Happy Monday

Rolling your bottom around on a spiky ball is not the most pleasant way to start the morning, though it does wake you up. My back is sore again. Though really, that is its natural state; the pain free days are the anomalies. On the upside, I am a redhead, which apparently makes me more tolerant to pain than the average Joe (or blond)- there has to be at least one upside to this pesky 'more prone to skin cancer and jokes about orangutans' gene. My osteopath is often a bit impressed when I saunter in with a two-week-old injury and then he discovers how bad it actually is. Hooray, I'm tough! Now I just wish I could quit with old-lady back pain. This time it was sneaky, I woke up with a mild niggle, nothing really, a bit stiff. It has evolved into complete lower back jam (and not the fruity kind). I will however develop abs of steel because I am constantly reminded to suck them in because my stability without switching on the core is bugger-all.

Happy Monday. Injury is such a fun thing to read about isn't it. I apologise, let's get down to the moments.


As it turns out, the pot at the end of my rainbow is a spittoon.

Pizza Power {Italy 528 Review}

I take pizza very seriously. It has the power to be the best food in the world (yes, that's right. THE WORLD) or the epitome of disappointment.*

Source

I also have very firm views on matching the pizza to the occasion. Italian-style, handmade, wood-fired pizza is clearly the King of pizza but it must be served within seconds of being removed from the oven, eager hands poised to pull apart the stretchy slices, so hot it burns your mouth but you don't care because the pleasure far outweighs the pain. This kind of pizza can't be home delivered; 10 minutes in a cardboard sauna results in sweaty, chewy, misery.

Melbourne offers up some seriously good pizza. I have talked about some of my faves, D.O.C and +39 Pizzeria before. But fear not Melbourne Westies, the pizza gods are looking after us too at Italy 528

Banter, blather and butterscotch {Banter Wine Bar Review}

Long overdue catch-ups call for a delightful lingering place so when I had to make the tough choice of where to go, I was glad that Banter popped into my mind.

These are a few of my fa-vour-ite things {Melbourne}

When I work in the the Queen Vic markets I often end up becoming the tourist information centre as well. This is in due to the corner location of the wine shop and the fact that we are actively offering wine tasting and so are pretty approachable. I love it when people ask for suggestions of what they should eat/drink/see in Melbourne so I thought I'd share some of my favourites here (warning that it is fairly North-centric)


Carlton Gardens
I used to walk through these gardens almost everyday. It is a beautiful oasis right on the edge of the city. Filled to the brim with possums it can be quite freaky at night as they all stop and watch you as you walk past. There is a fabulous water fountain on the edge of the gardens in front of the old exhibition building. A lovely park for a picnic.

 A close-up reveals that this little fella doesn't enjoy having water spat on his willy by a turtle.

These are a few of my fa-vour-ite things {in my pantry}

I had a very important wine exam, the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) level 3 (Advanced), last week, which I have been madly studying for in any spare time. It was tough and big. I used every second of the 1 hour 45 minute exam time. I was well prepared but the fail rates are high so keep those fingers crossed. My sadness was that there were not many questions on France and a lot on Spain. The universe telling me to put my French and Italian wine passion to the side and drink more Spanish wine perhaps?

Just in case, I made sure I ordered Spanish wine at the Wine Shop With No Wine Christmas Party. Here's a selfie.

 

I caught up a fair bit of ground (in Spanish wine) by the looks of it.