Birthday Boy Boot Camp !!

So someone had a birthday yesterday and bonus that it was the weekend, so instead of going out for dinner, we decided to do lunch at a place we have wanted to go for an age, the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery.   I have heard great reviews and love that they use all local produce.   But we thought to make the day a bit of fun, we would walk the rail trail to the heritage listed Curdies Bridge.

Now admittedly I should have done my homework.  The link on the Distillery website on talking about the rail trail said "The first section which is an easy flat 3km walk begins at the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and ends at the National Trust listed Curdie's River Trestle Bridge".  Perfect.  Our lunch booking was for 12.30, so we got there a little later than we had hoped to start out but surely at 11am we would be fine.

So we set off.  The weather was warm but there were lots of shady sections and it was really beautiful.

Took some photos along the way, but soon enough we had hit 3km and the bridge was nowhere in sight.  I told him no problems, we'll just keep walking a bit and I'll ring the restaurant and change the booking to 1pm.  Mike was getting a bit antsy at that stage working out how long we'd been walking and doubling it to get back.  Okay we had some breathing space.  And on we went.

Saw some people at the 4km mark (see, I had my Runkeeper on so we knew how far we'd come, clever girl !!) and they said we still had 1km to go!!!  HUH?  Well we'd come this far, so we started hoofing it.  Soon enough we were rewarded and made it to the bridge.  We took some photos, we were pretty hot by this stage but pleased we made it.

Well on looking at the watch we realised we were going to have to hoof it back at double pace to make it back by 1pm, we didn't think it was good form to change the booking yet again!  So off we went.  And as when I run, I started doing the count down - probably more so to make Mike feel better.  I was feeling fine (there comes a certain comfort in being fit).  Mike on the other hand, although he wouldn't admit it, started struggling.  He was getting redder and redder in the face.  At one stage he could smell hay being cut and had to cover his nose so he didn't get an asthma attack.  By this stage I was feeling really bad that we pushed on like we did.  Especially when we got to Curdies Bridge and realised we could have driven there!!!!!  Shhhhh, we won't go there okay.

At about 5 past 1pm we got back to the Distillery, ever so glad because I was starving and I was a little worried Mike was going to self-combust at that stage.  His eyes had swollen up, his face was like a tomato, he had sweat pouring down his face, poor love.  We walked into the cool of the restaurant and the lovely lady there, who we came to know as Maggie took one look at him and asked him if he was alright.  I said we had just walked 10km and she said "goodness man, you need water".  Mike squeaked out "Alcohol" and I think she felt so bad for him she gave him a whiskey on the house.

You can see here as he was in recovery mode with a cider how red his face was.  I urged him to go to the bathroom to splash water on his face.  He did and came back even redder!!!  Oh dear, there was no paper towel in the men's and so after splashing water he put his head under one of those hot hand blowers to dry his face!!!  You can't help but laugh.

All was not lost, we soon satisfied our hunger with a beautiful assortment of tasting plates.  Pulled pork on soft tacos was absolutely delicious.  Pork belly on a coleslaw.  Spring rolls with peanut and lime sauce.  And a pear, walnut and parmesan side salad.   Absolutely delicious.  And we left with a scoop of the famous Timboon icecream (they popped an extra scoop on Mike's raspberry and white chocolate icecream, just because it was his birthday).  Totally wonderful place to eat and the service was amazing.  Five stars from us.

After falling in a heap when we got home and having a major nanna nap for both of us, we went to a BBQ Christmas party at friends last night, such a beautiful balmy evening.  It was just lovely.


No Sunday sleep in for me, I was up early and out the door at 6.30 this morning whilst sleeping beauty still slept, so I could run my 10km virtual fun run for the Indigenous Marathon Project fund raiser.  The sunrise was beautiful.  I needed to get it in before it got too hot.   My run was slow, but I did it.

Birthday pav for the man tonight, which he graciously shared with our neighbours across the road, mind you he only took them a little sliver each!  What can I say, the man loves his pav!   And day off for me tomorrow, love a three day weekend.   Countdown to Christmas is really gaining pace, might do some baking tomorrow.