Sunday 22 April 2007

A Parched G'Day!

Ok, this blog is going to be quite a bit behind... quick update: married now (will do the story/photo thing later, as with all of our Oz shots - "we" forgot the usb cable, so the pics will remain on the camera till we get home). Had a bit of a "whoa" moment just a few minutes ago when we checked into our hotel in Adelaide, and I said the woman behind the counter that I was waiting for my ... husband. That's a big word.

A few observations from our trip so far:

First, and most important phrase to learn when you're in Australia: Table Water. This phrase is useful for when you are thirsty and do not want to pay $3.50 (note that a cappuccino is only $3.00) for a glass of sparkling or still water. I don't know if it's because of the drought or because people just don't drink water, but it's at a premium here. "Table water" gets you tap water, very drinkable, sometimes in a recycled wine bottle, which I think is a very nice touch.

Second important phrase is "tipping out" - something very important to do when on two full days of wine touring and tasting in the Barossa Valley (in an absolutely GORGEOUS refurbished 1935 Auburn)(thanks, Rob and Lynda!). By "tipping out" your glass after you have a mouthful or two, you save yourself from being totally snackered by noon, a trick that I didn't fully appreciate till the second day, shinshe by the time I figured it out on the firsht day, it wash too late, and I shtill had another five vinyardsh to vishit. Also, by the time you get to dinner (lovely, at a place called Vintners), and your husband (there's that word again) orders a bottle of wine, you don't feel like dying before the first sip, and much worse after half the bottle.

Day Two of the wine tours started out badly. By badly, I mean that when Chris said, "all set for another day of wine tasting?", I whimpered and pulled the blankets over my head. But, I mustered up all my gumption, tipped out a lot, and was only a bit more charming than usual by the end of the day. Incredible scenery (will be revisited with photos, I promise), beautiful weather, incredible sights, and yes -- four skippies! Last night, the only big problem was the really purple lips and teeth. Rumour has it that professional blenders that taste 30-40 blends a day have to get new teeth, as the wine actually eats away at the enamel. I believe it. I think they're back to normal now, but that's only because I haven't had any wine yet today.

Oh, and for those that want to be even more jealous, it's beautiful here - we ran both Saturday and Sunday mornings, along roads lined with vinyards, in shorts and tank tops. Aaaaah....

Go ahead - try to convince me to come home...

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