Not only should everyone come to Australia, but also they should visit the lovely town of Adelaide...because I had the most lovely time this weekend...so if you want a lovely weekend yourself - book in for Adelaide...ok so I wasn't paid of the South Australia Tourist Board - but I should have been...instead, enjoy the retelling of my weekend away:
I flew out (from Sydney) at the crack of dawn on Friday morning (and somehow managed to pack everything including toiletries in a carry-on bag). It was so early, I decided I earned a hot chocolate to celebrate the occasion - but was made to stand outside the boardi
ng area until I had finished it as hot beverages are not allowed on such a little plane (which looked normal-sized to this Texan!).
Upon arrival, Pete came to pick me up in the SUV some friends away on holiday lent him for the weekend. He let me stop by the house to thrown down my bag and grab a slice of toast. But then Mrs. March, Pete, and I jumped back in the SUV (stopped for a quick coffee/hot chocolate = my 2nd hot chocolate of the weekend) and drove to McLaren Vale. McLaren Vale is a Wine Region about an hour south of Adelaide. We stopped through a few wineries for wine tastings - including the place where Pete's brother got married the weekend prior and Pete's friend Simon works. Simon offered me a
bottle of Shiraz (and being a fan of Shiraz I didn't say no - though did have a long think about the size of my suitcase). After three wineries, we decided we better have a light lunch before heading back for tea with Nan for her birthday. So we went to Blessed Cheese which had amazing food even if it was just sausage rolls, dips, cheeses - it was still really high end, homemade, and EXCELLENT - which might account for the fact that it took 30 minutes to be served making us VERY late for tea...
After making several phone calls to inform the entire family
that we would all be late for tea, we continued on the road and eventually turned up at a little coffee shop where cousins, siblings, Aunts, Grandma, and Grandpa were sipping on a coffee and eating cake. I was still full from lunch but decided I couldn't be rude and drink nothing...so my 3rd hot chocolate of the day was consumed. I had to MAKE the family sing Happy Birthday in the coffee shop because it was Nan's birthday and they were thinking of NOT singing. I was rewarded with a little laugh and smile from the birthday girl (the one in yellow).
Friday night was the first time I got to meet Pete's girlfriend, Jaye. She's a worship leader for a mega-church in Adelaide (called Paradise). Though it was different from any church I've ever been to, it most reminded me of a big church in Sydney with it's style of music and sermon style.
After church, Pete, Jaye, and I met up with another couple to hit La Trattoria - an Italian restaurant which won World's Best Pizza Maker at a contest in NYC a few years back. I had one of their gourmet pizzas and it was fabulous (though I'm not sure how that ties into the 'best pizza MAKER' title...).
Saturday morning was when drove me around the city to see the North/South/West/East Terraces (gardens). They are really pretty and surround the central business district (CBD or 'downtown') of Adelaide. It gives the city a feeling of being in the middle of a big open field. We walked through the East Terrace
and one of the Universities in Adelaide to find the Adelaide Art Gallery.
While the collection wasn't big, the gallery had WAY more than I expected for such a small place - ok, that's not quite true - it had lots of different things from lots of different periods (which was amazing) but not much of anything in any one time or genre. I spent a good five minutes gazing at an engraved silver piece from the 1840s. But the further back we got, the more modern the pieces and the more difficult for me to move from one piece to another. One piece in the modern art section looked like a frame with a canvas painted black - but the longer you stared at the canvas, the more a young boy appeared to stare back at you. It was haunting and intriguing. In another room a LARGE, neon yellow rhino was mounted on the wall - the whole thing - from horn on the left to tail on the right...I was nervous it would pull the wall down any moment. After picking up a few postcards to send home, Pete and I took a stroll around a main street in Adelaide where I did a bit of shopping - because I (of course) forgot work pants. And while I was on holiday and didn't need to think about work until Monday, I was flying in Monday morning and heading straight to the office - thus I searched for about 30 minutes until I found SOMETHING that would work for work.
OK, I'm tired of blogging about this trip...which must mean that you're tired of reading about it...so here's the 'quick' version of the rest of the weekend - if I get 3 people to comment that they wan
t the long version - I'll update!
After that, we picked up his girlfriend Jaye and went up to "the hills". Where we stopped by her dad's house (first time Pete met her dad which I think was just a spur of the moment decision but interesting to be there to watch), walked through Hahndorf (great little German town with fun little shops), then
went further into the hills where we met up with a bunch of Pete's friends for dinner. One of his friends just built a house on the family 'farm' (for lack of a better word - big open space where they
run sheep, but not a ranch...). Simon and Laura got married 6 months ago and she got pregnant about 2 months ago (which I think was a bit of a surprise that they getting excited about more and more each day). They've got a great house and a beautiful view. They live just round the corner from Simon's brother - who now has 7 puppies that we
go to go play with!!!
We had a Roast (pork). And everyone brought a salad or bag of chips...then we took our wine and went to the living room to chat and play balderdash all night. This was really fun even if I wasn't very good at it. The boys just laughed and joked all night long which made me laugh and joke all night too.
Sunday - I woke up at 8 am to wee and then went back to bed because I was still sleepy and no one else was up yet. Next thing I know it's 11 am and everyone's waiting on me to shower so we can be off, haha. Pete's sister Georgia and I went to King William Street - close to their house but kind of a posh shopping street - where I had my fifth (that's right FIFTH but not last) hot chocolate of the weekend. Then we walked around until it started sprinkling. Jaye and Pete finally came by to pick us up (Pete had to go drop of the car he borrowed for the weekend) to take us to 'the bay' (which according to the facebook post by Pete is Glenelg, South Australia).
It's a fun little place - boardwalk, ocean front strip of stores/restaurants
/art, lots of shopping and surf shops. We had a look at the water, shops, and this place kind of like Gameworks or Dave&Busters (except no alcohol so it's meant for kids but parents play along too) called the Beach House. We got yummy chili hot chocolate (yes, this would be my 6th) that Pete and Georgia said tasted like heartburn chocolate. After that, it was time to head back to the March's house (pete's parents) for tea (dinner). His mom made Green Chili Chicken and salad (with a homemade salad dressing) and flat turkish bread...this was after the appetizers of spring rolls and cheese/crackers. It was SO yummy. Watched a little So You Think You Can Dance-Australia. Then went to bed as I was getting up at 4:30 am to get to the airport by 5:15 am to be on a plane by 6:05 am to be back in Sydney by 8:30 am (and go straight to work for 8 hours) the next day...
ng area until I had finished it as hot beverages are not allowed on such a little plane (which looked normal-sized to this Texan!).
bottle of Shiraz (and being a fan of Shiraz I didn't say no - though did have a long think about the size of my suitcase). After three wineries, we decided we better have a light lunch before heading back for tea with Nan for her birthday. So we went to Blessed Cheese which had amazing food even if it was just sausage rolls, dips, cheeses - it was still really high end, homemade, and EXCELLENT - which might account for the fact that it took 30 minutes to be served making us VERY late for tea...
that we would all be late for tea, we continued on the road and eventually turned up at a little coffee shop where cousins, siblings, Aunts, Grandma, and Grandpa were sipping on a coffee and eating cake. I was still full from lunch but decided I couldn't be rude and drink nothing...so my 3rd hot chocolate of the day was consumed. I had to MAKE the family sing Happy Birthday in the coffee shop because it was Nan's birthday and they were thinking of NOT singing. I was rewarded with a little laugh and smile from the birthday girl (the one in yellow).
and one of the Universities in Adelaide to find the Adelaide Art Gallery. 
went further into the hills where we met up with a bunch of Pete's friends for dinner. One of his friends just built a house on the family 'farm' (for lack of a better word - big open space where they
run sheep, but not a ranch...). Simon and Laura got married 6 months ago and she got pregnant about 2 months ago (which I think was a bit of a surprise that they getting excited about more and more each day). They've got a great house and a beautiful view. They live just round the corner from Simon's brother - who now has 7 puppies that we
go to go play with!!!
It's a fun little place - boardwalk, ocean front strip of stores/restaurants
/art, lots of shopping and surf shops. We had a look at the water, shops, and this place kind of like Gameworks or Dave&Busters (except no alcohol so it's meant for kids but parents play along too) called the Beach House. We got yummy chili hot chocolate (yes, this would be my 6th) that Pete and Georgia said tasted like heartburn chocolate. After that, it was time to head back to the March's house (pete's parents) for tea (dinner). His mom made Green Chili Chicken and salad (with a homemade salad dressing) and flat turkish bread...this was after the appetizers of spring rolls and cheese/crackers. It was SO yummy. Watched a little So You Think You Can Dance-Australia. Then went to bed as I was getting up at 4:30 am to get to the airport by 5:15 am to be on a plane by 6:05 am to be back in Sydney by 8:30 am (and go straight to work for 8 hours) the next day...
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