to avoid cyclists, and head out of the city towards the Richmond Bakery.

We stayed in Richmond for 2 separate nights on our last trip and each time I had a mince pie from the Richmond Bakery. This time I also have a mince pie, with that trepidation I always feel at the thought that a food I have treasured the memory of will not measure up this time. No need to fear. The pie, and the sausage roll we shared was a miracle of pastry-like-a-cloud, and perfect filling. Yay!! We sat in the lavender scented courtyard and rejoiced.

We then pressed on to our night's accommodation at New Norfolk - the Old Bush Inn ("the oldest continously licenced hotel in Australia"). It is a fantastic, rambling old pub and we are given an amazing spacious room with a very high bed with iron bedstead, antique furniture and a view of the river. We head downstairs for beers first in some comfy old velvet couches in a dimly lit room under a mirrored disco ball, and then on the deck overlooking the Derwent River. After a while we retreat to our room for a spot of instrument playing, changed our clothes and headed back down for dinner on the deck. Again, we both had the T-Bone - in this instance, a 500gm giant thick cut steak which came perfectly cooked and succulent. Veges were cream potatoes (excellent, and with finely diced bacon), some overcooked but still tasty green beans and carrots and lovely unadulterated mashed pumpkin. We wander back upstairs and scramble up into our high bed and sleep a protein fueled sleep.

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Comments

[mona]

I am in school now and thats better than I thought so Iam on my way to maths and wish you a very good time for th rest of the trip best wishes from sweden mona