Greetings from Adelaide.

We left Melbourne a couple of days later than planned because Jenny was laid up with a nasty flu- like virus, but she is now well and looking forward to our 3-month exploration of The West.

We spent our first night in Nhill, with the obligatory stop at Lowan Crafts ( not to be missed).  The lovely ladies of Nhill, and possibly the lovely gentlemen as well, bake beautiful sponges, biscuits and slices to sell fresh in the shop each day and they are delicious.  You can also take the opportunity to stock up on covered coat hangars and crocheted knee rugs.

In Adelaide we are staying at the Brownhill Creek Caravan Park which is located in a beautiful little valley not far from the city.  Today we took a picnic lunch to McLaren Vale, which is looking gorgeous with all the almond trees in blossom.  There is an elegant piazza in the middle of McLaren Vale, established by the Italian Heritage community, celebrating their unique contribution to the area.  There are many lovely sentiments engraved in the stone steps about leaving home for a new land.  Imagine Australia without Italians and their lovely food!

Things I wish I hadn’t missed?  Geoff, about to turn the shower on and realising he had forgotten his soap, doing a naked dash to the basins to collect some liquid soap in each hand!