Postcards of Happy Times

Saturday and all too soon it was time for Lyn & David to head back to the mainland, been such a great week all together at Grindewald.
our house at Grindewald

Sunday it was time for us to leave the beautiful Tamar Valley and Launceston and head south east to Swansea for our next 2 nights.
Seafood lunch at Bisheno, very fresh and very good

Swansea, looking out to sea at dusk.
love a good piece of drift wood

Friday 10th March

Last 'team' ride today, Lyn & David head back to Melbourne tomorrow. Destination Delaraine , things did not go right to plan as log trucks on latter part of ride so we are nothing if not flexible , plans changed and we ended back at Tamar Ridge Winery just down the road from where we are staying .
todays letter box


Gorgeous scenery again today, this ride towards Delaraine a delight, very little traffic ( except when we got to the log trucking roads) gently undulating , except for a couple of killer hills, 15% just a tad on the yuk side for me, for the non cyclists among you 15% is steep.
appear to be at a wine tasting again! How does it happen?
team photo Tamar Ridge winery.
artistic bike shot

Thursday 9th

Another gorgeous day, so where too? Decided the ride along Tamar River/Estuary , although done twice , is a beautiful ride so off we set, some by bike, others by car with bikes to meet along the way at Gravelly Beach. This ride has some lovely little ups and downs, plus a couple of big ups.
getting ourselves organized outside Kouklas cafe ready to set off to Iron Pot Winery
Todays letter box
Blackberry picking, got the whole team involved today
Blackberry harvest, looks like blackberry crumble for tonight.
Artist lives here
Sensational seafood lunch at Hooked on Kouklas , Gravelly Beach

Another day in Paradise

Today we ventured south of Launceston, destination Josef Chromy Winery for lunch. Searched for a wine dog but no luck, suspect the place a tad too upmarket for one.
Team arrives at Josef Chromy

Lyn inspects the Topiary
A bit of Food Porn, my lunch, yum
here we are having lunch, note reflection of the stunning landscape in window behind.
next stop, Van Dieman Brewing for a private tour and tasting ( not what you know but who you know)


the Brewery sheep.

Holm Oak winery

Lyn had the need to investigate the dental services of Launceston so caught the bus into downtown Launceston in the morning, Paul and Knud left on their bikes heading to Frankford with the plan that David, Mel & I would drive up to meet them for coffee then drive onto Holm Oak winery just out of Beaconsfield.
coffee stop in Frankford
arriving at Holm Oak, by this stage Knud driving and the rest of us cycling

Holm Oak winery dog
Pinot, only Winery Pig , loves apples
a flight of Pinot, what a beautiful sight
most of the team, just missing Lyn.
todays letter box

and the scenery is beautiful too, soooo beautiful

Tamar Valley , North Tassie

Why don' t I ever do a blog when I'm back in Australia? It's not like I'm not having a great time here too. So with this in mind here is a snap shot of our latest adventures.
We are a 'team' of 6 . Lyn & David Mayo , Mel & Paul Robb and Knud & yours truly. Staying in Grindewald just out if Launceston in a rather gorgeous house.
A week of cycling planned so onto the bikes Monday morning & off we went. Followed the Tamar River Estuary up some way then inland, our destination Moores Hill Winery. Great lunch , sensationsl wine.
can never resist a boat
Lyn & David
roadside monument


lunch time at Moores Hill Winery
Otto, wine dog at Moores Hill Winery
view from Brady's lookout
so many letter boxes

Post script for Göttingen

One of the things Göttingen is well known for is the Gänseliesal figure on the fountain in the market place outside the old Rathus , (Town Hall)
Local tradition is that after passing their final exam the newly graduated doctors kiss Gänseliesal's cheek. I took a couple of photos of her , one earlier in the day and one latter in the afternoon. Hoping for better light, but not in luck today.


Seems to be also a tradition of leaving flowers, even the odd balloon.

Nearby is the church of St Johannis, intriguingly it has two different spires, the taller of them once being student accommodation, thus making them the highest 'digs' in Germany


detail of front door handle