Overseas Visitors and McLaren Vale

On Saturday, November 15 we took our friends Noel and Marie and Marie's son Steven and his partner Tina for a trip down to McLaren Vale. We met Steve and Tina a number of years ago at Noel and Marie's and we were really thrilled to be able to show them some of our favourite haunts in McLaren Vale. Steven and Tina are based in London and both are architects with Tina specialising in designing restaurants. And both like their food!

The itinerary for the day was a pre-dinner stop at Samuel's Gorge Winery which has wonderful views of the Onkaparinga Gorge wall and on the other side of the ridge, the valley that encompasses McLaren Vale, Willunga and McLaren Flat.

We then took them to our favourite restaurant, Fino, at Willunga. After about seven or eight courses (one loses count) we headed to Primo Estate (great architecture) and Hugh Hamilton (great views) wineries.



Marie at Samuel's Gorge



Marie taking a photo of Steven and Tina at Primo Estate



The group at Samuels' Gorge. It's a beautiful place



David at Samuel's Gorge



David and Noel at Primo Estate



Tina at Samuel's Gorge



The photo Marie was trying to get above. Steven and Tina at Primo Estate



Steven and Marie at Hugh Hamilton



Steven at Primo Esate



Noel at Samuel's Gorge



Us - taken by Noel or maybe Marie . . .

Mt Artwork Published

I'm to be published . . . well an artwork of mine, originally seen in the 'Detours' exhibition, Aloft and Aloof, has found its way onto the front cover of a low volume anthology of new Adelaide writing called Small City Tales of Strangeness and Beauty.

This is only the cover concept and it may change and it needs an 'and' between the names of the two editors.

About the book - From the publishers Wakefield Press which operates out of The Parade, Norwood here in Adelaide.

Small City Tales of Strangeness and Beauty
EDITED BY GILLIAN BRITTON AND STEPHEN LAWRENCE
FOREWORD BY BRIAN CASTRO
PB 224 PP 210 x 135 B&W ILLUS ISBN 9781862548343
AU$24.95 NZ$32.90 Anthology/Creative Writing Wakefield Press December 2008
‘In these stories, poems and photographs with Adelaide as its theme, the city sighs with shifting sands. Its mornings swirl with readdressed mail and untended gardens, its afternoons seethe with melting bitumen and its nights crackle with heat, breakdown, the attrition of marriages. The city disgorges stories in the way waste yields coloured glass, not as a collector’s item but as something being halted from passing out of memory.’ - From the foreword by Brian Castro. Contributors include: Nicholas Jose, Jude Aquilina, Rachel Hennessy, Anne Bartlett, Carol LeFevre, Jill Jones, Ken Bolton, Graham Rowlands and John Tranter, writing as Mark Pallas.

A link to the original work:
www.flickr.com/photos/8622063@N04/597925743/

The exhibition it came from:
harveys-exhibitionism.blogspot.com/2007/06/detours-exhibi...

Art 'n' Stuff

On the exhibition front I’ve had the exhibition at McLaren Vale but I’ve also had pictures in the regular Artist’s Voice exhibitions at the Hahndorf Academy. Nothing has sold from there so far but perhaps the Christmas exhibition will present an opportunity to move some stock. I also have a new website where you can purchase my work as cards, poster, prints of various sorts and calendars! Check it out at . . .

http://www.redbubble.com/people/ChateauGlenunga
and
http://chateauglenunga.redbubble.com/

(See live links at top left of this blog)
(If the links are not live you may need to copy and paste them into your browser.)
(Click on the pictures to see them at a larger size)



View of the front page of the Bubble site.



An image of a framed print.



The calendar that is available of my photography - 'Flowers and Foliage'

At the end of February I will be presenting an exhibition of new work at the Rising Sun in Kensington – the same venue I presented the exhibition ‘Detours Re-routed’ in September 2007. Part of the Fringe, it will be listed in the guide and I hope you can all come along.

All That Ails

Not sure what I’ll do about triathlons this season. My knees and calves don’t want to come to the party and be soreness free. I’ve been lazy and haven’t been doing my stretches which I suppose I really need to do every day. We’ll see what happens – anyway the yoga, weights and swimming keep me active so I shouldn’t just immediately turn into a lump of lard.



A not entirely serious self-portrait. I called it Flashdance.

Langhorne Creek Picnic

Our QCar run on October 19 was organised by our friend Hillary. We decided to leave the Mini at home on the day and take up possession of the back seat in Hillary’s 1962 Dodge Phoenix. It was great day out. We had a tour of Bleasdale winery and learnt all about the history of the family that established the enterprise. A rain shower forced us from enjoying a picnic at the local park so we were taken off to Hillary’s relative’s place where we dined in their backyard. They too, the Cleggets, are vignerons and wine makers so we were able to sample their ‘brews’ while having our lunch.



The old disused cellar beneath Bleasdale Winery at Langhorne Creek.

"The cellars, constructed from red gum and limestone, house the old red gum vats and some of the equipment used by previous generations. The splendid red gum lever press, hand-sawn in the 1890's, is well worth a look. Built in 1892, the Press is still used today. The lever weighs 3.5 tons, its 15 metres long and stands 7 metres high. Today's winery has the latest technology but still maintains the family traditions - the Pott's philosophy of producing honest, consistent, reliable wines, which are receiving accolades throughout the world." From the Bleasdale website.

B&B Stay in Angaston for David's Birthday

On Friday, October 10 we set off for the Barossa and a stay at a B&B. On both nights David cooked at the well-equipped B&B which overlooked a swathe of Angaston. We were going to go to a restaurant but the house was too nice to waste.

On Friday David learnt about what I had organised for the nest day, a winery cellar door tour of the Barossa in a 1935 Auburn car.

The tour was fantastic and the weather was great. We went to a number of places we hadn’t been before and of course we had to purchase souvenirs to take home! I took a lot of pictures while we were out including quite a few of that marvellous car.

On the Sunday we went for an aimless sort of drive around so that I could take some landscape pictures. We then decided that we needed lunch so we headed down the road where the Rockford winery is to see if we could find an eatery that used to be there. It was gone but what we did find was the Krondorf Road Café which is housed in a huge ‘tin shed’ designed by the architect owner of the restaurant who is also a wine maker. The food and wine was superb and we lingered there – it really is the most beautiful spot.



David and me next to the 1935 Auburn we rode in around the Barossa.



The Auburn on the driveway to the Willows Cellar Door.



We went to the Farmer's Market on the Saturday morning. We didn't buy any garlic - we were tempted.



The Krondorf Road Cafe. A magnificent building set in a wonderful scenic spot.

David's Birthday - Rising Sun Nibbles & Drinks

October 9 was David’s birthday. To celebrate, on that night, I organised drinks and nibbles at one of our favourite pubs. I invited all our Adelaide friends and as it was a Thursday night, the weather was good and it wasn’t near a long weekend, they nearly all turned up. So we ended up taking over the pub, particularly it three smallish main rooms. David received a lot of presents which neither of us envisaged or expected when I organised the ‘event’. It was a great evening and David and I thank everyone for turning up, having fun and, of course, for the cards, best wishes and presents.



Clinton & Keith.



Brenton (left corner), Gary, Hillary, Clinton.



Kay, Michael, Michael, Kenneth & Terry.



Terry, Clay, Ray, Mark.



Effy, Andrew, John.



David, Steven & Gary.

2008 Bay to Birdwood

On September 28 we spent the morning by the side of North East Road eyeing off a two hour procession of vintage and veteran cars – the biennial Bay to Birdwood Run. Clinton and Brenton from the car club had organised a barbecue (complete with gluten free sausages) to eat while we watched the cars go by. I had great fun taking photos and took lots and lots.



Our friend Malcolm took part in the Bay To Birdwood for the first time in his newly restored 1948 Wolseley.



The Wolseley.







The magnificent machines.