Ange, Catherine & Colbinabbin 16 & 17 November 2024

Came up to Inglewood on Saturday morning, and started preparing lunch for our guests - Justin's friends/colleagues Ange and Catherine 

It was going to be 35 degrees today - so a home made pizza in the pizza oven was no longer a good idea.

Thought I'd make chicken caesar salad - with potentially some delicious asparagus spears to start

Cooked the chicken, boiled the eggs, made the sauce, washed the cos etc.  Had it all laid out ready to assemble when they arrived.

They got here around 12.40, and we gave them the tour of the house 

Ange had brought a bottle of prosecco and a bottle of white wine, so we had a glass of bubbles as we toured the house

We then sat in the dining room, and had some of my olives and savoury shapes.

I asked if they would be interested in some asparagus and if so how many spears?  They said 3 each, so we had them with some of my caesar salad sauce (I'd made a lot)

Then we went into the kitchen and assembled our own caesar salads. Strangely not everyone likes anchovies or shaved parmesan

Was a lovely relaxing lunch - and we finished it off with a delicious chocolate cake that Catherine had brought - eaten with some cherries that Catherine and I picked from my tree.

They left around 4.30, and Justin and I pottered around, didn't really have much for dinner.  

Sunday, and an early start, as we were going to visit Eril and her homestead in Colbinabbin.  Eril and her husband Daryl were going to leave for Melbourne around 12, so she suggested that we come and visit around 10am

Colbinabbin was just over an hour from Inglewood - went through Elmore and Raywood to get there.  Down some quite narrow roads

Their house was very nice with lots of outbuildings, beautiful trees, a tennis court, and a wine tasting room.  As not only are they farmers - wheat, canola, sheep etc, but they have a winery on the side - Hennings- initially established by Darryl's great (great?) grandfather.

After a look around here - we followed them out to the Colbinabbin Homestead which Eril's parent's had bought in the 1980s.  It was spectacular!!! A lot of work had been down to it, but a lot still had to be down.  Peter B, the underpinner had originally "introduced" me to Eril - as he had wanted me to provide a reference for him so that he could quote on underpinning the homestead.  It was much worse off than our house - huge bloody crack, with one side of the house sort of falling away    (you don't really see it in the photos)

A pair of lions (bought by Eril's parents) guard the entrance

Inside, the main rooms were breathtaking

The hallway was huge - much wider than ours

The stained glass by the front door - stunning

And the detail in the cornicing and pillars - fabulous

Some very ornate fireplace mantles also
 

I have used a lot of superlatives to describe this house, and they are all warranted.

Well, that was a treat, and we then went back to their place where Darryl gave Justin a couple of bottles of wine, and Eril gave me a bag of lemons as she had a tree groaning with them.  I also suggested that they come out for dinner one night, and we make a weekend of it - they seemed to like that idea -0 but will have to be between harvests etc 

Drove home to Inglewood, had some lunch, pottered around

I picked the rest of the cherries from the tree, as birds had already had a go, and if I left them any longer to ripen more fully, they would be gone.  I guess I picked a few kilos worth

The weather was pretty windy, (as was yesterday), and not really that nice, threatening rain, so only stayed outside to pick the cherries   

Did the dishes, tidied up a bit and left for Melbourne around 4.15