mortiz044

It's been a busy but exciting week.  We have Marco visiting us for a week so we have been lining up the jobs that Philip finds difficult to do by himself.  First job was branding the calves. We had some friends visit us for the branding as the daughter would like to become a jillaroo so it was good experience for her.   I think at the end of the visit we had talked her into becoming a governess/jillaroo that would probably suit her better and if she really loved the jillaroo side she could then pursue that course.  Jillarooing in the outback is extremely difficult and extremely long days with a punishing climate. Before Marco arrived, Trudi and Philip were busy collecting manure from the paddock and spreading it around the garden.  It is a cheap fertiliser and so beneficial for the garden. The garden is looking lovely at the moment and we have been surprised at how long the snapdragons have hung on.  They flowered all through the winter months but have been even better during sprin

Today I am reviewing Jamie Olivers 20th cookbook - "5 Ingredients".  I ordered Jamie's latest cookbook from Booktopia last week and as it was coming from the UK I thought it would take a couple of weeks to arrive.  What a lovely surprise to find that it took just one week! I am always excited when I open a new cookbook and I religiously read every single recipe in the book from front cover to back cover.  I make a mental note of the recipes and any that grab my attention are added to my menu planner.  I use the Paprika app on my phone for this. Philip says that I have an addiction to cookbooks, and I would have to agree with him although I remind him that he benefits from my addiction! I have purchased 100's of recipe books over the years but I do go through them every year and relinquish the ones that have no further use.  These go to Lifeline.  I remember my first ever cookbook.  It was the Australian Womens Weekly COOKBOOK given to me by my mum in 1977!  Forty Year

There was a couple of things we wanted to do on our last day. We wanted to have lunch at Hard Rock Cafe and our friends wanted to visit Kuta Beach markets.  Fortunately Hard Rock Cafe was on Kuta Beach! Kuta Beach Our driver, Gus, picked us up from our Villas at 10.00 am and as the traffic was bearable at that time of the day we arrived at Kuta Beach at 10.30 am.  We passed by the memorial for the victims of the Sari Club bombing and were saddened by the number of names.  202 were killed on that fateful day in 2002. The Bali Bombing Memorial Gus dropped off at the entrance to the shopping precinct and we walked the streets purchasing odds and end before finally making our way to the markets. These offerings to the gods are placed outside each shop each morning.  You have to be careful not to trip over them! The markets are like all the others we have seen around the world.  You dare not look at the wares because the minute you do you are pounced on to buy.  "Missus, missus....You

The men and women were going two different directions today.  The men wanted to check out the Enfield motorbike shop and the women wanted to sip cocktails by the ocean, and three of us had massages booked for the afternoon.  As it was our last night in Seminyak, we also booked a table at Char Char Restaurant on the recommendation of our driver, Gus.  And so the day was planned. We (the girls) travelled by taxi to Canggu Beach where our young friend rents a room (including bathroom toilet and kitchenette) for the princely sum of $250 per month.  She works in the mining industry, based in Darwin, on a two weeks on two weeks off roster, so on her weeks off she flies to Bali.  It is a very cheap flight from Darwin to Bali. Our first stop was at her unit and I must say for the price she is paying it is very good.  The units overlook a pandanus plantation that gives the place a rural feel and yet the units are quite close to the ocean. View from the unit Our friends unit is upstairs Next sto

Gee the days are flying by, as it always does on holidays.  Our friends wanted to show us today where they normally stay when they come to Bali.  After a slight delay with our driver we were on our way by 9.30 am to head to the seaside town on the east coast of Bali called Candi Dasa (The "Ca" is pronounced "Ch"). The place is a divers delight but snorkelling would also be easy here.  We very much enjoyed Candi Dasa and if we come back to Bali this is where we would stay.  There are many beautiful villas dotting the shoreline and most sleep up to 12 and come with your own driver and chef. Candi Dasa Candi Dasa main street.  Such a difference to the streets we have been driving around! Once again, leaving Seminyak, the traffic was horrible.  There really does not seem any rhyme nor reason to the traffic flow.  White lines on the road are ignored and I honestly don't know why there are not more accidents. The streets of Denpassar It was a very pleasant change to f

Today was a day of rest.....sort of.  We all had different things we wanted to do.  I had a massage booked for the afternoon and our friends wanted to hire a scooter and zip around the shops.  Very courageous of them!  But first Philip and I decided that we needed to have a morning on the beach, after all, isn't that why most people come to Bali?  It was about a 20 minute walk from our villa but the walk felt very good.  Once we arrived on Seminyak beach we hired lounge chairs and umbrella and set ourselves up for a relaxing time.  However that was not to be as you are constantly harassed by the locals trying to sell you their trashy mass produced products.  We dived into the ocean quite a few times just to be rid of them before finally packing up and heading back to the peace and calm of our villa. We joined up with our friends for lunch at Kilo Kitchen and made plans to meet at 4.00 pm to head to Single Fin Bar at Ulawatu.  We should have left much earlier because the place was j

We started our day nice and early with a trip to Ubud on the agenda.  We had organised a car and driver the day before on a recommendation by a friend and it was a good idea. Our drivers name was Gus and he was a bit of a character.  He certainly knew his was around Bali and took us on many "short cuts" .  Some alleyways were barely wide enough for a car and it was quite tricky when you met a car coming the opposite direction. Street Scene We had a few destinations in mind at Ubud.....the gold and silver, woodwork, and artwork shops.  First stop was the gold and silver factory.  There was so much to choose from that it was almost overwhelming.  I finally settled on a lovely fish that had been cleverly shaped from a mother of pearl shell with lots of silver embellishment only to find that the price was $2,500 AU!!!  I didn't buy it. Next stop was the art gallery.  Gosh, once again, the number of paintings was enormous.  Rooms, many many rooms were chock full of wonderful a