A Tour of Local Flavours and a Decorated Maison

Friday morning started with the Libourne market, a local hub that was a feast for the eyes and it was fascinating to compare it to the fresh produce we’re used to seeing in Australia.

While much of the fruit and vegetables were familiar, our attention was really caught by the huge, red tomatoes, seemingly so much bigger than we see at home. The prices, surprisingly were very similar. However, the star of the show was, once again, the bread! I know I go on about it, but the range was amazing with most of it we only encounter when we are overseas.

After soaking up the market’s atmosphere and enjoying a well deserved coffee, it was time for our next adventure: Maison Mulatô.

Approaching the house, the first impression was of a charming but unassuming facade. But stepping through the front door, the house revealed itself as a beautifully decorated guest house, a testament to the passion of its owners.

Every room reflected the couple’s love for their home. The attention to detail was incredible, from the elegant decor to the cozy, inviting atmosphere. The experience continued outside, from both an indoor and outdoor pool to the impeccably landscaped gardens.

It was amazing what this couple have achieved in four years, from office space and car park to a beautifully and thoughtfully decorated home.

Singapore

Singapore

Thursday, March 10 saw us in Singapore.  Having been here several times, we decided to do our own thing.

So after breakfast we braved the hot, humid weather to grab a cab for Chinatown.  To our amusement, the cab driver very helpfully dropped us off at the jewellery store, then we were taken to the camera store.  We know what they do, but you can always say no!

As it turned out, Alex bought me a lovely jade bracelet and he purchased a new lens for his camera which turned out to be a very good deal, compared to the price in Australia.

Chinatown is fun and you can find some very nice souvenirs.  We were very happy to sit down for something to eat and a couple of Tiger beers.  Up to our usual thing of checking out the beers in every country!

After lunch we made our way to the highlight of the day – Gardens by the Bay.  This was still being constructed last time we were in Singapore, so we were looking forward to seeing it.

 

Gardens by the Bay consists of two glass conservatories and towering supertrees covered with dramatic, vertical plant displays.  The tour started with an audio shuttle tour which took us around the huge expanse of gardens.  There was so much to see – lots of themed gardens with many sculptures and the range of plants was breathtaking.  We even saw cherry blossoms in bloom.

Then there were the two cooled conservatories to explore – in the Flower Dome we saw thousand year old olive trees and unusual Baobobs as well as wonderful flower displays.

The Cloud Forest had beautiful orchids, pitcher plants and ferns amongst many others that we did not know the names of, all growing happily together as well as a man-made 35-metre mountain and waterfall.

This is truly a diverse plant display from the world’s four corners with lots of info along the way about the intricacies of plant life.  We spent about 3 hours just exploring the two domes.  A very enjoyable day!

 

 

Darwin, NT

Had an enjoyable day in Darwin, Sunday 5 March.  We went to Parap Markets – most interesting was the array of Asian cuisine available …. very multi-cultural!   To our disappointment, apart from a few locally handcrafted items, most were timber or clothing imports.  Anyway, it filled in the morning and then we returned to the city centre by shuttle bus where we made a leisurely stroll through the shopping mall.

The weather was in the mid-30’sC, which wasn’t too bad, but the killer was the high humidity which made our last stop at the Monsoon Hotel for a glass of beer a necessity!!!

We were just about to set sail at 5.00pm when a storm came from nowhere.  Nil visibility, so that delayed our departure for about an hour.  After some heavy rain, out came the sun and we left port just as we were eating dinner.

Food is fantastic, but we are managing to keep ourselves in check.  Alex is keeping himself busy with art lessons every day.  Not so much for me, but I am happy spending time reading in a deck chair out on deck or doing a bit of cross stitch if I feel like it.  Our stateroom is very comfortable and we are sleeping extremely well.  Must be the “motion of the ocean”!