Toby’s Inlet

Posted on February 17, 2017 by kathy

The day after arriving in Perth we were whisked away to Dunsborough, our base to explore the Margaret River Region. The house of a friend of our friends was the perfect base for day trips.

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The front door was guarded by the most beautiful moss covered dog I have ever seen.

The garden hugged the banks of Toby’s Inlet,

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a small estuary that offered some magnificent morning reflections.

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The pontoon was a convenient perch for the gulls

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to observe the downstream drift of the pelicans

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who were sometimes accompanied by an entourage of ducks.

The home was a wonderful, peaceful place to return to each day after our explorations.

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Montalcino

Posted on February 14, 2017 by kathy

Montalcino is another gorgeous hill town in Tuscany, not far from Sant’ Antimo Abbey. Dating back to 814 AD, the town is renowned for its precious Brunello red wine. After parking the car, my first image was this beautiful bell tower.

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The Santa Maria del Soccorso was consecrated in 1330 and the bell tower was added in 1625.

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We wandered through the narrow, stone paved streets,

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occasionally catching glimpses down alleyways of the magnificent countryside.

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The main square of the Piazza del Popolo is watched over by the majestic clocktower of the Palazzo dei Priori, the city’s town hall.

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The loggia houses a statue of Cosimo de Medici, 16^th century warlord and grand duke.

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The shops, cafés and restaurants were enticing

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and some of the doors quite grand.

We enjoyed a late lunch of delicious pizza at Il Grifo Ristorante Pizzeria.

The view across the rooftops from the rear of the restaurant was stunning.

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On the way back to the car, we crossed a lovely park

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with another breathtaking vista of the Val d’Orcia.

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We had to tear ourselves away, time was running out as we made our way to the next objective – Montepulciano.

Argyll & the Isles

Posted on February 7, 2017 by kathy

The inclement weather followed us from Gourock as we travelled north along the western shore of Loch Lomond. Often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands, it is the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain. We happened upon the village of Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond and through the mist loomed The Lodge on Loch Lomond, a luxury waterfront hotel.

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We walked along the river, the beautiful autumnal hues refused to be dampened by the deluge.

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The path led us to a magnificent Celtic cross, dedicated to St. Kessog who brought Christianity to Luss in 510AD and died a martyr at the hands of Druids in 520AD.

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We left Luss and Loch Lomond,

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our objective, the Island of Seil. We had seen an episode of “Build a New Life in the Country”, featuring a derelict tin church dating back to the early 1900s. The couple who bought it renovated it superbly and created not only their living space, but a self-contained apartment in the old vestry. I was determined to find it. We crossed the 18^th century Clachan Bridge

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and had a pint at the Tigh-An-Truish Inn. The name means ‘house of trousers’ and this was apparently the place where islanders swapped their kilts for trousers after kilts were banned following the 1745 rebellion. For some reason, I don’t have a photo of the Inn but one of the tiny kiosk across the road.

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We drove around the island in search of the tin church. We did find it but again, I have no photos of it, just the rugged scenery of the island.

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We returned to the mainland and our northward course with no real destination in mind. We passed Castle Stalker, built around 1320 and well known for its appearance in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

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Fort William seemed like a good place to spend the night. We found a lovely hotel with spectacular views along Loch Linnhe,

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enjoyed a wonderful dinner and settled in for the night.

Kings Park

Posted on February 3, 2017 by kathy

After four days and three nights aboard the Indian Pacific, we were greeted at East Perth railway station by our friends with whom we were to spend the next week. They wasted no time in showing us their beautiful city with a detour to Kings Park. The 1,000 acre park is larger than New York’s Central Park and is home to the Western Australian Botanic Garden. It seemed Spring had come early, with many of the plants in bloom.

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The State War Memorial is located within the park, the Cenotaph sits high on Mount Eliza.

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The views across the city of Perth,

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and the Swan River were breathtaking.

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The Narrows Bridge is made up of two road bridges with a railway bridge down the middle, linking the northern and southern suburbs.

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We caught a glimpse of the Australian Ringneck Parrot

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as we meandered past more brilliant colours.

I think we need a whole day to see Kings Park, we will just have to return.

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Sant’ Antimo Abbey

Posted on February 1, 2017 by kathy

Leaving Asciano, we weaved our way through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to Sant’ Antimo Abbey, not far from Montalcino.

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The Benedictine monastery dates back to the Middle Ages and the abbey was completed in 1260.

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I love the solitary cypress next to the bell tower.

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The landscape of olive trees, vineyards, fields and cypress was an artist’s dream

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and the town of Castelnuovo Dell’ Abate stood guard over the abbey.

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We wandered around the grounds of the monastery

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before entering the abbey to observe the prayers and chanting of the monks.

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We were awed by the light streaming in, accentuating the 13^th century wooden crucifix behind the altar.

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The interior was stunning, the alabaster walls reflected the light

and there was so much detail wherever we looked.

The capitals had intricate carvings,

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the most impressive depicted Daniel in the Lions’ Den.

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The abbey was known for its Gregorian chanting and the monks started at exactly the scheduled time of 12.45pm. Words can’t describe our ethereal experience, surrounded by those exquisite voices with the Tuscan countryside offering a tranquil portrait in the window frame.

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