Five Nights, Six Days in McLaren Vale

We went for a quick holiday between Christmas Eve until the following Saturday. We stayed in two different places as we couldn’t get one continuous booking. The first place we stayed at was a B and B called The Vintage. Our suite consisted of a large bedroom area that was connected to the living area and there was a bathroom consisting of two rooms and a hallway. Our suite was The Library and it had a wall of books. From the titles it looked like they were bought by the metre from a second hand book shop.

The second place we stayed at was a self-contined cabin at the Victory Hotel. The cabins have an even better view than the Victory Hotel - looking over the whole of the McLanren Vale region and onto Adelaide and the hills - wheat feilds, olive groves, vineyards, paddocks, bits of suburbia.

We dined out a lot. Favourites were Fino in McLaren Vale and the Star of Greece at Port Willunga. Both very different and both magical as the weather was superb and everyone was relaxed and in a holiday atmosphere. We rode from the cabins at Sellicks Hill to the Star of Greece, perhaps 10km, but the farthest David had ridden in quite a while. We had a nice meal at the restaurant and then we decided to sit on the deck just ot further enjoy the place, instead of just finishing up and running away. We ended up sittng on the deck for a further three house talking to people from all over the place - a couple from San Fransisco, people from interstate as well as locals. It was great fun.

On the last night we went to Russell’s Pizza place, a wood-fired pizza restaurant located in a Cornish miner’s cottage in Willunga. We were there for Gary’s birthday celebration and just for a holiday get together. The place has a brilliant relaxed atmosphere an dalthough hot everyone had a good time. The place is truly unique and is only open one night a week.

We also celebrated my 43rd birthday while we were away.



At the B&B just out of McLaren Vale, The Vintage. How else does one pose on a chaise longue?



David on the chaise.



Several of me doing some wine tasting on the fabulous verandah of the B and B. One must use all one senses to appreaciate a good wine.



The pergola/verandah area at night.



Me at Fino about to attack the asparagus with twice cooked breadcrumbs.



Presents - I received a wide angle conversion lens for my camera.



Presents - I bought David these frogs by Adelaide Hills sculptor Silvio Apponyi. They are cast in bronze and have a green patination with some gold accents.



A silhouette formed as the sunset and streamed into the westerly facing window of the cabin. Taken using a self timer.