We flew Perth to Kuala Lumpur to begin our travels in Malaysia. I thought I had filled out all appropriate forms to enter Malaysia but was told by the Check In Clerk that I hadn’t! She helped out a bit but said I would need to complete certain sections before getting to Malaysia. I did my best but obviously missed quite a few sections because we had trouble at immigration in Kuala Lumpur. Well I didn’t, my immigration man didn’t ask for any app to be shown, but Anthony wasn’t so lucky! So we had to head over to a help desk for them to complete it all for us. What a rigmarole. All vaccinations have to be entered, date, name and serial number – 3 times! After this we thought our luggage would be waiting for us, should not have tempted fate with that thought. Everyone from our plane was still waiting for their luggage. Finally 45 minutes later out it came, at least it arrived so I should count my blessings.
Relaxed seating areaHotel LobbyGlass lifts
The Movenpick Hotel is around 15 minutes from the airport but we fancied a change from the regular airport hotel. I didn’t realise that we had arrived over a bank holiday weekend – The King’s Birthday plus the day after it was the beginning of the Haj, pilgrimage to Mecca. The hotel is connected to the Sebang Mosque.
The view from our room
We finally arrived at 11.30 pm, even though we were starving we couldn’t be bothered with room service so just went straight to bed. The pillows were the softest I’ve ever slept on.
Our very comfortable bed
View from the poolMen Only
Beautiful pools, but segregated!
We had a leisurely morning as our flight to Penang wasn’t until 2 pm. So after a relaxing buffet breakfast we had a wander around the pool. I didn’t have a swim as I was ready for travelling!
We’ve finally booked our next trip and tomorrow we fly to Malaysia. We have the same old conversation every time we travel, what suitcases shall we take. Not that we have many! We recently bought a new one in the UK, average price, the handle broke when Anthony picked it up from the conveyor belt. Every time we do travel my dear husband asks the same question “can I share your suitcase?” “Sure” I reply “if you are planning on just a change of underwear”. So he has to resort to packing his own case. He always manages to surprise me though as his suitcase appears to be some sort of tardis, there seems to be an enormous pile of clothes going in. The suitcase pictured is not mine or his!
A couple of years ago a friend bought me some travel pouches and I’ve used these ever since. They come in different sizes and I can find everything easily, instead of rifling through and upending clothes to find a particular top. My shoes are covered by the disposable shower caps that you get free in hotels, although as we haven’t stayed in any hotels recently my stock has dwindled.
How about you, are you a roller or a stacker? Do you use travel pouches? Do you take just enough clothes or like me take a different outfit for every day!
BeforeAfter
My two bags for the plane, one for my laptop, iPad and scarf/cardigan and my Hedgren security bag for passports, credit cards and phone. Nothing can be scanned through this!
Before we get to the packing stage though we have the debate about how to get there, what airline, the times and most important of all according to Anthony the plane itself. He wanted to go via Singapore from Perth and then travel by bus into Malaysia! I asked him why we couldn’t just fly directly and he said he doesn’t like Malaysian planes. Anyway that’s not happening. We fly directly to Kuala Lumpur for one night on MAS, before departing the next day for Penang.
I researched nearly every hotel on Booking.Com and booked, cancelled and rebooked until I was fairly satisfied. You have to read between the lines somewhat about the reviews!
Do you use Booking.Com or another similar website or go straight to the hotel direct. How about flights, a travel agent or do-it-yourself?
Getting to the airport and going through security is another hassle, especially when we disagree when to leave the house. I am the type of person who likes to get there on time and with time to spare. On the other hand dear husband likes to arrive shortly before take off! His mantra “they won’t leave without us” . Really, I say, are you the pilot then? Security is another problem. When the security officer asks “any tablets, laptops phones etc” he promptly hands over his medicine bag. Then we have the problem of his titanium shoulder, backwards and forwards he goes, then has to be frisked from top to bottom.
Do you arrive with minutes to spare or like to check in early and relax?
I will hopefully be posting regular updates of our travels to Malaysia and any hiccups we experience.
March 2022 was a very different change of seasons for us literally. We were in the UK for the first half of the month and then flew back to Australia on the 15th March. So from Spring to Autumn, it felt more like Winter to Summer though. It was wonderful to throw off jumpers and sweatshirts and put on t-shirts and shorts again. Also it was quite strange going from complete freedom to move about to once again wearing masks and checking in.
First Half of March
The first week of March we were still recovering our strength from contracting Covid and as the weather wasn’t that good I decided to go through some of my parents’ old photo albums.
3 years old 5 years old15 years old21 years old
The doll is pretty scary for a three year old and has certain characteristics with Chuckie! 15 year old self is starting to rebel and refuses to have haircut anymore, not sure this was a wise choice. 21 year old self is looking very defiant!
GrandparentsYoung Dad Young Mum
We were also lucky to be able to travel to London twice more. I went with some friends for a very lavish lunch, cocktails and a show. We saw Pretty Woman. A fantastic afternoon and evening well spent.
Savoy Theatre
It was shown at The Savoy Theatre and I have to say the seats were the most uncomfortable I’ve ever sat on, absolutely torturous! I didn’t realise that most stage musicals do not play the original soundtrack from the film, although the music in this production was very enjoyable. After the show these party girls still wanted to stay out so we went off in search of cocktails.
The Savoy
We could not get a seat at The Savoy Hotel cocktail bar so settled for the next best thing – The Waldorf. Here I am drinking a “Bus No 9”.
The last weekend dear husband said let’s go to London for dinner, so once more we took the train up to Fenchurch Street. This time we stayed around the city and had dinner in St. Katherine’s Dock. Firstly though cocktails in Spitalfields Market.
Spitalfields
Tower Bridge
Second Half of March
We flew back to Perth on 15th March, it took a few days to get over the jet lag and then we were fine. Or so we thought. Poor hubby last week tested positive again for Covid, and yet was cleared to come home. All along he thought his jet lag was taking so long to get over, finally I made him go to the doctors. So unlucky for him.
Some little peeps were happy to see us home though.
Changing Seasons is hosted by Ju-Lynn @ Touring My Backyard and Brian @ Bushboy. I am a bit late with this post, but better late than never!
This week for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge the theme is Old and New.
Over the years we have stayed in a variety of establishments – from two star to five star. It’s not always the five star hotels that are the best, I prefer ones that are a bit quirky and a view is even better.
OLD
Hotel Monterey, Nagasaki
Named after an American town and in the style of a Portuguese villa but located in Japan! This was a very cute hotel complete with an iron gated elevator. There is also the famous Chapel Bussola with its magnificent spiral staircase and stained glass windows. A sensational place to hold a wedding.
The Hotel Saigon Morin is not located in Saigon but in Hue which is around a three hour drive from Da Nang. Established in 1901 by a French businessman Mr. Morin and built in a French colonial style with a wonderful courtyard inside the hotel. Over the years many famous people stayed here, one was Charlie Chaplin. In the evening they have clips of his old films showing on the wall.
George Vl, Biarritz, France
Plantation Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Both of the above hotels are small boutique hotels. The Plantation Hotel had a fantastic swimming pool in the middle of the buildings surrounded by palm trees and our room opened up onto it.
The Belle Rive Hotel in Luang Prabang overlooking the Nam Khan River. We had the bottom left room, complete with our own front door. We loved this hotel and walked over the road in the morning to have breakfast by the river.
NEW
The Stones, Bali
We enjoyed our stay at The Stones in Bali, such an opulent hotel. The bath was on the balcony, we never did use it! As you can see there is also a helicopter landing pad on top of the hotel. We stayed here for a week a few years ago when there was an extremely well priced trip from Perth in the local paper.
Taj Krishna, Banjarra Hills, Hyderabad
The Taj Krishna was definitely a five star hotel, complete with excellent service. We stayed here for a week with our two travelling companions, Laurence and Maddy a few years ago and had the best time. The staff here could not do enough to make our stay memorable.
The Stamford, Glenelg, South Australia
Staying here was part of our road trip across five states. We had a wonderful room overlooking the ocean.
Our luck ran out today weatherwise, but that didn’t mean we were going to alter our plans for a trip to Cataract Gorge. We were looking forward to riding on the famous chairlift, built in 1972, it has a total span of 457 m (1,499 ft).
The first stop on today’s itinerary was the Queen Victoria Art Museum. When we visited there was a wonderful exhibition called Skin by Garry Greenwood. This featured stunning leather artworks with an array of masks, sculptures and musical instruments. A permanent feature at this museum is The First Tasmanians exhibition. I found this very interesting and learnt so much about survival and how they lived their day to day life.
From here we made our way to Cataract Gorge, stopping at Penny Royal Adventures for a quick look around. By now the rain had set in, poor Maddy found out her raincoat was not waterproof!
Penny Royal Adventures is a great place for kids, there were a couple of rides and of course the suspension bridge. I thought at first this was the bridge that I saw mentioned at Cataract Gorge! I really wasn’t that keen to try it. We saw a family walking along it with helmets on. From here we walked around to the Zig Zag trail and started our walk along the Gorge.
It is believed that the final formation of Cataract Gorge began with the last ice age, approximately 3 to 4 million years ago. The rock formations are commonly believed to be from volcanic activity.
On a good day there would be so much to do, explore the gardens and look at the beautiful peacocks strutting about, search for wallabies in the bush and maybe have a swim in the massive open air swimming pool. We did see a few bedraggled peacocks and glimpses of wallabies through the rocks. It was mostly just a case of putting one foot forward and marching on.
A blurry wallaby
Still smiling
We finally reached the Alexandra suspension bridge after around 40 minutes and the weather showed no signs of improving. The bridge was built in 1904 and named after Queen Alexandra and is 220 ft long.
It is kind of shaky! We didn’t venture all the way across, I think we had lost our bearings somewhere along the way and wanted to make our way to the chairlift. Hubby was against the chairlift and said it would be totally miserable and wanted to walk back the same way. By this time Maddy had already set off in search of it! It was three against one and so the chairlift it was.
The Bandstand built for Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
I only managed one photo on the chairlift of Laurence and Maddy in front of us! I have to say it was not the most enjoyable ride I’ve ever taken. When we “disembarked” we ordered an uber to take us to the pub we had seen just past the Penny Royal, Kings Bridge Pub. Here we had a well deserved lunch, a few drinks and a couple of games of pool.
The pub was a great find with very traditional old English decor, what more could you ask for on a rainy day.
Then it was back to the hotel to dry off and a rest for me before heading out for dinner that night. We all decided that it was a fantastic day out despite the weather.
We at at Stello’s Restaurant which was just a short walk from the hotel.
This is a challenge hosted by Amy over at The World is a Book.
Now
Looking back over the last year, I can probably say that it’s been the same for many, travel plans cancelled, not being able to see loved ones and being in lockdown for months on end. It’s been a year of doing everything completely different. All new for everyone.
We didn’t have any big travel plans like we normally do, due to my daughter and her partner having a baby girl in September. Our second grandchild, a sister for their two year old son. We’ve very fortunate to be able to spend so much time with them all. They have been a such a joy. On the negative side I haven’t seen my son since March and my husband hasn’t seen him since last Christmas.
The last trip I had this year was to Melbourne to see Laurence and his girlfriend, Maddy. But now we are happily awaiting their visit over Christmas.
Sculptures by the Sea, Cottesloe
Last trip to Melbourne
So this year has been spent trying out different kinds of activities and exploring Western Australia more.
I had my parents, who are in their late 80’s, staying here for five months. Their flights were cancelled and we thought it best that they stay put with us. At least they could still get out and about a bit more here. My nephew was also visiting from the UK for a few months. There was a partial lockdown in WA, but only for a month. I’ve been trying to be more active in the garden, although that is hit and miss, hubby does so much more.
I am playing more bridge, although I don’t seem to be improving! I absolutely love this game and took lessons for the first time two years ago. I’ve gone from once a week to twice a week now and on Friday I will be playing with a 93 year Italian man as my partner. I’ve seen Mario play and I am woefully under experienced to be his partner, it should be fun!
It’s certainly not me!
My friends and I have started a games night once a month. There are 8 ladies in all, and I haven’t laughed so much in ages. I found I have a very competitive streak.
My lovely group of gaming ladies!
Also I have started dancing again once a week to something called “Dance Lines” not to be confused with line dancing. I love the fact that I can do a dance and not just stand and do the “two foot shuffle”. Once a month there is a dance with a band and disco, it’s mostly over 50’s and such fun and very tiring.
Last year was certainly very different travelling wise. I can’t believe we visited so many countries.
In January we travelled from Western Australia to Queensland crossing five states. March saw me in Melbourne. April back to the UK to see my family over there, plus a side trip to Fuerteventura. May, hubby and I went to Da Nang, Vietnam October, Scotland, the UK, Sweden and Denmark. December was spent in Hong Kong and Bali. The only thing we were worried about then were the riots in Hong Kong! We did actually see one but kept well away.
The Great Australian Bight
Wine tasting
Brighton Beach
Waterloo Bridge
Lunch in Fuerteventura
Da Nang
On top of the world!
The fanciest toilets ever, Selfridges London
Gothenburg
Nyhavn
HSBC, Hong Kong
Melia, Bali
Next year I think will be spent travelling around Australia. Our international borders are going to remain closed until well into next year. Hopefully I will get back to the UK by October to celebrate my dad’s 90th.
Betancuria is a small village on the island of Fuerteventura that I visited a while back. It was part of a day tour that I took around the island. It’s a really pretty town with only a population of 811 and was founded in 1404, so it’s very historical. Before visiting Fuerteventura I hadn’t heard of this town.
Street with ceramic artwork on the walls
Iglesia de Santa Maria
Statues of the Kings Ayose and Guize
Betancuria is definitely worth a visit, the scenery on the drive is amazing.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Biarritz, France
Biarritz was just an overnight stop before we started our road trip in Spain, it was the easiest place to fly into from the UK to pick up our bus the next day to San Sebastian. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this place. It had a very old fashioned sea-side feel about it, plus the food was amazing. We stayed in a small quaint hotel near the sea front and had just enough time to explore next day.
In the restaurant conveniently located opposite our hotel
The street on which our hotel was
Georges Vl Hotel
Brave bathers!
Through the window
Statue of the Virgin Mary
Biaritz Sea Front
Waterproof Jacket by Next!
Eglise Saint Eugenie
Inside the Eglise Saint Eugenie
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Budva, Montenegro
Budva, situated on the Adriatic coast, was a place we spent an afternoon at during our stay in Montenegro. It’s a very old settlement over 2,500 years old and has a very well preserved medieval walled city. We were actually staying at a place called Rafailovici but after seeing Budva I wish we had stayed there.
The walled city
The Holy Trinity Church inside the walled city
St. Ivan’s Church
The Citadel
The library inside the Citadel
Cute ivy clad stone house inside the walled city
Narrow alleyway
Narrow street inside the walled city
Stone alleyway
Exploring the many alleyways inside the walled city
It’s been a year since we were last in Da Nang and the beaches are still as beautiful. More hotels have been built and still more are in the process of being built. The roads are busier, almost as busy as Hanoi or Saigon. Da Nang is a busy bustling city but has one of the best coastlines in Asia – in my opinion!
This time we stayed at the amazing Melia Beach Resort, around 15 minutes from the airport. I had booked a deluxe room and it turned out that it was in the main building and luckily we did have a sea view. There is a more upmarket part also more expensive called The Level, these are small apartments with their own private pool. But we were happy, a short walk to the beach and just a few floors down to the main restaurant where we had breakfast everyday. I had planned on doing a few tours but when we saw the beach I put those on hold for another year. I did drag Anthony to Ba’Na Hills though as I really wanted a photo on the Golden Hands Bridge, which I managed! We had a fantastic relaxing week here, and I even got to have a few sessions in the YHI Spa.
Beach photos
Non Nuoc Beach
At the front of the Melia – there was a small call bell on the side table to order drinks!
For your afternoon snooze
Volley Ball court – too energetic for me
contemplating how to bring his boat ashore
View from our balcony
When I checked the weather the week before it said it would be thunderstorms and rain everyday! This wasn’t the case at all, we had some rain and it was cloudy on some days but for the majority of the days it was sunny. The cloudy day we had we went to Ba’Na Hills which was the perfect weather for it.
Hotel Photos
Cocktails by the pool – Mango Daquiri
Cape Nao
Pool Bar
Cape Nao Restaurant
Infinity Pool
We didn’t eat at the hotel every night but ventured into Da Nang and Hoi An. There is a shuttle bus into Hoi An but we took a taxi. Hoi An is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. We’ve been before but this time the crowds were even bigger than ever. There are so many restaurants in Hoi An but most seemed empty. Most of the tourists who visit just take photos of the river and boats and lanterns. Every few feet you are stopped by vendors offering anything from candles to boat rides. We love the restaurant called Morning Glory and we saw at least four of them. You can sit upstairs overlooking the river or the street. The food here is delicious and original and customers often ask each other what they are eating or advising on what is really tasty. It’s a great place to strike up a conversation with other travellers.
Hoi An Photos
No cars allowed, only bikes
One of the many art galleries
Colourful lanterns hang outside most of the shops and restaurants
By the river
This lady had just cycled with a heavy load balancing on her shoulders
Da Nang
Da Nang is also good for different types of restaurants, especially Asian fusion. One night we at a a place called Fat Fish which is just a few minutes away from the Dragon Bridge. They don’t seem to have a website. It is owned and managed by an English man and his Vietnamese wife. The service is impeccable. She has trained all the staff so well. That night there was a firework competition between Russia and Vietnam, I managed to see a bit from the street.
My favourite cocktail a Mojito
Fireworks through the trees
Pulled Pork salad
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with basil pesto
Bikes
Vietnam is known for the thousands of motor bikes everywhere, even in Da Nang. It amazes me how many people they can fit onto one bike. It’s just a way of life for them but everyday they take their life in their hands. There seems to be designated seats for each member of the family and it’s often the youngest who is almost on the handlebars. I also noticed that the parents wear helmets whilst the children often do not. Sadly we did see one accident when we were there, a man was lying on the road underneath his bike with people trying to help him up, I’m not sure that was really the right thing to do.
From the taxi we were in
Taken from the taxi
Ba’Na Hills
On the one cloudy day we had I finally persuaded my husband to come to Ba’Na Hills with me. I decided against the official tour but just hired a driver from the hotel so we could arrive and leave whenever we liked. I’m glad we went around 12pm as most of the tours had arrived by then.
Bà Nà Hill Station is a hill station and resort located in the Trường Sơn Mountains west of the city of Da Nang, in central Vietnam. It was founded in 1919 by French colonists. The colonists had built a resort to be used as a leisure destination for French tourists. Being located above 1500 metres above sea level, it has a view of the East Sea and the surrounding mountains. Source: Wikipedia.
The cable car alone is worth the visit, it’s just amazing you just keep going up and up, sometimes you can’t even see the top as it’s covered in mist and it is eerily quiet. It is the longest non-stop single track cable car at 5,801 metres (19,032 ft) in length.
There is so much to see here that it’s impossible to see everything in the four hours we had planned. But we did our best! The main attractions would be the French village, Le Jardin d’Amour Flower Garden, Debay Wine Cellar, the Golden Bridge and the Fantasy Park. We didn’t bother with the Fantasy Park but just wandered around the gardens, temples and the village. You can also stay here as there is a resort called Mercure Danang French Village. The views overlooking Da Nang are amazing. The weather is very much cooler up here and can be quite cold.
One hand of the Golden Bridge appearing through the mist
Up and Up we go
There are five cable stations in all
Overlooking Da Nang
Inside Debay Wine Cellar
When you need a helping hand
Or a leg to stand on
Debay Wine Cellar
Golden Hands Bridge
Minutes before the heavens opened
The French Village
The Temples and Tea House
My husband and I were divided on our opinion of Ba’Na Hills, I really enjoyed it but he said it was just a tourist attraction.
One of my very dear friends lives on the island of Fuerteventura, Canary Islands. Whilst I was in the UK visiting my parents I decided to take a trip out to see her and also celebrate my birthday! I was there for four days, plenty of time to see the island and eat in the great fish restaurants that it’s known for.
Fuerteventura the second largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, sits in the Atlantic Ocean 100km off the north coast of Africa. It’s known mostly as a holiday destination due to its white-sand beaches and year-round warmth cooled by constant winds. It is the oldest island in the Canary Islands dating back 20 million years due to a volcanic eruption. It was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in May 2009.
As the first night was my birthday, Lorraine had booked a fabulous restaurant called La Playita overlooking the bay of Corralejo. What a fantastic night with the table decorated with balloons and banners and then the whole restaurant singing happy birthday to me.
Celebrating with a jug of sangria
My favourite – grilled sardines
Tasty tapas
More tapas
Complimentary birthday cake!
Walking through the beautiful town of Corralejo
One of the many statues of fishermen’s wives looking out to sea, waiting for their husbands to come home
The daily sand creation
Waking up the next morning I wandered into the garden to take some photos. Lorraine lives at the end of a residential street overlooking the sand dunes. You can see Tenerife in the distance from the garden. I was hoping the sun would break through as it wasn’t as warm as I had thought!
Sun rise with the sand dunes in the far distance
The next day Lorraine took me into Corralejo again and have lunch. Fuerteventura is a very barren island due to the lack of rain and volcanic landscape. Nothing really grows here and most of the food is imported. There are many aloe vera plants scattered around and this is one plant that does grow well.
Enjoying the beautiful view with a glass of Spanish wine
Typical Canarian fish dish cooked in wine, tomatoes and olives
The car ferry to and from Lanzarote in the background
The Bay of Corralejo
Hanging on so I don’t blow away!
Getting ready for Game of Thrones
The next day I booked an excursion to go around the island – I will be writing another post separately about this.
Before we set out for my last day on the island we had to walk Rocky and Poppy her two little dogs. We walked just up the path from where she lives so I could feed the chipmunks, which run wild throughout the island.
Rocky surveying his domain
Rocky and Poppy in their favourite position on the couch
El Cotillo
After our walk Lorraine and I drove to El Cotillo, a small coastal town on the Northern side of the island. It has a lovely harbour and beautiful scenery with plenty of restaurants and bars. El Cotillo is home to El Toston Tower built in the 1700’s to defend the village from pirates. We had lunch in El Mirador overlooking the bay. I loved all the murals and paintings that you see dotted around and also the way they use old rowing boats as decorations.
Lunch at El Mirador
Speciality salad with the local delicacy of fish pate
Exploring the town after lunch
Some of the murals and mosaics found around the town
Where oh where is my husband!
Posing as usual
The wild atlantic sea
Volcanic sand and rocks
Resting in the shade
The tiny harbour
El Toston Tower
For our last night we ended up eating in the beautiful El Marquesina and of course because it’s a speciality seafood restaurant I had the fish of the day.
Turbot with garlic and wine and baby Canarian potatoes
Lastly a very short clip from inside El Marquesina
I’ve just got back from a five day trip to Melbourne to see my son and his girlfriend once again! As they live just outside of St. Kilda I had the opportunity to see different places in Melbourne. It was a gastronomic gourmet getaway, eating and drinking our way around many different cuisines.
I had the first day to myself so thought I would walk to St. Kilda. Sounds simple enough but those who know me well also know I have no sense of direction. But armed with my google maps I managed to get there with a stop on the way to St Kilda Botanical Gardens. Of course with a few little detours!
St Kilda Botanical Gardens
The rain man in St. Kilda Botanical Gardens
St. Kilda Botanical Gardens
St. Kilda Botanical Gardens
Cute little duck!
St. Kilda Beach
Some shots of the art deco buildings along the beachfront.
Painted van
Apartment block with art deco features
Palace Theatre
The entrance to Luna Park, spewing out visitors!
From the beach
St Kilda Lighthouse
We also tried to catch the penguins on parade at sunset but not much luck. The fairy penguins are a nightly event and come up on the rocks down by the pier just after sunset. There are hundreds of people trying to get photos and all standing on one tiny wooden walkway, it was a bit worrying that the whole thing would collapse.
View of the city from St. Kilda Pier
My solitary Fairy Penguin
Dinner @ St. Moritz, Acland Street, St. Kilda
Yarra Valley
We drove to the Yarra Valley one day to celebrate Maddy’s forthcoming 21st birthday, with so many wineries to choose from it was difficult to make the right choice. Soumah Winery won the prize! On the way we stopped at Oakridge Winery for a quick tasting. It was a really nice place and they didn’t charge for the tasting! The day we went was a very smokey day due to bushfires very close by, at first not a single cloud or blue sky could be seen, which is why some of then photos look very overcast.
Winetasting at Oakridge
Very generous measures for a tasting
Choosing the wine for lunch
Our Lunch
Fig Rocket and Pancetta Salad
Seafood Pasta
Sweet potato Feta and Basil Bruschetta
A very smoky photo of the Yarra Valley
Posing amongst the grapes!
Vineyards of Soumah
Walking off into the smoky hills
Rustic rusty farm machinery
No matter which vineyard you visit anywhere in Australia there is always the rusty old farm machinery, the rustier the better!
Brighton Beach Bathing Huts
The last day we drove to Brighton Beach to have a look at all the amazingly colourful bathing beach boxes. There are 82 in all and they date back to the late nineteenth century. They are all painted different colours and sit on the beach. I took so many photos and here are some of my favourites.
Brighton Beach
My favourites below:
Life’s a beach!
The iconic Blinky Bill
Surf’s up
Some of the beach
Black swans with a view of the skyline
Paddling in the rock pools
Beautiful clear water
Dazzling colours of the seashells
The Baths for lunch and a glass of wine
Some of the places we had dinner
Tulum Turkish in Carlisle Road, Balaclava. Excellent Turkish tapas and would highly recommend if you are in the area. Vamos Spanish in the city. Great for tapas and live music. We had a fantastic night here eating, drinking and dancing the night away. Soumah in the Yarra Valley. An hour’s drive from Melbourne. St. Moritz, St. Kilda. Delicious steaks and burgers with live music.
