Monthly Wrap-up - December - Bali & Signs (part 2)

 Following from part 1

Also linking to Tom's Signs published on Wednesdays.

Our Bali holiday:

Friday Dec 23 - Upon our arrival at Denpasar airport we waited in line for about 1,30h for passport and visa control. Out in the arrivals hall we bought a local Sim card for my mobile, exchanged some cash to pay the driver we had booked, and eventually came across a "million" drivers bearing signs with names of passengers they were picking up. I spotted our driver, and he steered us to his car in the parking lot.

The roads were chaotic like in most Asian countries, and it had started to rain as well. The driver said the trip to Seminyak (about 10km away) could take about 30 to 34 minutes.

The lovely caretaker Made had been patiently waiting for us for about 2 hours at the Airbnb - Villa Joglo Jagat. When we arrived, he showed us around the house, the garden and pool, handed us the key and gave us his contact in case we needed anything.

The lounge, kitchen and one of the bedrooms

The outdoor area

Shortly after unpacking Karina and Thomas arrived from the airport. 

It had started to rain (it's rainy season in Bali) and we grabbed the 2 umbrellas by the door and went out to eat in a nearby restaurant - Amber Moon Warung - in the main street just a 5-minute walk away. The food was delicious, reasonably priced and good service.  After dinner it was time to sleep.

Dinner at Amber Moon Warung

Saturday Dec 24 - We woke up to a wet day, but we needed to buy a couple of things for our fridge - milk, yogurt, fruit, coffee, ...so Jose and I walked about 15min to a nearby Western like supermarket the caretaker had indicated. It was quite fancy, had goodies from all over the world, a bit pricey, so not a shop for the locals for sure!

Various unknown fruits to us

In the afternoon we walked the 800mt to the beach and had lunch at a Spanish restaurant - La Plancha Bali. Food and service was nothing special, but we had a good view of the beach from where we sat on the first floor.

Dark skies over the sea

After lunch we walked along the beach, and when it started to rain heavily, we were near Ku De Ta (beach club) and we went in for a drink. 

Entrance to KuDeTa

We walked home after the rain stopped and near our house I decided to go for a manicure/pedicure. 

I don't usually have manicures or pedicures in Perth, hardly ever use nail polish...and I was persuaded into using shellac nail polish (maybe because it was more expensive), but it's not something I will ever use again! It lasted 3 weeks, but horribly difficult to remove, having to use tons of acetone which is not good for the nails either! 

Then home for a shower and change of clothes to go to dinner at the beautiful Bambu Restaurant where we celebrated our Christmas eve. 

The various eating platforms are surrounded by water, the service was superb, food was fantastic, quite expensive for Bali... but, it was Christmas!

These metal "crowns" indicated the male and female toilets at Bambu restaurant.

Male and female crowns to indicate the respective toilets

Back home we did a group call to my family in Europe and South Africa to wish them a Happy Christmas, and then we called Jose's family in South Africa and Europe too, and Thomas called his parents and brother.

Sunday Dec 25 - We woke up to a very wet day and we went to lunch at Made's Warung (small family-owned business/eatery) a couple of blocks away from our Airbnb. 

Christmas decorations and Hindu statues in the restaurant

Heavy rains in the afternoon, but at one time when the rain stopped, we walked to the Pettitenget temple in the town centre. Once there we were told we couldn't go in, so we just took photos. 

I think it had something to do with a Hindu festival at the time, so only praying patrons can go in.

As it had started to rain heavily again, we caught a taxi home, that with the chaotic traffic it took longer than if we had walked :)

For dinner we returned to Made's Warung as they were having a show with traditional dancers - Legong. The food and service were very good.

Legong traditional dancers

Monday 26th - Karina and I fell sick during the night and spent most day in bed. I had brought electrolytes with me and had also read that coconut water was good for vomiting, so Jose asked the caretaker who used to pop around every day if he would be able to buy us some coconuts. 

It really helped, as in the afternoon we had both recovered sufficiently, and I even swam a little bit in our small pool. Jose and Thomas went to dinner at Ambermoon Warung, near us, while Karina and I stayed home and had toast and watched a Netflix movie, as we still didn't have much appetite.

Relaxing by the pool 

Tuesday 27th - it was Jose's turn to fall sick during the night and he spent the day in bed or on the sofa watching movies. As it was a sunny day, Karina, Thomas and I walked to the beach, just 800mt down the road.  

Seminyak beach, horses on the beach, Karina and Thomas went for a swim

We had lunch at Dua Sisi Lunch & Bar, down the road from us. At night only Karina and I went to dinner at Ambermoon Warung, (the first restaurant we all went to when we arrived).  Jose didn't feel like eating yet and neither did Thomas, although he was the only one that didn't get sick, so they both stayed home.

After dinner Karina and I went home to pack our suitcases as the following day we were being picked up to be driven to Ubud.

More Signs: 

Canvas picture in an art shop

A chicken in front of a shop, The Colony Hotel, How I met Coffee and a Welcome floor sign

The Goat  - Sports Pub

Flowers of Bali

Part 3 to follow next week.

Monday Mural - Coffee please

I love murals and street art. If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  Once you start looking you will find murals everywhere.  The "Monday Mural" meme goes live on Monday at 12,01AM, Perth, Western Australian time. Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters. Looking forward to your mural finds this week. Thanks Sami.

A mural in the inner-city suburb of Victoria Park on the walls of Ven Cafe, at 965 Albany Highway. The mural was painted by Australian artist Ian Mutch with the collaboration of kids from the local Ursula Frayne Primary School.

               

Venn Cafe facade

Monday Murals - Silves II

I love murals and street art. If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  Once you start looking you will find murals everywhere.  The "Monday Mural" meme goes live on Monday at 12,01AM, Perth,Western Australian time. Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters. Looking forward to your mural finds this week. Thanks Sami.

Some of the 25 electrical boxes seen in the town of Silves in southern Portugal during our holidays in July 2022.

They were painted in 2020, through the initiative of the Urban art program in partnership between the Municipality of Silves, and street artist Hélder José "Bamby" and a few other artists.

Monthly Wrap- up - December & Signs (part 1)

The last month of the year is always super busy, and it started with lots of social events:  

- a BBQ at our friend's W & L at their house by the Canning River, where we usually stay for the birds feeding session - black swans, ducks, coots and purple swamphens.

- a get-together with friends from the Portuguese community at Point Walter Reserve, by the Swan River. Everybody takes something to eat and drink and with 2 tables full there's plenty to share. I took a cake and Codfish fritters that I had found in a supermarket I had never been to. Just fried them and they were actually quite good.

Portuguese flag draped on a table at the gathering and codfish fritters

- an afternoon coffee with a Brazilian friend, who I met in Perth years ago and who now lives back in Brazil, but was here to attend her daughter's wedding, and a breakfast with my work colleagues as this year we didn't have a Christmas work function. 

With my Brazilian friend Monica we met in the city, then took a free bus to Subiaco, just west of the city where we visited the Theatre Gardens to find Bille Bob, one of the wooden giants from Norwegian artist Thomas Danbo.

We were in awe of this amazing and huge giant, and surprised that no one was there, apart from a few kids with their mothers in the nearby playground.

Bille Bob in Subiaco

Some of the Christmas lights I saw while walking with Monica

Ever since I came to Australia almost 16 years ago, I've been doing Christmas Eve dinner at our house, but because this Christmas we wouldn't be home, I decided to have a Christmas lunch on the patio on Saturday 10th with the family and a small group of friends.

This year it was decided gifts to be given only to kids and we had 10 of them here!

As tradition I made Codfish with cream, Jose made a chicken curry, and I made 2 desserts. A friend brought lasagne, another brought a huge salad, and others brought more desserts...because you can never have enough desserts!

Our Christmas table with the 3 mains and then with the 7 or 8 desserts we had!!

Our Christmas tree and gifts

This elephant was picked up during verge collection in my street a couple of years ago. I painted it then for my grandkids to use, but they are now too big for it, so it got a makeover and was gifted to a friend's 1-year-old boy.

The rocking elephant before

The rocking elephant got a makeover for this Christmas

The following day we met the young French couple who would be house-sitting for us during our 9 day holiday to Bali. I showed them around the house, and they met Twiggy and it all went well. We arranged to pick them up from the station the day before our departure, so they could have dinner with us and go over the list I had typed up for them with instructions for the appliances, cat feeding schedule, etc.

On that day after dinner, we walked around the suburb to show them some of the decorated houses which they weren't familiar with.

Thursday 15th - Jose and I went to the city centre with the daughter of our friends W & L, her husband and their 2 girls who were visiting from the UK, to show the kids the Christmas lights in the city.

We didn't get to see many or even the best, but kids being kids they just wanted to see the "Alice in Wonderland" lights being projected at the WA Museum Boorla Bardip.

Lights in the city

City lights and projections

I still managed to squeeze a melt and pour soap making workshop at home for our "Community Harvest" group, but in the end only 1 person managed to attend. We still had fun and I made soaps for myself and for Christmas gifts too.

Melt and pour soaps

On Friday 23rd Jose and I flew to Denpasar (Bali). It's just a 3,30h flight, closer to Perth than any other Australian city. Our flight was delayed by 1h at take-off, and then due to the late arrival coinciding with other flight arrivals in Denpasar we had to circle around another 30 minutes. 

Our daughter Karina and son in law Thomas arrived in Bali from Cologne about 2 hours after us, and we were both picked up by drivers we had previously arranged through the Airbnb house where we were staying in Seminyak.

Hello from Perth:

This photo was taken when we went to the city with our friend and her 2 girls to see the Christmas lights, and Jose took a photo of me in front of the sign, but like a good photographer, he cut the P & E out, so here is one with an unknown person in front of it.

Next episode to follow hopefully next week with details about our Bali holiday.

Monday Mural - Silves I

Happy New Year to you all, hope you had a lovely celebration with your family and friends. Wishing you health, peace and happiness.

I love murals and street art. If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  Once you start looking you will find murals everywhere.  The "Monday Mural" meme goes live on Monday at 12,01AM, Perth,Western Australian time. Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters. Looking forward to your mural finds this week. Thanks Sami.

I found this beautiful mural in Silves, in the Algarve, Portugal's southern region, during our holiday in July this year, when we had lunch with our long-time friends who also live in Perth and were also holidaying in the Algarve.

Silves was the original capital of the Algarve district and was an important trading centre with North Africa during the Moorish era (9th to 12th century).

Its rich history includes the imposing Silves Castle, from where the Moors ruled over the entire region of the Algarve, the heavily fortified gateway that leads into the historic centre and the Gothic Cathedral which was constructed on the site of a Moorish Mosque.

The mural was painted by grafitti artists Hélder José (known as ‘Bamby’), and Filipe Gusmão, of Style Spectrum and is located near Praça (Square) Al-Muthamid gardens.

The main characters in the mural are Portuguese King Sancho I, (known as "the populator") (who used the title "King of Silves" from 1189 until he lost the territory to Almohad in 1191, and the Arab poet and writer Al-Mu’tamid (also known as Abbad III), who was the third and last ruler of the Abbadid dynasty of Seville, and was appointed Governor of Silves at the age of 13 by his father Al'Mutadid, lord of Seville, who conquered the city of Silves in 1053.

King Sancho I

Governor of Silves Al-Mu’tamid