The Blue Mountains, wild life in the vineyard..

We recently went to a wedding in the Hunter Valley, and we stayed in an AirBnB nearby. The AirBnB was a cottage set in an olive grove.

When we arrived a young kangaroo and his family were watching close by…

It was a very hot day, and the owner of the property said they had very little rain this year…never a good sign.

However the next morning the light was soft across the fields, and the kangaroo family had moved down to greener pastures.

We enjoyed the wedding, and had a hearty breakfast at one of the many places to eat in the Hunter valley.

We had planned a short holiday around the wedding, and the next day, we drove to the beautiful Blue Mountains…

It was a long and winding road to our next AirBnB, however, when we arrived we knew it was all worth it. We had a lovely spacious cottage, looking across to the wonderful views of the Blue Mountains.

Paul is looking very cheerful after our early morning walk around the vineyards. The views were breath-taking, and the mountain air was cold and clear. The verandah of our cottage gave us a beautiful view of the surrounds.

Every morning the mist slowly lifted across the vineyards and towards the mountains..

….. the day gradually cleared into blue skies..

During our time here we also watched the frustration of the owners of nearby vineyards…it is the season for picking the grapes, and a huge flock of cockatoos had flown by to help with the pickings.

Occasionally the birds could hear loud bangs, (known as bird scarers, designed to deter birds near crops) and they would rise up gracefully, and sit in a neighbouring tree. (it is against the law to kill most wildlife birds in Australia, including Cockatoos)

The above photo does not do justice to the amount of cockatoos waiting in the trees. The next morning we watched the fruit pickers and farm workers, as they got to work stretching out long netting and then lifting it carefully onto the vines and covering the grapes.

It is a tough job working in a vineyard!

Meanwhile we had a wonderful time watching the escarpment of the distant Blue Mountains, turning a deep colour red in the evening. A lovely place to relax.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and best wishes for spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere…..the days grow shorter every week here in Canberra.

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved..

Venice: the secret gardens of Guidecca.

We had a wonderful holiday in Italy in May 2016, and one of my favourite days was our visit to the gardens of Guidecca.

I thought it would be interesting to re-post this, as Venice, known and loved for so many reasons…is not known for its gardens and green spaces.

Guidecca is a pencil thin island not far across the water from St Mark’s Cathedral.

As we arrived on the vaparetto, the rain stopped, the sun came out, the coffee shops opened and the touches of greenery could be seen along the canal.

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We were lucky enough to meet up with Tudy Sammartini, a long time resident of Venice, a designer and passionate gardener, and author of three books; Secret Gardens of Venice, Floors of Venice and the Bell Towers of Venice.

We began in the private garden of the Fortune Factory, an old red brick factory, that Tudy had been restoring with specialist architect Maria Forti.

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In the 16th Century Guidecca was the centre of trade and horticultural discovery. The whole region was very fertile, and full of orchids, vineyards and gardens of rare exotics.

I took endless photos of each garden, but in this post I have concentrated on the two gardens of Guidecca we had mainly come to visit…… the private gardens of Hotel Bauer, and Hotel Cipriani.

The first garden had been restored to its former glory by Francesca Bortolotto Possati, the owner of the Hotel Bauer on the island.

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A very old olive tree still thrives in the grounds of the hotel, testimony to its historic past.

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Historic documents record orchards and vineyards too, and fruit trees can be seen around the gardens today.

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The lawns are cut at three different heights, the first is closely trimmed for visitors to walk along, the second is slightly higher, and the third is left to grow wild as a meadow.

IMG_2577 (1024x808)There are over 200  different kinds of ancient roses throughout the garden, and together with all the other blossoms on this sunny spring day, the birds and the bees were enjoying this garden as much as we were.

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There is a pergola with Isabella grapes and roses. At the base is lavender, and the rest of the garden is full of  Iris, catnip, columbine roses, and grasses.

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What a surprise to see these glorious gardens so close to Venice.

Small herb gardens surround the pergola.

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Here is another ”room” to the gardens. The tall trees and greenery make this a place  of peace and reflection.

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Nearby is the Hotel Cipriani where the wife of the CXVIII Doge designed her Renaissance garden.

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The vineyard of ‘Refosco’ Merlot and Cabernet grapes still thrives in the rear garden of the hotel, and the grapes  provide plenty of wine for the hotel cellars.

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Casanova was said to have courted the young novice Caterina Capretta in this very vineyard.

The vegetable and herb gardens of this hotel were well looked after……here is a member of the kitchen staff snipping herbs for the lunch time menu…. impossible to get much fresher than that!

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Around the pond is a statue of the young Sea God Triton, on his sea horse, looking out onto the waters of Venice.

 

And so ended our tour of the gardens of Guidecca.

Here is a last glimpse of the island as we crossed the bridge to wait for the vaparetto.

This was a day to be remembered.

IMG_2461 (1024x799)Our warmest thanks go to Tudy Sammartini, her affection and passion for the Guidecca gardens was obvious.

Salute Tudy!

Farewell to a wonderful country, and salute to the people, the places, the food, and of course….the green spaces.

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.