Batlow Cider Festival

Don't you just love small towns? The wide empty streets after 7:30 in the evening, the slow service at a cafe, the peace and quiet... Ok mainly for me its the peace and quiet. A few weekends ago myself and a few friends stayed in Tumut NSW for a few nights in honour of the famous Batlow Cider Festival!

None of us had been to the festival before, we all liked cider and we all wanted to escape Canberra for a weekend, what could go wrong? It turns out, NOTHING!

Long story short:

• Cute motor inn, cheap breakfast, Autumn leaves turning and falling everywhere, bus man called Ron who was "new to email", mini buses up a beautiful valley.
• No traffic, closed off main street, approximately 1:1 ratio of festival attendees to cider vendors, no rain!
• Tipsy before midday, odd countrytown rock band cover of "I don't get no satisfaction", people wearing bright costumes, the temptation to adopt a puppy, roasted chestnuts, 15 degrees in the sun.
• Down the mountain for nap time in Tumut, unintentional pub crawl, low scoring pool matches, and a very lovely drive home.

I'd go back in a flash if there was a reason. And come on, if drinking cider is a reason, it's not going to be hard.

#batlowciderfest

The little things you will miss once you leave Chile

I wrote this a while ago and never published... some thoughts after returning to Australia.

I've been back in Australia for about four months now. I'm back in my home town, back into a routine of work, socialising and everything else. Since I left Chile in December I have been craving certain food, wanting to hear Latino music, and for Chilean specific situations to occur. No country is perfect but damn I could really go for a completo right now (always).

I've started using Spotify on my morning bus ride to work since internet plans for mobile phones in Australia now allow you to function online while out and about! My favourites so far are Shania Twain (blast from the past I know), some playlists with names relating to top 40 hits, and any Reggaeton I can remember and find! That uneven beat is just different and fun. I'm so glad I discovered/was introduced to Farruko, Daddy Yankee, Nicky Jam, Joey Montana, and all those others. Whenever I hear an originally Spanish language song changed into English I cringe. Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias are notorious for this.

I've also had to change my eating habits quite a bit. The ability to stuff my face and feel good and proud about it, is no longer allowed. People are quite health conscious in Australia. Even my nephews and nieces don't like chocolate or are gluten free.

(BTW Gluten free is a massive trend right now. Obviously some people suffer when eating gluten, however others are very keen to jump on the band wagon with no real reason.)

Foods I miss from Chile: Seafood. Particularly pastel de jaiba. Street Food. Completo italiano. The meat! Ok this needs more explanation. It's not that the meat quality is that different (honestly I can never tell) but its the thickness of the cuts and the way it's cooked. Chile wins when comparing the taste of coal barbecued thick chunks of beef marinated with salt (simple yet effective) to gas barbecued thin Australian steaks. In terms of taste...buena la carne wacho!

In daily life I have tried to mix the best of Chilean habits with Australian habits. I don't plan far ahead, a week at the most - Chile. I stay up late on the weekends - Chile. I embrace spontaneity - Chile.