After a delicious breakfast served by Anna, the daughter-in-law of the owner, we packed our bags and left them with her so we could visit the castle. Breakfasts in Albania are normally cakes, breads and pastries, but none offer gluten free options, which is perhaps a good thing because I would be piling on the pounds. There is always a great variety of fruit and yoghurt though plus freshly made omelettes, so I didn’t starve.
Of course it was another uphill slog, but what castle worth its salt is not at the top of a hill. Gjirokaster Castle has a fascinating and also rather grim history, especially so in Hoxha’s reign. King Zog ruled Albania from 1928 until he was ousted by Mussolini in 1939. Zog was also known as a cruel dictator. Hoxha reigned from 1944 until he was toppled in 1992. It was a long and terrible time for Albanian people as we found out by visiting the castle.
There was a resistance movement during Hoxha’s reign but any opposition to the harsh rules were met with severe retribution, including internal exile, long-term imprisonment and execution. During his forty-year reign, the Albanian leader banned religion, forbade travel and outlawed private property.
A resistance FighterWWII canons
The castle is also known as “The Seven Windows Prison” of which there are five below. The guards used to go into these cells each morning and bang iron frames on the windows to check they were secure. The noise rang out over the villages below as a reminder there was no escape.
We opted also to have a walk around the museum which was an added cost, but the price was minimal and it seemed empty. In here we learnt so much more about the history and the horrors that went on, quite sobering to read. It was interesting to note that not much is written about Hoxha and what photo they did have, his face was scratched out.
A US plane shot down during WWII
View from the top
It is said that the castle was originally built in the 4th century, it is the largest castle in Albania. I’m always drawn to castles because of their history and Anthony enjoys a walk around a museum reading every word printed, always adding to his extensive knowledge.
Our next destination is along the coast, part of the Albanian Riviera. There are no highways across Albania – East to West only North to South – so there is much backtracking or I have simply not planned the route well. As Anthony has no clue about where we are headed next, he won’t realise, I just tell him the planned itinerary for that day, very exciting for him!
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.
We are once again in Bali for a short break and this time staying at Hotel Indigo. This hotel is perched almost on the beach with a very small road to cross. Mostly used by motorbikes so not too difficult to cross. It’s a surfers’ beach and not one where you can have a leisurely swim. Seminyak for us is more about relaxation and drinking and eating!
The Lobby“I’m not a real Vespa”“Balinese Art”
Our room is called a “comfort room” and is indeed extremely comfortable. There is a balcony with small forest outside. We don’t have a great view, but it’s still pleasant to sit outside when there is a breeze blowing.
The staff are super pleasant and eager to please, nothing is too much trouble. There are plenty of sunbeds at this time of year, it’s just out of season. Two fabulous restaurants and a small cafe. We’ve had breakfast, lunch and dinner here and no complaints from us.
We have eaten in a variety of places, upmarket and downmarket! On the beach and overlooking the beach.
La Plancha, a Spanish tapas cafe. This place looks about ready to fall down, adds to the atmosphere!
The Plantation, Double Six Hotel. A 1920’s style restaurant with enormous windows overlooking the ocean. This was luxury at it’s finest. A special treat was in store as there was a beautiful soprano singer to entertain us.
Dry Aged Duck BreastOven Roasted Black Cod
Dinner at the hotel restaurant – Makase
Rijsttafel – A Dutch word translating to Rice Table. An elaborate Indonesian meal sometimes consisting of up to 40 small dishes. Sweet and Sour FishPrawn Rice Paper Rolls
Seminyak is famous for the glorious sunsets, the beach bars make the most of this time and offer beanbags to relax on to watch.
We sat here for ages enjoying the beach life and our drinks, but time was passing and we needed to get ready for dinner!
The time had come for our visit to Melbourne again. We had planned five days with Laurence and Maddy. They were both still on their Christmas break from work so it meant we could spend every day together.
Our trip didn’t start too well with our late night flight delayed for one hour (at least we were on time!). This meant it would be too late for Laurence to pick us up. When we arrived we found the taxi queue to be too long for us to wait, so decided to book the hotel opposite. Any sensible person would walk across the road and ask for a room, but thinking I was being clever I booked online while on the side of the road. Booking.Com didn’t allow me to book for the day before, so I went ahead and booked for that day, which meant that we couldn’t check in until 3 pm, which I found out when we went to check in! By now it was 2.30 am and we were desperate for a room. Fortunately I managed to get through to Booking.Com and convey my mistake! Hoping that the hotel would waive the cost as we now had to book direct through them. Anyway I didn’t get charged otherwise it would have been a very expensive mistake. Although I had to explain all this to the staff as they kept saying they couldn’t refund me. Lesson: Do not book online at the side of the road.
For the next five days we ate and drank our way around Melbourne’s fine restaurants.
We stayed in a one bedroom apartment just across the road from Laurence and Maddy which was ideal.
It was hot and humid one minute and cold and rainy the next. It’s true what they say about Melbourne – Four seasons in one day.
We had a quick trip to St. Kilda for happy hour followed by dinner at Bistro Thierry – no points for guessing it was French.
MatchingMy Handsome MenEpaule d’Agneau BraiséeBraised RabbitBœuf à la Bourguignonne en croûteTarte Tatin
No trip to Melbourne is complete for Anthony without a shopping day, so it was into town for that.
We had lunch in a very popular Vietnamese restaurant, cocktails on a rooftop bar and dinner at a Korean BBQ restaurant.
A moving sculpture
Legacy Anzac Centenary Mural
Rabbit Yin Yang
Her Bar
Bornja Restaurant
The Gang of Four
Thursday it was my day to choose somewhere to go. So we drove to Williamstown around 30 minutes drive from St. Kilda. It was a beautiful sunny day and the beach was packed with umbrellas and cabanas. We had a seafood lunch overlooking the bay and wander around after.
View of Melbourne Skyline
Williamstown was Melbourne’s first port settlement and named after William 1V in 1837. Of course there was an indigenous settlement long before this. The Yalukit-willam clan of the Kulin nation were the first people to call this town home.
Nowadays it is a popular place for family holidays with gorgeous sandy beaches and many restaurants and cafes. It reminded me of an English seaside town, without the weather to go with it though.
We had a dinner at their place one night with Laurence grilling steaks on his Weber.
Too soon and it was our last day and it was pouring! Maddy had mentioned she wanted to see the Triennial exhibition at the National Gallery so we caught a tram to the city for a visit. The exhibition is free and hosts many different exhibitions throughout the year.
Taking photos was allowed so I took a few of the ones that I liked or intrigued me the best!
Larger than life sculptures by Thomas J Price
Walking into the room above, I asked myself what constitutes art? I said to Laurence I could do this, looks easy. To which he answered “aah but that’s the trick to make it look easy but in reality it’s very difficult”. I’m still not sure I would put this on my wall though.
Paintings by Farrokh Mahdavi an Iranian artist. InUntitled,pink is the universal colour of our flesh; it transcends politics, race, nationality, territoriality and gender. Source – NGV
Comedian Maurizio Cattelan – Italian born artist
Well I could definitely do this. My thoughts: ”The Emperor’s New Clothes”. I have cropped this as much as I could but it was in a room with nothing else.
In 1999, Cattelan duct taped his art dealer, Massimo De Carlo, to a wall for the opening of his exhibitionA Perfect Day.
Mound of wollen yarn Real strawberries preserved foreverHanging on for dear lifeA photographer is always trapped behind his lens
I loved the ones above as I found them profound and moving.
Displaced along with members of his immediate family during the Kosovo War (1998–99), Petrit Halilaj’s Very volcanic over this green feather explores his experience as a thirteen-year-old refugee living for more than two years in Kukës II camp in Albania. Art materials were distributed to children at the camp by visiting Italian psychologist Giacomo Poli. Poli encouraged the children to externalise and process their experiences through drawing. Spotting his talent, Poli would much later arrange for Halilaj to attend art school in Italy. Source – NGV
I enjoy looking at old paintings of Royalty and Noblemen and Women and one floor was showing these, although not part of the Triennel exhibition.
Anthony’s family has a family tree dating back to Louis XIV by one of his mistresses and above is Louis XIII. Is there a likeness? He would have to shave his beard to be sure! On that note I will close this lengthy post.
Thanks for joining me on our recent trip to Melbourne!
I’ve posted about Hong Kong a few times in the past and each time we go I find something new to photograph. So I thought I would do a series of posts with different topics.
“It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man“ Benjamin Franklin
An employee of the Star Ferry getting ready to bring the gang plank down. He’s wearing the same uniform that has been in existence for many years. I imagine he’s also worked on the Star Ferry since a young man. Not much has changed about the Star Ferries, just the price of a ticket which is still a great bargain at HK$5. “The Star Ferry traces its origins to 1880 when Dorabjee Naorojee Mithaiwala, a Parsee cook, embarked on a new vocation. He began a ferry service across Victoria Harbour with his steamboat, the Morning Star.” – Source: Star Ferry
“The wise man knows how to run his life so that contemplation is possible” Gabriel Marcel
Taking a moment to reflect on the book he is reading. It made me wonder what he is thinking about.
Rest is not a luxury; it is a necessity.Take the time off to replenish your energy and recharge your soul – Annoymous
Employees from a nearby restaurant enjoying their lunch outside. There were poinsettias everywhere, providing splashes of colour.
“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship” Thomas Aquinas
Wedding shenanigans with the groomsmen. We came upon this group as we turned the corner from our hotel. I just caught them in mid pose. Chinese weddings are an extremely flamboyant affair in Hong Kong, most of the photos are taken before the wedding.
The Lens Artist Challenge this week is as my title says “Looking Up, Looking Down” hosted by James @ JazziBeeBlog. – Featured image, the stained glass dome in Gallerie Lafayette, Paris, France
I’ve collated a few from my archives as I’m always looking up anyway especially if a building has an interesting ceiling. Looking down from up high is always fun especially in a busy city.
Looking Up
I had to tilt my camera almost flat to look up at the ornately carved dome of Santiago Cathedral, Spain
Lacy Dome with stained glass windows – Osmania University Arts College, Hyderabad, India
Paintings of the Apostles on the dome of Frederik’s Marble Church, Copenhagen, Denmark
Withoutlooking up I wold have missed the intricate l’Etoile design tiled ceiling, Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France
Looking Down
Looking down from our hotel window in Hanoi, Vietnam, giving us wonderful overview of the streets and rooftops of this busy city
An elevated look atHoi Van Overpass, seen on our drive, from Da Nang to Hue, Vietnam
On the cable car leaving Lantau Peak and looking down onto Lantau Island, Hong Kong, giving us a fantastic bird’s eye view
Over the next couple of days we had many outings planned, wineries, breweries, new and old restaurants, shopping and of course cards would be on the agenda.
Our first stop was a new brewery in town called Southcamp. We enjoyed a delicious lunch with wine and ciders.
They couldn’t resist the temptation to pick up the bats.
Then it was back to the house and straight down to the beach with bathers on. I was definitely going to get in today. Viv and I had a long walk past the sand bank and along the water. Actually quite strenuous pushing through the water. As it’s so shallow I dragged myself back in on my stomach just using my arms, commando style, quite hilarious to watch and very ungraceful.
Mermaid pose
It took at least twenty shots before I managed the last position.
Before going out for dinner we had time for a few games of cards, glass of wine and snacks on the verandah.
Dinner was in town at a restaurant called Blue Manna Bistro. It was a place I’ve been trying to go for the longest time. We nearly didn’t get in though as the booking hadn’t gone through, but the manager kindly set up a table on the deck outside. Although only a Wednesday night, this place was buzzing.
The Fab Four! Mouth watering cocktails Seared Shark Bay Scallops with scallop and crab pot stickers, fresh coconut herb salad and Thai peanut satayCrispy Fried Prawn Stuffed Soft Shell Crab with and mango chilli chutneyBanoffee Pavlova chocolate meringue, miso caramel and five spiced banana
I’m very happy we managed to get a table as this meal was truly scrumptious.
We were up again early the next day and we took a long walk along the beach footpath.
I had fun with the last photo here, although there were complaints about how uncomfortable it was.
Pole Dancers!
Some more sculptures to play around with, my turn this time!
The gap in the sculpture makes a perfect frame.
Then onto our favourite restaurant, Meelup Farm, which I’ve posted about before.
Atlantic salmon, green harissa spice, preserved lemon + honey yoghurt Aromatic duck curry, black rice, green beans, limeMore Cocktails
Wise Winery was our next stop, apparently the only winery in Australia with a sea view. We had coffee here and stocked up on wine.
All too soon it was time to pack up and head back to Perth, but not before stopping for breakfast on the way home.
A very full boot! Yallingup Beach
The four of us all agreed we had an excellent few days. Hopefully we will be able to do the same next year.
History of Dunsborough
Prior to European colonisation, the land was populated by Indigenous people, the tribe along the coast was called Wardandi (sea people). These Indigenous peoples referred to Dunsborough by the name of Quedjinup, which means “Place of Women” The modern town is named after the nearby Dunn Bay, which was named after Captain Richard Dalling Dunn under whom Governor James Stirling had served in the Hibernia and the Armide in 1810–11. A general store was opened in 1925 and the town’s first bakery was established in 1930. It seems there wasn’t a school until 1963. During the 1960’s surfing became very popular and the ideal conditions brought many tourists to the region. Source: Wikipedia
Thanks for coming along with the fab four on our journey to Dunsborough
Once again we were back in Penang, almost a year to the day. Anthony was determined to accomplish what he failed to do last year and climb Penang Hill. It was my turn this year to succumb to food poisoning on our first night here. Fortunately not as bad as he was, just had to spend the first day in the hotel, sleeping it off.
We were staying in a place called the Ascot Gurney, situated on Gurney Drive. It was a fabulous hotel, ideally situated within walking distance to many restaurants and right on the waterfront.
A view from our room and the pool area, where I spent many an hour relaxing and reading.
Mixing the old with the new
We did some walking around and did some shopping, also had lunch in cafes and restaurants. I wasn’t fussed about doing any sightseeing as we saw so much the year before. I did manage to eat some of the massive lunch that we ordered, good job we were sharing!
Pork Tomahawk
The day dawned when Anthony finally made up his mind to climb Penang Hill. It was decided that he would take a taxi to the bottom of the hill in the botanical gardens and I would take the funicular train up. Once he had left I looked up how to get there and realised it was closed for maintenance that week! I was in a dilemma about what to do. Once I had spoken to him he said there was a jeep service that took you up the hill, so I jumped in a taxi to where the jeep service was.
Honestly these guys were raking it in, it was one jeep per party of four. When I asked if I could share they said no, but Anthony was allowed to come back down with me. It was organised chaos, you were given a number on a small sticker to put on the back of your phone, the price was astronomical and one guy said it was more expensive than his air ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. I had to wait for around 30 minutes for a jeep to be free and then it was a 15 minute drive to the top. It took Anthony just under two hours to climb up.
Penang Hill
A number of hills are covered by Penang Hill, with the highest point being Western Hill that stands at an altitude of 833 meters (2,733 feet) above sea level. Penang Hill is a hilly and forested area that stands out from the lowlands of Malaysia. The area was used as a retreat during the British colonial period, and is now a very popular tourist destination due to its history and heritage.
Because of the funicular railway being closed most of the shops and cafes were closed also. The only place open was The Bellevue Hotel, where we sat and had lunch. Here we spotted black gibbons swinging through the trees. They moved too quickly for me to get a good photo.
Breathtaking views from the top, and so much flora and fauna to see. There were bees and dragon flies swooping in and out of the flowers.
🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
On our last night we decided to treat ourselves to dinner in a fancy restaurant. It was called Thirty Two at The Mansion overlooking the water. Having just recently celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary, I thought it was very apt.
The lobby and waiting areas
Not sure of the relevance of Boy George being hung on the wall, but he’s a favourite of mine so I snapped him at once.
The beautiful ornate ceiling
There is also a beach bar at the back, called Beach Blanket Babylon.
Crab LaksaSmoked Duck Breast with Green AppleRoast Cod with Samphire SauceDinner a Deux
The food was delicious and I would recommend a visit here if you have the time.
As usual though Anthony was still hungry, so off we went looking for pork satay which is not easy to find in Penang. We took a taxi to a street food market and saw there was a long line for the satay. Deciding he didn’t want to queue up, he went straight to the cook and got served straight away!
This is the end of our adventures in Asia, thanks to everyone for tagging along.
As planned with the one toothed man on the ferry our driver arrived at 9.30 am to show us around the island.
We opted just for the driver and not a guide as this was much extra, plus I had google maps enabled and could see where we were going. This was going to be handy as our driver could speak no English. This was something we found interesting that many of the people spoke very good English and others none at all. Maybe taught at a basic level at school, but the people who spoke it well said they had learnt from tourists and watching tv shows!
I had an itinerary written out by our man on the ferry which I handed to our driver, I couldn’t read his writing and I don’t think the driver could either! So we missed the first place completely, him waving his arms saying later later at my objections.
Our first stop was Huta Siallagan, an ancient Batak village. Huta Siallagan village was built in the reign of the first Huta leader, King Laga Siallagan, A number of descendants of King Siallagan still reside here today in Ambarita Village, where tombs of their ancestors can still be found in the area. North Sumatra is home to the largest number of Batak people.
Traditional Batak HousesStone Meeting Place
Another stone meeting place, this one including a long table for executions.
A King’s Grave
As usual the exit was through the obligatory gift shop and then out onto the street with more gift stalls selling trinkets made of wood (which we can’t bring back to Australia) and handmade blankets.
Our next stop was Batu Passa and Liang Sipogu, well worth stopping for.
Mr Driver having yet another smokeTraditional wooden rowing boats
As we were walking back to the car we came across a cave and a lady weaving baskets inside. Anthony was flexible enough to crab walk in, it was quite far back. I’m not sure how she managed to see as I had to use the torch on my phone to get this photo. There was a contribution box at the entrance which we put something into.
The beach was next and it was the furthest northern point on Samosir, Pantai Batuhoda. Very much like a holiday destination, with cafes and beach chairs and umbrellas along the sand. Anthony decided to go for a swim, it was quite rocky and I could see that reef shoes were needed. So I was happy to sit and watch.
I swear it’s AnthonyEnjoying a fresh coconutPull up a seatand enjoy the viewA nod to the Dutch explorersI could find no information about these stones! A stallion made of rubber tyres
From here we drove up to the hot springs and then even further up into the mountains. To get to the hot springs you have to cross the Aek Tano Ponggol Bridge which links Samosir to the mainland. We could smell the hot springs way before we got there, the windows in the car were down as there was no air con, so we were blasted with hot smelly air! It was our intention to have a dip but I remember swimming in hot springs before and couldn’t get the smell of rotten eggs off my skin for ages, so we gave that a miss!
Aek Tano Ponggol Bridge
The drive to the top was extremely steep and the road very narrow. So many bends and not a smooth road, countless spots just gravel. We eventually came to a stop as I didn’t think the car could go any further.
Mr Driver (I never did get his name) wanted to continue down this track, but I had other ideas. I didn’t fancy reenacting scenes from The Italian Job. Anthony wanted to walk to the far peak, but sadly I had to put a stop to that too, there’s only so many hours in a day.
The Long and Winding Road
The surrounding scenery from all sides was breathtaking and the lake looked crystal clear. It was so silent up here with just the wind blowing my hair in all directions. We were reluctant to leave but time was ticking on.
Time for lunch and we had seen a couple of nice ones on the way up, overlooking the lake. It seems Mr D had other ideas and drove straight past even though I was asking him to stop and turn round! His ideas for lunch did not coincide with mine, after he drove through a dusty township at the bottom and kept pointing to dark and dismal places, which I vetoed. We eventually found somewhere on the beach, but I wasn’t happy at all. I still tipped him though!
We arrived back at our hotel around 4pm, in time to check out the hotel’s pool. Dinner that night was at Lynn’s place, called Tarian X-Iren Kitchen. It was a delicious home cooked meal. After we had finished eating she sat with us a while and told us a bit more about her life and she was also interested in ours. She offered me a ride to the hotel on the back of her bike, which I accepted! I haven’t been on a bike for over 30 years, little did I know I would be doing this again soon!
We had an almost sleepless night in the Medan Airport Hotel, due to being able to hear final calls to board aircraft from the tannoy. This hotel was really in the airport! So we checked out around 10 am and set off to meet our driver Johnny for the long drive to Parapat. I had found his number on a Trip Advisor Forum and contacted him a while before for the trip. The price was reasonable and he seemed reliable, chatting to me in the third person!
The journey would take approximately three and a half hours with a possible stop for lunch.
Once we had negotiated our way out of the city it was a pretty nice highway to drive on. Either side of the highway there were just plantations of palm trees for miles.
Palm Oil is one Indonesia’s main exports, but now the EU have reduced the use of palm oil for health reasons and also deforestation. It is to be phased out as a use of fuel by 2030. Indonesia has filed a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization against the EU for its anti-subsidy tariffs imposed on Indonesia palm oil-based biofuels exports.
We had a brief stop to stretch our legs and use the bathrooms, this was at a dried fruit, nut and seed emporium. Anthony bought several types of peanuts for snacks with beer. It was here that we met two delightful ladies from Singapore who were also travelling to Parapat.
We arrived around 3pm, checked into Khas Hotel which sits on the lake front with a small private beach.
Our first sightings of Parapat with Samosir Island in the distance.
After a quick lunch in the hotel we set off to explore the surrounding area.
The photos above are from the hotel website, we stayed in a room like this. We could walk down to the beach from our room.
Local street in ParapatTower Garuda
It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze blowing. Our hotel was in a small bay and we walked for around an hour taking in the views. As far I could see there were no other Europeans that we spotted and people were calling out to us hello, even stopping their cars and rolling down the windows to have a better look, quite bizarre.
We walked back to the hotel and Anthony suggested a swim in the lake below, I was a bit reluctant as we walked down the steps as there were several young girls swimming and paddling but fully clothed. Some wore jeans with a cardigan, nothing worse than wet jeans. I really did stand out in my one piece, and they didn’t hide their interest either. So I just waved and laughed as I swam about as they all watched and giggled. It was surprisingly warm for a lake, I had expected it to be much colder.
Lake Toba is the largest volcanic crater lake in the world. The lake is about 100 kilometres (62 miles) long, 30 kilometres (19 mi) wide, and up to 505 metres (1,657 ft) deep.Wikipedia
By coincidence the two ladies we had met earlier Elaine and E-Jin were also staying at our hotel. As we said we couldn’t seem to see anywhere decent for dinner within walking distance they offered us a lift in the car they had hired with a driver to look for dinner further afield.
Elaine also gave me some very good information about sim cards. I had never heard of an E-Sim, but if your phone is relatively new then there is a place for an E-Sim. She sent me a link to Airalo, it cost me just US$5 for a seven day package including data. This proved invaluable and came in very handy.
Later that night we sat outside our room and watched a wonderful electric storm.
The next day we would begin our trip to Samosir Island.
