{"id":26350,"date":"2013-08-12T10:05:07","date_gmt":"2013-08-12T00:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=26350"},"modified":"2018-05-14T23:50:41","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T13:50:41","slug":"y-travels-blue-mountains-luxe-escape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/y-travels-blue-mountains-luxe-escape\/","title":{"rendered":"Y Travel’s Blue Mountains luxe escape"},"content":{"rendered":"
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They say winter is a time for comfort and home. A slow, steady, unsurprising season that assists the process of change.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

It’s no wonder we all hibernate and grizzle and eagerly await spring so we can be reborn again into a life filled with new hope and wonders.<\/p>\n

\"Echoes<\/a>
\n\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Spring uplifts your soul, just like a good getaway with those you love. There\u2019s no better place than to renew yourself than in the mountains where the air is fresh, the scenery stunning, and the food and wine world-class.<\/p>\n

I contemplate this sitting on my verandah at the Echoes Boutique Resort<\/a> with my husband, Craig. The golden sandstone escarpments and rainforest covered valleys of the Blue Mountains stretched out before me and I had no desire to be anywhere else.<\/p>\n

It reminds me of the Grand Canyon, one is covered with a lush forest, while the other, its rock faces and ravines are laid bare. Both are places willing to share their secrets, if you just take the time to sit and absorb.<\/p>\n

To understand its soul you have to go down. The Blue Mountains has a depth greater than the infamous Three Sisters. We snapped our I was here photo and then went down, 900 steps into the valley below into a forested fern bower.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
\n\"Fern<\/a>
\nWe explored an emerald wonderland that belonged to us and the ancient trees. Towering sassafras and coachwood trees blocked off the sunlight and the ferns can stretched across the forest floor. They whispered their stories and we heard every enchanting word. (BTW they did not warn us about the \u201cchallenging\u201d walk back up\u2014not for the unfit or those with small kids.)<\/p>\n

Now my calves hurt as rested with the view in the fresh air before dinner.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever stayed in a more beautiful place. Echoes is an intimate boutique hotel offering a more personal style of service and relaxation. It\u2019s best complemented with a long, leisurely breakfast in the restaurant with panoramic views.We later chatted with our cab driver how beautiful it was.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and you know you can get good deals to stay there on lastminute.com.au<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

We both laughed. \u201cActually we are staying there this weekend with lastminute. It\u2019s awesome to hear you say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Echoes<\/a>
\n\"Echoes<\/a><\/p>\n

Dave told us about the \u2018Blue Mountains Chocolate Cafe\u2019 on Lurline St (around the corner from Echos), where to find the best beer (Carrington Hotel) and the rave reviews Nineteen23<\/a>, the degustation restaurant he was driving us to, had been getting.<\/p>\n

Nineteen23 is located in the grand dining room of the 1920’s country house ‘Silvermere’ in Wentworth Falls.<\/p>\n

It offers five and seven course ‘chef’s tasting’ menus featuring seasonal and locally sourced produce. Each course is paired with wines from the Blue Mountains and nearby central western region. The average price is $85 per person.<\/p>\n

Each course is a shared plate and the servings are small, but with seven courses you don\u2019t want them too big.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Nineteen23<\/a>
\nI had the opportunity to use my MasterChef judging skills and wrote the following on my menu.<\/p>\n

Soupe du jour –<\/strong> The pea and garlic flavour warming to the insides. Matches the view at Echoes.<\/p>\n

Arrow Field estate Riesling –<\/strong> Don\u2019t usually like Riesling, but this one nails it.<\/p>\n

Salad of beetroot, goats curd, candied walnuts and basil –<\/strong> Love the bursts of basil and walnut with the sweetness of the beetroot.<\/p>\n

Seared scallops on vanilla bean risotto, wasabi flying fish roe –<\/strong> Scallops cooked perfectly. Melted in mouth, with a beautiful sweetness from creamy risotto.<\/p>\n

Hapuka fillet, potato rosti, asparagus and micro herbs –<\/strong> The perfect salt combination with the fish. OMG love that rosti.<\/p>\n

Deconstructed lemon citrus tart, lemon curd, almond pastry, blood orange sorbet, meringue –<\/strong> Refreshingly sweet with a burst of lemon. Palate cleansing. Tastes like an orange Sunny Boy.<\/p>\n

Cools lot late harvest chardonnay from Orange –<\/strong> Perfect with the cheese and homemade lavosh.<\/p>\n

Step aside Matt Preston. A degustation menu is not something we do a lot, but for a special occasion like a spring getaway, it\u2019s a wonderful way to spend the evening.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Evan's<\/a>
\n\"Blue<\/a><\/p>\n

The Blue Mountains has so much to offer, especially being so close to Sydney. I wanted to stay longer than two days. It was my first time to the Blue Mountains, which seems to shock others more than myself. The Three Sisters didn\u2019t seem special enough.<\/p>\n

When I arrived I discovered it wasn\u2019t, but there are a million other special reasons why you should visit the Blue Mountains. There are waterfalls and rainforests, a wide variety of bushwalking tracks, and stunning views you share with no one else if you wander a little further to the left or right.<\/p>\n

There is relaxation, adventure and rejuvenation, unbelievably good local produce, world class cafes, cosy pubs, and restaurants. It\u2019s a foodie\u2019s paradise.<\/p>\n

At our Blue Mountains Regional Sampler long lunch<\/a> at the Ambermere Rose Inn, we learned about, and tasted, how good the produce from this region (and other regional NSW spots) is.<\/p>\n

Apple cider from nearby Bilpin, Pale Ale from Orange, wines from Mudgee, creamy cheese from the local goat farm, quince paste, homemade dukkah, and the most delicious olives to rival those found in the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

Craig devoured a hearty rabbit pie for the first time. It\u2019s the signature dish of Ambermere along with Pheasant with pine nut and juniper berry. After years of hearing about it on MasterChef I finally tried celeriac mash, with roasted salmon. YUM!<\/p>\n

Even though our stomachs were pushing way beyond their legal limits, we wiggled a little more room in for dessert.<\/p>\n

Flourless Chocolate and Hazelnut cake for me and a pear and almond tart for Craig. The only thing rivalling that slice of heaven for my attention was the gorgeous country setting of the inn. The sun was beaming down, and we ate with views of the Blue Mountain escarpments and the Hartley Valley.<\/p>\n

Ambermere was originally a Cobb & Co staging post from 1845- 1873. The current owners restored and re-opened the Georgian sandstone property in 2010 with the vision to offer a contemporary version of what was once historically on offer through their unique food and wine experience.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Amberemere<\/a>
\n\"Choc<\/a>
\n\"Ambermere<\/a><\/p>\n

It was only a short getaway for Craig and I, but a deserving and enjoyable one.<\/p>\n

We often forget to take time out to appreciate the beauty of nature and good food and wine with those we love. We often focus our travels on big city life or coastal getaways, forgetting to turn inward and experience the rejuvenation the simplicity a regional retreat can offer.<\/p>\n

The spirit of the mountains has given me the power to continue with the new spring version of me and make my life more meaningful.<\/p>\n

\u00a0What about doing the same for you?<\/h2>\n
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