Once upon a winter's escape
9 – 10 August 2026
A belated Happy Birthday to my dearest, oldest friend. Let's celebrate with 2 days of great food, even better wine, a wonderful show and pure relaxation.
Day One · Sunday
arrivals, a matinee, and a long dinner to talk it all out
You land minutes apart and meet where the arrival doors slide open. Brisbane and Melbourne, folded into the same moment. The weekend has officially begun.
A quiet ride from the runway to the heart of Adelaide — fifteen easy minutes, the two of you already talking over each other.
Drop your bags at a little pocket of Paris in the city — French flair, plush and polished, and the show's own hotel partner. A short, easy stroll from the theatre.
Right inside the Festival Centre, a few steps from your seats — a stylish room over the River Torrens, gluten-free sorted, no rushing to get in. Something light, then walk straight to the show.
Take your seats. Once upon a December — a lost girl, a music box, a shimmer of Paris, and every song you half-remember from a childhood you shared. The whole reason we came.
Back to the room to change and let the city turn amber outside the window. No hurry anywhere.
An open fire at the centre of the room, an honest menu, wine chosen just for the two of you, a table quiet enough to hear yourselves think. Stay as long as the night lets you.
Day Two · Monday
a slow morning, a spa, and a long lunch before home
Coffee, a lazy morning, nowhere you have to be. The whole day is built around doing very little, beautifully.
A wellness massage with sound therapy, a nourishing facial, herbal teas and raw treats — a morning built entirely around being restored. Nothing to think about. Melt into it.
A 35-year Adelaide institution on Hutt Street — Tuscan cooking and one of the country's great wine cellars. Two hours, no clocks, one of the best lists in the land. The soft landing before home.
A quick, unhurried browse: Rundle Street's boutiques and the 1885 Adelaide Arcade, all glass roof and gold ironwork. Something small to remember it by, then on.
You drift to the airport unhurried — the good kind of tired, the kind that means the days were full.
Until the next once‑upon‑a‑time.
Made with love for Anika ❈
A living plan — gentle by design, and easily changed. Times are our intentions, not our masters.