Spiegeltent on Hobart's waterfront has a long history
Had a great time listening to Judith Lucy in the Spiegeltent
last night. It was certainly a nice break from election coverage and stories of
mass shootings in New Zealand. The venue was a real blast too.
Did I mention that the show was really good too? Not as rabid as the title might suggest
This Spiegeltent is one of two which was used by the
Klessens family to travel around Belgium until about 1919. Its big brother/sister was struck by an
incendiary bomb and this one – “Der Sonnenstrahl” was stolen. After being rediscovered, post WWII, it lived
on as a cabaret venue in Berlin, but as film and television took away audiences,
it was put into storage. In 2014 it was
brought to Australia by James McPherson and co – producer, choreographer Jason
Coleman and has been spreading happiness and joy ever since.
Wish I could show you some pictures, but photography is
banned inside. Of timber, glass and canvas with parquetry floors, red velvet
drapes and mirrors, it still has all the glitz and glamour of days gone by. It has
a bar and private boxes too. Seating only about 130 in a semi -circle around
the stage makes it a very intimate experience and the show was a buzz too. It’s
great to see Hobart getting so many top acts.
In fact, comedy is quite big here. The Joker’s Comedy Club in
Newtown, has a show every Wednesday. Panchovilla Mexican restaurant in North Hobart has comedy
out the back once a month, but their website seems to be down at the moment and other places such as the Republic Bar, The Theatre Royal and
the Playhouse Theatre also have comedy from time to time.
Can’t wait that long? If you need a little comedy fix right
now, try a little Brexit Yoga with Sammy J
A bit busy at the moment, so I thought I would
introduce you
to Borys, one of my neighbours. I’d often seen his van parked nearby,
but
finally got up the courage to ask him what the heck he does. Boris is
originally from Poland and came to Australia 12 years ago. He's a
professional mountain biker and Trials Bicycle rider and holds two
National Elite Championship titles. He's been riding for 16 years and
has also plied his most unusual occupation in Europe and Asia.Watch him in action on FB
Health Warning: don’t try this at home, unless like Borys, you've had at least 16 years experience!
Boris at work at the Taste of Tasmania Festival
Mountain Bike in its natural habitat
By the way, we did get our heatwave. Last Saturday it was officially 38oC -the
second highest temperature in the country, possibly the world, after Adelaide,
so the Weather Bureau got it right, despite the snow in between.
Acknowledgements: have taken most of these pictures from Borys' Facebook page. If anyone minds, let me or Borys know
Hmm... looks good. Too bad I just had breakkfast !
Although some of the fires are still burning, an unexpected snowstorm last Thursday brought the bushfire crises to an abrupt end and suddenly it feels like autumn – perfect walking
weather really, but my poor walking buddy has been laid up since
Christmas, so I thought I’d tell you about some pleasant indoor experiences I’ve
had instead, especially as posts about food seem to be among the more popular ones
lately. I am indebted to my daughter for
introducing me to these places as it wouldn’t normally occur to me to spend that
much on food.
Tucked away in an unlikely location in a semi –industrial
part of town Little Missy Patisserie in Argyle Street, was almost completely packed
out. It didn’t take long to find out
why. The pastries, all made on the premises are positively divine. Choosing
what to have was the hardest part, though I did want to try the cheesecake. The
plan was to share it with my daughter, but I couldn’t help myself and probably
would have licked the plate if there hadn’t been so many people around.
Hobart Secret -Little Missy Patisserie -Argyle St. is well patronised
I should have photographed it, but I never thinK of it until after I have enjoyed a meal, so if you really want to feast your eyes on
the food you should check out their website, or better still, go and try it for
yourself.
Can't remember what this was - maybe strawberry rhubarb something?
Fico in Macquarie Street was another little place I rather
enjoyed, at least in part because I hadn’t noticed it before. There aren’t many
places in Hobart where you see sea urchins, sweetbreads and pigeons on the lunch
menu. Although Italian inspired, there is a flourish and quality to it which
sets it apart from your regular Italian eatery. There is no spaghetti
bolognaise in sight.
The décor is classic
and understated –muted colours, a rustic board, plain serviettes of coarse
linen, which allow food and conversation to take centre stage. Our waiter is a
charming Frenchman. Portions are generous and hearty in the Italian tradition and
the food is honest – duck terrine, handmade bread with tangy oil, handmade
pasta with a sprinkle of truffle through it and all of it unadorned, except for
a rather pleasant glass of rose.
Real bread and a very tasty oil
If I had been in the mood to find fault, I
could say that while I didn't miss the obligatory pile of rocket,
I wouldn’t have minded say, a side dish of salad or radicchio, even if I had to
pay extra for it, but there wasn’t a vegetable in sight. On the other hand, I will give Fico full marks
for tastiness and hospitality and above all, for just being plain interesting. The
word ‘plain’ is important. I am tired of elaborate menus which promise much but
deliver little. It’s about the food. People say it’s expensive but over the
years I have often had more expensive meals which left me less satisfied.
PS We didn’t visit both places on the same day! Thank you Bloss and Marc
I will have to go walking soon to walk off all this fine dining
Not a sunset - the glow of a fire to the south west of Mt. Wellington. Poor picture quality is because of the smoke in the air
Rain on the roof. What a wonderful sound! You can hear the
entire state breathing a sigh of relief from our overworked firefighters to the
humblest velvet worm deep underground. For weeks acrid smoke has blanketed the city obscuring both river and mountain as firefighters have fought to
contain around fifty forest fires on the Central Plateau, in the South West,
around the Huon and on the West Coast. Fortunately, there have been no lives
lost to date and only a few homes, but many people were forced to evacuate and it
is still an enormous tragedy given the loss of wildlife, trees and rare and slow
growing plants. Unlike most of Australia whose bush does recover eventually
after fire, this is not the case in our World Heritage Areas where the fires
have consumed almost 200,000 hectares. Read Richard Flanagan's article in the Guardian to see why this matters.
Although wildfires are not uncommon in Australia - today
marks the tenth anniversary of the Black Saturday fires in Victoria in which
192 people lost their lives and over 2000 homes were lost. It is also two days after the anniversary of Tasmania’s most devastating fire in 1967 and they are becoming more frequent and
more extensive. Hobart recorded its driest January on record this year and also
its highest temperatures. With the Weather Bureau warning of more hot weather ahead
– February usually being our hottest month,
it’s a good time to be thinking about prevention
and keeping safe.While local people should be aware of fire plans in their
area and what to do in the event of a fire, visitors are not usually as well
informed.
In the first instance, National Parks and Wildlife personnel
warn against going into remote areas when there are bush fires about. While Emergency
Services have evacuated walkers from time to time, it is not always possible
when there’s a fire. Helicopters can’t see you or fly if there is smoke around
and even if they could, it unnecessarily diverts resources from fire -fighting efforts
and risks the lives of others. Some National Parks such as the upper levels of
Mt. Field and the Hartz Mountains still remain closed to the public. (I’m so
glad we visited Tahune recently as it is now a gutted wreck. It should however,
be shown to people who don’t understand what Fire Bans are about). As always,
check the Bureau of Meteorology weather site before you go anywhere and at this
time of year, also the Fire Service and the Tasmania Police pages in the event
of road closures. Always tell someone where you are going and don’t wait for an emergency alert to be announced if there are fires in your area. A wind change can quickly make it more
dangerous and more difficult to leave. Here’s what the fire ratings mean:
Tune your car radio or log on to the ABC which has
comprehensive coverage and shows both maps and alerts. It also shows which
areas have High Fire Danger and what you can and can’t do. Many municipalities also have these markers. While both Fire Danger Ratings and Fire Bans are
based on weather forecasts, the first tells you how likely it is that a fire
can be controlled – high winds for instance will mean more rapid spread, the
second limits human activities to prevent the occurrence of fires in the first
place. Drought stricken areas or those with lots of dry vegetation on the ground
are more likely to have Total Fire Bans. Our National Parks have long been fuel stoves
only areas because of the sensitivity of the vegetation.
On days of Total Fire Ban you can’t light a fire or even a barbecue
in the open air unless it is of the gas type and then only if there is a 5m cleared
area around it and it is at a home or
picnic ground. You must also have a hose or at least 10 litres of water on
hand.
If you must travel in or out of a fire zone, be sure to cover your body and especially your head in wool or
cotton as radiant heat can kill a long way from the fire front, even if no flames
reach you. Falling ash and debris can also start spot fires hundreds of
metres from the actual fire.
Should you
become separated from family or friends during a bushfire, register with the
Red Cross
to let them know where you are or to find those whom you have been unable to
contact.
While most humans can now most likely return to their
homes, the same cannot be said of the animals. Many will have to be humanely
put down. Others will have to be nursed back to health over many months. Watch the film “AFTERMATH” (the Australian one, not the American movie)
on ABC iview
about the Victorian bushfires if you would like to know more, but be warned, some images are heartbreaking. You may also want
to make a donation to Fur on Fire
So is this the new normal as Richard Flanigan and others contend? Although the BBC remains equivocal as to whether these fires have anything to do with Climate Change, its own reporting on Europe and evidence from other countries around the world does point to increased drying, higher temperatures and more severe fires in temperate zones. California also had its hottest summer on record and record wildfires As heat waves, extreme weather events, melting ice sheets and fish kills continue to make the news, it becomes much harder to deny.
