First, Almond Hill. It is an amazing place. Our room was so meticulously kept with surprises at every corner. We loved every little details of this place. We started our morning by cooking up another Aussie breakfast.
When we ate until we couldn't anymore (there was a lot of food!), we went outside to feed the donkeys.
As soon as they spotted us walking toward the fence, they ran over in hope of getting treats. After some eating, petting and pictures, we bid our farewell and went to see Sandra, the owner. She invited us into her home next door and we were in awe of the place. She's planning of selling it in a few years to move into a city and we're seriously thinking of buying it! It was so warm, and open, and airy, and inviting, and artistic. We spent some time chatting with Sandra, buying some of her hand-made hood-scarf and playing with the dog (Felix) and the cat before heading off to Tanunda.
Before we checked in, we went to check out the downtown area of Tanunda. We discovered a new treat in a local bakery called a Lamington. It was 2 pieces of really light and airy sponge cake, dipped in chocolate and covered in coconut flakes, then filled with fresh cream. Yummy! We followed this treat with a pot of tea at a new cafe that had just opened that day. It was actually an internet cafe, and was the first internet cafe in the Barossa Valley area. Even the owner of the cafe was surprised that no one else had thought of it earlier.
Our afternoon adventure was a last minute hidden treasure of the valley. Actually, it was about the only attraction in the valley besides the wineries, and not really a treasure. Norm's Coolies is a dog show by an old australian guy 'Norm' who has about 40 Collie dogs that herd sheep and walk upright on their back legs. That was about as exciting as it got. We ended up sitting in the middle of a group of about 30 senior citizens for almost 2 hours, while Norm struggled to keep all the dogs under control. The only good thing was that we got to pet the dogs, which were all sweet and friendly.
At Stonewell, we stayed in the Cupid's Cottage. It's off a small road between rows of grapes and a small lake. The cottage lounge overlooked the beautiful lake, and we even had our own row boat out front. The cottage has a small kitchen/dining/living room area, a bed room with a spa tub in it and a bathroom. It's ready for us to move in! After another drive into town and found nothing much available in terms of dinner options, we ended up cooking our first dinner at the cottage. After dinner and a soak in the spa, we settled in front of the TV (no fire this time; Mat couldn't get the fireplace working....), and watched Australian Idol.
Anna's Aussie Tidbits:
When you're given a carrot to feed a donkey, don't break it into small chunks. It will not understand what you're doing and mistakes your finger for the carrot. If you want to know if it hurts, ask Mat....
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