Spirit of Tasmania

I'm I'd like to begin this post with a letter: 

"Dear Tanya, 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

When we booked our ticket for the SoT you politely insisted we pay a little extra and get ourselves a four berth cabin for the trip. I was reluctant to book this given the cost to take a caravan across but at $84 this was so worth the money. 

Our littlest was able to have uninterrupted day sleeps while our son completed his schoolwork on a lower deck. When we all started feeling a little sea sick we retreated to the cabin for some quiet time - reading books and telling funny stories. 

When our daughter vomited in her Dad's hair they could both shower and feel *refreshed*!

We'll be forever grateful that you suggested we have a cabin!"

What's a cruise without a game of hide n seek? 

It was a LOONG day but it went surprisingly well after an anxiety-provoking start. We left the caravan park at 624am and we're making good time until the queue to board the ferry (thanks to scrupulous security). We were in view of the ferry for the final 500 metres which took us an hour to drive! The baby was screaming, the parents were clock watching and then a cop pulled over a guy in front of us for going through a red light. It would have been easier if the big kids just kept asking "are we there yet?" But instead we were bombarded with complex questions about the traffic, the ferry ride & what we were doing (not much!) Argh! 

We finally made it onboard and we're lucky that our deck was the first to disembark in Devonport ten hours later. 

B declared "this is kind of the BEST day of my life." I suspect he was referring to the Twisties he was bought (& had never had before) and not the seasickness! 

Moments after disembarking. 

P: Where's the Tasmanian devil? 

B: (emphatically) They live in the jungle.  

Daddy: Well, not really the jungle. They live in the bush. 

P: Can we go to the bush where the Tasmanian devil is because I really want to see a Tasmanian devil.

Mallacoota to Buchan

It was cold and wet and fairly miserable when we left Mallacoota a few days ago and we took it slow along the winding road. 

We couldn't resist another stop at the Orbost Historic Bakery with its yummy woodfired pizza & good coffee. 

While we waited for pizza B & I wandered up the Main Street to the IGA for a few groceries when I spotted a man standing by a table under a small marquee. A scratchy old sign said "Markets" and the sole market seller was the man selling a range of local produce - cauli's, eggplant, potatoes, walnuts, tomatoes, onions, zucchini & eggs and some locally made salami. We managed to fill a box with produce! 

Just a few days ago the caravan park at Buchan Caves Reserve was completely booked out. School has gone back & we were one of four families in the park for the two nights. The quiet was incredible! More about that in my next post!

blackberry crumble on the farm

Each time I make crumble I think of my first few weeks of Uni & living out of home. A friend from uni called in & I was pleased to offer him some apple crumble I'd made with an oaty topping - very improvised. I'd never looked at a recipe for crumble & it was pretty ordinary really. I applogised to my friend but it wasn't until after he'd eaten it that my mature-aged uni friend kindly told me he trained as a chef before doing teaching. 

I didn't make another crumble until I found this - my favourite crumble recipe - for peaches or nectarines. (http://missmayblossom.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/just-desserts.html?m=1) 

J & the kids were out in the paddocks for the morning. They had the biggest grins on their faces when they returned with a shopping bag full of blackberries. 

They'd put on their long sleeved tops & trousers to protect them from the thorny bushes with gifts of black gold. Yum! 

I was kicking myself that I didn't have my scrap book with my crumble recipe in it when I realised is probably posted it on my foodie blog (missmayblossom.blogspot.com) and there it was! 

You may wonder how I managed to bake a crumble in a caravan but the truth is I used an oven that's in the shed on the farm although I do have an oven in my caravan. (Virtual tour to come). 

I turned those tasty morsels in to a jammy apple & blackberry crumble. 

ingredients

filling

shopping bag full of blackberries

5 large Granny Smith apples 

1.5 cups raw sugar

1 cup of water

crumble topping

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1 tspn baking powder

1 tspn each ground ginger & mixed spice 

3 tblspn flaked almonds (I didn't have any this time but I do recommend them)

60g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped into 1cm cubes 

100g plain flour

Preheat oven to 200°c. In a saucepan over a medium heat place 1.5 cups raw sugar and a cup of water before adding five green apples (cut into 2cm cubes with the skins on. Cook the apples until soft. 

In the meantime make the crumble topping by mixing sugar, baking powder, ginger & mixed spice. Stir in the flaked almonds. Crumble butter in to mixture to form pea-sized pieces then toss the flour mixture with the sugar mixture. 

{Note: I wouldn't want to make this topping in the Thermomix as it can easily be overworked & needs to be kept coolish but I do love that I can easily weight the ingredients on top of the bowl.}

Once the apple is soft add the shopping bag full of blackberries. Stir for three minutes over the heat before transferring to a pie dish. I liked to keep the form of the blackberries. 

Strew topping over fruit. Bake at 200°c for 25-30 mins until the topping is golden brown & the fruit is bubbling through at the edges. Serve with cream or ice cream. 

Tanja

Tanja is situated alongside and within Mimosa Rocks National Parks on the Far South Coast of NSW. The first thing you noticed about the vegetation is the tall spotted gum forest. 

Joel has many memories on Tanja Hall. His dad used to run the local movie night in the hall and he attended other functions there. Back in 1997 I was seeing a gig at the hall (after being bridesmaid for a friend's wedding). Joel happened to be staying just up the road and was also at the gig. We recognised each other and got chatting. We both have vivid memories of this night and it was why we decided to have our wedding reception in the hall when we were married in 2007. The tiny hall was packed with our friends and family and rocked as everyone danced in a traditional bush dance. 

We decided we'd have a fortnight on the farm after we left Sydney just to get out things in order and recover from the stress of packing up our house & finishing work. We needed to replace the leaf springs on the truck, set up the annexe and work out what we can without (& reduce our load) too. 

And this is where we woke up this morning. How's the serenity? Can you see the roos grazing in the paddocks? 

first stop: moss vale

Here I am sitting in my beautiful new home, our caravan, writing this, my first blog post of our trip!

J is sitting on the end of the bed gently playing his Dad's old guitar and singing old tunes. The kids are asleep (and have been since 7pm) while the rhythmic rain hits our awning roof. We're in Moss Vale for the night which is a short trip from Sydney but we wanted it that way as we anticipated a big morning.

       

We'd aimed to leave at 9am from the northern beaches but of course it didn't go completely to plan with a last minute repair of the 12-pin socket on the truck which powers the indicators. Peter from across the road arrived just at the right moment and between him and J they fixed the socket.

Thankfully we had many helping hands in the last fortnight. Friends and our neighbours had the kids over for plays and dinners, my mum came up to help and J's aunts entertained the kids before sending us off down the road this morning. Thank you dear friends. We really appreciate your support.

J and I were both overwhelmed this morning. Our life at Number 14 has come to a (somewhat welcome) end but we'll miss the friends we made in the area and we'll always have fond memories of the children's lives in that home. On the other hand we were happy to farewell the city for the year. Sydney is a vibrant place but the hollow pressure and haste can get too much at times.

       

Bowral was a good lunch spot yesterday and we managed to get to the Bradman Museum where we've been meaning to visit for some time now. The majority of photographs on display were taken by my award-winning sports photographer uncle, Philip Brown. It's worth a look for any cricket tragics. 

                                  

B made our salad last night which we had with a premade lasagne from our local deli. I suspect there'll be quite a few meals like this on our travel days. B beamed as we thanked him for his contribution to the meal. 

Tomorrow were off to the nation's capital for a night. It is forecast to rain for the next couple of days but that's a relief from the humidity we've had in Sydney.

day thirteen: 28 dec Hà Nôi to Sydney

What a trip! We managed to fit in so much and make enough time to relax and reflect on our holiday too - the people we met, the places of significance and the bonding of the family that happens when you travel together. 

Our final morning in Hà Nôi was merely enough time to pack our suitcases and hunt down a French patisserie we'd spotted from our cab the night before. Anh Hòa was a couple of blocks walk from the Golden Silk Boutique Hotel where we were staying and inside its doors were baguettes long and short, amazing cakes and mouth-watering pastries. We ordered a couple of pastries for morning tea and a couple of baguettes 'for the road' before heading across the street to a cafe J had noticed. 

 

Out on the street we ordered "Vietnamese coffee" which, I must tell you, is strong, dark and incredibly sweet. We asked for milk and it wasn't until the last mouthful that I understood where the sweetness had come from. When we ordered 'milk' we were asking for sweetened condensed milk. The coffee and pastries were still very pleasant and we were made to feel very welcome by the host,
N.M.Tri and his family.

Sticky-taped to a wall adjacent to Cafe 183A was this 'American dollar bill' which we assumed was another form of 'war propaganda.' N.M. explained that the cafe was popular with cyclists and it was a bike pump - not bomb pump as we'd thought. We remarked how easily, at times, you can make assumptions.

Within a day we were home again, in suburban Sydney. You know what it's like when you've had an amazing experience and you return to your routine life and you feel as though you've changed but nothing around you has?

The kids managed to get about four hours sleep on the overnight plane ride home. I had half an hour and J didn't sleep a wink. Jet lag caught up to us rapidly and we all slid into our own beds for a three hour sleep. Feeling somewhat revived I headed to our local Harris Farm markets to source some fresh ingredients for a Vietnamese chicken soup. Can you imagine my disappointment when there was no Vietnamese mint - and none in any of the supermarkets I tried over the following few days?!

I had to remind myself of our incredible country - a relatively high rate of employment; a good economy; access to world class education and health care; a melting pot of cultural diversity; some of the freshest, cleanest food in the world and of such a variety thanks to all our global influences, including Vietnam.

This was my lasting memory of Vietnam......

Anh Hòa bakery

Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, 
Vietnam +84 93 650 52 99


Cafe 
183A Phung Hung,
Hoan Kiem Dist, Ha Noi

day twelve: dec 27 Hà Nôi

The streets of Hà Nôi were adorned with these banners. The North Vietnamese were commemorating forty years since the end of a ten-day American bombing campaign over Christmas in the city. We spoke with locals about the anniversary and whilst it resonated as an important date on the calendar there wasn't a thirst for revenge. People just seemed to think that acknowledgement of the date was important and that, as they say, "life goes on."

It was strange to think that these banners, that celebrated the end of the American (and Australian) invasion of Vietnam could be viewed as propaganda too and, as they say, "there's always two sides to a story."

This morning we took a walk along the lake to 'Book Street' (Ba Trieu) and visited a 3D trick exhibition. The street is also lined withbook stores where we had fun perusing English and, mostly Vietnamese, books.

 

Sun Handicrafts was a discovery we made while walking to lunch. Fabric necklaces (200VD = $8AUD) hats, scarves, women's clothes and fabric buttons are all made onsite. I was particularly taken by the handmade quilts - single, double and pram sized - but I knew we couldn't fit them in our case on the trip home.

 

We headed to Xôi Yên for lunch which had a great view of the street. They served a few variations of a rice dish and I settled on Gà luôc. Against all instinct rubbish is thrown on the floor during a meal and so your feet are surrounded by used paper napkins and pieces of gristle.

Gà luôc

Sticky rice (savoury) with grated beans (possibly butter beans), crunchy fried garlic, shredded chicken pieces, served with cucumber pickle on the side.

Cucumber pickle

According to many websites we simply had to visit Ca Cha La Vong for dinner. Ca Cha La Vong has a cult following, probably due to its inclusion in the Lonely Planet guidebook. We arrived at Ca Cha La Vong just on 6:30pm and were seated immediately. Moments later the restaurant was full and within an instant we were served the dish that has made Ca Cha La Vong famous and given the restaurant its named because it is the only dish you can eat there. Fried fish.

What makes Vietnamese food taste so fresh are the stacks of fresh herbs and greens. This dish needs more of them. Although tasty, I found it very oily, but the greens did give the dish a slight 'I don't feel like I just drank oil' feel afterwards. Accompaniments also included roasted peanuts, chilli/garlic oil and steamed rice. The beer we ordered also helped to cut through the grease.

At the end of the meal we asked for the bill which came to 360,000VD ($18AUD) which was far than we were expecting, more than we were carrying on us and too much for a meal for two. J literally tried five nearby ATM's before he was able to withdraw cash while we waited for his return.

We finished the night with dessert at Green Tangerine with our very own chocolate truffle fritters perfumed with tamarind and the red fruit flower sauce! Fortunately, for me, that wasn't the end of my night because I was lucky enough that J offered to take the children back to bed at the hotel.

Meanwhile I SUPER indulged in a package at SF Salon and Spa which had been recommended by our hotel while their own spa was under renovation. The coconut pre-sun package included 3.5 hours of blissful attentiveness.

"Freshly-grated coconut is used to smooth and moisturize the skin with a gentle exfoliation, leaving it in perfect condition to receive the sun. A great start to your holiday! For all skin types, this treatment is also a perfect preparation for a Body massage and also ideal combined with a facial care.
– Steam Bath or Sauna or Jacuzzi
– Massage Therapy with Coconut Oil
– Coconut Exfoliation
– Facial Care by Coconut and Cucumber
(Offer free coconut juice)"

Are you enticed? Believe me, this was the very best final night on a brilliant trip. The package set me back abut $60AUD but a package like this here would cost hundreds. My skin was left feeling rejuvenated and silky soft and I slept like a (well rested) baby!

Xôi Yên
35b, Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Hoan Kiem Ward, Hà Nôi City Province
(04) 3934 1950

Sun Handicrafts
46 Hang Be, Hoan Kiem, Hà Nôi

Ca Cha La Vong
14 Pho Cha Ca Old Quarter
Phone 04 3825 3929
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/hanoi/restaurants/seafood/cha-ca-vong

Green Tangerine
48 Hang Be Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hà Nôi, Vietnam.
Tel : +84 4 3825 1286 Fax :+84 3828 9167.
Email: enquiry@greentangerinehanoi.com
http://greentangerinehanoi.com/

SF Salon and Spa
16 Hàng Buồm, Hoan Kiem District Hà Nôi, 
Vietnam‎+84 4 3926 2032
http://sfcompany.net/

day eleven: dec 26 Hà Nôi

On the morning of our eleventh day we took a tour of Bat Trang - a pottery-making village. We now have a real appreciation for hand-painted pottery. Once, I would have been dubious if I'd seen identical pieces and they'd been described as hand-painted but the artists at the studios create beautiful designs - over and over and over. One studio we visited made thousands of teapots each day. Each one had to be sponged so it didn't dry out too quickly, and crack. Bat Trang artists make (and sell) everything from crockery to coffins to vases as tall as a tall person.

We stopped for lunch not far from the Museum of Ethnology and tried, something I wouldn't have naturally attributed to Vietnamese cuisine, Bít Têt. The meal was served on a steaming hot plate - steak, meat balls, potato chips, onions, tomato and an egg. It was the perfect meal in the cool, drizzly weather. Here's a great visual menu (and written, if you can read Vietnamese).

What an amazing teaching tool the Museum of Ethnology is. The gardens of the museum have been transformed into a display of various forms of housing in traditional Vietnam. They include the use of original materials, design and layout suiting the purpose of the tribes of people who would have inhabited the houses and the environment in which they lived. The kids particularly loved running around this display and climbing the pole ladders attached to houses perched on stilts.

Bánh mỳ bít tết

54 Hoàng Quốc Việt, Cổ Nhuế, Cầu Giấy

Hanoi, Vietnam
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Nguyen Van Huyen Road, Cau Giay Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone : (+84-4) 37562193 - Fax: (+84-4) 38360351
http://www.vme.org.vn/aboutus_history.asp

day seven: dec 22 Hội An - Huè

Citadel

The three hour drive from Hội An to Huè over the mountains and along the coastline can also be done by train. Oh - and if you're crazy that way inclined you can do it on bicycle (we met people who were). Either way you'll travel through Đà Nẵng, across the Hải Vân Pass, "Pass of the Ocean Clouds" which was once under the control of the US military and for centuries has marked the distinct border between north and south Vietnam. The trip is spectacular.

Once in Huè we checked in to the Camellia Hotel. With the slogans, "beyond expectations" and "we serve everything with heart" and smoking permitted in the foyer I had the feeling this wouldn't be our favourite stay. Smoking was also allowed in the breakfast dining room (and people did, while we ate). The staff were attentive but the lobby, pool area and 'oriental' over-styled rooms, desperately need a modern makeover. Some rooms included a plastic fantastic, and very dusty, bamboo garden in the corner of the room. Thankfully we required a larger room so ours came without.

The best thing to do when the hotel is bad is to get out! We attempted to walk from the hotel to the citadel but with broken paths and excavating of drains we opted for a rickshaw ride which was fabulous!

* Note: if you're heading to Huè be sure to have a rickshaw tour of the Old Town on your arrival. We left it to our last day but we should have done it on our first. The tour (depending on your guide) will give you invaluable insight into the America War according to North Vietnamese but, just as significantly, give you the bearings of this city.

We ate dinner at the Dong Ba Market. Whenever we've travelled in the past we've made certain we've learned a few key phrases. This time, probably because we were so focused on a relaxed flight (is there such a thing with children) we didn't but that didn't mean we couldn't make ourselves understood.

We watched a few stalls and noticed numerous take-away dishes being taken away by motorcyclists to nearby homes as well as diners frequenting this restaurant so we pointed at what the locals were eating and this is what we were served.  The ladies never left their foot-high stools as they grabbed at the prepared food at their fingertips. They assembled these dishes for us - pork skewers and peanut sauce, beef and noodles (chilled) with peanut sauce and you can see the stacks of fresh salad!

It was good and it was cheap.

day six: dec 21 Hội An (Mỹ Sơn tour)

We were desperate to get out of town and jumped at the suggestion of our guide to visit Mỹ Sơn "a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa" (wikipedia, n.d.)."

The site itself is beautiful and even if you have a few spare hours in your schedule I'd highly recommend a visit. The architecture is not dissimilar to ruins I've seen across Asia - reflecting the dominant religion over various periods - Buddhist, Hindi. Across Mỹ Sơn are those tell-tale craters - where the US forces carpet bombed during the war.

Back in Hội An we feasted on the local noodle dish, Cao Lau, although I think B was still dreaming of his toasted sandwich!

Silk lanterns

Later I had the final adjustments made on my tailored clothes at Yaly. And, for the record, they are worth every Australian dollar I spent on them. I've worn all three dresses and it won't be long before I wear the blouses too.