Tag: #airbnb

United Kingdom

I left Sydney with some apprehension. The Russian war on Ukraine is worrying and the East coast of Australia is being ravaged by floods. I am a volunteer for the Red Cross Emergency Services and had received requests to assist in evacuation centres or in the Public Information Centre and felt guilty I was going away on a “holiday” while people are suffering. I don’t think my travel insurance will cover my guilt though. So with a couple of farewell dinners with the too much Sambucca I kissed my family and dear friends goodbye for 6 months.

My Singapore Airlines flight included a 2.5 hour stopover in Changi. The 8 hour flight was comfortable. After a 14 hour second flight, I arrived in London on 2 March 2022 for the first time. Had a giggle when propositioned by an airport worker who thought I was an American. Getting through border control was quite easy although it took 40 minutes. I was expecting Covid to have made it difficult but completing the passenger locator form before flying made the process of entering the UK very efficient.

To get to my airbnb at Watford, I had the choice to take an Uber or start my adventure testing my skills with the public transport system. Adventure won and I walked to Heathrow Central to get the 724 bus to Watford Junction at a cost of £12. Unfortunately my UK SIM card did not yet work and I didn’t have any wifi to get an Uber from Watford Juntion to the airbnb so I took a cab for £9. I did pretty alright. An Uber from Heathrow to Watford would have cost £67 and although 20 minutes longer, the bus and taxi trip saved me £46 or $AUD92. I think I will be ok with UK public transport.

Airbnb – my home for the first 7 days to get my bearings

I chose this place in Watford as it was well priced, had a separate granny flat with a garden in case I got Covid I didn’t want to be stuck in a hotel room in London with no window. Watford is known for Elton John purchasing their football team many years ago and the Harry Potter Studio which I am going to tomorrow.

Easter Road Trip Mildura

25 April 2019

It is ANZAC Day today, giving thanks to Australian and New Zealand men and women who fought to keep our country safe and free.

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Today is also my late father’s birthday and he would have been 85 today. Happy birthday Dad.

Leaving Broken Hill, I heard about the Bra Tree and was not really sure what I would find.  It is a colourful memorial in honour of Maree Kester, a teacher and motorcycle enthusiast from Broken Hill who died from breast cancer in 2010. It was her wish for people to leave colourful bras on the tree. Typical of an Aussie to use humour in memory of all women lost to cancer.

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The 3 hour drive south east of Broken Hill, through the red earth, the landscape changed colour.

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What a refreshing surprise when I arrived at Wentworth and the Murrumbidgee River.

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And then I arrived at Mildura.  I knew the name and that it was near the border of NSW and Victoria but had no idea of the beauty of this place.

I booked a room through Airbnb on the Coonawarra Paddleboat. The rooms are small but the location is breathtaking.

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This place feels so good I am getting emotional. Watching pelicans take off and land on the water. Birds skimming the top of the water. I am trying to see fish jump out of the water but  always looking in the wrong spot, and only see the ripple left behind, the ducks paddling and swans gliding up and down the river, listening to the kookaburras, waving to the people going by on their tinnie or houseboat. I’ve enjoyed many moments on my road trip but sitting on a paddleboat on the Murray River I feel I could stay here forever.

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Why didn’t I know about Mildura!! I almost didn’t drive down this way! What a pretty oasis. It is known as the Mediterranean in the Outback. One minute I am in red earth remote, historical Broken Hill on the border of NSW and South Australia, then 3 hours down the road on the border of NSW and Victoria is this gem. This place is my Wow spot for this road trip. I had to drag myself away from the paddleboat on the Murray River to go and get some dinner. It is a short walk to the lively restaurants and bars but then the river is so peaceful you feel you cross into another world. It is a 10 hour drive to Sydney and I would stay here for a week but have a job commitment. I highly recommend this place. Put it on your must visit list.

 

 

Weaverville North Carolina

This “village” outside Asheville warrants a separate posting for their culinary offers. All three (3) eateries I had the pleasure to eat at, had some of the best food I have eaten. Who would have thought walking into the Well Bred Bakery & Cafe to find delights reminiscent of what you would enjoy in a cafe in Leura or Surry Hills. It was mouth watering trying to choose between the cakes, breads and quiches.

The Glass Onion is an Italian restaurant and I had the Zuppa della Nonna. A minestrone type soup with italian meat balls and chicken. I loved it so much I bought an order to takeaway (to go) for dinner the next night. I also bought a side of mash with bacon and their home made garlic bread rolls drowned in olive oil and garlic. Delicious!!

Then the Creperie Cafe I had the Carolina crepe with cream cheese, strawberries and blueberries. Just the perfect balance of sweet.

It is so difficult to find decent food which isn’t fried and slathered with cheddar cheese, that these three (3) eateries in one village, I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone.

I understand that there are other great restaurants in Weaverville but I did not have the time to enjoy them.

Weaverville has given me hope that I will find more decent food during my travels. Perhaps the secret is going to the smaller towns as I have been doing this trip.

Tallahassee Florida

6 April 2018

With sadness I left Santa Rosa Beach. I enjoyed my decadent week of relaxation in a very pretty upper middle class “predominantly white” holiday area similar (but not really) to the Australian Gold Coast. Here there are mile after mile of mansions mainly used as weekenders, and as I was here during Spring break it felt like all of America’s school age people were here spread across Panama City to Gulf Shores riding their bicycles or driving around in their golf buggies. Most of the people who come to this part of the world are from Tennessee and Georgia. Although the area I stayed in has a private beach so I did not venture outside the gated community often.

Orlando was meant to take me six (6) hours to drive but I allowed two (2) hours for stops to explore. It actually took me 12 hours because I was having so much fun exploring and then was stuck in traffic when a truck burst into flames in the forest on the roadside of the South 10. I was impressed with how quickly all the emergency services responded and put out the fire before all the forest caught alight. NSW could look into their methods particularly when there is an accident on the M1.

I have decided that when I move on to my next stop I have to remind myself to enjoy the journey, explore and not rush straight to the final destination.

Today I had a day of football, witches and fairies.

First stop was exploring Tallahassee, the capital of Florida. From what I saw it is predominantly a university town and has the beautiful and huge Florida State university(FSU).

I was curious to visit the Sod Cemetery at FSU. University football teams have a quirky tradition when they win a big match at the opposing team’s home ground. If the visitors win they take a piece of the playing field (sod) and bury it in their “Sod Cemetery” complete with headstones.

I also took a photo of their walk of fame and entrance of the university football exhibition

A magical stop was at Lichgate on High Road. The house was built by a FSU Professor Laura Jepson. The magical part of the property is the labyrinth she built near the majestic tree which reminded me of the tree in Avatar.

I met 3 beautiful women including identical twins Len and Leslie The twins were born with osteogenesis imperfecta and are 2 of the most inspiring and fun people I have met. I could have stayed in this magical fairyland with these women for hours but I needed to move on. Thank you ladies for reminding me there is no such thing as coincidence.

Next I went to the Tallahassee Old Cemetery to visit the gravesite of a white witch Elizabeth Budd-Graham.

The 9/11 Whale sculptures are a memorial built by Bruce Brinson and his friends. The whales are named Glory, Hope, Faith and Grace.

Santa Rosa Beach Florida

29 March 2018

Having driven across seven (7) southern USA states and 6000 kms (3900 miles) with rain, wind, cold and snow I am rewarding myself with a few days rest in this affluent beach holiday area. Currently it is spring break so there are lots of young people and families. This is a popular holiday area for Tennessee people.

The landscape and culture has changed so much from California with a large Hispanic Mexican influence, Arizona and Texas with cowboys, Mississippi predominantly negro and across to this part of Florida which is beautiful but feels noticeably “white”.

Majestic beachside mansions and the beaches have the whitest sand, which I concede this Florida beach is comparable to ours in Australia.

I am staying in the house of my friend, Paul from Nashville. He is off working around the USA and I have the pleasure of the company of his friends Walt and Lisa together with their teenage daughters.

Anna Caroline showed me this quirky spot Big Jack’s Gator Park

The bridges in Florida are quite different. They have very low walls I expect so you can see the view. I get the feeling that if a wave comes up you will get washed over into the Gulf or marsh.

Bridge from Alabama to Florida

This area is one of the first where many people use bicycles instead off motor vehicles. There are bicycle lanes and the beach has a boardwalk to conveniently leave your pedal transportation.

The beaches and lagoons in this area are very beautiful with their white sand.

I visited Grayton Beach which has a turtle colony but I was not fortunate to witness any turtles.

Natchez Mississippi

27 March 2018

My last night’s sunset in Vicksburg needs no words.

Leaving Vicksburg I found these lovely antebellum ladies.

Stopped in Port Gibson Claiborne County which was where negroes boycotted the businesses in town to fight for their rights to work as police, be included on school boards and basically to be treated as equals. It took 11 years of boycotting and fighting to the supreme court. Port Gibson boycott

I drove out to the Windsor Ruins which are all that is left of a grand mansion which was used by Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War. Mark Twain also wrote about the building which was on a 2600 acre plantation. Now all is left are these amazing columns.

This place is a long way from phone and people and I did not realise I lost my GPS and again I forgot to download the offline map. I was a little concerned as down the road there were signs (such as our road signs to watch out for kangaroos) for bears.

While I was trying to work out if I should just go back the way I came, a family arrived. My saviours. What a lovely family!! Not only did they show me the way, I joined them on their adventure. Melanie, Shelby and their daughters Vaden and Cassidy told me about the Old General Store a few miles down the road and recommended a stop.

While there I asked a man in uniform if I could get a picture and then there were four!! They are Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Park Law Enforcers. Check the weapons they have including tasers. Not sure the Aussie Park rangers have any of this equipment although we don’t have bears.

I later learned that these law enforcers (Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks) deal with moonshiners and illegal drug cultivators as well as hunters. I forget the breadth of gun usage in this country and so the law enforcers need to be armed accordingly.

Then on to the Frog Farmwith quirky frog sculpture art.

Melanie invited me to her mother’s farm just outside of Natchez and I could not refuse some Southern hospitality. Melanie’s mum, Trudy provided a very local lunch of chicken, green chilli jelly and cornbread. Delicious.

And Vaden gave me a cookie she decorated.

Trudy was so welcoming I was sorry I had to leave. I will hold you to that open invitation Trudy.

See you again lovely people.

I eventually arrived in Natchez four hours later than scheduled.

Natchez has many more antebellums (homes from before the civil war) than Vicksburg as they did not lose any in the Civil War.

And a couple of quirky places.

Mammy’s Cupboard

Vicksburg Mississippi

26 March 2018

Visited the Vicksburg National Military Park. Difficult to imagine that this pretty serene parkland was an historical battle site between the Union and the Confederates. The battle in this small town was the turning point of the civil war.

The Coca Cola Museum, with the original soda fountain, is where this famous drink was first bottled.

Downtown Vicksburg Mississippi

25 March 2018

I had been told Vicksburg is a must to visit on my previous trip to the USA but did not get the opportunity until today. I got more than I hoped for. Driving across this beautiful bridge my phone pinged with “welcome to Mississippi”.

OMG I am in another state I have not yet visited and I am driving across the Mississippi River. “m i double s i double s i double p i” was a skipping chant we played at school!! At that time I never imagined I would be saying that driving over the river itself!

I am staying Downtown Vicksburg and I could sit at the river and walk around the pretty but hilly streets with so much history for hours.

Greenacres… no wait. Wrong town. Vicksburg is the place to be.

Stunning sunset over the Mississippi River.

Tomorrow the Vicksburg National Military Park, Coca Cola Museum and a plantation house.

Shreveport Louisiana

24 March 2018

Left Fort Worth to Dallas, stopping off at the JFK Tribute not far from where President Kennedy was assasinated and where he made his last speech.

Then on to Dallas to swap my hire car. My first car from San Diego, a black Toyota Corolla LE, required a service, so I swapped this for a red Toyota Corolla with North Carolina plates at Dallas airport.

Booked into my cheap hotel the Shreveport Country Inn, had a nap and then off to the Eldorado Casino and Resort Celebrity Lounge for a Saturday night of dancing. Great covers band Live 5. Had fun with Katherine and Alicia who are locals. Thank you for your company ladies.

Leaving Texas I would like to make a statement about some observations. They have the biggest USA flags I have ever seen, the most aggressive drivers so far, the biggest hats (stetsons), the most complex road system, the biggest sporting and dance venues, the population is around 28 million and they have 9 million AR15s. There is no register for AR15 purchases. It is unknown how many AR15s are in the USA. It is estimated 1.3million AR15s are sold each year in the USA. Some states allow an 18 year old to buy an AR15 but prohibited from buying a handgun and alcohol. These are just some sobering facts.

In Fort Worth I got a small glimpse of the “March for Our Lives” protests held by students against the NRA gun control and calls for changes to the gun laws specifically to reduce gun violence, especially in schools. I have my thoughts but the Australian comedian.Jim Jeffries articulates with humour.