Sunday, August 24, 2008

Ye Olde Medieval Carnival, Balingup

Sunday 24th August 2008
Fliss rang at 9.30am to tell us that she wouldn’t be coming to the Medieval Carnivale because she felt crook, or was it because she felt like a crook, apparently with several generations of Aussie genes behind you it can make you feel like that.
We did ask if Aimee still wanted to go, but she said she felt like a crook as well. We think the pair of them have wimped out because they were expected to wear fancy dress, the kids all wore fancy dress and were looking forward to seeing Fliss and Aimee in fancy dress, so we hope they feel guilty. And Fliss had better be well enough to come to work tomorrow.
Anyway, we went to Ye Olde Medieval Carnivale in Balingup today and it was great fun, there were hundreds of people dressed up in costume and Knights in Shining Armour attacking each other with Swords and Pikes and things. It was a relatively cheap day out really, only $10 each for the both of us and kids got in free, probably the biggest expense was the fuel to get there and back, it was a 200 Km round trip, virtually all on single lane roads but an easy drive.
As we drove into the Town/Village of Balingup there was Carnival type displays outside and in some cases inside the shops that lined the street, when we parked the car and started walking to the entrance the atmosphere was buzzing and not really what we are used to.
In the UK, whenever we went to a Carnival or Fete type thing, we would allocate a certain amount of money which we expected to spend because there would be no shortage of people trying to get it out of your pocket. The feeling here was that apart from a Dollar donation to the school for parking and the entrance fee, you could have walked around all day without spending a penny, although the facilities were provided they were a little damp! and as long as you enjoyed yourself nobody would mind. There were plenty of stalls where you could spend your money, but invariably you would get something of value in return and it wouldn’t look like a half starved Goldfish in a plastic bag.
There were a couple of stalls selling plastic Swords and Shields and the like, although they weren’t selling vast amounts. It was a family day out and most families appeared to be having a good time without spending a fortune on crap.
As well as the Knights doing battle, there was a working Blacksmith, Wine Tastings from at least six of the local Vineyards (we lost count after six), loads of Handmade Craft stalls, a wide variety of Food and entertainment on the Stage all day.
This was a really good Family Day Out and we will be doing it again next year, only next time we might dress up as well as the kids.
When we left the Carnivale, we went to the Old Cheese Factory in Balingup to have another look at the furniture there, they have got a few new bits there that we wouldn’t mind getting but we have got other more pressing things to spend our money on unfortunately. Saying that, if we have won last nights Lottery we will be going back there to pick up a few bits tomorrow.
When we got back to Busselton we went to the Café to see how the painters were getting on, we had expected them to still be there but to our surprise they had finished the job some time this morning. We didn’t look too closely today, but the overall effect of what they have done is amazing, they have made it look so bright and spacious you wouldn’t believe it was the same building.
When we got home Ian planted another couple of Fruit trees that we had bought last weekend, they are a Mini Peach Tree which according to the label, bears so much fruit we won’t believe our eyes, and something similar but an Apple instead.
We then had Sausages that tasted like Sausages, they didn’t taste like the Sausages that they were supposed to taste like but they did taste like Sausages, with Mash and Beans, followed by the kids watching another one of their crappy films while we worked.
Just in case you’re interested, the Sausages should have been Cumberland Sausages but because the Herbs over here are so tasteless, they just tasted like ordinary Pork Sausages and they were lovely.
Aussie Pork Sausages are rubbish, they put something in it that stops it from tasting like Pork and instead makes it taste like something you wouldn’t normally touch with a barge pole.
But now we know the secret of getting good Pork Sausages, buy the Cumberland sausages instead.

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