Hahndorf, South Australia

Steve and I celebrated our second anniversary on Nov. 24. He whisked me away for a surprise stay at a circa 1870 bread and breakfast cottage in Hahndorf, South Australia for the weekend.

I can't even begin to tell you how gorgeous the place is. I took lots more photos than are posted here, but this is just a taste of what we experienced.

A little background: Steve's ancestors on his father's side migrated from Germany to Australia in 1848 and settled in the Barossa Valley, just north of Adelaide. Hahndorf is one of the original German settlement towns, founded in the 1830s. My background is also German, and my ancestors on my father's side traveled to Chicago, Illinois aboard a ship from Germany in 1854. Both of our German ancestral families escaped religious persecution. Interestingly, his mother's English family also migrated to Australia at about the same time and settled near Adelaide. However, my English side of the family through my Grandma Wallenborn came to America in the 1600s, settled in Massachusetts to help establish the new colony, fought in the American Revolution and then moved on up to Maine and worked in the lighthouse at Owl's Head.

Anyway, we enjoyed a short weekend, about six hours drive from where we live, immersing ourselves in German culture and cuisine. We stayed at historic Elderberry Cottage, surrounded by lush gardens (remember it's springtime here). The cottage was made of stone and had three rooms: the kitchen/living area heated by a large fireplace with an antique polished wood mantle, the bedroom with an ornate brass bed with feather mattress and pillows, and a bathroom with shower. Because the house is on a rainwater tank system, showers are limited to seven minutes if we wanted hot water. Otherwise, there was a 55-minute wait for more hot water! We are frugal with water anyway, so there was no problem.

We spent most of Saturday in the old Hahndorf section with its preserved buildings. The place was hopping with tourists and travelers. Christmas shopping was in full swing, and we spent way too much money. On Sunday we visited artist Hans Heysen's home. He is famous for capturing the Adelaide area in watercolors and ink. We purchased some large prints to take home and have framed.

We also visited a German pub/restaurant for dinner one evening, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first real bratwurst and saurkraut since leaving the States. Steve tried his first soft pretzel and mustard, then proceeded to steal mine. However, he introduced me to a German pastry formerly called a Berliner...stuffed with jam and whipped cream and coated in sugar. We split one...my form of sticking to a diet, hehe.

Everywhere we went there was German music and locals and visitors speaking German. It was almost like we were transported to that country. The weather was perfect...some rain, some sun, cool and very comfortable. When we retired to the cottage in the evening Steve lit the fire in the massive fireplace and kept us warm while we sipped complimentary port in tiny glasses. Also, bed and breakfasts here are not like what I expected. The hosts stocked the fridge with bacon, fresh eggs from the resident chooks (hens), homemade bread, apple struedel, orange juice, full cream milk, quince jelly and lime honey for us to make our own breakfast. It was very private and homey, and I want to go back and live there forever.

Some photos:

An old barn from the early German settlement days on the property where we stayed. The roof is hard to see because it's made of corrugated tin, which was (and is still) common, and is catching the late morning sunlight.

The living room of Elderberry Cottage. Fresh roses and fragrant star jasmine from the gardens in the floral arrangement in the vase.

A roasting pig on the street in Hahndorf. The cook was amused that I had to have a photo. I said, (in my best American accent) that I'd never seen something like that before. He was very good-natured.

Nixon's Windmill. What's left of it, anyway. It was one of the first structures built near Hahndorf and part of the original property where we stayed. Steve remembers this as a landmark from his childhood when his family traveled from Keith to Adelade. Keith is about two hours away, and they lived on a cattle station there that his dad managed.

An old school now turned into a museum. I have no idea what those mounds are. They look like termite humps from northern Australia near Darwin. But they're not.

The German Arms hotel, an original. During World War II, the place was raided because of its name. Authorities thought that Germans kept arms (weapons) there.

Horses and buggy, downtown Hahndorf.

Historic Hahndorf.

Historic Hahndorf.

German/Australian architecture in Hahndorf.

Large German steins complete with canned beer for sale. We bought two just for posterity and a laugh.

Old German pipes in the museum. Picture not good quality, sorry. I thought of my son, Jason, and his pipes.

I had a giggle at this sign. I asked Steve..."So they bowl senior citizens here? How far do they roll?" He just looked at me and shook his head.

Elderberry Cottage gardens.

Front of Elderberry Cottage.