92

JL is ninety-two!  We went for a celebratory meal at Stix Bar, on the ground floor of our apartment block. There is a nice view over the lake and sometimes a great sunset over the city buildings.  Stix is a gem, owned by a couple who live in the complex, with the added attraction of a genuine French chef. His starters and desserts are out of this world: the mains are pretty good too.  I had lamb rump, done to perfection!  JL had swordfish and Claire ordered prawns on pumpkin purée.  Geoff and Tim enjoyed steak with bearnais sauce.  E had gnocchi.  It was a great evening.

The food was so memorable that JL and I decided to go back on Sunday evening, when they have a bargain offer of "sticks", that is, skewers of fish or meat that change every week.

We wondered why we haven't patronised them much before.  You just take for granted what's on your own doorstep.

Plaque outside the Maritime Museum in Fremantle

On Friday it is 90 years since JL and his family migrated to Australia.  This might call for another celebration!  You can read more about his early life at:

http://jglmemoirs.blogspot.com.au/?m=1

Après le deluge

Perth had 114 mm of rain on Friday night: a record for February. It left the old golf course under water; (view from our balcony, day and night shots):

After a few days, they brought in a small pump to drain the water away.  All manner of water birds had arrived in the meantime and slowly departed as their new pond disappeared.

We went for lunch in the Swan Valley to see the devastation of some of the vineyards nearest to the river.  The river had burst its banks in many places but I couldn't get a good photo from the car. 

We ate at Feral Brewery, where we'd enjoyed an excellent lunch some months ago. The beer is still good, but the kitchen has gone downhill and is no longer value for money.

Lamb shanks on flatbread:  pumpkin and couscous salad

Beautiful yellow flowering gum in the car park

Voyager

On our recent trip down south we had lunch at the Voyager Estate. We go there every year to enjoy the food and stroll round the gardens, especially the beautiful rose garden. This year we found some changes we didn't like. There was only a set menu to be had, which seemed poor value for money. The first course was beef carpaccio: a strange choice as not everyone wants to eat raw beef. They provided us with a beetroot dish instead. The whole meal lasted two hours: far too long to sit over lunch!  Next year, we will probably go to Vasse Felix for a change!

Cape Dutch architecture at Voyager

Wine tasting

Beetroot entre

Barramundi main course

Tiles above the fireplace

Roses in the Ladies Room

Smiths Beach

Smiths Beach

Whilst the others returned to Perth, JL and I drove south for four day's rest at Smiths Beach Chandlers Cottages near Yallingup. This was definitely a move down market after Seashells!  No aircon or dishwasher!  Lots of noisy kids next door!  However, we enjoyed the views up the coast towards Sugarloaf Rock, plus lots of native wildlife: little birds flitting about in the bushes opposite, kangaroos and magpies calling for a feed every evening. Also, the free wi-fi was excellent 24/7 (unlike other places we've stayed at).

The weather turned very windy. The big surf was scary, so I daren't go in the sea. I did manage one swim in the Margaret Rivermouth. It is closed in most of the year by the build-up of sand and is a favourite place for kayaking.

View from our cottage

JL feeding the kangaroo from our veranda.  Magpies look on, waiting their turn.

Big surf at Margaret Rivermouth

Kite flying on the sandbar at Margaret Rivermouth

Peel Zoo

Peel Zoo 

C and E like to visit Peel Zoo every year to say hello to the native animals. Sometimes they can handle and feed them.  It is half an hour inland from Mandurah and makes a nice day's outing.  They have a serious breeding programme for Tasmanian Devils, which are an endangered species in the wild because of a contagious facial tumour disease. This eventually prevents them from killing and eating their prey.

E trying to take a selfie

JL and E with a ferret.  This one tried to get inside JL's shirt!

One of the zoo's experts telling us about the Tasmanian Devil breeding programme

Tasmanian Devil

Feeding a wallaby

C feeding two emus

Kookaburra

Koala suddenly awake

Wombat

Hols

After Christmas, Aussies head for the beach.  We went to Mandurah, less than an hour's drive down south. In the old days, this was as far as most Perth people ever travelled to their beach shack or caravan park.  Then they started going to Bali.  Now it's coming back into favour and becoming quite smart.

My sister C and brother-in-law P were visiting from England.  Together with C and E, we rented adjoining apartments at Seashells in Dolphin Cove. Seashells is right on the beachfront, so you can step out for an early morning swim in the calm and shallow waters of the bay.  Just perfect for anyone (like me) who is scared of big waves!

C and E getting in holiday mood by the pool at Crown Metropole before we left Perth

E in Mandurah, showing off her trendy new hat and sunnies

Waiting for our boat to arrive for a canal trip

Boat arriving

Enjoying an ice cream after a delicious dinner at Silk Thai Restaurant 

Penguin painting in the foyer of Seashells

Aussie Christmas

Thursday night:  Somerville Auditorium, UWA (Open Air Cinema) to see the Spanish film Julieta, directed by Pedro Almodóvar.  Plenty of time beforehand for a picnic of sushi, sparkling wine and mango.

Friday lunchtime: Kailis in Leederville. Menu as follows:
Mezze Tasting Plate serving 2-3
Herb garlic & chilli crusted Scallops, Grilled Octopus ala grec, Crispy Whitebait, Mushroom & parmesan arancini
Marinated Fremantle sardines, charred ciabatta
Kids menu for E: squid and chips.

Saturday evening: JL in charge of the BBQ, cooking rack of lamb cutlets, courtesy of IOSA's meat trade clients. We had Aldi's Bubble and Squeak Pattis and broccoli on the side. Rubbish on TV, including a repeat repeat of Midsomer Murders.

Christmas Day: lunch at Geoffrey's. Ben and Tim had been out for days (early in the morning before work) pulling up their cray pots. Catch of 50 in the freezer! They were delicious! Glazed ham and Scutti's salads for main. C contributed a roasted garlic and goats cheese quiche. For dessert, S had made the traditional pavlova while JL had produced a large fruit salad. Between courses, some of us had a swim in the pool. E stayed in the water for 2 hours. In the evening, enjoyed Andre Rieu's concert, Christmas in London; but why were so many people in the audience crying?

JL enjoying a beer at Kailis

Ellie"s squid and chips

Kailis Mezze Entree

Enjoying the ambience at Kailis

Ellie's Christmas craftwork: a 2-storey house for her toy elephants

Crayfish on the BBQ

Crayfish on the table

Christmas lunch

Millie skydiving above Rottnest: Christmas present from her Dad