Tuesday afternoon, after visiting the Maitland Gaol, we drove to Morpeth for some shopping. Morpeth is a small village that sits in an elbow in the Hunter River just 10 minutes from Maitland and an hour and a half from Sydney. It is a village of 1,100 people with boundless charm and character, the finest art and distinctive crafts, boutiques and fabulous food - all in a settlement that is steeped in Australian colonial history.
Cafes and teashops are located in gardens or in crannies down small cobblestone alleyways. Eateries feature dishes that use and emphasize local fare, some of it grown or produced in gardens and paddocks you can see through the window as you dine.
Many famous Australian companies began in Morpeth - household names such as Arnott's of biscuit fame (in 1997 they were purchased by Campbell Soup Company, causing a significant amount of controversy in Australia), Brambles, a major transport company and Caleb Soul who started Soul Pattinson Pharmacy chain.
We stopped for a bite to eat at MC Bakery and I had my very first pie - Chicken & Vegetable Pie.
Of course, because I didn't have the traditional beef pie, everyone tells me I haven't yet had a real pie. The pie came in an aluminum pie tin (small) and everyone eats their pies with their hands - no silverware. The chicken and vegetable pie was delicious!
After walking through several of the shops, we decided to take a tour of the town by horse and carriage. What a treat! The driver of the carriage was a character. He told us that when he was young he went
into a bookstore and saw a young girl in a mini-skirt so he told her he wanted a book that was on the very top shelf so she would have to climb the ladder to get the book. And the long and short of the story is that they have been married now for over 40 years. He entertained us with various stories while giving us history of Morpeth.
into a bookstore and saw a young girl in a mini-skirt so he told her he wanted a book that was on the very top shelf so she would have to climb the ladder to get the book. And the long and short of the story is that they have been married now for over 40 years. He entertained us with various stories while giving us history of Morpeth.
I was especially drawn to the lacy ironwork on the porches of many of the older buildings. We went into many of the shops but I made only two purchases - a $4.00 hat and a cuddly koala bear that talked to me so I had to buy him.
I so wish we could be there with you!! Have you tried a pizza there yet? That's not the same as "pie" right?? xoxo
ReplyDeleteKatherine - actually we did have pizza and it is the same as ours. The pie is a meat pie (think Swanson Chicken Pie) with beef and brown gravy being the most popular and then they add mashed potatoes and mushy peas to the top plus other things - your choice. They are eaten with your fingers. When we go to Sydney we will try Harry's Pies which is pretty famous.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of tree is that in the first photo with purple flowers or purple leaves? Trooping up and down the green alleyways had to be awesome! That pie looks pretty darn good too!
ReplyDeleteChicken pie is not real pie! Pumpkin pie is the one and one and only real pie!!!
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