This week for Lens Artist, Sofia has challenged us to look back. I was inspired by her post to dig out some old photos of my first trip to China. Like many of you I have numerous photos of long ago travels. Many are in albums but there are a great deal of loose ones.
I took a trip to Guilin in 1989 and had been in Hong Kong for a few months. I had already met Anthony but had some free time between jobs. It was an organised trip made through a local travel agent, one of those all inclusive tours. As I was travelling solo I thought this was the best option. There would be no stress about where to eat and what to do.
I had agreed to share a room, quite brave when I think about it now. When I arrived at the hotel, which was a Holiday Inn, I met the other people in the tour group. I quickly deduced that the only other single person was a man, who was with two friends. I had a slight panic attack until I got to the counter and was told I was being upgraded to a King Size room. Phew, awkwardness averted.
The views from my large balcony. I was very impressed!
One of the tours was a trip down the River Li. Guilin is famous for its towering lime stone cliffs and beautiful scenery. The trip was meant to take three hours, with a bus back. As it was the dry season, the boat trip itself took 6 hours! I had got to know the others on the trip, so we spent this time chatting and taking photos. I do remember there being no drinking water, only Coke.
All photos were taken on an old film type camera. I can’t remember the make. After scanning these, I did some editing and brought them back to life.
At some bends in the river, the men sailing the boat had to jump out. They tried to push the boat through the extremely shallow water. We did wonder if we would have to also jump out to help.
Without a care in the world, enjoying the views and thinking how amazing China is.
The famous Elephant Rock at the end of the trip. There were many stalls selling small artefacts and gifts.
One of the American men on my tour, he was travelling with his daughter. We both ended up buying a hat each.
Before reading Sofia’s post I hadn’t thought about this trip for years. Now I’m remembering small details from the trip that have been locked away for a few decades.
This is a place I’d never heard of, let alone knew there was a song about it. I opened up the maps and Gundagai seemed the obvious choice, plus I liked the name! The song was sung by Slim Dusty and written in 1922 by Jack O’Hagan. Some useless trivia that might come in handy for a quiz night.
Another one night stand in another motel, The Tuckerbox Motor Inn.
A tad chilly to throw something on the barbie!
After checking in we drove back into “town” and had dinner at The Family Hotel. A lovely country pub in a fabulous building.
Located along the Murrumbidgee River, Gundagai is quaint and picturesque. Perfect for a morning’s walk along the high street and learning about the history of this small town.
The Tuckerbox Motor Inn, I imagine, gets its name from the “Dog on the Tuckerbox” monument.
A tribute to the pioneers who came to settle the colonies and their dogs.
The legend of the Dog began in the 1850s with a poem Bullocky Bill by an otherwise unknown author ‘Bowyang Yorke’, about the partnership of the bullockies who opened up the land to settlers, and the dogs who accompanied them and guarded their possessions. Source – Visit Gundagai
It was interesting to read about certain events that had occurred over the years in Gundagai. For instance, The Great Flood in 1852, when the Murrumbidgee River broke its banks.
The sculpture below honours two indigenous men who went above and beyond to aid in the rescue of several people.
Continuing our walk I found three murals of cows with a plaque commerrating one of them.
Daisy, Melba & Daphnie – Artist: Yianni Johns
The legend of three sisters – Daisy on the left was screaming in frustration and jealousy. Melba was producing so much milk that it left Daisy dry. The same goes for Daphnie on the right.
Melba was the World’s Butter-Fat cow in 1924. In over 365 days Melba yielded 32,522 lbs of milk. I wonder how she felt after all that pulling and tugging!
The wide high street of Gundagai, a misty morning clearing to a beautiful sunny afternoon.
Court House
We did have a wander around the Pen Museum. Anthony had quite the chat with the “curator” about the amazing amount of pens exhibited. It was definitely a labour of love as there was no entry fee just an honesty box. There was also other paraphernalia such as buttons, badges and pins.
All too soon it was back to the car and onwards to Sydney. Stopping for petrol I spotted “The Big Koala”. There seem to be a few Big Koalas around Australia along with Big Kangaroos, Parrots, Sheep. They are something of an icon along the highways.
Before I nodded off I spotted some odd looking boulders along the highway, so had Anthony make a stop. When I googled them they are called “Mystery Boulders”, and remain so because there is no other information out there!
We enjoyed our stop in historical Gundagai and finding out about this country town.
Today’s journey takes us to Gjirokastra, known as the Stone City, nestled in the mountains. This picturesque town has cobblestone streets, a huge castle, and a colourful market bazaar. But first, we make a slight detour to visit the beautiful Blue Eye.
Gjirokastra is approximately an hour’s drive from Sarande but it seems so much longer because of the sharp hair pin bends and the need to slow down. Albanian drivers know no fear and will pass two at a time on a bend! We picked up a hire car from a rental agency called Narnia! I wasn’t sure what to expect on entering, hopefully not a wardrobe door. I had been liaising with Kristina for a few weeks about price, duration and the one way transfer fee. She gave me the best offer of all the places I looked at.
There was a long delay in signing off on all the documents and payment, due to the fact her credit card machine was not working. The ATMs outside both only dispensed 100 Euros at a time, but miraculously Anthony found £300 emergency money in his wallet. We could not leave a deposit though only an imprint of the credit card, but were asked to leave a passport or driving licence to be returned by the driver on pick up, not a viable option! Anyway she agreed that we could forego this, just really wanted our money.
The car was an old manual Citroen 3 and seemed in good condition. Anthony did say after he was a bit daunted about the prospect of driving in Albania, but at the end he enjoyed himself immensely.
Our first stop was The Blue Eye, a natural water spring featuring the clear blue water of a depth of 50 metres. It is essentially a tourist spot and not free to enter. As it was on our way we thought we would check it out. On arrival you have to pay for parking plus entry to the park. It is quite a walk from the car park but there is a “train” to take you to the top. Of course I took the train, whilst Anthony walked.
You can also hire electric scooters which I saw many people doing, although I’m not sure they realised how dangerous it would be on the way down. I actually saw one young guy come flying off into the bushes, nettles I believe!
I can’t say I was all that impressed with this attraction, yes it was pretty but just another sight. Also you are not meant to swim, but rules in Albania seem very flexible, and I saw many people going in.
After this it was onwards and upwards towards Gjirokastra. I was actually starting to worry about driving up so high, but my trusty chauffeur seemed to have everything under control. I had the address of the hotel in my google maps but it took us three goes to get to the right place with Anthony having to do crazy three point turns to retrace our tracks. We thought we had the correct hotel and the owner actually parked our car and took our bags out only to tell us we had the wrong hotel!
Our first sight of Gjirokastra
Our hotel and the balcony off our room.
We were only here for the night and so as soon as we had checked in we set off to explore. This small town was just so delightful and I loved everything about it immediately. It was a short walk down to the narrow cobblestoned streets where the bazaar was with all the restaurants and bars. It reminded me of a mini Montmartre.
There were still a few tour groups around and the atmosphere and vibe was buzzing. You can visit here on a day trip but that means you don’t get to experience the appeal of this lovely town at night.
Memi Bey mosque built during the Ottoman period in 1757
Anthony couldn’t believe his eyes when a parade of vintage cars drove through the cobble stoned streets, tooting and blaring their horns down the hill. Right up (or down) his alley.
It was also a popular place for wedding photos as we watched from a street side cafe the happy couple posing.
A cute photo bomber!
A small monument to unsung heroesHe ended up buying a traditional hat!
Some of the items that could be bought at the bazaar, there must be a market for old war objects and clothes as nearly every shop had things of this nature.
This building was just at the back of our hotel and once must have been a thriving hub of entertainment. There was a plaque with a poem next to it.
Very poignant
We had a cocktail and beer at the Gallery Irish Pub which had great views. For dinner Anthony wanted to eat somewhere traditional, so we found a tiny place tucked between shops called Verdeja. There was only one room with four tables and looked to be a family owned restaurant. The man of the place donned an apron and hat and looked on while his wife did all of the work! Further away from the coast the cuisine consists largely of meat, all parts of an animal on offer, as Anthony loves tripe he was keen to try this local dish. I preferred the vegetarian options of stuffed peppers or aubergines.
Walking around the bazaar through the narrow streets and browsing the shops was the highlight of the day. It was interesting to learn that this was Enva Hoxha’s birthplace, which it was why everywhere was so well kept.
Located on the North Western end of Corfu, this beautiful village is surrounded by mountainous tree lined and granite hills. They tower over the glistening bays below. This was our last day in Corfu and our first stop of the day was a walk up to the Byzantine monastery. First established in the 13th century, the current buildings date back to the 18th century. It’s around a 20 minute walk up to the top where we joined dozens of others! We were still able to have a good look around though, on hindsight we should have left it until late afternoon.
Views of the different bays and the surrounding cliffs
Walking up to the Monastery
The Monastery
The gardens were wonderful to walk through and the smell from the jasmine and honeysuckle was overwhelming. Jasmine is one of my favourite flowers.
After this we walked back to our hotel and hopped in the car to see what else was on offer. My intention was to drive to Glyfada Beach and on the way we drove through Pelakes Village which looked so inviting that we decided to stop for lunch. We found a lovely roadside taverna and settled in for another Greek salad and a glass of the local white wine.
How could we not stop here
After lunch we had a walk up and down the back alleys and around the houses. There is a hike called Kaiser’s Throne Loop which is what I think we did!
We carried onto Glyfada and Anthony had to drive down and around the most curving hair pin bends and switchbacks that you can imagine! Finally when we reached there it was so busy and touristy looking and overrun with cars that we decided not to stay. As it was just one way in, we had no choice but to drive back the same way. No problem for my experienced and trusty driver.
I think we chose well with Paleokastritsa after seeing some of the other places in Corfu and I would definitely recommend visiting for a few days.
Our last night was spent back at our favourite restaurant Limani’s, once Anthony has found a place he likes and feels comfortable, he won’t venture anywhere else!
The day finally arrived when we flew to London to visit my dear mum and enjoy some side trips during our stay in Essex.
We flew Qatar as I believe they are the best airline for long haul flights, and it is indeed a long journey from Perth. I wanted to sit upstairs and Anthony wanted to be on the lower deck, so we comprised and did one leg on each. The way to travel such long distances is to research the best pillow, I took my trusty Turtl again and it worked a treat. We had around two hours in Doha and I was amazed as to what had been constructed since last year.
Upstairs Deck
There is a place now called The Orchard and is a 6,000 square metre indoor tropical garden. There is a huge water feature plus over 300 trees and 25,000 plants. It was a treat to walk around and immerse ourselves in nature while in a busy airport.
Exotic Plant
Finally arriving in Heathrow after 11 hour and 7 hour flights, we decided to stay one night at an airport hotel to recoup our strength.
After dropping our cases at my nephew’s we went straight to the home, sadly my mum did not recognise me at first but then just couldn’t believe I was really there. We sat and chatted for a while but her memory obviously has got that much worse. We promised to be back the next day.
The next morning brought clear sunny weather to my amazement as I was expecting cold and rain. I had a short walk down the lane and across the fields.
Over she goesAny chance to pose!
After this walk we drove to the home again and borrowed a wheelchair to take my mum for a stroll up the high street. She was over the moon to be wheeled out into the sunny day and kept asking me if I wanted a turn.
We stopped for lunch in an olde tea shop after buying her new shoes and clothes. There is a lovely old church in the high street so we had a wander around.
Holy Trinity Church
I couldn’t find out much about this church except that it dates back to the 15th century. I believe there was a church here during Saxon times and the building has a Norman chancel. I thought it looked very grand in the sunshine and the stone and brick work were beautiful.
My mum said she had a lovely time with us and couldn’t believe how wonderful it was to be out. It does make me sad to hear this but such is life and I’m glad we are able to do such a small service for her.
We have a fairly full itinerary planned for the next four or five weeks and I’ll be sharing all of this very soon.
At the end of every year around December, we usually go to Bali for a family holiday. This year was no exception and we chose Seminyak this time. I booked a beautiful resort around 10 minutes to the beach. The beach in Seminyak is more for looking at than swimming, unless you are a pretty good surfer. The resort was called Montigo Resort Hotel, although there was renovation work going on at the time, our rooms and the pool were unaffected by this.
Seminyak is approximately 20 minutes from the airport, or should be! With the traffic problem that Bali has it’s easily double this time. It is full of resorts, cafes, restaurants and bars. It was hard to know where to start when going out to eat.
The Resort
We spent most of the day around the pool, going out for lunch and dinner and resting in the afternoon in our rooms away from the heat. All except Anthony that is, he just loves a walk in the heat and still managed to walk two hours everyday.
I enjoyed time with the children splashing about in the pool and having manicures, pedicures and foot massages at the beautiful spa at the hotel
Out and About
Chair made from recycled water bottlesThe walls are made from recycled window frames and shuttersAbandoned flip flop structure
This installation is made up of 5000+ flip-flops installed at the famous Potato Head Beach Club in Seminyak, Bali. Washed ashore on beaches along Bali’s West coast, the discarded soles have been collected by employees of Potato Head. The flip-flops are not coloured or changed in any way; they are merely sorted by colour and re-arranged into a new visual reality.
“I want to show people a different perspective of what we consider rubbish. Everything we throw away comes back to us: via the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil we grow crops and raise animals on.” – Liina Klauss
There is a famous beach bar/restaurant in Seminyak called Potato Club and it was fairly close to our hotel. It overlooks the beach and has a massive bar area and upmarket restaurant. To access these areas and the beach you first have to walk through a tunnel of bamboo and on one side there are small glassed in studios depicting recycling techniques.
We didn’t stay here, just walked on down to the beach to watch the sunset and found a restaurant overlooking the sea.
The food in Bali is delicious and there are many fusion type restaurants. Unfortunately we all succumbed at one point to “Bali Belly”. Luckily it didn’t put too much of a dent into the holiday.
Dining
The famous Bebek Duck
This place was extremely upmarket! It was so nice though but not entirely suitable for the children, but have to say we enjoyed every morsel.
A very laid back warung with outdoor dining. Plenty to look at and explore for Lachie and Rosie. Plus more mouth watering dishes for us to share.
The Beach
Local Women having a well earned restI Saw A Ship Go Sailing By
🎂Celebrations🎂
On the morning of our departure it was Anthony’s birthday. The staff very kindly sang Happy Birthday to him much to his consternation!
Going to Bali with the family is always such a treat and despite upset stomachs we all had a wonderful time. It was then onto Hong Kong for us and back to Perth for them.
Unique – being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else. Oxford Dictionary definition.
This week Amy @ The World is a Book has set the theme of Unique. As we are in Seminyak, Bali this week I have spotted a few unique opportunities around the streets.
Hey Ho and off we go
The greatness of art is not to find what is common but what is unique. Isaac Bashevis Singer
“Flaming Flamingoes!”
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. Margaret Mead
Baked and Caked Denims
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. Douglas Adams
We finally set the dates and found accommodation to suit all our needs – basically a room each and at least two bathrooms. I had booked a fabulous house across from the beach with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. This trip was a celebration of Cheryl’s ??th birthday and we had been looking forward to it for a while. So with the boot jampacked with bags, cases, snacks and wine we set off around 9.30 am. The drive is approximately 3 hours, a bit more with a coffee and lunch stop along the way.
Our first stop was a farm shop with a cafe where we had coffee. I’m a bit wary of horses so I thought I was quite brave to go in for a stroke, but this horse was just too adorable not to.
Happy Wives at The Happy Wife, Bunbury
Second stop was a lunch break in Bunbury in a place called The Happy Wife with a view of the water.
We arrived at the house just before the check in time but luckily the keys were in the box already. After we had sorted out who was to sleep in what room, with Cheryl having the best of course we set off for Dunsborough to do a spot of shopping, as you would on a girls’ trip. We all love the shops here as they are very different from Perth and no big name brands. There are some great quirky shops to pop in and out of.
Back to the house and to make a start on the wine and snacks we had brought with us before heading out for dinner.
Making a start on the essentials!
Here we all are having a gossip on our veranda
Time for dinner at Caves House which is around a ten minute drive away. We have all been to Caves House before either to stay or have dinner. It is set in beautiful grounds so we had a wander before heading in for dinner.
Time for another bottle!
Returning to the house after for – yes you guessed another bottle – and a game or two of Monopoly Cards. I have to say the game took a bit of getting used to without a board!
We have just spent the last week in Melbourne visiting Laurence and Maddy again. Each time we go to Victoria we try and find somewhere we haven’t been before. Fairfield Pipe Bridge has been on my list for a while after seeing it on another blog, so if you follow My Camera and I you may have heard of this before.
From St Kilda where we were staying it was quite a trek to get there! A tram and bus and a good walk. Also Google Maps led us up the garden path much to my dismay as my dear husband kept saying it’s not this way. We finally found it and enjoyed a delicious lunch at the cafe there.
Fairfield Pipe Bridge
The original bridge was built in 1878 to carry water from Yan Yean Reservoir to Kew. The bridge was washed away in the floods of 1934. A new bridge was built close to the original site.
Fairfield Park Boathouse Cafe
Est – 1908
The verandah of the cafe
The notice above reads “Notice to Hired Help” – The Manager has the unfortunate duty of informing hired help that instant dismissal from this establishment will follow the disclosure, for whatever reason, of the chef’s tightly held Scone and other Recipes, which have a large following in the colonies.
Dress – Ladies may remove clothes consistent with charm ~ Gentlemen may remove clothing consistent with decency
This was such a cute cafe featuring many original features and we were fortunate enough to enjoy lunch outside as the weather was perfect.
Walking towards the skyline
As Anthony is a big walker he said let’s walk back to the City! There was no way I could do this but I said I would walk as far as I could. Walking further than I thought I was getting quite tired, so looked up Google maps to check where we were, there was a turning just up ahead and I decided to come off there and leave him to walk on his own. I also saw there was a convent that looked worth investigating.
I was so glad I did this as this place was amazing. I had a good walk around and there seemed to be something to see with every turn I took.
Abbotsford Convent
The Old LaundryRosina – now a performing arts hub
Abbotsford Convent is Australia’s largest multi-arts precinct and is home to many studios. They are filled with health practitioners, artists and designers. There are two schools, a radio station and beautiful gardens to wander around. Two cafes, a bar and a toyshop are also on the premises.
St Mary’s – now Sophia Mundi Steiner School Design StudiosThe GardensDesigns on displayCafeGood Shepherd Chapel Rotunda
History of Abbotsford Convent
Founded by The Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1863, Abbotsford Convent operated for more than 100 years through the social traumas caused by the gold rush boom and bust, the Great Depression and two world wars. Over the period of a century, thousands of girls and women were placed in care at the Convent, with many residing in the Convent’s Sacred Heart building, and labouring in the onsite Magdalen Laundry.
While the Convent had a positive impact for some women—many of whom were destitute and had nowhere else to go—and provided critically needed shelter, food and education in the absence of state care, the Convent was also a place of hardship and ordeal for some of the women, as was often the experience of those in institutionalised care.Source
I think most of us have read something about the history of the Magdalen Laundries and the horrific ordeals these young girls had to go through, so it was nice to see that this place was now full of positive vibes and helping young people to get on in life. It’s well worth a visit if you want to escape the city or have an extra day in your itinerary whilst in Melbourne.
Leaving Albany around 11 am we made our way to Margaret River where we were meeting up with some friends for the night. The journey was approximately 4 hours, so with a stop for lunch we hoped to be there by 4. We had a quick lunch in Manjimup and then we were back on the road again. This time the Chauffeur wanted a rest, the nerve on him! Anyway I did take over the wheel and having never driven the Mercedes before I was a bit nervous, but as we had the road to ourselves and it was long and straight I thought I might be able to manage it. I didn’t take into account the fact that I’m the one who map reads but the Chauffeur likes to follow the sun! Maybe he was Christoper Columbus in his other life. So needless to say we did take a wrong turn, adding another half an hour or more onto our journey. I did miss a turning and managed to do a U-turn, narrowly missing a curb while quickly checking nothing was coming the other way.
By the time we arrived it was 4.30 pm, after checking in, we had a quick meander to the river.
Adamsons Riverside Accommodation
We were staying in the heart of Margaret River, very close to the main drag and all the restaurants and cafes.
Chatting and WalkingMargaret River
The entrance to Adamsons
For dinner that night we ate at Morries Restaurant, a very lively and busy place a few minutes walk up the street from our accommodation.
Enjoying cocktails and wine with good friends
We shared a few plates of delicious food and also a few more glasses of wine.
The next morning after a fitful night, due to the wind, rain and gum nuts falling onto the corrugated iron roof, we headed off to the cafe nearby for breakfast.
Putting the world to rights, once again!
A walk up and down the main street before heading back to Perth was all we had time for, but enough time for me to take photos of the stunning murals along the way.
Bussell Highway, Margaret River
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” African Proverb
Both of these beautiful dog portraits are by an artist known as “Hope Perth”, also known as Brendan. There are many of his wonderful works of art throughout WA.
The Fabulous Prince
Another by Hope Perth
Black Cockatoos
Artists Ian Mutch and Jack Bromell, along with Wadandi Elder and award-winning artist Sandra Hill, created the mural to represent Wadandi Country and the local flora and fauna. Artists
“Nothing Behind Me, Everything Ahead Of Me, As Is Ever So On The Road.” – Jack Kerouac
Thanks for joining me on this mini road trip, we had the best time, especially when good friends join us too.
