Glen Waverley, Our Home Away from Home

Glen Waverley, Our Home Away from Home

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Thursday morning found us over on the Kingsway, the local shopping strip,  for breakfast. It was pouring rain and promised to continue in that mode for most of the day. We enjoyed a lovely cappuccino at Piatella’s and then moved down the street for breakfast at Shine.

During the 15 years since we originally arrived in Glen Waverley the Kingsway has transformed from a group of shops (shoes, hardware, women’s clothing, green grocer, butcher) to an array of restaurants that make one wonder if anyone ever eats at home. No matter what time of day it is, the restaurants are filled with people enjoying a coffee or a meal and parking is at a premium. The parking rules are strict and the fines are high so it is important to be attentive to your arrival time and ensure you depart before your time has expired. The restaurants range from a very upmarket steak house to kebobs, night clubs and several Asian restaurants serving food from various countries.

Shine was one of the first of the new style of restaurant, designed and opened by a visionary hairdresser who has made a great success of it. Our family has a particular bond with Shine because, when Karen arrived in Australia after many, many months of travel, she was employed as a server at Shine. It was a great way for her to make some money and connect to the Australian culture. She was offered a management position and seriously considered it, but the call of the world was too strong and she bought another ticket and headed off to see the islands of the Pacific and  some of South America before she finally arrived home. We might have lost her to Australia at that point but she came home to Canada instead, soon met David and the rest is history. Nonetheless, Jim and I do enjoy dropping into Shine and reminiscing about her experience.

Following breakfast we headed back home (to Morgans, that is) to get ready for a long weekend away with a group of church friends. We were going to a country town called Daylesford which we have visited many times before. This time, though, we were staying in a campground which required somewhat different preparation. The car was packed to the brim with bedding, food, chairs, suitcases etc.

Before we left Glen Waverley, there was another event that I was attending. Today was Oaks Day, a day each year set aside for the ladies to enjoy the horse races. And it was a festive event. Happily, the group I was going with met at the local RSL (Retired Services League) and did not go to the racetrack itself. Why was that a happy decision? Because the rain kept bucketing down and the women at the racetrack were soaked to the bone!!

The dress requirement for Oaks Day includes festive apparel and a hat. I was able to borrow a hot pink fascinator from a friend. It sat high on the top of my head. The whole afternoon was fun. High tea was served; champagne flowed; the races were on the large screen; and the bets were many. Knowing nothing at all about the horses, I kept my wallet closed and enjoyed watching everyone else part with their money or win a bit as the results for each race came in.

A funny story from the racetrack …

At the horse races last week on Oaks Day (ladies day) in Melbourne, it poured rain and all the women in their finery were soaked to the bone. (I was happily inside a building far from the race track watching the proceedings on a large screen.)
One woman (fairly large and about our age) decided to take matters into her own hands. I am sure the champagne she had already consumed influenced her decision-making. She stripped all her outer clothing off and proceeded to run around the grounds wearing only her underwear (quite ordinary underwear it was too). Of course, the television cameras zeroed right in on the action and replayed the clip innumerable times throughout the afternoon and evening.
When she was finally guided off by security, she made two comments: she thought her four daughters might be embarrassed by her actions and ...... she wished she had followed her mother's advice and worn her best underwear for the occasion.
You can watch it on you tube at Melbourne Women Keeping It Classy At Oaks Day

Finally, about mid-afternoon, the sun broke through the clouds and Jim picked me up to go to Daylesford. It was a wonderful drive through agricultural countryside (crops, cattle, sheep). We arrived just before 6 pm and joined others for a fish and chip dinner before settling into our cabin.

Friday, November 6, 2015

After breakfast on Friday morning, 8 of us headed off to the convent at the top of the hill in Daylesford. It is a building steeped in religious history and now converted  into a museum/art gallery/ gift shop and café. We rambled around the various components of the complex and finally settled in the café for a wonderful morning coffee. The views from the windows were grand and the coffee and company were excellent.

We spent a quiet afternoon at the campsite (including a nourishing nap). Others joined our group as the afternoon passed and by dinnertime there were about 15 people gathered.

Late in the afternoon, Jim and I headed back into the town to explore some of the shops – the award-winning bakery, the local bookstore, an Australiana gift shop were among them. Except for some baked goods to share at dinner, we came away empty handed. But it is always fun to look.

We shared food for dinner; the men barbequed the meat and a lively time ensued. After dinner, we played cards, a game new to Jim and I, called Joe. It was somewhat like rummy except that if someone wanted the card on the top of the discard pile, you simply called out “JOE!”. It was a noisy game, as you can imagine, with lots of laughter.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at a café called Breakfast and Beer. The menu was quite exotic and everyone enjoyed what they ordered. And, yes, beer was available if you wished. None of us was brave enough, sticking to coffee instead. The coffee was so good that we all ordered a second.

Australians do coffee well! No Americano coffee here …. Specialty coffees like cappuccinos, lattes, long blacks, short whites, espresso (one shot or a double). Most restaurants and cafes have a trained barrista and the coffees come as a work of art. And the flavour is amazing!!! Such a treat!!

We returned briefly to the campsite and got ready for lunch. Lunch today was going to be very special as friends, Deb and Bill, had arranged for us to meet Amy and Max Whittaker, at a lakeside restaurant. Amy and Max are a wonderful elderly couple who embraced us the very moment we arrived in Glen Waverley 15 years ago. They are kind, gracious, funny and generous. We have shared many happy meals with them, stayed in their home while they travelled, welcomed them to our home in Waterloo, sent letters and packages back and forth. As they have aged, they have required more care and now live in a nursing home, not far from Daylesford and close to their daughter. It was an absolute delight to be able to spend a couple of hours with them on Saturday. It was difficult to see them in their more frail state, but the conversation was pertinent and lively and the laughter filled the restaurant.  Thank you, Deb and Bill, for planning this very special event.

After lunch, Jim and I went for a drive through some lovely Australian landscapes. It is spring and everything is dancing with life. Fields are green; new crops abundant; rolling hills and babbling streams punctuated the views. Eucalyptus trees towered along the sides of the roads and the Australian bush was rich in colour and life. The sunshine made it a perfect day for a drive. Oh … and did I say we were totally lost?? After about an hour of turning from one road to another we finally found a road sign that gave us a clue. Even our GPS failed us as we were in an area with no signal on our phone. Finally we meandered back to Dayleford, having enjoyed our afternoon adventure thoroughly.

Our group had grown to 18 on this fine Saturday and we all went off to the Bowling Club for dinner. Bowling clubs and RSL clubs make money for their organizations through the installation of ‘pokee’ machines. In order to get a licence to have a pokee, the organization must establish a kitchen which sells food. The Daylesford Bowling Club was no exception.  It had a kitchen and a few pokees.

We ordered food from the counter and it was delivered to our tables. I have to admit to having somewhat low expectations based on the condition of the club and the relatively low price of the food. But, was I ever mistaken!! I have never eaten more tender calamari and Jim’s lamb roast was exquisite. It was a great place to have a meal.

After dinner, we returned to the camp and found ourselves grouped around two tables with cards on each. More Joe!! More laughter and frivolity. It was a great evening.

Sunday, November  8, 2015

Sunday was the day we were to head home. We packed up all our things, loaded the car and headed off to a trash and treasure market.  It was a bright sunny day, a glorious day to be outside. We wandered the aisles of the market, finding not a single thing we needed badly enough to want to carry it home. There was a broad array of items for sale, ranging from antique dishes to children’s toys to soaps and candles and organic nuts. It was  a great market.

We gathered again for coffee at Breakfast and Beer and enjoyed another of their delicious coffee drinks, cappuccino for me, complete with artwork on the top. We then headed off toward Melbourne again, planning just one detour along the way.

Over the years, we have fallen in love with Australian birds. We know of several places where we can see specific species or groups of birds. But Serendip Sanctuary is by far the best of them all. And it was almost on the way home. We travelled through the Brisbane Ranges and the YuYangs, each considered ranges of hills and identified as national forests. And then we arrived at Serendip. Along the roadway that was the entrance to the sanctuary, we watched two emus, one on each side of a fence try to make contact with one another. They could not seem to figure out that one of them needed to go around the end of the fence which was not that far away. The male, in particular, was frustrated and would strut off or gallop away on occasion. When we left the sanctuary a couple of hours later, they still had not solved their dilemma. Silly emus.

We enjoyed a picnic lunch and Jim headed into the sanctuary for a closer look at some of the birds. My knee has been giving me some grief so I remained in the picnic area and enjoyed some time to read my book. All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

We headed back to Glen Waverley and picked up some charcoal chicken for dinner. There is no Canadian equivalent for charcoal chicken. The chickens are stuffed and roasted on a long skewer over an open fire. Maybe it is the Australian wood that is burned but there is a beautiful flavour that permeates the chicken and we have not found anything like it anywhere else. The chips that accompany the chicken are pretty good as well.

It was an early night for us. We were tired from our active weekend.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Jim headed off to Gomers again this morning (the men’s walking group and coffee klatsch) and I enjoyed some time sitting in the sun, sipping a coffee and reading my book. It was luxuriously relaxing and pleasant.

When Jim was finished conversing with the large group of men who assemble each Monday morning, we headed off to a suburb called Cranbourne. Like Toronto, Melburne is experiencing urban sprawl and we were both fascinated and dismayed by the vast tracts of land that have given way from agriculture to new housing developments. The land is very flat in this area; the lots are extremely small and the houses being constructed are huge. There is virtually no space left around the house to seed grass, grow a garden or even plant a tree. What desolate communities these seem to be. But, like many large cities, the price of land in the suburbs is much more affordable than in city centre so the cities expand beyond their borders.

Cranbourne is about 30 minutes from Glen Waverley by freeway. We were going to visit an interesting couple, David and Susan Hill, who we had met at a 50 th birthday party of a mutual friend 15 years ago. We enjoyed each other’s company at the party and have stayed in touch ever since.

David and Susan have recently moved to a retirement village in Cranbourne . Their home is brand new, beautifully designed, warm and inviting. The retirement village itself has many amenities that make it a comfortable and safe place to live. They anticipate that this will be the last time they move. A very good place to land, indeed.

We had a lovely visit with David before heading out for lunch. Susan was joining us there. David chose a restaurant called Ambrosia which had a delightful menu of somewhat unique items. I ordered sliced duck on a green mango salad and Jim ordered lamb, one of his favourite dishes. Susan arrived. Conversation flowed easily; the food was delicious; all too soon, it was time to leave.

We headed back toward the city where I had another physio appointment. I am a bit frustrated with the slow progress my knee is making. A deep massage by the physio today should help somewhat. I have one more appointment next week to loosen and limber it up before embarking on some lengthy flights again.

We joined friends, Helen and Peter Stewart for dinner at Piatella’s, a very busy restaurant on the Kingsway. Although the food was absolutely magnificent (especially the dessert waffle with tangy orange sauce), it was not a great setting for a good visit. Both Jim and Peter are hard of hearing and the restaurant was very noisy with voices and music bouncing off the hard surfaces. Helen and I had a great conversation but Jim and Peter were left stranded much of the time. Next time we meet we will find a quiet corner in a quieter place.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Today was a relatively quiet day, quite a change from the pace of life we have been keeping. We had a leisurely start to the morning before finally heading our to one of our favourite markets, the Dandenong Market.

The Dandenong Market is quite large and has a broad range of merchandise, everything from fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, bakery goods, to clothing, toys, shoes, gadgets, tools etc . Additionally, it reflects the broad range of cultures that coexist in this area. There is food from many, many places all under one roof at the Dandenong Market.

The Dandenong Market has been refurbished since we last visited but the same tone and climate have been retained. It was busy, noisy, fascinating and friendly. Apparently it is now possible to take a formal tour of the market including tasting foods from many cultures offered at the food stalls there. We were not aware of this possibility but we will definitely take a tour next time we come.

We limited our purchases today to some cherries and a mango. The available produce reminded us that it is spring in Australia.

Next, we went to one of our favourite places, Churchill National Park. It had begun to rain but that did not deter Jim from trekking up the kangaroo trail in search of, of course, kangaroos. His search was successful and he has photos to prove it. Except for the kangaroo that jumped out of the bushes directly in his path. No time to point and shoot with that one. He returned to the car quite wet and delighted.

Then we were off to find some scones with cream and jam. Sadly, we were unsuccessful  in our mission. The Bluebird Café that I have loved for many years is no longer in business. We returned to our local bakery, Muddings, and indulged in an apple scroll. We will continue our search for scones another day.

After a brief respite at home, we set off to Heather and David Bailey’s home for dinner. Heather is a terrific cook so we were very excited about sharing a meal with them. We were not disappointed – roast pork, roast lamb, several vegetables, rich gravy, followed by an amazing cheesecake and fresh fruit platter. What a fantastic meal!!

Another real treat of the evening was the arrival of Brian Fiahlo. Brian had joined the walking group two years ago when we all gathered in Italy. We enjoyed Brian’s company immensely and have maintained contact with him since then. It was a great pleasure to spend the evening with him. And I am sure our paths will cross again.

Also a treat, Heather and David’s son, Jeffrey arrived on the scene with his new fiancé, Krista. Again, it was a delight to be able to catch up with Jeffrey and to meet Krista. What a lovely young couple they are.

As the evening progressed, we were also aware of other Australian sounds that permeate the atmosphere. Early in the evening, we heard and saw some beautiful rosellas who visit the garden regularly. Then a loud and very vocal crow perched on the chimney and contributed to the conversation throughout much of our dinner. And later, after dark had deeply falled, the fruit bats who live in the front tree began to sing as they searched for the juiciest of fruit morsels around the yard. Happily, they had all settled in for the night before we had to leave.

As we drove home under a clear star-studded sky, we once again reflected on our good fortune to have connected with this very special community of friends in Glen Waverley.