Today we decided to have a lazy day. Russ stayed with the caravan and I took hornet into Robe for a long walk around the town. I parked at one end of the town down near the Information centre, and walked up one side and down the other.

I think I visited every shop (some of them only open on the weekends) and all I can say is some people have a lot of money. Even the items on special were over $60 a piece, and I wouldn’t have bought any of them. The colours are beige, brown, black, blue and a mushroom pink – just about in every shop. I think if someone put a bright colour in their shop there would be a revolution.

I did buy some lovely silver ear-rings, made here in Robe, and I enjoyed my wander through the lady’s shop. I resisted buying an ice-cream as the weather is overcast (nothing unusual in Robe) and Russ was not with me.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the plaques on many of the buildings, which hark back to the early days of the township. I also discovered about wool washing. Apparently, a sea captain who lived in Robe was docked at the pier/jetty when a storm broke out and the ship left its anchorage. It was driven onto the rocks at the port mouth and wrecked.

However, most of his cargo was salvageable, although it had spent time in the sea. It was decided to wash the wool before re-bundling it for passage to England. Once there, the quality of the wool was remarked upon, and sold at a much higher price than other wool presented at the time. When this news came back to Robe the wool-washing industry was set up at Lake Fellmongery by the gentleman who built Robe Manor, just across the driveway from our caravan park.

I also found a shop that sold Nesti Dante soap at a commensurate rate to that in Italy. The soap is made in Florence, Italy, and I discovered it whilst we were in Sicily – believe it or not. I have checked their website and they do sell online. However, the cost of postage from Italy for heavy items is prohibitive. I then discovered that Saison in Richmond, Victoria sell online, and the cost is comparative. I have been putting off my next purchase for a while now but finding it in Robe was a sure sign – so I bought two bars of it.

I climbed back into the car after my three-kilometre walk and went to Foodland to grab a few grocery items before heading back to the van.

Russ roused himself later in the afternoon and we went down town to get Chinese for tea. There was nowhere to sit while it was being prepared so we went back to the car. We had no sooner got into Hornet and the heavens opened. It poured like we were in the tropics for at least fifteen minutes and then stopped.

The fried rice was nice, and Russ enjoyed his honey chicken, but I found my duck to be very dry.