PHILLIP ISLAND GETAWAY

A lovely long-weekend was spent at Phillip Island, to farewell our prized Anna K-S, who's set to flee to Italy for eighteen months or something ridiculous.

I arrived a day late, having missed Ladies Night, but joined 15 others to a sumptuous carnivorous feast on the Saturday night. Three animals were spinning on the rotisserie as we pulled up, leaving just enough time to wet our appetites with champagne and wine whilst we waited.


Cranking the Spit before we arrived.


Getting stuck into the carvery, with delicious gravy, vegies, and a killer salad of cous cous, cashews and coriander - apparently a dish from Nicholson Street's Birdy Num Nums, which i must get the recipe for.

After dinner, out came the quintessential Aussie dessert - a Chocolate Ripple Cake, complete with sparklers - to celebrate Anna's birthday which we'll miss in December.





As the girls got drunker, we sang and danced. And the boys did "boy stuff", which seemed to consist of lighting farts and throwing knives. It's been a long time since I've spent considerable time with heterosexual males, and i think i offended some of them, by claiming it had reaffirmed my sexuality. However not the kind of kitchen activity i sought to document, i took some photos of what i thought would surely result in a severed hand and a triple-0 call.



Come morning, a few sore-headed kids decided that a dip in the chilly ocean would be the perfect hangover cure. As a few of us walked up and sat on the beach, we noticed the Brazilian guest of our entourage with a thermos and a weird contraption. As i sat perplexed, someone else arrived at the beach and vocalised my first thoughts - "SHIT - that's the biggest cone I've ever seen!!".





Our corrupt minds were wrong, and it was in fact chimarrao, a bitter tea from Brazil, that you drank with a metal filter straw. I had a sip - very strong, and very very bitter. Certainly an acquired taste.

Sunday was set for sandwiches and soccer, reading by the fire, a game of Pictionary and take-away pizza for dinner. I also conducted a button workshop where we all made commemorative badges for Anna. By days end she was left with some twenty-plus badges proudly pinned to her hoodie. It was a considerably more subdued evening compared with that of the night before, but a welcome and relaxing one all the same.








MAD COWES
4/17 The Esplanade, Cowes

For those unfamiliar, Cowes is the main town on Phillip Island. And though i've been there before, i still smirk at the clever hilarity of a Café called Mad Cowes. Monday Brunch took place at said café, where the consensus was clear that the Soy Chai Latte is to the Naughties, what Cafe Latte's were to the Nineties. Though I'm far from a New Age, Feng Shui-ed, Chakra-aligned, Pilates Yogi... i certainly don't mind sucking up a Chai every once in a while.



While most tucked into eggs of some persuasion, i opted for a Smoked Salmon Sandwich, with Cream Cheese, Spanish Onions, Capers and Rocket. Mmm.



So... How's this for a gorgeous view, just outside the cafe?



SAN REMO HOTEL BISTRO

Just over the mainland side of the Phillip Island bridge, we stopped in at San Remo for a counter meal on the way back home. The Veal Parmigiana with chips and salad was $21.95, and as we ate, we argued how far we reckoned we could stretch $21.95 at home. Typical City Slickers... But the Parma was nice and filling, and sometimes you just can't beat a hearty dose of pub grub in an understated country bistro.



More "Phillo" holiday snaps at Flickr.