Yarra Valley

Sandra and I spent the day in the Yarra Valley -- which really reminds me of Napa Valley. We started out at Bella Vedere for breakfast. I picked up a business card and the town's name is "Coldstream" -- I love it! It was raining, surprise surprise!!, but the gardens were still gorgeous and we enjoyed the views and the food very much. We left there and visited a couple of wineries. At Domaine Chandon, we took the tour and there were only 4 of us. Our young guide was great! Eighteen is the legal drinking age here and he was 19 and quite knowledgeable. I learned a lot about how sparkling wines are made. By now the rain had moved out and the sun was shining, but it was also when my camera battery died, so I only got a few pictures. Sandra is incredibly knowledgeable about wine herself, and it was fun watching her talk to the folks doing the tastings. At one cellar door, one guy even pulled out a bottle that isn't normally on the tasting menu and she loved it and bought a couple of bottles. I can see that having a taste for fine wine would be a very expensive hobby. We spent the evening at Jim and Sandra's where they introduced us to their favorite Belgian chocolate -- Callebaut. They buy 5 kg blocks at a time when they're in the US. That's what I'm spending my money on, and I'm declaring right here, right now (after yesterday's day of decadence) . . . I am only eating vegetables today!