Mar 25: A Taste of the World, and a Tour of Hobart

It felt awfully nice sleeping in a bed last night! There was supposed to be a bike ride to the Taste of the World Festival, but it was “pissing down” rain, as they say here. Just when Dorothy started fixing some lunch, the skies cleared, and the sun came out. We decided we would go to the festival after all. 

 

The three of us hopped on our bikes and rode down to the Intercity Cycleway, and made our way to the festival.

Here comes Greg on his Brompton

A Taste of the World was, as one might guess, a multicultural event featuring food stalls from all over the world, and entertainment as well. Since we had eaten lunch, we only sampled a couple of things. I had these World’s Smallest Pancakes. Quite honestly, I’m not sure which country or cultural group they were representing, but they were tasty.

Yum!

 

 

Greg headed out ahead of Dorothy and I, then we took an awesome sly dog way along the waterfront, stopping in at an aboriginal art gallery that is housed in a former jam factory. The aboriginal art is very colorful. I was so tempted to get a painting, and ship it home. I resisted, and instead got a kangaroo ornament and a card. There was also a very cool carved white cockatoo, but it was $525. 

In the old jam factory

 

 

We continued along the waterfront for a bit, stopping to take these photos.

Penguins

 

Seals

 

Shackleton, I think

We went as far as Battery Point, then started heading uphill to work our way back to South Hobart via a number of small side streets. There is no way I could possibly recreate the route we took on my own. It was very much a sly dog route!

 

We rode by the house, and on up to the Cascade Brewery. Dorothy told me how there had been a massive fire that burned the entire area including the brewery, leaving only the facade. They rebuilt it, and it is still a functioning brewery.

Cascade Brewery

 

 

We took the Rivulet Trail back to the house.

Dorothy on the Rivulet Trail

A friend of Dorothy’s came over for dinner as she wanted to talk to me about off-road cycle touring. Bob, who I had now met twice, also came over to help me plan my route back to Devonport. 

 

We had a great dinner, then a great discussion (with varying opinions) of which way I should go. It’s possible I might have to take a bus from Launceston, depending on how much time I decide to take on Maria Island, and if I still take a day off at Freycinet NP. One slightly complicating factor is the fact that Easter is coming. It’s a major holiday here, and I will find the camping places to be pretty full. I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

 

 

So, I’m back on the road tomorrow. I’ve really enjoyed my stay with Dorothy and Greg. I could not have asked for better hosts. If I can have half the adventures they have had, I will consider myself quite lucky!

Zoom in to see the tree full of white cockatoos