On a clear day

Having just arrived in Hobart, and waking to a fine, warm morning with scattered high cloud, what better to do than climb Mt Wellington to get an idea of the lie of the land. So we did the washing. Kind of essential really since we have to pretend to be civilised for the next little while. No matter, we were still up there around 10:30.

They do warn you that it can be 10 degrees cooler and windy up there and it certainly was. However, the day was in fact clear and we had a magnificent view over the Huon Valley, Storm Bay, Bruny Island, Hobart city and the Derwent snaking its way north. You are greeted with a tangled mass of peninsulas, islands, rivers, bridges, mountains and bays all layered toward the horizon in all directions. I wouldn’t say I now have a clear idea of where things are, but at least I know what I am up against.

Fine day or not, it is Hobart, and a fine day can turn and by the time we had drunk our fill of the scenery, the clouds were down to our foreheads and it was time to head down. Having pretty much emptied the car, all of our food was back at the house and so by now it was lunch time and the Hobbits had missed second breakfast and morning tea and so our bellies were well and truly telling us it was lunch time.

Having driven through town we had spied a caravan in the shape of a whale floating at Constitution Dock so we knew of one pretty popular option, so back we headed to try our luck. Even though the ambit claim had been for a pie, faced with the prospect of fish and chips we had few complaints. Turns out there are four floating vendors tied up next to each other so in the absence of any opinions one way or the other, we picked one. Good choice, but I’m sure the others would have been just as good.

Having only paid for one hour of parking that was pretty much it, so it was back to the car and off to do the last minute shopping for Christmas Lunch tomorrow. The afternoon was planned out to cook berry pies with yesterday’s pickings. With general lethargy that consumed the remainder of the day.

We did however have a brief interlude to celebrate Angela’s birthday with a cheesecake shop cake. That pretty much put paid to any thoughts of the cook getting inspired for dinner.