As weekends go!!!!

Autumn knocked on our door this weekend. The leaves are still clinging to the trees but I don't know how long that will last. Our mornings are slightly cooler but then warming to very pleasant afternoons.

Trying to mix morning rides with house chores is always a struggle. Rides with friends is always a joy, especially when the sun rises over Port Phillip bay. The enthusiastic chatter between our group of riders is always a delight to hear, only overshadowed by the end of ride coffee or in my case a chinotto.

Our ride takes us to the end of Beach Road to Mordialloc. I've blogged Mordy before but on the weekend I found some great old piccies of Mordy - Sue and I have recently toyed with the idea of down-sizing in the future and maybe, just maybe, Mordy could be considered.

Years ago it was a holiday area, just 20 plus kms from the Melbourne CBD, but today is just another eastern suburb.

Sit in the sun but don't expect to catch any fish - not true, today people sit on the pier and catch fish.



The last of the indigenous inhabitants of Mordialloc were Jimmy and lubra (wife)





The Bridge Hotel has been part of the Mordialloc community since its inception - Its seen many transformations over its long history. Its patrons enjoy the outdoor decking looking out over the creek and the Bay on days like this weekend. Don't you love the old cars and the Bedford bus to the left?



It had fairgrounds, fishing and horse racing as its main attractions over the years. Today it has a real village atmosphere with cafes, wine bars and local shops that you don't see so much of these days. There's a creek that runs into the bay at Mordy and on the banks there was a boat builder that started his business there.

On the other side of the creek is a hotel - the Bridge Hotel that has morphed from a country pub to a place where the trendy now dine - that's not a bad thing as we can enjoy a few drinks and admire the view from its decking on a sunny afternoon.

Sunday came with a chilly morning of around 12 but as I was doing the lawns, it rose to 29. There were a few yard chores to be done but my rewards came mid afternoon as Sue brought out a chilled Rose, a Banrock Station and not too shabby. I'm impressed with this winemaker's philosophy. They care for our environment and portion of their sales are invested in the needs throughout the world.



Rosita and Rose on an Autumn afternoon.



http://www.banrockstation.com.au/

If you're interested, here's their website.

I must have worked very hard in the yard today because Sue rewarded me with a delightful dinner that was washed down with a Chilean Pinot Noir. Yes, we do have many fine Australian wines but it's nice to try wines from around the world, and besides, this one had a bike on the label.

Chicken breast pieces (I had to cut them because the whole ones were huge) marinated in salt, pepper, oil, fresh thyme, lemon rind and bay leaves.

Cooked in a pan till the skin was golden then popped in the oven for a few minutes.The pan juices made a tasty sauce.

Served with boiled little new potatoes with a little butter and parsley and my favourite salad (this week any way)

Different types of tomatoes cut up, a bit of red capsicum, spring onion, cucumber and basil. Hunks of sourdough bread, sprinkled with sea salt, fennel seeds and oil then crisped and browned in the oven. Mix it all up with the tomatoes and then add red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and smush up. Yummy.

A nice, ripe piece of brie served with figs drizzled with runny honey. Served of course with Leon's coffee and a glass of muscat. A nice way to end the weekend.

As weekends go, this was a boomer..................