~ Three Days in Bangkok – Boats, Bars and Retail Therapy ~

Last week we caught up with Anthony’s brother and wife for a few days in Bangkok. Having been here many times before, there was no need to be a tourist. I had booked us into the Chatrium Riverside Hotel with a fantastic view over the Chao Phraya River. Staying by the river is a wonderful way to see Bangkok, as most hotels have their own river boat. The ferries run all day to Sathorn Pier and from here you can take other boats or walk a short distance to the station.

City and river views from our room

Our first morning was spent catching up over a lengthy breakfast, watching the river transport.

After breakfast we took the river ferry over to the Iconsiam. A massive shopping mall, not with just shops but also artwork, fountains, waterfalls and many restaurants.

It was the King’s Birthday today plus Father’s Day, so we expected crowds. It wasn’t as bad as we feared and we had the ferry almost to ourselves.

Outside and inside the Iconsiam was absolute mayhem, people milling around and taking photos and generally blocking the way! Didn’t expect anything less being a public holiday.

Not your traditional tree!

The basement has a floating market with many hawker type stalls. It’s also where all the Thai style handicrafts are located. I did manage to pick up a few Christmas presents.

I wanted to see the waterfall on the third floor, which drops from the middle of the ceiling and changes colour as it falls. This was spectacular and a feat in architectural design.

For lunch we snagged an outside table overlooking the river and ate while we watched the different boats go up and down.

Taking the same route back to the hotel, we had more of a wait for connecting ferries.

These guys don’t hang around and it’s a swift turnaround. You have to be quick on your feet to jump on and off! But no complaints as it’s a free service.

A new suitcase for me, plus goodies inside for Anthony. I’ll have no trouble at the carousel looking for my case.

We had a quick rest before heading down for a seafood buffet. The weather was perfect, with a light breeze making it possible to sit outside. For me it’s still quite hot, but you see many of the Thai people with hoodies and sweatshirts on as it is Winter.

The next day we took it easy around the beautiful pool, catching some rays and swimming a few laps.

Our last evening was spent on a nearby rooftop bar drinking champagne and watching the sunset.

There is plenty to do in Bangkok, from visiting the temples, just browsing the many shops or taking a leisurely cruise along the river. Also with many different cuisines you can eat cheaply at the hawker stalls or fine dine if that’s your thing. Bangkok is a wonderful city to stop over for a short break.

Streets, Murals and Rooftops of London

During our stay in England we found time to escape for a couple of day trips up to London. For Anthony is was all about retail and restaurants for me bars and buildings. Fortunately we each found what we were looking for.

I love walking around the streets of the City and up to Brick Lane it brings back so many memories from when I used to work in London. I remember working in quite a few of these older buildigs. I used to be a legal secretarial temp so had many jobs over 16 years. Although the old buildings are still standing there are many skyscrapers and new streets that I can’t always get my bearings. Not just buildings either but all of the old pubs are still there and I have definitely been in a few of those for after work drinks on a Friday.

Views from a Rooftop Bar

Walking to Brick Lane we saw that another fantastic building had materialised since our last trip, we discovered it was a new Hilton. I could see there was a rooftop bar with a balcony so we decided to head up and take a look. The bar is called Floratica and is decorated with stunning lights and plants. We sipped on cocktails looking out at the panaramic views of London rooftops.

Zoom in and there is St. Paul’s in the distance

After finishing our drinks we set out for Brick Lane, for me to see any new murals and Anthony to head to his favourite shop.

Murals and Sculptures

Fabulous mural by Benzi Brofman – an in demand Israeli graffiti artist – who paints murals world wide.

Doors and Knockers

Like many people I’ve always had a thing for doors and as we walked down Princelet Street, I wasn’t disappointed. On closer inspection I saw the intricate designs of the door knockers, they were so intriguing.

Princelet Street, Spitalfields is a quiet unassuming street and I didn’t think too much about it until I googled No. 4, The Red House. The street itself dates back to the 1700’s and the houses were occupied mainly by poorer Londoners and migrants fleeing religious persecution and other atrocities. In the early 18th century the street saw many occupants who worked for the famous Truman Brewery. Nowadays No. 4 is rented out for events and films. I found much of this information on a blog called Memoirs of a Metrogirl. It’s a most interesting read.

No. 4 Princelet Street
It doesn’t seem like it’s been painted since the 1700s, staying as authentic as it can.

All these houses are Grade II listed heritage houses and if you’re in the market for a move to London they sell for approximately £2,800,000. No. 18 looks like it could do with a new door.

By now it was almost time for dinner and Anthony had set his heart/stomach on a French restaurant he had found on Google. It was called Chez Elles. As per usual he ordered Deep fried Veal Sweetbread with gazpacho sauce and then the Steak tartare and for me it was French Onion Soup followed by Confit Duck. It was a great choice of restaurant, very quaint and decorated like an authentic French Bistro.

As we won’t be back to London for quite a while (I hope!) we had a grand day out, finding something for both of us. You can’t go wrong with a day out in London can you?

Joining in for Natalie’s Weekend Coffee and PPAC and of course Dan’s Thursday Doors which once again I’ve missed the deadline!

~ Delights of Dublin in Three Days ~

“The World is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper” – W.B. Yeats

First Night

During my stay in the UK I took the chance to hop across the Channel to see my neighbour and friend from Perth. She was also on a visit back to her home country.

I flew Ryan Air from Stansted Airport, being the most convenient for me. I meticulously measured my case and bag and weighed each but wasn’t challenged on either. An hour or two on these flights is enough as they are not made for comfort.

First views of Dublin

We were staying in the infamous Temple Bar area at the Temple Bar Hotel. I had a room overlooking the street on the fourth floor. It could have been in the bar itself for all noise at night!

Our first night’s dinner was at the Fire Steakhouse and Bar, the most impressive restaurant I’ve ever been in. With incredible vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows, it feels as if you are an art museum. It is built next to the Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor. He is often known to have dinner in the Supper Room.

Of course we couldn’t end the night there, so Brigid suggested a bar for a cocktail, and never one to turn down a cocktail off we went.

We walked to the iconic Cafe En Seine, a fantastically art nouveau style bar housed in an historic building. Complete with doric columns and glass panelled ceilings, there were booths to sit in or small cosy corners in front of fireplaces.

Dublin is enveloped in history and tomorrow I plan to explore the sights this wonderful town has to offer. (For Marsha’s Wednesday Quotes)

~ Across the Bridges of London ~

Our trip today into London was going to take us “across the water” to Borough Markets. It was a beautiful bright sunny day, perfect weather for pounding the pavements of London. From the station we walked down Fenchurch Street and across Philpot Lane onto King William Street and over London Bridge. Our first destination was Borough Markets.

Bloom Paradise by Jun T. Lai

These two very colourful sculptures are sitting just outside Fenchurch Street Station.
These ornamental works of art are part of Sculptures in the City and were commissioned to bring colour and life to the City. A wonderful contrast to the glass and steel monotone high rises that now line the streets of London.

**The Walkie Talkie – Fenchurch Building**

I’ve always wanted to go the top of this building to visit The Sky Garden. It’s a fairly difficult process though as I discovered. Although it’s free you have to book a time slot online and you also have to show a vaccination certificate. Although we’ve both been double jabbed and boostered, I couldn’t commit to a timeframe and I was also worried I would have no battery left on my phone to show our certificates. Something for another day then!

This building is where I had my first office job at 16. I thought I was the bee’s knees on £25 per week.

**The glittering Shard in all its glory**

It took us around half an hour to walk to Borough Markets. There were lots of different food stalls offering all kinds of cuisine. Seating was mainly outside only though and food was served in disposable boxes with wooden cutlery, plus it was very chilly. In the end we found a wonderful Spanish restaurant and had tapas.

I wanted to explore around for a while before my dear husband wanted to cross back over the water to head for the shops! He will be now be know as Mr. Shopper.

The top photo is a replica of the Golden Hinde, the galleon captained by Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580. Not open on a Monday so just a look for us.

All that is left of Winchester Cathedral

A mural painted by an Australian painter, Jimmy C in 2016 to commemorate 400 years of Shakespeare.

We decided to cross the river at the Millennium Bridge as this was a pedestrian bridge.

In the background you can see Cannon Street Railway Bridge, London Bridge and in the far distance Tower Bridge.

Southwark Bridge opened in 1921. A beautiful arch bridge crossing over to Walbrook Wharf.

A very elegant Millennium Bridge in the distance held up by giant steel supports, opened in June 2000. Behind this bridge is Blackfriars Bridge.

Above are Cardinal Cap Alley and The Deanery. The Dean of Southwark Cathedral’s private residence and dates back to 1712. Cardinal Cap Alley is an alley in Bankside. It used to lead to a brothel called The Cardinal’s Cap named because it had been owned by Henry Cardinal Beaufort, the Bishop of Winchester, who had paraded here wearing his red hat, after being appointed a cardinal by the Pope. Source: Wikipedia

Walking over Millennium Bridge towards St. Paul’s Cathedral and with The Shard behind us

I was intrigued by this “river furniture” as they are described and did some research. They are the old red pillars that supported the original Blackfriars Bridge in 1864. I think they are rather beautiful and add a touch of colour to the grey river.

From here we walked towards the Strand and up to Southampton Street where the Shopper had some shopping to do. A few streets more and we were in Covent Garden. Deciding enough was enough I suggested a pit stop for a quick pick me up. We had a coffee and a beer in a very grand place called Caffe Concerto. Adorned with crystal chandeliers and small elegant tables we sat and rested before moving on.

**Murals and artwork around Covent Garden**

Chinatown was not too far away so we walked over towards that area and thought “Chinese for Dinner”.

Deciding on a restaurant that looked good we walked to the door only to be told that the restaurant was next door. Anthony asked the security guard why he was standing there in an empty doorway and he said there was a cocktail bar on the top floor, five flights up called Opium! Well not one to turn away a cocktail before dinner we found ourselves heading up the dark and gloomy staircase. At the very top we opened a very ordinary looking door to a small dark lounge and three men waiting to take us to a table. We ended up sitting at the bar chatting with the bar staff and the owner!

**A dry martini for 007 and a “Trip to Malaysia” for me**

Thanks for coming on this journey with us and hope you are not as exhausted as I was at the end of the day. I think we walked approximately 20,000 steps in all.

A Rainy Day in The Dandenongs – Part 2

Sunday

For our last day in Melbourne I was determined to get out and about away from the city, much to the disappointment of hubby, who just wanted another shopping day. So we drove up to The Dandedongs on a grey, cold and rainy day! They’re about an hour out of Melbourne so it’s the perfect day trip.

We stopped first at Puffing Billy in Belgrave to have a look at the old steam train and just as we reached the top a train was pulling in. Luckily I didn’t book us a ride through the hills and forests as it was too rainy and windy.

Puffing Billy was constructed in the early 1900’s to open up remote areas. In 1953, a landslide blocked the track and, because of operating losses, the line was officially closed in 1954. It was re-opened again in 1962 due to the tireless efforts of volunteers. Today it is just a tourist attraction taking visitors through the leafy hillside of The Dandedongs.

A few from the official website

Once we’d had a quick look around and read about the history we jumped back in the car to look for a good place for lunch. There are so many cafes, restaurants and pubs we didn’t have to go far. We stopped at Micawbers Tavern for a traditional Aussie lunch, Parmis and schnitzels all round. It reminded me of a cosy country pub in England.

Parmis and schnitzels all round

Enjoying a pint in Micauber’s Tavern

We then went further up into the hills to Skyhigh Mount Dandenong, but the rain had set in for good so there was absolutely nothing to see! This is what you can see on a clear day. This will definitely be another day trip.

The road ahead

On the drive up to the top

Back home we warmed up and dried off before setting out for our last dinner of this trip. We headed into town for a favourite place of Laurence and Maddy’s, a Korean BBQ place in Chinatown called Bornga. A very busy and lively place where it’s quite difficult to book, but it’s worth just turning up and leaving your phone number, there’s normally only a five to ten minutes wait.

A quick cocktail before dinner in a bar called Storyville

A great feast for our last dinner!

And once again all too quickly our four day weekend was over! Until the next time.

Perth to Brisbane Road Trip – Part Three – Melbourne

Five nights in Melbourne

As I mentioned in my previous post we had an apartment on the 59th floor! I’ve never stayed in an apartment so high before. We had floor to ceiling windows in every room with fantastic views over Melbourne.

The next four days were going to be relaxing and taking it easy, with good food and plenty to drink! Lots of walking and definitely not much driving.

Although Melbourne is so busy and teeming with people, it still has a laid back feel to it. So many tourists going through all stopping to enjoy the beautiful sights Melbourne has to offer.

On the South Bank overlooking the Yarra River

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While we were in Melbourne The National Gallery of Victoria was exhibiting the works of M.C. Escher (a renowned Dutch artist) with the works of Nendo Design Studio from Japan, Escher X nendo. I took some photos of M.C. Escher‘s works while walking around with Maddy. I hadn’t heard of Escher before and it was something Maddy wanted to see. She was very knowledgeable so didn’t need the audio guide!

I would like to have posted some of the fabulous prints we saw but when I checked on the website you needed to fill out a copyright request form in great detail. If you do go to Melbourne before 7 April it’s really worth a visit to see his works.

Nendo

Great Mural just outside Flinders Station

Some other photos of around Melbourne

One of many art deco buildings – Manchester Unity Building

St Kilda’s

St. Kilda’s is a coastal suburb not too far from central Melbourne. It has a completely different vibe to it than the city. Over a hundred years ago it was a very ritzy resort for the rich. Many palatial mansions are still standing, now converted into hotels. It’s great for a day or night out with so many restaurants, from cafes to fine dining.

Enjoying a glass of sangria

Dinner at Rococo’s

We ate and drank at fabulous places over the last five days and enjoyed every one. Food and service are always exceptional in Melbourne.

Tsindos Greek Restaurant, Lonsdale Street

The amazing Lucy Lius’s, Oliver Lane

And that my friends was that! This was where we left them and carried on with our epic journey onwards and upwards towards Brisbane. Next stop Canberra then Sydney in Part Four.

Multicultural Melbourne

A gastronomic four days in Melbourne eating my way around the world! A quick visit to see Laurence and Maddie who have just moved there from Perth.
Melbourne has to be one of the best places to eat what you want at any time you want.
Our first night was tapas at Bombas. A super busy restaurant on Lonsdale Street. Some of the dishes we ate below served with a cold glass of Alberino:

Chargrilled broccolini with yellow bean and pine nut picada

Whole deep fried prawns

Scallops with spicy harissa

Beef tartare

Then up to the rooftop cocktail bar for a nightcap

20180725_221829 — A pint of sangria for me!

Thursday

Today Maddie and I went sightseeing while Laurence worked the day away. There is so much to see and do in this wonderful city it was hard to know where to start. But with google at hand I downloaded some walking maps and off we set. We chose the Secret Garden walk and headed off. Melbourne has some beautiful parks and its easy to get lost in them. Photos below were taken in the Queen Victoria Park.

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After a little pit stop we headed into St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Such an ornate cathedral.

For my second night we opted for Greek and walked over to Melina on the Rooftop. Forgot photos of the food but as you can see below we enjoyed it all. Great views from this restaurant.

Friday

Into my third day now and Maddie suggested the Melbourne Museum. I’m not a museum person by choice but fair’s fair and we hopped on a tram to have a look. I was very pleasantly surprised and we really enjoyed looking around the place. There was a fantastic tapestry display showing. Such intricate and delicate work. Here’s some shots I took:

Just outside the Exhibition Centre

Next off we took a tram to the Docklands to have some lunch and a little look around. This suburb is located on Victoria Harbour and is west of the city. Its hard to believe that there are that many people here to fill the numerous apartment blocks!

Some intricate detail has gone into these apartment buildings.

Still keeping with the European theme for dinner Maddie and I walked to Hardware Lane to Max on Hardware, a great Italian place. Hardware Lane is a brilliant place for restaurants and bars if you’re not sure what to eat or where to go in Melbourne! We had superb service at Max’s and enormous servings of food.

We met up with Laurence after at Cookie for more cocktails. I found out people in Melbourne seem to be extremely friendly after a random stranger insisted on buying me a cocktail! An eclectic bar with a great vibe, a mix of all ages so didn’t feel out of place.

Saturday

Today I was determined to find the famous laneways of Melbourne. There is a detailed walk on this website – happiness and things – so I wasn’t wandering around aimlessly. These were the lanes we covered : Strachan Lane – Duckboard Place and AC/DC Lane – Hosier Lane – Centre Place – Block Arcarde – Royal Arcade – Union Lane – Tattersalls Lane. Some of the artwork is fantastic, some just scrawled graffiti and apparently they change all the time. We also had breakfast at a very busy cafe in Centre Place called RMB cafe – there doesn’t seem to be a website for it. But its quick service and a massive variety of eggs to chose from. Some shots of the artwork I took below:

Saved the best dinner till last – the pièce de résistance. A whole new cuisine and continent tonight – Japanese Tepanyaki. After walking through Chinatown we came upon the Ginza and luckily for us they had places for three. I say places and not table as you share with others – up to 24 a square with the two chefs in the middle. Even though it was on the pricey side the entertainment value was worth it. It was a very noisy restaurant but with people’s laughter as the chefs performed like actors on a stage.
Firstly you chose your set from the menu, then a waitress comes and puts a large white bib around you with your set number on so the chefs know what to feed you. It all starts very civilly with a bowl of miso soup, but then watch out as you are asked to open your mouth to start catching your food, then you have to catch eight bowls, then a bowl of rice and finally for the chosen one have an omelette fired at you like bullets. I highly recommend this place for a great night out – although not on a first date!