Weekend Away

We had an impromptu long weekend away. One of the misters (surgeons here are called misters, which I think is hilarious. Also begs the question, what do they call their female surgeons - Gladys...can you comment?) Scott is working with offered for us to use his beach house in the Mornington Peninsula, so we took up on it and headed there on Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful place, and a definite step up (or several) from where we are staying in Melbourne. While we certainly enjoyed the gorgeous country surroundings, I have to say the comfy couches, well stocked kitchen, and lovely bathroom were definite highlights.

I like to call this one "Mister Scott getting reacquainted with a kitchen" in light of his recent work schedule. This was taken in the beach house this weekend.

We were planning to stay just one night, but the owner contacted us on Sunday to say he had cleared Scott's schedule for Monday morning and insisted we stay another night. Gotta love a surprise long weekend (we don't celebrate the Queen's B-day here until June 14th). The Peninsula is only an hour from Melbourne and is a popular summering spot for Melbournians looking to escape the city. It is also a wine region, known for producing some great cooler climate wines like chardonnay and pinot noir. So, after a morning walk on the beach, we stopped off at a couple of wineries and had a fantastic picnic style lunch at Montalto.

The Peach and I getting ready to chow down at Montalto winery

After lunch, we drove to a popular hiking area along the coast to stretch our legs and spot some kangaroos in the wild. We weren't disappointed - there were several big guys hopping along a fence next to our hiking path. It's definitely the closest wild encounter we've had with them, and they are truly impressive animals. Check out how ripped this guys is.

On another note, Georgie and I are just back from playgroup, where we met a new member to the group. Jill, her husband, and their 9 month old boy just arrived from Canada for a 7 month work stint in the city. Great to chat it up with a fellow Canuck. Couldn't help thinking on my way out though, where have you been for the past 5 months of my life, Jill?! Nevertheless, it will be fun to hang out with them for the next few weeks and show them the ropes of St. Kilda before we leave.

Beautiful fall foliage