In Adelaide, there can be a typical and natural progression to a conversation between two strangers. Firstly, one stranger meets another – the most likely scenario is they’ve met at a party that their respective partners have dragged them to. The conversation starts with a hello and usually a nod. “I’m Bob”, says one, “G’day Bob, I’m Steve,” says the other. Immediately, they’ve run out of things to talk about, and the silence extends as they nod aimlessly and sip their beers. It doesn’t take long for Bob to ask Steve, “…so, Steve, what school did you go to?”, for this is Adelaide’s little secret – someone always knows someone who went to your school. In the world of six degrees of separation, Adelaide seems to only have one – all resting on the high school attended. This opens up the conversation and topics, such as your mutual acquaintances, can come in and save the day.
In the very rare occasion that the school question doesn’t work, the next topic of conversation turns to “…so, what suburb do you live in?”. For if you haven’t shared a high school acquaintance, then surely you will at least know something about the suburb they stay in; you may know the local Foodland, or know a good place to get smashed avo nearby, or perhaps you’ve played footy in their local park. Once again, the conversation is saved from the depths of awkwardness. According to Wikipedia, there are “approximately 419” suburbs in and around Adelaide – 419! The impressive part is not so much the number of suburbs, but a local’s excellent knowledge about almost every single one.
Heysen Drive, Trott ParkView on Map
So what does this have to do with donuts? Well, this blog certainly has me expanding my knowledge of Adelaide suburbs every week, but for the most part, the outer and southern suburbs have remained somewhat a mystery. Yet, having received many submissions to visit some southern bakeries, I eventually bit the bullet and drove down south – somehow managing the mess of roadworks at Darlington – and finding myself spat out on the Expressway. It was trying to be a sunny day – the spring sun fought hard with dark rain clouds and, for the most part, won. As I headed down south my little Siri sat-nav was exceedingly unhelpful, but somehow I found myself in the leafy southern suburb of, wait for it… Trott Park.
The suburb was very pleasant, leafy and surprisingly hilly. In my notes I described Trott Park as a “little suburban haven”. The houses were quaint, the streets lined with trees and the sidewalks clean. The only annoyance came from little speed bumps positioned every two metres down some of the busier roads. Overall, being lunchtime, the streets were quiet as children were in school and parents at work. I found Little Bici Bakery sitting with a few other stores in a small shopping area in the midst of the winding streets. Out of the businesses in that little shopping area, the bakery seemed to be doing the majority of the trade. The interior was a hipster-aesthetic (I’m fairly certain there was a bike theme), with the presentation of bakery goods on polite and minimal displays. With only one donut remaining I took it to go, heading out into the maze of Adelaide once again.
