Today was relaxed but fun. We started our day (after the French pressed coffee and cool granola I found) with the Moruya Saturday market. First, I just have to say that farmer’s markets are farmer’s markets the world around. This market was pretty big, busy (again, a surprise for winter), they had live music, produce, handmade goods, antiques and some food vendors. I’m not kidding you, literally the same things you’d find at home. Maybe a little outdated, and not as artsy as some markets. Also, I’m not sure that I’ve seen antiques or used books at many FMs. Anyway, we got a kick out of it and bought some bread and produce, oh and a sweet recipe book called, “The Great Australian Pumpkin Book”!
Moruya [more ooh yah] is the closest actual town to us. It seems very quaint, but actually appears to have a steady population and things like car dealerships, major home repair stores etc, in addition to the summer focused beachy stores.
Mogo is also really close, but is really just a tourist stop, closes down by six pm (at least in the winter) and very few people actually live in the ‘town’ of Mogo – if it even is a town. It used to be an old mining town, which is why it’s a tourist location now. It also holds the Mogo Zoo, which we’ll go to later this week.
So today we ‘did Mogo’ which means we went through the little shops and had lunch there. We still haven’t figured out what “Australian” food is, so far they just serve normal food a little differently and call things by different names (i.e., breakfast burrito = brekky wrap). There was a pretty sweet kitchen store, pretty much amazing, I was in heaven and had to really restrain myself.
We came home and started on a puzzle, did some reading/knitting – Blake read, I knitted.. man I wish I could read and knit at the same time. After a while we decided to go up to Bateman’s Bay for dinner. We were going to make dinner, but I had read about a place that only serves dinner on Saturdays. Bateman’s Bay is a legitimate town. It has a mall, of sorts, and chain stores and restaurants. Not that those things make a town, but I’m trying to say it isn’t a beach or resort town. It’s kind of like we are staying in Rose Valley, Moruya is Kalama, and Bateman’s Bay is Longview. I know that will only make sense to a few of you, but I don’t know a better universal example.
So the restaurant we read about was way more expensive than we expected, so we went to a different little restaurant (there were about four or five to choose from, outside of the fast food places). Anyway, it was amazing and had great atmosphere. We felt like we were eating in downtown Portland or Seattle. Still not sure what would be classified as “Australian” food. One funny thing about their menus: after we ordered our waitress says, “so no entrées for you then?” I’m thinking… uh oh, please don’t tell me we just ordered only starters, envisioning a hungry husband later. Apparently they call the main dish “mains” and the starters are called “entrées”. Blake had picked this up from the menu and answered the waitress, but I pulled out my blank stare again.
After a fantastic dinner, we found some ice cream and headed home. It was only a little after seven, but dark and very, very tired out. We made it home and curled up on the couch, trying to stay awake a little longer. We turned on the TV to find Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and watched for maybe twenty minutes before promptly falling asleep. Oh well. (We did manage to seep in until five-something the next morning. Such an odd thing about traveling, I turn into a morning person!)
OH! I almost forgot! Kangaroos – So we’ve seen several “Kangaroo Crossing” signs, and today we saw our first Kangaroos. The first two, an adult and a joey, were sadly dead on the side of the road.. apparently they are like deer here. However, on our way home from dinner, we saw a live one! Blake is Mr. Eagle Eyes when it comes to spotting deer as we drive at home, so it’s no surprise that he spotted the Kanga. In full tourist fashion, we whipped a u-turn and went back to take pictures. I know, I know. It actually let us, and was pretty patient. It was hard to get a picture in the dark, but I did. I’m just A) glad that no one saw us and B) hopeful that my flash didn’t blind the poor guy/gal and get it hit by the next car.
Not great pictures today.. none of us and only a few all together.
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| The bustling Moruya Market. |
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| Had to share this little guy at from the market. Imagine him saying, with the cutest Australian/British accent possible, "Do you like ice cream?" to everyone. And here he is saying to the owner of the dog, "I bet he like ices cream, don't you pup" |
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| Our first kangaroo sighting! |
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| Parrots are everywhere! In the mornings, they make crazy noises that make you think you're in the jungle. |
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