My brother in his infinite wisdom decided he wanted to drive back to Lisbon from Porto Covo to see the Pena Palace. At least I would still have a chance to see this beautiful palace. Once again the rain poured down. Hopefully this would be left behind once we crossed the bridge.
A whimsical shot through the skylight of the car
Aguas Livres Aqueduct
This aqueduct was built between 1731 and 1799. Consisting of 35 arches and reaching 65 metres high. It has been classified a national monument. I love feats of engineering like this, and find it interesting to research the history.
Stopped for a quick photo from down below.
Arriving up at the palace, Graham searched for a car park, thankfully dropping us off at the entrance first. He found one way down the hill. We were lucky with the tickets, as the next entry was just a 30 minute wait.
Not too much of a queue!
Heading into the palace itself, each at our own pace!
I’m happy to say that we did go back as Pena Palace is absolutely stunning. Especially now that the sun had made an appearance. The bright yellow of the walls against the blue sky was dazzling.
It really was a fairy tale palace
From above and below
An alcove made entirely of shells. You would be forgiven if you thought I had brush stroked the left photo! Instead it has been replastered, maybe waiting to be restored with shells.
Beautifully set dining table and a photo Queen Amelie and her two sons.
A few samples of the intricately tiled walls I came across. I was thinking bottom right for my bathroom and bottom left for the kitchen floor.
Majestic statue of a Moor
Some information on Pena Palace.
The castle stands on the top of a hill in the Sintra Mountains above the town of Sintra. On a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon. It is a national monument and is built in the style of 19th-century Romanticism. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first building on this site was built in the Middle Ages. Construction of a chapel started after an apparition of the Virgin Mary. In 1493 a monastery was also built. In the 18th century the monastery was severely damaged by lightning. It was the 1755 earthquake, occurring shortly afterwards, that took the heaviest toll on the monastery, reducing it to ruins. Rebuilt in 1842 by King Ferninand it stayed in the Royal Family until 1899. Queen Amelie spent her last night here before being exiled after the Portuguese Revolution. Edited from Pena Palace, Wikipedia.
I see from most of the posts people are enjoying the Autumn months and getting reading for winter. Here in the South Hemisphere we are coming up to our hottest months. We are still having a few cold nights here and there. So, I haven’t put away my winter clothes yet. Although I have been here too long to really appreciate what cold actually means!
It’s been a fairly quiet month, no travelling, having just returned from Bali at the end of September. The school holidays still had a week left at the beginning of September. So, I spent a day with the munchkins. In our local town they had arranged a dinosaur hunt. This entailed looking for posters of dinosaurs in and around the shopping centre, with prizes and games along the way.
We sure had a big long walk around town, which made for a quiet afternoon.
I thought my garden could do with some new flowers, so one week I took Rosie to the local garden centre. We had a lovely wander through the plants and flowers and Rosie chose a Kangaroo Paw.
I love Alstroemerias, also known as Lily of the Incas. They are always in flower and are a great ground cover adding plenty of colour to the garden.
We enjoyed a visit to one of our favourite wineries, Stringy Bark. It’s an hour’s drive, so Anthony’s car had a good run.
Iron sculptures at Stringy Bark
There are some new murals in a nearby suburb, I managed to see two on our way to dinner.
The mural below is by Wild Drawing. A Balinese artist. His work can be found around the world. WD is based in Athens.
Artist – Finton McGee
As we move into November it’s high time we sorted out the garden and patio areas. This means weeding and cleaning in preparation for a houseful of guests, arriving in late December.
After checking out of the Novotel, we took Grab Cabs to our next destination, The Pullman in Legian. Upon checking in I found that my request for adjoining rooms had not been accepted! We were all on the same floor though, us around the corner with Elena and Damian in two rooms with a room in between. I was a bit miffed as I had asked twice for this and in plenty of time. Never mind, time to move on and get settled for the next four days of more fun in the sun.
In the evenings there was always a PG film or cartoon showing. Pull up a Seat and enjoy the show.
Our room was more than okay and the balcony overlooked some beautiful frangipani trees. I saw cute squirrels hopping from branch to branch, peering up at me.
After swimming in all the pools and eating lunch at the hotel, we headed elsewhere for dinner. Elena and I had our wires crossed as to the restaurant I had chosen. Ending up walking further than I had planned only to find that it was “Drag Queen” night. The place was packed and not entirely suitable for young eyes. Always restaurants aplenty in Legian, so we just ate next door.
The Pullman featured three pools, one was adults only. This one overlooked the ocean and a cocktail or two are easily available to watch the sun go down. With Legian being on the west side of the island meant we got to see some glorious sunsets.
Enjoying the kids’ pool
One afternoon Rosie and I were having a siesta in the room and ventured outside to watch the squirrels. They were extremely tame, but I chickened out at the last minute to actually hand feed them.
As it was school holidays the breakfast buffet was crowded and noisy, also expensive. There was a long wait for coffee from a state-of-the-art coffee machine, operated by one man, and no other options available. So the next day we opted to eat at nearby cafes.
Exploring around the cafe while waiting for breakfast
Anthony continued his daily regime of walking two hours everyday, even in the heat and humidity. I managed a 15 minute walk to the shopping centre nearby. Holidays in Bali are all about relaxation, reading and swimming for me, with a cocktail to hand.
We had a drink one evening on the beach and watched the sun go down.
We didn’t venture to the beach much in the daytime. The sea on this side of the island is good for surfing but not swimming.
One night Anthony and I walked back along the shore. The waves gently lapping around our ankles and enjoying the cool breeze. As we bent down to put out shoes back on a not so gentle wave jumped up and soaked us. Luckily we didn’t have much further to go and squished back to the hotel.
All in all there is something for everyone in Legian. A place to go if you want to party all day and night. Restaurants, bars and cafes line the roads and the beach. Upmarket hotels and budget places jostle for space, most with an oasis of calm and tranquility at the back. A wonderful time creating memories with family.
Changing Seasons is really the correct phrase to describe Perth at the moment. We had a mini heatweave last week, like a summer’s day but it’s Spring and a few days later wind, rain and cold nights again, but another heatwave at the end of the week.
The first ten days of September I was still in the UK, where they also had a late summer heatwave. The trouble there is you can’t sleep at night as there was no breeze at all! Just can’t be happy can we? I spent those days going to visit my mum in the care home and catching up with old friends and family members.
Bye for now
My mum was so sad to see me go, it was heartbreaking for me. She had forgotten that it was time to say goodbye. She has made a new friend though.
I also had a quick visit back to my childhood home to clear out some more “stuff” with my brother. It will be odd not staying here again.
I popped outside to take a few photos of the garden and saw this cheeky fox, which is undoubtedly the fox I have taken many photos of before. Peeping through the fence (which ties in with Sunday Stills – Fences).
Soon after I returned to Perth we had a visit from Laurence and Maddy, which I’ve already posted about. That was a wonderful week. Rosie also turned 3!
It was also half term here in Perth and I was on duty with “Ninny Daycare” for the munchkins for two days. Exhausting but loved every minute. We made cookies, went to some parks and a cafe. They are such lovely playmates and Lachie is so patient with Rosie. I remember when my brother and I were a similar age and all we did was fight, it was always my fault though, I was a mean girl! Luckily we get on so much better now, well most of the time anyway. I’ll never lose that bossy streak.
Rosie telling Lachie not to put so many smarties on one cookie!
The Perth Royal Show was on in the last week in September, I didn’t go this year, but I could see the fireworks from my bedroom window.
Not great images but not too bad for a free show!
Lastly for Brian’s last on the card is my attempt at snapping the full moon with my S22.
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.
There goes another year. I feel it has been a long one, maybe because we have travelled a fair bit. When I think this time in 2021 we were travelling back to the UK, it seems an age ago.
January: After receiving bad news about my Dad we decided to go back to the UK for a few months. In the end we stayed ten weeks. I’m happy to say my Dad is still thriving and is the original Iron Man after receiving many iron infusions and blood transfusions. I have to say a big thank you to the NHS for keeping him here.
Arriving in the UK at the height of the pandemic was stressful as was having to wear a mask. Perth was still barricaded against the rest of the world and we were living in our own little bubble.
River Crouch, Essex
February: Still in the UK and both of us caught Covid, even though we had just had our third vaccine. We had time to travel to Devon for a few days to a dear friend’s funeral before this. During this time we also had the pleasure of Storm Eunice.
Hope Cove, South Devon
February was also the start of the horrendous war in the Ukraine which everyone thought would never happen.
March: We headed back to Perth in the middle of this month only for Anthony to get Covid once again, this time with some serious health implications for him. The year hasn’t been wonderful for him health wise but he is definitely much better now. It was strange returning to Perth and having to wear masks after leaving UK who had dropped the masks!
St Katherine’s Dock, London
April: We celebrated Easter during this month and a short visit from Laurence and Maddy, always a happy occasion.
Swan River, Perth
May: We travelled to Melbourne to celebrate Laurence’s birthday, taking Elena and the children with us.
A family day at Melbourne Zoo
June: For our wedding anniversary we took a trip to Penang and Langkawi. Unfortunately Anthony fell very ill with salmonella poisoning and ended up in hospital for an afternoon! We still managed to enjoy most of the trip.
Langkawi Island, Malaysia
July: A mini break down to the South West of WA, Albany and Margaret River.
Coalmine Beach, Walpole, WA
August: Back to Melbourne again to see Laurence and Maddy. Making the most of the borders being open and marvelling at travelling again. I don’t think I’ll ever travel again without having that doubt about flights being cancelled or luggage not turning up.
Torquay, Victoria, Australia
September was spent in Perth playing Bridge, seeing films and going to a concert. Many nights sitting in front of the fire as it was still so chilly here.
From Point Resolution, Nedlands looking across the Swan River to Mosman Park
October: A mini break with dear friends in Dunsborough, WA
Fun at Geographe Bay, Dunsborough, WA
November: Another family vacation, this time back to Bali, our first time in three years. So happy to visit again.
Breakfast by the beach, Bali
December: Finally back to Hong Kong also after three long years. We had a wonderful week despite three days of room service in the hotel, due to a “quarantine measure”.
On the ferry going to Cheng Chau Island
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
Christmas was spent in Perth and it was an amazing fun filled day with all the family at ours for the day. There were so many gifts opened, bottles of champagne and wine drank and turkey and ham consumed. My garage now looks like a recycling centre which will take time to clear.
As I look back at my year, I give thanks for my fortunate life. We’ve had ups and downs with health issues and it’s a miracle that my dad is still here. I’m off to the UK again in January, to celebrate my mum’s 90th birthday and hopefully find them both in reasonable health.
I hope to continue to be part of the wonderful WordPress blogging community, I’ve enjoyed many of your posts and made numerous new friends.
Today I took a trip to the zoo with my daughter and the munchkins, I haven’t been to Perth Zoo for about 15 years.
I thought it would be a good chance to join Jude with the Lens Artists challenge – textures. Sure enough there were plenty of opportunities. All kinds of wood, fur, shells, sand and leaves. Also as it involved walking, something for Becky’s Walking Squares.
On arrival Elena hired a small wagon for Lachie and Rose, once they are in it’s hard to get them out to walk, especially Lachie!
We had chosen a fantastic day weather wise, not too hot and a cool breeze blowing through the trees. Also not busy at all with a few families with small children and some school trips.
Textures of all kindsRosie only has to see my phone and she says cheese! A beautiful poser
More textures of smooth and rough
Textures is not something I’ve ever considered before, but since reading Jude’s post I’m now seeing them everywhere and appreciating them more.
This was a compromise after being told they couldn’t buy yet another toy or animal in the gift shop. Christmas will soon be here with many more presents on the way.
We did see most of the animals out and about in their enclosures, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebras and many more but I have so many of these photos and everyone knows what they look like!
Off we go walking together to see what is up ahead.
Our last day had arrived and I had arranged a hire car or people carrier to be exact so we could all travel together. Of course it had to be the zoo and on Mother’s Day at that. I could tell Anthony wasn’t too excited about it, on the other hand it was all Lachie could talk about.
“We’re all going to the zoo”
I had pre-booked tickets online and when we arrived around 11.30, there was only a few people ahead of us. I didn’t realise the zoo was so large and when I looked at the map I knew we were in for a long day.
Melbourne Zoo is the oldest zoo in Australia, opened in October 1862. It houses more than 320 animal species from Australia and around the world.
The Epic Map
Following the map above it took around four hours to see most of the animals that were not hiding.
Ring tailed lemur
Bamboo forests
The butterfly house was amazing, with so many different species. If you stood still long enough one would be sure to land on you.
Trail of the Elephants
On the Main Trail
Lions and Tigers
Sleeping Tiger!
We watched in awe as this lion slowly approached the window and licked his lips hungrily while looking us straight in the eye!
A tale about the Peccary
As we approached the peccaries the keeper was just finishing off his talk and asked if anyone had any questions. My dear husband asked if they were peccaries and then proceeded to inform the keeper that they were highly prized for their leather hides, being the softest in the world. Indeed he owns a pair of gloves. I should have taken a photo of the keeper’s face as he explained to my husband that we were in a conservation environment and they were not for breeding! Anthony said well I thought you would be interested, said keeper firmly replied “no, I’m definitely not!”. Never one for being able to judge a situation correctly, that is my dear hubby.
Artwork and Murals
It was a wonderful mother’s day and everyone enjoyed it, even Anthony! There is so much to see and do and even after four hours we didn’t get to see everything. There are various food outlets spread around the zoo and many picnic areas. I loved the way it didn’t feel like you were in a zoo and all the animals had room to move about. The zoo is committed to fighting wildlife extinction and is becoming one of the world’s leading zoo based conservation organisations.
