Located an hour's drive south-east of Melbourne, it is known for its agriculture, alfresco lifestyle, galleries, spas, cafes and boutique wineries. A quick search on the internet brings up gorgeous photos of neat rows of vineyards, quaint country streets and rugged coastline.
This book caught my eye because of it's unusual title and also because I thought there should be an apostrophe in 'Foxeys' because I assumed someone named Foxey owned a hangout. Make sense?
Author Cathy Gowdie explains the historical tradition of an old tree where trappers hung their fox corpses with resulting odour and gory display. Fortunately, this tradition has passed and wooden and metal foxes now hang from the tree.
Buy this book online with free postage
Cathy, her husband and two children moved to the Mornington Pensinsula to start a vineyard and a new life. At the time she was a senior editor with The Age in Melbourne having worked her way up from a cadetship.
The story is personal. Cathy chronicles their journey in a very practical, heartfelt manner providing insights into the intense hard work, difficulties faced and then overcome with the support of the wine community who are renowned for their spirit of cooperation.
"Tony and I surveyed the wreckage of our rural ambitions. Tony was calm and focused. I was less purposeful. I was tired of hanging on, unable to summon the stamina of the seagoing bride I'd been." The vineyard has become a success. The wine can be enjoyed and celebrated at their eatery with a menu of simple food to allow the wine to express itself.
The book is peppered with beautiful photos of their property, family and delicious food. Each chapter closes with a simple recipe that celebrates great produce. It is a delightful yet gentle story that will inspire others to follow their dreams of a different life.
In the midst of reading this book, I found a blog titled "Sarah Cooks," created by Sarah, a Malaysian-Chinese-Australian food lover. Her blog posts are lovely stories about her adventures, all containing food. In June 2016, she spent a weekend on the Mornington Pensinsula. Check out her photos. You will have this glorious part of the world on your 'must visit' list also.
Here is the link to Sarah' blog:
A weekend away on the Mornington Peninsula
Style and Shenanigans is a blog owned by Vanessa, born, bred and living in Melbourne.
ReplyDeleteI follow her blog because it has great articles and amazing photos.
She has written a lovely blog about the Mornington Peninsula.
Check it out here: http://styleandshenanigans.com/