Pesto, Foreign Exchange and Food Waste

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classic pesto

I grow a lot of basil. It’s an easy herb to grow, smells and tastes wonderful and is easy to maintain. I add it to so many summer dishes. You can grow basil in a pot or garden bed where it will get good sunlight and regular water. To keep your basil growing, remove the flowers when they appear, before they turn to seed. I leave the seeds on the soil in the pot and some will germinate again next year.

Pesto, traditionally made from basil, can be used as a dip, a spread, a sauce stirred through pasta or stirred into soups or casseroles. Using only basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and a strong cheese, this is a quick and delicious spread. I use a sheeps’ pecorino from the Italian deli for its strong and delicious flavour. Also, too much cows’ milk doesn’t really sit well with me.

Gather the ingredients and a blender. Purists insist on pounding the ingredients by hand in a mortar and pestle but I can’t taste the difference between pounded or blended pesto. You choose! Make sure you have a clean, sterilised jar and lid ready for bottling the pesto. I use recycled jam jars. The ingredients I’ve listed make about one jam jar of pesto and sufficient to stir through pasta that night.

Ingredients;

50 gm of fresh pine nuts

80 gm basil leaves, no stems

50 gm of parmesan  or other strong cheese of your choice, grated roughly

2 garlic cloves or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic

75 ml extra virgin olive oil

Rinse the basil leaves and pat dry. Then heat a small frying pan over low heat and gently toss the pine nuts in a little extra oil until they are golden. Be careful not to let them burn as they will taste bitter.You can substitute almonds, pistachios or walnuts if you don’t have pine nuts

Tip the pine nuts, basil leaves, garlic and grated cheese into the blender and blitz until they are roughly chopped. Run the motor and slowly pour in the oil. When it is well mixed but still has shape use a spatula to transfer the pesto into a jar. I used a 370gm recycled jam jars with a tight fitting lids. The pesto will keep for about 10 days in the fridge, if you can leave it alone for that long!

The traditional recipe for pesto uses basil, but there’s many variations depending on what is growing in your garden or what herbs you have on hand to use up. You can add mint or parsley, too. Wonderful stirred through pasta or gnocchi, under a poached egg on toast, on a pizza, stirred into soup or drizzled on a tomato salad.

foreign money

Once we used to go to the bank and organise some foreign currency to take overseas. Then that changed and we have to go into the city to specific branches of the bank to get money. We’d have to order it then wait a few days before we could make the trek into the city and collect the money. Now there is only one branch where we could collect foreign currency.

Searched online for an easier alternative and found one, an online currency exchanger. We ordered the currency and denominations we wanted and made a bank transfer to pay. Two days later the money arrived at our local post office. It was in a plastic pouch in a cardboard box. This entire transaction cost us AU$14, a better exchange rate compared to the bank. It was very easy to complete.

The money was the denominations we selected wrapped with a receipt showing the value and the number of each bank note. It took minutes to order and was easy to pick up later. So much easier than dealing with the bank. When you try and organise this with the bank  they would prefer to supply  a foreign currency credit card which is very profitable for them. Their deal also includes a charge incorporated in the exchange rate to pay for their time.

food waste

I don’t like wasting food! I see frightening figures quoting the amount of food first World countries send to landfill. Sometimes it takes a lot of work and planning to use everything we’ve bought. Bread is a big problem in this house. I make sourdough for myself and eat it all. Two days before the whole loaf is gone I feed the starter and 12 hours later I mix the dough and leave it for another twelve hours. Then I bake it. It’s a routine I’m used to and not difficult. Besides, the bread is wonderful!

My husband like artisan loaves he buys from two preferred bakeries. He never finishes a loaf. I can make bread and butter puddings but not in the middle of summer. I can make panzanella salads. But mostly I make breadcrumbs. I simply cut the remnant bread to fit easily in the processer and blitz the chunks until they are fine bread crumbs. I use them mostly to make meatballs, chicken balls and sometimes coated chicken. No waste.

Chop into small pieces.

Blitz.

                    Using a high tech funnel store the breadcrumbs in a jar.

 

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Melaka

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When we were planning our trip to Maleka I saw it written as Malacca, Melaca and Melakka so I decided to wait until I was there before I gave this blog a title. Most of the signs coming into town and all the hotel signage spells it Maleka, but even here there is some variation in spelling! Apparently, Malacca has now officially become Maleka.

I wanted to go to Maleka for years.  The  Arabs, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English have all left their mark on this once thriving shipping port. Originally a small fishing village, it was discovered and claimed by Iskander Sha around 1402. He was attracted by the good port and its location on the narrowest point of the Malacca Straits.

The original Dutch Church became the Church of England Church.

Interior of the Church.

Maleca quickly became a thriving trading port connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, enabling trade from India, Persia and the Arabian Peninsula. It was recognised for its safe and secure warehouses.

Modern temple.

Following the 1481 Papal Bull which was later called the Treaty of Tordesillas, Spain and Portugal agreed to divide the World into two spheres of expansion, the Portuguese settled in the Cape of Good Hope, India and parts of Asia as remote as Japan. They quickly conquered Melaka. They were trading in spices. Then in 1641 the Dutch claimed the area but later the British arrived and overpowered the Dutch. In 1824  the English negotiated control of the region. The Dutch had withdrawn by 1825.

This mix of nationalities has left a diverse array of buildings, maritime monuments, culture, religions and ethnic groups. Inter marriage of so many ethnic groups has created a unique cuisine called  Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan.  The City became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008.

Old fort and Church.

Many of the older buildings are concentrated in one part of town near the river. Most are in use as shops, some are cafes, museums or galleries, some are neglected and falling apart and there are some signs of modern but sympathetic renovations.

Old shop fronts in Jonkers Street and traffic jam.

I like to view new places from the water, if possible. I like a river cruise, whether it’s on the Oxford River, the Rhine, in Saigon, a ferry taxi from our hotel in Bangkok, on the Hong Kong Harbour or on the river in Melaka.

Older buildings along the river.

Older, restored houses on the river contrasting with a modern tower block behind.

Old painted godowns along the river.

Setting off from the quay we were surprised to see unidentifiable animals in the water, swimming fast. (Later we discovered they were  monitor lizards, . They live on the river banks and in the river and grow up to 3m (9 foot) in length. They have adapted to living in the water.) Many older buildings are on the edge of the river. A lot feature street art. So many places to eat! The river is crossed by several foot bridges.

We wanted to see more of the older buildings, so we organized a car and driver to take us to places of interest. It was very hot during the day, places we wanted to see were between the river and the sea, so  covering a large area. We found the driver well informed. I was able to jump out and take photos and read the signage. It was really interesting seeing new apartments and shopping malls, too, plus the museums and art galleries.

Our hotel had been suggested to us by our nephew. We had a river view room with a balcony with chairs, a table and candles, lit at night. The hotel was so luxurious and comfortable. Our bathroom had sliding opaque windows allowing views of the river from the bath. It was so roomy and lovely after the last hotel we were in. The cafe and grill served meals throughout the day, there was a library with a coffee machine and snacks and a gym. I know, it’s crazy to still count minutes ‘in the zone’ when you’re on holidays, but I do, so I spent time in the gyms of the three hotels we’ve stayed in while we have been in Singapore and Melaka. I really like a good hotel gym.

View of our hotel from the river.

Hotel enfilade, with painted ceiling, one of many at our hotel.

Our balcony overlooked the river, one of the few cool places in the evening. Melakka was very hot!

Despite its rich history, many historical indicators have not been maintained, been built over or simply neglected. We were surprised at how few buildings remain. Do your own research before you go to Melaka if you’re interested in the history as information and maps are sketchy.

Melaka is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are some interesting things to see and read, numerous places to eat, plenty of opportunities to buy mementos and also modern shopping malls with all the usual brands and some particular to Malaysia. We took a car from Singapore for the three and a half hour drive and went on the river trip that afternoon after a wander down famous Jonker Street. The next day we arranged a car and driver to show us the historical sites and looked in local galleries and museums.  I think we could have done every thing we wanted in two days and nights but we spent the third day wandering around and resting. Early the fourth day we took the car and driver back to Singapore.

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Singapore

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Singapore is less than six hours flying time from Perth. It is a very modern, clean and bustling city but still maintains some unique characteristics of ‘old Singapore’. Although I’ve been to Gardens on the Bay, an amazing botanical wonderland, twice before, I’d never really explored the surrounding parklands. That was my plan for this visit as I wanted to see The Planet sculpture, aka the Floating Baby.

This enormous artwork by British artist Mark Quinn is made of painted bronze and steel. The sculpture is of the artist’s  7 month old sleeping son. The baby seems to hover peacefully in the air, surrounded by green gardens. The artwork divided the masses; either you love it or you hate it! I love it and enjoyed walking around it a few times, seeing different details each time.

The gardens were green and beautiful but the late afternoon heat was stifling. We walked across to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and went straight up to the top for the sea breeze, coffee and a big bottle of sparkling water.  Calm and cool but very misty over the water. Followed later by a relaxing hour of reflexology then yum cha. A lovely day.

Restoratives.

The heat and humidity was stifling and misty at times.

Great yum cha.

One of the other attractions of Singapore is the food! Singaporeans take food seriously and you can buy amazing food for a few dollars at a street stall or spend lots and eat in beautifully designed restaurants with carefully presented food. We ate at both and some places in between. We hadn’t had high tea at The Raffles for years nor been there since the major renovation was completed so we went there, too. It was lovely.

Scones, sandwiches, beautifully presented cakes and little chocolate treats….we enjoyed them all!

Since living in China over twenty years ago,  we have sought out massages, particularly reflexology or foot massages. Although the cost in Singapore is similar to an hour long session in Perth we have never found a really good reflexologist. We’ve had lovely foot and leg rubs and very half hearted massages but nothing like the systematic reflexology we’ve had in China, in Vietnam, in Thailand and Singapore. Bali can be a bit hit and miss, too! So, several visits to the spa for reflexology for us.

Airy, colourful entrance, in glass roofed foyer created by joining the two buildings.

The National Gallery of Singapore is an amalgamation of the former Supreme Court and the original City Hall  connected by a modern glass and steel structure. (There’s lots of information about the transformation from early planning and funding to constructing and utilizing the building available on Level 4, plus a daily walk and talk you can join and be shown around. Ask at the desk for daily times) The amalgamation works really well and has created a wonderful National Gallery of Singapore. It is always worth a visit. We skipped the regular exhibitions and went upstairs to the third floor for Living Pictures: Photography in South East Asia and fourth floor for Liu Kuo Sung: Experimentation As Method, both new, temporary exhibitions.

Sunlight pours in through the steel and glass middle section.

Followed by cold drinks and a snack in the cafe before a serious look around the gallery shop. Beautiful things but very expensive. A great range of art books, too.

Carefully restored former Supreme Court.

Enjoyed a wander through the National Design Museum, too, a bit different from the usual displays   Really enjoyed walking around Chinatown again but got caught in a monsoonal downpour. Had a lovely chat with the shop owner until the rain stopped. Chinatown has so many wall murals designed for interaction. One difficult thing was the tour groups on bikes who really seemed unaware of the pedestrians they were running into. We visited on the weekend, so the temples were busy and loud. Chinatown is vibrant and interesting. Look out for the old shopfronts still up and down many streets.

Grand old buildings.

Interactive street art in Chinatown.

You’ve been warned.

Are you interested in the Barbie movie? I was a huge fan of Barbie when I was 10 and my Father brought me a Barbie from America with bendable legs and arms. She was followed by Ken and her little sister, Skipper. I loved my dolls and built and decorated houses for them and sewed clothes. My father made me perfect tiny wire hangers so I could organize their wardrobes. I’ve still got them. Still interested in houses, interior decoration and clothes but mention all of this because Barbie and the movie are BIG in Singapore.

Free Girl Posing as a Barbie Doll Stock Photo

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Confronted by a Barbie photo opportunity display in a shopping centre.  Not only were there males and females from babies to about eighty dressed in pink having their photos taken clutching bunches of pink balloons  amongst  the Barbie paraphernalia, there was the Barbie jingle, ‘I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world’ warbling on repeat, very loudly. A quick look at the Sunday paper when we returned informed me Perth is going Barbie mad, too. So much pink! Plus a World record singalong attempt of Barbie World!

Next week’s blog will be about our visit to Melaka

 

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Shopping in Bali and Good Books

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After two weeks in Bali we are back in Perth and back to our old routines. We left Bali on a sunny 30C° day and arrived back in Perth to overcast skies and   20°C. So getting all the washing dry has been challenging. The garden has obviously enjoyed the rain and will need attention later.

I’ve been asked about shopping in Bali.  There’s everything from open fronted stalls to grand new malls. We went back to a shopping centre in Kuta where my husband bought quality boat shoes four years ago and were pleased to find they still have that brand, so he bought another pair! He wears size 46 (12) shoes and they had his size.

A bit squashed straight from the suitcase.

Wandered around the same department store and found cashmere scarves. Obviously not big sellers in Bali, they were being offered at 50% off the original price. We have two new scarves. We have found unexpected things to buy in Bali each visit.

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Cashmere scarves found in Bali.

The next day we went to one of the newer, big shopping malls. I don’t normally shop at H&M and there isn’t one close to us in Perth but there was one at this shopping mall. I have a new shirt. The tag says it is made from 95% organic cotton and it replaces a very old striped T-shirt I have worn for many, many years. There were a few other clothing shops, lots of optical shops, Watsons pharmacy, tech shops and so many food outlets. (The entrance to many new shopping centres is off the main road. You’ll probably need to ask the person at the valet parking desk at the entrance to phone for a taxi unless someone is dropped off in one and you can grab it)

The price and information tags are attached by cotton threads, not strips of plastic.

So many shops everywhere selling clothes in every price range, shoes, too, and lots of decor shops but the most surprising thing was the number of tattoo shops! So many. Lots of lovely woven baskets with and without linings but I have so many baskets already. Some gorgeous jewelry, too, and other small items.

Food to prepare at your villa or room is available at various shops. Although we buy crackers and cheese, icecream and punnets of strawberries I haven’t bought things to cook or prepare. If we are hungry we order in or wander down the road. I cook all the time here but not in Bali. I am on holidays!

READING

We are keen readers and take books when we travel we’ll  both read. The Ann Cleeves thriller The Heron’s Cry was in this category. Cleeves is probably best known for her Vera and Shetland detective series. Interestingly, Ann Cleeves’ first name is actually VERA. This book is one of her new Two Rivers series featuring Detective Matthew Venn and is the second one I’ve read.

Cleeves weaves clever tales with many twists and turns. This is a story about current issues in society, such as struggling small towns in the UK, suicide and the inability of health services to provide necessary services and the impact on families when one member is involved in a long running and complex murder enquiry.

It’s a great thriller and we both enjoyed it. We leave the books we have finished in the office for other guests to read. I like to borrow books from the library when we’re not traveling as we have so many, already, but take paperbacks on holidays.

Are you a fan of Redoutè’s gorgeous floral engravings and paintings? You’ll recognize his paintings everywhere, especially on gift cards, notebooks and address books because they are so beautiful. A lovely Mother’s Day gift,  I am reading  Pierre Joseph Redouté  The Book of Flowers published by Taschen. Redouté, is referred to as the ‘Raphael of flowers’ for his exquisite, naturalistic paintings and engravings. This book features engravings from his Roses, Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers and Lilies collections.

The works featured in this 500 page book are all amazingly accurate and very beautiful but just as interesting is the historical information about the time and the focus on gardens, herbariums and horticulture generally. The advancement in printing the engravings and watercolours, plus the developments in mass publications are all addressed, too.

Included is Redoutè original index of plants, plus a modern index reflecting reclassifications. A hefty tome, overflowing with glorious paintings and masses of information. An excellent reference book for gardeners, artists and historians. Redouté paintings feature on my address book, a notebook , an old diary I’ve kept for the beautiful pictures and several postcards so a very welcome gift!

Aerial view of Lucky bay near Esperance viewed during a cloudy day, Australia

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Lucky Bay, a West Australian Beach at Esperance, named by the explorer Matthew Flinders, is named the Most Beautiful Beach In The World.

So as the Southern hemisphere heads into winter the Northern Hemisphere heads into summer. Enjoy the special aspects of each seasons where ever you are in the World!

 

 

 

 

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7 Things About Bali

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We love Bali. For years we visited regularly but Covid prevented us from coming for three years. Now we’re back! We stay at the same villa, we’ve visited old friends, caught up with the wonderful staff here, eaten at our favourite restaurants and cafes and found a few new ones, had massages and reflexology and spent hours in the pool, chatting and bobbing about. It is wonderful! Here are a few things you need to know before you come to Bali. All interspersed with photographs of food because the food in Bali is wonderful.

SEVEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BALI

ONE  Bali is 8° south of the Equator so you will burn easily just walking around. It  is very hot most months of the year. Bring a 50SPF sunscreen and reapply after swimming, wear a hat and stay in the shade in the hottest part of the day. The streets are full of badly burnt tourists! Be especially careful to protect young children from burning.

Not glamorous but good protection in the pool. I wear a rash top in the pool and add a hat when I’m not actually swimming. Rash tops, which look like fitted shirts, are made out of spandex, polyester or nylon manufactured with UPF, (ultraviolet protection factors) and provide some protection from the sun. They are most effective used in conjunction with sunscreen.

I love being in the pool! Instead of  just counting steps every day I like to keep a tally of laps, too. These are my lap markers, which worked well until there was a gust of wind and they blew away!

TWO  The Balinese are hospitable people and very welcoming. They don’t like confrontation. Stay calm and polite and a solution will be found.

THREE  Clothing needs to be cool and protective.  The Balinese are modest and tolerant but be mindful about what is on display. There’s clothing for sale in Bali to suit every budget. Explore and enjoy!

FOUR  Taxis are everywhere and very affordable. You can choose from cars, motorbikes and scooters. Always check the taxi has a meter or negotiate a price before setting off. Tipping isn’t common but you can easily round the price up or have a small denomination note ready to give to the person providing the service, such as a masseuse, as you leave.

It’s late autumn in Western Australia and my feet have been hidden in shoes and boots so straight in for a pedicure .

The family legs lined up for an hour of reflexology. Not quite traditional Chinese reflexology, but it’s very good, anyway.

FIVE  Authorized Money Changers advertise their rate outside the building and are more reliable than exchanging money on the street where it is hard to count reliably. There’s ATMs but the exchange/withdrawal sequence can be different from what you are used to and can be confusing.

Make sure you stay well hydrated.

SIX  The food in Bali is amazing and affordable. Online restaurant reviewers are the most up-to-date source of information as more and more cafes and restaurants open or reopen after the pandemic. We usually eat  breakfast at the villa then go out for a remarkable lunch and then snack on something light for dinner. Old favourites, Chandi’s ( accompanied by a jug of margaritas!) and Mamma San feature every few days but there are many choices to suit all budgets.

Sometimes late in the evening you need emergency supplies delivered to the villa.

SEVEN  Bali belly, or gastro, can happen any time! Don’t eat from street stalls unless the food is taken out of a fridge to be cooked for you as you wait such as at a local warung. Otherwise, visit local cafes and restaurants. There are so many! It’s best to also carry anti-diarrhoea medication and re-hydrating products, just in case. There’s Apotek/Pharmacies with basic supplies. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhorea and will probably resolve within 12 hours otherwise seek medical advice.

Bali is known for its amazing beaches, beautiful mountains, terraced rice paddies, lush tropical forests and the warm welcome from the local people.Know as The Island of the Gods, there are temples in the eastern corner of every family compound and everywhere else, too. If you’re lucky, you will see one of the many parades and performances at a temple, celebrating special religious days, weddings or other events.

Dinner in Nusa Dua with dear Balinese friends at Mr Bob Bar and Grill. Really good food. We enjoyed ribs and steaks, imported from Australia. They were the best! Attractive building, attentive staff and a good night out. If you’re interested in genuine Balinese cuisine, he has another restaurant behind the Bar and Grill. We’ll go there next time!

Being in Bali is  very relaxing. You can be busy sight seeing, snorkeling, swimming or surfing. You can eat fabulous food. You can indulge in massages, spa treatments and our favourite, reflexology. You can do a yoga class, just relax in the pool, catch up on emails or read a book.

We celebrated  our 39th Wedding Anniversary while we were here. Housekeeping  Staff saw our cards so we arrived back from lunch to this lovely surprise!

It was also Mother’s Day during our stay. We were lucky our son was able to join us for just over a week so we celebrated the day at one of our favourite restaurants. Such a lovely day.

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Have you been to Bali? Tell me your favourite Bali stories.

 

 

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A Beach Holiday

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I know the calendar says it is autumn, but temperatures here are still in the mid 30°Cs ( 90Fs) so we headed down south to a beach cottage at Prevelly, on the coast from Margaret River. It took just over three hours to arrive in Margaret River where we stopped for lunch, some magazines and a few groceries. Then  on to the beach house.

Nice surprise nearby and we were welcome to eat them!

Unpacked then set off to look at the beaches. Wonderful. Then later I walked around the local area. We’d enjoyed a generous sized lunch so settled for some soup and chocolate. Not the perfect dinner but we’re on holidays!

Next morning we went down to Gnarlabup Beach. There’s such a lovely, calm little beach there and I loved being in the water. There’s also a cafe, The White Elephant, with amazing views and good coffee. Nice way to start the day.

To Margaret River to pick up a few things before heading to Augusta. Despite a long, hot summer the gorgeous scenery is green and lush. Farms, vineyards and forests. Beautiful. To Augusta, on the coast. When I was about twelve, we visited  Augusta as part of a holiday visiting and staying at various beaches along the coast. My Father hired a rowing boat and we set off in the estuary, exploring the beaches. I think he had planned to do some fishing, but the weather changed suddenly and it was very windy and choppy. Dad was rowing as fast as he could, but things were a bit scary for a while! We finally arrived at the shore wet and cold and not keen on doing it again.

 

Monument commemorating the arrival of the first English settlers to the region, on the Emily Taylor. 02/05/1830

This is the Augusta Boat Harbour, servicing the fishing, tourist and charter boat industries. The whale watching boats depart from here.

It was windy in Augusta, today, too, but as we sat at the hotel looking over the Blackwood River over to the southern ocean, eating lunch, we were amazed at how beautiful the view was in every direction. We were in a beach town, overlooking water so it only seemed right to share an entree of chili prawns on noodles, followed by an occi (octopus) Greek salad and a serve of calamari. Great food, great view and we really enjoyed it.

The food was very good and very generous serves.

After a drive around Augusta we set off for Hamlin Bay, one of the gorgeous beaches along the coast. There’s nothing between here and Antarctica.

Driving through the winding karri forest roads back to Prevelly was very beautiful too.

The beach at the end of our street. Pristine and cool on a hot evening.

We visited an old favourite, St John The Theologian, built by a West Australian soldier, Geoff Edwards (more information here). Edwards had been evacuated from Crete during WW2. This beautiful church  is his remarkable monument honouring the Cretans and the Monks of the Holy Monastery of Preveli who saved him and so many other Allied Troops.

Glowing icons watching over the visitors. A peaceful place in a beautiful setting.

The garden at a vineyard. So many of the regions vineyards, breweries and distilleries have remarkable gardens, featuring sculptures, salvaged historical artifacts and water features.

We rented a small rammed earth cottage in Prevelly. It was close to the beach and in a quiet area. I could go to sleep listening to the waves crashing on the beach.

We went for walks, read, ate local seafood and went sight seeing. It was a lovely break.

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10 Days in Kalgoorlie.

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Kalgoorlie is 594 kilometres from Perth. Established in 1893 when Paddy Hannan discovered 100 ounces of gold, it is still a thriving, mineral rich area. It took nearly eight hours to drive from Perth to our son’s house in Kalgoorlie. Most people would probably take around seven hours for this trip but we stop for three dog walks, one of which also included buying lunch. Progress was also hindered by ongoing roadworks. Every time we’ve come to Kalgoorlie for three years there have been road works!

We’re very comfortable staying at our son’s house. He also enjoys the company of our dog who seems to think it’s his second home. Louis has his own rituals connected to staying in Kalgoorlie. He’s also a good traveler and spends a lot of the time asleep. When we’re in the car he drinks happily from a plastic bowl I fill from a bottle and pass to him between the seats.

The name Kalgoorlie is thought to derive from the Aboriginal word ‘karlurlah’  the name of a common plant in the area. The entire region is rich in geological history.  My son and I like investigating more recent times. We’ve visited ghost towns, old mines, natural pools and lakes, including Lake Ballard featuring Antony Gormley’s amazing bronze sculptures, wood lines which supplied the timber for steam engines and water distillation, abandoned pubs (hotels) and cemeteries. I’ve seen wild flowers I’ve never seen before and wandering camels, emus and a horse which lives at the hotel in Kookynie and visits everyone in the (very small) town every morning for breakfast.

This time we headed out east of Kalgoorlie in the same direction as the Trans Australian Railway. Stopped at the abandoned open pit Imperial Gold Mine before heading on to Karonie. Other minerals mined in the eastern Goldfields include nickel, cobalt, silver, lithium, zinc, tantalum and most of the rare earths. Potassium sulphate is harvested from dry salt lakes.

Passed the entrance to a station and admired the use of old machinery for signage. They had another more pointed message on the gate.

We were a long way from anywhere and it pays to be well prepared for anything that might happen.

We were parallel with the Trans Australian Railway line and slowed so we’d be sitting at the crossing in time to watch the freight train next to us on the track. It was very long! It was slowing down and finally stopped. The train, from Perth, was waiting for another train, heading towards Perth, to pass on a stretch of double lines. Most of the Trans line is just a single track. We sat there for 35 minutes. The diesel engine of the train was turned off while they waited and all we could hear was the slight hum of some of the freezer containers, many of them stacked two high.

The second, much smaller train arrived and passed, the first train started up and slowly moved on and we were able to cross the line and head for the Karonie Covered Dam. Passed these granite outcrops which seem to have been mined recently. Maybe for road base?

Arrived at the Karonie ( corruption of the Aboriginal word Cardonia, meaning rocks) Dam. It has long since lost its cover designed to limit water evaporation. The pillars holding the roof are reinforced concrete and are now collapsing. Built in 1913-1918 when the Trans Australian Railway was being built, the dam provided water for the steam locomotives.

The surrounding rocks were terraced to direct the water into the dam. The terracing is similar in style to the construction work done at the Northam Army camp and was probably also done by Italian POW’s.

The line across the rocks in the distance is terracing intended to direct the water into the dam.

Old train tracks used when the Trans Australia line was built.

In 1919, during the Spanish Flu epidemic, Karonie was also the site of the Karonie Quarantine Station.

On the way back we stopped at a public bush air strip, intended for local and Royal Flying Doctor planes. The motto of the RFDS is ‘The furtherest corner, the finest care’. The service provides emergency and primary health care to rural and remote areas of Australia. Begun 1928 by John Flynn, the RFDS is recognised as one of the largest and most comprehensive global aeromedical services in the world. In this area they service both mining and rural communities as well as the local towns.

Next stop was the Bulong Pioneer Cemetery. I’d driven passed this little fenced in area several times before but this time we stopped. This cemetery was in use between 1894-1898. There are 10 unmarked graves and a list of names of the interred on site. Later research revealed the most common cause of death was fever. An infant was simply named, one man’s demise was the result of a ‘brawl in a bar’ and another, a circus employee ‘died after driving a waggon (sic) into a tree.’

There is a second, much bigger Bulong Cemetery. The town was originally called IOU but that was changed in 1895 to Bulong, the Indigenous name for the area.

I’d like to thank the Eastern Goldfields Historical Society for their assistance sourcing information about the Karonie Covered Dam. www.kalgoorliehistory.org.au

Blogs about previous trips to Kalgoorlie can be found here.

A Week in Kalgoorlie (Part One)

A Week In Kalgoorlie (Part Two)

Visiting Kalgoorlie

 

 

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Fashion Blogging and Traveling and Other Things

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fashion blogging

Did you know blogs about women’s fashion are one of the most popular of all blogs? No, I didn’t either, but I am surprised. Fashion, in this case, is specifically about what you wear. It is considered a means of self expression. Fashion dictates what is popular and can change very quickly. Current estimates claim 80 billion pieces of clothing are in circulation. This is an increase of 400% from 2 decades ago.

Free Fashion Fashion Show photo and picture

Image Pixabay

Apparently one in three young women, the biggest consumers of fashion, consider a garment worn once or twice is old and is thrown out. Local figures for Australia suggest every piece of new clothing is worn seven times before it is thrown out or sent to charity shops. I don’t think this is sustainable.

Free Fashion Clothes photo and picture

Image Pixabay

The reason I was dwelling on fashion and how it impacts on our lives is simple. Planning for going away soon, I looked up the predicted temperatures at our destination and then considered what was hanging in my wardrobe. I need more light weight shirts. A while ago I narrowed and shortened the sleeves on a summer shirt I’d never worn because the sleeves were so puffy! I added a pocket from one of the cut off sleeves for keys or a phone when I go walking. Now I wear that shirt frequently.

So when I saw another shirt hanging in the wardrobe which would work well with other pieces I’d already decided to take, I took it out and put it on to work out why I hadn’t worn it. In fact, it still had the tags attached. Same problem as the other shirt, puffy sleeves. Was that a fashion last year? So, the second shirt got the same treatment; narrowed sleeves and hemmed the newly cut sleeves at elbow length. Also added a pocket using one of the cut off sleeves. Wash, iron, all sorted.

Although I immediately think of the French when I think of fashion, one theme which dominates French fashion bloggers is the concept of a capsule wardrobe. Lots of individual pieces which can be mixed with each other, so limited colour palettes and all can mix and match. The other theme common in French blogs is to buy the best quality possible and pay attention to the maintenance of each piece. The French, probably the most attractively dressed women in the world, buy few clothes, but buy quality.

Free Woman in Green Coat Sitting on a Concrete Bench Stock Photo

Image Pexel

Obviously, with my approach to caring for clothes, mending, altering and maintaining plus buying less of everything but good quality, I will never be a fashion blogger! But perhaps the average French woman would approve.

traveling plans

So writing about planning trips leads on nicely from writing about planning and organizing the clothes I want to take when we travel next. After two years of only traveling within our own state, we are making plans for a few holidays. We have friends who have several overseas trips booked, too, probably trying to make up for lost time!

We live in Perth, the most isolated capital city in the world. Our nearest popular destination is Bali, about three and a half hours from here. Lucky us! We love Bali and have missed our annual trip very much. We are booked to go later in the year. The next closest overseas destination for us is Singapore about 5 hours travel time from Perth. It is also a favourite! Then the next closest destination overseas is probably Auckland ( 6 hours), in New Zealand, but I have never been there.

Beautiful Bali.

So getting to popular European destinations involves long haul flights for us, taking about 24 hours to get to London (18 hours non stop available again now from Perth) It takes a lot of planning and a lot of stamina to fly to Europe. We traveled extensively within Asia as we lived there and we really enjoyed exploring various countries, some geographically similar but all with distinct cultures. And we’re really looking forward to going back to Bali!

other things

Last week I wrote about using up leftover artisan bread to make bruschetta. We really liked it and looked at other recipes, particularly from Italian bloggers. Roma tomatoes were recommended, we so used them to make the next lot. Wash, chop into small cubes, put in a sieve over a bowl and leave to drip. After a while I agitated the sieve to release more liquid, then continued as before; mix tomatoes, red onion, basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic  and leave at room temperature for half and hour. It was a very hot day so I then put the mixture in the fridge for half an hour, too. Next I toasted thickish slices of bread I’d rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and then spooned on the tomato mix. Splash of balsamic vinegar.  Our new favourite lunch.

Fresh, ripe tomatoes with red onion, basil, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar plus a splash of balsamic vinegar and lunch is done. Delicious!

 

 

 

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Living the Simple Life, Rubic Cubes, Packing and Dog Toys

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living the simple life

A week down south during the Margaret River Region Open Studios was great for seeing a huge range of artworks, but also interesting in other ways. Mostly, the artisans work from studios within or attached to their houses. So as well as hearing about their philosophies, motivations and work habits, you learn, in many cases, what makes their lives fulfilling and satisfying.

Image Upsplash

The artists we visited live in suburbia, on hilltops with nothing between the beach below and Antarctica, on small bush blocks and on working farms. Heavy winter rain means the southwest is lush and green with masses of arum lilies and many wild flowers beginning to bloom. This is a very beautiful area. ( The arum lilies are considered a weed and used to be sprayed every year but apparently not this year!)

The people I spoke to often referred to seeking simpler lives. My immediate image of the idealised simpler life is living on enough land to support chickens, a horse, a cow for milking and a large area for growing vegetables. This is not necessarily what everyone was seeking. Being without the constraints of traditional work hours, living in ‘off the grid’ houses, as often the usual services are not available, and reusing existing housing styled to suit their needs were common discussions.assorted-color paintbrush lot

Image Unsplash

Tending to vegetables and animals would eat into their working time, there’s amazing wild flowers in the bush, so why grow your own flowers, working digitally at times that suit their other interests provides sufficient income and there’s still small rural schools or school buses for their children if they’ve chosen to live out of town. These were people who had chosen to live simple lives by their own standards.

Many of the artists are tech savvy and you just swipe your card on a tiny machine to pay and a receipt pops up on your phone. Many of these people have taken what they really want to build simple, harmonious lives for themselves. They have created time to follow their artistic passions. Sometimes that’s creating amazing food, beautiful pieces of art, glorious gardens but only after they’ve had a surf !

This area is extremely diverse. There’s traditional farming, vineyards, breweries and distilleries, every imaginable type of accommodation, plus  deer farming, olive oil production, patisseries and lavender products. There’s all sorts of little shops selling lovely things, views that stop you in your tracks and some of the most amazing houses. Plus lots of people living simple lives and achieving their artistic goals.

rubics cubes

Do you like this Rubics Cube birthday invitation?. The 3D puzzle cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Emö Rubic. He intended it to teach his students about three dimensional squares. Clever invitation, clever puzzle.

traveling

In a previous covid free time we liked to travel. My husband’s work meant he was frequently overseas, so our son and I would travel to spent time with him during every school break. I must have sewn and embroidered this drawstring bag for stowing slippers very early on as I soon adopted far less grand ways of packing. Not so pretty but very efficient.

Laughed photographing these slippers as we are currently sleeping under a zebra print rug and I have a leopard print dressing gown.

These boubouche, bought in Paris nearly 20 years ago have been worn and worn but despite looking a bit misshapen, still fit well.

I actually ended up with quite a few pairs of slippers. It was often customary to remove our outdoor shoes and wear socks or slippers indoors. I wore slippers until about four years ago when I left work and wanted footwear to suit every situation, indoors or outdoors, including long walks. I began wearing Skechers most days and my collection of slippers live unworn on a shelf. Not in a pretty drawstring bag!

We spent last week in Margaret River and I briefly contemplated the embroidered drawstring slipper bag, just like I considered a tailored, wool coat. The slipper bag stayed home as did the wool coat. The puffer jacket which came with us is light, warm and doesn’t need dry cleaning.  Unfortunately it makes me feel like the Michelin man, a warm Michelin man but a very well padded one, too.

The zebra

When we’re not using the zebra print rug, Louis, our groodle likes to claim it as his own. He likes to spent hours asleep partially under it, only rousing himself if anyone comes to the door or he can smell things cooking. Any food aromas require instant investigation.

Seeing a very cute zebra toy in the pet section I bought it for Louis. He tolerated it being on the rug with him but them ignored it. He is very fond of soft toys and his reaction was a bit puzzling. Zebra has been totally ignored since he and Louis were introduced. I think it’s because zebra doesn’t squeak! I watched him chew zebra’s body, legs and head and getting no reaction, ignored him.

Body doesn’t squeak, legs don’t squeak, lost interest.

Did you watch the royal funeral?

A magnificent display of pomp and ceremony and an appropriate farewell to a remarkable person..

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Margaret River Region Open Studios 2022 and Farewell to the Queen

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open studios

Margaret River just before it enters the Indian Ocean. Later in the day the wind was so strong there were little waves on the river.

Margaret River, south of Perth, is well known for it’s vineyards, restaurants and amazing surf but it is also home for many talented creatives. The Margaret River Region Open Studios is a wonderful fortnight when 168  artisans in the region open their studios. Visitors can watch them working, admire their work, chat about the process and also buy their products. The region is divided into four areas. Just as well as the project actually covers a large area.

Lookout overlooking where Margaret River joins the Indian Ocean.

The four regions are Busselton and surrounds, Dunsborough and surrounds, Cowaramup and surrounds and Margaret River and surrounds. If you can spare the time, visiting one region each day and visiting about six studios seems to works best. Obviously, not everyone can commit five days including travel time if you’re outside the region, so it might be easier to focus on your particular interest.

Amongst the art works on display are paintings, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass making, woodwork, photography, hat making, printmaking and even tattoos. Some studios have more than one artist displaying their work.

All the information is online, but we prefer a paper copy. To begin refining our plans for the week my husband and I mark the studios we’d like to visit, then select our  joint bchoices by negotiation! This year I wanted to revisit one studio we went to last year; I’ve often thought about the artist’s work and wished I bought one of his prints last year and intended to this year.

Adam Ashdown, the printmaker we revisited is an Gyotaki printmaker. This is an obscure form of  19th century Japanese printmaking begun about 100 years ago as a way for Japanese fishermen to record their catch. Using sumi ink they would coat one side of a freshly caught fish then carefully apply a sheet of rice paper  before before rubbing it all over to print an exact copy of the fish.

I originally saw gyotaki fish prints in Dunsborough at Adam Ashdown’s open studio last year. Ashdown, the owner of Saltybones, has perfected  gyotaki printing to record the fish caught locally around Dunsborough. Like the original Japanese printers, he also prints trophy fish for fishers pleased with the fish they’ve caught.

Leon Pericles is a well nationally and internationally. Visiting his studio and garden was a delight. He is a master printmaker, painter and sculptor with a wicked sense of humour. His displays and garden were so popular it was impossible to get photos but I photographed the entrance to his house and studio as I couldn’t capture the artwork, the whimsical landscaping nor the waterfall in the bush.

Another artist I first discovered years ago is Rebecca Cool. I have one of her paintings carefully stored somewhere but mislaid as we moved several times locally, then overseas and then returned to Western Australia and built a new house. By then we had the goods and chattels from four houses in storage and a container coming from overseas so many, many things are somewhere safe, but just where is a bit of a mystery.

Apart from her artworks, Cool has illustrated several children’s books and has two more being published soon. Cheerful, happy pictures.

Milliner Kimberley Box makes a dashing range of ladies fur felt hats. Gorgeous designs and interesting to talk to her about becoming a hat maker. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back to see her next year!

A collection of lasts and feathers and other decorations.

.There’s an enormous number of accommodation options in the south west. Putting up a tent is probably not one of them! This is the coldest I have ever been down here. There’s motels, hostels, many bed and breakfast places, resorts and lots of holiday houses to rent but you might need to book well ahead. Unfortunately, due to post Covid extreme staff shortages, finding venues open at lunchtime is tricky but most of the well known cafes and restaurants in towns and vineyards are open in the evening. There’s several supermarkets, lots of bakeries and  light meals available in coffee shops.

HM Queen Elizabeth 11.

QUEEN ELIZABETH & PRINCE PHILIP, LONDON, UK - JUNE 13: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip appear during Trooping the Colour stock, photo, photograph, image, picture, press, Royalty Free Stock Images

Image depositphotos.com

The Queen is dead, Long Live the King!  A cry not heard since the death of Queen Victoria nearly 120 years ago. So much has changed profoundly in that time. For most Australians the Queen is the only Head of State we have known. Stability and certainty are reassuring during troubled times and our Queen will be sadly missed.

The best tribute was expressed by Paddington Bear, “Thank You Ma’am, for Everything.”

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