Tag: PPAC

~ March Reflections: Downsizing and Decluttering Adventures ~

During March we made the difficult decision that it was time to downsize. Although we have No. 1 Daughter and the two munchkins living with us now we all needed to have our own space.

First up was engaging estate agents, which No. 1 son did for us. Working in property gives him the edge and able to convey succinctly what we wanted. Two agents quickly came and went. Before they had even given proposals I knew I was more comfortable around the first one, Susan. From here on was where I became overwhelmed and began having restless nights.

It was the decluttering that was beginning to take over my thoughts. We had a go at the dreaded “tool cupboard” in the garage that has long been the bane of my existence. We being my dear hubby and me. We managed one shelf in two hours and I gave up when he lovingly held a decade old ball of string and said “this is good is twine, we might need it”. Most just got moved onto another shelf.

I asked him also to remove a can of paint that had become stuck. Disaster struck as he pierced the bottom and paint quickly started spreading. He came to me and said “I’ve just made an unholy mess”. At this moment Susan’s assistant rang to say she had arranged 6 tradesman to come around the following week for quotes. I said we need the painter now to help us with this mess. She came to my rescue and sent around a handyman, who cleared up within minutes.

During March No. 1 daughter backed her car into the moving electric gate and knocked it off its tracks. Fortunately we have a wonderful neighbour who came around and fixed the problem. The next day after coming out of an appointment she saw her car being towed away! Not having read the parking sign properly. The car was returned but not without a fine.

We were told that to obtain the best price it was better to engage a stylist to showcase the house to look its best. This lady turned up along with six tradesman. I didn’t know if I was Arthur or Martha at that point, it was bedlam. We then found out there was a serious leak in one of the bathrooms so this is first on the list to be taken care off.

Believe it or not I did have some lovely moments in March. Laurence and Maddy came for a weekend and we had such a great time. We spent a morning at the beach and the water was perfect.

I also went to see two films. The much hyped up and talked about “Wuthering Heights”. Quite an eye opener but on the whole I enjoyed this version. The second was a Matthew McConaughey film called The Rivals of Amziah King. This was such a good film which we all loved.

I had a night out at an outdoor venue, called The Quarry. It is situated in an old quarry and the seating is in tiers. We took a picnic and watched three tribute bands, Santana, Little River Band and Fleetwood Mac. Beautiful balmy evening underneath the stars.

Having a much needed break at our local Indian. The table behind had 22 guests so was a tad noisy!

If you managed to read to the end of all my rants, thank you indeed. Some of you will have been through similar in your lifetime and know the stresses and strains of decluttering and moving. I have read so many articles on the different ways to declutter and I’m still none the wiser. On that note I wish you a happy Easter.

He came to join me this morning while I was having my morning coffee. How cute is he?

Joining Natalie for Weekend Coffee Share and Brian/Ju-Lyn @ The Changing Season (a tad early).

~ Taking it Easy – Perth, February 2025 ~

The Summer school holidays finally came to an end here in Perth. Master Lachie would be starting year 2 and Miss Rosie would be entering kindergarten. Time for new shoes. I took both munchkins to our local shopping centre to have their feet measured up for new shoes. Everything is so sophisticated these days, and feet are measured electronically. Back in the day your foot was put into a wooden contraption with a slide bar.

Rosie was going two and three days a week, so I can still have my days with her.

Larger than life Sylvanian Rabbit

Out shopping for her favourite toys.

We had some extensive tree cutting and bush pruning performed by professionals. Although my dear hubby said he would do it all – eventually – it’s the removal of all the debris that is a problem. Now I have an empty flower bed to replant, which I’ll be getting advice about.

I’m looking forward to discussing ideas with a lady I found locally.

The weather is turning slightly cooler in the mornings and evenings which is a relief. I’ve been able to sit out in the mornings with my coffee. This little guy has been visiting every morning and having a morning feed. Luckily Zac and Rufus didn’t notice.

Hubby and I had a lovely lunch in Fremantle last week. We tried a place that was new to us but I’d heard good reviews. It was such a beautiful day, we managed to get a table outside.

A couple of sculptures caught my eye. The dog is so cute.

Say hello to Dwert (noongar for dingo). Created by sculptor – Martin Jaine.

The above is a life size sculpture of a memorial to the migrant children. Between 1947 and 1953 over 3,000 children (many unaccompanied) from UK and Malta migrated to Western Australia. They went to voluntary and religious organisations. Many of these children we now know were little more than unpaid workers. They suffered untold abuse which has only come to light in the last ten years or so. The children were told they were orphans. Some of them were. Others had mothers who, due to extreme hardship, had no choice but to let them go.

We stopped at a local delicatessen to pick up some goodies and this exotic lady was posing in the middle of the shop.

Please don’t touch. I am very fragile. My name is Caffe’tina. I was made in 12 days. Arrived 8th January 2023. Multicycling in Brazil.
Coffee beans used on me __ kilo ___ grams.

I thought this was so clever and must have taken ages to put together. I wonder what the answers were?

Well that’s February done and dusted already. Have a lovely March everyone.

I’m joining in with a few challenges.
The Changing Season hosted by Brian and Ju-Lyn
and also Dan’s CFFC – Blue and…
PPAC by Natalie

~ Amazing Albania – Three nights in Tirana ~

Our journey through Albania is now coming to an end and our final destination is the capital of Albania, Tirana. I had read and been told that you only need one night here but I didn’t heed this advice much to my annoyance! One of the reasons was that we thought we would go Djati Express cable car. Sadly we didn’t get to do this for various reasons.

We were staying at Hotel Opera and after leaving the car in the carpark at the back of the hotel for the driver to pick up, we checked in to our 12th floor room. We had a fantastic room with a large verandah with no furniture though.

Also when we arrived in Tirana it was 37 degrees. At this point I was already thinking what were we going to do for three days. The first thing we did was find a restaurant for a very late lunch.

Restaurant Piano Bar Piazza

After a delicious lunch we set off exploring. Our hotel was within walking distance of Skanderberg Square. Named after the national hero Gjergj Kastrioti, also known as Skanderberg. He led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire, starting in 1444 and lasting for 25 years. There are some famous buildings around the Square and some seating areas, but we thought it was a bit underwhelming. We found the white tiles making up the Square to be almost blinding in the brilliant sunlight. We much preferred the tree lined boulevards providing welcome shade.

There was some amazing murals and sculptures dotted around and over the next two days we went walking to find them. Tirana is a wonderful walking city and there were so many other murals I never got to see.

Murals of Tirana

Mother's Care - Case Macleam
Mother’s Care
Artist – Case Macleam
BIBLIOTEKA – Franko Dine
Dog – MOTS
On the remaining walls of Tirana Castle

Sculptures and Statues

The angle of the camera makes this sculpture look bigger than it is!
Friendship Monument

A monument donated to Albania by Kuwait to remember the friendship between the two nations. It has the flag colours of Kuwait on the canopy.

Buildings and Churches

There are some spectacular buildings in Tirana that are easily comparable to other major cities around the world, and there are many structures in the process of being built.

The Plaza Hotel and Casino
Eyes of Tirana
4 Ever Green Skyscraper
National Historic Museum
Ministery of Agriculture
Resurrection of
Christ Orthodox Cathedral
Tirana

One morning we visited Bunk’art 2 and walked smack bang into the middle of a protest. At first I thought it was a queue to get in! There were dozens of police officers and a whole crew of media. It was a protest about the Israeli war.

Anyway we managed to dodge all the crowds and made our way down into the bunker. We both had completely the wrong idea about this place thinking it was an art museum, we were soon disabused of this notion. Quite a harrowing and depressing place to visit and we were relieved to make our way back up into the sunshine.

As you can see, dozens of police waiting for trouble

Tirana, Albania
The Media and Anthony!
Victims of the communist terror regime

BUNK’ART 2 reconstructs the history of the Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs from 1912 to 1991 and reveals the secrets of “Sigurimi”, the political police that was the harsh persecution weapon used by the regime of Enver Hoxha. Source – Bunkart

I reminded Anthony it was a museum and not a department store and this jacket was not for sale.

The exhibits and information were quite horrific, menacing dogs and lists of torture, so I didn’t feel inclined to take many photos.

We did manage to find a department store after and Anthony wandered around for a while and I found a stool to sit and scroll!

During the day and night we wandered up and down the streets of the Blloku District, a small leafy suburb of Tirana with hip and happening bars and trendy shops.  During the era of Communist rule, it was a closed-off precinct for the party elite, and the villa of long-ruling dictator Enver Hoxha still stands.

The apartments were handed back to the owners when Hoxha was ousted as the deeds were never destroyed. It looks like they haven’t been maintained at all.

There are so many good restaurants in Tirana, especially traditional ones, which we enjoyed.

All in all we filled our time well in Tirana, although on hindsight we could have condensed it down to two nights. This city did grow on me and for a weekend break from European countries it’s ideal. Tirana is great for day trips to Durres or Berat also.

Information for travelling in Albania

There are plenty of ATMs available in the area, so accessing cash is convenient and hassle-free although cash is readily accepted everywhere.

Hiring a car is not difficult as I previously read, and it was relatively easy to arrange a one way booking – of course with a fee.

Driving is on the right hand side, so can be tricky if you’re from a country that’s opposite. Albanian drivers are fearless and impatient, pull over to let them pass for a stress free trip.

The currency is Lek, although Euros are taken. If you’re using cash Lek takes up more room in your wallet!

Travel off season – before or after summer.

I hope you’ve enjoyed travelling through Albania with us on this fantastic road trip. Albania is one of the most diverse and interesting countries we’ve ever been to.

Posted also as part of Leanne’s Lens Artist Challenge – Tourist Attractions

and Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share/Public Art Challenge

~ Hong Kong – Arts and Flowers ~

The annual flower show was on while we were in Hong Kong recently and when we arrived we were ushered in promptly through the free gate. There are some benefits to being a senior! The crowds were out in force, bus tours from old people’s homes and also school tours. People waited patiently in line to have a photo in front of the spectacular displays.

The theme for 2024 was “Floral Joy Around Town” and attracted more than 200 exhibits from local and mainland horticultural societies. The colourful Angelonia was the feature flower.

“Flowers don’t tell, they show.” – Stephanie Skeem

Angelonia

It was held in Victoria Park, named after Queen Victoria.

Orchids
“Orchids on Steroids”

The sheer variety of flowers was overwhelming. Some were so intricate and would have taken hours to put together.

There were classic designs and fun exhibits. Something for everyone to admire.

Candy House

The Art of Ikenobo

“Though we pursue an economic value in life, it is in admiring beauty and creating things that we enrich the ground of our mind.” – Senno

The art of Ikenobo dates back to the 15th Century and was founded by the Buddhist Monk Senno. Japanese people like to give deeper meaning to flower arranging and prefer them upright rather than casually placed.

There is an elegance and simplicity to these designs that bely the hard work that goes into creating them.

After leaving here we went back across the harbour and walked along the sea front to our hotel. On the way we noticed yet another new shopping mall and popped in for a look around. We were astounded by the sheer size of it, not just that but the fabulous art works on display, not something you would normally find in a shopping centre. Of course there were the normal high end designer shops and high class restaurants but I think most people were there to have a look at everything else on display. We were wondering how these shops make any money because most were empty.

K11 Musea

Hot Dog Bus – Erwin Wurm

Sculpture Garden on the 6th floor

Looking up inside K11

This is a place I will definitely be going back to because I realise we missed so much of the fantastic artwork. It won’t be to shop for sure!

Goodbye March, hello April

Linking to Second Wind Leisure for Urban
Natalie for PPAC

~ Hong Kong Gallery ~ Sculptures and Artwork

Continuing with my photos of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Airport is a place where you can easily while away an hour or two, there’s always something different on display. As we were walking towards our gate I noticed several new sculptures that caught my eye. I would have like to linger longer on these but it was nearly time for boarding. I’ve had some fun editing these and framing them with Ribbet, a photo editing website.

Buzzing with Excitement –
Artist – Man Fung-yi

“The group of artworks themselves own an interactive energy which can energize the place with laughter, vigor and warmth”

Raise Me High I
Artist – Li Wei-han Rosanna

“Kite flying can be seen as a journey in the sky, a way to go free. It brings joy and excitement and endows with boundless imagination” – Li Wei-han Rosanna

Raise Me High II
Artist – Li Wei-han Rosanna
The Other Side
Artist – LAAB Architects

“An airplane window that obscures the view with stainless-steel origami mirrors and a dichroic glass. As passengers look out the window, they become part of the illusions”

Blooming
Artist – Pang Kam-yau Raymond

“Abstractly shaped artwork with a collage of colourful mosaic tiles. The back is copper plate. Passengers are encouraged when looking to relax their minds and forget about their troubles before they go on their wonderful journey”

About to Board
Artist – Li Wei-han Rosanna

“Whether it is a journey heading home or out to the exotic, travelling is often marked by moments of wait longing and yearning. Upon reaching the destination, it is the sense of relief mingled with joy and fulfilment that makes travelling an exciting adventure”

I have taken the liberty of copying the words with some editing that accompanied these wonderful works of art.  Studying them definitely made the wait for boarding thought-provoking and diverting.

Linking to Natalie’s PPAC

~ A Day Trip to Mandurah, Western Australia – Following in the Footsteps of Giants ~

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.

Kite Surfers in Mandurah, WA

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.

Posted as part of

Natalie’s Public Art Challenge
Jo’s Monday Walk

~ Post from Perth – Weekly Catch up ~

It’s been almost a week now since I returned from the UK. The jet lag this time has taken longer than usual, and I’m in danger of getting in a loop, going to bed early and having a nap in the day! It has to stop. For the first few days I generally take a sleeping tablet, but that’s something I don’t want to get used to. Hopefully I will return to normal soon.

Last photo from the UK

So where has the week gone? I took it easy on Monday and was supposed to unpack, I will finish it soon just a case (no pun intended) of putting the clothes away.

Tuesday I was back at the Bridge table and after drove straight to my daughter’s for a spot of babysitting. Wednesday I had Rosie again for a few hours, Lachie has started school and I will miss my munchkin Mondays.

Thursday and Friday more Bridge, no wonder I haven’t fully unpacked!

View from the terrace where I play Bridge

Being back in Perth is wonderful, my dear hubby has missed me and is glad to have me back. I have missed the sun and the warm weather, I can’t cope with English winters anymore.

Photos for Natalie’s Public Art Challenge

On my last day in Dublin I went for a walk near the hotel to have a look at the murals located on the walls of The Icon Walk.

Left – Gabriel Byrne – hosted The Late Late Show on a Saturday night, known as The Housewife’s Choice and a gentle shepherd.
Middle – Thomas Crean (1877 – 1938) – Explored the Antarctic three times with Scott and Shackleton. Awarded the Albert Medal for bravery
Right – “Priests on a remote island off the coast of Ireland managed to encapsulate Ireland’s changing consciousness about the church and that delicate matter, that, the anoited ones might be as imperfect as the rest of us; only funnier”

Benjy Riordan
James Joyce – 1882 – 1941
Patrick Kavanagh – 1904 – 1967
Flann O’Brien 1911 – 1966
Edna O’Brien – 1930
Aged 92 today

This was a lovely walk and I wish I had had more time to properly look at all the descriptions of the various artists. Ireland has produced so many famous authors over the decades and continue to do so. My favourites are Dervla McTiernan, Claire Keegan and Marian Keyes.

Bright Lights and City Sights

I’m linking up this post with Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share and Public Art Challenge.

We arrived back in Perth very early Thursday morning, around 1 am and I’ve been busy ever since. Especially today as it’s Munchkin Monday and have been run ragged by my two adorable grandchildren. The plan was to see Santa and choose a Christmas decoration each. They both declined the visit to Santa, Rosie being particularly scared and anxious, she is only two. Anyway I didn’t push it and we just stood and had a look at the scene before us. We had a pitstop in a cafe, coffee for me and smartie cookies for them. Back to the house for some Christmas baking, more cookies and then chocolate cake for hubby’s birthday. A huge sugar hit today, hope they sleep okay!

Below are some photos of Hong Kong at night.

Let City Lights guide you home

One thing for sure about Hong Kong, it really knows how to dress up at night, Christmas especially. Walking around the city that never sleeps there’s always something to catch your eye. Brightly lit skyscrapers, shop windows and side streets.

Tram riding at night

  • Cobbled Lane
  • Christmas Disco Ball
  • It’s a holly jolly Christmas
  • French style mural

Oohing and aahing at every corner!

John “Rudolph” Travolta

Even the trams get a sprucing up, just captured this as it trundled by in a blur!

This is just because! I turned around walking through this shopping centre at night and just liked the clean lines and the diagonal pattern it made.

Just like to say thanks to Natalie for taking on the PPAC challenge after Marsha, something I’ve always enjoyed. This is also my first time for Weekend Coffee Share, although I’m a day late.

~ Hong Kong – Day Trip to Cheung Chau Island ~

Finally we have reached our day of freedom so that means we can eat out in restaurants and cafes. Today I decided we should leave the urban jungle behind us and head to one of the outlying islands. I last visited Cheung Chau in 1989 and unbelievably Anthony had never been in his 45 years of living in Hong Kong.

We caught the 11.15 ferry and grabbed a seat on the outside top deck to enjoy the sea air and sunshine. The slow ferry takes around an hour and no need to buy tickets as we could use our Octopus Card which is used for all transport in Hong Kong.

  • See you later!
  • Western Harbour Tunnel Entrance
  • A sneaky mask free selfie
  • “where are you Jack?”

Hong Kong is a country of contrasts; steel, glass and concrete skyscrapers dominate the skyline with dense green hills and mountains behind. Many visitors are surprised by the abundance of greenery and countryside that Hong Kong has to offer. It is a great place to hike in the cooler months.

  • A busy harbour
  • Hei Ling Chau Prison
  • Tug Boats pulling a ferry load of cement trucks

There are no cars allowed on Cheung Chau, the narrow alleyways are not big enough for vehicles to pass through. There are mini fire engines, ambulances and police cars for emergencies. I did see an ambulance and it was very tiny, if you were a tall person I think your feet would be hanging out of the doors! Everyone rides bikes here and bells are ringing from every direction and you have to be on your lookout as they speed through the alleyways and around corners.

  • A Cemetery on the hillside
  • Coming into Cheung Chau
  • First glance

After disembarking we walked along the harbour front looking for a place for lunch.

  • Boats, Bikes and Benches
  • Drying fish and meat
  • My Austrian eating an Austrian lunch
  • Eggenberg Cafe

Anthony was very surprised to find an Austrian cafe serving pork knuckle, one of his favourite dishes.

I had looked on the map before getting here and thought it might be nice to walk to the Mini Great Wall. A leisurely stroll is what I had in mind! Almost an hour and a half later, up many stairs and steep hills we ventured back into the village. It was one of those walks where I thought we can’t walk much higher and with Anthony up ahead saying we have to keep going.

Cheung Chau has many sandy coves and beaches, even though it is December we saw a few people swimming. It is home to around 20,000 people and has apartment style buildings designed for school camps. I remember both my children went to Cheung Chau for their year 4 camp when they were 8 years old for four nights.

  • The start of the hike
  • Looking down upon the Praya
  • Fire beaters – there are many hill fires during the dry months
  • Not quite at the top yet
  • Mini Great Wall
  • “Come and join me”

Above are images of the different rock formations dotted around the island. Also part of the “mini Great Wall”.

There are many houses up in these hills and we were wondering how difficult it would be for the occupants to bring shopping up. Not just that but how furniture is delivered and how on earth they were built in the first place. There were also many abandoned buildings.

Finally making it down again we walked back to the ferry through the labyrinth of streets and alleys.

Below are some more photos I have taken of various murals, small shops and stalls.

It was a fabulous day exploring Cheung Chau and a great place to visit if you have an extra day or two in Hong Kong. There is a completely different way of life here, where a more leisurely pace is encouraged.

Cheers and thanks for reading – have a great Sunday everyone!

Australian Country Towns – Capel, Western Australia

I’ve noticed on the last few occasions travelling through these small country towns that the Councils have been doing their best to spruce them up and bring them back to life. The efforts have been so worthwhile making these small towns worth a stop or even a night’s stay.

We recently stopped at Capel for a coffee break on our way back from Dunsborough and we had a lovely walk up and down the high street, reading signs, looking at murals and enjoying a coffee in a quirky cafe.

The Capel area was originally inhabited by the Wardandi Noongar people. It was then established as a town in 1897. Historically Capel was a farming area, mostly dairy and beef. Nowadays it is very popular for hobby farms, including alpacas.

There was a real sense of community in this small town with lots going on and there was not a leaf out of place.

Capel Library

Once upon a time in a town called Capel,
I looked through the branches and guest what I saw,
Hidden deep in the Tuart Forest there was a Eucalyptus
Under the bridge by the river there lived a …pultenaea skinneri (Skinner’s Pea)

A place to sit and while away a few moments and taking a rest from toiling in the fields

We didn’t dare venture inside, imagining a butcher with a meat cleaver dripping in blood and a rifle under his arm.

Artist – Erin Rafferty

Stepping back in time!

Mosaic Mural with phrases from the local primary school children

St. John’s Chapel, Higgins Bell Tower and Church Door

Mother Horse and Foal sculptures outside the vets

I imagine this event would be well attended and everyone knowing each other. It would be like one big party, such fun.

Well that’s all folks and I hope you’ve enjoyed this walk along Capel High Street with me. There was so much more to see but not enough time. I will definitely be stopping here again.

I’m linking this post to PPAC hosted by Marsha and Jo’s Monday Walk.