Life's a Windy Road
It was 7:30am when the alarm went off. For the first time in a long time, I dragged myself out of bed at such an hour to get ready for the day ahead. The car has been booked, the route sorted and the map studied. Honestly, reality didn't sink in until only this morning. My stomach was in knots - thousands of butterflies must be fluttering their wings in there.
At the car hire office, I believed the anxiety was evident on my face. The guy at the counter asked if I would like to have extra cover for the day at an additional $24. This would reduce any damage liability down to $330 from a whopping $2700. I hesitated for a while but said yes in the end. Obviously, I wasn't confident with my driving skills. He was spot on.
Swore I studied the map religiously the night before, so I was optimistic that I would be able to get to the Dandys without losing my way. But alas, how wrong can I be? I missed an exit and had to make slight amendment to my planned route. It was still good - not too nerve-wrecking. When I finally got to my destination, an hour and a half has lapsed since I left the car hire office. The website stated that the Dandys is supposed to be a short 45 min drive from Melbourne and hence, a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Hmmm...Either I was driving at snail speed or my aforementioned "missed an exit" had cost me an additional 45 min. Or maybe, some guy out there should update this piece of information on the website - it is obviously not accurate! =)
Olinda was my first stop. I had to try the famous 'Pie in the Sky'. The place was not crowded. In fact, I was the 4th patron in the restaurant - the first was an old couple, the second wanted takeaway. "Where is the long queue that everyone mentions?", I wondered to myself. The waitress said hello and ushered me to a table in the corner. I could sense her slight surprise when I said "Table for one". Why should everyone assumes that most things come in a pair? - I'm sure you understand what I am trying to say. Her reaction made me feel lonely.
Since this was going to be my first and potentially last time at the restaurant, I ordered their"Golden Award Winner" - the Pie Floater.
I was disappointed. Firstly, I do not really like pies. I think that not only are they not tasty, they are fatty. Secondly, that Pie Floater was dry and bland; the stuffing was made with mince instead of chunky pieces of meat; the pastry was not crispy and fluffy; the mashed potato was tasteless and cold; and the pea and ham soup was just a yucky mass of green. All in all, the pie was horrible (in my eyes)! As I sat by the table on my own, I could not believe that I drove 1 1/2 hours from Melbourne to have that.Nothing beats the pie I had at Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Sydney - that was the best pie I have ever had. And after today's food tasting expedition, I do not think I will give another pie a second chance.
My next stop was Sassafras - where the 'famous' Miss Marples Tea Room is. I was told Miss Marples is famous for scones and Devonshire tea. Even though my stomach was already bursting, I just had to try them. I parked my car and had a browse at the shops in Sassafras. I believe the most frequented shop would be the one next to Miss Marples that sells loads of tea and tea sets. My browse of Sassafras took only 15 min and that was because I gave the tea shop a good 10 min and I walked at an extremely slow pace. There are less than 5 shops that you could have a look in. So, my attempt at 'digesting' the pie didn't work. I went into Miss Marples about an hour after I had my lunch.
The Tea Room is indeed a quaint little English cottage. There were more patrons in the restaurant and most of them are retirees, I guessed. Again, I received an odd look when I walked in alone. And to add to my frustration, even the scones came in pairs! "Great!", I thought. "Not only am I feeling out of place being on my own, now I have to stuff myself with two scones."
And I couldn't leave the place without also trying their tea. So, I ordered a pot of Earl Grey. I have to say, the scones and tea were really lovely. I especially liked the home-made raspberry jam (which I didn't buy). The tea was also very fragrant - I wondered if they got it from the shop next door (which I also didn't buy). Although I didn't finish the scones nor the tea, I was in a slightly better mood.
It was around 2:30pm by then. I felt sleepy from so much food and did not have the mood to drive further up to the lookout. Back home I went. The return journey was more exciting than this morning's. On the way down the windy Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, I could smell something burning. For a moment there, I thought to myself, "That better not be some bushfire happening near me, I do not want to be burnt alive in the car like that poor lady on the news a while back!" Then a secondary thought crossed my mind, "Could the burning smell be coming from my own tires?". I've always said ignorance is bliss. So, I wound up the windows to continue my drive in blissful oblivion. I thought that once I am back on normal road, it should be a smooth ride home. But that wasn't the case. I lost my way big time and had to stop twice along the way to navigate myself back on track. That was nerve-wrecking and at that instant, an image of my mum flashed across my mind. She can never know I did this. Otherwise, it will be endless nagging for who knows how long.
