It was hard to say goodbye with our new friends from the ship. And the ship itself, - the lovely "Radiance of the Seas". But we were also going to say hello to others. We have cousins in Perth, and this was the original motivation for this particular cruise. We were meeting with them on day one in Perth, and this eventuated, with lots of laughter, and story telling. When travel includes family, it's the perfect mix.
Later in the week I was also catching up with friends that I had met on previous travels. One I had met on a Med cruise in 2013; the others on a Trafalgar Tour in Eastern Europe in 2005. That these friendships survive is a great joy.
Perth is a vibrant city - very new looking with an air of prosperity. But the new lives with the old - something unique to Perth is the way the sky-scrapers are built with the facades of historic buildings left at the front. A head turning moment when they are first spotted. Followed by the thought "Why not?"
Interestingly, the part of Perth that looks oldest is actually quite young. The "London Court" is a shopping mall, built in the English Tudor style, comlete with posters of Shakespeare. Built like the inside of a medievel castle, complete with a portcullis and statues of knights, it seems a strange choice for such a hip city. But, as a lover of all things English, I enjoyed it. And there was good coffee in the little "tea-houses" in the Court. A bit of fun.
Perth was easy to get around, with free bus travel in the city centre. And the area around Elizabeth Quay, while still under construction, is worth a visit. It will be stunning when it's done.
