The Yarra Valley - Eagle Hammer Cottages and more ...

I was lucky enough to have a mid-week getaway at the beautiful Eagle Hammer Cottages in Monbulk, Victoria. We (Mr B and I) stayed in the Eagles View cottage, which was luxurious and full of intimate, romantic charm. This is a place to unwind and recharge your spirit for a few days. Deb (one of the owners) was very down to earth and had ensured that the cottage was packed with delicious goodies, perfect for our stay (think fresh farm eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, milk, juice, nuts, cheese, biscuits, chocolates) ... I felt truly spoilt for choice and was touched by the attention to detail to make our stay special and enjoyable. The cottage comes with a wonderful classic music collection too and I enjoyed a dinner and a glass of wine, overlooking the natural forest views, soaking up the charms of jazz / blues. Mr B and I have stayed at quite a few B&B's over the years, and this by far stands out in a class of its own .

Eagle Hammer cottages are in a great location. I've never actually explored this little part of Victoria. Olinda is literally down the road, a quaint and charming little local town full of craft shops and tea rooms. I was most taken with "The Lace Shop." This is a place of where lace is of essence. There is a large assortment of lace table runners, table clothes, doily's ... Even beautiful, vintage style gowns, embellished with delicate lace. There was also a large range of handmade quilts of various sizes. Added lots of other vintage style items - wire mannequins, wire birdcages, wrought iron works. A beautiful store, that was a pleasure to spend time in.

Just a stone's throw down the road is Sassafras. Miss Marple's tea rooms was a lively place and obviously well loved by visitors. The scones in there looked utterly amazing! {note to self - visit next time}We decided to opt for somewhere quieter and found ourselves in the cosy realms of Cafe de Beaumarchais. The interior boasted an elegant old-world atmosphere with rustic finishing touches. There was a large assortment of mouth watering cakes, muffins and slices and the coffee was a great warmer to the low temperatures outside!

Being a lover of all things sweet, we certainly enjoyed our visit to the Yarra Valley Vhocolaterie and Ice Creamery. Mmmmmmmm... just about sums that one up!

A wonderful time away, beautiful countryside. I certainly look forward to returning to experience Puffin Billy (with the B children) and also tackle the 1,000 steps of the Kokoda Walk (looked amazing) ...

Back home again, refreshed, revitalised, enjoying the rest of the holidays!