Freo Day 2: Exploring the City

After a good night’s rest, we were up and at ‘em early to explore Fremantle — Freo … as the locals refer to the city.

Regatta wasn’t scheduled to depart until 8:00p, so we had plenty of time to go a-wanderin’. But we knew the heat would eventually get to us … hence the early start. As it is, we lasted longer than I thought we would … thanks to a breeze that we were especially glad to have where no shade was available.

Settled in 1829, Fremantle was not proclaimed a city until 1929. The city is known for its maritime history, Victorian architecture, and remnants from when Australia was a British penal colony, including the Fremantle Prison, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There are many ways to explore Freo. We decided to follow the “Street Art” for a meandering walk that took us to many of the landmarks, and along streets lined with well-maintained Victorian-era buildings … many of them repurposed to house shops and restaurants.. Mui even managed to get a haircut along the way.

We had lunch at Bella Roma … recommended by the barber. She did not steer us wrong. Thus re-energized, we set off to explore the Fremantle Prison. But I’ll leave that for the next footprint.Read more