frayed at the edge

Yes, our bags are packed .....

....... and we're just about ready to head for home - although we have to hang about quite a bit tomorrow, as our flight is quite late.  We have had a super time revisiting our favourite places in Singapore, and we have been overawed by the newest shopping malls  - they are bigger, better, more luxurious ......

However for my last photo from Singapore, I have chosen this one, of a funny little water feature I came across this morning - jets of water that shoot out of one hole, then vanish down another - as you can imagine, it took a few goes to capture the water spouts, as they move at some speed .....

 

 

In a few days time, I will reach my 200th post (I'm amazed that some of you have been reading this from the beginning and are STILL reading it!!)  So of course this means there has to be a giveaway.  I have something from Australia and something from Singapore to give away (and when we finally get home and unpack, I might even find some other little things!)  So ..... starting from this post, leave a comment (or if you don't do comments, e-mail me - click on 'about' on the right hand sidebar and you should find an e-mail link)) and on the day I do the 200th post, I'll get my random number generator (ok, you know I mean Malcolm) to pick the winning numbers.  I'm quite happy to post the prizes abroad, so no matter where you live, do enter!!

So to finish, an interesting little thing about crossing the road here - when the green man is about to go to red, another sign lights up, telling you how many seconds you have left to cross the road ..... and they are testing a new system, where elderly people can swipe their travel passes on a reader on the traffic lights, and they will get extra time to cross - wonderful!!

I hope you have enjoyed our travels - we certainly have (except perhaps standing on top of that mountain ......)

Love, Anne

 

 

Tropical beauties

This morning we went to the Botanic Gardens - it was very hot and very sticky, but we soon forgot that as we walked round admiring the beautiful tropical plants.  Then we went into the Orchid Gardens ..... I took so many photos, it is hard to pick one to show you .....

 

I would love to show you more photos, but as I mentioned before , this connection is so slow, it might be quicker to print the photos and post them!!

 

 

Shadow Shot Sunday

Hi everyone!  Today I'm in Singapore, where as always it is hot and sticky - and even busier than usual as the city is the in the grip of Grand Prix fever!!  So today's shadow shot come from the peace and tranquillity of Raffles Hotel, where we went to do what all tourists in Singapore should do ............ have a Singapore Sling!

We leave here on Wednesday, getting back home on Thursday (just in time for my birthday on Friday!!)

As always , pop over to Hey Harriet for more shadow shots!! 

ps I know I used this photo in the last post, but those of you who only visit  me on Sundays for the shadow shots might not have seen it .... and I was going to put in some more photos, but this internet connection is very, very slow!!  I'll catch up on holiday shadows once we're back home!!

 

Singapore Sling

Today we headed to the wonderful Raffles Hotel .....

...... and I did what all good tourists do .....

 ..... I had a Singapore sling .... cheers!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick of time!

As you may have seen on the news, Sydney was covered by a cloud of red dust yesterday!!  While we were very glad to have flown out the day before ...... on the other hand, I would have had some wonderful photos  ......  however, pop over to Just like Martha to see Lee's photos!! 

Singapore is hot and sticky - but as always ... fantastic!!  It's four years since we were last here, and we have been amazed at the changes.  Previously, we had stayed in an apartment in the Ascott, (where I also had two stays of six weeks, when there was political unrest in Indonesia).  When Malcolm tried to book an apartment there for this trip, he was unable to do so - and now we know why .....

There should have been a 30-storey building obscuring the view of the Hyatt - the entire thing has been demolished!! I felt quite sad that it is all gone, as I have many happy memories of staying there ..... A lot of the older malls have been demolished, or have been stripped back to a bare concrete shell, ready for redevelopment - Singapore is definitely not a city to rest on its laurels!!  One of the newst malls is ION - this is just a small part of it ....

 

However, some of the wonderful old buildings on Orchard Road have defied the march of progress ....

The city is in the grip of Grand Prix fever - last night we were going to go along to see Lewis Hamilton, but decided against it - and having seen photos of the crowds at  the event in today's paper, we're glad we didn't go!!  One of the hotels has a novel way of displaying a racing car ...

Yes .... it's made entirely from bread!!!

We went to the cinema this evening, to see The Time Traveller's Wife - yes, I cried at the end!!  Then we went to my MOST favourite place to eat in Singapore - Crossroads Cafe, at the Marriott Hotel.  It is the most wonderful place to sit and people watch, while eating superb food ... we had lobster thermidor ..... yum, yum and a bit more yum!!!

Well, it's getting to the end of a long day, so it's time to say goodnight!!

ps - have just discovered that yesterday's post has gone awol - I had a bit of a problem with the Internet connection, so I hope this one reaches you!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G'bye!

We're sitting relaxing in the First Class Lounge at Sydney Airport!  From the window, we have a last view of Sydney .... we have had the most wonderful holiday ..... but now we are looking forward to Singapore.  I love the hustle and bustle of Singapore - and as for the shopping!!  But don't worry - most of my shopping in Singapore is window shopping - those wonderful designer shops, where they have one beautifully spotlit dress/suit/handbag in the window and the sales staff all look very superior (do you remember the scene from 'Pretty Woman' when the snooty sales woman refuses to serve Julia Roberts.....)

We have taken so many photos over the past three and a half weeks, that I could fill the blog from now until Christmas!!  Don't worry, I'm not going to show you all the photos ..... I think perhaps Tuesday Treasures can have a little holiday, and I will do a collage of our Australian Adventures (yes, I absolutely adore alliteration!!)

Here are just a few picked at random ....

I spotted this little beauty in Darling Harbour!

you can go on a course to learn how to decorate coffee!

if only I could win the Lottery, then I would buy a house like this!

this photo has it all - food, funny wooden gate and shadows!!

 

Ah well, must end now - my glass of wine is waiting for me!  I hope to do a post later in the week from Singapore, so g'bye (I made that word up!)  ..... love, Anne

Shadow Shot Sunday

It has been gloriously sunny all week again in Sydney and there were shadow shots waiting to be taken every few steps .... again, like last week, the first part is my shadow shots, then there will be an update of our holidays - I hope you enjoy both!!

strolling round Drummoyne last Sunday afternoon

again in Drummoyne - I was actually trying to take a photo of the window!!

Malcolm found this shell on the beach - don't worry, we put it back!

 lots of the houses have wrought iron decorations

looking through a gunsight at Watson's Bay

breakfast at our cottage in the Hunter Valley earlier in the week

and lastly, our shadows on Bondi Beach!!

 

As ever, do visit Hey Harriet for more Shadow Shots - especially as she had included one of mine in this week's collage!! 

 

On Thursday, it was one of those mornings ..... held up in traffic, then having breakfast in a local cafe so that we could use the Internet only to find their computer was down, rushing off to another place, then not being able to find the photos, rushing to get the ferry, only for it to go sailing past, because it was already full ........

However, the photos have been found, so back to the Hunter Vally and Malcolm and the barbecue

note his smart new boots!

On Tuesday we went to Morpeth - no we didn't pop back home to Malcolm's birthplace, but went to see the NSW version!!  On the way, we passed through Largs (the original one is on the west coast of Scotland!)

On reaching Morpeth, I was delighted to find that I wouldn't have to stand on top of any mountains!

On Thursday, once we eventually got on the ferry(!) we went to Watson's Bay ....

The path we were on looked down on to the nudist beach, but of course I averted my eyes ... ok, I didn't, and I can tell you that there were several men hanging out on the beach ........

Oh sorry, were you expecting a photo of nude men (I did think about it ....)  This little rock pool was only two inches in diameter, with a tiny, tiny clam in it

Malcolm was determined to win the sandcastle-building competition!!

a glorious Friday afternoon on Bondi Beach

 

Our time here in Sydney is almost finished - on Tuesday we head to Singapore for eight days.  Thanks again to everyone who has left comments and sent e-mails - I will catch up with you when we get home!  They say when you visit, you should only take away memories (and photos) and leave only footprints .....

 

Lots of love from Anne and Malcolm xx

 

 

A man and his barbecue!

We're just back from a wonderful trip to the Hunter Valley.  An amazing contrast to last week's scenery in the Blue Mountains!  Of course wine drinking was involved - including a visit to the famous Lindeman's winery.  The cottage we stayed in was on a small organic winery - it was lovely to sit on the verandah for breakfast with views over the vines to the hills beyond

 

Of course, we had to use the barbecue for dinner - wonderful steaks, washed down with a nice glass of red wine oh dear - I've lost the photo - it will have to wait.  Must go, as we are off to catch the ferry for another day's sighseeing ...

Love, Anne

 

 

Shadow Shot Sunday

Good morning again from Sydney!  The sun is still shining, so lots of lovely shadows.....  After doing my shadows, I will be adding on some holiday stuff for family and friends to see, but I hope you shadow-shotters might read that as well.  But now for the shadows .... during the week we went up into the Blue Mountains.  Regular readers know that I don't like heights (anything higher than standing on a chair qualifies as a height!!), so only for you, dear readers would I have endured these heights.....

 

shadow of clouds on the trees, way, way below us

 

shadows on the Three Sisters

 

painting on the rough wooden wall in the quirky place we had dinner in Katoomba

 

On Friday, we took the ferry over to Manly, to meet Lee, who has recently become a 'blog friend'  It was lovely to meet her and spend time talking about all things blog!!  Malcolm had wisely gone off and left us to chat, but when he returned, he took this photo of us - and it's a shadow shot!!

  

Lee has posted pics on her blog too!

 

Malcolm spotted this lovely crisp shadow on the ferry

 

Yesterday, we took the ferry to Circular Quay, and again the sun was lovely and bright ....

 

they might be bad for the planet, but patio heaters provided these shadows!!

 

the sun reflecting off the Opera House

As ever, pop over to Hey Harriet for more shadows .... and thanks to everyone for their comments last week, sorry I can't reply to you all individually!

 

And now to pick up the story of our magnificent lunch in Cafe Sydney, and the photo of us with our food ...

 

yes, we had a glass of wine too!

 

waiting for pudding, with the Bridge behind us

 

We had a wonderful stay in the Blue Mountains - although it was decidedly chilly compared to Sydney.  We visited Scenis World .... but I decided I didn't want to go on the cable car ...

 

when I saw it vanish over the edge .....

 

However, I was brave enough to stand on top of the mountain (after a long drive up a very steep dirt road!) for Malcolm to take this photo

 

not a safety rail in sight!!

 

Of course, you can't come to Sydney without taking photos of the Bridge and the Opera House - when we get home I will do a collage, but I'll finish today with these two 

 

 

We're heading off tomorrow to the Hunter Valley - wine drinking may be involved!!

With lots of love, from Anne and Malcolm xx

Sensational scenery and fabulous food!

We had a busy morning on Monday, sightseeing in Sydney - we even went into the State Parliament ... and were allowed to take photos - I'll show you thosw once we're back home.  Then Malcolm suggested going to Cafe Sydney, up on the roof of the old Customs Building.  We stepped out of the lift ...  to see lots of well dressed business men - while we were in our comfy sightseeing clothes (I was wearing my trainers!)  However closer inspection showed other tourists as well. We were able to get a table out on the Terrace, with a wonderful view of the Bridge.  Our waiter was extremely nice, and offered to take photos of us ... the first one also included the food ...

Oh no - I've had to abandon putting in photos, as this is a very slow Internet connection!! 

After we had finished our main course and before the puddings arrived, the business men at the table across from us left, so our lovely waiter cleared their table, so that we could move over and have an even better view of the Bridge - and he took more photos!  As the restaurant was much less busy by then, he chatted for a while and suggested places for us to visit.

On Tuesday. we headed up into the Blue Mountains - and I mean UP - we are at an altitude of a thousand metres!!  The scenery here is absolutely spectacular - as soon as I get a fast connection, I have lots of photos to show you!

I have been spending some of my carefully saved up holiday money - I've bought lots of p&q magazines, patterns and a kit.  I had trouble finding an Australian knitting magazine, but finally found one ... and issue one of a felting magazine.  I've also been to several wool shops and have bought a super pattern book and some lovely Australian wool - and some gorgeous stuff for felting .... I'm going to be very busy when I get back home!!

We're heading back down into Sydney today, and I'm all excited, as tomorrow (Friday) we are taking the ferry over to Manly, to meet Lee, of Just Like Martha - if you haven't seen her blog, do have a look - she posts the most wonderful photos.

Hope to be back on Sunday with some spectacular Shadow Shots!