The original plan for our 15th wedding anniversary was to have a long weekend in Hobart. But then life got in the way and we never organised anything and then Stu wouldn't have been able to take the time off from work anyway.
So plan B was organised a lot closer to the date, and we decided to just do a quick overnighter somewhere nearby.
So last Saturday we got ready and headed off. We stopped at the Scottish Restaurant for breakfast.
Then out through Bungendore to Tarago. Just a quick stop there because it was raining, and we'd stopped there before recently, and there's not much there anyway.
"The Morass" lakes are very full at the moment.
Next stop was Bungonia. It was market day so there were *people* around. There's a lot of historic buildings there so it would be interesting to take more time to explore there. We didn't see much this time because it was raining.
We had to stop at the railway viaduct near Tallong. Because bridge!
There was even a train!
At Tallong I had a look at the station, and had a WTF moment when Stu pointed this out!! Stu stayed in the car. Because it was raining.
We also found the Big Apple
Wingello station wasn't very interesting, but walking on the tracks is still kinda cool. Stu stayed in the car. Because it was raining.
We stopped in Bundanoon and had pies for lunch.
I went to find a loo, and went for a wander, while Stu sheltered from the rain.
Abbey Road, Bundanoon?
We didn't even stop in Sutton Forest. Because it was raining.
We missed Exeter because the sweetie accidentally turned where he shouldn't have at Bundanoon and we ended up taking a different back way.
We continued past the centre of Berrima and out to the Berkelouw Book Barn. Stu had been here once years and years ago when the Old Hume Highway was the Hume Highway. But it was chaos because there was a wedding on the grounds, and the cafe area was *full* of annoying people that thought that congregrating next to doorways was a good idea (the place was emptying out while we were there). I dunno if they were all part of the wedding or not (maybe waiting while photos were being taken??), but it seemed like a lot of people knew each other. So the place was crowded and annoying. Stu did buy a book on the art of war though.
Then headed back into Berrima and checked into the motel - the Bakehouse Motel. It was just lovely. I dunno why but Australian motels are often better/more comfortable/much better equiped than fancy hotels. It almost seems standard that they have decent fridges and glasses and crockery. This one didn't have a microwave in the room, but it had one in a common area, and you could also pick up cereal and milk for breakfast from there. Plenty of power points around, and plenty of luggage rack space. There was also aircon *and* a fan, although we didn't need either. Just lovely.
The sweetie crashed for a bit and I did a sudoku. Then I went out for a little wander around town. In the rain.
I came back to the room and we had some wine and cheese (finished off a bottle we started last weekend). All very civilised.
Then we went across the road to the Surveyor General Inn - Australia's Oldest Continuously Licened Inn - for a beer.
Then up past the gaol again.
And up to Escalot for dinner. We were in the early sitting (17:45) and of course so everyone else in the same sitting all turn up at once and we're all waiting outside the door heh.
We decided to go with the "Chef's feed me" ($95pp), which aligns with my usual philosophy of eating out - "bring food and I'll eat it".
When they brought out All The Starters, I was like, we're going to need a doggy bag. Or five. Because look at this!!
So top left was cheese croquettes, then kingfish, and flatbread, with zucchini flowers bottom left and sweet potato on the right. I don't know if the serving sizes are the same as the menu or just tasters, but here's the menu for them (I think, assuming they actually did the menu and not just made something up):
* actually I'm not sure about the croquette on the menu - might have been "manchego, leek and jalapeno croquette, yuzu aiolo, wakame" ($25)
* I think then "kingfish ceviche, cucumber consomme, sherry escalot, citrius, yoghurt" ($37)
* also not sure about the bread
* "zucchini flowers, smoked ricotta, honey, turffle pecorino" ($28)
* "dry aged sweet potato, almod, labneh and pomegranate ($25)
The mains were similarly amazing!
Up the back was fried chicken, then across the middle pork belly, salmon and carrots, and potato and salad at the front. Possibly from the menu they were:
* "southern fried chicken, honey & sriracha glaze" ($35)
* "mead and miso glazed pork belly, pickled cucumber, caramelised radish" ($46)
* "sous vide king salmon, shoyu glaze, pickled radish, kimchi, rye" ($48)
* "local carrots, truffle honey, shaved manchego" ($18)
* "crispy chat potatoes, gochujang mayo" ($15)
* "eschalot garden salad, tomatoes, olives, white balsamic" ($15)
Dessert I'm not sure about, but I think it was a lemon tart, but doesn't line up entirely with either the example feed me menu online, or the general menu online (and didn't get a photo of the menu we saw). She did say it had "fence berries" on it, and I'm like what, and she's like, yeah they're berries that grow on their fence. haha! It was nice though. Although we probably would have enjoyed it more if we hadn't been stuffed silly with food.
My only complaint was that the pork belly skin wasn't crispy. They didn't say it would be, so can't "complain", but I did say that it would have been sooooo much better if it was :)
Absolutely lovely meal, although we were both hurting from eating too much!!
Went back to the motel and crashed in a heap.
I actually slept reasonably well. We had cereal from the motel for breakfast.
Then I went for another walk. In the rain.
I went up to find the courthouse (right next to the gaol, easy)
And Harper's Mansion
And saw other cute buildings as well
But I didn't go to the south side of town. Because it was raining.
Then we packed up and went home via the Hume.
So yeah. Lovely weekend. But it did rain. The. Entire. Weekend. Maybe next time we'll have more luck with the weather..
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