Hazardous…
Pootled north today and then a little bit east, to the Freycinet Peninsula to visit a writer friend at his cottage on a quiet calm private beach at Coles Bay. He is GS Johnston, writer of the stunning Skin of Water,
a novel about the Nazi occupation of Hungary. The novel ranked at #number 1 (Paid) earlier this year in the States and has ranked in Amazon’s Top 100 consistently since publication. He is the author of another astonishing and revelatory book as well, Consumption, and damn it, he’s even a really good cook!
To get there we drove through the east coast vineyards.
I love east coast wines.
I don’t know if it’s the harshness of the conditions but they are crisp and palate rattling (in the BEST way) if they are whites and if they are reds, they are mellifluous and like nectar. The vineyards are worth a day’s tour on their own for the tasting and we have that planned in July.
Passed the tumble down old house, now a barn, at Apslawn.
We drove into Coles Bay, the Hazards brooding above us.
Walked along the private beach…
…to the next public one…
The Hazards still brooding.
Over the bridge and a little stream…
And then lunch on the deck, overlooking the beach. Sigh. This writer makes his own pastry (I am in awe!) and created a delicious onion and gruyère flan which we ate with fresh baked sourdough, a crisp tomato, rocket and mushroom salad with balsamic dressing and accompanied by the smoothest, medal-winning Milton pinot noir, whilst a sea eagle circled lazily at eye level. Mr. Johnston is working on an anthology and an exciting new hist.fict as well and without even hearing the publicity, they will be on my TBR list.
A lovely, calm and peaceful day away from the rush and bustle of life.
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