Catching Up




Merv, Helen and I enjoying our beach picnic

This morning I filled the tank with petrol and Mel bought an original ceramic olive dish for the same price!  Just proves you can have the same holiday but have different expectations!  The Google Maps on my mobile wouldn't work. Instead the tried and trusty tourist maps were thrust between the seats and I balanced them on the steering wheel while I checked my speed.  Mobile phone usage suddenly appeared less of a threat.  The tourist map has to be folded six times to make it A4 size.  It was seriously impairing my vision.  Only by luck did we make the correct turn and find ourselves at Happs Winery in Dunsborough.   We last visited here in 1990 and we loved their wine and wanted to return. It was just after 10am and we were first visitors of the day.  Firstly we viewed the amazing ceramics on the shelves. Several rooms filled with shelves littered with pottery from amazing artists.  Then the fun of wine tasting begun.  It must be a well known cliché  when you mention it is early morning and the answer is always, "Somewhere it is 5pm."  It clinches the deal every time.   I ensured Merv was sitting on an available chair and we tasted sweet, dry, white and red, leaving with four bottles.  Our plan had previously been to visit tourist destinations in the region until I heard from my good friend Helen.  She asked us over for lunch and we changed our plans to suit.  We bought produce from yesterday's market, bread rolls from the infamous local bakery and met Helen before making our way to the beach.  The sea breeze was brisk, the ocean streaked in water colour hues of greens and blues.  We chatted as we ate our chicken and salad rolls washed down with a Happs Classic White and bottled water.  We praised Helen for her home baked carrot cake and delighted in the juicy rockmelon from the market.  As the sun sneaked around and stole our shade we retreated back to Helen's house for a cuppa.  I am glad we changed our plans, catching up with friends is the best way to enjoy a holiday.