hobart, tasmania

our wedding anniversary weekend in hobart was perfect.  we had three days and two nights in this small colonial port and we enjoyed every minute.

hobart is a strangely exotic city - it is mythical, mysterious and the last tip of australia before antarctica.  as an island, not only does tasmania offer a real sense of isolation, but literally it is almost the end of the world.  the wind that blows up and the penguins that appear on its shores arrive from the south pole. 

tasmania's history is fascinating and tragic - one of violence, young prisoners, and the slaughter of almost all its aboriginal population.  it's flora and fauna are particularly indigenous and stunning within the already rare and strange indigenous australia.  as we landed in hobart, with the early morning light and the tree-covered mountains shrouded in mist, i felt like we were being dropped off in the middle of lord of the rings.  we've both read and loved the works of richard flanagan (possibly one of the best authors of our time, who is from tasmania) and upon arriving, it seemed as if the elements of this dark and haunted place must have been wrapped up in his flesh and come out in his words.

we spent three days walking, eating and reading.  we walked the neighborhoods of the battery which were lined with historic cottages and flourishing english gardens.  we strolled through the shops with hand made crafts from gum tree and huon pine woods.  the food was unmatched in quality and freshness. we ate smoked salmon, oysters, eggs benedict, local organic bread, sushi, croissants from a true patisserie, trevally, local cheddar, king island brie, and good dark chocolate.  we read the weekend papers from front to back and both enjoyed australian novels.

most of all, we gave thanks and celebrated our seven years together.  we relished what is sometimes a hardship of our marriage - two cultures, two distant countries.  it was good to remember our days and even better to look forward to our future, and to do it all in such a majestic place.