by Krista | Mar 7, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Sometimes when I’m walking in the woods I forget to look up. I get distracted by a gurgling stream or finding treasures on the forest floor. But when I do remember and turn my gaze up to sky and branches, I inevitably smile.
I did it recently, just as the sun was slipping behind the trees and I loved how the branches were etched against the sky, looking almost like pieces of lace.
How was your weekend? Mine was painful physically but so lovely in all other ways. I have much to be grateful for.
- a bright and shiny turquoise balloon swaying in the blast of my heater
- good talks and scrumptious food with kindred spirits
- a gorgeous bouquet of roses on my counter
- a drive in the sunshine
- Old Time Radio mysteries to entertain me when I rest
I’m also grateful for comfort food like Cracker Salad. It’s a family favorite and one I tend to forget about until a sudden craving hits. Such a thing happened this weekend and I hustled to the grocery store to get the fixings. It’s simple as can be, so easy you hardly need measurements.
Break up a sleeve of saltine crackers (I use whole-grain to assuage my conscience) into a bowl, add sliced green onion, two diced tomatoes, fresh ground pepper, and a big spoonful of mayonnaise, mix it all together and eat immediately.
What is your favorite memory from this weekend?
Cracker Salad
Ingredients:
1 sleeve whole grain saltine crackers
2 green onions, sliced
2-3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
- Break up crackers into medium bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until well-mixed.
- Serve immediately.
by Krista | Mar 4, 2011 | Fabulous Friday
Hello luvs. How was your week? Are you oh-so-happy it’s Friday? Me too. 🙂
I’m sleepy today, feeling dreamy and quiet and finding it quite marvelous to get lost in pictures of beautiful places of warmth and sunshine and solitude. Like this grassy shore on Denarau Island, Fiji dotted with beguiling places to sit and stare out to sea.
I’ve become quite entranced with the ocean of late, reading all sorts of books on underwater research and discovery. I love reading about submersibles, picturing folks bobbing along under the water seeing creatures and shipwrecks and all manner of interesting caves and rock formations. Even thinking about being down there myself makes me feel claustrophobic with a sudden need to take deep gulps of air, but I do like seeing those worlds through others eyes.
My weekend has started off beautifully with a jolly dinner with my grandparents. They showed me old pictures and told me all sorts of great stories about their life in Denmark before immigrating to Canada. I loved it.
I’m really looking forward to good visits with dear friends, sleeping in and buying groceries. I’m craving potatoes something fierce!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and would love to hear what interesting things you’ve been learning about lately. 🙂
by Krista | Mar 3, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
It was a gorgeously sunny morning in Australia as my friend and I loaded up the ute with towels, water bottles and sunscreen for a day at the beautiful Gold Coast. (Click here to see pictures!)
Rather than just drive straight to the beach, we decided to leave bright and early and mosey along at our leisure, stopping wherever took our fancy.
In the small town of Beaudesert, Queensland we decided it was high time for a coffee break and found the perfect spot at Central Perk Coffee.
Run by a very cheery man, Central Perk Coffee was a tidy spot featuring a shiny glass case filled with all manner of tempting goodies. We perused the offerings and finally settled on Sticky Date Cake with Caramel Sauce for my friend…
…and a moist and tender slice of banana bread for me. Warm and topped with cream cheese frosting and melted butter, it was a marvelous addition to my morning.
One of my favorite things to drink in Australia is iced coffee. None of this plain coffee with ice cubes business, it is a decadent confection of coffee, milk, ice cream, whipped cream and syrup that makes me swoon every time.
After our lovely break we continued on our merry way, only deviating from our path when I saw a sign for a historical point of interest called the Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel. I couldn’t resist such a title and we simply had to stop.
The tunnel is located a short five minute walk from the road down a path that meanders through the forest. We were serenaded by thousands of cicadas as we walked. I couldn’t see a single one but they made a deafening chorus that made you feel like your brain was buzzing.
The Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel is part of a large scale, privately constructed and operated tramway constructed in 1900 by the Lahey brothers, immigrants from Ireland. It was used as part of the tramway to transport timber from the valleys in the south up and down the very steep hills to their mill in Canungra. The total length of track laid amounted to 26½ km and in 1915 alone, 15,000 tons of logs were hauled to the mill.
Belts of native vegetation were preserved alongside the tram tracks, and the route was known for its beauty as it curved among waterfalls, ferns and thick scrub. Locals used it for their everyday transportation needs. Some folks simply sat atop the logs, while children used the tramway for rides to school and picnickers hitched rides to their destinations.
Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel operated from the early 1900’s until about 1930. The tunnel was later used as a munitions dump during World War II.
The tunnel is empty now, large, dark, and wonderfully cool with a lovely breeze blowing through. It’s a nice respite on a blazing hot day. The ground is fairly level and safe for exploring, though you’ll want to watch out for the occasional puddle hiding in the darkness.
Laheys Canungra Tramway Tunnel
Directions:
Head out of Canungra along Beaudesert Nerang Road.
Watch for a sign and pull into the parking area off to the right.
Follow the path down to the tunnel and a small picnic area.
What is your favorite dessert to have on a coffee break?
by Krista | Mar 2, 2011 | Compatriot Wednesday
by Krista | Mar 1, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
While I dearly love Australia’s gorgeous beaches and stunning bush country, I also like simply wandering through small Queensland towns like Clifton, Allora, and my personal favorite, Warwick.
Warwick looks like the movie set for Western classics, especially if you raise your eyes above street level to the marvelous balconies, railings, and cupolas of the dozens of fabulous old hotels, theaters, and government buildings. The elegant Town Hall (see above) was built of local sandstone in 1888. One of the oldest local authority buildings in Queensland it features a stately clock tower.
My first visit to Warwick was on a blazing hot summer day. After strolling along the main drag in the withering sun it was time for a cold drink. My friend and I nipped into the Criterion Hotel, found perches on rickety wooden stools, and ordered Lemon Lime and Bitters. I happily guzzled my frosty drink and amused myself watching the locals chatting away at the bar and playing pool in a nearby room. I confess I was slightly disappointed at the dearth of wooden legged cowboys, bush rangers, and sheriffs with shiny tin badges, but a girl can’t have everything.
Warwick is located 162 km southwest of Brisbane and is the major commercial center in the Darling Downs. Established in the mid-1800’s, things really got moving in Warwick with the arrival of the railroad from Ipswich in 1871.
I love that Warwick shot to fame with the hurling of a well-aimed egg at a visiting dignitary.
It was 1917 when The Little Digger, Prime Minister ‘Billy’ Hughes visited Warwick to press his case for conscription. The townsfolk, along with the majority of Australians, were against the idea, and one fellow showed his disapproval by launching an egg at the Prime Minister. Hughes was furious and insisted the egg thrower be arrested by the local policeman. The copper refused saying that as no Queensland law had been broken, he could not arrest the offender. Legend has it that this incident and the stubbornness of the policeman led directly to the establishment of the Commonwealth Police Force.
Nowadays Warwick is known more for its weekly Pig and Calf Sale (click here to read my article on this marvelous event), Rose Festival, and the annual Warwick Rodeo than egg-throwing miscreants.
I’m so glad that towns like this still exist, providing beautiful buildings and broad, tree-lined streets for folks to enjoy on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
How To Enjoy Small Town Australia
- Wear comfortable shoes and a wide-brimmed hat.
- Wear sunscreen!
- Stop often in local cafes, pubs and restaurants to sample local drinks and regional dishes.
- Take time to visit local museums and get to know the colorful history behind otherwise stodgy buildings and meaningless monuments.
- Don’t be afraid to ask locals to tell you more about their town. You’ll get stories to entertain you for hours.
- Time your visit to take in local attractions. A few minutes online will give you all the information you need for local markets, fairs and festivals.
For more information on Warwick, visit: http://www.warwickevents.com/
What is one thing you’d tell a visitor to see in your town?
_logo.svg){kind=logo}
