Monsters, Monuments and Meetings.

We started off our last full day in the Ibis with another huge breakfast. We were meeting friends in the early evening, so I had a morning and afternoon free for wandering. I decided I wanted a day that did not involve any Christmas displays, I was feeling a bit Christmassed out, so I headed off towards Quarry Bay.

I suspect these breakfasts are killing us. Taste good though.

Peter's breakfast wasn't small. He's just eating mine while waiting for his to arrive.

There's a huge building on King's Road in Quarry Bay nicknamed the Monster Building. It is actually made up of five connected buildings, which are Montane Mansion, Oceanic Mansion, Yick Cheong Building, Yick Fat Building and Fook Cheong Building. These five blocks are all eighteen stories high and between them contain 2,243 flats which are densely packed together and house around ten thousand people. The buildings date from the 1960's.

The Monster Building has featured in a couple of films such as 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Transformers: Age of Extinction.' It has also featured in music videos. All this attention has made the Monster Building a hit on Instagram and, for a while, the courtyards inside the building were constantly filled with people snapping selfies. Apparently there were so many of them, climbing on things, getting in the way of residents and making noise that the locals got really fed up with it. There are now signs up telling you not to come here to film or photograph and the concrete blocks photographers used to pose on are sealed off. I didn't feel bad about coming to take photos, as there was only me and one other person doing so and we were both very quiet and discreet. With the current lack of tourists here crowds are possibly not even a problem.

Looking at the monster building from outside on King's Road.

Looking at it from inside one of its courtyards.

In front of me is one of the fenced off concrete blocks people used to queue to stand on.

The monster building from the other courtyard.

And looking the other way.

Notices put up by residents.

Next, I wandered into Tai Koo Park. To be honest, I didn't even know this place existed, so I stumbled on it purely by chance. This area is owned by the Swire Properties Group. The Chinese name for Swire is Tai Koo. At one time they established a huge dockyard and a sugar refinery here. When these closed, the site was redeveloped as a residential area and Swire Properties was born.

Tai Koo Park has several interesting sculptures. The first one I saw is called 'The Horse At Water' and was created in 2014 by British sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green. It depicts a sixteen foot high horse's head bent down to sip water from a still pool. It's quite impressive. Apparently, Nic Fiddian-Green's most famous sculpture is called 'Still Water' and is in Marble Arch, London. The sculptures are similar.

Approaching the horse's head sculpture.

The horse's head just seems to hang in midair.

The horse's head with the next artwork.

Nearby there is another interesting sculpture called 'Please be Seated' by Paul Cocksedge. This wooden art installation features arches that rise up and curve under and is meant to represent the ebb and flow of life in a city.

'Please be seated' by Paul Cocksedge.

'Please be Seated'and part of the next art work.

All around this area there was an art work called 'Seasons in Continuum' by floral artisan Kirk Cheng. This was created to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Swire Properties.

There are several parts to Cheng's work. One part is known as 'Spectrum'. This consists of several yellow, red and blue spheres constructed from various natural materials and flowers. These are scattered seemingly haphazardly around the lawns of Tak Koo Park. Then there is 'Ripple' a circular art work with a centrepiece and five rings made using eucalyptus and small yellow flowers. This is supposed to represent Taikoo Properties spirit of expansion, change and its goal of spreading new and innovative ideas outwards to the world.

'Seasons in Continuum: Spectrum'.

'Seasons in Continuum: Spectrum.'

'Seasons in Continuum: Spectrum'.

'Seasons in Continuum: Spectrum'.

Ripple, by the time I saw this, it had changed a lot from the original floral sculpture. The rings can't be easily seen any more.

There were other floral art works in this area by the same artist but I missed these, as I didn't know they existed. At one point a lady walked past me carrying a large model of a baby deer. She then proceeded to pose with this and the art installation while being photographed - a homemade Christmas card in preparation, perhaps.

Carrying a prop for photos

Then I bumped into 'The Meeting ' by Anne Ross. I liked this and thought it showed a dog walk into a new neighborhood and meet a pack of dogs, but having read up on it, it seems that what I thought were a pack of dogs are actually a group of cats. Its their rather large size that threw me, I think. Apparently the sculptress has captured the moment of meeting when the cats and dog pause as they see each other for the first time and the observer is left to work out what will happen next.

'The Meeting' by Anne Ross.

'The Meeting' by Anne Ross.

'The Meeting' by Anne Ross.

Finally, I saw 'City Shadow ' by Allen Jones. Apparently there are two of these one male and one female. I only saw the female one. It's meant to represent the vibrancy and hustle and bustle of city life.

'City Shadow' by Allen Jones.

'City Shadow' by Allen Jones.

There were lots of food stalls in this area and lots of restaurants. I've been to Enoteca Restaurant and Bar here before with people from work.

Food stalls.

Food stalls.

Nearby Christmas tree.

From here I eventually made my way to the waterfront and strolled along Quarry Bay Promenade and through Quarry Bay Park. More and more places in Hong Kong are getting waterfront walkways and because of this the harbour is becoming much more enjoyable.

Quarry Bay Promenade and Park.

Quarry Bay Promenade and Park.

Quarry Bay Promenade and Park.

I'd have liked to visit the fireboat Alexander Grantham, but it was closed on Tuesdays. It houses art exhibitions, but it's the boat itself I am interested in. The Alexander Grantham was the flagship of the Hong Kong Fire Service's fireboat team and was in service in Hong Kong waters from 1953 till 2002. It was built by Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Company Limited.

Fireboat Alexander Grantham.

Fireboat Alexander Grantham.

Fireboat Alexander Grantham.

Quarry Bay Park is cut off from Quarry Bay and Tai Koo Shing by a huge motorway. To get from one place to the other you need to cross a bridge. At both sides of the bridge there are beautiful flower beds. Some bauhinia trees grow at the sides of the motorway and you are close to their flowers as you cross the bridge.

Going up on the bridge.

Flower bed on the park side.

Flower bed on the city side.

Flower bed on the city side.

Whitish Bauhinias.

Purple Bauhinias.

Shelters on the city side of the bridge.

Shelters on the city side of the bridge.

Next I went to City Plaza Shopping Mall as I had some shopping go do. I encountered another horse sculpture.

Horse sculpture.

Horse sculpture.

Outside the mall I found the foundation stone for the Tai Koo Dockyard. First, Swire established a sugar refinery here, then they built a dockyard to service, repair and build vessels. The dock came into operation in 1907 and lasted until the 1970's.

Tai Koo Dockyard Foundation Stone.

Tai Koo Dockyard Foundation Stone.

Inside I took a quick look at the skating rink, completed my shopping, then headed back to the hotel.

Ice skating in City Plaza, Tai Koo Shing.

In the late afternoon Peter and I headed to Villa Villa where we met up with our friends Jason and Sheena for a very pleasant catch up and drink.

Catching up with Jason and Sheena.

Peter and Sheena.

Jason and I.