We set off for Faro today to meet up with my sister-in-law and nephew. It was an early start and only a brief promised stop at a service station on the way! At least there would be coffee. The drive from Lisbon Airport to Faro Old Town takes approximately 2 hours 40 minutes. It maybe less with a certain driver. The journey is mostly inland so no nice coastal shots.
Crossing over the Vasco da Gama Bridge I was able to take a few photos, when my brother slowed down!
The bridge spans the Tagus River and is 17.2 kilometers long. It was until a few years ago the longest bridge in Europe. That title now belongs to the Crimean Bridge in Russia. It is a spectacular drive over with excellent road surfaces.
Stopping briefly for a much needed coffee at a service station, we huddled together under the smallest umbrella. The rain seemed to be chasing us from Lisbon.
We arrived in Faro around lunchtime in the middle of a storm. With the roads flooding and trees crashing down in the car park, we sat in the car and waited it out.
Sometime later after picking up Colleen and Greg we headed into Faro Old Town for lunch and a wander.
Arch of Rest
The Old Town features beautiful cobble stone alleyways and lanes. Murals adorn many of the walls and other walls are brightly painted.
We found the perfect spot for lunch, when I asked for the wine list the owner said there is none. He had over 2,500 bottles on display and told me just to describe the type of wine I was after. A tricky one, as who knew there were so many varieties of Alborinho.
by Opus
After lunch we headed over to Faro Cathedral. By this time the weather had cleared and the sun was shining brightly.
There is no fee to enter and look around which was a welcome surprise. It made me wonder how this place is kept looking so nice, inside and out.
The ornate ceilings inside the chapel. Decorated with blue and yellow painted tiles. The “ribs” of the ceiling are carved masonry.
Deciding to go up to the roof, we climbed some very uneven steep stairs. Below is a photo looking through the open window to the sea beyond.
Up on top, raincoat back on as the sun has disappeared once again.
Stunning views over the tiled rooftops of Faro
Steady but slow wins the race
The Chapel of Bones and the Bell Tower
The Chapel of Bones is so called because it is lined with skulls and bones of ordinary people. Gruesome indeed, imagining working and handling these.
“The Light Music of Whiskey Falling into a Glass – An Agreeable Interlude” – James Joyce
I always like to go on a Hop on Hop off bus whenever I’m in a new city, it’s a good way of seeing everything and hopping off whenever something takes your interest. So today that’s what we decided to do, I had a few places in mind I wanted to visit. Dublin Castle, Phoenix Park and the Guiness Store. We walked over to Dublin Castle but didn’t go inside and then onto the City Hall.
Dublin Castle
There’s always one!
City Hall
Dublin City Hall was built between 1769 and 1779 and was originally used as a financial centre by the merchants of Dublin. Twelve columns support the dome of the Rotunda and the mosaic floor depicts the Coat of Arms of Dublin. A truly breathtaking building.
After this we hopped on our bus and our first stop was Teeling’s Distillery, not somewhere we had planned on going but our driver said there was a lovely coffee shop there, so we decided on a quick stop.
While we were drinking our coffee a very dapper old gentleman came up to us and wished us a “top of the morning, ladies”. He said he hoped we would be going upstairs for a proper coffee, and then introduced himself as John Teeling, the man himself. When we said we were not whiskey drinkers (blasphemy, indeed) he insisted that we follow him immediately. With that we were whisked through the entrance, no ticket required and he proceeded to give us a private tour, we actually interrupted a fully paid up tour and our man introduced us all to everyone.
While he was giving us a very in depth talk of how the place started and the way whiskey is made, I took photos of the beautiful artwork adorning the walls.
“Whiskey is Liquid Sunshine” – George Bernard Shaw
Entering the distilling plant itself we were met with a very earthy aroma! We peeked inside the fermenting mixer and watched the grains being mashed.
Next up was the distillery room itself, where the whiskey is distilled in the vast copper pots. Mr. Teeling proudly showed us the three huge copper pots with brass name plates and lo and behold there was one name after me! Well not me personally but his granddaughter.
Moving on to the bar itself, I think Mr. Teeling’s favourite place, judging by his enthusiasm to get us up there and insisting that we have an Irish Coffee. As we sat at the bar watching the barman make us very extravagant coffees, I was hoping fervently that our man wouldn’t stand around and make us drink every drop.
The Perfect Pour
I managed a quarter, which was good going as I’ve never drank whiskey in my life.
We all agreed that this was a highlight of our trip, we’ve obviously still got that certain je ne sais quoi!
Phoenix Park was next up our our tour, but when we arrived the bus driver turned at the start of the park and drove back! Deciding it was far too long to make the trek to the entrance we had a quick walk and waited for the next bus.
Getting off at the Epic Centre we had a quick coffee stop and then proceeded to walk along the river, over the Sean O’Casey Bridge and back to our hotel.
Sean Heuston Bridge from the bus
Sculptures depicting the Great Famine – 1845 to 1852, a period of starvation and disease due to the potato blight. A truly terrible time to be alive.
Samuel Beckett Bridge
I hope you’ve enjoyed these three days in Dublin with me, I have many more photos but will post these another day! I think enough is enough at this stage. I’ll finish with one last quote:
“What Whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for” – Irish Proverb
We have just spent the last week in Melbourne visiting Laurence and Maddy again. Each time we go to Victoria we try and find somewhere we haven’t been before. Fairfield Pipe Bridge has been on my list for a while after seeing it on another blog, so if you follow My Camera and I you may have heard of this before.
From St Kilda where we were staying it was quite a trek to get there! A tram and bus and a good walk. Also Google Maps led us up the garden path much to my dismay as my dear husband kept saying it’s not this way. We finally found it and enjoyed a delicious lunch at the cafe there.
Fairfield Pipe Bridge
The original bridge was built in 1878 to carry water from Yan Yean Reservoir to Kew. The bridge was washed away in the floods of 1934. A new bridge was built close to the original site.
Fairfield Park Boathouse Cafe
Est – 1908
The verandah of the cafe
The notice above reads “Notice to Hired Help” – The Manager has the unfortunate duty of informing hired help that instant dismissal from this establishment will follow the disclosure, for whatever reason, of the chef’s tightly held Scone and other Recipes, which have a large following in the colonies.
Dress – Ladies may remove clothes consistent with charm ~ Gentlemen may remove clothing consistent with decency
This was such a cute cafe featuring many original features and we were fortunate enough to enjoy lunch outside as the weather was perfect.
Walking towards the skyline
As Anthony is a big walker he said let’s walk back to the City! There was no way I could do this but I said I would walk as far as I could. Walking further than I thought I was getting quite tired, so looked up Google maps to check where we were, there was a turning just up ahead and I decided to come off there and leave him to walk on his own. I also saw there was a convent that looked worth investigating.
I was so glad I did this as this place was amazing. I had a good walk around and there seemed to be something to see with every turn I took.
Abbotsford Convent
The Old LaundryRosina – now a performing arts hub
Abbotsford Convent is Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct and is home to many studios. They are filled with health practitioners, artists and designers. There are two schools, a radio station and beautiful gardens to wander around. Two cafes, a bar and a toyshop are also on the premises.
St Mary’s – now Sophia Mundi Steiner School Design StudiosThe GardensDesigns on displayCafeGood Shepherd Chapel Rotunda
History of Abbotsford Convent
Founded by The Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1863, Abbotsford Convent operated for more than 100 years through the social traumas caused by the gold rush boom and bust, the Great Depression and two world wars. Over the period of a century, thousands of girls and women were placed in care at the Convent, with many residing in the Convent’s Sacred Heart building, and labouring in the onsite Magdalen Laundry.
While the Convent had a positive impact for some women—many of whom were destitute and had nowhere else to go—and provided critically needed shelter, food and education in the absence of state care, the Convent was also a place of hardship and ordeal for some of the women, as was often the experience of those in institutionalised care.Source
I think most of us have read something about the history of the Magdalen Laundries and the horrific ordeals these young girls had to go through, so it was nice to see that this place was now full of positive vibes and helping young people to get on in life. It’s well worth a visit if you want to escape the city or have an extra day in your itinerary whilst in Melbourne.
Arriving at the “Hampton by Hilton” around 5pm, we searched vainly for a parking spot just to unload the luggage. I knew there wasn’t a carpark but I thought at least there would be a bay to unload, alas no! So after checking in, leaving the car in an unauthorised spot, we were told where the nearest carpark was. Not too far but far enough in the rain. Of course it was one of those carparks that you have to download an app, one which wasn’t available to us with our Google Play registered in Australia! Also these machines didn’t take credit cards, so poor dear husband came trundling back to the hotel looking for coins. Even the hotel reception didn’t have any. So off to the shop across the road he went to find some coins. I tell you what a palaver. As nice as this hotel was, some serious errors have been made in regards to the parking.
We were staying in Bath just for the night to catch up with a very dear friend, one who we hadn’t seen in 12 years. We had a wonderful evening at The Ivy with so much to chat about. The Ivy restaurants are an upmarket chain across the UK and are all beautifully decorated.
After a fantastic night’s sleep in the most comfortable bed we have ever slept in we were ready for a day’s sightseeing.
Some of the books I read last year featured Bath, mostly Georgian romances! Bath was the place to visit for the summer season. As we wandered around Bath I could imagine all the assemblies, tea parties and dinners that took place in the grand old homes that we saw.
The famous Baths of Bath
I couldn’t say that Bath is a pretty place as most of the buildings are in need of a good wash and then perhaps the beauty of the architecture would show through.
Bath Street
The imposing gothic Bath Abbey, founded in the 7th Century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th Centuries.
After walking around the town itself we strolled down to the Pulteney Bridge built in 1774. It is a beautiful stone bridge with shops on either side and is a Grade l listed building. The River Avon was in full flow after two major storms and plenty of rain.
Pulteney Bridge
Next up on my list of places to see were The Circus and The Royal Crescent, where I imagine all those Georgian heroines were seen swanning about in their frilly gowns and bonnets awaiting their various beaus. If you wanted to see a certain lady you had to leave a calling card at the desired residence, there was no swiping to the left in those days. If a lady was seen stepping out with a man unchaperoned that would be her blacklisted as being loose and immoral. You had one chance and you had better not waste it.
The CircusThe Royal Crescent
This still looks impressive to this day, imagine how it looked hundreds of years ago with fancy horse and carts and not cars, how much more genteel. A row of 30 houses and one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the UK today.
No 1 Royal Crescent
No 1 Royal Crescent is now a museum, sadly closed the day we were there. From the photos I have seen it would have been nice to see inside.
It was now time to head back to car and continue our journey home to Essex. We saw so much in our four days away, it’s surprising how much you can pack into a few hours here and there! We definitely clocked up thousands of steps which I suppose went someway to reducing the calories from all the good food and wine we had consumed.
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!
Tower Bridge
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.
Delicious delectables
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 Gruesome skeleton hanging outside Clink Prison
Colourful William!
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.
Millennium Bridge
A very elegant Millennium Bridge in the distance held up by giant steel supports, opened in June 2000. Behind this bridge is Blackfriars Bridge.
Shakespeare’s Globe PubGlobe Theatre
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.
“Taxi”
Apple Market, Covent Garden
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.
After our visit to Melbourne was over, we flew into Sydney for three nights. This was to catch up with relatives and friends that we hadn’t seen for a few years.
We stayed in the Oaks, Goldsbrough Apartments in Darling Harbour. Very well located and within walking distance to the CBD, Darling Harbour and the new Barangaroo wharves.
One of the things we noticed about Sydney after Melbourne was the contact tracing. Everywhere was so much more vigilant than Melbourne, with people outside making sure you checked in or restaurant and bar staff asking before they served you.
Goldsbrough Apartment Complex
It was originally designed as a wool store by William Pritchard in 1883. This building caught fire in 1935 and burned for two weeks, but was rebuilt by Stuart Brothers the original builders. In 1995 the building was converted to apartments. The outside was kept to the original Victorian outlook but the inside is to my mind, something like a prison! Fairly well appointed as a one bed apartment with spectacular views over the city. We were on the 11th floor.
Looking down to the ground floor apartments
My dear husband commented “I wonder when lights out are”
Over the next three days we met up with friends and relatives and also did – for me anyway – large amounts of walking. Compensating for the large amounts of eating and drinking we were also doing.
Our walk from the apartment to Waterfront Park, Pyrmont took around 20 minutes.
Looking over at the new Crown Tower in BarangarooAnzac BridgeGlebe Island Bridge
Old and New Architecture Enormous rusted steel spheres, saved from the former CSL Sugar Mill, located on the former site.
The Glittering Lights of Sydney
From our apartment
Darling Harbour Views
Walking around Sydney
On Pyrmont Bridge
Flags flying on Pyrmont Bridge
QVB Building
Crossing over on Sydney Harbour Bridge on the train
Barangaroo harbour and wharves was only in the early stages when we were in Sydney last, now it’s completed and another feather in Sydney’s cap. Sadly the rooftop bar in the Crown Casino is only open from Thursday to Sunday. We found this was the case with many of the restaurants. Also we saw many bars, cafes and restaurants that had closed for good. The places that were open had the minimum of staff, so the wait was long for the food.
Empty boats on the wharves awaiting tourists
Finally a well deserved happy hour!
I really enjoyed staying in the Pyrmont/Darling Harbour area with the waterfront restaurants and cafes so close by. The harbour front was buzzing and lively during the day and night. I hope business picks up soon for the businesses here.
And then it was back to Perth where we thought we had escaped quarantine, but unfortunately not. I think this will be the last of our interstate trips until they have stopped closing the borders.
After four days of no long walks, the boys had had enough and I came down to this in the morning.
After leaving Eaglehawk Neck we drove onto Richmond for the night, staying at Hatcher’s Manor. It sounds very glorious and also looked fabulous from the photos. The outside didn’t disappoint, but the rooms and restaurant could have done with a bit of renovation!
Arriving around 6.30 pm we had booked to have dinner in the restaurant there, so poor hubby didn’t have to drive anymore. A limited menu and wine list greeted us. I was invited to the kitchen to see what cold whites were on offer, sadly nothing Tasmanian, too expensive I was told.
Hatcher’s ManorOur room for the night
Hubby choosing his after dinner drink behind the bar
Intriguing pieces around the property
The owner kept three horses on the property that he told us were just left there! He used to let them out of their field and have a wander around the property. Chomping and chewing their way around the flower beds.
The man of the manor and his horses
Leaving Hatcher’s after breakfast we made our way into Richmond for a quick wander and a coffee. We had a long drive ahead of us to reach Stanley that night, almost five hours not counting the stops.
This is the route we were taking today.
Richmond
This town has a population of just over 800 and is situated in the Coal River Region. It’s most famous structure is the Richmond Bridge which was built in 1823. It is the oldest stone span bridge in Australia.
A waving hubby
Walking into Richmond itself we took a turn around the Gaol and had another history lesson. Richmond Gaol is Australia’s oldest colonial gaol, and has a great self guided tour on offer. It dates back to 1825. When you enter the different rooms the narrative starts. Sometimes it’s a bit startling hearing the screams, cries and pleas of the women prisoners. This was a mixed jail, where sleeping quarters were always overcrowded. There were also solitary cells for repeat offenders. Women were often repeat offenders attempting to escape harsh masters and preferred to live out their sentence inside a jail.
Door to a cell
Womens’ toilet
From the Jailer’s residence
Fireplace in one of the guard’s rooms
The local gingerbread house
Oatlands
I researched the drive over to Stanley to see where we could stop and what towns would be the most interesting. Oatlands was one such place and we had a quick stop here to see the windmill.
Callington Mill, a Georgian Mill built in 1837 and restored in 2010. This is still a working mill and produces quality flour.
A traditional stone wall cottage, I pretty much blend in!
We stopped at Ross for lunch, this was another very pretty historical town, but sadly not enough time to have a good look around. Next up was Sheffield, a town of murals. I took plenty of photos here, but that will be for another post!
This week Dr. B has posed the challenge of bridges. I remember posting some bridges earlier, but here goes again!
Arched glass bridge, Kings Park, Perth WA
Standing 52 metres high, the rusted steel structure finish was designed to blend in with the trees in the gardens. It provides a potent reminder of the rusted steel of camps, farms and mines in the Western Australian bush at the time of Federation. Source: Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Macclesfield Bridge
There is a short story about Macclesfield Bridge. In October 1874 a barge containing coffee and nuts exploded under this bridge. The bridge was destroyed and three men were killed, but the iron columns were left intact. The explosion could be heard from a mile away and caused uproar among the animals at the nearby London Zoo. (Posted as part of My A to Z Travel Challenge – L is for London – Part Two – 🏴)
My take on bridges for Cee’s challenge on CFFC for this week. They could also work for Dr. B’s Challenge your Camera for this week’s theme of architecture.
Puente de Triana, Seville, SpainTilbury Fort, Essex, England
Franjo Tudman Bridge, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Driving over the Queensferry Bridge, Essex, England
This post features Camden to Little Venice and also Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross
The North
Continuing the journey into London through my eyes! We’ll be travelling to the North and then to the West.
Camden Lock to Little Venice
This is a walk I’ve wanted to do for a while, but it’s hard to get my dear hubby interested in anything that doesn’t involve shops, even though he is a big walker and I’m not! We decided to give Camden Market a miss as it has become far too touristy. We took the tube and the bus to get to Camden Station, and then walked towards the start of the Regent’s Canal.
Shop fronts and art along the way
Thai Gift ShopVans Shoe ShopRayBan Shop Civil Rights Quote
Then it was onto the canal to begin our walk. The map said it would take approximately 40 minutes but part of the footpath was closed so after a long detour, it was close to an hour before we finally finished.
Starting the walkI wonder who’s in The Dog HouseSt. Mark’s Church in the background.
I could have taken so many more photos as the colours were amazing. What I really would have liked would be to look around one! Most we saw were all really well kept and a few had small gardens at the front. I imagine it would be quite damp in the English Autumn and Winter on board.
It was such an interesting walk and we walked under many bridges along the way and saw some unusual sights as well.
Under the Bridges
Red Shopping Bag always at the ready! Macclesfield Bridge
There is a short story about Macclesfield Bridge. In October 1874 a barge containing coffee and nuts exploded under this bridge. The bridge was destroyed and three men were killed, but the iron columns were left intact. The explosion could be heard from a mile away and caused uproar among the animals at the nearby London Zoo.
Strange and funny sights
A life size cow on the balconyA smoking monk in a leaking boatMen overboard!
Towards Little Venice you start seeing the most spectacular houses rather than the apartments near Camden. I definitely would have liked a tour around one of these houses.
Fabulous Houses
Just near the end of the Regent’s Canal we came across the famous Feng Shang Princess Floating Restaurant. A wonderful handcrafted red pagoda sits right on the canal bank.
And so ends our walk to Little Venice, which is in the West. The canal now becomes the Grand Union Canal and hopefully if I can persuade Anthony we can do this next time we visit London.
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Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross
Source: Visitlondon.com
Another day, another visit to London. This time it was Anthony’s choice. The reason he chose this place was, lo and behold, a designer shop he had found online and he had seen a waistcoat he fancied. At first I wasn’t very impressed about going all the way to King’s Cross, but was in for a nice surprise when we arrived.
Coal Drops Yard dates back to the 1850’s when London was powered by coal. The unusual buildings were designed to handle 8 million tonnes of coal which were delivered to the capital every year.
Now it is home to many designer boutiques, restaurants and apartment buildings. It is located alongside the Regent’s Canal.
Man on a Mission
Afternoon aperitif
Grade II Listed Cast Iron framework now luxury apartmentsSt. Pancras LockFloating Book Shop
I really enjoyed our day here and it’s well worth a visit if you are ever in this area. It seems that more of London is being resurrected every year with great new projects that incorporate old derelict buildings.
That’s all from the North!
I’ll finish with a quote from a very famous designer
