Weekend in Castlemaine

After picking up the MWC at the airport we drove up to Castlemaine. Settled into our upstairs room in the heritage listed Campbell Street Motor Lodge (built in 1886). It's a family run place, welcoming and comfy, one that I'd feel perfectly at ease to stay in by myself. And I may do that too this winter - take the train up, wouldn't need a car, everything of importance within walking distance: restaurants and cafes, the Restorers Barn for browsing an odd collection of secondhand stuff, a number of art galleries, and of course the library. Yes, I will do that!
A bit of indulgence: reading in bed in the morning.













On Saturday evening we ate at Edda's, a small restaurant in what was once a mortuary, built in the art deco style. Yesterday we did a two hour walk on Mt. Alexander, found the track that we had missed the last time we walked on the mountain, worked up an appetite and later had dinner at Saff's, which is also the place to go for coffee and VERY GENEROUS portions of cake. Spent an hour in the library this morning before leaving town. On the way home we made sure we were passing Malmsbury at lunchtime so we could have one of the superb steak and kidney pies you can get at the bakery there. Today the pastry was exceptionally good, you could taste the butter, and it was still flaky. Is food important to us? Oh yes. A nearly 35 year marriage has been built and nurtured on food.

Oh, and today was the first weekday of my retirement!















There's the marker we missed last time when hiking on Mt. Alexander.


End of the walk, the car is just around the bend.