Classic Art Deco..

I have been a little anxious over the last few months when walking through Piccadilly Arcade. The gorgeous Art Deco style arcade built between wars in 1938 seems to have more empty shop fronts each time. I'm sure it's the same everywhere, on-line shopping being just one factor playing havoc with real-time shopping. Personally I have an aversion to on-line shopping, I'm more of an instant gratification shopper :) In 2002 the arcade was permanently listed on the State Heritage Register which should save it from insensitive developers.. hands off! Bon weekend, take care and stay safe...

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Just when you think it couldn't get worse..

... it did! It has been a wee bit chilly in Perth, we haven't cracked the 20C all week. The top today 17C, which to northern hemisphere readers might sound like a summers day but for we Perthites that is definitely coat, scarf, boot and beanie weather :) What really makes me nervous is driving in the heavy rain, don't worry I wasn't driving when I took these. Above, leaving the city I liked the way the red stop-lights bounced and scattered off the rain drops on the windscreen.. below, not so much fun having a huge road trailer driving so close when it was almost impossible to see it! I am aware that our weather is inconsequential compared to what others have gone/are still going through, merely to show you that the skies are not always blue here in Perth. Happy Friday, take care and stay safe..

The Splendid Promenade Jetty..

Extending out more than 200mt the Como jetty, built in 1907 is the longest jetty on the Swan River. A timber structure built in 1907, rebuilt in 1982. Picture this.. in 1929 a swimming enclosure was constructed at the end of the jetty, during the long hot summers the trams arriving in Como would have been filled with bathers eager to cool off on Como beach.. I found a wonderful old b & w photo c1929, the jetty lined with swimmers in their modest bathing suits and swimming caps jumping off the jetty into the Swan River, unfortunately I don't seem to be able to share it with you. Deemed unsafe in 1994 the enclosure was removed.

So P climbed down onto the landing slip/fishing spot below and shouted up, 'it's a bit slippy but you can get some good shots under the bridge from here'.. yeh, like that was going to happen :) Have a good Thursday, take care and stay safe...

'Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore'..

So said Andre Gide! With all my phobias I would have made a lousy explorer :) but I do love reading about their exploits! The Trowbridge Gallery 'specialises in selling original prints from the 17th to 20th century. Subject areas are wide and varied including early maps, charts and prints of Western Australia, flora and fauna.' Fascinating! If you enlarge you will see the beaten metal work frieze around the doorway and above a glimpse of the tall ships on the ceiling.. will take a better shot when I go back to explore :) Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. would you have gone in? 

'Smile with us'...

Arriving in the city on Sunday morning I was surprised and delighted to see this brand new piece by Perth painter, mural and installation artist Daek William who's work I'm sure you are beginning to recognize as you have seen it here many times. Commissioned by 'Graffiti King St Takeaway.. Perth's newest foodie joint and 'urban window to artisan coffee and gourmet on-the-go eats' . Looking forward to sampling those eats & treats when GKT officially opens next week on the 4th October. Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe...

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Dodging the rain in Bocelli's..

Surely I can't be the only one who loves being in the city on a rainy day.. can I?  Sitting outdoors, undercover at Bocelli's Espresso in Forrest Place yesterday watching people dodge the rain as they dashed back and forth across the square. Considering the ominous skies it was surprising to see so many unprepared, without brollies.. including us :)

When we arrived in the city the markets on Hay Street were bustling.. this was the scene once the rain started.. only a few determined shoppers under their umbrellas! Did I mention that Bocelli's has won many awards for their coffee, with good reason, è molto delizioso! Hope you had/are still having a good weekend, happy Monday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. big catch up today!

Up and down London Court..

Ever since it first opened in 1937 tourists have been drawn to the quaint Tudor styling of London Court..its value recognized in 1996 when it was registered on the State Register of Heritage Places. I remember often sitting in the cafes along here when we first came to Perth, sadly nowadays it's usually a quick walk through to get from Hay Street to St. Georges Terrace or vice versa. London Court has just had a $3 million restoration, when I took these shots a few days ago the scaffolding had just come down. Next time we are here I am determined to take the time to relax and people watch for a while :) Bon weekend, take care and stay safe... P.s. I always gaze longingly into this shop.. time to go in do you think :) 

Flowers, flowers and more flowers!

Just a few of the many wildflowers seen at the Kings Park Festival during the month of September. Fields of Everlastings as far as the eye can see.. if you look you will see the Wildflower Egg from yesterdays post unsuccessfully hiding behind the tree :) So many flowers, some pretty and some pretty weird! You can see some of the many different types of Banksia in the last shot. I wish you could smell the perfume from the mass planting  of Baronia plants, heavenly! Hard to believe that when I took these shots on Monday the temperature got to 27C and here we are today, back to stormy weather! Happy Friday, take care and stay safe...

'Wildflower Egg'..

This was unexpected! Sculptures created using nature are a little like street art, here today and possibly gone tomorrow. Walking along a track at the wildflower festival in Kings Park the bushes opened out onto a clearing and there it was under the spring sunshine. Created by WA artist and sculptor Sally Stoneman the 'Wildflower egg' was sitting atop a nest created from a reclaimed Kings Park Jarrah tree that stood right on this spot! The sculpture 'encompasses concepts of protection, safety and nurturing in its cradling form and reflects the relationship between flora and fauna in the natural world'.

Have I mentioned the size of the ants in WA...

... and that hedgehogs grow on bushes! I know right, it's bonkers :) Pretty flowers tomorrow, happy Thursday, take care and stay safe...

Catching up on the news..

Sitting in the early morning sun reading the paper is a pretty nice way to start the day anyway, even better with the fabulous views overlooking the city from the Botanical Cafe in Kings Park. We were there on Monday morning, along with every man and his Scottie dog :) to take pics of the wildflower festival.. that other springtime event I mentioned last week. Really glad we went early, by the time we left an hour later the tourist coaches were arriving. Are you ready for more flowers yet :) Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe...

Jack the sailor..

A young Australian sailor looks back over his shoulder, raises his thumb and offers a brave smile, not knowing where the war will take him or how long he will be away from home.'

It's only been a few weeks since we were last at Elizabeth Quay but in that short time a larger than life statue of Jack the sailor has been installed. This is not going to be Jack's permanent home.. he will be the centrepiece of a 'monument fit for sailors everywhere'. Click the link here and not only will you see a much better pic of 3.6m Jack, taken indoors not under the glaring sun :) with the sculptors beside him for size perspective but also the projected vision of the finished monument in it's home on Rous Head, North Mole in Fremantle. It looks amazing and I am very much looking forward to seeing it complete. Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe.. P.s. it really is worth a look at the link :)

#itsabouttime #equality #rainbowrevolt..

Although Australia has had many world first breakthroughs, there is one area in which we are embarrassingly behind. The mural here by Reboot outside Little Lefroy's on South Terrace is relevant to events occurring in Australia right now. Over the next two weeks a postal survey nation-wide will determine how the general public feel about same-sex marriage, although 'either way the result is non-binding and still needs to be passed through Parliament'. Opposition from within the Liberal Party doesn't help. The mural has been regularly defaced over the years, possibly by the same homophobe each time. Fremantle residents came together with the artist and have had a protective film covering the mural so that graffiti can be easily washed off. Who knows, perhaps marriage in general will become obsolete in the future! Happy Monday, take care and stay safe...

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Zoom zoom!

We were in Fremantle last night celebrating my sister's birthday at the Esplanade Hotel. It was a super evening with family and friends.. happy birthday sis! Walking back to the car I took a couple of shots of the Tourist Wheel in Esplanade Park.. added a bit of focal zoom to make the gondolas look a little like mini TARDIS except for the colour.. maybe more like telephone boxes! It's possible that I had one glass of wine too many, good thing P was driving:) Happy Sunday, take care and stay safe...

Reflections for the weekend..

I saved the shot above from our visit to Araluen Botanic Park for Weekend Reflections and although I like it, I felt it could do with a wee bit of colour :)  Here's wishing you a happy and colourful weekend, take care and stay safe...

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"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon"..

Seen on the freeway on the way into the city.. some of those balloons are not going to make it :) On the way back. I don't think I've ever seen a customized stallion float before. It wasn't only the tails hanging over the end of the float that attracted my attention it was the stylized decoration. I had no idea until Googling 'Customized Stallion Floats' that they could be so expensive, second hand is the way to go.. and even then! I said I was done with flowers for a while :) Happy Friday, take care and stay safe... P.s. Winnie the Pooh quotes are the best!

Buds and blossoms..

On the way to Araluen Botanic Park to see the tulips on Saturday we called in at S & R Orchard to see the cherry blossom trees in bloom and although the trees were a visual delight there were still many unopened buds, I suspect that by now, five days later they will be spectacular! A popular venue for photo-shoots.. fifth shot down three photo-shoots in one spot. One more spring flower event to go.. but not until next week, I'm all flowered out for a while :) Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe...

 

Tiptoe through the tulips.. encore et fini.

From the moment you cross the bridge down into the valley and the Araluen Botanic Park, with or without the glorious displays of tulips, it feels a little like entering a secret garden that you and thousands of others at the same time have just discovered!

Without doubt the most popular spot to take the all important photos, whether it be a selfie or a group is the fountain running into the lake below...

One last gratuitous tulip shot looking back up to the fountain. One thing I would advise if visiting the park.. watch your step!! I have already had my unladylike faceplant this year and didn't/don't intend to have another :) I have blossoms of another kind for you tomorrow, the first event we went to on the weekend. Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe...