Tag Archives: flowers

discovering Darwin

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Our last day in Darwin before heading south, we arrived early for a lunch date with a friend and took the opportunity to explore the Botanic Gardens. Named after George Brown, under whose guiding hand they were restored after Cyclone Tracy, the gardens exude a lovely serenity.

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Some of the trees are works of art,

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others serving as nature’s plant pots.

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The tropical flowers are so delicate, I would love to have these in my garden.

There is colour everywhere.

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The orange-footed scrub fowls are lucky to call the gardens home.

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Lunch was calling and we were introduced to the Darwin Waterfront. Stokes Hill Wharf was there when we were last in Darwin in 2005,

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but now the precinct is an impressive collection of eateries, accommodation and activity.

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We dined at Il Lido with views over the lagoon

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and Convention Centre.

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There were some interesting beverages on tap

and the quarter pounder & fries were delicious.

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We managed to ward off the heat with a few cold beers.

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Cheers! Thanks for a great afternoon, Nigel, it was lovely to see you again.

wondrous walk

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My favourite walk with Poppy is one we call the river walk. The Blythe Conservation Area meets our property at the eastern boundary. Across the paddock and through a gate, we join a walking track. A short distance along, I look to my right and am awestruck at the realisation we live in our own patch of Tasmanian wilderness.

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The view across the valley changes with the seasons.

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Now and then there is a little surprise

and the forest embraces from all sides as the track continues.

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Nature’s debris has its own beauty

and the trees reach for the sky.

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About a kilometre into the forest, the track descends steeply to the Blythe River,

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a serene spot for a few hours of fishing.

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The light reflects the natural tannins in the water.

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The best time of day to walk the river track is early morning, the rising sun glistening through the trees is spectacular.

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Just another day in paradise.

La Villa

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A leisurely walk from the apartment in Ponte a Serraglio is the village of La Villa, the commercial centre of Bagni di Lucca. The houses along the way were intriguing, I would love to have seen inside them.

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They had great views of the green hills and the river flowed just outside their windows.

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The delicate wildflowers were putting on a show.

The main street wasn’t too busy

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and we found just what we were looking for.

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The park had a lovely fountain.

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The view downstream from the town bridge was serene.

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I don’t know who this gentleman is but I think he has kind eyes.

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We were a little early for lunch and were forced to endure a beer at the bar next door, complemented by bowls of olives and potato crisps, to pass the time.

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Lunch at Ristorante Del Sonno was well worth the wait. I discovered my favourite pizza – ham, artichokes, olives & egg. I returned to La Villa a week later with the ‘wives’ while the men were busy building guitars. We lunched at Del Sonno,

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overlooking the gorgeous facade of Teatro Accademico

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and the cute dog waiting outside.

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We then walked off our meal along the river path dedicated to Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. They lived most of their lives in Florence and had a summer house in La Villa from 1853-1857.

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No wonder they wrote such beautiful poetry with inspiration like this.

Ponte a Serraglio

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When we decided we had to travel to Italy in order for Michael to make another guitar, I wanted to  know more about the area of Bagni di Lucca where we would be staying for that two weeks. I discovered that Bagni di Lucca is a collection of 25 villages in the Lima Valley, Northern Tuscany, known for its thermal springs since Etruscan and Roman times. I stumbled across a wonderful Blog, bellabagnidilucca.com and contacted Debra, the maestro of the site. Long story short, we rented her gorgeous apartment in Ponte a Serraglio for a week prior to the course. The one on the corner with the balcony.

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It was very light and airy

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and the floor tiles were exquisite.

The views down river

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and upstream

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were stunning and the piazza opposite was a hive of activity.

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The balcony was the perfect setting to watch the world go by, surrounded by beautiful flowers.

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A short walk along the river

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across a footbridge

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is Villa Fiori, one of the many 19th century noble villas in the area. Sadly, it is in need of some restoration, I’ve added that to my list when the lotto numbers come up.

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Ponte a Serraglio is a gorgeous village with some interesting buildings.

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The first public casino in Europe, built in 1837, was restored in 2005 after many years in ruins.

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I love the old doorways

We enjoyed a delicious homestyle Tuscan meal at Albergo Corona Ristorante one evening.

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There was no shortage of dining options with Bar Italia

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Ristorante da Vinicio

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and Ristorante Cavalier Bruno all a short walk from the apartment and with excellent food (and wine, of course).

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Our last day in Ponte a Serraglio came too soon. What better farewell than lunch on the balcony, created by Michael from our remaining supplies.

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We explored a few of the villages during our time in Bagni di Lucca, far too many for one post……….

sizzling Summer

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After the warmest, driest Spring on record, we are having a Summer to match. The dry, crisp grass is the colour of freshly baked shortbread and the trees are shedding their leaves, bark & limbs in order to survive. A few stalwarts are putting on a brave show. The grevilleas and callistemons don’t let the seasons affect them.

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The miniature gladioli are elegant

and the canna lilies are a brilliant shade of orange.

The strelitzia was a surprise guest last year and has appeared again in some unusual places.

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The fuchsias seem to enjoy a hard pruning in Winter, rewarding with their diverse blooms.

The hydrangeas are a gorgeous deep blue this season.

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The burgundy willow myrtle is stunning with its cascading white flowers contrasting against the dark foliage.

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The succulents are thriving in our desert conditions

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and the redcurrants love the sunshine.

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We only have one rose in the garden and it has to be protected in the veggie patch so the possums & wallabies don’t make a meal of it. “Mothers Love” is a pale shell pink rose with the most wonderful perfume, a perfect tribute to mum.

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