One cup of Adelaide RnR coming rite up...

Finally, I am seeing quaint, tranquil, Brittany feel, Adelaide with my cousin, Gracie. Our first vacation together – a sort of ‘test run’ for our 2007 trip to middle Europe. Our 4.5 star swanky dig was a pleasure to sleep & bath in, considering my upcoming choice of accommodations will be less then comparable (can you say H-O-S-T-E-L) We spent much time, walking, discovering and of course, (my fav) eating!
The first evening had me witnessing an overdue reunion between Gracie and her friend of 30 + yrs which she hadn’t seen in over 15 yrs. The Szalbot family welcomed us, feed us and then returned us to our hotel. Eventually, on day 3, we would meet up again over a satisfying Thai meal and have our ‘loan Mercedes’ delivered to us with a smile. Here I am, not only a few hrs in their presence and they willing loan us/me their blood red Mercedes for the next 4 days. (Hmm, perhaps they weren’t listening when I told them Ithe front headlight story). Their generosity both overwhelmed and impressed me and in turn was a wonderful introduction to this foreign country. On Wed, we drove ourselves to Barossa Valley, the largest wine-producing region in Australia. The vine-covered plains and rolling hills surround these charming German heritage townships. Here is where the urbanites come to escape....and of course, 'refuel'. After a chilly 2 days of scenic drives, fireside DVD rentals and a good dose of Internet access at the local library (feeding the addiction) we meandered back to Adelaide to drop off Gracie at the airport. Just when we were acclimating to each other's 'travelling styles', I had to part with her....who was I going to thermostat battle with now??. I was now on my own, which left me both thrilled and anxious to what lay ahead. I took to the streets, practising being ‘by my myself’ of which I had apprx 6 weeks to look forward to being. I meet up with the Andrew - a local, transplanted (Zimbabwe) Aussie, I meet from the hotel for tea. He took me to the Adelaide Central Mkt, a thrilling spot for all the senses and a wonderful start to the weekend...