Yesterday Sydney, today Brisbane and tomorrow Honiara, it feels like that classic joke...if its Wednesday it must be Italy.... What a pleasur to see so many different places and to experience different smells, sights and experiences. Brisbane is a city of houge, tall buildings and straight streets; theres a lot to be seen inamonst the glass canyons and the river trip on the (free) city hopper boats is well recommended.
No pictures today as I'm too tired to find the cable to download from the camera.
Friday 29 March 2013
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Australia
We had a glorious time in San Diego with James and Annie enjoying the sun and sand of the yacht club, the excellent beer (recurring theme - sorry) and wonderful hospitality. Then took the train to LA and enjoyed sea views for most of the way.
Our flight to Sydney had been delayed to 12.30 am and then tech problems delayed departure until 3am. A 14 hour flight is not my idea of fun but has to be done. Very glad to arrive in Syney and to find are hotel,we were both desperately tried to stay awake until 'bedtime' but faded at 9.00. This morning Emma did the galleries and i spent a happy, if footsore couple of hours in the Royal Botanics. The plants are so different here and it was a pleasure to occasionally bump into a plant that I actually know. Screaming Cockatoos and Kookaburras everywhere not to mention crocodiles of tourists off the vast cruise ships which appear in Circular Quai overnight.
Tomorrow our trip to the Blue Mountains
Our flight to Sydney had been delayed to 12.30 am and then tech problems delayed departure until 3am. A 14 hour flight is not my idea of fun but has to be done. Very glad to arrive in Syney and to find are hotel,we were both desperately tried to stay awake until 'bedtime' but faded at 9.00. This morning Emma did the galleries and i spent a happy, if footsore couple of hours in the Royal Botanics. The plants are so different here and it was a pleasure to occasionally bump into a plant that I actually know. Screaming Cockatoos and Kookaburras everywhere not to mention crocodiles of tourists off the vast cruise ships which appear in Circular Quai overnight.
Tomorrow our trip to the Blue Mountains
Sunday 24 March 2013
LA
We're currently delayed at Los Angeles waiting for a plane that is going to be a couple of hours late. Still, it means that we will arrive at Sydney at a more realistic time in the morning of the day after tomorrow. This world travelling is just too strange...
The stay with James and Annie was delightful and we really enjoyed seeing the sights of the town, the yacht club and all of the lovely plants. Wild Ceanothus in full bloom - wonderful!
The stay with James and Annie was delightful and we really enjoyed seeing the sights of the town, the yacht club and all of the lovely plants. Wild Ceanothus in full bloom - wonderful!
Thursday 21 March 2013
America!
A recap on our trip so far as I have had a few hiccoughs with blog.
We arrived in Dallas Fort Worth and thence to Steve and Anne's delightful home in Colleyville. Saturday was St Patricks Day and the Stockyards were full of people in green drinking green beer - they say that it has a noticeable effect on your pee! We visited the largest Honky Tonk bar in the world (beer acceptable) then in the evening a real rodeo. The cowboys were very skilled and the bull riding was particularly impressive.
Next day Sunday we went to the Dallas Arboretum which,considering the climate is very impressive and was in full spring colour. It was so different to European planting that I had real problems identifying many of the plants.
In the evening we had drinks with local Texas friends of Steve and Anne, all really nice people even if they do say Y'all rather a lot. A wonderful evening and many thanks to our kind hosts.
On the 18th we flew up to Phoenix and picked the car to drive to Marilyns place at Cave Creek; thank heavans for GPS....... Once we had arrived at her glorious ranch we had a walk in the Sagwara forest, once again my interest was pricked, literally by the profusion of cacti and other desert flowers. As we rambled along we were brought up short by a rattle and yes, it was a rattlesnake guarding the path. We took a couple of photos with zoom and beat a hasty retreat.
Next day we drove up to the Grand Canyon - I drove the Mustang! Wonderful! The landscape through Sedona and then across prairie and desert is huge and wonderful; it changes so fast with rock and vegetation changing colour at each turn of the road - far from dull. Then the Canyon. What can you say, it is awe inspiring but I think that as the images of it are so well known that one expects what you see. Well woth a visit and a really good lunch at the Tocama Lodge with an excellent Ale. The beer has been a delight provided that you avoid the aweful " Lites".
Many, many thanks to Marilyn for her kind hospitality and I really hope that she and Mark will visit us the next time that they are following the Tour de France
Onward! From Flagstaff we drove down to Havasu Lake City to see the old London Bridge crossing an arm of the lake. It is really bizarre but quite appealing. The place was full of inebriated teenaged Spring Breakers who were generally very polite and rather sweet. From Havasu we followed the Colorado south and then cut across real desert from Parker to Palm Springs.I loved the desert, flowering cacti, eye watering distances and mountains but after three hours driving we were glad to reach civilisation and a hotel. Palm Springs is undoubtedly brash but along the main streets, quite charming.
This morning we had an easy drive through California to arrive at James and Annie's near San Diego. So far California definitely gets the thumbs up.
We arrived in Dallas Fort Worth and thence to Steve and Anne's delightful home in Colleyville. Saturday was St Patricks Day and the Stockyards were full of people in green drinking green beer - they say that it has a noticeable effect on your pee! We visited the largest Honky Tonk bar in the world (beer acceptable) then in the evening a real rodeo. The cowboys were very skilled and the bull riding was particularly impressive.
In the evening we had drinks with local Texas friends of Steve and Anne, all really nice people even if they do say Y'all rather a lot. A wonderful evening and many thanks to our kind hosts.
Next day we drove up to the Grand Canyon - I drove the Mustang! Wonderful! The landscape through Sedona and then across prairie and desert is huge and wonderful; it changes so fast with rock and vegetation changing colour at each turn of the road - far from dull. Then the Canyon. What can you say, it is awe inspiring but I think that as the images of it are so well known that one expects what you see. Well woth a visit and a really good lunch at the Tocama Lodge with an excellent Ale. The beer has been a delight provided that you avoid the aweful " Lites".
Onward! From Flagstaff we drove down to Havasu Lake City to see the old London Bridge crossing an arm of the lake. It is really bizarre but quite appealing. The place was full of inebriated teenaged Spring Breakers who were generally very polite and rather sweet. From Havasu we followed the Colorado south and then cut across real desert from Parker to Palm Springs.I loved the desert, flowering cacti, eye watering distances and mountains but after three hours driving we were glad to reach civilisation and a hotel. Palm Springs is undoubtedly brash but along the main streets, quite charming.
In California
Just arrived at Rancho Santa fe; delightful to see Annie in her gorgeous house. Plants and flowers are delightful and unexpected.
In America,
I'm having real problems with this site - not computer literate enough. We're currently in Palm Springs (eternal on the human breast) and will heading for San Diego this morning.
If I succeed in getting it on the blog then I'll write more later.
If I succeed in getting it on the blog then I'll write more later.
Wednesday 20 March 2013
Friday 8 March 2013
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