Sunny LA to rainy New York

So I arrived safely in LA and spent the first couple of days at the beach. Where I was staying was a fabulous starting point to riding a bike along the beach to Venice Beach and then on to Santa Monica. The weather was perfect - sunny with a cool breeze. The breeze was so lovely that I didn't realise how sunny and I got the souvenir sunburn but it was a small price to pay for such a fabulous adventure. Apart from catching up with dear friends I also visited the Getty Center (beautiful!) and LACMA with other little trips around these main destinations. Apparently of the 10 million LA residents only 2 million use public transport. I am not surprised as it seems to take a minimum of two hours to get anywhere. Coming home from the Getty I weakened and caught a taxi but it was such an interesting drive because the driver was a political refugee from Russia and had so many interesting stories. All in all I really loved my time in LA (sorry - no photos because I am writing this on my phone) but there are certainly some crazy looking people here and crazy places to visit!

I am only one day into my trip to New York and it was a really wet day but at least it wasn't too cold. I visited the MET and loved it even if I did get tricked by their 'recommended' admission price and thought it was the actual price! It is an awesome place to visit but I think I need to take a break from galleries for a bit. The restaurants here are great and thanks to recommendations I went to the best Mexican place I have ever eaten at. While I am here I hope to do a variety of things and catch up with old friends and former colleagues. I will hopefully include some photos in my next post.

Back in London

I decided to hold off posting too many photos of Morocco - as much as there are so many photos I would love to show you I also don't want to go overboard!

Today is my only day in London (excluding a day trip or two before Morroco) and it was great. I caught up with Jamie M for brunch which extended into a four hour catch up. He then caught the train with me to the V&A and left me to explore the museum at my leisure. It is strange to be in London after Morocco. It is certainly nice not to be asked if I want to buy something every step of the way (the phrases "hello hello" and "best price" were a huge part of the sounds of Morocco) but the contrast makes London seem isolating.

Tomorrow morning I fly to LA which by all reports will be fabulously sunny so I am tempted to send home all my warm weather gear to make room in my case. The extra room I had in my case at the start of the trip has been taken by a berber rug. Buying a rug in Morocco is perhaps a little cliched but it was worth it!

And hello Morocco...

I am back in London after a longer than expected time in Morocco. I arrived in Casablanca two weeks ago and I have to say that my first impression was not what I thought it would be. I was expecting to be blown away from the beginning but instead it was an evolving process. I will write more later but as each day passed I liked it more and more. We travelled from Casablanca to Rabat and then on to Meknes and Fes. We spent a whole day in the Medina in Fes and it was such an experience - the colours, sights and smells were nothing that I have experienced before and I loved it.

And then we arrived in Marrakech and I loved it. Marrakech is the Morocco I was looking forward to. Imagine a city teeming with people where it is not unusual to have an expensive mercedes negotiating for road space with a donkey and cart, where the new and the very old are mixed in a colour combination and where the noise of crowds and street sellers are harmonised with the sound of snake charmers and the calls to prayer. I had left my comfort zone long ago and loved soaking up the atmosphere. I wasn't ready to leave so when some people on the tour invited me on the second last night to join them after the tour to go to Assouria (a costal town) and the Sahara I thought why not!

I am so pleased I ended the trip with the Sahara. We rode camels across the dunes and camped under the stars. To lie on warm sand gazing up at a dark sky full of stars (and shooting stars) until 4.30 am was definitely worth it.

The extra time at the end of this leg was perfect and I was ready to leave. England is thankfully warmer than when I left it and I will have a final day catching up with English and Australian friends bfore heading off to the US of A! More photos to come but below are a taste...

From Oxford to Chorleywood with some London in the middle

I looked at my last blog and I think I should say that it is not all cold and wet here in England just in case I have given this impression. I have had some lovely days and have the photos below to prove it! On my last full day in Oxford it was gloriously sunny so I went on a walking tour of the city and learned so much more about the history, the buildings and the people. There are 38 colleges in Oxford! I had no idea there were so many. After the tour I found a coffee shop that served good coffee and read my book for a while. At the table next to me was a student with an American friend. She loudly exclaimed 'How do I GET to Oxford'. I was confused and so was her friend until she explained that she meant to be a student here and really soak up the life here. It made me think about whether I wanted to 'get' to Oxford and I realise that as much as I love it and I have loved spending time with the Bonnicis feeling part of their family (Hi Olivier, Rosalind, Ben, Beatrice and Luke!) it is time for the next adventure.

As far as adventuring goes I realise that an hour drive south (?) to Chorleywood is not exactly being wild and adventurous but it is a lovely next step in the travel. I am staying for a week here with Robyn and Terence in their lovely cottage which is in a little one-pub village called Chenies just outside Chorleywood. Thanks to the weather we have had some great walks (photos below) and also visited Disraeli's country house. He is an intriguing character and I look forward to finding out more about him. Yesterday Rob and I went into London for a day trip which was fun and today is a quiet day to catch up on my blog, emails and reading. I really like England - both the country and the people. I feel very much at home. It has helped that I have been with friends but also people I meet, at the churches (which have been great!) I have been to or even just walking around, are all so friendly. This Saturday I will fly to Morocco for a week which will be a big change but I am looking forward to it. I hope you are all well!

Christ Church College (Oxford) in the sun

A street in Oxford

Me and Robyn on our walk near Chorleywood

A typical view on our walk - beautiful!!

Oxford - the home of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and the dreaming spires

From Aberdeen I went directly to Oxford. My hopes of warmer weather have been dashed but it is wonderful to be here nevertheless. The Bonnicis have been so welcoming and took me on a C.S. Lewis tour in Oxford finishing at the Eagle and Child which is the pub that the Inklings used to meet at every Tuesday to discuss their writings. They also drove me around on a tour of some local villages. Despite the cold and rain I have love Oxford. Walking around the cobbled streets has been so much fun and thank you to those people who gave me some good ideas of places to visit.

Oxford is a very beautiful city and I am looking forward to going to the museum tomorrow and doing some more walking. I went for my first run this morning and enjoyed it so much that I will try to do it every morning I am here. I might give Wednesday a miss because the forecast is for snow. Yes snow. Again I am impressed by my brilliant packing - I brought four t-shirts, bathers and no coat.

Below are some photos of my travels so far...

Balmoral Castle

 Jonah testing the laws of gravity in an important scientific experiment 

Me outside one of the sweetest little houses in Bibury

The dreaming spires of Oxford

Me touring Oxford. 

Where has all the tartan gone?

I arrived safely in Aberdeen to warm (for Scotland) weather and a very warm welcome from Chris and Sally and family. When I say the weather has been warm I should make it clear that I have still been wearing several layers including a scarf and hat but the people here have been in t-shirts and even shorts. I decided not to bring a coat as this should be the only cold part of my holiday and apart from one day I think this was the right decision.

It has been lovely catching up with dear friends and enjoying the beautiful Scottish scenery. Everywhere you go there is an abundance of daffodils which is a wonderful contrast with all the stone. I am not sure how long the daffodils will last so the timing of my visit has been perfect. On one of the warmer days we made the trip to Balmoral Castle. It feels strange to visit a place that is so obviously part of the royal family's life. The castle and gardens were very pleasant and the exhibition inside was interesting so it was worth the visit. As a result of the trip I have decided that I would quite like to be a member of the royal family. I realise that this is not the easiest thing to achieve but I am happy to include it on my 'To Do' list.

I did a little more exploring of Aberdeen itself today and I enjoyed simply walking around and getting a feel for the city. The side streets were the nicest and and thanks to a GPS I could be relaxed about getting lost (I usually get lost when I wander around a new city even if I have a map on hand) and enjoy the adventure. One of the things I have noticed about Aberdeen is that I haven't seen much tartan. When I visited Edinburgh a number of years ago I felt that tartan was everywhere. I have to say that this was a little disappointing but how can I be too disappointed in a place where I can hear the scottish accent everywhere I go?

It is my last night in Aberdeen as I head down to Oxford tomorrow. I will hopefully have some photos in a day or two so you can see some of the sights that I am seeing!

It's been a while...

I haven't posted for a while and even though I have travelled in the last four years I felt that any trip less than four weeks isn't blog-worthy. Now that I have said goodbye to facebook and twitter is so restrictive I am choosing to blog again for friends and family that want to see what I am up to as I set off for seven weeks.

My return to blogging is an experiment. If I don't have easy access to computers and blogging on my phone is too annoying then it might all come to a sorry end but if it goes smoothly then I will post photos and stories from my trip and those who want to keep up can and those who don't can choose not to!

I haven't left yet and I won't bore you with an update on the pre-trip preparation except to say that having less than two weeks between deciding to go and actually leaving is actually not that difficult.

This post is just the introductory post because I haven't left yet but I leave in less than 48 hours so stay tuned!

Back at home

That's right, I'm back in Melbourne and even though the trip is over I thought I would write one final post and also show you some photos from San Francisco and Hawaii. The photos below are of the two English girls I told you about who I met in San Francisco, me in front of Lombard Street (the famous crooked street), a Christmas tree in Union Square and then me on my last day of my trip in Hawaii.

Should I say something significant or sentimental about my trip? I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity and while it has been lovely to see friends and family I was not really ready to come home. The trip exceeded my expectations and was one the most fabulous things I have ever done but I am sure I will travel again soon. Thank you to all the wonderful people who I met in my travels and to the wonderful people who welcomed me into their homes. I appreciate your friendship and I look forward to keeping in touch - you are always welcome in Melbourne!

Bye!

 

Aloha!

Yes I am in Hawaii and the weather is beautiful. I have not been doing any sightseeing but have simply been going for walks along the beach and around the streets of Waikiki and relaxing. I have discovered that I am unable to sleep in but this hasn't stopped me from having a couple of very lazy days. It is a lovely way to end my trip. The hotel has been great. I decided to stay in a nice hotel as a final treat and it has been worth it. It is not on the beach but it has a balcony with great views and I have enjoyed not packing everything each morning. In fact, because it is my last stop I have been throwing things out. My shoes didn't make it out of San Francisco. I was in a dilemma as to whether to keep them out of nostalgia and there would be absolutely no other reason to keep them as they had gone well beyond the point of respectability but when I was showing them to some friends in the hostel at San Francisco we discovered a huge hole in one of them (this would explain why one of my feet was always getting more wet than the other one!). The hole sealed the deal and they went in the bin but not before I took a photo of them! I didn't need them anyway because the weather is really warm (funny how that happens in a tropical climate!!) and very relaxed.
I can't believe five months has gone by so quickly. I leave for home early tomorrow but I won't get into final blog mode because I will probably post some photos of San Francisco and Hawaii when I get home. I am now going for my last walk along the beach. I have been told that I need to try a fish taco while I am here so I might do that as well.
See you all soon!

San Francisco - is there a song about it??

Hi all, I am at the last night of a five day stopover in sunny San Francisco. In this time I have walked up and down all the hills and my feet are feeling the pain! The hostel has been great and there are some lovely English girls in my room and most nights we have met up for dinner and chatted about what we have done. The weather has been great here. The only day that was cold and really foggy was when I went to Alcatraz so it added to the atmosphere. Actually Alcatraz would have been creepy enough without the added ambience. There were all sorts of awful people who were at the prison (which I guess happens at a maximum security prison) and awful things happened so I felt quite uncomfortable walking around. People were taking photos of themselves in the cells but I couldn't quite bring myself to do that.
The other days have been sunny and I have been able to visit Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Park, Haight Street (centre of the sixties hippy movement), the Museum of Modern Art, Berkeley, Lombard Street (the crooked street), Golden Gate Bridge, Sausolito and the list goes on! It is so compact compared to LA so I have been taking advantage of walking everywhere and only catching the bus if absolutely necesssary.
It is a beautiful city but I think if I lived in America it would only be the climate that would keep me on the west coast because I felt more at home in places like New York and DC. Despite this it has been great having a good amount of time to explore the city. It has gone by too quickly though and I can't believe I leave for Hawaii tomorrow.
See you in Hawaii!!

Happy Thanksgiving from the entertainment capital

Hello from Hollywood! Well, not technically Hollywood because I am spending Thanksgiving in Ojai (pronounced Oh-Hi) but I have been to Hollywood! I had three days in LA and with some fabulous help from Matt and Kristine I was able to set out a great itinerary. I visited the Getty Centre which had great paintings and a fantastic special photography exhibition. The next day was a walk around downtown. The architecture was really interesting and as a special treat the doorman at the Oviat building (a fabulous art deco building) let me go up to see the penthouse which has all the art deco furniture and is now used for functions or films. I only had one day left and as tempting as it was to visit Rodeo drive or Santa Monica, i couldn't go to the Hollywood capital and not visit Hollywood. Hollywood was actually not as exciting as I had hoped but I did see the sign on the hill, Mann's Chinese Theatre and the stars. If I had more time it would have been fun to do a tour but I wanted to visit Universal Studios. I did not think I was much of a ride person but I was so very wrong. The rides were so ace. The Simpson's ride was incredible closely followed by the Jurassic Park ride. I could have done so much more in LA but I felt like I got a good snapshot of the city. I didn't get discovered for a major Hollywood blockbuster and I also didn't get some facetime with a top director to discuss my movie ideas but I feel like I laid some good groundwork for my next visit...

I am now enjoying the relaxed environment of Ojai and it is nice to be spending Thanksgiving with friends. Thanksgiving is huge here. People make more of an effort to get home for Thanksgiving than even Christmas. They also have huge post Thanksgiving sales and the shops open at 5.00am on the following day. 

Anyway, the weather is beautiful today and we are about to go for a walk so Happy Thanksgiving everyone and see you soon!

Journey to the political centre of America

Washington DC is a place I have wanted to visit for many years. Unfortunately their law about citizenship requirements for presidency have cut short my political aspirations but this is also the law that stands between the Terminator and the White House so I won't complain. Instead I do the next best thing and stand outside with the other members of the public. DC is fabulous. It is a city that pulsates with the energy of being the political centre as well as having so many galleries and museums. I was there for three full days and despite having very tightly packed days I barely scratched the surface. Some of the political highlights are below: the White House, the Hill (I don't call it Capitol Hill because in the West Wing it is called the Hill), the Washington Monument and Lincoln's Memorial. Lincoln's Memorial was very moving and I found his speeches which were printed on the walls incredible and I found myself rereading the phrases because of the sheer poetry. 

The musuems here are amazing. The Museum of American History reopened on my last day so I saw the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner, the Gettysburg Address, an amazing section about the American Presidents and R2D2! If this wasn't enough I also saw Seinfeld's puffy shirt, Dorothy's ruby slippers and Kermit. The Air and Space Museum was brilliant and basically so were all the museums. One of the museums that slipped off the list was the International Spy Museum. It was partly a time issue, partly a cost issue and really I already know all there is to know about the life of an international spy!

It was a lovely part of the holiday and it was also one of the coldest parts. DC is COLD and what I experienced was only November weather. I am not quite sure how they manage in winter even though their heating is very good. I am not saying I have decided against being a senior adviser to the President but the cold weather is something to consider.

I flew to LA on Saturday and that is the end of east coast part of my US holiday. LA is certainly milder and it is fun to go from the political centre (or center if I am being faithful to the country I am staying in!) to the entertainment center but more of that in the next blog...

Photos of Yosemite...

Hi all, Here are some photos from Yosemite in order of appearance...
On one of my walks I was very close to some deer, one of the waterfalls, my climb up to Nevada Falls, Mirror Lake and the historic climb to the top of Glacier Point!

And hello Yosemite!

WOW - Yosemite was amazing! I arrived Thursday afternoon and left Monday morning so I had three full days to explore and I could have done so much more. I was going to visit Yosemite later in my trip but at the last minute had to swap things around. The timing could not have been better. There had been quite a bit of rain so the colours were vibrant and the waterfalls going strong. I will definitely post photos soon so you can see what it was like. I was staying in the park in what is called a tent cabin. Which is like a canvas covered cabin. They gave me very strict instructions when I arrived about not having any food, liquid or scented toiletries (such as soap) in the cabin but instead to keep them in the allocated bear proof locker outside. I obediently followed their instructions and went to bed happy that I had done my duty. I woke up in the middle of the night (and I should warn you that what follows might upset some nieces...) to hear a distant roar of a bear. This turned to panic when I soon heard it snuffling outside my cabin! Rational Kim stayed asleep during the entire episode while irrational Kim decided that playing dead was the best option. So here I am playing dead in a tent cabin which afforded no obvious defence against a hungry bear. Well the moment (which felt like hours) passed and the next morning I discovered that someone had left some rubbish outside. I disposed of the rubbish and meticulously followed the anti-bear instructions from then on!!
The next day the new and braver Kim (after the bear encounter) ventured out on one of the harder walks to Nevada Falls. This was an 11.3 km walk climbing 570 metres. Thankfully I met some nice americans on the way up who became my walking companions for most of the ascent and descent. It was nice to chat as we walked. One of them visited Yosemite regularly and said that the weather was the best he had seen so that was nice to hear. The following day I took things a little easier. I went on a free photography walk in the morning where I found out what all the features on my camera actually do! I wish I had known about them at the start of the trip but I guess that at least I knew about them to take some good shots at Yosemite and especially before visiting Mirror Lake which I did that afternoon.
Sunday was my very exciting day. After church in the morning I headed off toward Glacier Point which is over 15 kms and a climb of 960 metres. It took me over three hours to get to the top and I was so proud of myself for making it. I did stop quite a bit because it seemed like every step was another photo opportunity but I got there just in time for my turnaround deadline. I had decided in advance that at 2.30 pm I would have to head back because once it gets dark here it really gets dark and I didn't want to meet another bear! Anyway, I made it to the top (photos to come) and after a short rest got down just as the light was fading. It was quite slippery coming down so I am pleased I didn't leave any later. I was so happy I did it. I was almost going to do something else but someone at breakfast said it was THE walk to do because of the fabulous views of Half DOme. Yosemite has probably been the most challenging part of the trip physically but also I have found it to be quite challenging because the place is so awe inspiring that I felt a little overwhelmed at times.
Yosemite is like the natural Manhatten but instead of being surrounded by buildings you are surrounded by these amazing cliff faces that change minute by minute as the light shifts. I will definitely post some photos but they don't really capture the magnificence of the place. It is like the ultimate outdoor cathedral!!
Again, the people here are very friendly so there is always someone to chat to. People think I am English when they meet me. I think my accent has dropped but also alot of Americans can't tell the difference between the accents. When I remember I say G'day instead of hello to avoid the confusion. I stayed overnight in San Francisco on the way to Yosemite and then on the way back on the way to Washington DC. On the way back I went on a free tour of San Francisco that was run by the hostel. It was run by a friendly but somewhat eccentric economics teacher who used the tours as a way to convert people to the Henry George approach to taxation. I guess everyone has their passions and this was obviously his but he meant well. At the start of the tour he said the tour would change our lives. I immediately was worried he would use it to try and convert us to some sort of Californian new age fern religion and started formulating an exit strategy but it turned out to be a fun way of seeing the city and a few of us went out for dinner afterwards. It is late here in Washington so I should go but I will post photos soon and tell you all about Washington DC when I see it in daylight!

Goodbye New York

Hi all,
I should start by saying that I decided not to take the job at NBC (see Sam and Jane's post below). It was awkward saying no to the apartment on the upper west side, the company car and the house in the Hamptons but I don't really think weather is my thing. I think I am more a late night talk show person and there weren't any positions available. It is probably a good thing because I already have my flight booked to go to Yosemite. Seriously though, the NBC tour was lots of fun. We saw a few of the studios and heard about what happens behind the scenes. It was also fun to do it with Sam and Jane as there is no way I would have put my hand up to be a volunteer if I didn't have them on either side of me nudging me forward.
Since my last blog I have visited galleries, more museums, had lots of fun with Sam and Jane and spending time with some new friends I have made here. Some of the highlights...the Metropolitan was incredible, Ellis Island was really interesting and visiting Radio City Hall for both the Christmas Spectacular and the tour was really fun. New York at Christmas would be amazing and I think I will come back for Christmas here one year. Christmas decorations are already up in the stores and they look really beautiful. One thing I have remembered about myself is that I don't enjoy shopping. I went out to Woodbury Common and felt a little like a fish out of water as I was one of the only ones without an empty suitcase to fill and didn't run off the bus. At least I saw some nice scenery on the bus trip! Later that day I went to the Guggenheim and really loved it even though I had to miss a significant chunk of one of the main exhibitions because it was a bit yuck. The building was amazing though and I enjoyed walking through it.
Another highlight has obviously been being here for the election. It was very exciting watching it play out and sending texts to people back in Australia as it happened (maybe that's why my phone bill has been so expensive this month??). The american political system certainly makes for better television as it is simply the first person to get 270 electoral votes and as each state closes their polls and the state is called then however many electoral votes that state has gets allocated. Obama didn't really win the popular vote by a huge margin but it was a landslide because of the states that voted for him. At the JFK museum it said that he one by a very small majority (something like 51%) and the result wasn't even known until the next day but in the next few months 63% of voters claimed to have voted for him. I wonder if this will happen for Obama. He seems very tired by the whole thing so I hope he is able to live up to the expectations. So many people think he is the answer to all their problems.
Enough about the election. What to do on my last day? This was the big question as there is so much I could still do but I didn't want to rush it. I chose to visit the Cloisters which is connected to the Met but is at the northern tip of Manhatten and is devoted to medieval art and sculpture. It was a really lovely thing to do as it was different to being in busy Manhatten and quite beautiful.
I have enjoyed the restaurants here. I went to a great Thai restaurant in Brooklyn with a girl who is staying with the people I am staying with (hi Trinity!!) and tonight I went to a great hamburger place with the people I am staying with (hi Glen and Carole!). I am really sad to leave New York. I have been here now for 12 days and it has been so much fun. Bye New York!!

What Kim Is Really Doing.....

HI Everyone, Firstly let us introduce ourselves! Our name's are Sam & Jane, we are from Melbourne as well and followed Kim to New York in an effort to dispel rumours we had heard from a number of sources that Kim had been seen entering and exiting the NBC studios in the Rockefeller Plaza in full disguise. It is our job to inform you that these reports were indeed true.

As her friends , we really thought that you as her friends back home, should check out the latest weather girl auditions for NBC which were held yesterday. We have made every effort to send you this news as soon as possible !!

A great catch up in New York Kim- lots of laughs, lots of fun!

See you back in Melbourne, love S & J xx

Stars and stripes fever

New York is my town. I know you might have heard people say it is their town well I have to say this is not true - it is my town. After seeing Kath in Boston and hearing of her disappointment in New York I tried desperately hard to manage my expectations. As I caught the train down from Boston this was very hard because even the train trip was sensational. This is the best time of the year to visit New England. New England in the fall is incredible. I arrived in New York to see from the train a stunning sunset behind the Manhatten skyline and then to come out of Penn station into Manhatten was fabulous. The energy of the city is fun and the people are friendly. Thanks to some great instructions I made it to the home of my new friends in Roosevelt Island all set for my first day in the Big Apple the following day.
New York is an art deco fun park and I certainly had fun. I spent the first day walking and walking. First I went to Central Park and after a breakfast of a bagel and coffee in the park (I got such a kick out of doing this!!) I wandered around and then made my way into midtown Manhatten. So far, apart from admiring the architecture, I have visited Ground Zero (I was completely unprepared for how upsetting this would be and ended up joining the many others in openly crying as we walked around the tribute area), Ellis Island, Times Square and many other places. They are expecting some light showers over the next few days so I have saved these for gallery days which will be such a treat. I am especially looking forward to visiting the Metropolitan.
I have already met some lovely people (aside from the fabulous people I am staying with) and even met a really nice girl who I am going to have lunch with tomorrow combined with a shopping adventure. The clothes here are cheap and good quality. I have already bought a few things that I have posted home.
Now I should comment on the election. There are tables all around New York with Obama badges and hats with the odd trinket displaying McCain's name. It is a very blue city and unashamedly so. I have found it interesting talking to people here about the election and I think we have had a very select view of the election in Australia. I know it is hard to believe that the media could be biased but there you have it. I think an Obama victory has been predicted but it is certainly lots of fun to be here and watch the coverage.
It is always nice to see friends from home and I am looking forward to seeing Sam and Jane later in the week. We are hoping to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Hall. I know it is a little early for Christmas things but I think New York will do it better than anywhere else so it will be worth it.
I know this blog has been way too long but I love this city and wanted to share it!
See you all soon!
Kim

Start spreading the news...

...I'm leaving today. I want to be a part of it New York New York!!

I leave for New York today and I am very excited. Boston has been fabulous. I went to the JFK Museum yesterday and have decided to vote for him at the next election. They were screening some of his speeches and they were brilliant!! This was a definite highlight of the trip followed by visiting Harvard (which I have decided to attend for a semester...is that hard to do?) and dinner at the Cheers restaurant which was a burger and Sam Adams beer followed by pecan pie. Anyway, I should go because I have a limited time frame to sing New York New York before I actually leave on the train or get arrested (hopefully it is the former). I'll write more from New York!

Hello America - well the east coast

I have finally arrived in America! It took me long enough - two delayed flights - but finally I am here and really enjoying it. I spent the first few days in a lovely town Fairhaven which is south of Boston and the home of my cousin and her husband (Hi Mike and Jenny!) and it was idyllic. Fall in New England is impossible to describe but as I have no photos to post I will have to try. The colours are amazing. The trees are different shades of red, yellow and gold with a few splashes of green to remind you of what they normally look like. I took advantage of being down south to visit Martha's Vineyard. This is an island where anyone who is anyone has a house for the summer. It is not summer so the celebrities weren't there and neither were the crowds. This was a good thing but many shops shut for the winter as well so it was hard to find things that were open. It is good I was only there for the day but it was really nice to explore.
I am now in Boston for a few days and it is a great city. I went on the Freedom Trail which is a red line around the city (this is serious!!) that takes the walker to key historical sights. I opted for having a tour guide rather than self guided and it was worth it but I ended up spending most of the day following this red line. I didn't know much of the history of the War of Independence and so it was a great introduction to the city. I also went to the Science Museum which is aimed at children but was heaps of fun. I am only here for a few more days before I leave for New York. America is great. The people here are very friendly and they like Australians so once they here me talk they are always so helpful. The accent is very strange to get used to. Boston is 'Bawston' and coffee is 'cawfee' it is quite distinctive but nice.
Tomorrow I hope to see both the Museum of Modern Art and the Isabella Gardner Gallery before going to Harvard...too much? Hopefully not because I still want to see the JFK Library! So much to see and so little time!
I should say something about the election. In Europe there was barely any news about the election but for obvious reasons it is everywhere here. Almost every t.v. station has some sort of coverage of the issues or speeches and there are signs everywhere telling people to vote. It is hard to not get caught up in the whole thing and I might find that I visit a polling booth on election day and vote just for fun...or is that not allowed?

A quick update before I leave for America...

I know I have only updated my blog to tell you more about Jordan but before I go I want to tell you about my little side trip up north. I decided to delay my flight to the US again because everyone on the Jordan tour said that London is not England and I must do some more exploring. Being the very obedient person that I am I changed my flight and headed up to Sheffield to visit Liz who I met on the tour. On the first day I visited York and it was definitely worth the visit. The Minster (main church) was really nice. I think this gothic design is my favourite and I spent quite a while wandering around and even went on a free guided tour. The next day I decided to stay away from towns and visited Chatsworth House. This is a very famous house which is still in the family who lived there when Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner there. The gardens (photo below) were stunning and there were lots of modern sculptures dotted around including a giant white baby. In a strange way the sculpture actually worked quite well and it was fun to explore. The next day was Saturday so Liz (photo below!) and I went for a really long walk around Derbyshire. The weather was sunny but cold and windy. When we got to the top of Mam Tor it felt like we could get blown off but the views were great and the walking kept us warm. The walk was a little longer than expected because of bad signposting (I like to think it wasn't our map reading ability or lack of!) but it didn't matter and we rewarded ourselves by having a delicious meal in a pub nearby.

There are so many photos I am not including in this blog and I would love to publish more but I am trying to restrain myself. The countryside in England is really beautiful and seeing it in Autumn is such a treat. I have been very fortunate with the weather which has made it easy to explore. I really only got one properly wet London day yesterday. Nic and I got absolutely sodden walking around London but it didn't matter that much and I was in a warm theatre that night so it wasn't too bad. I am not sure if I have told you much about the theatre here but it is fabulous. I better go - I have to leave before 6.00 tomorrow to catch my flight! I'll write from America!