Holiday in Hobart July 2011 Part 1

Holiday in Hobart July 2011

Pt 1: Walking, eating and music….

Hobart, I love this city! A city which I see more as a very large warm town and I mean this in the nicest possible way. I have been to Hobart three times in the past two years, and If there was a good job offer I would seriously consider moving. So after a stressful long period of work and study, what better way to start my time of unemployment, then with a holiday to Hobart? (As kindly suggested by my mate Rod who lives down there). Apparently I arrived during some of the ‘as bad and as cold as it gets’ weather, but this did not dampen my trip. Rod also had to go interstate for four of the nine days I was there, but hey no problem cause I had his house and car to myself!! Yay.. that’s what friends are for!

So Hobart.. what did I do?.. walk about, eat, and write bad poetry… a 10 part piece called ‘winter is colder, since you died'. Yeah, bad and tragic! 

Walking about:

In the city itself, I walked a lot and checked out a few shops. I had a tarot reading done at Akashic (http://www.akashic.com.au/akashic_tarot_readings/index.html) in the Cat and the Fiddle arcade. Dianne was brilliant and spookily spot on! To it’s credit Hobart has a few record stores that stock an impressive range of vinyl!  One such shop was ‘Music without Frontiers’ in Collins St, Hobart, where I purchased three sublime new records:

Recorded in 1954, Sarah Vaughan’s self titled LP, was later reissued as Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown. 

Sarah Vaughan - 'Lullaby of Birdland':

Billie Holiday’s “Lady sings the blues’ recorded in 1955 and 1956…

Billie Holiday- 'Lady Sings The Blues':

Miles Davies ‘Kind of blue’. 1959

Miles Davis Quintet - 'So What' (April 2, 1959). This recording was done part way through the Lp’s recording…, which is kind of exciting:

Salamanca Place is a lovely area and has rows of converted sandstone buildings, which are now restaurants, cafes and various shops. Most days I made an appearance there.


Brunch or coffee at 'Machine Laundry café' in Salamanca Square was almost always on my 'to do list'.
I love this pic, it looks almost 3-D.   

Decadent and yummo!!!! You don't want to know what is in these beauties.... trust me and just order them!

One evening Rod and I had dinner at ‘Smoult’ in Salamanca Square (http://www.smolt.com.au/). I wasn’t impressed with the overly casual waiter who had has shirt purposely untucked and when he forget some of the ingredients in one of the specials, he described them as ‘some bells and whistles’. Having said all of  that, the food was delicious!

The gnocchi special, which had scallops amongst the bells and whistles.

Standard gnocchi dish..... both were yumm-tastic!

I also found this cool book of German poetry at the Hobart Bookshop in Salamanca Square (thank you to Peter for being my model).

Form the city to the waters edge, Salamanca is just around the corner to the left.

With my back to the city, looking out.

Rotunda in nearby St David's park:

Salamanca with Mount Wellington in the background.

From Battery Point walking into Salamanca:

 

Walking up and out of Salamanca to Battery Point via Kellys Steps built in 1830!.

Speaking of which, Battery Point has some beautiful old cottages (Georgian, according to my mate Rod).

I stumbled across this odd and cool looking place, situated under a park, I think I recall someone telling me that it was the entrance to the tunnels and underground magazine rooms for the actual Batteries.

At the end of the street, lies the sea.

I walked past this on the side of a fence, I have no idea what it is, but I like the look of it.

Narryna Heritage Museum in Battery Point:

Speaking of Battery Point, Hampden Road has the yum Jackman & McRoss Bakery. Where we brunched, lunched or just had coffee:

 

On my last day in Hobart, Rod took me to a lovely place called 'The Boathouse'. It is on Cornelian Bay (http://www.theboathouse.com.au/) and has a lovely view and warm fireplace:

to be continued......MONA and more....