[Menu Thoughts] Fried Gnocchi
Fried Gnocchi made by Laura and Malcolm
1) Prepare Gnocchi: with the help of cousin Laura,
2) Get an adult to help you fry the gnocchi (this is a long, boring process, which should be left to adults)
3) Serve the gnocchi as you wish (seen here with Bolognese sauce and mozzarella).
Pinhole Experiments
A couple of Pinhole pictures taken with the D700 and my cousin Dan, more about him and his photos soon I hope!
P.S Interested in taking your own pinhole photos with your DSLR?
DIY Pinholes:
Buy a suitable body cap (or use the one that came with your camera if you can find it and are prepared to break it) for a few quid. Drill a small hole centrally. Cut a small piece of tin foil, tape it to the inside of the cap and use a pin to poke a second hole through smaller than the first, but aligned with it.
Attach to the body and Bob is, as they say, your uncle.
The SGS
McCLelland Gallery
After a week of various extended family members telling us art galleries were boring, Malc agreed with the Tom (Nom's uncle) that his kids might enjoy some sculpture, as its a bit more tactile than other art. Bravely, Tom and his wife Sarah drove our whole party to McClelland Gallery in Langwarrin, Victoria. As you can see, James, Laura and Dan treated the Sculpture Park like a playground, which was exactly what we were hoping they'd do.
The younger two also spent sometime learning our new camera, the results of their efforts can be seen below.
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| Above two photos taken by Dan |
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| Above three photos taken by Laura |
The restaurant was everything you'd expect from a self-respecting private gallery. It's a well-lit space with a cabinet of expensive luxury cakes for the snacking visitor, and high quality light lunches for those who didn't have enough time to make a picnic. Witness the homemade mushroom soup, could've had a third bowl.
The Beach
Spillwater
The Enchanted Maze
Somer's Beach
2011 in 12 Photos
There were some mighty lows, but I think on average 2011 turned out to be a beautiful year made/redeemed by its sunshine and heroes.
We saw the year in with some of our favourite people in one our favourite places, Mid Wales.
On Valentine's day we got two new relatives in the form of Charlie and Ella.
Malc got to see where I grew up when we spent a week with my uncle Gav in Scotland.
The death of my hero brought many more out of the woodwork.
We drank champagne to celebrate Mum's fiftieth birthday in London.
We joined Jon '22 Ton' Harris, Pete, Abi, and crew on a voyage from Northampton to Milton Keynes.
There was face painting, a BBQ, and a ton of cake at the fantastic Short Heath Community Fun Day.
We experienced the madness of beach mission, and the thrill of two great weddings.
We witnessed exceptional dancing and made several new friends at Tom and Anna's wedding.
We went exploring and photographing the hidden delights of Birmingham with Charlie- Rose and Joe.
Accompanied by our new camera, we celebrated our anniversary in the Cotswolds.
We had several early Christmases with friends and family before a second summertime...
... but that's a story for 2012.
We saw the year in with some of our favourite people in one our favourite places, Mid Wales.
On Valentine's day we got two new relatives in the form of Charlie and Ella.
Malc got to see where I grew up when we spent a week with my uncle Gav in Scotland.
The death of my hero brought many more out of the woodwork.
We drank champagne to celebrate Mum's fiftieth birthday in London.
We joined Jon '22 Ton' Harris, Pete, Abi, and crew on a voyage from Northampton to Milton Keynes.
There was face painting, a BBQ, and a ton of cake at the fantastic Short Heath Community Fun Day.
We experienced the madness of beach mission, and the thrill of two great weddings.
We witnessed exceptional dancing and made several new friends at Tom and Anna's wedding.
We went exploring and photographing the hidden delights of Birmingham with Charlie- Rose and Joe.
Accompanied by our new camera, we celebrated our anniversary in the Cotswolds.
We had several early Christmases with friends and family before a second summertime...
... but that's a story for 2012.
Corinne & Laura
Jack & Jill
41
Jack & Jill at Christmas Eve Carol Service
She's a teacher and he sends big and complicated files to the US even during his holidays.
The Pool
Victoria Market
Yara Valley
Happy New Year
Planet Melbourne
Ten places or things worth a visit in Melbourne...
1 Fed Square
Federation Square (or simply 'Fed Square' as it's known locally) was designed as a cultural and social hub for Melbourne. It sits close to the National Gallery of Victoria, the fantastic south bank food court, the Arts Centre and the Melbourne Theatre Company. It also houses a performance venue, multiple fun-looking eateries and bars, and the NGV's national collection. Apparently it's a bit of a Marmite (or should that be Vegemite) in that people seem to love or hate it. We are lovers.
2 Trams
... are everywhere in Melbourne. An integral part of the transport system, you can pay for one ticket that takes you into the city on a train, then gets you on trams once you're there. Mostly people use them to hop from one end of the road to the other, which, as we discovered, is probably the most sensible thing to do. We took the 109 from Balwyn on our first trip into the city, but could've cycled it faster! On the upside, there's a free City Link tram that circles the city centre. It uses old-style trams that look as if they've seen a journey or two.
3 Royal Exhibition Hall
Probably more spectacular than the hall itself is the surrounding Carlton Gardens, one of the city's numerous large green areas, all of which are worth your time. The flower beds are special, littered with Bird of Paradise flowers, which we are struggling to grow in the UK.
4 Eureka Tower
The tallest tower in Melbourne allows you to go (nearly) all the way to the top, using probably the fastest lift in the city. The 88th floor Skydeck is pretty spectacular: there are windows all the way round the tower, allowing you a 360 view of Melbourne, and a small, caged, open air section where you can watch the intense wind blow your ticket into the distance and mothers hold tight to small children. I enjoyed the scrolling lcd screens that showed fun local facts like: 'EVERY DAY 90 TONS OF DOG POO IS LEFT ON THE STREETS OF MELBOURNE'.
5 Queen Victoria Market
Much like our own Bull Ring Markets, the QV has a handsome range of fresh meat, seafood, and fruit and veg stands, alongside lots of suspiciously cheap clothes and other goods. Malc was pleased to find a spice stall that sold tea by weight for less than T2 (a nice chain of high street tea shops). He bought some Turkish Apple instant tisane, which rubs its smell onto anything it touches.
6 Hoiser Lane
The back streets in Melbourne have a reputation for their graffiti. We checked out Hoiser Lane and were not disappointed.
7 Fitzroy Gardens
A walk through these gardens includes a variety of experiences. We spotted three wedding parties, Captain Cooke's Cottage, people meditating, an orchid-filled greenhouse, the old treasury building and plenty of greenery. We couldn't find the fairy tree, but then again we had no idea what we were looking for.8 The Art Centre
We didn't intend on spending much time in this landmark building. When we popped in to try and find a good cup of coffee it seemed mostly to be fully of theatre goers. We did stumble upon an impressive exhibition about a famous Aussie cross-dresser.
9 T2
It might not get a mention on the tourist guides but this is a tea shop worth a visit if you like tea even half as much as Malcolm does.
10 The Nicholas Building
We visited to see a temporary shop set up for Christmas by Melbournia, and we were glad we eventually found the whole place. Many of the building's original details have remained: stained glass, arched ceilings, an old style post box and two manned lifts. The lift operators tell us that they are soon be replaced by a less exciting standard lift. After the end of January those lifts will be a much lonelier experience.
Puffing Billy
"Puffing Billy is a genuine relic of more leisurely days. An historic steam train still running regularly in the mountain district it was built to serve at the turn of the century. The Railway is the major survivor of four experimental lines used to develop rural areas in the early 1900s. Puffing Billy is now a major tourist attraction, its operation depending on hundreds of dedicated volunteers."
