Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Gray Nomads and Mrs. Wigley







We've been in Adelaide for a few days, visiting John and Margy. They have an absolutely beautiful view of the Adelaide Hills from their house. Adelaide is a lovely city with three universities and some very great Victorian buildings. The city centre is Victoria Park, which has a fountain commemorating the visit of Queen Elizabeth in the 1960s.


Today, we went to McLaren Vale and then along the coast to Maslin Beach. In visiting Pirrammima Winery, we tasted a great Sauvignon Blanc called Gray Nomad. We learned that the wine is named for one of the indigenious peoples of Australia. The Gray Nomads first started to appear in the 1960s, and tended to travel around the country in box-like contraptions called caravans. Over time, they travelled farther afield, and their homes have evolved into more luxurious accommodations. Gray Nomads are said to be very friendly and approachable, especially when offered wine. The males have white fur on their faces, although this is not always visible. Gray Nomads have been sited in other countries, and Australia claims that they have seen other foreign varieties of Gray Nomads within its borders. It would appear that Walter and I have become Gray Nomads without even knowing so.


One of the other wineries we visited was Wirra Wirra. One of the wines was named for Mrs. Wigley. Now Mrs. Wigley was very special. She arrived one day, and attached herself to the owner of the winery. She grew so attached to him, that the owner allowed her to stay, and becoming increasingly fond of her, allowed her to do pretty much what she wanted until the day that she died. Why is this so special? Because Mrs. Wigley was a cat.
Tomorrow we're off to Kangaroo Island.


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