Visiting Fremantle & Perth is always a joy. Fremantle is charming. Perth is the busy and bustling capital of Western Australia. On this visit, which was an overnight, we took a tour to the Swan Valley for a wine tasting on our first day. And then, on Saturday, because none of our prior visits were on a weekend, we relished the opportunity to shop the Fremantle Market!!!
Let’s start with the wine tasting in Swan Valley:
W arrived in Fremantle on a dreary, overcast morning.Our plans for the day began with a trip to the Swan Valley for a wine tasting tour.Driving thru Perth, we admired, once again, the foresight of city planners who allocated 40% of the metropolitan area to parkland!!!We crossed the Swan River several times as we made our way to the wine region. It became narrower as we moved along.The first winery of the day was Upper Reach.As we gathered around a tasting table, the wine was poured.We sampled 4 of their wines.“The Gig” is what we bought.Wasting no time, we continued to Sandalford Vineyards.Here, we sampled a white, a rose, 2 reds, and a tawny port-like liqueur.We did not buy any of them, although several fellow tour-mates did rave about the Tawny Liqueur!!!!However…….…..this is Carissa displaying the Sauvignon Blanc Estate Reserve that we sampled “by request” …..
…..it was so good, we’ll be going home with 2 bottles!!!
At this point, we left the vineyards and headed back to Fremantle.
Having returned early enough to have dinner in Fremantle, we continued the adventure:
We began at Gage Roads before moving on to dinner at…..…..Kailis’ Fishmarket café..…..where we savored the mussels……
…..and the fish & chips…..
…..along with some Sauvignon Blanc…..…..all the while, enjoying the lovely boat harbor view!!!Before heading back to the ship, we took a quick spin on the “Eye”…..…..and enjoyed a peek at the MS Volendam on the dock.Before calling it a night, we toe-tapped along with the Western Australia Police Force Pipe Band!!!
Day two, we finally visited the Fremantle Market (only open on Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays):
We walked over to the Fremantle market. Built in 1827, it has been serving the community ever since!!!Everything is available here: fruits…..…..vegetables…..…..baked goods…..…..meats, clothing…..…..and so much more!!! Whew, we’re exhausted!!!Time for lunch!!!
A little food….
…..a little drink…..…..good company………..and it’s time to call it a day!!!
Now, we are on our way to the final Western Australia port: Albany.
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