Postcards from Adelaide: Day 2

ay Two was a bit chilly, at a mere 10 degrees Celsius.  I even wore my hoodie for my first outing of the day! I hopped on a bus at about 8:30 am (after a lovely sleep in) and headed toward the Adelaide Central Markets.  I had a light and lovely breakfast, of banana bread and a specialty tea, at the T Bar (located at one end of the market). My minion buddies had great fun hanging out on the tea pot and my mug.  Reading the extensive menu (with more than 150 different types of tea) was a feat in itself, as I sipped my tea.  I could have stayed for much longer surrounded by novelty tea pots and many other tea leave selections that could be sampled or bought.  There was also free taste testing available of slow drip tea and coffee.  Below you can see photos of the novelty tea pots and Lacey enjoying playtime with the minions. 

Me and my Minions had tea at the T Bar

 I only had a few hours so I got moving and headed into the heart of the market.  Food was the main item on sale, but that food included freshly baked specialty breads, nuts (raw and roasted), fresh fruit and vegetables, meat (including kangaroo, crocodile and emu), sausages, sushi, cakes, cheese, crackers and more.  There were several cafes as well as market stalls. I loved looking at the fresh cut flowers.  A pop-up book store selling first edition books, rare books and just plain old books, another second hand book stall and an information desk for those visiting Adelaide. 

The First Editions Pop-Up Book Store and just a few of the first edition books on sale. 

There was a shop selling Himalyan rock salt lamps, purses, jewellery, bags, clothing and homewares that were all handmade.  The owner spends 9 months of the year travelling and buying direct from villagers in developing countries.  The craftsmanship was great to look at and I bought a few coin purses, which I intended to be gifts but I liked them so much I couldn't share.  Naughty.  I took lots of photos of the first edition books and the chocolate/ hand decorated sweets.  I tried some cheese and bought two small wedges that seemed very expensive.  I stocked up on fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, dried fruit and bread.  My haul did a great job of feeding me for lunch, dinner and a breakfast or two for the rest of the week.  I did have to buy more bread at one point, because I ate it all.  Check out these photos.

Fresh cut flowers from Central Market Flowers

Traditional hand painted Easter eggs filled with chocolate praline.

I hurried back from the markets just in time to change into a slightly cooler outfit (the weather had warmed up) and grab a quick bite (a snack bag of nuts, dried fruit and small chocolate Easter eggs) and some cheese on ciabatta toast.  I was scared that I would miss my coach tour that was leaving from a hotel up the street, but thankfully I made it. 

The coach did a circuit of Adelaide while the bus driver shared a few facts about the history of Adelaide and explained some of the monuments, architecture and city planning. Then the coach headed out of the city and toward the Adelaide Hills.  In less than 20 minutes, the road was winding around the edge of Mt Lofty and we were surprised to see the summit car park ahead of us.  We stopped off at the peak of Mt Lofty for about 10 minutes which was just long enough to take a few photos and buy a postcard or two.  Not much time to check out the gift shop, but that was okay. 

Photo I took of the view from the Mt Lofty Summit, the plaque at the look out and,

a sign at the end of the Mt Loftly Walking Trails (It is possible to walk and/ cycle along the trails to the peak).  

Back on the coach and we continued through the Adelaide Hills passing through the small town of Stirling, while our driver told us about the history of the small settlements in the hills including Hahndorf (which means Hahn's town).  It was very interesting and the scenery was amazing.  We arrived in Hahndorf about an hour after we had left the centre of Adelaide.  It was beautiful! The coach drove up the main street and beyond Hahndorf to stop off at the Beerenberg Family Farm Gift Shop.  We had the opportunity to buy freshly picked strawberries (as in the same day), home made strawberry jam, several other jams, sauces and chutneys, scented candles, bath products made from fruit and of course fruit juices and wines.  The bus driver shared his strawberries with me and they were the biggest, sweetest most delicious strawberries I have ever tasted!!! I could have eaten the whole punnet. 

Beerenberg Family Farms Gift Shop and

a Jar of their famous Strawberry Jam!

Nearly everyone bought something and we all piled back on the coach to go to our final destination, Hahndorf Inn. The tour included free beer tasting or afternoon tea (coffee/ tea and cake).  We sat at reserved tables and I joined a group of three older ladies who were friends from a craft group in Cairns (North Queensland).  We had a great chat and compared travel itineraries as we drank tea and ate warm carrot cake with fresh cream.  Then we finally had a decent amount of free time to explore the many stores on the main street and spend more money.  I was a bit disappointed as some of the stores are not open in the afternoons or mid-week.  I really would have liked to visit the puppet shop (from the outside it looked like Gepetto could be working inside with Pinnochio fetching his tools and sweeping up wood shavings).    Of course he wasn't because the Gepetto who lives in Hahndorf actually owns an Italian Restaurant.  Unfortunately that was closed too.  Treats of Hahndorf was open however, and while I was tempted to buy the whole store's fudge supply, I made do with homemade icecream intead! It was divine!! The lady who served me was lovely and was up for a chat. 

My visit to Hahndorf was in the first week of April so the leaves on the red maple trees were beginning to turn from a luscious green to a rich red.  I stood on the street staring at them for quite a while and enjoyed them so much I forgot to take my own picture.  The picture I found on the internet is barely like the real thing, but it will give you an idea. 

Top left: the Hahndorf Inn from the outside. 

Top right: the inside of the Hahndorf Inn.

Bottom left: the main street of Hahndorf at the beginning of autumn. 

Bottom right: outside the store called Treats of Hahndorf where

the homemade ice cream is delicious and sugary treats will tempt you at every turn!

This lovely little village is made for tourists! There are several places to stay overnight including hotels, motor inns and bed and breakfasts.  Next time I go to South Australia I will definitely be planning to spend a night in one of these lovely places so I can soak up more of the mountain air and explore more of the historical and handmade delights Hahndorf has to offer.  There is even a mini-golf course which is so 'mini' I didn't find it until five minutes before I was supposed to be back on the coach.  Insert very sad, disappointed face here! Oh well. 

We enjoyed a leisurely drive back to the city, with a short stop on the side of the highway to see a koala resting in the eucalyptus tree... the trees line the highway and apparently there are times when you can see dozens of koalas at a time.  Clearly they don't come near the road mid-week either.

On reaching my hotel that evening, I was tired!  I prepared a light meal, wrote a post card to Nanny and headed to bed early.

So that's that then.  Day 2 in Adelaide.  Nice.

Next week I will tell you more about the free bus and getting lost in the city.  See you then.