Friends and Festivals

I love a good festival. I like pretty much all festivals, because they are celebrations of things that matter to people, and I like the enthusiasm that brings folk together to share a common interest. We are at the start of the Italian Film Festival in Canberra - so many things to see. 

I have no idea what this festival was for, but I like the brightly-coloured lanterns strung through the bare branches of the trees above the market stalls.

Today's book and breakfast combo: I'm reading the novel because it was shortlisted for this year's Booker Prize (and I like the cover); I'm eating the breakfast because I like bacon and egg rolls.  

We had a sort of spring meal with a gathering of friends: this is some of the dessert selection. 

Our garden continues to do its spring thing with beautiful scents and colours. 

And the cool evenings are still the perfect time to enjoy a glass of spiced mead. 

Moo make me feel like dancing

On Anzac Day we went for a walk through the Murrumbidgee Corridor. It was peaceful and glorious.

The Murrumbidgee

These pickled onions made me laugh.

Here is the latest in the series of Nailed It (or not). See if you can tell the difference between my version of roast cauliflower, chickpea and paneer curry, and the official photographed recipe version.

I know; they're practically identical, right?

And speaking of curry, this is the Rogan Josh brewed by Him Outdoors and the Stutchbury Farmer for Wignall Brewery. It is going to GABS as a Festival Beer. We are very excited by this.

I was very lucky to be given a free ticket to Groovin the Moo, which is apparently a music festival for young people. It was dark by the time I got there after work, so I had no concern at all over being older than almost everyone else present. And I can dance and enjoy the music just the same. There was a pretty good vibe - I suspect all the drunken eejits had already passed out. I danced and sang along to my favourites and discovered an appreciation for some new stuff. 

Claptone had a great laser light display in the main 'Moolin Rogue' tent. He's a techno dj from Germany who wears a beaked mask and projects pictures of shamanic figures onto the large screens behind the decks. I don't care who he is; I just love the sound of house piano wafting out across a field.

Claptone

The 'slightly older' contingent

Royal Blood were excellent. I've been vaguely aware of them, but never really listened before - I will be from now on. They put out a whole lot of noise for just two people: Ben Thatcher on drums and Mike Kerr on guitar(s) - he played at least half a dozen different guitars during the 50-minute set. They were full of energy and attitude with the ability to have a bit of a laugh as well. 

Capital Brewing have put out a special Royal Brew Blood Orange IPA in their honour, which was on sale at the festival (although it had all sold out by the time I got there). Mike Kerr was encouraged to drink one by the crowd who yelled out for him to do a shoey - when he remarked that he hadn't got a shoe, he was helpfully supplied with one form the moshpit. So very rock and roll.

Royal Blood: a whole lot of music from two musicians

Ball Park Music are infectious. Their jolly jangly pop-tastic tunes belie a darker edge, but it's hard not to be happy when they open a set with It's Nice to be Alive and follow up with numbers such as Exactly How You Are. Everything is Shit Except My Friendship with You, She Only Loves Me when I'm There and The Perfect Life Does Not Exist were also very well received, while the confetti cannons and giant beach balls added to the party atmosphere and overall good mood. 

Everybody's happy with Ball Park Music

Festival Fun

At the beginning of the week I met little b for coffee. We were meant to be watching a film, but we got sidetracked by talking so we missed the film and continued our conversation over lunch at Parlour.

Steps up to Monster

little b and her massive hands

Olives at Parlour

Grilled Octopus Salad

Saltimbanque by Tim Kyle (Basically Manspreading)

This week was the Canberra Comedy Festival and we tried to get along to a few events. There was a great line-up but I confess I am still very tired from performing every night myself.  I ended up seeing Rich Hall, Shit-Faced Shakespeare, Stephen K Amos and Ross Nobel. I reckon that's a pretty solid representation.

Waiting for Rich Hall

The No-Expense-Spared Set for Shit-Faced Shakespeare

The somewhat bizarre set for the truly bonkers Ross Noble

At the weekend Him Outdoors was having his first public appearance as a commercial brewer at The Canberra Craft Beer and Cider Festival. The night before we went to the pub to do some quality control.

Wignall Brewery Cole Porter

The day of the festival itself was bright and clear. It was a well-organised, fun day out and, while we were exhausted at the end of it, I think it was considered a success. 

Wignall Brewery

The Brewers and Me

Festivals and Parks

Another weekend; another festival - this time the Canberra Food and Wine Festival. It was pouring outside as we indulged in some tasty delights. We had ash brie, chocolate-covered coffee beans, Ding the Recipe harissa, frugli gelato of coconut and salted caramel, Tar 10 chipotle chilli mayonnaise, and a gourmet kransky cheese kransky with cheese and onions. Here's some food:

 

Happy Alley!

The bloke at Short Sheep Winery (who was from Luton) explained how they use a special breed of short sheep to trim the grass in the vineyard. He instantly guessed that Him Outdoors was from Burnley and was happy to talk about wine and football - what else is there? We liked the Shiraz and the Shiraz Rose best.

Short Sheep wines

We also tried the wines at Mount Alexander (their pinot noir was similar to those of Central Otago), Andrew Peace wines (the Tempranillo; Shiraz Malbec; a Tall Poppy Cabernet Sauvignon which was very tasty and jammy; and a Vintage Port), and Shaw Vineyard Estate (their ricato was not as sweet as moscato; and the sparkling cuvee made with only semillon grapes was very nice and clean). 

As well as the wine, there was Tusker malt, African beer, mango beer and mango cider from Matso's Brewery, D'cider 50% made from Batlow Pink Lady apples, and Sun Shack cider made with feijoa and elderflower. One of our favourites was the Gallagher sparkling Duet, which is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The chap from Gallagher Wines

A handy way to carry the can(s)

There was an outfit there who dealt in bones and muscles; their purpose was to train muscles that you don't usually use. They tested fitness, balance and co-ordination and printed them out on a graph. Him Outdoors signed up for a session and was told that, although he was very fit, he had the equivalent balance of an eighty year old. This is what his graph looks like:

 After all this talk of food and drink, it seemed only natural to go to the Wig and Pen for a curry and a pint.

Dinner at the Wig and Pen

Explaining British socio-geopolitics with the aid of beer mats

A few days later, a run at Urambi Hills shows how hot and dry it all is.

But a welcome rain-shower made Glebe Park look fresh and green. The grabite and pavers state The Glebe (2002) is made from a single block of granite, segmented to represent the subdivision of the original glebe allotment of 119 acres. 

The house shape of each block refers to European settlement of the area. The carved cross on the first signifies this place's historical ties to the church; the highly polished face of the second encourages reflection and contemplation; the spiraling surface of the third represents time - past, present. future.

The Glebe (2002) by Hew Chee Fong and L. M. Noonan

Egle, Queen of the Serpents by Ieva Pocius (a gift from the Australian Lithuanian Community to mark Australia's Bicentennial Celebrations)

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi by Ram Sutar presides over the park. It was given as a gift from the government and people of India to Australia in 2002. Gandhi's guidelines for life are set forth on the plinth below his feet.

Statue of Mahatma Gandhi by Ram Sutar