Taking off... à bientôt!

Here we are again.. so excited to see my Sydney famille while at the same time irrationally apparently, panicking at the thought of flying! It doesn't matter how many times well meaning folk tell me it is the safest way to travel I cannot get my head around that theory.. thank heavens for that little white pill :) Aimee and I are leaving at the crack of dawn so, à bientôt.. take care and most of all stay safe until we catch up next weekend. P.s. Below a few random shots from around and about over the last few weeks..

Watch the dinosaur arrival in Elizabeth Quay..

From an exhibition of photographs by renowned Australian artist Bill Henson at Art Gallery WA.. Mr Henson's luminous lighting is exquisite.. mine not so much :)

Looking out to the Swan River from Kings Park.. if you have three minutes to spare have a look at the latest video here, unbelievable views over the city and river, so worth a watch..

The many layers of the paper bark tree..

Back in Art Gallery WA. Generational appreciation of art is a pleasure to see. This exhibition by WA artist Gregory Pryor, made up of 1585 sheets of paper, with the help of a team of students, was a lengthy endeavor to construct...    

Last but not least an aerial shot of Busselton Jetty. At 1.841km long it is the longest timber piled jetty in the southern hemisphere, check out the link here, what do you think, definitely worth a visit when we get back from Sydney? Btw I didn't take the shot :) See you soon..

When one town hall is just not enough!

In North Perth last week I noticed there were two Town Halls side by side. The first Town Hall above c1902 built during WA's gold rush period soon became unable to cope and a second Town Hall, below, was built in 1910, extended in 1933. Most of our fabulous heritage buildings were built during that golden period. The first Town Hall is now known as the Lesser Hall..

... and the new Town Hall the Main Hall. Here's the thing! The Town of North Perth in it's own right was short-lived.. amalgamating into the Town of Perth in 1914. These two wonderful building are now used as function rooms and tres splendid they are, check out some images here. I would love to transport myself back to this era just to have a peek, wouldn't you? Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe...

Angus..

In Bassendean a few days ago, in desperate need of coffee we stopped in at Holly Raye's. Double bonus, the aforementioned excellent cuppa and this beauty by renowned Fremantle artist Anya Brock who's style you may recognize from the many times her work has appeared here. The mural a portrait of the cafe owner's much loved dog Angus...

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Most cafes these days are dog friendly with bowls of water at the ready.. Holly Raye's added that extra special touch to their thirsty pooch spot.. too cute! Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe...

 Click here to see more Monday Murals  from around the world..

Élégance française..

Aimee and I were both looking forward to seeing the FACCI (French-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry) Bonjour Perth Fashion Show while at the French Festival on Saturday.. we were not disappointed. Beautiful dresses both elegant and flirty. What made me smile when I saw the pic above, can you see those horns in the background, Obelisk and Asterisk were enjoying the fashion also :)

Just as we were leaving I spotted the charming scene below.. after all, a French festival without a handsome, strolling accordionist is like wine without cheese oui! Hope you had /are having a fab weekend, take care and stay safe...

Mlle Rouge..

Ceci n'est pas une voiture c'est une joie de vivre!

After a bit of morning drama Aimee and I eventually arrived in Subiaco for the French Festival. We weren't exactly sure where Market Square Park was but luckily Mlle Rouge aka Red below was there to point us in the right direction :) Snippets of conversation are a delight. Australian lady to elderly French gentleman sporting a fabulous beret "excuse me did you buy your beret here?" Elderly French gentleman to lady a disdainful "Non!"..end of discussion! Made me smile :)

I didn't wear a beret but like many others I did wear le striped tee shirt :)

Asterix and Obelix never looked so good from behind :) I'll show you some of the gorgeous French fashions tomorrow. Hope you are having a good weekend, happy Sunday, take care and stay safe..

 Visit James to see more Weekend Reflections from around the world..

Summer is coming!

My title a tongue in cheek reference to Game of Thrones motto 'winter is coming' :) The official start of summer is still a month away.. temperatures of 31C yesterday and today just a hint of what is to come. Taken in Cottesloe overlooking the beach. What are you up to this weekend? I'm off to un festival français. To beret or not to beret.. that is the question :) Bon weekend, take care and stay safe..

Fading beauty..

Maybe decaying beauty would be more appropriate.. but not nearly as romantic :) In North Perth yesterday I knew as soon as I glimpsed the wrought iron fence above that I was hooked and would have to take a closer look. Many of the old brick homes c1900's in this old inner city suburb are being renovated but apart from a small section of scaffolding this old beauty looked pretty desolate. Loved the brick accents and how about those gorgeous windows, they have a touch of Art Deco about them don't you think? If I had a spare couple of million in the bank I would love to restore old treasures like this. Can't believe it's Friday again, one more week before I fly off to visit my Sydney famille, can't wait.. apart from the flying bit :) Take care and stay safe..

Matilda Bay.. easy on the eyes!

How do you fancy a stroll along the Swan River.. or a cuppa looking out across Matilda Bay, an excellent spot to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy the view, I think you would enjoy it! You might catch a glimpse, or more, of the dolphins in yesterday's post post, you will definitely see the black swans from Tuesday's post. I can't imagine living anywhere else.. not even my second love Paris :) Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe..

Who are you calling bottlenose!

While walking close to the Swan River, you can see how close in the last shot, a bit further up along Mounts Bay Road from yesterdays post.. a splash and a flash caught our eye and there they were, so close they were almost touchable. There is a pod of at least 20 probably more bottlenose dolphins that live in the Swan River and I think almost all of them flashed by, it was a spectacular sight to see, not so easy to snap. The dolphin below seemed to slow down to look up at me before moving on.This stretch of the river close to the city and the Narrows Bridge is one of the best spots to see the dolphins and one of these days I'm going to find the time and patience to come down and sit with long lens and tripod at the ready :) dolphins leaping is a shot I would very much like to take! Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe..

All tucked in...

With time to spare before an appointment in Nedlands yesterday we stopped in at Matilda Bay to have coffee and a walk along the river. It was a cool, blustery day and the black swans, namesake of the Swan River, were huddled along the foreshore with heads tucked firmly under their wings, those long bendy necks are so handy! Pesky little duck in the shot below :) I know it doesn't look blustery in the last shot.. you will just have to take my word for it :) Will show you what we were lucky enough to spot a little further up the river tomorrow, can you guess? Happy Tuesday, take care and stay safe...

Master of suspense!

When asked to give one word to describe Alfred Hitchcock 'genius' was high on the list, along with a few 'creepy and bizarre' :) The incroyable portrait here on the wall of the Art Deco Cygnet Cinema that I showed here, painted in 2013 by artist extraordinaire Nils Westergard conveys that typically sardonic Hitchcock expression perfectly. At first I thought the wings in the top corner were a clever nod to one of Hitchcock's most well known movies The Birds, but no, if you look at the link you will see that this symbol appears on many of the artist's murals. Definitely worth a trip to Como to see this one. Happy Monday, take care and stay safe.. 

Click here see more Monday Murals from around the world..

Looking out for the enemy..

Have you ever noticed that even when they have their heads tucked in to sleep ducks keep one eye open. It's called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep.. keeping one half of their brain awake to lookout for predators while allowing the other half to sleep! How about that, and we think we're the most evolved species :) What's better than one duck asleep on a rock.. three ducks asleep on a log :) Taken while walking beside Lake Joondalup. Happy Sunday, take care and stay safe..

Click here to see more Weekend Reflections from around the world..

Pretty in Pink..

In Como a few days ago to take pics of a particular mural on the side wall of the fabulous Cygnet Cinema. Opened in 1938 and built in my beloved Art Deco style, there is no enhancement here, it really is that pink :) Now safely on the State Heritage Register. Still a working cinema with two up to date movies playing at all times. So many fabulous Deco features inside, I wondered if they would miss one of the many gorgeous mirrors.. kidding.. or am I :) Happy weekend, take care and stay safe.. P.s. Do you have a particular style of architecture that you love as much as I do Art Deco?

Tarte Portuguesa..three blissful bites.

You may remember a few Mondays ago I showed the mural here by Daek William commissioned by the newly opened Graffiti King St Takeaway. I've been thinking about those Portuguese tarts ever since :) Sometimes when you fantasize about something, in reality it can be a little disappointing.. absolutely not the case here, every bite of that little tart was deliciouso. I'm happy to say whenever we are in the city we pass this new eatery on the way to the car-park, this was my first but not my last tarte Portuguesa. Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe..

From brollies to blooms...

You might remember the last time you saw this spot on Hay Street in the city it was festooned with a colourful array of umbrellas during the winter festival.. now adorned with garlands of flowers during Spring in the City. Whether brollies or blooms it's a hot spot for photos :) Heartfelt wishes go out to all affected by the horrific bush-fires in California and those still struggling with the aftermath of hurricanes and storms.. the US is having a tough time in more ways than one. Happy Wednesday, take care and stay safe...