Monthly Archives: October 2014

australia

West Terrace Cemetery: a poetic experience

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Some say it is the most poetic place they know in Adelaide! You would think how awkward for a cemetery…I am normally not a fan of such places and don t think I am a *Vampire diaries* addict (the main girl character of the show Nina likes to rest and write in her home town cemetery) … But I have to confess this cemetery is fascinating, nearly magic…

I have really enjoyed my self guided walk tour here on a sunny spring afternoon! It is really a lovely and peaceful place and this is really a nice walk! It is definitely poetic! The landscape, the graves, the trees…even the birds have a story to tell In a way it reminded me of Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris!

Brochures are at the entrance of the cemetery, I have picked the famous women tour and I have learnt a few things about brave and passionate women born in Adelaide or coming from London with dreams and big ideas to change the world! It was really inspiring!

Actually the walk lasted about 2 hours, the brochure was well detailed with a map and full of information so I did not get lost, I have learnt many facts and actually time went by so quickly..I am pretty sure I will come back, there are plenty other themes tours to learn more about Adelaide and guess what it is totally free!

Furthermore, the West Terrace cemetery runs night tours on Fridays ($25), it is a totally different experience but definitely worth it! I had the chance to take part to the special Halloween tour on Friday 31st October and it was amazing: interesting stories, sounds and lights effects, great actors…. it was pretty fun and most of the participants came in their halloween costumes which really added something to the atmosphere 😉 No wonder that West Terrace Cemetery has taken out the award for best cultural and heritage tourism attraction for the third year in row seeing the cemetery inducted into the South Australian Tourism Hall of Fame.

In my opinion West Terrace is definitely an original city cemetery, it is well kept and fulfills its role protecting ancestral heritage, offering peace and bringing life in a creative and respectful way to old and interesting stories about Adelaide!


West Terrace Cemetery
161 West Terrace
Adelaide SA 5000
http://www.aca.sa.gov.au

australia, food

Virginie and the Haigh’s Chocolate Factory

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One day I have read « LIFE happens, chocolate HELPS!’ I really think it is true. You see I adore chocolate, I particularly enjoy milk chocolate and in my opinion it is the best therapy ever! Luckily for me, there are Haigh’s chocolates in Australia and cherry or should I say chocolate on the cake the factory happens to be in Adelaide! If you are living abroad I bet you  have never heard about them and neither did I… because they do not export their precious products overseas because the chocolate quality could not handle an oversea trip! Their chocolates are very famous here… Actually Haigh’s is one of a few Adelaide icons and deservedly so. They will celebrate in a couple of months their 100 existence anniversary! All of their chocolates are still made by hand and they are literally mouth watering!

 

I have fallen in love with the « milk rocky road » basically it is freshly made fluffy marshmallow with roasted hazelnuts, cherries and juicy raisins, smooth milk chocolate, glace… it tastes absolutely marvelous! No words to describe it…. it is sooooo good! So I went back to the shop to buy some more…. guess what…no more left! Not a single one….over! The nice lady in the shop informed me that these little treats were only seasonal products…which means they make them only in winter season and now it is spring time here in Australia so I will have to wait for next year…

But you know me I do not want to give up so easily….. so I have tried a second shop…. same answer… a third shop same answer….but this time the lady was so friendly and had so much empathy for the little poor french girl who could not possibly wait for next year that she asked « Do you want me to call the factory for you and check if by any chance they have some left? » of course I want « Please,dooooo! » and she did and guess what?! They still had some small and big boxes of them… they took my name and said I could pick them up directly at the factory on the following day and they offered me to take the opportunity to attend to their free factory guided tour too and I did!

What a lovely tour I must say, it is so interesting to learn about the story of Haigh’s chocolates, how they started and became famous. It is a family business and it reminded of my small home town Clermont-Ferrand where we do have also a old and famous family factory business called MICHELIN… pretty sure you have heard about them 😉 but let’s go back to chocolates… it smells better! So visiting the factory was in a way like visiting Willy Wonka Chocolate factory and see how the magic happens, the machines, products, staff gestures…. no wonder these chocolates are so amazingly good gorgeous, smooth, luxurious…. furthermore it is a good opportunity to taste a lot of sample chocolates for free and if like me you are crazy about them you can still purchase more from the outlet shop at the end of the tour…clever!

So next time when visiting Australia make sure to visit Haigh’s shops and eat their delicious chocolates!  And if you happen to be in Adelaide take the tour in their amazing factory (it is very closed from Adelaide South Terrace and the lovely himeji garden), you will not regret and your belly will say thank you, I promise 🙂

Free guided Factory viewings tours

154 Greenhill Road, Parkside, SA 5063

Tours operate Monday to Saturday from 9am.

Please book your free tour online http://www.haighschocolates.com.au/tours

australia

A little taste of Australian wildlife…

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Living abroad is  sometimes embracing the unexpected and it is even more true when you have just moved in and you are exploring your new city.

Today, I was walking in Kurrangga park in Adelaide CBD when suddenly I have heard a noise next to me… Suddenly I have realised something was moving in the grass slowly…

At first, considering the way it was moving, I thought it was a snake and I have to admit I was a bit scared! Then it started to walk and that is when I have realised that obviously it could not be a snake since I could see its little legs moving on the concrete path!

Actually it looked like a kind of reptile…. but I was too afraid to come a little bit more closer to have a better look at it. I am not used to deal with these kind of animals. In France reptiles look like midgets comparing to this one! Somehow I have found the courage to take a picture of it with my Iphone (using the zoom so I don’t have to be too closed from the wild animal).

When I came back home I looked on the internet and discovered it was a blue tongue lizard… it is quite big and common to find it in Australia even around the cities…. hopefully it eats insects, snails, fruits that have fallen on the floor such as berries…. obviously not interested in eating girls like me… good lord I am relieved 😉