
Both female members of the party opted for the crumbed whiting, which arrived accompanied by salad and a goodly portion of chips, while Granty and I went for burgers. It may have had something to do with a late breakfast and a lunch around the regular time, but I was the only one of the four who managed to finish everything on the plate, and it was very much a case of forcing the last couple of chips down the gullet. Given that Madam's a small eater under most circumstances I end up polishing off the rest of her plate once I've finished my own, but there was no way I could even look at what was left under the circumstances.
Given the relative shortage of overnight sleep, there was a temptation to go into carpet snake mode, return to base and indulge in a lengthy siesta. That would, however, have proved unacceptable to the ladies, who'd pencilled in visits to The Bramble Patch and an establishment that apparently offered plenty of smelly stuff for the girls and nothing for the average bloke.
The Bramble Patch, with its range of jams and other berry-related products, is more or less a compulsory call when we're passing through Stanthorpe, and the road in seemed to have been improved since our previous visit. They've also done a fair bit of renovating in the shop section, though the goods on offer are more or less unchanged. It's obviously a case of 'when you're on a good thing'....
Our arrival at Total Heaven produced a remark that the lavender that used to be out the front had been cleared, and once we were inside it seemed the Bored Blokes couch had been relocated as well.
Now, if you're into smelly stuff, Total Heaven lives up to its name. If you're not, it is, as I suggested on the next leg of the journey, a matter of total boredom.
While Granty found somewhere to sit and wait it was suggested I might care to have a look around, a procedure that lasted all of ninety seconds before I too was seated and waiting.
Actually the whole atmosphere within the building is overpowering, with the sort of sweet notes that can easily become cloying but I guess it's a case of different strokes for different folks.
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