I hadn’t caught up with my daughter since our trip to Tasmania a month ago, so we met up last Saturday for lunch. Before that, we took a stroll past the graffiti-covered walls of Hosier Lane—though there wasn’t much new to see. For lunch, we chose a Chinese restaurant near Chinatown. Then followed by some…
Category: Monday walk
Day 5 Last day in Hobart
And just like that, it was already our last day in Hobart. We spent the morning driving up to Mount Wellington. Luckily it was a great sunny day with clear skies, so it offered us glimpses of the city below, nestled between the sparkling Derwent River and rolling hills. Perched atop Mount Wellington, also known…
Day 2 in Hobart
TRAVEL DIARY: TASMANIA 2 This was where we were dropped off by our Uber. And straight away we could already smell the aroma of food. Today will be primarily spent at Salamanca Market, Tasmania’s most popular tourist attraction. Held every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, rain or shine, it was a must-have on…
Alowyn Gardens with friends
Alowyn Gardens, located in Victoria, Australia, is a stunning horticultural destination that offers a blend of natural beauty and carefully curated landscapes. As we entered the gardens we were greeted by period carts, oil lamps, flowers and sculptures. We paid our discounted entry since we were all seniors. Then we proceeded to the Autumn Harvest…
A stroll on Father’s Day
In Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, setting it apart from other countries. Last Saturday, we enjoyed a lovely lunch and stroll in Fitzroy, near my daughter’s place. We started with a meal at Blue Chillies, a Malaysian restaurant, and the food was absolutely delicious. After lunch, we wandered through…
A return to Montsalvat with Sis
TRAVEL DIARY: MONTSALVAT WITH SIS Its funny to experience the same thing with different people. You see how they react, and how they meet or subvert your expectations. I had a fantastic time at Montsalvat earlier this year with friends, so when my sister came to visit in April, I was excited to introduce her…
Exploring Forest Glade Gardens
“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.” – Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden I previously posted the rebuilding of the Forest Glade Gardens, and now I’m excited to share a special walk my husband and I enjoyed there last May. I almost overlooked posting about it, but Anne-Christine’s Lens-Artists…
Being a tourist (in Melbourne)
We parked near Federation Square to take advantage of discounted parking—only $16 instead of $25. Great deal, right? Then we hopped on the tram, which was free within the tram zone area, so that didn’t cost us anything either. Headed straight to Askal. Traditional Filipino flavours in an upscale contemporary experience. Another birthday celebration for…
Day trip
TRAVEL DIARY: MORNINGTON PENINSULA Time went by so fast, and it has been more than three months now that my sister and my niece visited me here in Melbourne. Jack and I took them to Arthur’s Seat Eagle. Arthur’s Seat is a picturesque coastal landmark situated on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. We went…
A short stroll in Mornington
TRAVEL DIARY: MORNINGTON It was a sunny weekend so hubby and I decided to go out and enjoy our Sunday. About half an hour drive to Mornington Walked around the main town. And saw some stools and got envious of these cuties sitting on sun chairs. Then it was lunch at Betty’s Burgers. Heading away…
York
TRAVEL DIARY: YORK After a scenic 4.5-hour drive from Bristol, we reached York around 7 p.m. Hungry from the journey, we headed to Riverside Farm near our hotel for a delicious dinner of traditional English Roast with mash and gravy. It was the ideal way to unwind after our travels. After dinner, we were all…
Cotswolds – Castle Combe
TRAVEL DIARY: COTSWOLDS After our European holiday last October 2023, Jack, Tim, and I embarked on a six-day road trip to visit my cousin in Edinburgh. With my son’s commitments sandwiching our travel dates, we had to keep it brief, but having Tim behind the wheel amidst such stunning scenery made it all worthwhile. En…
Misty Adventures in Porto
TRAVEL DIARY: PORTO 5 We took the Hop-On Hop-Off bus for the second day and our first stop was the Porto Cathedral. Perched on a hill overlooking the Duoro, Se do Porto is the most important cathedral and religious building in this city. Construction began in the 12th century and is mainly Baroque architecture but…
The Magic of Porto
TRAVEL DIARY: PORTO 4 Due to the persistent rain in the morning and looking like the same for the following days, we opted for a two-day hop-on-hop-off bus tour, conveniently stopping near our airbnb. From the top seats of the double decker bus we saw some amazing misty sceneries and public art. By the time…
Still wandering in Porto
TRAVEL DIARY: PORTO 3 BACK STORY: This is a continuation of my previous blog and this day, as I’ve said, it was pouring rain. While exploring, we stopped for lunch at a unique McDonald’s in downtown Porto, Portugal. Surprisingly, this restaurant, known as the McDonald’s Imperial, is housed in a historic café adorned with stunning…
First impressions of Porto
TRAVEL DIARY: PORTO 1 After a brisk journey aboard the Alfa Pendular, Portugal’s flagship Pendolinoa high-speed train, we arrived in Porto just past midday, so we were starving from the trip. Near our Airbnb, we stumbled upon a nearby restaurant where, unsure of what to choose, we trusted the owner’s recommendations for our meal. Francesinha…
Around town on our last day
TRAVEL DIARY: LISBON 4 Did you know that Uber fares are incredibly cheap in Portugal? We stumbled upon this discovery during our visit to Sintra when we opted for a taxi. Glad we found out because since then, Uber has become our go-to mode of transportation. So this was our last day in Lisbon and…
Discovering the charm of Obidos
TRAVEL DIARY: OBIDOS The next stop on our day trip is Obidos. This is one place not to be missed when in Lisbon … a gorgeous medieval town perched on top of a hill. As we entered the town through Porta da Vila, the main gate, we were greeted by a stunning balcony adorned with…
Exploring Portugal’s Coastal Gem
TRAVEL DIARY: NAZARE As we were leaving Fatima, the rain started again. We resumed our journey toward Nazare approximately an hour’s drive ahead. Glad to see the blue skies as we were approaching town. Nazare is one of the most picturesque seaside towns in Portugal Proceeded to the market stalls. Legend has it that nobleman…
Fatima then and now
TRAVEL DIARY: FATIMA The story begins in the village of Fatima, Portugal, on May 13, 1917. On that fateful day near that tiny village, The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, appeared to three young peasant children: Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia; ages 10, 9 and 7… As Catholics, hubby and I were interested to visit…
Exploring the Magic of Sintra’s Most Iconic Landmark
TRAVEL DIARY: SINTRA 2 Having marveled at the grandeur of the Quinta de Regaelera in the morning, we continue on our walk and immerse ourselves with the enchanting beauty of the Pena Palace in Sintra. My daughter Pat first introduced me to this palace in 2017 through a photo from her solo European trip, urging…
A morning at Quinta da Regaleira
TAVEL DIARY: SINTRA 1 The Quinta da Regaleira is located near the historic centre of Sintra, Portugal. It is protected within the UNESCO World Heritage site and is a mix of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance architecture. It is an enchanting estate about half an hour from Lisbon. It was built by an eccentric Free…
From Belém’s pastries to Fado’s melodies
(and everything in Between) TRAVEL DIARY: LISBON 2 We started early and walked to the train station. Some interesting things to see and smell along the way. Like the protruding car, some souvenirs and chestnuts roasting … yum my fave! From the train window I saw these murals. I see that cat in a lot…
Navigating Lisbon’s Stairways and Alleys
TRAVEL DIARY: LISBON 1 Jack and I reached Lisbon from Barcelona via Vuelling airlines in approximately 2 hours. Upon arrival, we met up with Tim and Leigh, who had traveled from London. We took an Uber to our Airbnb and true to the forecast it rained the whole day. After putting our luggage down and…
Embracing Barcelona’s Charm: on Our Last Day
TRAVEL DIARY BARCELONA 4: We had no precise plan for our last day in Barcelona except for the Banksy Museum. We headed off from our hotel and went on the direction of the Arc de Triomf which is a memorial arch in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was built by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas as…
A visit to Montsalvat – an artist colony
Montsalvat is an artists’ colony in Eltham, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established by Justus Jorgensen, the colony is set among gardens on five hectares of land, and is home to dozens of buildings, including houses, halls, studios, galleries and stables.-Wikipedia I visited this place together with some of my friends, a few weekends…
A walk through Dali’s Mind in Figueres
TRAVEL DIARY: FIGUERES About a 40 minute bus ride from Girona took us to Figueres, the home town of Salvador Dali. “I want my museum to be a single block, a labyrinth, a great surrealist object. It will be [a] totally theatrical museum. The people who come to see it will leave with the sensation…
Exploring the Wonders Within and Beyond Sagrada Familia
TRAVEL DIARY BARCELONA 2: It is not unusual to walk down the streets of Barcelona and not see art in whichever way or form. From Casa Batllo we walked about 10 minutes and we reached another of Gaudi’s masterpieces, Casa Mila, more popularly known as La Pedrera (meaning stone quarry in Catalan). We didn’t go…
A day in Montmartre
TRAVEL DIARY: MONTMARTRE 9th of October, our day started off early with breakfast at our hotel at 8 am. It wasn’t the usual buffet breakfast but wow was it so yum and healthy-ish. Great start of the day. Went on the metro just a 1 minute walk from our hotel. Emerged from this Metro station…
Lightscape in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens
It is that time of the year again… when the companies make a fortune promoting the chilly weather. They’re saying “C’mon lazy people get out and have fun”. So last Saturday that is what we did. Gave our precious $120 (for 3 people) of hard earned money to watch a winter light show at the…