Sunday Stills – Travels with Ali

Living it up in Lively Legian, Bali

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.

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.

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In this post I’ve Set the Mood, and Pulled up a Seat to watch the trees and leaves.

~ 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

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

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.

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

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

~ Postcard from Perth ~

A funfilled week was had last week, starting with Bank Holiday Monday and a trip to the zoo. As you can imagine it was packed, but Elena holds a zoo pass so you need only spend a few hours each time.

We were lucky enough to see a Tree Kangaroo with her baby, who just happened to stick his head out for a photo. Also a sausage tree in bloom!

On Wednesday I spent a lovely morning at the beach viewing the sculptures which I’ve already posted about.

With the weather getting cooler in the mornings I’ve been able to go for a walk around Lake Claremont.

“There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don’t allow yourself to become one of them” – Ralph Marston

**Vivid green grass blowing in the breeze**

It wasn’t that long at all, just a 40 minute circuit around the lake!

Sunday afternoon we had a drive out to one of our favourite wineries in Bickley Valley. We had a table on the terrace overlooking the vineyards and shared a bottle of wine and a charcuterie board.

Next Postcard will be from Seminyak, Bali for a short break!

Linking to CWWC (Cee’s Challenge on Which Way) and Sunday Stills (This week Terri is asking for Green).

~ To Edit or not to Edit, that is the question ~

This week for Sunday Stills, Terri has asked whether we edit our photos or not. I like to edit most of my photos as the software these days is fantastic. An ordinary photo can be transformed into something worth showing.

These are just a few I’ve had a play around with.

The original is on the left and the right is edited. I used two different editors. BeFunky which is a free one for a painted effect, but was then left with a watermark. So I exported to Google Photos and used magic blur. Somewhat time consuming but good to know!

Two white cockatoos chatting to each other down by the river. As you can see my original image definitely needed editing. Using my iMac software for this.

I don’t think a camera phone is the best to take a semi-full moon photo. This was taken the other night. I think it shows better in black and white. Google Photo Editor.

I had the most fun with the above photo as it was the first time I have used an AI type software, from Canva. I’m still trying to get to grips with this website, so spent a long time – too long on this! The first photo is the the original but I thought it looked a bit boring, so I’ve added a few attributes!

Thanks to Terri for all the information she has shared about editing on her post, I’ve certainly learnt much more about different kinds of software.

~ Hong Kong – Treemendously Magical Moments ~

December in Hong Kong is always magical and this year is no exception. Every shop, hotel, bank and restaurant has a tree up, most of them real too. We have been out and about the last few days and I have been snapping away at some of the trees and decorations on offer this year.

We have also been lucky with the weather. Normally it’s quite cool adding to that Christmas feeling but this year I have been walking around in t-shirts and linen pants.

This is the hotel where we are staying for five nights, a change of district for us this year.

Hong Kong always has the most amazing lights on the sides of the buildings, these are just a few.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. …

“Those who don’t
believe in magic will
never find it”
Roald Dahl

Posted as part of Lens-Artist Challenge, Magical and Sunday Stills Red and Green

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

Going Places with Girlfriends {Dunsborough, Western Australia}

It was time for our annual trip to Dunsborough and we set off on Tuesday for a three hour drive down south. As usual Cheryl and Lisa took over the driving, while Viv and I sat like queens in the back. Although only for three days the boot and back of the car were jam packed with cases, holdalls and cool bags.

We stopped for coffee at the same place as last year, Midway Farm Stall.

This is a wonderful little spot for a quick break. There are animals and a playground, great for families.

We decided to have lunch before checking in so stopped an hour or so before we arrived in Dunsborough. A fantastic cafe called The Crooked Carrot, again ideal for families and so much nicer than a service station.

I love having the girls pose and am always coming up with suggestions.

Nothing goes to waste here, truck and pickup graveyard.

There was a wonderful vegetable and herb garden and hopefully all the ingredients could be found in the lunches being served.

**Filling the frame with this artichoke flower**

Popping to the ladies I noticed a sign on the wall (I must remember this!)

Arriving in Dunsborough around 3pm, we checked in and headed straight to the beach. Geographe Bay has a spectacular coast line but not great for swimming but perfect for a shallow dip and for small children to splash and play.

Viv and I opted to walk out to the sand bank, we did get wetter than intended, but could have walked for miles.

The water is like looking through glass, so perfectly clear.

Stromalites in the middle of the bay

Walking along the beach we came upon this marvellous creation – manmade or natural? We decided it had to be manmade, like the crop circles! Just beautiful though.

Our first evening was spent in our accommodation (four bedroom house) and enjoying a takeaway from the curry van.

After dinner it was wine, cards and chocolate. We are serious card players and can play for hours, although it’s a good job we don’t play for money – I would be seriously poor.

More adventures tomorrow!

Linking to Lens-Artist, Weekend Coffee Share, Sunday Stills and
Water, Water Everywhere.

~ The Changing Seasons – September 2023 ~

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.

This challenge is hosted by Ju-Lyn and Brian from Bushboy’s World.

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.

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.