28/11/2025 Catching up with Perth Family.

Another beautifully sunny day today and I got my bumble down to the beach in early.  Kay, Julie and Carey all came to the hotel and we had an emotional reunion (I say we, it was me that was emotional, the ladies were far more dignified). After a  brief discussion on where to go we piled into one car and headed into Scarborough for some breakfast. The beauty of this place is there is just endless parking and it’s all free. There are almost too many bars and restaurants to choose from. Oh shut up , is there really such a thing as too many bars? Or course not, just not enough time to visit them all!

We went into a place called Cleopatras which is on the Esplanade.  the fact you can see the ocean as you eat was the deciding factor . Why would you want to go anywhere else to eat? It was in the shade as the sun hadn’t come around to hit it so the strong breeze made it feel way colder than it was. 

The menu was huge and I will definitely be coming back as there was everything you could imagine to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner all pretty reasonably priced too. I had scrambled egg on ciabatta bread. Why would anyone toast it?? I bit into it and instantly shredded my mouth.  It needed 2 packs of butter on it to try and soften it up a bit. The eggs were good though as was the carrot, apple and ginger juice.  I am making a conscious effort to eat better, and whilst I still wasn't hungry following the marathon eating sessions I was forced to endure the last day or so on the flights , I know I do need to start eating better. The eating out twice a day for the month before I left hasn’t been particularly good for me either!  It’s all about moderation and balance apparently, and we all know what I think of moderation and balance, I’m definitely an all or nothing girl. 

We have a plan of attack for the next few days. Tomorrow is a birthday party in Mundura, about an hour away from here.  Sunday is potentially a family BBQ with the kids and grand kids, that’s going to be chaos and I’m ready for it! Monday might be a day of rest. I check out of the hotel on Wednesday and we are taking a road trip down South to the Murray river for a few days, it’s Carey’s happy place. A beautiful part of the world that Si and I visited when we came, hand made Fudge shops, local wines, cakes, crafts and art. It has great Xmas markets so Carey and I are going Christmas shopping. I’m half regretting my decision to NOT buy anything as I still have a lot of clutter to get rid of from the house. Carey told me the most fabulous news,  they're coming over to the UK next year. Cruising from NZ to Canada then driving across Canada, flying to Europe to see Ray's relatives then coming to the UK in June to see me. I will definitely be home by then as I’ve got Lewis Capaldi tickets. Just saying. 

So that’s something good to look forward to for next year. 

After breakfast we bumbled across the road to the beach and sat on the wooden steps watching the ocean just sitting and ‘being’  The beach is busier today than yesterday and much busier at midday than it was earlier this morning when there were only a few surfers out. The pool was really busy too and the hot weather forecast on Monday will bring half of Perth to it apparently. Best avoid it Monday and that’s ok as The Hotel California has a pool anyway!

While we sat and chatted the girls were discussing mamma Kay’s leg which she’d knocked on the bed and peeled a chunk of skin off. It was looking really red and was hot to touch. How do I know this? Well we all took turns in feeling it of course. We all then got bossy with mamma and told her she needed to ring the dr when we got back to the house.

Bless her she’s 85, still driving her car, only needs glasses for reading and has sass. I aspire to be like that although I’m screwed already as I can’t see a thing without my glasses.  But I can work on the sass… 

After a good time there Carey went to pick up the car for us all and we headed back to the hotel to pick up the other cars. That done we headed into Warwick Mall  to pick up some food for afternoon tea. I was quite pleased about this plan because I forgot to pack a pair of tidy shoes. I have flip flops and swimming shoes so my feet don’t get shredded on the coral and a pair of battered old trainers that will not be making the return journey home. That’s it. Nothing that is suitable for wearing with a dress to an 80th birthday party, or even anywhere that’s remotely going outy. What a plank, I can’t believe I forgot tidy shoes. Well actually yes I can believe it, I also know where the sandals I planned to bring with me are, on the bedroom floor ffs. No bleeding good there are they?  

The Warwick mall has bought back  many happy memories from when Erin and Morgi were little and I brought them over to Perth for a few months. I loved the familiarity of it, of course some of the shops have changed but the layout is familiar and the Kmart is EPIC!  Luckily for me they sell a great range of clothing and shoes at a really good price. Located a pair of flat white sandals for the extortionate price of $25 (cheap as chips)  and refrained from browsing the summer clothes. Restraint is required at all times by this dopamine chasing freak. I need to get my dopamine fix elsewhere …. Like the ocean and beach right now not buying shit I don’t need. 

Some fabulous Xmas outfits but the thick woolly jumpers threw me completely. I’m not sure where you’d wear it, it’s likely to be 40 degrees on Christmas day and that is not jumper weather. Also if you were wearing it to work, same thing,   hot as hell unless you worked in an ice bar or freezer. I love that the clothes are a bit different so I will purchase a little dress each for my little girls before I come home as Kmart is in NZ too. It will never fail to mess with my head seeing Christmas stuff in the shops when I’m wearing shorts and flip flops. It's just wrong. Mamma Kay did some Christmas shopping for Carey’s grandkids, and then we went to get fruit and cakes for afternoon tea. 

All the shopping done, we proceeded back to Mamma Kay’s.  Carey and I arrived just after Julie, and there was no sign of Mamma.  We waited a few minutes and here she came. Turns out she couldn’t find her car in the carpark. That in turn had sent her into a spin and she was quite worked up by the time she got home. So much so she forgot to drive not the garage and then forgot to  turn the car off before she got out bless her. 

We had a lovely afternoon tea,  kicked the ass out of the air con and the girls nagged mamma to ring the dr about her leg as the tracking was bigger and was also a lot redder and very hot . Appointment made for later today which is good. Arrangements were made for pick up time in the morning I’ll be ready and waiting at 10.30 on the dot. In my new sandals. Also wearing clothes. Without clothes is just plain offensive and probably illegal. 

I got back to hotel California and had a swim to cool down and passed on a beer in the bar. It was tempting but I’m exhausted, it’s hard wearing a mask all the time ! I know I don’t need to with them, but I’m also aware I’m only going to be with them for a short time so the last thing they want is the miserable Me showing up. Cos that’s not fun for anyone! Trust me I know this to be true! 

Not the most exciting of days unless you count the shoes but a day when the emotions remained relatively in check.  It’s win and I’ll take it 

Much love

Mrs Leonard

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