Pentridge Gaol

"Bluestone College" or as it was officially known Pentridge Gaol, home to many students of crime.

It had been a gaol a life time before I was born. No, probably more as it was established in 1850. As a young boy of twelve, I remember riding my bike beside the bluestone walls of Pentridge gaol. It didn't have any relevence on me at the time. I was young with no knowledge of its history.

Opposite the gaol in complete contrast to the evils and stresses behind these walls was the serenity of a small lake that today is the playground of swans, ducks and families enjoying picnics. I use to run through the undulating hills opposite as part of my training program.

Ned Kelly's remains were buried within the walls of Pentridge Gaol. Above: Ned's portrait (he had been beheaded after being hung), his grave and the armour he wore at his last stand at Glenrowan, Victoria.

Inside the walls back then were criminals no more than 200 meteres away from the lake opposite. Some escaped and were caught fortunately. Ned Kelly the infamous bushranger was held at the Melbourne gaol in 1880 before being hanged. His remains were believed to be buried within the bluestone walls in 1929 after being discovered by workmen when building the Royal Institute of Technology.

The last hanging was Ronald Ryan after being caught from his escape with other inmates from "Bluestone College". Ryan was charged with the murder of one of the wardens.

Today the land within the bluestone gaol has become a residential site, but to me and people of my generation, we would wonder why you would want to live there. To us, it still has an unpleasant aura about it.

Sue had no previous history with the prison but felt an unpleasant feeling within that made her quite emotional.

The souls of the past imprisoned still give off a presence that I would rather not be close too.

One of the entrances to your apartments. No, not for us!!!

Funky Friday

Yes, Funky Friday has rolled around again and our weekend starts soon. I look at our calendar and see we are having dinner with friends on Saturday night. They want to us to offer some experiences of our trips to France. They tossing up between France (the Loire) and/or Spain.
It should be a good night!!!

Sunday will be difficult with a few choices - Bike racing, the MG Car Club's annual Concours de Elegance and it's Valentine's Day. Well, I wonder what the day will bring - maybe Monday's blog will have the answers.

I was in a quandary with this Funky Friday's subject. There were two unusual pictures I took around Melbourne during my travels this week. Tuesday morning I have a gym session in the Jewish district of Balaclava - it's both funky and traditional, but interesting. I've got know some of the locals and my after gym coffee is one of the best I've tasted. The place is run by a passionate coffee maker in a "hole in the wall" cafe.

Anyway, after finishing my coffee, I wandered back to my car and had the feeling I was being watched. I looked up above the overhanging veranda of the shop front and there he was. This sculptured man looking down towards me. I'm parked here every Tuesday morning and this is the first time I've seen him. I gave him a nod of recognition before driving off to work.

Two days later I was driving home through the same suburb and I noticed a very "funky" restored white van. Now recently there have been a few photos of white vans on the blogs that I regularly read but I think mine has much more character, don't you?

It's a bit fuzzy, but that's because I reached for my camera while travelling at 10 kph.

As we say here, "havagoodweekend".

Home Made Pasta

Sue and Leon's Pasta Making night.

Our entree was Tasmanian oysters with spring onion and a few drops of Verjuice

I was a keen cook way back 30 something years ago when Leon and I met. He was keen for us to move in together, (it was a mutual decision) and on one occasion told me that he too was a pretty good cook and would like to cook me a meal. Great! I was to just sit in another room with a glass of wine and wonderful spag bol would soon come my way. So far so good eh? Then came the concerned voice from the kitchen, "Sue, I've just forgotten how long you boil the meat for." (I don't believe that to be true Sue)

 

The pasta is rolled into shape before being inserted to our little machine

And that is why I've done all the cooking for the last 30 something years. 

Oh well, can't have everything I s'pose. (Yes, but who cleans up afterwards. Honestly, she is the messiest cook)

 The pasta being threaded through - about 3 times at different thicknesses. The only reason you see Sue's hands was coz I took the photos, true dinks!!!!

All that changed a week or so ago when Leon decided to get involved to help make pasta. I have a simple but wonderful recipe for prawns cooked in a lemony, garlic sauce. It is much nicer with freshly made pasta. (It was special, but I put that down to my pasta making)

We have this terribly technical way of storing the freshly made strands of pasta by using a broom handle across two benches.

 
Happy to pass the recipe on if anyone's interested.

The pictures tell the story. He did most of the pasta rolling (the food processor makes the dough in this house)

No, it wasn't two serves for me and one for Sue. The other was for our son, but I did eat the left  overs and took the balance for lunch the following day.

The pasta was silky and the dinner was delicious.

My question now is, how long till the impulse comes to him again.

It was fun. (Yes it was fun, but guess which little black duck had to do the cleanup afterwards)

 

 This close up reminds me of how silky smooth the pasta was. and all washed down with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc of course.

Funky Friday

Seen on the beach at

Geelong

 

These cute beach ladies started life as very large bollards that have been sculptured and painted. There are many that decorate Geelong's Eastern Beach.

In the course of daily work

My work takes me to various areas of Melbourne everyday - that's why it's worth having the little Canon pocket camera. You never know what might present itself at any time.
Yesterday took me down to the bayside outer suburb of Mornington and Mount Eliza to see one of our clients.

The sky was cloudless and the bay was like a millpond. As I passed the vineyard between Mornington and Mount Eliza, I took a side road that I had never before been down. It was rather steep and came to a dead end to a small car park. A few people, probably locals were enjoying a walk in the shallows and taking in a short walk before the temperture rose into the 30s later in the day.

Time to get back in the car and return to the office..............................

The vines in the foreground are covered in a thin gauze to protect them from the birds. Looking into the background, the bay can be seen on the horizon. What a perfect spot to have a vineyard.

Further on past the vineyard and finishing at a dead end was this picture perfect almost deserted (except for locals) beach.