M-O-N-A MONA!

Saturday 16^{th September}. Cindy and Craig live north of Hobart, not far from MONA. Part of the tourist trail is to catch the MONA ferry from Hobart up the Derwent to MONA and back again at the end of the visit. Bit pointless driving to Hobart just to do that, so Cindy suggests we drive to MONA, have a bit of a look around, then catch the MONA ferry into Hobart, and being Saturday, have a look at the Salamanca Markets. So that’s what we did. Wandered around the current exhibit, The Museum of Everything, a seemingly random collection of art, old and new, pictures scribbled on paper and ‘proper’ paintings. All very interesting, but took some brain power to take it all in. We got through there in about an hour and a half, then decided to head for the ferry. The day didn’t start off too badly, I threw my ‘Norway’ coat in the car as an afterthought, but I was so glad on the ferry that I had it. I didn’t take it off again till we got back to MONA!  

Before we hit the markets we decided to sit and have a drink in The Glasshouse, the building where the MONA ferry docks. Frangelico coffee, just like on the cruise we met on. As we sat looking out at the view, the weather closed in and we didn’t see the sun again all day. And it was windy! Nevertheless, we were here for the markets and we weren’t leaving until we’d walked them, end to end. On the upside, we had the best curried scallop pie for a bargain price. The guy only had one left, $8.00, but it was damaged so Trevor offered him $6.00. Tasted the same! Due to the rain, the markets aren’t busy, which is how I like it, but could have done without the bad weather. We met the lady who grows saffron, the only Aussie grown saffron. She moved to a spot south of Hobart from Sydney, 20 or so years ago with her husband and started planting crocus flowers, the source of saffron. She was lovely to talk to and gave us some saffron gin to taste. Not bad, so I bought a bottle and some saffron to take home. We were on a mission to find the mead that Patrick had tried when he and Heidi were down for dark MOFO but couldn’t find the one he explained to us. 

Eventually, the weather wore us down, so we went back to The Glasshouse for another drink to pass the time while we waited for the ferry. A little local knowledge goes a long way. Cindy’s idea of catching the ferry from MONA to Hobart and back was brilliant, the crowds were all going the other way to us. I’m sure it’s not the first time she’s done that! We put our coats into a locker and dived back in to explore more of what was on show in MONA. Take a look at their website and you’ll see a lot of the stuff we saw. Not sure whether to be disappointed that we missed both the feeding of the poo machine and the pooing of the poo machine, but there was no smell in the room that apparently can happen at both these times, so probably not a bad thing to have missed! MONA is built on the site of a winery, Moorilla Wines, so to have the full MONA experience, we feel it necessary to visit the cellar door and taste some wine. They have some good wines and both Cindy and I buy a bottle of the 2016 Sauv Blanc.

By the time we get back to the “(name hidden) Pizzeria and Aquatic Centre” there’s just time for a quick cuppa, before we head back into Hobart for our long awaited dinner at the Drunken Admiral in Hobart, possibly the best value seafood restaurant in Hobart, with excellent food. Self described as a ‘Folksy wooden dining hall full of marine souvenirs, serving up chowder and hearty seafood dishes’, it’s been on the Hobart marina since 1979. You don’t survive that long if you’re not doing something right. Cindy recommends the seafood chowder and it’s outstanding.

I’m always on the look out for vintage cutlery, Grosvenor in the ‘Christine’ pattern and I manage to find a serving spoon at the Salamanca markets. When I show Cindy, she suggests we stop by the Sorell markets in the morning, a roundabout way to get to Richmond, tomorrow’s touristy goal.