At the Ol’ Duke’s pleasure – http://Mondediplo.com/spip.php?page=recherche&recherche=pleasure
Portarlington, by day, is a spread out sort of place, on its hills overlooking Port Phillip Bay, although we were not helped in our appreciation by a grey and blowy weekend no wonder Buckley decided to cancel his sea change. But we were amazed at the number of good eating places that have sprung up.
In the dark of Friday night, after getting the bags upstairs to our room, the sensible thing seemed to be to try the Duke’s own restaurant first. UGG Womens Sundance Grab Pink UK – http://www.latincamp.co.uk/cheap/?key=UGG+Womens+Sundance+Grab+Pink+UK It’s a large but popular spot and it would be as well to book at weekends. The service – http://www.Google.co.uk/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=service&gs_l=news is briskly efficient.
The wine list is strong on Victorian and Bellarine offerings, although with solid mark ups. We had a couple of entrees each it was cold outside and the inner man and woman needed fortifying one of which featured local, lauded mussels. A large table in a back room was fully occupied by some marketing types celebrating a success to do with a vineyard in the region.
And so to bed, in one of six narrow rooms along a corridor on the first floor. The overall look at the Ol’ Duke I think it’s allied to that stylish apostrophe is fairly stark and modern, with highly polished floorboards (the originals, sanded) and bare brick walls. The rooms are no different.
At one end of ours, virtually filling the room widthways and taking up about a quarter of its length, was a futon style slatted bed, high and of a modishly irregular shape. Then there was a solitary chair we asked for another beneath some hooks on the wall we asked for hangers and a television on a shelf over a stocked bar fridge. Finally, there was a large shower cubicle and beside it, behind a low wooden partition, barely preserving modesty, the lavatory.
Some guests, if they’re not staying alone, would giggle hysterically at this set up. I suppose it depends how intimate you wish to be. Luckily for others there are more toilets downstairs.
An electric heater on the wall quickly heated our room and UGG Kids Bailey Bow 3280 Red UK – http://www.latincamp.co.uk/cheap/?key=UGG+Kids+Bailey+Bow+3280+Red+UK there was a ceiling fan to distribute – https://Www.Google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&tbm=nws&q=distribute&btnI=lucky warmth, or cool the place in summer. Two tall windows have cedar venetian blinds. Tea and coffee making gear is down the hall on a small table. This is a room to hang your jacket, or sleep, then get back on the move again outside.
Given real tea – http://Answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result?p=real+tea&submit-go=Search+Y!+Answers leaves, real coffee and plungers, I can cope with most things, but not with polished floorboards when marketing types start tromping – https://Www.gov.uk/search?q=tromping around in the early hours after their long dinner. But eventually sleep intervened, on a comfortable bed.
The Ol’ Duke serves breakfast – http://Servesbreakfast.net/ but that’s a separate deal, not part of your initial accommodation cost. On a sunny day, the outside, street side, decking is packed with customers.
We walked a couple of doors away to the Bakehouse, a bakery revelling in warm chaos, with big breakfasts emerging from the kitchen for customers buried in Saturday papers, and racks of bread and rolls for sale at a back counter.
Freshly refortified, we did a recce about town as Bellarine locals did their Saturday shopping it’s one of the things worth having a weekend UGG Womens Whitley Tall 5230 Sand UK – http://www.latincamp.co.uk/cheap/?key=UGG+Womens+Whitley+Tall+5230+Sand+UK away for, to observe others at the chores you would normally be UGG Womens Annabelle 1923 Chocolate UK – http://www.latincamp.co.uk/cheap/?key=UGG+Womens+Annabelle+1923+Chocolate+UK doing.
We also observed the Katalio restaurant, with a Greek themed menu, at the other end of Newcombe Street; the Grand’s dining room; a second hand book sale at the scout hall (The Road to Wigan Pier, 50 cents; Foreign Devil, by Richard Hughes, $2); and the Blue Bayou Cafe a funky looking place down towards the pier.
In the end we booked for the Port Pier Cafe, in the former fishermen’s co op down on the front (where a young Spanish Australian couple that night served up the most authentic Catalunan style merluzas hake this side of Barcelona).
The rest of the afternoon was spent touring, including a quick look at the old Portarlington steam mill; checking the John Batman landing and William Buckley greeting site at Indented Head; and investigating the Scotchman’s Hill vineyard’s fine tasting rooms at historic Spray Farm, and its more low key venue at Scotchman’s Hill itself. The marketing types trooped past again at one point.
Night two, minus marketers, brought a better sleep. On Sunday, we quickly got to the Queenscliff ferry terminal and for $46 chopped some distance off UGG Womens Classic Mini Leopard 5854 Chestnut UK – http://www.latincamp.co.uk/cheap/?key=UGG+Womens+Classic+Mini+Leopard+5854+Chestnut+UK the return journey by sailing over to the other side of the bay. (Nice coffee and breakfast at the terminal, if you get there early enough before your ferry.)
In the flow of cars coming out of Sorrento, we passed a monument to William Buckley, who began his round the bay journey there 200 years ago this December 27, after escaping from a convict party. An increasingly busy world was UGG Womens Bailey Button 5803 Green UK – http://www.latincamp.co.uk/cheap/?key=UGG+Womens+Bailey+Button+5803+Green+UK to bypass him with a vengeance; he was killed in a traffic accident in Hobart.
At least he missed out on the inexorable march of marketing.
If it’s trendy you’re after, this is it. Good food and wine; modern, if stark, rooms. For other tastes, Portarlington has plenty of choices.
The place: The Ol’ Duke, 40 Newcombe Street, Portarlington 3223.
Bookings: Phone: (03) 5259 1250.
Prices: Charges $150 for the first night in a sea view UGG Womens Jimmy Choo Sora 3045 Chestnut UK – http://www.latincamp.co.uk/cheap/?key=UGG+Womens+Jimmy+Choo+Sora+3045+Chestnut+UK room, then $130. Other rooms in the hotel $130 per night. Two “stable” apartments at rear: $190 (sleeps four) and $210, sleeps six. Licensed restaurant.