Tuesday, April 22, 2008

More Oz

I love the Mornington Peninsula south-east of Melbourne. We spent about a week in Dromana in a cottage loaned by our friends Furry and the Purple Goddess (no those aren’t the names their parents gave them, but these names suit them ever so much better).

It’s a great place. On one side of the peninsula you have a string of towns on the bay (the front beaches), and on the other side – about 15-20 minutes away by car – you have the back beaches, the real beaches with rolling surf and crashing waves (that’s sort of repetitive isn’t it?). God, the smell of the ocean! There’s nothing like it. It’s depressing to think that it’ll probably be a year at least before I manage to get anywhere near the ocean again.

In the middle of the peninsula you have vineyards, galleries, even an English style tree maze. And of course, as it's quite agricultural numerous animals producing quality manure for sale… There were tons of signs announcing manure for sale – except they call it poo.

“Poo for sale. $1 a bag”

Or better yet: “Free Poo”

It’s bizarre it is.

So we spent a week pretty much zig zagging all over the peninsula in our zippy little Hyundai Excel (le sigh), tagged with Queensland plates (Queenslanders are the Newfies of Australia, their Belgians, their Danes).

As an aside, why do people think Sarah Jessica Parker is so hot? I’m watching Sex in the City as I type (I finally had a moment of enlightenment and realized that just because I’m not online at home doesn’t mean I can’t type up a post, copy it to a stick and post it the next morning thus freeing up my lunch hours – who says severe jet lag addles the brain? – but I digress). I find her highly overrated lookswise, but then who cares what I think – plus she has nothing to do with Australia.

Once we got back to Melbourne we spent the rest of our time (except for an excursion back to the sea on the other side of he bay) wandering around the city for hours at a time. East Melbourne and its beautiful houses. Saint Kilda beach and its really really weird Japanese tourists, and this place and that place and no place in particular. As far as I’m concerned it’s the best way to discover a city.

Our travel style has changed in the past years. Whereas before Mr. Jazz and I would leave for a month with a backpack and pretty much wander across a country, now we both prefer to basically crash somewhere and get to know the area well. So cool to discover the places tourists usually don’t go. That little restaurant hidden around the corner, the park just off that office building… and it’s nice to get back from vacation actually rested rather than more exhausted than when I left. Of course, we don't know Australia other than the state of Victoria and parts of Queensland but that's all good, I'd rather know one area well than a whole continent hardly at all. Damn, I’m getting old.

(Oh, and for the record, I'm getting the pics ready, they'll follow soon)

11 comments:

furiousBall said...

ahhh ocean. i can't wait to fill my nose up with that salty goodness and my ears with that gorgeous white noise.

Cycling Goddess said...

ITA about SJP, she's highly overrated and I never liked her in that show. Way too neurotic for me, reminded me of Ally McBeal. Sounds like you had a fantastic vacation. I'm becoming like that too, discovering a place well rather than superficially.

And you have internet at home??? Since when??

Jazz said...

Fuball - it is absolutely the best smell in the world.

HD - Blonde moment? ;-) I said I don't have internet at home, but since I have a computer I can type a post, save it to a stick and download the next morning... Oh, and ITA? Other than LOL I'm pretty clueless when it comes to these internet acronyms. Nor do I particularly want to learn.

Anonymous said...

Paul doesn't like SJP but I think she's okay. Watched enough sanitized SITC episodes (ABC's version)to love her as Carrie. Now I digress too!

Welcome back! Your synopsis of y'all's trip conveyed your enjoyment and rest. Looking forward to lurking at your pictures!

ticknart said...

Sarah Jessica Parker was cute in Square Pegs, gorgeous in LA Story, sweet in Ed Wood, and charming but sad in If Lucy Fell. In Sex and the City, the way she looks depends on the clothes she's wearing and the lighting. Sometimes it's hard to believe how hideous she was allowed to look.

Tai said...

Pictures...can't wait for pictures!

geewits said...

I just looked at Domana on a satellite pic and man you were really down under. You were down under Down Under! And Welcome Back!

Anonymous said...

I would venture to think that ITA means "I Totally Agree", given the rest of HD's text. And Blonde she is LOL

Rachel said...

That's how Brian and I like to visit new locales, too. We pick a "base of operations" and then just wander around, watching people, buildings, cars, wildlife, and stopping for food at the first place that catches our eye. That's how we explored Montreal, both times we visited. Of course we did the standard touristy spots, but after that, we spent the next few days jus taking in how the natives lived.

I want pictures! Can't wait.

And I miss the smell of the sea. Its a very refreshing, heady scent, isn't it?

purple goddess said...

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEE

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!

Jazz said...

Paula - Dare I say it was as great at Corpus?

Ticknart - Hideous. Ouch...

Tai - They're coming

Geewits - Yeah it's about as far under as you can get down under without going to Tazmania.

Mr. Jazz - Your guess is right apparently

Rachel - next time you come to Montreal, you'll have to come see me!

PG - You have no idea how I wish I could!