Heritage Buildings – Travels with Ali

The Last of Penang – Day Five

There wasn’t meant to be a day five here, but here we are! Today is our 31st Wedding Anniversary, I had planned to be celebrating with my dear husband on the beach but instead had breakfast and lunch by myself. On the positive side Anthony did feel well enough to take a walk along the esplanade in the early evening.

We decided to have an early dinner right in the grounds of Fort Cornwallis, at a restaurant called Kota, luckily there was a “healthy vegetable broth” on the menu for Anthony. Fort Cornwallis is now under construction and there are plans to rebuild it exactly as it was in 1786 complete with a surrounding moat.

Captain Francis Light greeted us at the front of the restaurant.

This clock was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and stands sixty feet tall. One foot for every year of her reign.

Last photos of our trip below

This is Beach Street Fire Station built in 1908. A beautifully restored Edwardian style building.

Another Edwardian style building built in 1903 by the British

A typical home of a rich Chinese family over a century ago. Many years ago we did take a tour inside. It has been kept in exquisite condition and over 1,000 antiques are on display inside.

Apart from the drama with my dear husband, we enjoyed being back in Penang. Staying at The Prestige Hotel was a real treat and the Malaysian people were just so kind through the whole stay.

Next stop – Langkawi!

Searching for Street Art in Penang – Day Two

One of the things I wanted to do whilst in Penang was to look at all the street art that Penang is famous for. Although I had downloaded a map of all the places, my sim card was not activated properly! So we went back to the 7-11 where we had bought them and the very kind assistant sorted this out for me. I do exasperate Anthony with my constant stopping and starting and looking at my phone as to where to go! He tends to just walk randomly.

The streets were busy today as it Sunday and it seemed like everyone had the same idea.

We did find lots of murals and metal artwork along the way. The weather was cloudy and a nice breeze blowing, not at all what we expected.

Trombone Player by Gabriel Pitcher. An English born artist who has painted murals around the World.

Above are various street scenes from our walk

Humorous 3D artwork found on street walls depicting the life of long ago.

It was almost impossible to walk on any sidewalk or the covered archways that lined the road. Walking on the road was the easier option, but with cars driving very close by you had better watch out for your hands and feet!

If I hadn’t glanced sideways I would have missed these cute kittens peeking out from these windows.

Enough street art for one day, I have a few more and I know I’ve missed many. It was getting on for lunchtime and time to go shopping!

We took a “Grab Cab” to Gurney Plaza where there is a huge shopping mall. Grab is the equivalent of Uber in Malaysia and seems to be the only taxi service in Penang. Once you have the App it’s pretty straightforward and the good thing about it is that you can use cash to pay and no need for credit card details.

Lunch was just a quick snack in a European Beer cafe, pretty lousy to be honest! Then off to the shops to look for walking shoes for me as mine had now given me a blister and shorts and a backpack for Anthony to climb Penang Hill. Well we were successful in everything and mine were called “the most comfortable shoes in the world” and I have to say this is 100% true, I felt like I was walking on pillows.

Back to the hotel for a quick swim and rest before heading out for dinner.

Dinner at Kebaya Restaurant

I had seen a place nearby called Kebaya Fusion Restaurant. The chefs were Swiss trained so we were expecting some gastronomic extravaganza. The restaurant is in a heritage listed building called Seven Terraces and owned by Christopher Ong. The building has been lovingly restored with the most beautiful decorations and furniture. The tiles on the floors were imported from Vietnam. I didn’t realise it was also a hotel until I asked if I could look around.

The waiter explained it was a set two or three course menu and it would be good to choose different dishes so we could share. Everything was mouth wateringly delicious.

Inside the hotel

The photos below show what an opium lord’s house would look like back in the day. Complete with opium pipes and snuff boxes.

After dinner Anthony suggested a nightcap in the bar, as we sat down I recognised the owner Christopher in the corner with a lady friend. When we left I went up to him and complimented him on his beautiful hotel. We stood and had a chat with him for a while about the renovations he had made.

Off to bed for a good night’s sleep after a very busy day.

Sunset Heritage Precinct, Dalkeith, Western Australia

The Sunset Heritage Precinct is situated just a five minute drive away from where I live. The buildings and area surrounding this precinct have stood empty and derelict for many years. First opened as a Men’s Hospital in 1906, it finally closed its doors in 1995. Even now the old buildings are still closed off with wire fences. However the grounds have now been beautifully restored. The location is just perfect, sitting above the Swan River and surrounded by enormous mansions. I took a walk there the other day to see how it was progressing.

**At the start of my walk heading into the precinct**

From the above photos you can see how derelict and delapidated the buildings are and all closed off with barbed wire fences.

This whole area has been a bone of contention between the residents and the council for many years. Whether to knock it down or save it. I’m not sure why it is taking so long to finish, if they don’t start soon the buildings will just demolish themselves!

However the grounds are beautiful and it’s a lovely place to take a picnic or just have a wander.

A couple of the photos that have been produced to decorate the wire fences. I’m not sure if the photo on the right is of a wedding or a funeral!

As it was such a glorious day I headed off down to the beach, there is another staircase on the beach back up to the carpark.

Walking down to the beach I spotted this sign!

The beach edges the river and looks gloriously clear, although I wouldn’t take my chances on a swim here. The jelly fish are everywhere small, large and huge.