Fri 1/11/13
This blog was initially set up so family & friends could follow what I was doing in Melbourne. Stats, however, show that I have people from the US, UK, Russia, Germany, Indonesia & other countries around the world viewing my blog. Whether it's been a single visit or you have returned a few times, whether you've followed it for the chocolate & patisserie or for the views of Melbourne & its surrounds, I hope I've given you some interesting details & beautiful, clear photos. I've had to research a lot of destinations, for my own interest & it helped me pad out my blogs, so I have my fingers crossed that I've given you accurate, relevant & interesting information.
It's a rather time consuming task, keeping a blog. I had no idea. There's been many late nights, trying to keep my blogs & facebook up to date & transcribe class notes. As more people started monitoring it, I felt duty bound to keep blogging. And you know what, I look at it now & it's a diary of my three months, so was well worth the effort.
So, let's have a recap of what I got up to.
I attended at least thirty classes, including four levels of chocolates & pralines, chocolate showpieces, caramels, tarts, entremets & macarons. I've learnt many techniques, delved into flavour combinations, layered components, decorated with chocolate curls & blinged with shiny metallics.
For those of you interested in the chocolate & patisserie side of things, Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School is located at 22 Wilson Ave, Brunswick, Vic. They don't retail finished products, but rather sell chocolate & baking supplies through their shopfront which is open 9am till 5pm Mon-Fri. They also offer a variety of classes for all levels of learning. At least three times a year, they have guest chefs from Europe & the US come & teach, sharing their areas of expertise. They have a web page & facebook, so simply look them up to follow them. Those of you in the US & Europe have world class schools closer than Australia, so this would be of more interest & relevance to those of you in the Australasia region. I have met quite a few people from Indonesia, Singapore & other Asian neighbours at Savour classes.
For those of you who followed with an interest in Melbourne & are perhaps considering touring the city of Melbourne or country Victoria, make your first stop the Visitor Information Centre in Federation Square. It is a mecca of information, brochures & maps for all areas of Victoria. They can organise bus tours & more. Melbourne really is an amazing place with so many things to see & do. And many activities are free, which is a bonus. The sense of history, mainly evidenced in the architecture, was one of my main focuses. The Royal Exhibition Building, the Old Treasury Building, the Town Hall, there are many buildings within the city that are beautiful examples of architecture reflecting the Victorian style. The houses & laneways in the area where I lived also reflected the history.
Other attractions I visited included the Old Melbourne Gaol, the Shrine of Remembrance, Fitzroy Gardens, St Patrick's Cathedral, the State Library & the Eureka Skydeck, where you can get 360 degree views of Melbourne & its suburbs.
I think the highlight would have to be my tour of The Great Ocean Road. Absolutely remarkable. It is so worth doing if you ever get the opportunity. But don't rush it. The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge & the other rock formations that make up Port Campbell National Park aren't all that is worth seeing along this coastal trek. There are coastal towns with beautiful bays & beaches. There are all kinds of walks of varying degrees of difficulty, through rainforest, through bushland, to waterfalls, along coastal tracks, take your pick. And for the majority of the length of The Great Ocean Road, you hug the rugged coastline, where numerous parking bays allow you to pull over & admire the spectacular scenery.
Other natural landmarks that intrigued were Tower Hill, near Warrnambool & Hanging Rock. Both are the result of volcanic activity. Truly spectacular.
As you can see, I have had the most amazing time in Melbourne.
And so, my time as a blogger comes to an end, just as my adventure in Melbourne has. If you want to get more detail on any of the Savour courses or the landmarks I've visited, simply go through the blog to that particular post. Many thanks for viewing.
Natalie
