A Winter Stroll through Adelaide Botanical Gardens

The Adelaide Botanical Gardens provide us with a great turn around point on one of our longer walk tracks. We are pleased that no matter how many times one traverses the gardens, there is always something new to catch the eye, some new nook to be explored or rediscovered. The first picture is of a small enclosed garden often used for weddings.

This water feature, reminiscent of designs found throughout the castles and palaces of the Muslim world is in the garden adjacent to the snack bar (still COVID closed) which serves as the meeting place for the free volunteer guided tours, also still not operating.

This is a barrel tree. It apparently was a bit hit when they had a special event for schoolies (school children).

With us in winter, most of the roses were gone but we still managed to find a few pretty ones.

 

 

 

 

The primary reason for this picture was the copper colored aloe plant in blossom on the right.

 

 

 

 

 Having enjoyed the eastern part of the gardens, it is time to make the turn for home and the exit on the south side into the Central Business District (CBD).

 

 

Beer Tasting

Our second vehicle rental was to travel for a two-day getaway at a friend's place south of the city. While we had the car, we did a bit of shopping stopping at the local liquor store. Among our purchases was a selections of beers intended for a beer tasting with friends. We ran out of time.

A few weeks later schedules got coordinated and we gathered in the man cave for an enlarged event. CJ's original 6 beers had ballooned to 18. A good time was had by all.  Nothing like good beer, Aussie snags (sausages), harissa flavored bar snacks and good friends to guarantee a good time.

The event began with a shocker. That red thing on the right is a hibiscus sour. CJ doesn't like that form of beer. At least not until now.

 

We tasted the beers in pairs, mostly due to shortage of appropriate glasses. After two rounds, we dispensed with the flight by flight pictures. The evening's tour went through the US, UK, Mexico, Belgium, and Australia. It spanned flavor profiles from sour to pale ale Irish ale, Trappist ale, dark ale, porters, and an array of stouts. A nitro chocolate stout from Rogue was surprisingly good. We ended the evening with a killer stout from the local brewery, Little Bang.

During this tomfoolery, the ladies were enjoying champagne, wine and their own fun girl talk.

Plans are afoot for a sequel with more brews and more mates.

Slowly Opening Again for Business

The sign the apocalypse might have passed South Australia, the pubs are reopening. Here we are at Udaberri. It is a Spanish inspired pub and tapas restaurant that just happens to serve Carol's favorite drink, the "36s (name of the blood orange liquor) Blood Orange". Today's version is good but she's keen to get back to bartender, Alex, who makes them the best.  He's finally been allowed to return from New York. We're now able to enjoy a drop without ordering food. There remain strict social distancing and capacity restrictions.

 

And then there is CJ's reward for good behavior. But why is the reward bad behavior? One of our longer walks is to cross town along the river, pass through the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, popping out on the east end of town in the prime shopping district; and just by coincidence that is the same neighbor hood of the Belgium Beer Bar. It's been over two and a half months since the sweet taste of Leffe Bruin has passed his lips. Now we're talking pubs are open.

 

And finally, our first dinner out in a restaurant even if a socially distanced restaurant. There are now time limits on the amount of time you can occupy a table. Great burgers, not so great beer and wine.

Couple of days of incredible food

Carol and we have been on a culinary roll the last few days. It began with this creation of zucchini pancakes, fried haloumi with zaatar and watermelon. Beautiful pairings.

Next up was Moroccan pasta, a spaghetti dish with white raisins, spinach, pine nuts, white wine and Moroccan spices. Once upon a time we lived on this but lost the fecipe plot.  With no recipe and none found online, we put our heads together and got close on the first try. Second evening was better with the addition of more raisins and pinenuts.  Third day scored a bullseye.

The next afternoon while returning from a walk to town, we passed by the local dumpling shop on one of the first day they are allowed to open following the COVID closing. They missed the mark on the scallion pancakes.  They were more like a scallion pastry.  The dumplings in Laksa soup was spectacular, absolutely brilliant.

Inspired by the Asian influences both surrounding us and the dishes being served up on Australian Master Chef, Carol decided to try something she hasn't done before: Sung Choi Bao of Pork.  Given the dish took the entire day to prepare not likely it will be returning soon even though it was outstanding. Julienned carrots and ginger, garlic, mince (ground) pork, onion, Shitake mushrooms dry sherry, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, celery, bean sprouts, spring onions, water chestnuts, hoisin sauce, and cilantro, all served in a large iceberg lettuce leaf. Bit messy to eat but excellent. CJ jazzed his up with that big red pepper in the picture.

 

 

And we're losing weight!

Pictures of a Calm River Torrens

On one of his daily river walks, CJ was treated to a calm River Torrens and returned home to view some marvelous pictures (or at least he thinks so)