Around Here: Summer Holidays
How are you spending your December break? For me it's been a wedding in Daylesford, Carols by Candlelight in Melbourne, Christmas and the lazy summer days that have followed...
Just before Christmas my sister was a bridesmaid in a wedding near Daylesford...this was the perfect excuse to revisit Wombat Hill House for brunch with my Mum and other sister. If you haven't been, check it out...the caretaker's cottage nestled in Wombat Hill gardens has been converted to a gorgeous cafe by Alla Wolf-Tasker. We had lunch in the middle of their veggie garden...it's one of my favourites...their chocolate milkshakes are amazing!
We met up with my sister and her boyfriend to check out the Carols by Candlelight dress rehearsal at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl...any excuse for another trip to Melbourne! The Carols is an Aussie Christmas Eve tradition...but because we live 1.5 hours away we've never made it to the actual night...we figured this was the next best thing. It was soooo hot...I'm talking at least 35 degrees & barely any cloud cover when we rocked up at 5:30pm...hence the sunnies/hats/slathering of sunscreen...the ice cream stands were doing big business! It was fun, more-so as dusk fell and the lights came up with the stunning skyline of the city in the background. I'm glad we did it, but I don't know that I'd go to the rehearsal regularly. There was much more stopping and starting than we anticipated...but we heard from repeat visitors that it was abnormally slow this year. Still, great experience overall...never been happier to hit the hotel and soak up the air conditioning though! A true testament to my love of the city..from the depths of winter to the height of summer and everything in between :)
Christmas was a flurry of travelling between families...ankle deep wrapping paper piles...Skyping interstate...much laughter and ridiculous amounts of food...catching up with cousins...the baking of chocolate sauce pudding...and rationing of the most important leftover of all - Aunty Coral's Potato Salad (it deserves capitals...trust me!) We had people stay with us from Christmas night, and about 20 people for lunch on Boxing Day so it's a big few days but we love every minute of it and it's a bit of a shock to find the house so empty and quiet at the end of it all.
Having said that, we're more than happy to fill that quietness with exploring new cafes, chilling at the cinema, renting lots of iTunes movies, finally getting to open the books we received as presents, making quick work of the chocolates we'd forgotten getting on Christmas day, and listening to podcasts on the decking with a furry companion.
Finally, New Years Eve. This year we'd both been sick since the day after Boxing Day...which for me meant self medicating with Nestle Crunch, the reading of Black Caviar on the couch, and a mini `Real Housewives of NYC' marathon. So, for NYE we stuck to ourselves. I made a little cheese platter for two with chocolate dipped strawberries on the side...and we watched the sun set from the decking listening to Joshua Radin...very relaxing...even more so when I slept through the fireworks...it has been the perfect summer break :)
Do you make New Years resolutions? Mine would be to spend more time with my SLR...I made a conscious decision to this December and hope to continue this in 2013...what about you? How have you been spending your holidays?