a diary of a weekend of being grown-ups

So, we slow down the car and throw Torby out at BT's house. Speeding away, we mumble some instructions about not killing him and that we might be back at some point in the next year or so.
Thence off to Berrima for us, like the big adults we are.

We stop off at some wineries on the way

This place is for sale if anyone's interested. If only I hadn't left the few million dollars in my other trousers, I would have snapped it up then and there.
I spotted (and had to take a photo of) geese at this place
Sat here and had a very yummy produce plate (oh the smoked salmon mouss) and watched the storm come through. So fabulous and dramatic.
Got my feet & legs thouroughly licked by a gorgeous fat old blue cattle doggy at this place
We managed to get lost on some mysterious dirt track that doesn't appear on any map. Still can't quite figure out where we were.

Eventually made our way to historic bloody Berrima and our accomodation, the lovely Rose Cottage.
Oh so cute and wee and self-contained and lovely and comfy and chaise loungey and sweet. I'm still in love with it. The comfiest bed in christendom!

We then went and explored Berrima on foot braving the rain. Oh, to have thought to bring closed toe shoes other than my nice Mollini ones.
Berrima hasn't changed since last time we were there buit it's always lovely to have a wander through and look at stuff. Nice art gallery/shop and lots of ye olde antique shoppes. Oh yes, and the lolly swagman. Mmm sweetie stores, my nemiseses.
Went back to the cottage nad had a revivifying cup of tea nad biscuit and played some games and then had a nap. Luxur, I tells ya.

Dinner was had at The Joureyman. Oh So Very Yummy.
It's lovely to have a very nice dinner occasionally.
It's really about all the little touches like the espresso cups of soup (roast mushroom, zuchini and garlic), the palate cleansing sorbet, the chocolates, the attentiveness but not intrusiveness of the staff, the presentation of the food, the bringing of the bottles over when we'd ordered a galls of botryitis and muscat for dessert and pouring them at the table that make it worth the money.

Our meals consisted of;

Entree
Me - Truffled potato gnocchi with mushrooms from the Mittagong train tunnel, asparagus and parmesan

MrNw - Seared Queensland scallops with crisp prosciutto, avocado cream and a tomato vinaigrette

Main

Me - Roast sirloin of grain-fed beef with mushroom duxelle, confit garlic and eschalot and fondant potato

MrNw - Twice-cooked Thirlmere free range duck with fig, walnut and a truffle sauce

Sides of Buttered broccoli with pinenuts and a mixed leaf salad (went really well with the duck)

Dessert

Me - A scoop of Freshly Churned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

We also had a bottle of wine and then the stickys and the aforementiones oups, sorbets and chocolates.

It really was divine and we were so very very full at the end of it.

After we rolled oput of the restaurant, we thought we might go to the pub for a beverage or two and perhaps an amusing time betting our fortunes on the doggies or the trots as is our want on weekends away. Okay fortunes is a bit misleading, our bets are somewhere in the dollar mark and the animals are picked based on their names.
Well, I must say that if you're after any kind of nightlife in berrima, you'll be sorely dissapointed. the pub was pretty much deserted, so we left and opened a bottle of wine back at the cottage. Played some more games and then went to sleep.

I woke up far too early, put some clothes on and went in search of the river and to see if I could spot the platypuses. Found the river, failed to find and any platypuses. sigh. trotted back to cottage, had shower, lay on chaise and read trashy magazine until time to wake husband had arrived.

We packed up and drove to the mossvale showgrounds for some markety action.
Not only did we get markets we got bagpipe players and scottish country dancing. Perfect. Actually quite appropriate considering it was a cold, wet and misty morning.
I appropriatley had an egg & bacon roll from the Rotary Club men, bought some jam and old lady cakes and off we went!

We decided that we actually missed the little one, so came back to Sydney and wrenched him out of BT's hands. Okay, maybe not, but she did say she was willing to do it again.

It's nice and revivifying (it's a word) to have a weekend sans baby and play at being un-encumbered grown-ups, but it's also very nice to be home again.

Now to go and do the washing up from dinner on Friday night. Oh the glamour of it all!!!
(Coz 'n' Ob, go have a look at your wine site, we drank some more.)

There are a few photos over at Flickr