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Straight from the 55-minute high-speed train ride from Vang Vieng (a journey that would normally take upwards of five hours by road), we dive into a walking tour of the town.

Our guide here, AK, used to be a monk in Luang Prabang and takes us round several of his favourite temples, telling us exactly what we’re looking at.

But AK’s extensive knowledge isn’t limited to just temples. He’s done everything, from rescuing Asiatic black bears to running market stalls to working for the government.

So from the moment AK picks us up from the train station, we can’t help but soak up the culture here in Luang Prabang.

We’ve travelled to Laos with InsideAsia Tours on their Laos by Rail itinerary, which you can book here.

You can read our overview of the trip here but if you want more detail on each of the places we’ve been to in Laos, click here.

Things to Do in Luang Prabang

This story is all about the things you should do in town in Luang Prabang. There are also lots of things to do out of town in the countryside, which you can find here.

Temples

Monks in Luang Prabang are tasked with maintaining the temples using traditional methods. This is not only a self-regulating process, but one decreed by UNESCO. It’s not uncommon to see young monks doing restorative work to temples here.

Vat Xieng Thong is a beautiful temple at the end of the town’s peninsula. It’s Loas’ most historic temple, built in 1559.

Vat Sene Souk Haram is just up the road from Vat Xieng Thong and also has monks’ living quarters here. Though not quite as old as Xieng Thong, it’s still been here for over 300 years.

Vat Xieng Muan is a small, quiet temple but is right next to the Huan Chan Heritage House (see below) so is an easy temple to add to your list as you’re wandering around town.

There are so many temples squeezed into this charming town, it’s hard not to find yourself stumbling into one. In fact, as they have many exits and entrances into the temple complex, navigating through them using what we like to call ‘Wat Way’ is a neat shortcut!

Museums

The Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre is an excellent museum that teaches you about the multitudes of cultures and ethnic groups in Laos. This is important for any visitor who wants to understand this fascinating country better.

It also highlights how ethnic groups’ fabric and decorative designs have been misappropriated by things like top-end fashion houses without any credit, permission or consultation.

The former Royal Palace now National Museum was built during French occupation in 1904. It’s a fascinating insight into Laos before the overthrow of the monarchy in 1975 and there are many artefacts here from those times.

The historical Huan Chuan House is a Laos home built in the traditional style and is now a cultural museum. It has lots of objects that Lao people have used through the centuries and its layout gives you an idea of what life here would have been like.

Cultural Experiences

Tiao Nath’s house and Baci ceremony

Tiao Nithakhong Somsanith is a renowned artist and descendent of the former royal family. He rarely allows people into his house, which doubles as his art studio.

From commissions from local temples to sculptures in the Smithsonian in Chicago, Tiao Nith is a remarkable person and his house is a grotto of creation.

While you’re here, you can also have a Baci ceremony with a Buddhist master. This celebration of the spirit pre-dates Buddhism and conducted in Sanskrit, it’s still common in Lao culture.

Markets

Luang Prabang’s night markets are awesome. They take over most of Sisavangvong Road – the main street that runs through the middle of the peninsula, starting at the Good Night Market open-air food court.

You can find all kinds of interesting things here, from clothes to woodcraft to jewellery. There are also food stalls here and in other adjoining streets. Highly recommended.

Sunset cruise on the Mekong

Winding its 4,350km way from the Tibetan Plateau, through six countries, the Mekong is the longest river in Southeast Asia. Our sunset cruise on this mighty river is incredible. It’s just us, the pilot and our excellent IAT guide, AK on a traditional Lao riverboat.

While we motor along, AK plates up some delicious local canapés and opens a surprisingly good bottle of wine (with Thailand just next door, we’re not expecting a fine Valpolicella from Venezia). The views are stupendous, with the sun setting in a glorious golden bath in the sky, turning the water to filigree.

Our 90-minute cruise ends all to soon and we disembark on the riverbank an easy walk to the centre of town and its night markets, now in full flow.

Monks’ Morning Quest for Alms

Known as ‘sai bat’, the giving of alms to monks at dawn is a daily ceremony around Lao. You’ll find the streets nearby bigger temples lined with plastic chairs.

Locals sell sticky rice between 20,000 and 50,000 kip (AU$1.50-$3.60) that you can hand to the monks as their procession goes by.

This is a very important cultural ceremony but also a fascinating spectacle. It’s important to obey the rules of conduct if you’re only there to watch.

Finding Coffee

The coffee in Lao is arguably the best in Southeast Asia. They grow their own beans here and have perfected the roasting process. You’ll find good filter drip coffee here, but also great espresso too.

This is not exclusive to cafes and restaurants.

A guy with a stall set up on the street outside his shop had a unique system of making superb espresso unlike anything we’ve seen before. After an intricate three-stage tamping process, the guy poured boiling water into a machine connected to a compressor, which he could set to different pressures.

The result was smooth, rich and invigorating — especially for just 20,000 kip a cup.

The post Best Things To Do In Luang Prabang — Laos’ Old Capital appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

Whenever Christina and I look for stories, we generally always try to create that mix of travel, food, culture, venues and lifestyle.

I think we’ve hit the bullseye with this one.

This Edition also has a lot of firsts for us. Our first (extended) visit to Wollongong, our first vegan yum cha, our first time to Hurstville and my first cosmetic facial treatment. 

We hope you enjoy this Weekly Edition.

Cheers  – Jim & Christina xx

We’re pretty excited today – we’ve got a lunch date! This is Bodhi, a yum cha restaurant in the park behind the St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.

It’s a beautiful spot right in Cook and Philip Park, and really unique – not just because there aren’t many (or any?) other yum cha al fresco places in Sydney.

Everything they serve here is vegan!

And here’s our lunch date: on the left is Jarrod and Brooke from the brilliant Nip of Courage – a company championing the art of Australian craft spirits.

Behind the camera is Kathleen, founder, architect and general genius of the brand.

Next to me is the excellent Josh Walker from Timboon Distillery in Victoria. His craft whisky is absolutely delicious. You can read more about his Port Expression Single Malt in our review on the Nip of Courage site here. 

Josh also has a cask-strength whisky – the Christie’s Cut, which is gaining a real cult following, and has recently released a peated whisky – the Timboon Smoky 1881 – a smooth, delightful whisky.

In fact Bodhi has a bottle behind the bar if you want to try some.

It’s great to see everyone, but the food at Bodhi really has distracted us all from our reunion. 

We settle in for a sustained eating frenzy, sampling so many of the dishes brought round to us by the lovely staff here.

This is radish cake, also called daikon cake, turnip cake and – in Singapore – carrot cake.

As we’ll learn later in the week, this is a traditional dish for the Lunar New Year, but I’ll seriously eat this any time of day, month or season. It’s delicious. None of the names it’s known by really do it justice.

Many of the dishes here you’d expect to find on the vegetarian menu of a yum cha restaurant, but these prawn gao ji are a real surprise.

We’re really not sure these aren’t vegan, but the staff all assure us they are. They really do have the taste and texture of actual seafood, and they’re delicious too.

Before we all depart, Kathleen orders a quick dram of Josh’s newest addition to Timboon Distillery’s armoury: the Timboon Smoky 1881. 

Josh has cleverly layered a level of peat to his whisky that adds a beautiful savoury character and lengthens the flavour.

I think our seperate expressions speak volumes: ever modest, Josh is quietly pleased, and I’m just in heaven.

Today, I’m being pampered by the good people of HydraFacial. It’s a therapeutic system that hydrates, nourishes and resurfaces the skin on your face, temporarily opening and irrigating pores . 

Because it does so much at once, a full HydraFacial treatment only takes half an hour! 

I’m laid out in my treatment chair while my therapist Peter applies the HydraFacial tool with its patented Vortex-Fusion action and MD HydroPeel tip to my face.

This ‘pen’ has three elements to it. 

At its tip, there are holes within a spiral channel which pump serums, acids and nutrients into the skin. There’s also a vacuum that sucks everything – including dead skin and impurities – away from the dermis.

Finally, the edges of the tip are graded to gently exfoliate your skin as the pen moves over your face.

Those four bottles in the machine represent the different stages of the treatment, which delivers things like glycolic, hyaluronic and salicylic acids, peptides, antioxidants and exfoliants deep into the skin. 

You can see the system explained and at work here in HydraFacial’s video.

It’s not necessarily a comfortable experience, but it’s in no way traumatic either. I leave feeling completely rejuvenated. My skin looks and feels smooth, clean and so nourished, and the best thing about it is it’s so quick.

The only problem: my face now feels several years younger than the rest of me!

Find the nearest clinic to you for your HydraFacial treatment here.

This evening, we’re very excited to be going to a pre-screening of a new Aussie movie.

Long Story Short is a romantic comedy set by the beaches of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. 

Taking inspiration from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Teddy (Rafe Spall) has a curse thrust upon him the morning after his wedding that causes him to leap forward a year every few minutes.

As he speeds through his life, Teddy glimpses the ruin caused by his stuttering habit of wasting time and opportunities.

I’m not usually a fan of the romcom, but this one – a tale of failure, epiphany and redemption (and of course love) – is clever, entertaining and really well-performed. 

Don’t miss this one. And remember to bring a tissue. Not many dry eyes leaving the cinema as the credits roll here.

Inspired by our friend Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella, I’ve taken myself to Rozelle to check out the work of Sir Reuben. You can see Lorraine’s Instagram post that set me on this mission here.

I’ve got to say, I’m very impressed with this sandwich. It’s been too long since my last reuben and this bad boy is definitely the way I wanted to get back on the horse!

This is just their classic reuben sandwich but the menu has loads of other options, including a fantastic looking schnitzel sandwich and a pork roll on Turkish bread too. Check out the Not Quite Nigella review of Mr Reuben to see what I’m talking about.

Their coffee is great too by the way.

We’re in Wollongong this weekend! Amazingly, this is the first time we’ve been here for any length of time and you know what? We’re pleasantly surprised.

Our friends have just moved up here from Melbourne and they’re having a birthday party for their sons. It’s the perfect excuse for us to come down and have a look around.

First stop: our friends take us to a new brewery that’s just opened nearby. In fact, this place is so new, it hasn’t got any beer yet… well, not its own beer.

The menu of the Dusty Lizard Brewing Co is still replete with some fantastic Aussie brews worth trying. 

The brewery’s namesake – a magnificent little bearded dragon called Dustin – comes out every now and again too. The owner had to get a small zoo licence to be able to have him here!

The licence is for 1-30 animals. Wonder what the other 29 will be.

Anyway, I’m really looking forward to them getting their own beers on tap though. Watch this space closely. I reckon it’s going to be brilliant.

We make our way down to the water (it’s terrible but I didn’t even realise that Wollongong’s city centre was so close to the beach!) and are welcomed to this scene.

Wollongong’s harbour beach feels more like somewhere in Cornwall to me – the rocky harbour wall, the pretty little lighthouse and the calm seas. Lovely.

Even more lovely is the feat that our friend’s mum, who’s Lebanese, brings along. She’s made my favourites (which is important because today is really all about me!): sfeeha – Lebanese empanadas, kibbeh (Lebanese meatloaf) and her special omelette. 

She’s also fried up some Lebanese breads into a kind of bark, which is brilliant and worryingly moreish.

Love these little cupcakes for the kids too. I’m not allowed any though.  But that’s ok. There’s plenty of kibbeh. 

The park in front of the harbour beach is the perfect little spot for our birthday party. It’s good to hang out with these guys and celebrate with them. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be in Wollongong a lot more.

Today we’re joining a walking food tour of Hurstville to explore the wealth of East Asian food available in this southern Sydney suburb.

The tour is with Taste Cultural Food Tours, a charity and social enterprise established to build connections across cultures through food.

All revenue is invested into the community you visit or the Taste Tours Guide Training Program, aimed at young people, new migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Taste Cultural Food Tours has a number of suburbs around Sydney to explore through food.

Check them out and book your tour here.

Our tour coincides with the Lunar New Year, so our guide Patrick has tailored the tour to show us more of the culture of behind this important date in the calendar.

We won’t be disclosing any venues of the tour here, as that’s the job (and surprise) of Taste Cultural Food Tours. But here are some of the things we try on our route. 

These delicious dumplings are a northern Chinese style, denoted by the much thicker skins and use of lamb for the filling. These dumplings are traditionally part of the new year celebrations and are a staple on the table. 

They represent an historic moment when a lord of a northern Chinese village prescribed dumplings secretly filled with special herbs to cure villagers’ frostbite.

It magically worked, so now dumplings resemble ears – and silver ingots for a good measure of prosperity.

Also traditional for the Lunar New Year is radish cake (which we also ate at Bodhi I mentioned earlier). This dense, chewy crispy-edged cake is made from daikon radish and served with a delicious chilli soy sauce.

I could eat this all day.

Our excellent guide Patrick brings us these exquisite egg custard tarts, also a traditional sweet at the Lunar New Year feast.

These sumptuous snacks are made with layer upon layer of thin-rolled flaky pastry and filled with eggy custard – you can only really eat one of these, but you want to munch on more.

I give chicken feet a go for the very first time and am pleasantly surprised. Much less bony and cartilaginous than I was expecting, and the sauce is excellent. 

In the Lunar New Year traditions, it’s popular to eat the whole chicken with an emphasis on the head and feet, which symbolises unity. 

In the same restaurant, we’re presented with this strange-looking thing. It’s a walnut bao – unique to this restaurant and specially made for Lunar New Year. 

Boa come in many shapes and forms, sometimes quite plain and boring. But this one, shaped like a walnut and coloured with ground walnut too, is quite the opposite.

As you bite into the soft squishy dumpling, you discover a rich, gooey sweet filling – it’s creamy walnut syrup. This is like eating the best Ferrero Rocher you’ve ever had!

It’s been a fascinating tour that’s showcased some real food gems hiding in plain sight. We’ve tried food we’d never normally even think about ordering, and have grown a deeper understanding of what happens in and around Lunar New Year.

Thank you Patrick and the Taste team!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Weekly Edition. See you again soon.

Jim & Christina xx

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Crazy to think that Christmas is next week, isn’t it? After everything that’s gone on this year, it’s like Christmas is way too normal to be happening. 

I suppose it just goes to show that no matter what happens to us, time still troops on… but let’s not get too maudlin or philosophical. This time of year is about celebrating.

We’re lucky to have been able to have a few Christmas parties and get-togethers these last couple of weeks, which means we have some great little tips on places to eat and explore in Sydney.

And right when a massive storm front passed through Sydney, we were on a boat! So check out the photos from that. 

There’s a new wine and a spirit we want to tell you about and I finally got to meet my doppelganger, which was weird for both of us. 

Finally, we get to try what’s long been lauded as the best schnitzel in Sydney. Let’s see what you think about that!

We hope you enjoy this, the last Weekly Edition of 2020, and that you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

Our first catch-up for the Christmas period is with our mate Steph. She’s been dodging back and forth from the States, where her partner’s based, recently.

It’s good to see her back in Sydney and we’ve taken her to a favourite spot in Balmain – Shila Kitchen. 

This is a Persian cafe and diner, and does a delicious range of traditional Iranian dips and dishes.

Stuffed vine leaves, smoky eggplant, sumptuous hummus and creamy, zingy yoghurt dips with amazing crunchy breads… and that’s just to start.

This is a Persian meatball! It’s made with of split peas, rice, minced beef and fresh herbs, slow-cooked in a traditional tomato sauce served with olives and fresh Afghan bread. 

It’s so good. 

There’s a whole range of remarkable dishes to try here and everyone’s so friendly. If you’re not sure about what something is, the staff are happy to help.

If you’re looking for delicious vegan and gluten-free food, Shila Kitchen is amazing. They have so many options here.

This evening, we’re out on Sydney Harbour for a Christmas cruise with our travel journo friends courtesy of TravMedia – the biggest and best communication hub for travel writers and publishers, travel PR and marketing, and travel brands.

We feel so lucky to be able to socialise at the moment, but to be on a yacht at one of the world’s most beautiful landmarks… it reminds us that pinch-me moments can happen right in your own back yard.

From left to right: Ben Groundwater and Jim Butcher… I think.

Another pinch-me moment: when I finally get to hang out with a man who many people seem to confuse me with for some reason.

This is Ben Groundwater, a renowned travel writer and photographer. If you’ve ever read Traveller, Adventure.com, SMH, The Age or any in-flight mag, you’ve probably seen Ben’s work.

He’s also a magnificently good looking chap of course. 

I honestly do not mind being mistaken for Ben… I wonder if he feels the same!

After the initial shock of seeing my twin, Christina and I (and Ben) settle into the important task of emptying the ship’s eskies. 

It’s not until we look up from our work that we notice an interesting weather pattern developing…

Within minutes, this enormous weather front has rolled in on us, threatening to spoil the party. 

Thankfully, we’re all having too much fun to be too worried – that’s the skipper’s job! So we reach for another beer and wait for the light show. 

It doesn’t take long:

As the sun sets over the Bridge, the sky lights up again like it’s midday. I’m lucky enough to catch this amazing lightning strike literally as I’m reaching back into the esky. 

Our thanks again to Nick Wayland and the TravMedia crew for their generosity, hard work and friendship – especially in such difficult times for the travel industry.

Today, we’re having a picnic! 

Mitchelton Estate – a Victorian winery near Bendigo – have kindly sent us two of their new wines from the Preece Collection and a selection of cheeses, meats and relishes. 

By coincidence, Christina has visited Mitchelton Estate on a trip to see her uncle in Bendigo a couple of years ago. It’s a stunning property and cellar door, which also has an Aboriginal art gallery, day spa and restaurant to explore.

These wines from Mitchelton’s Preece collection, named after Colin Preece, the winery’s founding winemaker, are excellent. 

The Preece King Valley Pinot Grigio is well-structured and fuller bodied than most of this variety. There’s a good fruitiness to it and crisp, nashi pear notes too.

But the Preece Grenache Rosé is real winner. I’m a big fan of Grenache anyway, and it suits the Rosé style perfectly. 

This Provençal style Rosé is crisp and dry, but with all the good bits from Grenache still intact. 

Sour cherry on the nose with a balanced sweetness and red currant sharpness on the palate. 

You can find the Mitchelton Estate Preece King Valley Pinot Grigio and the Nagambie Grenache Rosé from the Mitchelton website and from Dan Murphy’s – RRP $20 a bottle. 

Ahh! The first Aperol spritz of the season. 

We’re celebrating the coming of Christmas today with our digital publisher friends from the Australian Society of Travel Writers. 

Lunch today is at Boque by Tapavino in Darling Harbour – a Spanish restaurant that does one of the best set menus we’ve seen. Initially we talk through the a la carte, but for $55pp, this is a feast at a bargain.

Here are a few of the dishes we’re enjoying. The meal begins with jamon serrano, then a creamy cheesy croqueta, a spiced eggplant tostada (which is probably the best thing on the menu, drizzled with honey and chives), and exquisite garlicky grilled prawns.

Next is pollo asado – a huge amount of delicately spiced grilled chicken on the bone and a surprisingly tasty cabbage salad.

I think they probably need to rework the name of this one, because ‘cabbage salad’ does not inspire or describe how tasty this dish is.

Next is a bowl full of dense yet somehow delicate slow-cooked pork and veal meatballs in a rich tomato sauce and piled high with pecorino cheese, and another equally full bowl of patatas bravas. These delicious, crunchy roast spuds are covered in a peri peri mayo. Yum.

Finally, we’re treated to some of the best churros we’ve had in Sydney with an incredibly sticky chocolate caramel dip.

We don’t finish all the food (the churros all disappear though!) but the staff are happy to give us have takeaway boxes. Nothing worse than seeing good food go to waste.

We stop in at another bar for a cheeky post-meal drink and a photo.

Left to right: Jim and Christina (you know us!), Paula Morgan from Sydney Expert, Seana Smith from Hello Sydney Kids, Marianne Rogerson from Mum on the Move.

Merry Christmas to our travel writer friends – especially those of us in the digital space. It’s been a tough year for everyone, but let’s hope the new year changes things.

We have a new Cocktail Hour episode on IGTV! Today, we’re giving the French red grapefruit-based liqueur Pampelle a road test. 

Watch here as we ditch the Campari and switch up a classic with a negroni spritz. 

You’ll need Pampelle, red vermouth, Imbue Distillery’s The Journey gin and a splash of sparkling water to make this one, and it’s well worth it. This is the perfect Christmas drink and what I think will be the drink of the summer.

More tastes of summer – especially this year we hope – are the Campari spritz (like an Aperol spritz but switching out the liqueur), Seedlip mocktails, good beer but most importantly catching up with dear friends and family from interstate.

We’re out for lunch with our amazing friends Nikki and Kester from Queensland, down in Sydney for a few days.

Nikki runs the formidable fashion site Styling You and we’ve been mates for years. 

As for me and Kester, well, let’s just say the word ‘bromance’ has been banded around far too often for us to deny it. 

We’ve met at Bel & Brio – a lovely little Italian place in Barangaroo in Sydney. The drinks come fast and the charcuterie board is unstoppable.

We get stuck in to the food, drinks and catching up while we await the rest of our food. 

It’s good eats at Bel & Brio, but come hungry. They do Italian servings!

Everyone has the house-made pasta, which is excellent, but I just can’t go past a calzone. It’s almost become legislation that if it’s on the menu, I have to order one. 

This time, the rules have paid off – this calzone is amazing. I also add a bit of fresh chilli, which makes me go bright pink but boosts the flavour even more!

Our excellent waiter helps us with the wine options too. She tells us about the secret Vermentino not on the list.

We’ve scored a pretty good table too. The ladies manage to sneak this photo of Kester and me while I’m mid-yarn. Very crafty of them!

We skip dessert at Bel & Brio because Christina and I have the inside scoop on this area – pun intended.

Right across the road is Rivareno Gelato – quite possibly the best gelateria in the state if not the country and definitely the most authentic Italian gelato we’ve had in Australia. 

It’s so good to see our interstate friends again. Long may this freedom to travel last.

Tonight, we’re not only going somewhere we’ve never been and never knew existed, but also somewhere that apparently does the best pork schnitzel in Sydney.

We’re at the Austrian Club in Frenchs Forest. 

It’s in a little part of this woody suburb that is also home to the Dutch Club and the Sokol Club, which is Czech- and Slovak-centric. 

The high pitched roof and wood cladding on the walls gives a real Bavarian beer hall feel to the place – as does the oompah music playing throughout the night.

We’re here to catch up with some old family friends and wish everyone a merry Christmas. 

While I’m at the bar, which does some very good Austrian beer by the way, I find these two rogues making trouble.

Riccardo on the left has been a family friend for many years and was Christina’s dad’s best friend. If there’s a joke going around, it’s probably Riccardo telling it.

Next to him is John, Riccardo’s neighbour, partner in crime and bon vivant. It’s hard to imagine age having slowed John down as he’s razor sharp and incredibly funny. 

This old-time gold-panner is somehow 92 and more spry than me! 

It’s great to catch up with these guys and lots of others we haven’t seen for a while, but business beckons as the waitstaff carry the dinner plates from the kitchen…

Riccardo assures us that servings tonight are smaller than normal. I’m struggling to see how you’d get bigger pork schnitzels (yes, there are two!) on the plate. They’ve already sacrificed the salad.

The question is: is this the best schnitzel in Sydney?

I don’t know, but I can say this – it’s very very good. These plain pork or wiener schnitzels come with Austrian potato salad – a kind of crushed potato with a tart vinegar flavour. Delicious. 

I also order a side of their slow-cooked seven-hour gravy, because that’s the right thing to do. Christina also orders a side of the house’s secret cream and mushroom sauce… though I think they’re giving away most of the secret in its description.

Both sauces are highly recommended, but the sauerkraut is off the charts. It’s a must. Thankfully, Christina’s sister has ordered some, so we steal most of hers.

An incredibly filling and fulfilling night. We return home, our stomachs and souls now to the brim. Bring on Christmas.

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this Edition. Thank you so much for reading us. You are the only reason we do this job. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to or want to.

Have a wonderful Christmas, a relaxing, start to the new year and the most prosperous, romantic 2021.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

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Few words can express how excited we were to be travelling to South Africa. It’s been a place that’s sat on our travel bucket list for such a long time, it’s a wonder we haven’t been there before.

The opportunity to see wild places like the Kalahari Desert has been on my mind ever since I was a boy watching those David Attenborough shows.

And the romance and thrill of seeing exotic cities and streets like Johannesburg and Durban – not to mention experiencing real Zulu culture and learning about their history.

Well, it’s all here and we’ve tried to keep it as brief as possible – though there will be a lot more to come, I can promise you!

Masinwabe – Jim & Christina xx

From the tarmac of Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport, we’re about to hop on our flight to Upington Airport away in the Northern Cape.

It’s taken us a long time to get to this point. A flight from Sydney to Perth then another from Perth over to Johannesburg – about 15 hours not including transfers. It’s a good job South Africa Airways treats their passengers with an old-school hospitality you don’t see that often anymore.

In a time when the ‘modern airline’ model may mean bigger higher-def screens and wider seats but at the cost of all the things we used to love about flying, SAA is still flying the flag.

No, the planes might not be the newest, the seatback screens are small and seats themselves narrow. But the impressive amount of legroom you get is almost as joy-bringing as the happy, personable service and things like miniatures in the drinks cart, and a friendliness and banter from the attendants you just don’t see anymore.

Our flight to Upington, which takes us across the outskirts of the Kalahari Desert, is only an hour or so. Coming in to land at this tiny airport, which is amazingly an international terminal too, is a welcome reminder that we’re entering quite remote parts of this fascinating country.

Our first official stop on this whirlwind trip is at Upington’s Kalahari-Oranje Museum, which overlooks the Oranje River. It’s an interesting record of this historic town, that’s seen a lot of growth in recent years thanks to the increase of wine produced in the area. 

The wine industry here has created the majority of jobs for the 500k+ inhabitants and seasonal workers.

But from here, we leave Upington – the gateway to Namibia, Botswana and – for us – the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

We pass through the barrier protecting the Transfrontier Park, which is also the border control for Botswana, and the first thing we see as we drive along the sealed road north is an ostrich. 

I’m dumbfounded. I never expected to see one in the wild… it turns out there are loads here!

Although we’re technically in South Africa still, the Botswana border is now close enough for us to cross on foot. At times it’s just a couple of metres from the side of the road… not that it would be a good idea to get out of the car…

Relaxing by the side of the road is this beautiful creature. A young male black maned lion. He’s with two others, chilling out in the shade of a tree. It’s remarkable to be so close to these beautiful creatures – and we’ve only been in the park about half an hour.

We’re joined by an important member of the local Khomani People – one of the San – called Andres. As we drive, he explains much of what is and has been happening to his community of 1500 people (plus 500 or so unregistered members and kids).

In 2002, the government gave the Khomani 200 hectares of land in the Kalahari back, but it’s not enough for a traditionally nomadic people like the San.

It’s hard to know what they can do, but Andres and his board are working hard to change things. 

But even in the middle of this important news, even Andres is stunned into silence as we pass these mighty animals. 

It’s a four-and-a-half-hour drive over precisely 91 massive sand dunes to get here, but it’s certainly worth the effort. This is !Xaus Lodge, which is run as a not-for-profit by Transfrontier Parks Destinations and staffed by Khomani.

You can read our full review on !Xaus Lodge here.

If you’re wondering why the exclamation mark, it’s because this denotes a ‘pop’ the Khomani and many of the nine tribal languages in South Africa use. Unfortunately, the ‘x’ is also a ‘click’ in the back of the throat, making !Xaus a difficult word to say. 

To get by, you can say ‘Kaus’, rhyming with ‘house’. It’s not right, but close enough.

We’ll be running a full review on this beautiful property later.

After a fascinating couple of days here at !Xaus Lodge, it’s almost time to leave. We drive through the dunes until it’s almost sunset for drinks and celebrations.

L-R: Jim, Christina, Steve, Mpo, Alexis, Mosilo, Emily and two guides. Castro on the right is our guide and a bloody genius.

We’re lucky to be travelling with a small group of travel journalists and South African Tourism. Over the next few days, we’re all going to become such good friends. 

Next morning, it’s an early start back from !Xaus Lodge to Upington, where we’re due to catch our next flight to our next destination.

We spot so much wildlife on our way out of the park: multitudes of antelope, wildebeest, African wildcats, goshawks, vultures – even a brown hyena – but all too soon, we’re out of the Transfrontier Park and back to civilisation.

We transfer from Upington to Joburg again, then through to Durban. It’s been a full day’s travel and we reach our hotel late in the afternoon.

The Southern Sun Maharani Hotel is right on the beachfront and all its rooms look out over the water. Best of all, the windows, even the ones on this – the top floor – open right up. It’s something you don’t see everywhere. 

Views out across the beach and south down to the port – South Africa’s busiest – are amazing. Sunrise over the water tomorrow will be incredible.

Our new guide, Bheki, explains the city to us as we drive in from the airport. Durban has suffered worse than a lot of South African cities from segregation during the appalling Apartheid.

There’s still a strong sense of separation in Durban in spite of people now being able to move freely to live wherever they want. The three main races – black African, Caucasian and subcontinental Indian – still live in very different parts of the area.

This beach – the main beach of the city – is predominantly a ‘black beach’, which seems so strange to us with Australian beaches being for everyone. It’s a harsh reminder of the terrible times this country has seen. 

Just in case you’re wondering, yes, it’s safe here.

Indians came to Durban as slaves to cut cane in the 1800s. Now their population of around 1 million has a strong influence over the KwaZulu Natal region. 

Not least their food.

Here on Florida Road in Durban – the restaurant, bar and entertainment district – House of Curries does one of the best versions of a famous Indian South African dish: Bunny chow.

For clarity, no rabbits were or are involved with this dish. It’s basically half a loaf of bread hollowed out and filled with your choice of delicious curry.

Christina’s gone for lamb curry – the meat is tender, and the curry rich and tasty. I, however, have chosen ‘kebab’ not knowing what would come out. It’s a delicious, fine mince in a thick spicy gravy. This one has a real kick to it. 

You can choose a quarter or half loaf depending how hungry you are. Not many people can finish a half… but I manage it with no problem. It’s too tasty to waste!

The name bunny chow comes from the name for the Indian chefs – banias – who invented this dish. It was traditionally a meal for the labourers, who would take it with them for their lunch. 

You can see how we got on making bunnie Chow here!

This morning we’re off again, driving through some of the most dramatic scenery to the Zulu Village of the PheZulu Safari Park. 

The Gasa clan have been performing traditional dances, rituals and ceremonies here for over 30 years. It’s fascinating and beautiful to watch a version of a Zulu wedding. 

This is the head of the Gasa clan, who we meet again after the dance in his house. We’re guided through the three main huts of a traditional Zulu property overlooking the Thousand Hills District, which is still inhabited almost exclusively by Zulu people.

We’re heading north to famous Rorke’s Drift now. It’s a long drive, so we pull in to Greytown stop off to grab a Steers burger, recommended by our photographer Grant, who’s from Cape Town.

He’s not wrong. This is no ordinary takeaway. Messy, delicious, saucy, beefy and cheesy – this is a fine burger. And the chips are excellent too.

We arrive in the afternoon at our hotel, which is in the middle of its own private game park – Fugitives’ Drift.

As we enter the park, a giraffe strolls into the road right in front of us. This park doesn’t have any big predators, so we get out and spend about half an hour taking photos not just of this one, but of an entire herd (also known as ‘a tower’) of giraffes. It’s amazing.

Even more amazing is our room. The balcony looks directly out over the game park. In the clearing, antelope graze freely and birds of all kinds fill the trees.

Fugitives’ Drift Lodge is a very special place.

Just as impressive is the bathroom. We have a beautiful clawfoot bath, an outdoor shower and a wonderful rainfall shower inside too. 

Staying at Fugitives’ Drift Lodge makes you feel very connected to the area, which is remote, though very close to the important historic site of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift.

You can see our full review of this amazing place here.

As part of our stay at Fugitives’ Drift, we get to tour the battle grounds of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Our morning guide is a direct descendent of one of the Zulu leaders, who fought at Isandlwana.

It was a terrible battle, costing thousands of British and Zulu lives for very little. The guide’s story of what happened is sombre, deep and contemplative. The heroism of the men that fought here is overshadowed by the tragic loss of so many lives.

In this battle, which is the precursor to Rorke’s Drift and the famous 1964 classic, 25,000 Zulu warriors fought and killed 1,300 colonial soldiers in a war provoked by the British. Many Zulus died too.

White stone cairns litter the battleground marking the mass graves of those whose bones still remain here.

In the evening, just before sunset, we travel 10 miles from Isandlwana to the site of Rorke’s Drift with Douglas Rattray, the son of the late David Rattray, founder of Fugitives’ Drift Lodge, storyteller and historian. 

From what we can tell, Doug is certainly a chip off the old block – something he should be proud of. 

The tale of the defence of Rorke’s Drift, how 4,000 Zulu warriors were held off by 139 British – 35 of whom were incapacitated, is as dramatic and heroic as the movie. Perhaps more so. And Doug catches every element wonderfully, no doubt hearing his father’s voice within him.

The sun sets on this site where 17 survivors watched the remnants of the Zulu attack retreat over the crest and we know we’ve just experienced something truly significant.

It’s taken us quite a while to get here (four hours driving back to Durban for another hour’s flight to Johannesburg) but we’re finally here in Soweto.

Soweto, by the way is short for South Western Township.

This is the biggest township in Johannesburg – originally a slum created by the dreadful Apartheid regime. It’s now a vibrant, proud section of the city. Although poverty is still very much an issue here, Soweto’s residents still remain out of choice. 

Our first stop in Soweto is at The Wine Bar, a rather fancy restaurant and not something we were expecting. An extensive wine list pairs with a fascinating menu with both commonly found and more unusual items on offer.

Being on a cultural trip, we order the unusual. Black tripe, lamb’s trotters, hard body chicken, ox tail and braised chicken livers come out. The first piece of tripe I try doesn’t taste great – perhaps not thoroughly soaked enough – but other pieces are good. 

The livers and hard body – the kind of lean chicken you see wandering around rather than plump farm chooks – are both excellent. 

Of all the parts of Soweto to have a fine-dining spot such as this (they even have a small Cuban cigar selection here), Vilakazi Street is the obvious choice.

It’s the street Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu grew up on – the only street in the world to be home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners, so tourists aren’t a rarity here.

Service is superb at The Wine Bar and the food is lovingly prepared. Definitely come here when you visit this fascinating part of South Africa.

We travel down to Lebo’s Hostel deep in the township. Lebo, the owner, has created a wonderful space for visitors to come and locals to work, and is a pillar of the community. 

He has also started these tuk tuk tours of Soweto, which gives you a unique way to see life here. Locals wave and say hello as you pass, and although you’re exposed to the poor way of life the denizens of Soweto are living, the tour guide makes it very clear that this is not poverty tourism.

It’s an important exposure of life that terrible things like Apartheid can create. Lessons to be learnt and understood.

The tuk tuk tour culminates in a quick visit to Nelson Mandela’s house – now a museum.

Read more about Soweto and what you can see here in our write-up.

This morning, we’re on the road once more driving out of town to visit the Cradle of Humankind.

There are two parts to this feature – a visitors’ centre, Maropeng, which is like an educational theme park in its design but illustrates well the area, and a cave visit at Sterkfonatein.

The Cradle of Humankind is a massive network of limestone caves which has produced almost half of all humanid fossils ever found. It’s been so prolific that paleoanthropologists have been able to trace the origins of our species and many others before us.

The cave climb is in stark contrast to the easy, fun visitors’ centre. Small groups are brought down 60 metres below the surface through tight cracks and crannies, and up and down many flights of steps. A good level of fitness is important for this experience.

This evening, we’ve travelled to the other side of the city for what will be our last dinner together. We’re at the beautiful Epicure by Chef Coco and the menu has been carefully crafted to represent the best features of African food.

We get to meet Chef Coco, who was brought up in Belgium, shows his talent for French style cuisine and his passion for the taste of Africa.

This tasting plate is called the NEWS plate, with flavours from the north, east, west and south of Africa. My main of ostrich fillet is absolutely superb – this is well worth a visit.

We go into a lot more detail about this excellent restaurant here.

This morning – our last in Africa – we are on a walking tour of the street art of Maboneng. This super-cool part of town is full of amazing art on the city’s towers.

This is by Belgian artist Roa, who paints endangered animals everywhere he goes. It’s side to South Africa I hadn’t expected to see.

The street art walking tour is conducted by Curiocity, a fantastic civic company showing the different sides to places around South Africa.

On from the art tour, we drive to the Apartheid Museum with our guide Tony. He’s from Soweto – still lives there in fact – and was a young activist in the anti-apartheid movement. 

It’s a harrowing, shameful experience learning the terrible things that happened and that white people did as a result of stupid racial prejudice. 

The museum is a harsh enough lesson, but with Tony beside us, we learn even more from a first-hand survivor of those terrible times. 

From the front of the museum, we see the seven pillars of the South African constitution structured by the likes of Nelson Mandela. They hold up what is considered to be the best constitution in the world to date: democracy, equality, reconciliation, diversity, responsibility, respect and freedom.

After such a necessary, confronting experience, it’s a wonder we’re hungry, but lunch beckons us to Moyo at Zoo Lake.

Possibly the best meal we’ve had in South Africa apart from last night’s dinner, we feast on two huge mixed grills of different meat, Mozambican piri piri chicken and prawns, fascinating sides like samp, nhapi dovi and chakalaka, and a bread platter with a chilli chickpea dip. 

A fitting end to our trip together and the final piece of the puzzle for our South African Food Safari.

We do have one last stop before the airport though: the Rosebank Art and Craft Market for some souvenir shopping. This underground market is packed full of pots, masks, blankets and trinkets – almost none of which we’d be allowed to bring back to Australia. 

The vendors are friendly, though when we mention where we’re from, they’re a little stumped. They know probably better than we do that trying to get a carved bone object or an exquisite wooden animal into the country is asking for trouble. 

We find a few things though and it’s an interesting experience.

There’s time for just one more photo of all of us (minus Alexis, who’s had to catch a different flight) and Grant, who’s behind the camera. What a great crew. We feel very lucky to have travelled with you guys.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this snippet of our time in this remarkable country. There’s plenty more to come, don’t worry. But for now, this is all we’ve got.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

We travelled to South Africa with South Africa Tourism and South Africa Airlines

The post In and out of Africa appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

As the departures gate makes its last call on September, we ready ourselves for an October so full of travel it’s kind of crazy.

In a good way!

With travel to Africa and the USA coming up, by the time October comes to an end, we’ll have taken almost 20 flights in just one month. And we can’t wait!

But this week, we’re prepping for this incredible trip to South Africa, we’re checking out a new release on some wine from WA and we visit Luke Nguyen’s restaurant in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens to learn more about Visit Britain’s latest travel trends.

It’s hard to believe we’re getting ready for our first ever trip to the African continent. Christina and I are so excited – we’ve tried a number of times to get to Africa, but plans never seemed to work out.

Now, thanks to South Africa Tourism, we and three other Australian travel journalists are travelling to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park to begin our epic trip through South Africa.

It’s hard to know what to pack on a trip like this, but one thing’s for certain: our photography kit is complete! Olympus is very generously lending us these two incredible lenses to take on safari, which is going to make all the difference.

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm F3.5-6.3 on the right is a new lens from Olympus and is so versatile. It’s also really light compared to other lenses that give the same amount of zoom (this thing can basically double in length) so it’ll be perfect for wide landscape shots of the Kalahari Desert while also getting in close when the wildlife shows up.

We’re also taking with us the impressive M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4.0 IS PRO from Olympus, which has so many features like 5-axis internal stabilisation, it’s dust and splash-proof and mind-blowing resolution it’s going to take our wildlife photography to a different level.

Before we head into the wilderness of the Kalahari, we’re making the most of one of our favourite Sydney specials I’ve got a feeling many locals don’t know about.

It might come as a surprise to learn that El Loco – the Mexican-themed restaurant at the Slip Inn in Sydney does a really amazing burger. We were certainly shocked the first time we had one.

Even better than that, every Monday, you can get a burger for $15, and pints are $6 too. Hard to beat.

Now that the sun’s back out here in Sydney, we’ve taken a break from packing and are enjoying a glass of wine this afternoon.

Houghton, which has been making wine since 1836, is one of Australia’s most awarded wineries, and their new Reserve range looks like it’s going to carry on that trend.

The Reserve Chardonnay is wonderfully drinkable, finding that tricky balance of fruit-driven freshness and creamy oaked richness, and there’s plenty of length on the finish too.

As for the Reserve Shiraz, it’s also a beautifully balanced wine. The careful play between elegant tannins and the umami sweetness of cocoa create a perfect medium-bodied example of a modern Shiraz.

Both these wines will react well to cellaring – if you have the willpower. As for pricing, they’re both $14.95RRP from major and independent retailers across Australia.

It’s been a while since we enjoyed a wine from Western Australia. It’s a much-overlooked wine region with some superb wines, and the Houghton Wisdom range really represents.

The Wisdom Chardonnay 2018 is quite a wine. superbly full-bodied, this is what a WA Chardonnay (and I wish other regions would take note) should taste.

This is without a doubt a well-crafted wine, barrel-fermented and left on its lees for nine months has given this wonderful Chardonnay plenty of cereal notes and smooth texture.

And I even like the label!

Find your bottle from Dan Murphy’s or from Houghton’s direct here – $40 RRP.

A kookaburra on a sign to the Opera House – this should probably be an add for Sydney city, which is ironic as we’re off to lunch in the Botanic Gardens to meet with Visit Britain tourism board when we spot this guy!

Lunch is in Botanic House, right in the middle of the Botanic Gardens overlooking the bay.

Of course, we’re excited about chatting the the Visit Britain team, but with Chef Luke Nguyen running the show here, we know the food is going to be something special.

We’re welcomed with a Hendricks gin and tonic, and a table covered with different garnishes – from rosemary to raspberries – to add to our drinks.

Combinations of flavours give our G&Ts a taste of England, Wales and Scotland – strawberries and basil, raspberries and mint, and cucumber and rosemary respectively. And while we decide, a Beetles tribute band entertains us.

We’ve seen from our menus that there’s an English tone to the food, but as lunch is served, the humble fish and chips with mushy peas is a little more than that.

This crispy-skinned seared barramundi, its house-made tartare and dense mushy peas is a bit further down the road than your average chippy back home.

As for the beef option, this thick-cut striploin is tender and tasty, the roasted beetroot and confit eschallots is excellent.

While we eat, the Visit Britain team talk us through a number of different projects in place at the moment in the UK to continue the steady flow of visitors to their shores.

In spite of all the political nonsense happening there at the moment, the UK is still hugely popular in the tourism sector, and an important part of the GDP (around 40% in fact).

Although London is the obvious drawcard for the nation, Visit Britain is working hard to encourage visitors to explore further afield, to see life beyond London.

In England’s northeast, the building of a parkland is underway that will be four times the size of Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, while our last trip to the UK certainly highlighted the depth of the culture goes much deeper than just the capital.

Here’s a perfect example of that from our trip to the beautiful town of Lavenham, Suffolk.

Dessert comes in the form of either cheese (a wonderfully savoury brie, a crumbly cheddar and an unctuous stilton) or this Eton mess.

For some reason, the cheese isn’t popular, so I swap my ice cream, Pimm’s marinated strawberries and meringue for all the dairy goodness I can reach!

Tonight, we’re at a party for our awesome friends Ken and Heidi’s birthdays. We’ve mentioned these guys before when Heidi launched her book Her Middle Name Is Courage.

Their epic soiree tonight is in Balmain and has the theme of ‘reincarnation’ – either someone you think you were in a previous life or someone you want to come back as.

Obviously, I’ve gone for a Guru look, while Christina’s come as an Italian contessa, which fits as she bought that dress from a little vintage store on the shores of Lake Iseo in Italy.

It’s an epic party with lots and lots of Scarborough Chardonnay – Heidi’s and our favourite.

Everyone’s really put in the effort for the party with so many great outfits. Heidi’s come as a Spanish gypsy and Ken to her left is the most amazing ’60s throwback you’ve ever seen. He’s even got the goldfish platform shoes!

In the background of Heidi’s speech you can see Marilyn Monroe and a Roman soldier. There are also a couple of Einsteins here, a rugby player and his WAG, Mother Teresa and even a Princess Leia.

It’s the perfect evening and the perfect venue. The Balmain Rowers’ Club sits right on the water looking out to the west. A memorable night with some wonderful people.

It’s a slow start this morning, the plentiful pourings of Chardonnay got the better of us last night.

But we’ve moved far enough to work out lunch.

Knowing that we’ll be away from home for most of next month, we’re getting a super-charged bowl of Japanese goodness at Gumshara Ramen in the city.

The ramen bowls here are quite extraordinary, made with a bone broth that is out of control.

Christina’s got a Hakata ramen that has a light soup, but I’ve gone whole hog with a spicy tonkotsu ramen thick soup and a soft-boiled egg on top.

The ramen here is so delicious and feels quite wholesome too. The pork is tender and the noodles perfectly cooked. So good.

If you haven’t been here before, this is now your priority. It’s in the Eating World food court at the back of Chinatown, and it’s cash only.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Weekly Edition – the next one will be coming to you from South Africa!

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

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At long last, it looks like spring’s coming to Sydney. Temperatures are going up as is the humidity. Ordinarily, I hate humid weather, but the dry air over Sydney’s winter gives my wrinkles wrinkles!

It also makes me even thirstier than normal.

Thankfully, this week has been full of drinking. At one of our favourite bars in the city – Grain – we got to meet Cedric Mendoza, the new head bartender there. You need to check out the food and drinks Grain does btw.

Also, Handpicked Wines invited us to check out their bar at this year’s Sydney Contemporary Art Fair and we caught up with good mates for dinner (and drinks) at a couple of places we want to tell you about.

We hope you enjoy this Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

We’ve been big fans of Grain Bar for quite a while now. It’s one of those places you can go to and know you’ll always have amazing service, always get superbly made drinks and that the atmosphere will always be cool, but calm.

It’s a little oasis in the middle of the city, so close to the craziness of Circular Quay and the touristy streets of the Rocks. But when you sit down to your drink in Grain, you feel the stresses of the day fade away.

The best thing about Grain is (and you might be surprised to learn) that it’s actually a hotel bar. It really doesn’t feel like a hotel bar though, with seductive lighting, comfortable furniture and an impressive array of spirits behind the beautiful dark bar clad in curved slabs of Queensland blackbutt timber.

It feels more like the grownup version of one of the cool but slightly grungy small bars in Darlinghurst or Surry Hills, or perhaps one of the city bars focused on obscure spirits. Grain certainly has its fair share of those – have you ever heard of an agave-based gin? Well, they’ve got one here.

And the range of whiskies they have at Grain is absolutely wonderful. In fact, it’s one of the largest whisky selections in the country.

But Grain is indeed a hotel bar; it’s the hotel bar to none other than the Four Seasons Sydney. One of the best hotels in the city. You can see for yourself in our review here!

With the feel of a small bar but access to the influence of a big hotel, Grain really punches above its weight, certainly in food terms. Sharing chefs from the Four Seasons’ excellent Mode Dining, the food you can get at Grain is insanely good.

Check out those oysters, and the crispy tacos and salt and pepper squid are the best we’ve ever had. Big call, huh?

But best of all, the new head bartender at Grain not only understands how the hospitality industry works, he has a scary understanding of how flavours go together to make incredible cocktails.

Cedric Mendoza has come to Sydney’s Grain bar straight from years of experience at the impressive Manhattan Bar in Singapore. This was awarded the best bar in Asia and 3rd best in the world last year – so Cedric’s arrived in Sydney with a head full of knowledge, a heart full of passion and a hatful of skills.

As he’s mixing us up cocktails, Cedric talks about his plans for the bar. He wants to really refine the spirits lists and expand on the whisky side of things.

Working with the bar’s name, he’s even thinking about separating the spirits out into the different grains they’re made from. We’re all a bit stumped with where the agave gin should go though!

I feel a great affinity with Cedric. For a start, we both love rye whiskey in particular Michter’s rye, which he reaches for first to make his version of an Old Fashioned for me. It’s nothing short of superb.

We work through several other cocktails, both on the list and off it. And I’m excited to try Cedric’s own version of a Manhattan: the Greenpoint. Two parts rye, one part sweet vermouth and yellow chartreuse with orange and angostura bitters, this is magic in the glass for me.

He also introduces us to his preferred way to drink Fernet Branca (also known as the ‘bartender’s handshake’ – it’s like catnip for hospos), which is equal parts Fernet and Campari.

We’re lucky enough to see a few of Cedric’s skills tonight. Not only is he a particularly nice guy, but he also shows us his ‘throwing’ skills – a really advanced technique of mixing cocktails by ‘throwing’ the drink from one half of a cocktail shaker to the other.

He also shows us what a gin fizz is supposed to look like. Think so fizzed and foamy that as you pour it into the glass, it rises like a well-made soufflé.

If you’re not convinced yet that Cedric’s the best, here’s a quote from him explaining what drinks to have when. Totally on my page btw:

“I believe a drink of choice comes down to the destination and day of the week. I don’t like to play favourites and every day of the week inspires me differently. Mondays are best for daiquiris, light, fresh and good start to the week.

“Tuesdays and Wednesdays are hard to get by therefore an Old Fashioned or Manhattan is the perfect cure. Thursdays we take things up a beat in preparation for the weekend with a Whisky Sour and Friday’s are a call for celebration with a Negroni in hand.

“Weekends are the days for breaking rules, so mix things up, try new flavours and a new style of drink – you never know how much you may end up like it!”

This afternoon, we’re at the Carriageworks in Redfern to check out this year’s Sydney Contemporary. It’s the largest and most diverse art fair in the country, bringing local and international galleries together in one place.

The fact that most if not all of the artwork here is for sale brings a whole different dynamic to the venue than if it were simply an art installation.

One of the main partners of Sydney Contemporary, Handpicked Wines, has built a wine box wall as an installation to go with their bar.

Designed by Annie and Taja – Handpicked’s brand manager and graphic designer respectively – the wall is made from unused wine boxes that would otherwise have been thrown out. Clever and sustainably minded. And wine-based. My kind of art!

Sydney Contemporary is a fascinating place to be. Such a mix of people from prospective buyers and art dealers to students and the artists themselves all milling around this enormous collection of artworks.

Over 95 galleries featuring some 450 artists from 34 different countries, it’s an incredible space.

This evening, we’re out with some great friends. It’s rare that we’re all around or even in the same country at the same time, so when we manage to get together, it’s cause for celebration, food and drink!

Tonight, we’re having dinner at Da Mario in Rosebery, a lively, bright Italian restaurant with some delicious food on offer. We get a combination of pizzas, pasta, risotto and arancini (which are so good we get another helping by the way), and settle in for the evening.

Dinner’s over and it’s time to move on. Thankfully, almost right next door is Archie Rose – perfect for a nightcap.

Archie Rose was the first distillery to open in Sydney city in over 160 years – you can read all about that here. Since they opened though, it’s paved the way for many more distilleries to start up, which is excellent.

The bar they have right next to the distillery is awesome. It’s such a novelty to be able to drink right under the barrels they’re ageing their whisky in.

It’s been a long time coming, but Archie Rose is now able to sell their whisky. You can get it from the bar here or online. My Archie Rose rye malt Old Fashioned is superb – as are the other drinks we order.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Weekly Edition.

Cheers! Jim & Christina xx

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There’s nothing quite like hopping in the car and hitting the open road. This week, Christina and I went country, visiting a new part of regional New South Wales.

We love exploring our own back yard, especially when it turns up so many pleasant surprises.

The Hunter Valley town of Maitland might not be on many people’s radars yet, but mark our words, it won’t be long before this little town is making big impressions on folks looking for a weekend escape from the city.

We’ll be telling quite a few stories from our time in Maitland over the next few week, so here’s just a snapshot of some of the places we visited and things we did while we were there.

And keep reading for news on how you can score great savings on your shopping with American Express until September 12th.

We hope you enjoy this Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

About 15 minutes outside Maitland, which is a couple of hours’ drive north of Sydney and only 30 minutes from Cessnock and the Hunter wine region, is the village of Morpeth.

Morpeth is full of history – including this old wooden-based bridge, which as you can see from the sign, wasn’t designed for modern vehicles.

This is also where we’re based for the weekend. Check out our hotel:

This is the beautiful bathroom of our digs in the Bronte Boutique Hotel on Morpeth’s main street.

Our room – room 3 – is the biggest in the hotel and has some great antique furniture to go with the Victorian feel to the hotel. There’s also a blend of Japanese art and objects dotted around the place, which give an interesting accent to the hotel.

One of our favourite things to do when we’re in small country towns is check out the antiques stores. You’re guaranteed to find some absolute treasures you’d never see in the city.

True to form, Morpeth has some great shops with all kinds of things. It’s a fair reflection of a town with such a lot of history to it – Morpeth used to be one of the most important ports in the country in the mid-1800s.

This is just one room of one level of the old Campbell’s Store, which is home to Morpeth Antique Centre. There’s just so much stuff here, but it’s also probably the most organised shop we’ve ever been in.

Dinner tonight is at the absolutely incredible Coquun – a restaurant and cafe with strong ties to the local Aboriginal culture, drawing from indigenous foods and local wines. Watch this space for our review – can’t wait to tell you more about this place.

The Dr Morse’s Indian Root Pills barn is an iconic landmark of the area around Maitland. The cows certainly seem to like this strange bit of history.

They’re not so keen on having their photo taken though. Shortly after Christina gets this shot, the cow in the foreground freaks out and runs off into the field!

This is just one of the incredible pastries you can have at the Icky Sticky Patisserie in Lorn, just over the Belmore Bridge from Maitland. The cakes in this place are off the charts – but get ready to queue, it’s popular.

Maitland and its surrounding towns are full of pretty places like this. Christina’s filling up memory cards like crazy!

While we’re in Maitland today, walking along the banks of the Hunter River, we decide to pop back in to Coquun and see our mate Daniel. We also get a chance to see this beautiful restaurant, which looks out over the river, in the daylight.

There are some fascinating shops around Maitland, and art is very much a focus in the community.

The entrance to the Maitland Regional Art Gallery is pretty cool and illustrates perfectly what I mean about art being important to the community here.

And perhaps the best thing about the art gallery is the cafe within its walls! Seraphine has some amazing things on the menu – can’t wait to tell you more. Suffice to say, my gnocchi was mind-alteringly good.

Maitland has these messages all over the pavements. They’re pointing to beautiful old facades on buildings you’d probably miss if it weren’t for the signs. A clever activation.

Buildings like this one – Treasure Corner – right in the middle of The Levee entertainment quarter of town.

There are so many interesting pieces of public art scattered around Maitland. The raincloud lights and the ‘dog-man’ cleaning up after itself – so interesting and fun.

Dinner tonight is at The Rigby in Maitland. This place is very impressive and has more of a Melbourne feel than regional NSW. Quietly confident and very cool, this is a hot spot to visit when you’re here.

The food’s amazing, the service is great and the atmosphere makes for a wonderful dinner.

You can see our full review of The Rigby here.

It’s a sign that Maitland is on the up. This bar – Rama – is absolutely superb. Fun, strange and some of the best cocktails we’ve had. Well worth a stop pre- or post-dinner. Or both!

More impressive public art in Maitland.

Back in Morpeth, the rooftops of the town tell of a place that has a lot of history. When this was a port town, the sailors would have to find digs here, and many of them would end up in the attics of these buildings, their hammocks strung from the eaves and rafters.

We stop for another shot of the Indian Root Pills barn and decide we need to shine a bit of light on our noble steed for the trip!

This is a brand new Subaru Forester that Hertz has rented us (only 1000kms on the clock) and it’s got some cool features. I’ve never driven a car that keeps you in your lane before.

If the car starts to get too close to the edge of the line, you feel the steering wheel tug a little and push you back on course. A bit unnerving at first but great for longer drives. Rather impressive.

We’re all checked out of the Bronte Boutique Hotel and have said goodbye to Morpeth. We’re now back in Maitland and enjoying the excellent coffee at the tongue-twistingly tricky Cunning Culinarian! More on this place later, however…

…I do have to show you the ultimate brekky roll they do here. Absolutely magnificent!

Our visit to the Old Maitland Gaol is a real eye-opener. Some of the worst villains in the country were guests here once, including Ivan Milat.

Our last stop as we head back to Sydney is to the Heritage Gardens Cafe in Ashtonfield. Part of a stunning garden centre, the food and coffee here does well to stand out against all the blooms around us.

Taking of blooms, now we’re back in Sydney, we discover the David Jones Flower Show is on.

At the same time, the Vogue American Express Fashion Night Out (VEAFNO is easier) has come to Sydney and Pitt Street Mall is packed with eager shoppers.

It’s the perfect evening for the VAEFNO, and as the sun gleams gold across the skyline, we find our way to the Amex Lounge.

The American Express Lounge (free access for Amex card members) has a cool, NYC block party vibe this year. We grab a glass of Mumm and a bagel and watch the world go by.

As part of the partnership between Vogue and American Express, card members can activate an incredible deal that’s going until Thursday 12th September.

When you spend $50 or more at any of the 600 participating retailers – big and small, you get $20 back! Not bad.

The deal’s valid for the first 10,000 card members, so get in quick.

Here’s cheers to a great week. We hope you’ve enjoyed this Edition.

Jim & Christina xx

We visited Maitland as guests of Destination New South Wales and were invited to VAEFNO by American Express.

The post Maitland’s little secret and an excuse for a shopping spree appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

It’s always hard to say goodbye to England. Knowing that we won’t be seeing friends and family again for a little while is never a pleasant thought.

These are our last few days in the UK before we head back to the short, chilly days of the Australian winter. There’s still time to get a few more good meals in, see some cool things and spend a bit more quality time with a few special people. 

In this Weekly Edition, Christina gets in one more quick trip to London, we go deep into the beautiful Essex countryside and we strap in for our flight home. 

While Jim’s getting some quality time in with his mum and dad, I’ve popped into the city to catch up with my dear friend from school, who lives in London. 

I do love London and I always make sure I get into town as much as possible when Jim and I are in the UK. There’s something about this great city I just can’t get enough of. 

Perhaps it’s scenes like this. Double decker buses, and a huge corner store for walking sticks and umbrellas. Is there anything more British?

First stop on this trip to London is to the Tate Modern. A new exhibition by Olafur Eliasson is on and ever since seeing his installations in Sydney, I’ve been curious about his work.

This current display covers his early work as well his his exploration on society and climate change. It’s interactive and great for all ages though it can get busy at peak times, which can impact the experience of his art. 

You have plenty of time to catch this as it’s on until January 2020 and well worth a visit. 

The Tate has a range of bars and restaurants and if you head to the Kitchen & Bar on level 6, you’ll get this sweeping view of the Thames and St Paul’s. It’s a venue we’re definitely adding to our list of unique perspectives of London.

My friend and I take a seat in the restaurant and plan our next move. 

The food and drinks options in the bar here are surprisingly good. So often, the offerings at such popular tourist spots can really let a place down. Thankfully, not with the Tate.

London in the summertime is one of the happiest places on earth. With blue skies above, we head out on foot to explore nearby Borough Market and mingle with the tourist crowds.

I’m definitely putting together a post of some of our fave London spots but if I can suggest one thing it’s to explore on foot. The tube is efficient but you end up coming across the best finds when you just wander.

All too soon, my London jaunt comes to an end though. Thankfully, there are good things waiting for me back with Jim, east from the city…

Now that Christina’s back from her trip to London, she’s keen to get a bit more of the countryside before we head home to Sydney. Where my parents live in Suffolk, the fields and woodland here are beautiful.

Early this morning, Christina’s decided to go for a wander and has discovered these sheep, all standing in a row watching her. It’s somewhere between being quite picturesque and a little unsettling.

Perhaps these sheep have heard that there’s a pub nearby called the Shoulder of Mutton!

It’s our last full day with our amazing friends Clare and Dave. Unfortunately, Dave’s had to go to work today, but we’ve brought Clare out for a spot of lunch at the Wooden Fender. This pub, near the village of Ardleigh in Essex, has been here forever and has always done good food.

My Sausage and mash is delicious, made with all locally sourced ingredients. The Wooden Fender’s menu is great, but its weekday lunchtime specials are a real win.

We somehow convince ourselves that dessert is a good idea even though all three of us are stuffed.

It turns out we’re right though, especially when Clare’s creme brulee comes out looking like this, still flaming and sizzling. 

As if we haven’t eaten enough, I’ve decided to make moussaka for dinner with my signature rosemary roast potatoes and a Greek salad.

The reason for the moussaka is that Dave roasted a 2kg leg of lamb on the charcoal barbecue for dinner last night and there’s still over half left. I’ve chopped up the meat into fairly small pieces then cooked it for about 3 hours in a tomato base recipe by Rick Stein.

The result is the meat is still in chunks, but when you touch the pieces, they fall apart. It’s better than the traditional mince method and really worth trying… the next time you happen to have a kilo of charcoal barbecued lamb leg hanging about!

We leave Clare and Dave’s – our home from home – feeling quite sad. But our mood lifts when we get to my mum and dad’s place, where we’ll be spending our last night. 

We’re driving deep into the countryside for lunch. The country lanes through Suffolk and Essex are just so beautiful. My dad calls this the tunnel road – and for good reason. The embankments either side of the road are over eight feet high and the trees knit together above us.

Even more amazing is this is a two-way street. Thankfully no cars are coming the other way today.

And here’s our lunch spot – The Henny Swan in the hamlet of Henny on the Essex-Suffolk border. I haven’t been back here since I was a boy, and it’s still as pretty as I remember. 

Mum and Dad both say the pub’s changed a bit, but not for the worse, which is usually the case. It’s a curse my dad suffers from all the time where he takes us to a pub he loved going to years before and it’s either shut or has been turned into a McDonald’s.

Not The Henny Swan though. This is still a wonderful place to come for a bit to eat next to the river, deep in the Stour Valley.

The food at The Henny Swan is still excellent. Mum’s garlic-roasted flat field mushroom with a herb crust and stuffed with toasted goat’s cheese is a work of art. The drizzle of pesto and balsamic really mades the dish.

My dad has the chargrilled polenta steak with a capsicum coulis and chips, and Christina goes for the chickpea and felafel burger with sweet potato fries.

They’re both good, but are they as good as my juicy 6oz smoky cheeseburger? The paprika mayo and hand-cut chips make it a worthy contender for some food envy at the table.

After lunch, we wander around by the river and the pub’s unique beer garden. 

From here you can catch a ferry along the Stour all the way to Sudbury. Even better, there’s a kayaking trip you can take – a round trip of about four miles – to Sudbury. I think Christina and I might have a look at that next time we’re here.

It’s been a lovely trip back to the UK. We’ve managed to spend some real quality time with my mum and dad.

All aboard. The time’s finally come for us to fly home to the winter. Our first flight from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi is only around seven hours, but is not very comfortable. 

The plane is cramped and quite old, and the service, quality of food and entertainment options have really taken a hit on what must be budget cuts at Etihad Airways. Perhaps the second leg will be better.

Whether it’s because we’ve slept more this flight – the 13 hours from Abu Dhabi to Sydney – or the fact I’ve got a window seat, the second flight is a bit better. 

The service, food and entertainment are the same (even down to meal options) and the plane is if anything even older than the first. Either way, I don’t think we’ll be flying with Etihad again. 

It’s good to be home, in spite missing our family and friends already. Arriving early in the morning has meant we’ve had to fill the day to stay awake.

Christina’s been to her hairdresser Stevie English for a cut a colour, while I’ve been shopping a running errands. 

Now we’re regrouping at our local – the East Village in Balmain – for a couple of beers and dinner. Steak, salt and pepper squid and a bucket of chips. Perfect!

This morning, the jet lag begins its tiresome routine of waking me up too early. Christina has slept well though and makes me come out to look at Sydney Harbour in the daylight. 

It’s good to get some fresh air, but now I’ve done that, it’s time for the sofa and my new binge-watch on Netflix: The Last Kingdom. Christina doesn’t like it, but that’s ok. 

If you’re interested in Britain’s early history, vikings and Alfred the Great’s efforts to unify England, this is your disco.

We hope you’ve enjoyed following us round the UK and Europe through our Weekly Editions. There’s more to come and, of course, what we get up to now we’re back in Sydney. 

See you next time.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Town and country – our last UK days appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

With our last few days in European summer looming, Christina and I are getting as much outdoor time in as possible before we return to chilly Sydney.

In this Weekly Edition, we’re hitting a music festival, visiting a famous landscape garden and seeing more of south-eastern England’s historic countryside… and eating lots of food of course!

We hope you enjoy this Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

This evening, we’re all off to a festival called Wrabfest. You might not have heard of this festival, and that’s not to surprising. It started as a local village fete in the little coastal town of Wrabness, on the Essex Suffolk border.

Since its beginnings, Wrabfest’s annual summer events have grown to hold over 2,500 people. These days it has much more of a festival feel than the tombolas and tin can alleys of its provincial past.

There’s still a lovely country feel to the festival though. The six of us, Clare, Dave, their dogs Flo and Ruby, and Christina and I have created our own little enclosure in one of the marquees, sitting on hay bales and enjoying some of the local beers from Colchester Brewery.

There’s a great party vibe at Wrabfest, though as the sun goes down, these oil drum men start looking a little ominous. Somewhere between Ned Kelly and the wicker man!

As we explore the festival, Christina and I discover one of our favourite things to do when we’re travelling: a ‘faceout’! I wish I knew what was going on in this one, but it seems I’ve chosen some kind of impressionist druid Gaia bee and Christina’s a muscular Alice in Welly Land!

The festival really gets going when the Guns n Roses tribute band – apparently the best in Europe – kicks off on the main stage. They’re pretty good, but all the bands have been impressive this evening. There was one on the second stage that really impressed us. I wish I’d got their name.

This morning, the dogs are quite relaxed. I think they both enjoyed the thrill of the festival, but all the people, the sounds, smells and lights tired them out.

Ruby is in her favourite chair biding her time till dinner.

Flo, meanwhile, is still eager to play, even though she’s almost 10. If only there were a way to harness springer spaniel energy!

This afternoon, five of us – Christina, myself, Clare, and my mum and dad – are at Beth Chatto’s Gardens. An institution and home to one of the most beautiful ornamental landscape gardens in the country, the ponds, flowerbeds, woodlands and meadows of this place are perfect for a summer stroll.

But first, lunch.

The cafe at Beth Chatto’s has come a long way since the last time we were here. Clare’s ham and cheese sandwich is so packed with filling, she has to take some out to eat the sarny!

I have a baked potato with tuna mayonnaise, which is equally as generous.

We’re impressed with the vegan and vegetarian options too. Mum has the vegan ploughman’s, which comes with vegan mozzarella, humous, chutneys and a fruit-filled salad.

The mozzarella will never be as good as the dairy version, but it’s not terrible.

While we enjoy lunch, a summer rain shower soaks the gardens, making us feel thankful we’ve brought our brollies. But just as we finish our meal, the clouds break up and the sun comes back out.

The gardens at Beth Chatto’s really are beautiful. This is our favourite shot of the day. Christina manages to catch this giant bumble bee at it comes in to land.

Droplets of rainwater cling to leaves

A Red Admiral butterfly makes its move after the rain

If you’re ever in this part of England, Beth Chatto’s Gardens are a lovely way to spend an hour or two. And as you can see, the cafe’s worth a look as well!

This morning, Christina and I are in a nearby field filming a new video for Christina’s site Hair Romance, where she’s explaining the many reasons why your hair might feel like straw occasionally.

It’s quite strange to be in fields when the farmer’s finished harvesting and baling up the crop*, but it gives the perfect backdrop to the topic of the video.

You can watch the Q&A vid here.

*We did get the ok from the farmer to be here.

It’s time for lunch again, and today we’re back in one of our all-time favourite places with Clare, and my mum and dad.

Lavenham in Suffolk is absolutely packed with history, a lot of which you can see just from its buildings. This is the Crooked House and home to the best tea rooms you’ll find in the UK.

Munnings Tea Rooms does superb food and the most impressive ploughman’s you’re likely to find anywhere. Either cooked from scratch by our lovely host and Munnings’ owner Everyl Madell or sourced locally by her, the plateful you get is incredible.

Everyl also has her own blend of tea, which – even if you’re not a tea drinker – will make you ask for more hot water to top up your pot.

After lunch, we wade out into the street and explore the little streets for a while. It’s almost impossible to walk past the ice cream shop – Hadley’s Ice Cream Parlour.

Everything here is also either made from scratch by Jane Hadley herself or sourced locally. You can tell simply by the flavours – the ice cream here is remarkable.

The houses and details of Lavenham show you that this town has seen some very wealthy times. In fact, thanks to the cotton trade in the Middle Ages, Lavenham was one of the 15 richest towns in the country.

The Tudor and Medieval houses, with their signature exposed wooden frames are wonkier here than in most places because of the sudden influx of money.

With a burst the population came the need for more houses. The wood used in the buildings was too young and warped shortly after construction. It must have been annoying at the time, but it gives Lavenham a wonderfully quaint look.

It even inspired the directors of the Harry Potter films to base Godrick’s Hollow on one of the streets here.

For more on Lavenham, Suffolk, check out our post on this pretty little town here.

Tonight I’m staying with Mum and Dad, so we’re indulging in a pizza night. They’ve been talking about this place they found in their closest town – Sudbury – for a while, so there’s no better opportunity!

The pizza from the Sudbury Dough & Co is already excellent – even by Italian standards – but there’s something extra special about their menu.

I’ve never seen this ingredient before, but it adds meatiness and spiciness to a pepperoni pizza I’d be happy with as is.

It’s called ‘nduja (pronounced ?n’dooya’) is a kind of salami from Calabria in southern Italy. It’s so soft even after curing that you can spread it. Or – like at Dough & Co – you can blob it on pizzas. Genius!

It’s more than time for a walk today after last night’s pizza fest. Mum and Dad have taken me out to one of Sudbury’s many walking trails.

For such a little, out-of-the-way town, Sudbury has plenty to it. Along the River Stour and through the woodlands surrounding the town, the pathways are perfect for a stroll.

But there’s only so much walking you can do before you feel peckish again. Thankfully, I’m spending two nights round my parents’ place, so we’ve got time for a bit of a platter session.

Mum loves doing this kind of dinner. She calls it ‘picky bits’, which sounds like a light, snacky kind of meal, but never turns out to be that way. All this cheese, the platter of pastries in the background, a huge bowl of potato salad and coleslaw and a leafy salad too are just for the three of us!

It’s been a great week, and we hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what we’ve been up to.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post Festivals, flower gardens and Medieval Suffolk appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.

It always surprises me how little of the UK I’ve seen. I know it’s often the way of things – you explore your own back yard least and last.

The same way Australians see more of London than their own country, I’ve seen more of the southern hemisphere than most antipodeans. But whenever we come back to England, Christina and I love to find new places neither of us have been to.

It never takes too long.

For some reason, I haven’t spent much time in the north of England. Perhaps it’s the run-off from my dad, who’s from North London, telling us kids that there was nothing worth seeing north of the Watford Gap.

So when we managed to finally get dates together to visit our friends Nickie and Wez in Manchester, Christina and I were excited to be seeing more of the country.

We hope you enjoy this special northern Weekly Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

We’ve made it to our friends’ place in Congleton, Cheshire. The canal that runs through this pretty little town gives it a sense of being far from any of the big cities of the north.

In truth, Congleton is within the commuter belt, 20 miles from Manchester and trains taking you directly to Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham and even Leeds.

As walk along the towpath alongside the canal,  it’s lovely to see the old longboats moored up or chugging along.

It reminds me of childhood holidays on the river with my parents.

We’ve walked to a nearby pub that’s next to the canal. The Queen’s Head Hotel is a real classic pub with a giant beer garden and some good ales on tap. They also have an impressive range of unusual gins available too.

The food’s great here too. Christina’s meat pie looks amazing (she doesn’t offer a taste, which is a clear telltale it’s good) and the chips they do here hit the spot too.

After dinner, we all head back home along the canal, the long English summer sun taking its time to set.

Back at base, Wez and I work through a few beers. Apart from the American IPA from Shipyard Brewery in Maine, USA, all the beers we’re drinking are English, and all of them are excellent.

We bookend our evening with two Robinson Brewing beers. It’s is a local Cheshire brewery, and its Trooper starts us off well, while the Old Tom (at 8.5%) is a the perfect finisher.

The threatening looking Nightmare porter from Hambleton Brewery in north Yorkshire coats us from the inside with its silky dark texture, and the two very unusual beers from Eagle Brewery in Bedford play with our tastebuds.

Eagle’s Waggle Dance is a honey beer, whose honey notes only come through once you’ve enjoyed the malts and the bitter floweriness of three types of hops.

Their Banana Bread Beer really is a work of art. You can taste the banana, the bread and the beer all at once. A remarkable brew from beginning to end.

By the way, I’ve featured all of these on our sideline Instagram account Beer Romance.

The beers flow as richly as the conversation. It’s lovely to see Wez, Nickie and their little boy ‘A’. I went to university with Wez and it’s been too long since we spent this much time together.

We talk (and drink) long into the night, all the while we’re joined by Nickie’s beautiful cat Dilly. She’s more like a dog and loves having her belly rubbed.

This morning, we head out for a look at the canal again. It runs off the River Dane, which flows from the Peak District all the way into the River Mersey and into the sea.

We make our way to Astbury Mere for a walk and to enjoy the weather while it’s still sunny. Things are due to change before lunchtime.

Things do indeed change over lunch. We’re on the road again heading north to the Lake District. By about 4pm, we’re on the shores of Lake Windermere, the largest and most famous of the 16 lakes here.

It’s raining quite persistently, which isn’t unusual for this region, but it’s nothing to what we’ve just left. We’ll find out later that the northwest and Cheshire in particular have suffered huge volumes of rain and flash flooding since we left just a few hours before.

The town of Bowness runs right to the shores of Windermere. It’s busy, especially this time of year, but not too crazy. The rain and the tourists don’t put us off though, and we enjoy the unusual architecture of the area.

You can see our Essential Guide to Windemere and the Lake District here!

We explore as much of Bowness as our feet can stand, and we’re even tempted to take a boat out on the lake. They’re all chained up though, which makes sense. It’s really pissing it down now.

Instead, we head for a pub that’s caught our eye. The Hole in t’ Wall is the oldest pub in Bowness and definitely the most atmospheric. We really love it in this little place. It’s full of fascinating things, from taxidermy to giant bottles of Lanson. Even empty, this bottle weighs a tonne.

We have a bite to eat, a couple of delicious ales (they keep their beer really well here) and then head back into the rain.

As we explore Bowness and Winermere town, we try quite a few other pubs. The Hole in t’ Wall is definitely our favourite.

We find ourselves back at the lake enjoying the views in spite of the clouds and rain. It says a lot of a destination if it still holds its looks when the skies are grey.

One thing we’re really struck by by lake Windermere is the incredible wealth of hydrangeas. They’re everywhere. I think Christina’s taken about a million photos of them – but these are just two of our favourites.

The narrow lanes through Bowness and Windermere are so pretty, even in the rain. It’s hard to walk past the Hole in t’ Wall though. All we want to do is prop up the bar!

Tonight, we’re staying at the Denehurst Guest House right between Bowness and Windermere town. We were fortunate to have found this little place for a number of reasons.

As you can see it’s cosy and welcoming, but by the time we’d arrived, there were no more vacancies. In fact there’s not a guest house we walk past that isn’t full.

But what we’re not expecting is how truly hospitable and friendly owners Ken and Cindy Ravenhall are when we arrive. We often say it’s not where you are that makes a place it’s the people you meet. At the Denehurst Guest House, you’re lucky enough to find both.

Our review on this little bed and breakfast is here!

I think you can tell by my face that the breakfast here at the Denehurst Guest House is good.

Before we start on our long drive back south, Christina and I enjoy one last look through the two towns and the water.

The Lake District really is so picturesque. We now see what all the hype is about.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Weekly Edition. We’ve got lots more to tell you about the Lake District, so watch this space for more on Wordsworth Country.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

The post A taste of the North – Cheshire and the Lake District appeared first on Mr and Mrs Romance.