My four days of freedom were only slightly interrupted by
the arrival of Patrick, my brother. This
is the same brother who would not normally venture to a foreign land 20 hours
away and not with his sister of all people.
Everyone can exhale. We both survived in spectacular fashion.
After a herculean effort to make his flight from San
Francisco to Sydney, Patrick arrived jet lagged and in need of food. We ventured straight to my favorite spot -
the Sydney Harbor. It's a tradition that
I started with me, myself and I on my very first visit to Sydney in 2004. Upon my arrival in Sydney, I go directly to
Starbucks, grab my coffee (now a whopping $7.15 for a Grande Frappuccino) and
do not stop until the bridge and opera house greet me with open arms. It struck me that Patrick did not seem as
impressed with my routine but maybe a 22-hour flight and 80 degree heat will do
that to a person.
As this is Patrick's first time in Australia, I wanted him
to share the appreciation and I had for this incredible city. We taste tested the Mercantile Hotel's
burgers, a town pleaser and beer and Patrick retreated to his hotel for a
whopping 15 hours of sleep, while I visited with New York friends for dinner at
Manly Beach.
Finally, the big day arrived and Santa located Patrick in
Sydney but somehow neglected my stocking--typical I suppose. My dear Australian friends Angus and Maryam
invited the foreigners to a Christmas barbeque Brazilian/Aussie style. The weather did not cooperate but who can
complain about 70 degree temperatures even if it's raining. Within moments of our appearance, Maryam's
brothers visiting Sydney from Brazil conjured up cherry cocktails and
mouthwatering (truly) bites of seasoned beef.
The booze and beef flowed throughout the afternoon and we spent a lovely
day chatting about politics, guns (right after Connecticut shooting), the U.S.
economy, travel and family. When I first
experienced an Aussie Christmas in 2010 with Jono and Jill, I figured Jono's mother
was either a master cook or a glutton for punishment but now that I've eaten my
way through another Christmas, I've concluded an Aussie Christmas warrants overindulgence. This Christmas afternoon we consumed eight
kilos of meat (17 pounds), a case of wine, two cases of corona, two boxes of scampi,
half a ham, a salad, potatoes and somewhere in between the courses of various
cuts of meat, we disposed of a cheesecake.
A cast of characters joined in our demise- friends of Maryam and Angus
who stopped by for a spoonful here and there but mostly the core group of eight
of us made for a silly afternoon and an even more dramatic morning.
Barossa Valley
I continue to make this mistake and maybe one of these days
I will learn but I should never ever
book a flight or get on an airplane the day after any type of celebration. Boxing Day here in Australia is a holiday for
a reason. People need rest and recovery
time after Christmas festivities.
Instead I found myself at Sydney airport early in the morning dry
heaving and wishing I had not left my Excedrin in the extra bag at Angus'
house. Patrick seemed to be in much
better shape and even enjoyed his first Pie Face experience at the
airport. It's still foggy but I boarded
the plane to Adelaide and even managed to sit in my seat for a few minutes
before bolting to the bathroom in what would be come my craftiest move to
date. Pleading motion sickness the
flight attendant found me an empty row to sleep off my massive hangover. It's important to note, Patrick left me to my
own devices, which worked to my advantage.
I awoke minutes before landing, fully covered with a blankie and my head
resting gently on a fluffy pillow (a rather comfy pillow for an airplane) and a
much-needed ginger ale at my side.
An hour and twenty minutes later, Patrick and I arrived in
the Barossa Valley, a famous wine region outside of the City of Adelaide in South
Australia. I faired the transfer ride
rather well but missed on an important opportunity to converse with our
driver--my favorite activity. We stayed at a beautiful resort, (the Louise)
situated on a vineyard and home to the top restaurant in the region. Patrick pointed out the obvious. He much preferred visiting this hotel with a
significant other but would settle for me.
The Barossa Valley population is small with only about
200,000 residents and an area of about 32 miles wide. It consists of 85 cellar doors and more than
100 wineries. The Mediterranean temperatures
are perfect for grape growth and wine production with warm, dry days and cool
nights. After sweating for nearly three
weeks, Barossa proved to be a place I could finally enjoy a day in the
sun. Patrick made the most of our first
day in Barossa hitting the wineries by bike, while I spoiled myself with cheese
and sunshine and a nap on our terrace.
Our tasting dinner at the Appellation was equally delightful. The chef
prepared the meal with local and seasonal produce. It was just a shame I overdid it on
Christmas.
Our time in Barossa was quite peaceful. We enjoyed a wine tasting day where we
visited some of the regions (and Australia's) best vineyards: Henschke Cellars, a high-end, family owned winery
in Eden Valley; Yalumba, our favorite and also family owned with delicious
shiraz and cabernet sauvignon; Rockford, an old fashioned stone tasting room with
great sparking reds; Hentley Farms, Peter Lehmans, a winery with decent wine
but gorgeous grounds and Tsarcke's, a winemakers successful experiment with
shiraz. Shiraz is the wine of choice
(Syrah to the rest of the world) but the area turns out some great bottles of Grenache,
Tempranillo, Cabernet and Riesling as well.
A few of the wineries produce a sparking red not to be confused with a
Rose but it's the Barossa Valley's answer to black gold. A small amount of sparkling red is released
and they are typically gone by the end of the month. Harvest in Barossa occurs anywhere from the
end of March to mid-April depending on the weather. Tourism and wine are the mainstays of the
Barossa Valley and after sampling some of the best and worst I can see
why. Even the less known varieties and
labels were excellent.
The Balloon Ride
I have a bucket list.
It gets smaller each year but as a planner I like to check things off
the list. I've been trying to fly in a
hot air balloon for about four years. It
seems Mother Nature needs to provide clear skies and mild winds in order for
balloons to fly safely. Alas, in the
lobby of our resort, I scan a brochure of a multi-colored balloon and an opportunity
to fly high above the Barossa Valley. I
asked Patrick if he was interested and he clearly didn't seem to be as excited
as I was but agreed to come along for the ride.
With a pick up time of 3:45 am, it's tough to appreciate the experience on
such little sleep but with the momentum and clear skies in my favor, I savored
every minute. Our guide drove us around
to a few locations to test the wind speed and when we located a spot for launch
a group of 12 of us nervously awaited the next step. The balloon was unrolled from
its packaging bag and a massive fan filled it with air while the basket was
tilted over helplessly awaiting passengers.
Keep in mind it's pitch dark and now approximately 4:45 am. It took about 30 minutes before the balloon
took shape and the basket could be pushed upright.
The 12 strangers and fast friends climbed into the bucket by
section putting our lives in the hands of our pilot, Captain Justin. He pulled on some strings firing up the
balloon and we began to sway side to side.
It was time...up, up and away we went soaring over farms, meticulously manicured
vineyards, homes, kangaroos, roads, hills and valleys of the Barossa. The best seat is the house is always the front
row, the best apartment is the Penthouse and the best view is
unobstructed. In other words, the view
from the balloon suited me perfectly. The
sun peaked through the clouds announcing a new day. We snapped a few shots and the sun
disappeared as quickly as it presented itself.
It would have probably made for brighter pictures but the scenery was
remarkable either way. The ride only
lasted an hour, the experience a lifetime.
The smile on my face said it all but the pounding of my heart made it
more real, more magical. Our powerful
landing had us skating on farmland, as our balloon was not quite ready to stay
grounded. The comment provided by our
fellow British traveler and directed at Patrick said it all, "You looked
like you were going to shit yourself."
After our successful voyage, we celebrated with a breakfast
of champions including champagne, local cheeses and meats, quiches, pizzas and
tea and coffee. The air still cool but
the sun fighting through the clouds blanketed us with warmth. Another adventure to cross off the list but
more importantly another dream realized.
I loved it.
Adelaide
A small city located in South Australia, Adelaide has a
population of about 1.2 million and is the fifth largest city in
Australia. The British founded Adelaide
in 1836 but there are people from all over the world living in the city and its
suburban parts. In 1838, six German
families landed in Adelaide having left Germany to avoid religious
prosecution. Most of these families
headed to Barossa to make use of their wine making and agriculture talents. There are also, Italians Scottish, Vietnamese
and Greeks calling Adelaide home. It
wasn't hard to figure out why Adelaide was coined the City of Churches. Walking around the Central Business District
and the surrounding areas one would be hard pressed to not find a church on
every block. The irony being the last
Census in 2011 found Adelaide one of the least religious cities in all of
Australia. Most the population identifies
itself as Christian with the largest denominations being Catholic, Anglican,
Uniting Church and Eastern Orthodox.
Most Adelaideans work in the healthcare or social service
arenas but the area is very well known for its universities, education and
sports. There is also a large
manufacturing base present. There are
some international banks in the Central Business District and lots of shopping
opportunities. I most enjoyed my visit
to the Central Market where I sampled lots of local produce. My new favorite dishes are Bircher Muesli and
passion fruit swirled with a delightful Greek yogurt. It's not like I ever find myself lacking for
meals but this market filled with fresh fish, meat cuts, Thai massage,
souvenirs, ethnic spices and dishes could make even the most healthy eater get
a little crazy. Somewhere between Bali
and Australia I became obsessed with finding the perfect bowl of Muesli, a
breakfast meal with rolled oats, fruits and nuts and you can have with milk or
yogurt. Adelaide proved to be the
winner.
In Adelaide, Patrick and I met up with my friends known to
most as the "Germans." I met
Corinna and Ingmar on my last trip to Australia in 2010 on a tour along the
Great Ocean Road (Melbourne). Since our
spontaneous meeting, the Germans have visited NYC (Corinna twice) and I have
gone to Hamburg, Germany. Here in Adelaide
we meet again. It's comforting and
personally rewarding for me to have friends all over the world. I get a kick out of Corinna's planning and
Ingmar's calming ways. They are
beautiful, kind and sincere people and I am fortunate to call them friends. We celebrated our Australian reunion over
some fine wines and food South Australian style.
Our inaugural trip to South Australia provided me (and I expect
Patrick) with a different outlook on Australian life. People move at a slower pace, there isn't the
hustle and bustle of the big city and food and wine is part of the daily life
not just for celebration. People live in
towns with a population as small as 20,000 and then commute to Adelaide or
surrounding areas. Adelaide is situated
between the Indian Ocean (St. Vincent's Bay) at the Adelaide Hills and the
charming River Torrens runs through the heart of the city giving way to parks, gardens
and lots of open space for running, biking and picnicking.
Christmas with Maryam, Patrick and Christoper
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