Mittagong

We vowed to brave the constant drizzle that was supposed to afflict the APEC long weekend despite the fact that we were into the first week of Spring. Warmly clad in a jumper, my woolly scarf which hasn't seen the outside of my cupboard in a month, my waterproof/windproof long overcoat and armed with a brolly, I was ready for Mittagong.

The train ride to Mittagong took 2 hours, it started to look like countryside landscape after an hour on the train. The grey clouds looked threatening but at least they didn't result in lashing rain, just a light drizzle when we got to Mittagong.

It was lunch time when we arrived and the main street was not a really long nor busy one. We checked out a few cafes and I vetoed the first large one we came across, even though it was crowded because I figured that was because it was the first cafe nearest the railway station, hence convenient to the tourists and hence not local enough. We agreed on a little, local-looking cafe, and I ordered a quiche lorraine with new potatoes. That was pretty tasty, however G's fish burger turned out to be 2 tiny strips somewhat like fish fingers, sandwiched between a toasted bun and was disappointing.

After we had somewhat satisfied our hunger, we started to explore the little town. First stop was a Vinnie's shop and boy, did we find some treasures! Ever since we saw "La Vie En Rose", G has been on the prowl for hollow-stemmed champagne glasses. We found some in a shop in Glebe, the set of 6 was going for $60, G convinced himself that he didn't need 6 champagne glasses, considering he already has champagne flutes. We then saw individual glasses for sale at the Surry Hills Antique Centre, at $20 apiece. And these at Vinnie's? A steal at 30 cents each, $1.20 for 4 glasses. It was such a shock, we couldn't believe our luck. We also had an animated discussion as to whether we needed the other 4 with rose etchings for $6, and we concluded that they were such a bargain, we would find some use for them, or a deserving friend or occasion that would warrant such a gift. The ones with the etchings could be from the 1950s as identical etchings on different-styled glasses at the Mittagong Antique Centre, were so labelled. Our joy and excitement at our luck just could not be suppressed, we were GLEEFUL.

I picked up a tea cup and saucer set at the Antique Centre, which were touted as a "Victorian duo" (more like "in the style of" I'm sure). What caught my eye was the unusual lime green shade, usually these English tea cups are in pretty shades of pink and red. I had been meaning to add to my meagre collection (by chance) of 2 tea cups which I had found forlornly discarded at the ground floor of the apartment block of my first flat. Those were a good find, and one of them was actually a light green as well.

In our excitement of finding these treasures, including the bottles of fig jam and whisky marmalade that G bought at the Information Centre (after forgetting to buy some for our breakfast that morning before we left for this trip, this purchase was just so convenient!), I had clean forgotten about the Sturt Gallery, just about the most famous landmark and reason for anyone to go to Mittagong. I still can't quite believe that I had forgotten about Sturt. This just means that we will have to make another trip back sometime soon...