Sunday 2 March 2025

Another amazing summer day here with 30c and blue skies. Lady P did a 1.5 hour walk this morning and Flashy did some more experimenting with cooking eggs in hot water in the coffee plunger. Twenty minutes soaking is too long, so tomorrow we'll see what 15 minutes does.

Mid afternoon we walked back up to the town in search of a beverage and a snack.  We found both. One was excellent the other lousy. A pint of Monteiths Old was delicious. So too, a mid ale in the old fashioned glass at another pub, likewise cold and refreshing. However the $25 souvlaki was disgusting. Lamb pieces fried in a pan and tough; under seasoned with a teaspoon of sauce; chopped iceberg lettuce and three little bits of tomato; served on a thick flat bread, which was about the only tasty thing on the plate. I shall give them a 3/10 review. And that's generous.

We're off on the road tomorrow, so some observations so far. Hanmer Springs is quite a nice little town. A good vibe and we're pleased to be here in the shoulder season. Although, some of the shopkeepers refer to it as the end of the season. We look out on 120 year old Californian Redwoods, planted when exotic species were all the go in 1900. And we walked around the closed hospital, which served as a recovery for WW1 and WW2 soldiers, mentally affected women and recovering alcoholics over the years. A beautiful building and gardens.

Flashy has noticed that Lady P's NZ accent is creeping beck. It's more noticeable in the locals here than in the north, so maybe imitation to communicate or just in the DNA?

That's cheap but we think Vietnamese bao buns, not biffana!
Now here's a real beer in a real glass. A pot of mid ale.

 Ah, so they say.

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