Sculpture by the Sea at Cottesloe Beach

Around 250,000 visitors visited the 15th annual Sculpture by the Sea which was held at Cottesloe Beach from the 1st March until the 18th March.

With over 70 sculptures by local and foreign artists it's Western Australia's biggest free event. Sadly due to the lack of sponsorship this event is in danger of being the last one.
I hope not, as it is a fabulous and popular event and brings a lot of tourists to the area too.

If you follow Grace, you might have seen some of the sculptures when she posted about her visit in early March.

These were my favourites in no specific order.

                  

Some of them looked familiar and looking back at my photos of the Bondi in Oct/Nov 2018,
I managed to match a few of them.
The Sydney photo on the left and the Perth photo on the right (or top and bottom).

  

                                        Cottesloe Beach with some of the sculptures scattered on the sand

Across the road inside a pop-up pavilion there was an exhibition with the maquettes or scale models of some of the current and past sculptures, which were for sale.
They were beautiful and dainty, something you could have on your bookshelf if you had a bit of money to spare.

I look forward to seeing a couple of the statues scattered around Perth, as usually a few councils buy statues to put in their parks, new developments, etc. 

Which was your favourite?

Signs - Emerge

On Friday 22nd I went to a free local community event - Emerge - held at Hossack Reserve, a park two blocks from my house. 


The event organized by the City of Canning council, was from 5 to 8pm , and all you had to do was bring a picnic blanket, a chair, your family and dogs if you so wished and enjoy the outdoors.
A few food trucks sold food and sweets, and there was live music, and a few activities mainly aimed at the kids, such as rock climbing, obstacle course, bike track...

The aim of these events is to activate local underutilised spaces and bring the local community together.
I went on my own, there were a lot more people than I expected, but I didn't find any known faces from my neighbourhood.

When I got to the park I went straight to the Wicked Waffles van which belongs to my former colleague Jan and her husband. I visited Jan who now lives in Mandurah in February and you can read about it here. 
We had a bit of a chat and then I went over to the Indian food van to order Chicken Korma at the Paratha Box. After I ate the curry, I ordered a small waffle with cream and syrup.

I returned home at about 7,30pm and shortly after got the call from my son to say baby Eleonor, our granddaughter had been born.

Rock climbing, Live music and picnic tables

Picnic under the lights

A few of the food vans (Wicked waffles - top right)

More signs from the event

For other signs from around the world please follow this link.

Monday Mural - Spice Alley

I saw these murals the day I visited Cockatoo Island and later my friend and I walked to the inner Sydney area of Chippendale, near Sydney's Central Station, where we visited the "green" building - One Central Park and the Asian restaurants in Kensington Street, known as Spice Alley.

I didn't find names of the artists, but there's a big variety, some of them inside the restaurants, others in the courtyard, all with an Asian flavour. 壁画

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme is for you;
just follow the Linky steps below.   Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to your mural finds this week.  

Thanks, Sami. 

Saturday Critters - Dove babies and a baby girl is born 💖

Remember my post about the doves in my garden two weeks ago? 
Yesterday I went to the backyard to water the garden and looked up at the tree and noticed two baby doves in the nest.

For more Saturday Critters from around the world check Eileen's blog.

Two baby doves in the nest

Our second grandchild, was due on the 1st April, but last night 22nd, my son called to announce little E had been born, with 52cm (1,70ft) and 2,880kg (6,35 pounds) by cesarean section. 

I visited Mom and baby in hospital this afternoon and they are doing well and might be discharged on Sunday.

  Have a lovely weekend.

Visit to Sydney - day 5 & 6 ( Petersham & Royal Botanic Gardens) & SIGNS

Tuesday 5th March - arriving at Circular Quay that morning I came across another giant cruiser - Radiance of the Seas.

At Circular Quay station, I caught the next train to Redfern (1 station down from Central Station). 
The old inner city suburb of Redfern, with its lovely heritage terrace houses near the super modern University buildings is very popular with students.

Redfern - old terrace houses and modern university buildings

I was on the hunt for some murals, but it was hot and humid and after finding a couple of murals I got back on the train towards Petersham (4 stations further), known as the Portuguese quarter. 

In Petersham, the Sweet Belem Confectionery where I envisaged sitting down to eat a couple of custard tarts and buy corn bread (broa) was closed (Mondays and Tuesdays) 😞.
I had to settle for a light lunch across the road in the Portuguese restaurant - Costa do Sol.

At the Italian/Portuguese Convenience store on the main road, I bought Portuguese wine to take to dinner with our neighbours, and Quince paste (marmelada) for my son and daughter in law, who had requested it.

Shopping done, I took the train into the city, and as the stops weren't being announced I didn't get out on the right one.  Thanks to the "Opal" app (Sydney transport) I got off at the next stop and then had to take 2 buses home, following the route religiously on the app so I wouldn't get lost 😌.

At 7pm, after Jose got home and tended to his little garden, we went upstairs to his Iranian neighbours who had invited us for lasagna. We took the Portuguese wine which they loved and for dessert we enjoyed a Chocolate mousse which I made earlier.

They have two Persian cats, an older very shy male - Tom and a young and playful female - Sophie. We had a great dinner, wonderful conversation and I'm so glad they keep an eye on Jose.

Marley (peering over the balcony) and Sophie (on the dining chair), Jose's little courtyard and garden patch (under the trees) and the granny flat where he lives (next to garage)

Wednesday, 6th March - I would be leaving Sydney towards the end of the afternoon, so I met up with Jose at Central Station where his company has offices, to leave my suitcase so I could walk around unhindered.

I wanted to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens for the "Plants that bite exhibition" at the Calyx.

The Calyx - some ducks and Ibis by the pond

The plant wall and the "biting" plants scattered in the middle and in hanging baskets

After the exhibition I wandered around the Botanic Gardens until I reached the Tropical Garden area, with it's exotic plants.





   The signs about the biting plants were informative.
For other signs from around the world please follow this link.

  On the way out a few statues, and the pretty views over the city. 

Sculptures in the Botanic gardens

I had to be back at Central Station just before 3pm, as Jose had a meeting at 3, so I left the park towards Circular Quay and suddenly the sky started to get quite dark and heavy as you can see on the next photos.

As soon as I arrived at the main concourse the rain started pelting down!

The Opera House, Sydney Bridge and the "Radiance of the Seas"

I called Jose when I arrived at the station, and he met me by the timetable board to hand me my luggage. We said our goodbyes and I walked to platform 23 from where the train to the Domestic and International airport departs about every 10 minutes, taking about 15 minutes.

 It had been a very hot (35C) and humid day in Sydney (we can have hotter days in Perth, but usually our summers are dry), so I was sweaty and clammy and as soon I arrived at the airport I went straight to the toilets for a change of clothes! 
I felt much better then, and I'm sure my travelling companions were happier around me too 😁.

Domestic airport 

  The flight departed about half an hour late, landed in Perth at about 7,30pm and I caught a taxi home where I arrived 20 minutes later.

During the flight I watched two movies - the brilliant romantic musical "A star is born" which I'm sure would have been a much better experience in the big screen and "If Beale street could talk", a romantic drama which I found a bit sad.
Have you seen any of these, and did you enjoy them?

And for me it's back to my normal routine at home and work.

                                          
"A star is born" with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - brilliant acting and superb music (youtube)

 "If Beale street could talk" - the struggle of a young black couple to clear his name from a crime he didn't commit. (youtube)