During our time in Hong Kong we caught a bus to Aberdeen. We hadn’t been to Aberdeen in over twenty years and was surprised at how nice the new promenade was.
Aberdeen Promenade
Bronze Sculpture of Tunka Fishermen
Floating Jetty, Aberdeen
Aberdeen dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and was originally known as Hong Kong. When the first foreigners landed they thought this town was the whole island. Even after they discovered this wasn’t the case, the name still stuck. The name Aberdeen comes from George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1852-1855).
Aberdeen is still a thriving fishing harbour with many people living on their boats.
Homes to some of the fisher folk
Sampan
Blow up Panda on the roof!
During our stay in Hong Kong there was a “Pandamic”, advertised as a “Pandastic event”. We saw hundreds of these being blown up in Hong Kong Harbour. I couldn’t work out how this related to Christmas.
We walked along the promenade and noticed a ferry that was about to depart for Lamma Island. This was another place that we hadn’t been to since we had left Hong Kong. So without further ado, we jumped on board and sailed away.
Sailing away from Aberdeen to Lamma Island
Having an in depth conversation about the merits of a battery operated screwdriver
Nearly alighted at the wrong stop!
Carrying his shopping back from Abderdeen
We reached Lamma around lunchtime and meandered along the seafront looking for a place to eat. Many of the restaurants only serve seafood, mostly local cuisine. We opted for one that served Western also.
After lunch we had a wander up and down the seafront. Lamma is a fairly large island with many hiking trails. Young local Chinese often camp overnight here.
Quirky mural depicting life on Lamma
Colourful rowing boats
Looking up to the grass covered towering hills
Looking through the banana trees towards the other side of Lamma
Dragon Boats are human powered watercraft and generally made from Teak. Dragon Boating is a popular pastime in Hong Kong, there is even a public holiday for this event.
The end of the promenade, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island
If you are ever in Hong Kong and want to escape the busy city life, here is a fantastic way to see another side of Hong Kong. It’s a great day trip and easy to do. Ferries leave from Central, Hong Kong Island and Aberdeen regularly. Many people who visit HK miss out on these smaller side trips. They are not advertised much internationally but are very popular with local Hong Kong people. Ferries go back and forth regularly, both from Central and Aberdeen. The islands of Hong Kong and Country Parks are lush and verdant, which is a surprise to many.
With only three days in Paris, there’s no better way to see all the sights than on a hop on/hop off bus. Nowadays with many people travelling and the need to book online for tickets and a time slot, I decided not to do any major attractions but to just enjoy being in Paris.
My friend Rita met me at my hotel, after a decadent breakfast. I have to say I chose well as it’s a delightful hotel. A small boutique hotel with a lovely seating area at the front and a dining room in the basement.
Dining AreaBreakfastBreakfastTiny barWrought iron staircase
We first walked over to Notre Dame and saw the work in progress after the fire in 2019. There was so much to see, and I was stopping all the time to take photos. Some of the streets we walked down looked like they belonged to an old style Paris of the 1950’s, with cute window boxes and old fashioned pastry stores. Tranquil parks and men reading newspapers.
Mechanical sculpture – The Centaur
Is this Alfred Hitchcock?
So French!
Odette, a famous patiserie
Notre Dame
Square Rene Viviani
The Dame herself! With a crane in the background as the work still has a way to go yet.
Tuileries Garden
Before we hopped on a bus we stopped and had lunch in Tuileries Garden. My friend is a huge walker and I wasn’t sure if I could keep up with her pace which was super fast.
From the bus
College des Quatre-NationsPalais BourbonEiffel TowerTrocadero SquareEiffel TowerHotel des InvalidesPetit PalaisPalais GarnierArc de Triomphe
We did alight a few times, once to walk a little way down the Champs-Elysees and again to take a few shots of the Louvre. It was great fun being on top of the bus at the front and going around the famous Arc de Triomphe roundabout.
Louvre
By now it was late afternoon, meaning it was almost happy hour! So we jumped on the bus again and headed to Galerie Lafayette. Sadly not much time for shopping but to treat ourselves to a champagne in one of the many bars and restaurants they have.
Rooftop Views over Paris
The incredible neo-Byzatine-infused polychrome glass cupola created by master glassworker Jacques Gruber. It really was a sight to behold and I could have stood for ages looking up. It’s a place where you could easily spend half a day or more. Lunching, shopping, drinking and spending big bucks!
It was back to the hotel after this for a short rest before dinner. We ate at a place called Le Machon d’Henri but not before stopping at a magnificent church on the way.
Saint Sulpice OrganFrom Saint SulpiceSaint Sulpice Church
The Saint Sulpice Church’s claim to fame is the organ inside and also where some of The Da Vinci Code was filmed. The organ is supposedly the largest in the world with its 6,600 pipes.
Le Machon d’Henry
I think we had covered enough for one day, and even though we did use the bus I still clocked up an incredible 14,000 steps.
I hope you’ll stay with me for the rest of my trip to Paris and if you’ve got this far thank you for reading.
On a hot sunny Monday, a public holiday here in WA, we set off to find some of the Giants of Mandurah. Checking the website for these huge wooden trolls, offered no clues and it stated that we could grab a map from the tourist office to walk the trail. It also said “please do not reveal the locations to others”. However, being the cheat that I am – sometimes – I did a quick google and found some of the locations. They are all fairly far apart, so not sure about walking these great distances.
First though we found a waterside restaurant and had lunch and a drink. As you can imagine everywhere was busy and the boardwalk was humming with people. We sat and watched a bunch of youngsters jumping from tiny wooden posts into the water below.
Mandurah is just over an hour’s drive from Perth and it’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Walking around the canals that form part of the town or along the estuary to see if you can spot a dolphin.
It was around a ten minute drive to the first Giant, and at first I thought we had gone wrong somewhere! We ended up in a cul de sac with a small garden in the middle, that was chockablock with cars parked, it must be so annoying for the locals. Seeing everyone walking down a small pathway, we just followed and hoped for the best.
The Giant below is called “Santi Ikto”. He was at the top of a large sand dune and I suppose ten to fifteen minutes from the car.
These figures are all the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo and were created to celebrate the diversity, beauty and importance of the natural world, with his works handmade using recycled and locally sourced materials.
Santi Ikto
I didn’t have to wait too long before all the kids and even adults had stopped climbing over him to get a decent photo.
Views from the top
Our next one was also off the beaten track and had to follow google maps very closely to find him!
I wasn’t brave enough to clamber down onto the rocks to see the face. This one is called “Seba’s Song”.
We were also lucky enough to see a dolphin, only the one though. A short video for you. Warning – turn sound down!
One lonely dolphin!
On our way back to the car we stopped and watched the kite surfers jumping over the white horses that were being whipped up by the wind, then skimming back towards the shore. Perfect weather conditions for them today.
By now Anthony said time to head back, the other Giants will have to wait for another day. Happy that we managed to see two of them as I thought they were very impressive. Sadly one has already been destroyed deliberately by fire. Some people just can’t help themselves.
Making the most of our time with Laurence and Maddy, we all decided to have a day trip to Rottnest Island. I had not been to Rottnest for over 15 years and it was a high time for a visit. We were booked for the 8 am ferry and they all wanted to hire bikes. Rottnest has a no car policy, navigating the island is by bike or on the island bus. I declined the bike riding, can’t remember the last time I was on a bike, and did not want to chance any mishaps before my trip to the UK!
A map of Rottnest Island, the ferries dock at Thomson Bay. Some of the beaches and also the shopping area are within walking distance.
The Quokka Explorer
Arriving into Thomson Bay
One super excited boy
The ferry is around a 30 minute ride over and can at times be quite bumpy. As there were no online bookings for bikes left just walk-ins, Laurence and Maddy headed off super quick to get in line. They were successful.
After hiring the bikes we headed into the main settlement to have breakfast and decide on the day’s itinerary.
Two very happy munchkins in their wagon
We went to The Basin as our first stop, a few minutes ride and a ten minute walk for me. By the time we arrived around 10.30 am it was pretty packed. A spot near the water was found and it wasn’t long before we were all in. The water is very shallow and you have to walk across rocks and seaweed to reach the deeper parts. I attempted this but then realised I wouldn’t be able to haul myself out onto the rock again! What a waste of effort.
The Basin
The water is crystal clear and various shades of turquoise
We parted ways after this and agreed to meet back at the pub for lunch around 1.30 pm. I decided I would walk to the next beach and they headed in the other direction to Parakeet Bay. I was wearing my new solar top for swimming as the sun is so strong here.
Pinky’s Beach
This was a much better swimming beach and I was able to swim without my feet touching the sand, also no rocks. I had a glorious swim here, but wanted to see more of the island so thought I should get a move on.
There aren’t too many affordable places to stay on this island so most people come for the day. There is a very expensive hotel called The Samphire. In the high season it’s around AU $800 per night. Other options are glamping, also expensive, camping and cabins. For people who have their own boats, it’s a wonderful place to anchor for the day.
About Rottnest Island
The island is a Class A Reserve, home to the Quokka. These small marsupials roam freely around and are very tame. There are notices everywhere not to feed them, they can be found around the bins and under tables in the cafes! You can pet them although there are warnings not to go too near, it is hard to resist though.
As you can imagine Lachie and Rosie were beside themselves looking for them. Not just the kids though, I saw many people in the strangest poses, lying on their backs to get selfies with them.
Rottnest has a very shameful past and was originally called Wadjemup, meaning “place across the water where the spirits are”, and belonged to the Noongar People. From 1838 until the 1930s it served as an annex of Fremantle Prison. It was used to incarcerate thousands of Indigenous men and boys from the ages of 8 to 70, often for minor offences such as stealing food. The name Rottnest came from the Dutch invaders in the 1600’s who thought the quokkas were rats and called it Rat Nest Island.
My husband’s family has connections to Rottnest, with one of Anthony’s Great Uncles (times 3 or 4) being the second Governor of Western Australia from 1839 to 1846. By the time he was Governor things between the indigenous people and the settlers had deteriorated very badly, with extremely harsh punishment meted out by the previous Governor. John Hutt implemented a policy of protecting the rights of Aborigines, and educating them where possible.
Most places in Australia have a dark history I’ve found, after travelling to many of the states.
The top left photo is the Wadjemup Museum for Children. The top right photo is The Chapel, built around 1860, not just a place of worship but a school too. It was constructed by Aboriginal prisoners. The two bottom photos speak for themselves. I had a wander around but this was the only grave I could read, quite sad.
Salt Lakes
As you can see from the map the island also has many salt lakes dotted around. This one was called Garden Lake. There are 12 in total and have four times the amount of salt that is in the ocean. Despite this the plant life continues to thrive.
The church was next on my walk around and I saw that it was open so went in to look at the fabulous stained glass windows.
By now it was time to meet up for lunch. The sun was beating down and I needed to sit after walking so much. I didn’t get to see half the island and definitely making plans to come back.
Photos from Elena of Parakeet Bay.
Our ferry back was leaving at 4 pm, so time for a leisurely lunch, where many cocktails and beers were consumed. My dear son ever the prankster filled an empty beer bottle with sea water and said to Damian I can’t finish this, so Damian said I’ll finish it! Laurence laughed just in time that he didn’t swallow any. Revenge is being planned.
We all had the most wonderful day and I’m so glad I motivated myself to go.
I hope this post “piques your interest” I’ll be linking it to Marsha’s Wednesday Quotes.
During our week in Bali, Anthony and I hired a driver to visit one of the many waterfalls that Bali has to offer. Tengenungen was around 30 minutes drive away and our driver was going to wait for a few hours while we explored.
This not a free attraction but the fee to enter is minimal. Before walking to the steps down to the waterfall there is a small strip with many stalls selling the usual Balinese crafts. They were all calling out to us to visit on the way back.
This was the first sight of the waterfall and the glass bridge across the river. The bridge wasn’t open that day, which was a relief with the sun beating down.
It was an extremely hot and humid day and there were nearly 200 stairs to traverse! The stairs of course were not nice and even enabling one foot after the other, rather they were all different sizes; steep, wide, narrow and shallow. So it was a case of walking down like a toddler learning to walk, for me anyway.
There was a hotel set amongst the rocks with a gorgeous looking swimming pool and tables with umbrellas around it. I’m not sure if you would want to spend more than one night here.
A cute bird’s nest, large enough for a person to sit in. I did see a lady climb in, I wasn’t brave enough as the drop was too steep! It didn’t look that safe, it definitely wouldn’t have passed health and safety requirements in Australia.
Face sculptures set in the hillside
Finally at the bottom we saw there were “bridges” to cross the pool to the waterfall and more steps going up the other side. I decided to sit and watch Anthony go across as it all looked a bit risky to me. If someone was going to fall in it would be me.
I thought you would be able to swim in the pool down below but there were signs saying no swimming, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyway because of all the rocks. The sight of the waterfall amongst all the lush tropical greenery was worth the effort.
Anyone could use these signs to take selfies with, but again I wasn’t brave enough to climb over the logs and through the water to get to them.
Anthony’s journey across the river
“Hello from the other side”
I’m glad to say Anthony made it back in one piece and then we made our way back up again. Oh, boy was this tough going. I was stopping every four or five steps and with a lady hot on my tail. I had to keep turning round and apologising but she said, “no, you’re okay, it’s exactly my pace”. Then she said “you must be 30 years younger than me”! Well that would have made me 30 or her 90, maybe it was my hat and dark glasses.
Once at the top we stopped and looked at one of the stalls and I bought a dress and Anthony bought himself a sari! He said he wanted to wear it around the garden at home, but he wore it to dinner that night. He surprises me everyday.
Stopping off for a coconut and a last look across the river at the bridge.
It was a lovely morning and I’m glad we made the effort to go. There are so many different places to see in Bali but the heat does affect you, early morning is the best time to go.
I had been meaning to visit Hyde Hall Gardens for some time but the weather was always against us or we had other plans. So on the first fine day we decided to drive over and have a look. My dear husband seemed aghast when we arrived and found out it wasn’t an old building we were visiting but a vast garden!
Hyde Hall Gardens is owned and managed by The Royal Horticultural Society and covers more than 365 acres of land. It is divided up into different types of gardens ranging from Mediterranean, Australian/New Zealand, Winter, Vegetable and Dry gardens. There is a large nursery from which to buy plants from. There are panoramic views of the rolling hills and the Essex countryside. We had an amazing morning here walking around and marvelling at all kinds of plants, trees and flowers.
Views from the top
Sculptures by David Watkinson
Coppiced Willows “Allow yourself to bend like a willow in the wind, so that you will not break”
“Daffodils, That come before the swallow dares, and take The winds of March with beauty“ ~ William Shakespeare ~
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope” ~ Lady Bird Johnson ~
As you can see it was a glorious day, bitterly cold but the sun was shining making the water glisten and the flowers look brighter.
Blooming magnolia tree
The old farmhouseOne of the old barnsGabion Wall A gabion is a cage, cylinder or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road building, military applications and landscaping. – Source: WikipediaA Koala in the Australian GardenA Performing Red Robin
Finally time for a rest!
We enjoyed our time at Hyde Hall Gardens, it’s a great place to visit to stretch your legs and get your daily exercise. A place of peace and tranquility with many places to sit and rest and enjoy the magnificent views.
“Cheerio everyone”
This is the last post for the “Enjoying Essex” series as we are now back in our homeland of Perth, WA. I hope you have enjoyed travelling along with us in Essex.
I’ve linked this post with a few challenges that I’ve enjoyed over the years.
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.
Time for a look at another picturesque Essex village. Finchingfield is situated in the North West of Essex. The name Finchingfield dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086. The village is picture postcard perfect and the village green is surrounded by Georgian and medieval cottages.
Thatched roofs and colourful cottages
We visited on a Saturday and like most villages, there is not much parking to be found. As it was nearing lunchtime when we arrived we pulled into The Red Lion, a very quaint looking pub. On opening the door we were greeted by a crackling fire and a table right by the window, perfect. The bar was seven stools wide and fully occupied with thigh to thigh patrons. With no access available I had to ask one of the ladies to move her stool. I realised then that it was a very locally local! Everyone knew each other and I felt quite the interloper. Once I had ordered drinks I found out that they only served pizza. As my mum and I don’t eat pizza this called for a rethink. I was told there was another pub just two minutes walk away that served amazing food. So after guzzling back our drinks, we set out on our way again.
The Red Lion
As there was so much to photograph two minutes turned out to be a tad longer for me.
Finchingfield Guildhall
15th Century Guildhall
The detailed wall of the Guildhall is called pargetting. This is the technique of moulding designs into the external plastering of a wall. It is very characteristic of the area. Source: Finchingfield.org.uk
Walking down Church Hill
Looking at the Village Green from Church Hill
We easily found The Fox on the Green and were told by a notice to knock on the door and someone would answer. After waiting a polite few minutes freezing by now and no answer, I opened the door and was greeted by a waiter who took us to a table right by the fire! It was just too perfect. The smells were delicious and I saw delectable plates of food go by.
My Dad enjoying a homemade Steak and Ale Pie and my Haddock and Chunky Chips. All so scrumptious. This was just the perfect country pub that seem to be very difficult to find in England nowadays. So many seem to be chains, Greene King or Wetherspoons, I was beginning to despair of finding one that served good homemade meals.
I also find it strange that each pub differs as to the rules of where to stand. Some pubs no-one is allowed to stand at the bar and others you can’t even find a space to ease in! They seem to make up the rules day to day.
Looking back up towards Church Hill
I had a quick wander around whilst everyone else waited in the car as it was getting extremely cold by this time.
The Old Schoolhouse, left and above. The Village pond and 200 year old bridge, bottom left. Houses surrounding The Village Green, right.
I wanted to make one more stop before we drove home and that was to look at the Finchingfield Windmill.
Finchingfield Windmill
This is a Grade ll listed building, dating back to approximately 1756. The largest windmill in Essex and the last one of seven in this area.
A village well worth visiting if you are in the area and I saw that it had not gone down the tourist route as so many of these villages have been seen to do.
For more information about this village click here
