Collingwood Day 1

Despite the fact we went to bed so late, Ted and I are still slightly affected by jet lag and woke up around 6am. Gretchen and Dallas both had today off and we started the day well when Gretchen made us pancakes - real pancakes! - for breakfast (unlike the pancake in a shake that I make back home). Ben was starting school today so after Dallas took him to school, we headed out for the day.

When we arrived yesterday, Gretchen and Dallas had suggested an itinerary full of action such as hiking and kayaking, but when Ted and I said we’d prefer a more laid back time, today’s activities included wineries and cider houses instead. The first place we headed to was the Craigleath Provincial Park, where there were fossils embedded in the stone along the beach. The beach was beautiful and fortunately so was the weather.

We next headed to the Georgian Hills winery, where we could enjoy a tasting of either wines or ciders. Coming from an area like Adelaide, it was wonderful being able to experience something different. We sat in the dining area and enjoyed some platters whilst we had a few wines however the wasps were a problem as they were attracted to either the drinks or the food platters.

We stopped at a bakery next where I bought a vegetarian sandwich, which was a relief because the food on the platters wasn’t that filling. We then headed to the nearby waterfalls which were an easy walk, and very much worth seeing. After seeing the falls, we went to nearby Thornbury to try out the craft beers and ciders at a local cider house. I’m not generally a cider drinker, but they offered a flight of four different varieties such as blood orange, rosé and apple, which I really enjoyed trying.

After having these few drinks in the middle of the day, we headed back for a nap/meditate before dinner. After a few days of restaurant and fast food, it was wonderful being able to have a home cooked meal for a change. Griffin has headed back to his family’s home so the four of us stayed up talking until about 10pm - earlier than last night since both Gretchen and Dallas are working tomorrow!Read more