Thursday morning was absolutely lovely: sunny, nicely warm but not too much… so I put my hat, my sun glasses and my sun cream on and I have decided to go for a nice walk in the south east part of the CBD!

Here is a little bit of history about Adelaide: “In the late 19th Century, people from all social levels lived in the south eastern corner of the city. The wealthy occupied mansions on East and South Terrace, the growing middle class lived in Victorian villas in Halifax and Gilles Streets, while the intervening small cottages were filled by workers who were able to walk to work or work from home.” (source Adelaide City Council)

Many victorian mansions, villas and cottages are still here… some have been renovated, refurbished, extended… I think they are really pretty! It is interesting to look at these houses, their architechture and to imagine their history. 

I really enjoy walking in Adelaide and I think it is a nice way to explore my new city. There is always something new to discover. The streets are so peaceful and so quiet… no wonder that Adelaide is called “The village in the city” – I can’t agree more on that!

I have found this free self guided tour and it is very entertaining: http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/assets/documents/MAP-TRAIL-historical-walking-village-city.pdf

The walk starts in the east part of Carrington street and there are exactly 28 stops along the way. A map and a detailed description is provided for each stop so you learn about the history of  some interesting mansions, villas or cottages. The tour is supposed to last 1 hour and a half but if you are like me, getting lost, taking pictures… make it double time!

You would think how can you possibly get lost with a map and in a small city like Adelaide… awkward… but true! It happens to me quite often actually… Hopefully Adelaide CBD is not huge so I don’t get lost for long. When “desperate” or in a hurry, I consider using my Iphone and I find my way rapidly… see I am not hopeless! But you know what, I actually enjoy to get lost because you never know what you can find out.

“Getting lost is just another way of saying: going exploring” – Justina Chen, North of Beautiful

I want to get lost in Adelaide, I want to see more of this beautiful city, I want to know the names of all the streets, I want to be able to name the different birds and flowers I see… there are so many things I still don’t know.

Someday I will know Adelaide like the back of my hand. Someday I will live in a charming Australian villa like the one on the picture. I particularly fancy the verandas and the balconies… so elegant and also so romantic!!!  When this day comes, you will find me sitting under the porch in a wooden rocking chair reading a book with a home made iced tea… Why don’t you join me?   😉