We Unwrapped a Surprise Package in Victoria
The Nelson
12 Nelson Road, Box Hill, Melbourne, VIC 4006
Ph: (03) 9898 2078
Web: Nelson Cafe
'Out at Coffee' - Special
23rd November 2024
This week, Stephen and I have ‘flown the coop’, leaving Lee and Pete to scavenge on their own, as we head south to roost overnight in Melbourne.
The trip, an annual Christmas shopping expedition with Stephen’s mum, is also an opportunity for us to connect with one of her sisters. To be honest, not much shopping gets done, but there’s plenty of good conversation, and yes, you guessed it… coffee and cake!
We usually stay in the heart of the city, but this year Stephen suggests we journey further afield to the thriving metropolis of ‘Box Hill’… 21kms east of the Victorian capital. Now, ‘Box Hill’ has never been on my radar, and whatever way it’s said, it just doesn’t sound exciting! In fact, when I told my youngest Melburnian daughter of our destination, the phone went quiet!
Stephen’s renowned for delivering surprise packages, and this year is no exception, but for very different reasons.
He said our hotel was: “By the station, atop the shopping complex, a mere lift ride to our rooms!” But reality soon kicks in as we disembark the train, head into the shopping precinct, and find the hotel is at least three blocks away!
Now add to the mix … our flight was delayed and typical for Melbourne, it’s raining, and guess what… we didn’t bring umbrellas!
Wet and disillusioned, we head to the hotel, pulling our suitcases behind us. The further we go, the more urban the scenery becomes, and coffee options look scarce. As we finally get to the hotel, our hopes are raised when we see a café next door. But sadly, it looks shutdown… poor us!
We proceed to check-in to our temporary overnight nest, which is, by the way, very comfortable! And we enjoy late afternoon drinks and an evening meal at the local RSL club.
During the night, conversation focuses on coffee and lack of options for Sunday breakfast. But we’re hopeful of finding something local in the morning!
After a good night’s sleep, we head out into the incessant rain a little worried where we’ll end up. But as soon as we exit the hotel, we turn excitedly and see that the café next door is far from closed. In fact. The ‘Nelson’ is very much open, looking bright and modern, screaming come in and enjoy what we have to offer!
As soon as we enter, the cake cabinet grabs our eye, including scrummy looking, raspberry, white chocolate muffins. And we think of our fellow gulls back at home, who’d love to swoop in for a treat.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and Stephen and I settle in to poached eggs with our coffee. Our companions selecting sourdough toast, one with avocado and the other, honey!
Breakfast is an interesting experience, as these seagulls are used to a feeding frenzy with Lee and Pete around. But this week, our companions are wiser, more refined older hens, who delicately peck away at their brekkie, as they cluck away.
The foods delicious and Stephen follows up by ordering a coffee tasting tray, aptly named; ‘Barista Breakfast!’ The three samples give these gulls a caffeine rush, setting us up for some retail therapy.
While we’re at the shops, we watch as Stephen nabs a $10 haircut. In fact, his proud mum decides to video the event. So, he turns to the barber and says embarrassingly; “Sorry about my mum!” … to which she responds; “Don’t worry… its cute!”, as if she’s talking to a red-faced, pubescent teenager!
Despite getting off to a turbulent start, our weekend in ‘Box Hill’ was a great success. It wasn’t what we expected, but it was good to explore somewhere off the beaten track. And we loved sharing it with Stephen’s mum and aunt, especially the tasty ‘Out at Coffee’ experience at the ‘Nelson’.
This trip reminds me of two important things; connection and risk taking! Life is so much more fun when we connect with others and it’s even more interesting when we’re a little adventurous! So, next time you think of sticking to routine, ‘think outside the square’ and try something new … because our ‘Box’ proved a real surprise package!
I love sharing our coffee escapades with you, so please help me share the joy of coffee and friendships. Like, follow and share the ‘Out at Coffee’ Facebook page. And if you have suggestions for a great coffee venue in or around Brisbane, please drop us a line via the Contact page, we’d love to add it to our caffeine calendar.
Allan
I'm proud to state that all content on this Blog is written by me and all photos are originals taken by our group.