Up Jacob's Creek... no paddle necessary

To Barossa the big wine making region this afternoon including a visit to Jacob’s Creek (see above; there is water in there somewhere!).

I felt a bit dumb actually, imagining Jacob’s Creek to be a few small fields but discovering that it is in fact a vast acreage and a multimillion pound industry that’s been around for 150 years. The countryside where it’s made is very beautiful and the towns it serves are the nearest to tourist destinations that I have seen in Australia. One of those touristy things is the Jacob’s Creek visitor centre which turned out to be a very beautifully built wine tasting centre… we tried several wines, though we didn’t swallow! The wine was lovely and if I were rich and the rules weren’t so tight I’d be coming home with gallons of it. It is kind of wonderful to see the place where something which I have enjoyed in Britain comes from… I think it might be even more beautiful in future now I know where it came from. We are so disconnected from the food we eat and the wine we drink it’s good to make the connection. I am so pleased that the beer we drink in the hall is from up the road. This connecting food and place is so enhancing.
Today has been a day for soup, something they’re big on here. I had soup after the morning service, soup for lunch and soup after the evening service. Eating and worship go together here just like in Mytholmroyd but I now feel a bit soupy!