Author: odohertyelaine

It’s time for our group holiday and this time we’ve picked Thailand. I’ve been to Bangkok a few times but haven’t explored elsewhere in Thailand so I’m very excited for this trip… also I’m en route to Sydney so that’s always something to look forward to!

I arrive in the afternoon after flying on Emirates through Dubai and I’ve a few hours to hang around until the gang get here. They arrive on time so we find our pick-up and we’re off…

We’re staying for one night at Riva Surya hotel which is on the river and it’s really nice. The rooms are gorgeous. We sit outside and have a cocktail and a small bite to eat before calling it a night.

There was talk of a swim early next morning so off I go… but no one turns up! Still the swim was gorgeous and after breakfast we set off to explore.

We walk though the university and see a giant lizard rambling around outside one of the buildings – that was unexpected!

The Wilsons haven’t been here before and our intention is to visit the palace but we’ve just found out that the King’s mother died on Friday and the palace is closed. Bad luck… we still walk down to take in the surrounding area.

We walk to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, and get a great view of it from across the river. It’s a bit cloudy so not as colourful as it generally appears but it is beautiful to see.

From here we take the ferry along the river to our hotel. It’s a busy river with lots of long boats ferrying people around and tugboats dragging huge loads of cargo.

Back at the hotel after a swim to cool down, we have foot massages, which are heavenly (well some of us think so!). Then it’s time to organise ourselves and head to the airport for the hour flight to Chang Rai.

We have an easy pick up at the small Chang Rai airport and get dropped at our Airbnb which is a lovely 4-bedroom house. We chose our rooms (all of which are lovely) and head out to the night market for some food.

There are lots of food stalls and a lot of choice. Shane finds Khao Soi, the signature dish of Northern Thailand which consists of egg noodles with chicken in a creamy coconut soup, topped with crispy noodles, with shallots, lime, and pickles on the side. It’s really good. We also have pad Thai, noodles with pork, roti and morning glory (which is a green veg). Washed down with a Singha beer, we have a look around the market.

We go to a craft beer bar (surprise surprise!) and there’s some live music which we are loving. Hard to tell if the singer is singing in English or Thai but we think he’s doing his own tracks. Our favourite is clearly the break out hit from his album – “Shine time”!!

Next day after finding some coffee (a lemon green iced tea for me!), we take a taxi to see the famous White Temple. It’s famous but it’s a total tourist trap – feels like a Disney Temple!

One of the highlights of the White temple complex are the golden toilets!! Yep the photo below is of the toilet block!!

Built in 1997, the temple sparkles and has intricate carvings at every turn. On the inside it’s full of colour, just like a regular Buddhist temple (no photos allowed inside). Obligatory photos taken, it’s time to move on.

Our grab driver waits for us and is keen to take us to the Long Neck Karen village, where the ladies where the gold to elongate their necks…. We decide not to do that! Apparently it was dying out until they realised they could make money from tourists and it’s become a thing again… 🥲. So instead of that we head for Rong Suea Ten Temple aka the Blue temple.

This is another contemporary Buddhist temple which commenced building in 2005. It’s beautiful and very interesting to walk around the complex but again doesn’t have an authentic feel about it. We’re encouraged to get a photo with the Buddha… unusual but happy to oblige.

We get dropped back to town and go to a local restaurant for lunch. The food is delicious. I have Chinese kale and pork belly and Shane has array of deliciousness too!

We want to visit an old temple and just around the corner is WAT JEDYOD built in 1844

I do love all the lanterns…

We continue walking along the main road and pass the Clock tower – which looks much better at nighttime.

A stop for a wee beverage before heading back to the house for a rest and freshen up before dinner. Dinner is a host of more Thai dishes – I chose dumplings in chilli oil this time and then a cider at SmoBeer before calling it a night.

Tomorrow we leave for the jungle…

My two friends are coming to Ireland from California and we are embarking on a road trip around the south of Ireland. Before we set off on our road trip, we take a visit to the passage graves, giving the girls a taste of Irelands Ancient East.

After a visit to meet the mama in Coolock, we head for a local dinner at the Cock Tavern. The ladies are jet lagged but thanks to my sister Linda and buddy Miriam, they’re kept awake while I sneak off to choir practice!

Next morning we set off on our journey south and drive through the hills of Wicklow. We have a short pitstop at Johnnie Fox’s as Suzanne has memories of being here years ago with her friend. It’s a great spot in fairness, but a bit early for a drink!

Another quick stop in Enniskerry, the picturesque village where they filmed the movie “Enchanted”, for a tea and coffee and then we are back on the road to Wexford. We won’t make it to Guinness in Dublin so this was a good photo opportunity.

We drive to Kilmore Quay and have a delicious fish lunch at Mary Barry’s before heading further south, through Templetown, which was the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Wexford.

The Knights Templar were founded by the Crusaders in Jerusalem, early in the tenth century. In 1172, King Henry II granted extensive lands to the templars along the eastern shore of Waterford Harbour. They set up their headquarters at Templetown, which is named after them. The Templars were disbanded in 1307 and their lands were given to their great rivals, the Knights Hospitallers, who built the fortified church below.

We continue to Hook Lighthouse, the world’s oldest working lighthouse established from a beacon in the 6th century to a grand tower built by the ‘greatest knight that ever lived’ William Marshall!

We are convinced to do the tour by the very chatty and friendly guide. From the viewing area attached to the tower the views out to sea are beautiful.

When we go outside, the wind gets quite a hold of us … and apparently today isn’t that windy at all!!

As we leave Wexford we find a stall and Suzanne chooses some local strawberries which really are delicious.

We drive to Ballyhack and take the ferry to Passage East where we are greeted by a goat on a wall!

After another scenic drive, we arrive to Tramore and my home away from home. It’s been a jam packed day so we decide to stay in for the evening. Dot cooks us a beautiful steak and we continue our chats over some very nice red wine.

Next morning I show the ladies all Tramore has to offer, starting with the beach.

The sun is out but as we get up the prom there’s a shower of rain so we play a few games at the slots!! (They’re getting the full experience!!)

We continue to the Doneraile walk and although it’s a bit breezy, it’s fine and sunny.

We continue to the top of the hill and explore the village.

We really want fish and chips for lunch so head to Dooleys up the hill but it starts raining just as we are going to eat them outside… so Dot sweet talks the barman in Raglan road and he surprisingly lets us eat our Dooleys in the lounge… of course we have to have a pint!

In the afternoon we visit Gaulstown Dolmen, a regular on my tour!!

For those of you who I’ve brought here, you’ll know that you park in someone’s driveway to access the woods where the dolmen resides. Well when we park, another car pulls in behind us and a man in wellies follows us towards the Dolmen – we reckon he’s either a murderer or a farmer!! It’s the later and he tells us if we want to see his herd of Scottish Highland cows, he’ll be running them down the field behind the dolmen. We do wait and it’s amazing to see them up so close and coming toward us. They are magnificent.

That evening we go to O’Neills for dinner and catch some traditional Irish music in the bar afterwards.

Next morning we set off to drive the Copper Coast. We’re so lucky with the weather and have beautiful views all along the coastline.

We continue to Youghal and check out the seaside Medieval town, where Moby Dick was filmed. An Irish scone with our mid morning tea and we are off again.

Next stop is Cobh and a visit to the Heritage centre which gives us not just a “Titanic Experience” but the “Queenstown Story”. [Cobh used to be called Queenstown] It’s a really interesting museum with lots of info about emigration from Ireland.

Cobh was the final port of call for the Titanic. 123 passengers boarded the ship and among the few who disembarked, a young Jesuit priest, Fr.Francis Browne. He was ordered by his superior to leave the ship in Cobh, and his famous photographs of the ship taken during its final leg of the journey became internationally recognized after the disaster.

The town of Cobh has lots of history and is very picturesque. We walk up the hill for the iconic view of the coloured houses and it doesn’t disappoint.

There’s plenty of interesting things to see in Cobh including St Colmans Cathedral. The cathedral’s steeple is 91.4 metres tall (300 ft), making it the tallest church in Ireland.

And our amazing runner and Olympian, Sonia O’Sullivan is from here! Woo hoo!

We see the memorial to the British passenger ship, the Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland in 1915. Cobh was the closest major port and was the first to receive survivors and victims. 169 of the victims were buried in the Old Church graveyard which we visit on our way out of town.

We drive to Blarney which is less than an hour away and after a bit of shopping at the Woolen Mills (sure you’d have to), check into our very nice guesthouse which is a two bedroom apartment annexed to a house. We have dinner in town at the Muskerry Arms which is delightful and very popular.

Next morning I drop the ladies to Blarney Castle so they can do the obligatory kissing of the stone and visit the gardens while I tick a Cork Parkrun off my list! So while I’m doing this…

They’re doing this…

Onwards to Kinsale and a fabulous fish lunch at Jim Edwards. It’s sunny when we arrive and we sit outside but it’s pretty clear we’re going to have to move inside to eat as there’s definitely a shower coming! We make it inside in time and the food is fabulous.

We love Kinsale and enjoy a walk around town seeing the colourful houses, shops and so many restaurants.

From Kinsale we head west toward Clonakilty and get a bonus stop at Ballinspittle, home of the infamous “moving statue” of Our Lady, which was quite the story in the 80’s!

We have a short pitstop in the gorgeous town of Clonakilty to visit my gorgeous friend Margaret. A quick chat and a ramble around Michael Collins territory and we’re back on the road to our next destination – Schull. We are staying at the Schull Harbour Hotel which has a direct view across to the harbour.

It’s Saturday night and we have a reservation at Blairscove House. This is quite a big deal as you have to book some months in advance and it has a five star reputation. It’s about a twenty minute drive and we book a local taxi woman so I’m clear for some beverages!!

We arrive early and walk around the very pretty grounds and then have a fabulous meal in what was once the barn of the Manor House, but is now an amazing high ceilinged dining room. The array of starters and deserts are fantastic (you get to choose as many as you like from a very high end buffet) and the cocktails and wine are also delicious.

Next morning it’s raining and unfortunately the hike that I had really wanted to do to Three Castle Head is not on the cards. We have breakfast at the hotel and then take a walk through town … which takes all of about 5 minutes!! Suzanne has spotted something we’re gonna try later – Hacketts local pub apparently have a gin!

The rain has eased so we get our raincoats and head off to explore the Mizen peninsula. A few kms out the road, we explore Altar Wedge Tomb, a 4,000 year old tomb, located at Toormore Bay.

The rocky scenery and coastline is rugged around here and the windy weather is invigorating.

We continue to Mizen Head, the most southwesterly point of Ireland, where we walk the Mizen Head footbridge which was built in 1909.

It’s very windy and the rain has come back but we enjoy the views.

We battle on to get to the Signal Station at lands end. The station was also built in 1909 to help prevent the loss of life and shipping on the rocks.

There’s a museum at the station and we learn lots about this area and about Fastnett lighthouse but to be honest the highlight is the scenery….

… and the views of the bridge.

We continue to explore the peninsula and see the beautiful Barley cove beach.

We are constantly looking out to the ocean in the hope that the clouds will clear and we’ll get a view of the lighthouse and low and behold, at Galley cove we manage to catch a glimpse – Fastnett!

We drive around Goleen (home to Sophie Toscan du Plantier who was murdered here in the 80’s – if you know, you know) and to Crookhaven.

Back at Schull we head to Hacketts and try the gin (although I have a pint) and the bartender tells us how it was created by her mam. There’s live music by an American and he’s really good.

From Hacketts we head for dinner to The New Haven which serves really good food for this tiny town. Afterwards we head for one more at O’Regans and have an interesting chat with the barman.

We really enjoyed our couple of nights in Schull and we are off again – our next stop is Kenmare. It’s raining as we park up the car so we try to stay indoors – that means shopping and also a visit to the Cathedral.

As we leave Kenmare and drive through Molls Gap, which is part of the Ring of Kerry, the scenery is stunning.

We find a couple of viewing points and are able to pull over and enjoy the rural surroundings.

We arrive to Killarney National Park and stop for lunch at Muckross Park Hotel. Across the road is Muckross Abbey which is a 15th century Franciscan friary. Despite being in ruins, it is well-preserved and features a church with a square tower, a cloister, and a central courtyard with an ancient yew tree.

It’s an hour and a half to where we’re staying tonight so we get on the road and head for the Dingle peninsula. We pass through Dingle town and head further west to Ballyferriter. The scenery around Dingle bay and Slea head is stunning although we can’t really stop for a photo. We’re staying at a beautiful family run hotel called Ceann Sibeal.

We go for a walk to explore this tiny village. Again the views all around are stunning. Some Star Wars movie was filmed out here and you can see why…

We hit one of the local pubs (just across the road) for dinner.

… and a drinky-poos!!

Next morning we continue the Slea head drive to Dunquin pier.

It’s stunning. I’ve wanted to walk this pier for years and finally I’m here.

We continue to the Blasket centre where there are great views out to the Blasket islands and a great bookshop where we solve a mystery! This man is everywhere but I didn’t know who he was and low and behold his book is beside Peig Sayers (my Irish friends know very well who that is!) – a local man turned explorer of the Antarctic. I’ll have a copy of that please!

We are delighted with our Slea Head visit and decide to head into Dingle town. I insist the girls meet Fungi!

We have a walk around and visit a number of the famous pubs and do some shopping.

Avoiding some rain showers, it’s time for an Irish coffee (decaf if you please!)

Tonight we eat at the hotel and the food is fantastic. I have this amazing prawn laksa curry. Some of us may have had some Hacketts gin in our very comfy family room and the wine in the bar is delicious, so everyone is happy!

Next morning it’s time to pack up and start making our way toward home. We travel through Tralee and stop to visit Blennerville Windmill which is an 18th century working windmill. We do the tour and learn all about how flour was milled and as a bonus there’s a model railway section! We chat to the guide who turns out to be from Kilmore West – small world!

We’re now heading east toward Tipperary and to the Rock of Cashel. It is a beautiful sunny day and it looks amazing. The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster as early as the 4th century and prior to the Norman invasion. The girls do the tour while I catch up on some messages and chat to some tourists (as you do!).

We’re spending our last night of the trip in Kilkenny so we continue east to the Newpark Hotel. Once we’re settled in and have a final gin and tonic, we head into town. First stop, the castle.

We really want to enjoy our final meal and Butcher restaurant has been recommended for a good steak. We’re lucky enough to get a table and we start with a cocktail which goes down very well. We each order a different cut of steak and everything is delicious, especially when it’s paired with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. What an amazing meal!

Happily fed, we hit a few pubs and check out the live music scene! We start with Kytelers, set in a medieval building, traditionally associated with the Kyteler family and Dame Alice Kyteler who was allegedly a witch! Parts of the building date to the 14th and 15th century!!

I had also brought Dots daughter and son-in-law here when they came to Ireland a number of years ago as part of their honeymoon. We like this spot!

The place is buzzing when we arrive inside and we manage to get stools at the bar so we can watch the band, which consists of three men plus a lady on the fiddle playing traditional music. They’re really good.

There’s a group of ladies having a great time at the end of the bar – one in particular has clearly been on the sauce for the evening and when I attempt a few Irish dancing steps for my friends she makes a beeline for me to join in the craic. Madhead!!!

We hit a couple more bars and in both pubs catch the last few songs before it’s all over. What a great night and we would have stayed out longer if we could!!! 🤣

The view from our hotel room next morning entices me to check out Jurassic Newpark!

So while the girls go here and do the tour of the castle…

I run around the park and see some dinosaurs! I love it!!

We get on the road and head toward home. I’ve driven this route so many times and every time I see the sign for the Quaker village in Ballitore I think I should visit.. well today’s the day. We are all intrigued so we park in the tiny village and make our way to the library where we hear all about the Quaker’s who settled here in Co. Kildare.

We finish our road trip with a drive through the Curragh and then we’re back in Swords for our final night before the ladies fly off tomorrow. What a great trip!

Samoa is an independent island state in the South Pacific. It’s less than 5 hours flight from Brisbane which is where Shane and I fly to from Sydney on a “cold winters day” (not really!!) in July. We are flying to Apia, the capital of Samoa on the island of Upolu (one of 2 main islands). It’s a night flight and we arrive just after 6am.

We are meeting up with our pals to cycle around the whole island and today there are no formal arrangements so once we’ve been picked up, we get a day pass for Le Vasa Resort and relax there until we can check into our hotel for tonight.

There’s a bit of rain so we find some cover in a fale by the ocean and have a little snooze. A fale is the traditional home of the Samoan people. There are beach fales, like the one below, all over the island and larger versions which the locals live in.

The gang arrive at lunchtime and the holiday begins!

We are staying at Salty Lodge, in the village of Mulifanua and there is some beautiful water across the road.

We enjoy the sunset with a drink whilst avoiding any falling coconuts!

Tonight we eat at the Salty lodge and it’s pretty basic. We do get a huge giggle when James thinks he ordered what Rich did so takes a curry and leaves Rich waiting for a fairly long time (we are all practically finished our meals) for what we thought would be another curry but ends up being a burger. We couldn’t figure out why the cook took so long to serve another bowl of curry… hilarious!!

Next day is the first official day of our cycling trip. We start with a welcome meeting, get our bikes and cycle to the centre of the village…. which is essentially a large house!

Let’s do this!

Lulu, our guide, gives us all sorts of information about island life and we have a particular fascination with the Women’s Committee. She tells us that all mothers in the village are eligible to join a women’s committee which meets monthly and also carries out inspections such as checking women’s bed linen and cutlery!! You can be fined if you’re not meeting the standards set! The women’s committee are behind the beautiful flowers and displays along the roads – very impressive. There’s also a men’s committee but we’re way more interested in the women’s!

We get a demonstration of how they make coconut cream, how they take the cocoa beans and make a chocolate drink and they show us around their farm.

We cycle back and then walk across the road and go for our first dip in the South Pacific Ocean.

We cycle 4.5kms to the Sheraton resort and have a fancy (ie expensive) lunch. It’s a pleasant temperature in the evening and after our late lunch we happily relax and chat over some snacks (we love the local “bongos”) and a few drinks.

Next morning we have an 8am breakfast which consists of fruit (delicious papaya), toast, eggs and pancakes. All packed up, it’s time to explore this island. We cycle a ridiculously pretty road lined with fales.

The island is very religious, apparently there are six separate religions, mostly Christian and there are so many beautiful churches.

The support van meets us at the bottom of a huge hill which most people don’t attempt to cycle as it’s really steep. There’s a beautiful church at the base of the hill and it’s defo too steep for me to attempt – it’s not just this bit behind the church, it goes up and up for a couple of kms.

I decide to walk up it as it really is a killer incline. I decline my bike at the top as I’m terrified to free wheel down a steep hill and decide to run down it… the guide thinks I’m mad but it’s gorgeous and I love it.

Back on the bike we pass more beautiful homes, churches, ocean scenery and this local bus.

We continue cycling southwest to our accommodation for tonight at Falaese’ela. It’s called Lalotalie ECAT Adventure and it’s set in a lush garden along the Liua le Vai o Sina River.

This is a very traditional fale on a family home, open to just us as guests for the night. Quite the distinct open bedrooms!!! A fale (pronounced fah-leh) is the Samoan word for a traditional oval shaped house with a thatched roof, supported by wooden posts.

We have lunch with the host (he whipped up some egg and tuna sambos) and he chats to us about all sorts of topics regarding island life. At one point we hear a loud bang and realise a coconut has fallen out of the tree – it’s a real hazard around here! After a short rest and some time to allow the tide to come in, we cycle a few kilometres to the Savaia Giant Clam Sanctuary for a spot of snorkelling to see giant clams.

I’ve never seen anything like this before. The clams really are giant and the colours as they open and close are stunning.

It’s raining as we finish up our swim and get on the bikes, but sure we’re already wet. We’re all looking forward to a nice warm shower but it’s not to be. There is a very basic outdoor shower but it’s not working so it’s into the river with us!!

We sit with our host for a delicious dinner and continue to chat. He is very keen to discuss agriculture and has lots of questions about how Australia do things and shares some of the ideas he has to implement in Samoa. [our host is a chief on the Men’s committee]

We climb under our mosquito net and it’s pretty comfortable (once you get down on the floor and get in)…… and we drift off to sleep to the sounds of the river. Next morning we find out that the dogs who had been roaming around at dinner got into James and Ravs fale and kept them awake during the night. So glad that wasn’t us!!

We set off next morning and cycle straight to Matautu, our next accommodation, where we drop off our bikes and get taken by car to our kayak adventure. On the way we see so many homes with graves out front. It’s common to bury family members in the front yard and is seen as a way to keep the deceased close to the family.

Bigger more ornate graves generally denote that the deceased was a chief in the village.

At the OS Turtle Kayak adventure, we join up with another group and head out, in pairs, on the water. We kayak through mangroves and out to the ocean. We see a few turtles, but unfortunately, not as many as we hoped for. Every so often we see a little head peep out of the water but they move fast and I certainly didn’t get a really good look at any of them up close.

We stop at a small, deserted beach and have some snacks. It’s really beautiful out here and very remote.

Back in the kayaks again….. it’s hard work and somehow I manage to keep steering us to the right. Not really sure how that’s possible, but it’s happening!

Back on dry land we are fed lunch which is some sort of chicken and vegetable dish with rice – quite tasty and we all try the local fizzy drink, called Taxi. We take the van back to the resort which is called “Return to Paradise”. Once we’re checked in, we explore the resort. I have a dip in the sea and it is beautiful. The colour of the water is gorgeous and there are loads of colourful fish swimming around.

Tonight we hit the “Rock Bar” for some drinks and have a beautiful view out to the ocean. There’s a DJ set up and before our dinner arrives, he comes over with a clipboard to capture singers names for tonight’s karaoke… needless to say I’m very into this!!! I get up and do Zombie and then convince Shane to do a duet with me… can’t believe this – I’ve only been waiting seven years!!!

There’s a couple of families with singers and the song choices are pretty good so it’s good craic all round. Rav and I do a splendid (if I do say so myself) rendition of the Copa Cabana and after some persuasion, I manage to convince the whole gang to get up for what turns out to be the final song of the night – a lively “I’m Dill Dando” (if you know you know 🤪). Mic drop!

Next morning we say goodbye to Return to Paradise…. the dark sky, albeit with a very nice rainbow, looks a little ominous for a day of cycling…. 39kms to Tafatafa.

All along the way the local people say hello to us and children shout and scream from their homes and run along the road with us. We say “talofa” which is hello and the kids say “bye bye”. They’re so friendly although sometimes I wonder are they laughing at us!! We see plenty of churches along the way too.

After 20kms we stop at Keke’s bakery and get an assortment of pastries which are really really good. We taste some sweet ones as a morning snack and get some savoury ones to keep for lunch later.

We drive to O Le Pupü-Pu’e National Park where there are two walks we want to do. One is to the “Ma Tree” and the second is the Lava Field Coastal Walk, which we’ve read is a must-see. It’s raining heavy so we rest under cover for a bit but it’s just not clearing. We decide to do the shorter Ma Tree walk and then see how we feel about the significantly longer Coastal walk. It absolutely buckets down rain on us as we walk the slippery, mucky trail to see this Ma Tree (not very exciting), and we get saturated from head to toe.

It’s definitely not a day to do the longer coastal walk so we get back on our bikes (still raining) and we head onwards. Our next stop is at the Togitogiga Waterfall. It’s a very nice waterfall but after all that rain it’s very brown… hmmm I’m not swimming in that!!!

From here it’s about 8kms to tonight’s accommodation at “Brenda’s Beach Fales”. To our delight (not really, we’re soaked through and are essentially using camping facilities), it’s another rustic fale, this time right on the beach, which, in fairness is gorgeous. We just need to get dry!!

The rain has stopped (thank god) and we get out of our wet clothes and into the sea to get wet again!!! It’s a lovely beach and the water is gorgeous.

There’s some duty free booze we’ve been carrying with us and this seems like the right time to finish that off!!

Dinner is provided and it’s a chicken noodle stir fry, served in the large open fale – it’s just the 6 of us so very quiet. We did hear about a bar a short walk along the beach so we ramble down there and have a drink. We are delighted they have wine that we can bring back and have with our dinner.

The ocean is loud as we go to sleep but it’s somewhat soothing. Not a bad place to wake up…..

Next morning it’s raining but as soon as it clears we head back to the coastal walk and give it another go. It rains very heavy as we get there so we put on our raincoats and start the walk down the road to the start of the walk. It’s very wet and mucky and we come to a section where the water pans from one side of the road to the other – alas we cannot get through. Maybe if we had wellies we would make it, but we don’t, so at this point we admit defeat and head back to the van.

We’re unlucky with the weather, but not to worry, we head back to Brenda’s to get our bikes and set off on the road again.

Of course the rain stops as I’ve got the raincoat on. I’m getting sweaty so I tempt fate and take it off…. surprise surprise, within minutes the rain comes again. We all fully accept we are just going to get wet!! We stop at a resort for some lunch with our van driver Malaki.

After a short break, we continue to the much anticipated To-Sua Ocean Trench. To-Sua literally means ‘giant swimming hole’. It’s 30 metres deep and accessible via a long wooden ladder.

I cautiously climb down the wooden ladder to get into the water.

The current pulls us in one direction and then gently pushes us back in the other! There’s a rope down the centre to hold onto and the water is a lovely temperature. It’s really nice. We get a small rain shower while we’re in the water which is cool.

From here it’s approximately 13 km to our next accommodation spot. I feel like I have very little power in my legs and between the rain and the fierce head wind that’s whipped up, it’s tough going.

That said, the scenery is gorgeous as we battle the wind and rain along the coast road. It’s still warm and although I’m feeling tired, it’s really invigorating. Below is some footage of the route (taken the next day from the comfort of the van!)

We arrive to TAUFUA Beach Fales in Lalomanu and although we are soaked through, the sun has come out. The only thing for it is to get into our swimsuits and get into the ocean. This is our home for the next 2 nights.

This beach is considered (by Lonely Planet) to be one of the best in the world. There’s a reef for snorkeling which we will try tomorrow but for now we enjoy the waves pulling us softly out and then pushing us back to shore.

When we ask if there’s hot water we’re told “it’s Samoa”… so that’s a no!! Mind you, the cold shower doesn’t feel so bad and once happily washed and in dry clothes, we head to the bar and have a cocktail until it’s time for the communal dinner. The dinner consists of a host of dishes including potato salad, coleslaw, chicken, sausages, rice and it is a delicious meal.

We hang around after dinner finishing our drinks – tea is available self service so I obviously take advantage of that! Most people have left around 9 pm and we are chatting to two young couples, from Wales and Brisbane. We noticed staff gathering at the other side of the room and it appears they are about to have a staff meeting. Out of nowhere they start singing a hymn. They have an amazing sound with harmonies and a very strong male base sound. It’s fascinating and the meeting continues well after we go to bed!

There is no cycling next day, so we have a restful morning, watching the sun come up and enjoying a cup of tea by the ocean.

We have a delicious communal breakfast and get ourselves ready to attempt the coastal walk for a third time. Malaki collects us as it’s a forty minute drive. The good news is it’s a beautiful sunny day with no rain. En route we see the beautiful countryside that we cycled through yesterday. It looks much nicer in the sunshine!

We are delighted we’re able to do the coastal walk and agree it was definitely worth coming back to.

It’s a fairly easy path but over lava rocks and tree roots and at some points it’s mucky but the views are stunning.

There are a number of viewpoints, each seem to be getting better as we continue. At the end we get to stand on the lava rock and get some great splashes from big waves below.

On our way back Malaki suggests visiting another waterfall – Sopoaga Falls.

Back at the beach we have some lunch and then hit the water for some snorkeling. It’s lovely and we see an assortment of fish in certain spots, not too far from the shore. Another family style meal tonight which is super tasty ahead of a restful sleep.

Next morning we set off on a tricky cycle with lots of hills. We’re cycling 39kms from Lalomanu to Faleapuna. It’s killer and at one point I can’t battle on and jump in the van… but only for 3 kms!

Then I’m back on the bike as the road flattens out somewhat. Eventually there’s a big downhill but I prefer a tough climb to a steep downhill so just like our first day cycling, I chose to run down the hill rather than cycle. I do get to wave on the rest of the gang as they fly by!

We reach Le Mafa Pass for a view and then it’s the real decent… not my favourite thing so I break practically the whole way down, way behind the others who fly down with no fear!! Not me!

At the bottom of the hill we arrive to the village of Faleapuna and Le Uaina Beach Resort. We are all in need of a little rest and relaxation after that tough morning, so we have some lunch and then relax by the ocean. I have a lovely swim in the pool.

…. and after we walk into the ocean (there’s no beach) and do some snorkelling.

It’s so peaceful and just gorgeous.

We watch the sun set and enjoy a tasty dinner before falling into bed for a good sleep!

Next morning we take a five minute walk to the Piula Cave Pool. Entry to the pool is tucked behind a Methodist church and we are there just after 8am when it opens so are the only people there.

Piula is a natural freshwater pool that originated from an old lava tube. The large cave leads to a second smaller one but you’re not allowed to swim through anymore – fine by me!! Rumour has it there are eels! The temperature is a little chillier than the ocean but the water is crystal clear and delightful to bounce around in!

Back at the resort, we shower and get ourselves ready for our last day of cycling.

We are heading for Apia and on the way Malaki treats us to a pineapple pastry. It’s like a Cornish pasty but with hot pineapple, mixed with custard, inside. It’s very tasty

As we arrive into Apia it starts to rain so we are finishing our cycle trip as we spent most of it – wet!!! Luckily our rooms at the Amanaki hotel are ready and we are able to check in and get dry. We take a walk around Apia in blistering heat!

We visit the beautiful cathedral.

Inside the cathedral is really impressive, especially the wooden roof

It is roasting in Apia so after our walk around and some purchases (I have to have a lava lava which is a sarong), we head back to the hotel and have a final swim in the pool.

For our final meal of the holiday we go to Bistro Tatau and have a fancy meal and some really good NZ wine. A great finish to a great trip.

Goodbye Samoa – you have been beautiful!

I’m flying from Boston to Reykjavik on Iceland Air and I’m surprised when the pilot tells us the flight time is just 4 hours 40 minutes. I’m arriving at 6am so a nights sleep is not gonna happen, plus the lady beside me keeps the light on and knits for the whole flight!!!

The international airport, Keflavík, is about a 45 minute drive from Reykjavík so I’ve done a bit of research on what’s close by that I can visit while I wait for my friend Nina and her daughter Kate to arrive. They’re getting in at 2pm so it’s a lot of time to fill on very little sleep!! I pick up a hire car (that takes a few minutes!!) and head off to drive a loop of the Reykjanes peninsula. I realise pretty quickly that the road I’m on is the road that was recently covered with volcanic rock when there was a volcanic eruption on 1st April (just 4 weeks ago). I’d say there are plenty of jobs for roadworkers in this country!!

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The scenery feels like you could be on another planet and beyond the black lava rocks there are steaming fields – vents for the steam rising from the volcanic earth.

I follow my trusted google maps toward Volcano Fagradalsjall which was dormant until 2021. I hike to Stórhóll viewpoint which gets closest to the black volcanic crater of the 2021 eruption. The trail to the viewpoint passes right next to its cooled black lava flow. The black lava field still steams from the residual heat. It’s very cold and windy and there’s no one around at this early hour.

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I’m really enjoying the hike even if I am knackered and it’s freezing. It’s brilliant to be out here, seeing the sights with no one around. Love it!

At the top looking down, I wonder how this looked when it was hot and flowing downhill…. Mad!!

After a couple of hours hiking I return back to the car and drive toward my next stop. On the way I see a few cars turned off and a sign for Brimketill (Surf cauldron). I pull in to have a look. According to the sign, Brimketill is an extraordinary pool on the seaside of the westernmost part of Stagarberg. It was formed due to the constant beating of the waves against the lava rock coast. The lava around Brimketill is extremely rough, cracked and with high, sharp edges and surfaces. It was likely formed in the Reykjanes Fires in 1210-1240. I walk across some sand and watch the waves crashing against the pool.

Only a few minutes further down the road I reach my destination, the “Bridge between Continents”. At first it looks a little out of place, spaning what appears to be a dried up river bed, a sand-filled cleft which seems puzzling in a country that isn’t associated with dry weather. But then you figure out that this isn’t a river after all. Instead, it’s a visible tear in the landscape, tangible proof that Iceland is divided by a rugged plate boundary. Here, the land on which you stand is slowly pulling apart. On one side of the bridge is the North American plate; on the other, the Eurasian. Though you can’t see or feel it, the ground beneath your feet is moving.

I step out onto the bridge and in the space of 15 or so metres, I have walked from Europe to North America! The Eurasian plate is Earth’s largest continental tectonic plate and approximately 75% of the human population lives on it. The North American plate is drifting to the west away from the Eurasian plate, widening the Atlantic Ocean in the process. Fascinating!

I drive through the “town” of Hafnir. Not a shop, cafe or school in sight but they do have a sign to tell you where you are!

I’m struggling to keep my eyes open so I head back to the airport to wait for the girls to arrive. The pick up is easy, as surprise surprise, the airport is tiny. All loaded into the car, we drive the forty minutes or so to Reykjavík. We are delighted to get a free parking space just around the corner from our apartment and without delay we head out to explore. Our apartment is right beside Haligrams church which is the biggest church in Iceland and was built to resemble a volcanic formation. It’s impressive from the outside but unadorned inside.

We continue on to Rainbow street, a popular spot for tourists, although there’s not too many around as the high season has yet to kick off. Happy Days!

We continue toward the water (which is the North Atlantic Ocean by the way), to the iconic Harpa Concert Hall.

We’re very lucky with the weather and it’s lovely walking around here and looking out to the ocean…

There are plenty of options for food and we chose a brightly decorated restaurant called Salka Valka, with a varied menu. I try the local fish pie and it’s really good.

Reykjavík has a lot of bakeries and there’s one in particular I want to visit that was on “Somebody Feed Phil”. [I just watched the episode with Renee in Portland and took notes]. It’s called Braud and next morning we take a short walk there to get some pastries for breakfast.

The cinnamon bun is definitely the winner, it’s warm and gooey and delicious. We try the famous “happy wedding cake” (on the right in the picture below) but it’s not very exciting.

Happy with our bakery haul, we get on the road as today we are driving, what is known as the Golden Circle. This is a popular loop drive which covers the main tourist highlights. The scenery as we drive is stunning and we stop a few times along the way for some photo opps.

Our first official stop is Pingvellir (or Thingvellir) National Park. From the year 930 to 1798 this was home to the Icelandic parliament. It covers a large area including the largest lake in Iceland and we get a good aerial view from the visitors centre.

We descend to what is called Law Rock where the Lawspeaker stood and recited the country’s laws to the masses (today the population is less than 400,000 and the “masses” were significantly smaller back then).

In olden times drowning was widely used as a method of execution. People were drowned in marshes, in fresh water and in the sea. 😱 We continue to Pingvellir church, a tiny wooden church built in 1859. It’s very picturesque in this setting.

Walking further around the park we visit Oxararfos – a waterfall where a lot of those executions happened 😱.

We head back to the car and continue on. By the way there are no entry fees to any of the places we visit but you have to pay for parking everywhere you stop. There’s a camera as you enter, and a barcode to scan where you reference your car registration to make the payment. It’s very efficient. Kate finds another waterfall along the route and it turns out to be absolutely spectacular. It’s called Brúarfoss and it’s Iceland’s Bluest Waterfall. It is stunning.

Our next stop is the Geysir Hot Springs Area. We have some lunch in the visitor centre first. I have a lamb stew which is more of a broth and costs nearly €30!! That’s Iceland for you!!

Onwards to the geothermal area which is across the road! We pass a steaming hot mud pool on our way.

We can see the main geyser has erupted as it’s only a short walk from the main road, but we don’t have to wait long until it gushes again. Now before I did some research I thought we were viewing what is known as the great Geysir but that’s been dormant for years!! We are actually watching Strokkur geysir which erupts every 5 to 10 minutes. Unlike Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park where you could be hanging around for an hour waiting.

We walk a full circle around and see it gush from another vantage point. Although we are waiting for it to erupt, I still scream when it happens!!

Next we head to Gullfoss which has a 32-meter drop, divided into two stages: an upper 11-meter drop and a lower 21-meter drop. It’s huge and stunning!

We walk to the lower drop and then upward to the higher drop where we get lots of spray on us.

Gullfoss means Golden Falls, named due to the rainbow-tinged spray hanging over this magnificent canyon. We are lucky enough to see a rainbow as we walk toward and away from the highest part of the falls.

We’ve seen plenty for today and decide to head back home for a little rest before dinner. Our apartment is in such a good location and it’s a short walk to “Bastard Brew and Food” where we have some good food and a couple of expensive drinks!!

After a good nights sleep and a lot of book reading – the girls are reading the same book and one is clearly trying to pass the other out…. I’ve also read the book so there’s a lot of discussion on it – we head for another bakery. This one is called Brikk and was recommended by our host so we happily stock up on an assortment of pastries. This cinnamon bun is even better than yesterday’s!

The weather is really bad as we leave the city and visibility on the road is treacherous as we (I) slowly drive through a dense fog and lashing rain. It clears a bit and although it’s still raining we stop to view Kerid crater.

We zip up our raincoats and hike up the steps (not many) so we can walk along the perimeter of the cauldron and look down to the amazing blue lake nestled among red volcanic rock – it’s stunning. It’s estimated that this volcano erupted 6,500 years ago!

As we pass through Hella, we stop for a cup of tea at the American SchoolBus Café. There’s a whole story about how the Romanian guy who owns it refurbished it and got it to Iceland. It’s very on trend!

It’s time to tuck into those pastries!!

Continuing on the road we head for another giant waterfall, SELJALANDSFOSS!

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Apparently this one features in a movie that Bjork starred in back in the 90’s, I must check it out. And in case you’re wondering we did not bump into Bjork on our travels 🥲.

We are able to walk behind the 60 metre drop….. there’s a lot of splashes and it’s great fun.

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There’s another “doss” a short walk away – it’s called Gljufrabúi but it’s known as the secret waterfall. The falls are partially obscured by the cliff rock.

If you don’t mind getting a bit wet (and we don’t), you can walk through the narrow canyon to a small pool and get a great view and a good soaking.

We love it….

As we are happily driving around this amazing island and admiring the varied landscape, we see what looks like a small house built into a cave. We’ve got to stop for a look. The name on the parking sign (you gotta pay for parking at all the stops) is Rútshelli. Apparently there are upwards of 200 of these mari-made caves on 90 farms in South Iceland, and 41 of them have been declared protected sites. They are virtually unknown elsewhere in the country. There are many stories around how they were used, this one was mostly used to store hay.

We drive approximately 30km to another giant waterfall – Skógafoss. At this stage we might be getting waterfall fatigue so we are happy with the view from here and then carry on. It is fairly magnificent mind you.

There is just so much beautiful scenery all around this south part of the island and it changes quite dramatically as we cover more ground.

Next to check off the list is a glacier. It’s a little over half an hour to Sólheimajökull glacier so that’s where we are heading. There’s an easy path that takes us quite close so we get a good view.

We walk down to the river where we see giant blocks of ice that have calved from the glacier… it’s impressive to see and strange to fathom that although it’s cold here, the weather is sunny and quite warm only a short distance away!

Back in the car, we head southeast toward Vik and Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach. The beach’s distinctive black sands result from lava cooling rapidly upon meeting the ocean. Apparently this beach is known for sneaker waves but we are safe today. It certainly is an unusual beach with a dramatic coastal view.

The beach sits alongside the town of Vik and from here we look up to see the Reyniskirkja wooden church which dates to 1929. The red roof really stands out and makes for a beautiful photo.

We drive up to the church and check out the view back down to the beach and the town – it really is a charming place .

We’ve had a long day and it’s a couple of hours drive home so when we pass through a decent size town, we stop for some grub. The restaurant has some Asian fusion going on and fills the gap needed. It’s dark by the time we get home and there’s just time for a glass of wine and some photo sharing before bed!

Next morning Nina hits the bakery and brings us back some treats! Today is our last day and we have a booking at the Blue Lagoon. We’re very excited! The first views of the blue water, as we make our way to the parking lot, are remarkable.

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We get one drink (alcoholic if you’re so inclined and yes we are!) and two face masks with our entry fee. We then float around for two hours between different sections of the pool and various sauna and steam rooms.

We are very chill by the time we’re leaving.

On the way back to the city we drive to the Perlan museum which is built around 6 former water tanks situated on a foresty hill overlooking the city. Unfortunately it’s overcast so we don’t get a view of Reykjavík.

For our final dinner we are going to Café Loki, a family run restaurant specialising in traditional Icelandic home style food.

I go for the Icelandic plate Loki which has Rye bread slices, with mashed fish (Plokkfiskur) & smoked trout, flatbread with smoked lamb, dried fish with butter and a taste of fermented shark. By the way it costs around €38.

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We take a walk around the old town to round off our Iceland trip. It’s such an easy charming town to explore.

Now if you’ve read some of my other blogs, you might know that I love a pedestrian crossing sign – or as we like to call it at home, the green man (even if he’s not green). Look how dapper this fella is in his cool hat – I love it!

And speaking of hats, one last photo before we rest up ahead of a 4:30am wake up call for our journey home!!

Iceland, I understand why you’re a bucket list destination for many people. This has been one of my favourite places to visit and I hope to visit again some day.

Me and my Texas Girls love a road trip so when Renee suggests a weekend in Montreal, where she’ll drive us from her home in Portland Maine, we are all in! Packed and loaded up on baked goods from BLVL bakery, we set off.

We take the scenic road through the White Mountains National Forest, through some cute little towns, watching out for moose and following the signs for Canada!

It’s a long journey but the scenery is relaxing and we have lots of catchup chats in the car, and of course some good music to keep us going.

Passport control is straightforward although the officer is a little cranky and when he asks why we’re here Renee lists that we are going to walk around town, have some nice food, check out some nice bars… I’m not sure that was the answer he was after but he waves us through!!

We are staying in a gorgeous house with a very tight parking space at the back (well done Renee) but in a cool neighbourhood with lots going on.

We get settled and then we are off to Au Pied De Cochon, which is said to have the best poutine in Montreal. You’re going to be very familiar with poutine by the time you get through this blogpost, we intend to have them every day. Poutine is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a hot brown gravy. This restaurant is also famous for serving duck in a can…. Sounds strange but it’s so tasty. The whole meal was fantastic – this little video captures how the duck was served and seeing those amazing poutine, which by the way came with foie gras, is making me want to have them again…. right now!!

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Next morning, it’s time for park run. The girls are very kind to indulge me as it’s a rainy morning and the park is about a half hour drive away. They drop me off with quite the fanfare and head off for a coffee while I slouch up to this very small crowd and declare I am visiting from Ireland which gets a massive round of applause.

As I run around the park, I see these pods…

There are loads of them scattered all over the park and I find out later that they’re designed to cover biogas capture wells. These wells are part of a larger system that captures biogases produced by the decomposition of waste as this was previously a landfill site! Although the reclamation of the landfill area, began in 1995, the park wasn’t officially opened to the public until 2017.

I’m so delighted to have ticked off my first Canadian parkrun so I don’t mind that I am not only wet but full of muck.

Right beside Frederick Back park is the Cirque du Soleil headquarters so we have a little nose around in case there’s an exhibition or a tour we can do. Alas no luck so we carry on.

While we’re driving, and it’s still raining we take a drive up Mount Royal. This is usually THE place to get a view of the city but unfortunately the rain is really coming down.

As we’re driving down, we pass Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery which is Canada’s largest graveyard and we wonder if there are any famous people here. Well of course Mr Leonard Cohen is here – in the Jewish section (SHAAR HASHOMAYIM). Google directs us exactly to his family plot and it’s great to be here and pay our respects.

I’m fascinated by this giant church on a hill which may be worth a visit later, if we have time, but right now we are heading to a deli for lunch.

There are a lot of delis in Montreal and this one is apparently among the best, and it’s off the beaten tourist track. Deli Snowdon is fantastic. The pace of customers in and food served up is impressive and the lady who serves us is cool as a cucumber while at the same time taking no nonsense. She navigates a gang of children running around while serving up armfuls of dishes!! We love her!

The poutine is fantastic – this one is certainly more rustic than last nights fancy one – it has shavings of meat and it’s so good. The brisket sandwich is also amazing and I get a decent cup of tea in a mug. Ten out of ten all round for Snowdens.

We are clearly in the heart of a Jewish neighbourhood and loving the rain gear to keep those hats dry!.

From here we head to the Jean Talon market which is a nice size to get around – not huge but it has plenty in it.

We do a full tasting of maple syrup and I buy the tiniest tin that I’ll be able to pack in my already bulging bag! We try these maple syrup lollies which give quite a sugar hit!

Back at the house, I finally get out of my wet clothes – well they’re dry by now except for my socks (my poor feet!), but they’re very mucky so I am thrilled for a shower and then we’re ready to head out again as the rain has stopped – hooray!

We continue our mural tour and insist the general get a photo with the tiny compost bins that are all over town… they look like kid-size wheelie bins to me! (🎶 bye bye lil’ Sebastian 🎶)

After shlepping around town for a couple of hours, it feels like cocktail time. We have a booking (I think!) at a very salubrious, almost hidden, cocktail bar called Big in Japan. When we finally find the door in, it’s so dark we can barely see and when we spot a girl down the dark corridor, at first we think she’s behind a glass door… eh no, that was just some strange illusion!! Once our eyes adjust we sit around this unusual shaped bar that’s like a maze and enjoy some delicious cocktails. I try the local Ungava gin.

After our cocktails we take a walk past Leonard Cohens house.

Murals and art installations are all over this city… love this 3-D one.

We go to a Moroccan restaurant called Nili and what starts off a little shaky with uncomfortable seats at the bar and some confusion with the waiter with our wine, ends in a beautiful meal with gorgeous wine and a comfortable seat at the back of the tiny restaurant. We chat to the chef while at the bar as he makes everything right there in front of us.

After dinner we walk home with a quick stop at LA MAISON DE L’ORIGINAL FAIRMOUNT BAGEL – one of the famous bagel shops…. So many bagels!

Next morning it’s still raining a bit so we have our bagels for breakfast while we watch a little tv – in fact we binge watch the whole series as we are now all obsessed with this show – Love on the Spectrum. Finally the rain has stopped and we are ready to leave and finish our murals tour.

It’s lunchtime (yes we did stay home for a decent amount of time this morning!) and it’s time to try a hotdog… and more poutine of course. We go basic at this fast food / diner style establishment which has been around for over a hundred years in some shape or form.

We are exploring the old town and it seems peculiar to be walking around the streets and seeing French names.

We reach Notre Dame cathedral which I’m excited to see. From the outside it doesn’t look much.

On the inside it’s a whole different story. It is magnificent! The blue colours make it feel dramatic when you walk in and it is just really impressive. It’s a minor basilica, very obviously Catholic and was built in 1672.

The stained glass windows along the walls of the sanctuary do not depict biblical scenes, but rather scenes from the religious history of Montreal. This is unusual for a Catholic Church and even more unusual, I come across a window that features three key women. In the contre is Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700), one of the earliest French settlers in Montreal and founder of the Notre Dame congregation, a religious community for women which is still in existence today. On the right is Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), the first North American Indigenous person to be canonized. On the left is Jeanne Le Ber (1662-1714), a voluntary recluse who lived simply and in prayer despite her wealth, which she left to the Notre-Dame congregation just before her death.

We check out some other old buildings including City hall….

…. and another beautiful old building that has shops with local handicrafts and grub!

There’s more maple syrup in here (it’s everywhere) and Renee demonstrates how it’s extracted from the maple tree – amazing!

We go into the beautiful Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel which has a beautiful alter and some interesting statues.

I spot this strange looking statue and read that it is apparently miraculous. Known as the Miraculous statue of Our Lady of Good Help, it was given to Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys (that’s the lady from the window we just saw in the basilica) in 1672.

We decide to spend the afternoon at Bota Bota, a floating spa, on what was once a ferry, in the Old Port of Montreal. It’s the grey building on the water, not the giant derelict old port building behind!!

We have a fabulous three hours going between cold and hot pools, steam rooms and saunas. There are a number of relaxing areas with swings and beds and it is wonderful after all of the walking we’ve done. No photos allowed but below is the view from the spa across the water to Habitat 67.

Fully relaxed and cleansed, for tonight’s dinner we were recommended to go to Le Majestique, in particular for their hot dogs… holy moly, the hotdog was giant with various toppings including crunchy onions… amazing!

After dinner we adjourn to what may be our favourite spot of the weekend, the couch in our very lovely house with a cuppa and an episode of Love on the Spectrum. Jennifer has to be up at 4am to fly back to Austin so we say our goodbyes before bedtime.

Next morning Renee and I have two things on our list before we drive back to Maine. We want bagels from the famous St Viateur bakery which we make happen, once we get cash from the machine – they don’t accept non Canadian credit cards!

And although we’ve already seen one of the Leonard Cohen murals, we need to see the giant one. A few minutes drive and there he is… it’s very impressive as I stick my head out the sun roof for a proper view.

Montreal, you’ve been a delight, even in the rain. Maybe see you again sometime!

Although I’ve been to Maine before I haven’t been to Portland (that I can remember!) and I’m very excited to be visiting the other “Texas girl” Renee. I fly from Austin to Boston and take a bus to Portland which is an easy and comfortable journey and I’m met at the bus station …

After getting settled at Renee’s house, we take a walk to the pier and go to Js Oyster Bar which is a long established unassuming eatery known for its fresh local seafood and served with no nonsense around a bar.

The food is delish – we have fish pie, chowder and mussels and wine is sold by the glass and served in small glasses filled to the top – love it!! We have a bit of craic with the barman who pours a pint of Guinness straight all the way to the top, no waiting for it to settle or anything… he plonks it in front of the guy beside us (who happens to be the oyster shucker on his break) and I can’t help but slag him over how bad a job he did. In fairness he accepted the comment with a chuckle and made a better effort on the next one!!!

There are lots of bars in Portland and they have a bit of a craft beer reputation but as I’m here with Renee and not himself, we hit a cocktail bar! I have a really tasty gimlet and then decide to have another… yep, its that good!

We are staying out a little late tonight as Jennifer is flying in from Austin so we can do a road trip tomorrow. We get the call before midnight for the airport pick up and we are on it… the 3 amigos are reunited!

Next morning we are ready for our road trip to Montreal – that’s in another blog post! Before we hit the road, we see a bit of town and some beautiful houses en route to stock up in the local bakery!

We see the Portland Observatory, which looks like a lighthouse in the middle of town!

Now I’ve jumped past the Montreal weekend (see other blogpost) and I’m back en route to Maine with Renee (Jennifer flew back to Austin this morning).

Back on US soil (yep, they let me back in!), we stop to view this amazing place…. Standing to the east of Mount Washington the namesakes Hotel was completed in 1902 as one of the largest, most modern grand hotels in the White Mountains, one of the few built in a single campaign. Served by as many as 57 trains a day, the Mount Washington Hotel became known as one of the most luxurious summer resorts in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Spring has sprung while we were away and the weather is gorgeous. Tonight we go to Renee’s sister’s house and have the first bbq of the season, sitting outside and enjoying a delicious dinner and the lovely garden.

I have two full days to explore Maine before I continue on my travels. Next day I have a leisurely morning catching up on some admin and then I take a long walk through town and along the Eastern promenade.

In Renee’s words, the people of Portland are aggressively polite which I think is both hilarious and accurate!

When I have 10,000 steps logged, I stop for lunch at Luke’s Lobster which has outdoor seating and looks out to the water. I have the most delicious lobster BLT and enjoy the sunshine and a little rest.

I spend some time in the beautiful Sherman’s bookstore which, as the sign says, is the oldest bookstore in Maine!

This evening, once Renee is finished work, we head out to Fort Williams Park.

The park is home to the very famous and iconic lighthouse “Portland Head Light” that you see on all the Maine postcards. It’s Maine’s oldest lighthouse, built between 1787 and 1790, and commissioned by George Washington. It is still active today and is the most photographed lighthouse in America.

We walk along the coastline and see it from the other angle. It really is beautiful.

Tonight we are dining at a local institution – The Lobster Shack! Apparently there are 49 species of lobster in the world and Maine lobster is the most highly coveted species because of its sweet and tender meat. Additionally, Maine lobster has a less salty taste than other lobsters as a result of the cold-water temperatures of the Northeast. Having had it for lunch and now again for dinner, I can confirm it is truly delicious. We also try a whoopie -pie for good measure!

Next day I set off for another walk around town and explore some new streets. I just happened upon the holy donut – donuts made with potatoes – gonna have to try something from here.

I continue downtown and spend a couple of hours at Portland Museum of Art as a guest of Renee who’s a member (happy days!). It exceeds my expectations on a number of fronts. It’s much bigger than you would think from the outside and it has an impressive collection including some European impressionists.

Some of the paintings I enjoyed….

At the back side of the building, it leads into an old house that’s been preserved for viewing – it’s very impressive.

I wander back to the house and Renee has finished work so it’s time to try out some pickle ball. We were rocking those courts!!

After all that we deserve a nice meal and so we head to Kong Tu Bot where we watch the funky chef cook our meal (while teaching someone) and serve it up to us at the counter… it’s delicious and we are happy out as we enjoy our final evening together.

Next day I have a little time before getting the bus to Boston for my onward journey home (well home via Iceland!). I decide to go for a half run/walk and this time head west. There are so many trees in bloom and I want to say these are cherry blossoms but I’m not sure… whatever they are, they’re everywhere and they’re beautiful.

This part of town is super fancy with lots of big expensive looking houses.

I run through an old graveyard, stop at the award winning ZU bakery and then my time is up and I have to say goodbye to my Texas Girl – I know we’re in Maine but she’ll always be a Texas girl to me.

Until next time!

I’m flying from Mexico City to San Antonio and my “Texas girl” Jennifer is picking me up so I can spend a week with her in Austin – woo hoo!!! No messing with the airport pickup, and along with her parents we head to the Alamo.

It’s my first time to visit San Antonio and I’m promptly given the relevant history. This whole state was once part of Mexico and the Battle of the Alamo, which took place here in 1836, ended with Texas becoming a self governing republic. [sidebar: California was part of Mexico at this time and Mexico had only just gained its independence from Spain in 1821]

After soaking up a bit of history we head to the Riverwalk, which is a busy stretch of winding walkway, with restaurants and bars on both sides of the river. It’s a lovely warm temperature with lots of people sitting outside.

We have a delicious meal with tasty margaritas and guacamole made at our table. Apparently the trick is a squeeze of fresh orange!

On Saturday we have a lazy morning catching up on all sorts and of course getting acquainted with Miss Milly or to give her her full title, Miss Millie Jane Scootaloo, Duchess of Milago. 😀

Time for a walk and to see how Austin has changed since I was here last, which was about fifteen years ago!

There’s an extensive green belt around the city and a really nice trail around the river, right outside Jennifer’s apartment. Plenty of interesting things to see as we walk around, including this statue of Stevie Ray Vaughan!

We stop at the library which is a very impressive building with lots of facilities and a massive volume of books. I’d love a library like this in my neck of the woods.

From the top of the library there’s a lovely outdoor area with some great views across the city.

This evening we have a delicious meal at Launderette restaurant and I get to meet a group of Jennifer’s friends which is lovely. We have some drinks at an outside bar (yep it’s that hot even in April!) and finish up with a few at Whisler’s, where they play the Smiths and the barman insists on us having a shot with him. All in all a great night!

Next morning is Easter Sunday and that bunny must have snuck in when I was sleeping…

I’m excited to check out a Methodist church service and I’ll tell ye, it was very enjoyable. So different to a catholic mass, it’s way more informal and inclusive of everyone and I didn’t get bored!!! I even got up to join in the Hallelujah chorus that they traditionally sing each Easter – it was great fun.

After church we have a family picnic and I’m introduced to another Easter tradition, which is a new one on me, where you smash confetti-filled eggs called Cascarones on each others heads. It’s a southwestern / Mexican tradition and was great fun even if I did manage to whack the boys before realising I should crack the egg over them!! While great fun to do the cracking, I don’t envy whoever has to clean up the confetti – it wasn’t myself or Jennifer as we had to leave for an important date with a chicken!!!

For another special Easter treat, we head to THE LITTLE LONGHORN SALOON for some “Chicken Shit Bingo” – yep you heard me, we’re going to watch some chickens shit and see if we can win some money!!!

It’s the maddest thing I’ve ever seen. At the back of the bar there’s a long line of people queuing to buy a ticket, including people who’ve traveled from Spain and Canada (no kidding, apparently it’s quite famous!). You get a number and when all the tickets are sold and everyone is gathered around the bingo cage, a chicken is put in and we all wait with bated breath for it to poop! Whoever’s number the poop lands on is the winner!

We didn’t win but we had great fun for the two rounds we took part in. It was very exciting!!

We also managed to climb up on this old truck for prime viewing of the bingo crowd. While it was fairly handy to get up there, I was struggling a bit on the descent but low and behold, a big burly cowboy reached up (don’t ask me how as it happened so quick I’m not even sure) and lifted me down, with a little twirl and plopped me safely on the ground as if I weighed a feather! Much appreciated sir! 🤠

Back inside we hang out and watch the band who are really good and there’s even a bit of dancing going on.

And at the last minute we managed to meet the chicken shit lady herself – famous in these parts for running the Little Longhorn and I’ll tell ye, she takes no messing!

We have a delicious burger at Hopfields to close out the evening – what a day!! Next morning we are up and out as we drive to Enchanted Rock.

Enchanted Rock is a pink granite mountain with an elevation of approx 556 metres. It is the largest monadnock, (an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain), in the USA!

It’s like a mini Uluru and we are delighted to climb it. We take our time though, it is roasting out here! Lots of stops and photo ops!

After our climb we drive the Willow city loop and see some beautiful scenery. It really is nice around here – the land feels vast, and it’s Texas so I suppose it is!

Time for a little respite, and we are in wine country, so we head to Fredericksburg and do some wine tasting. We visit William Chris Winery and get lots of info from this guy who is very excited to talk to us!

The wines are interesting, one red in particular is delicious and we have a glass of that outside on the porch to enjoy the grounds and the sunshine.

We’re getting hungry and there’s no way we’re gonna last until we get back to Austin so we decide to stop for some dinner. We go to Proof and Cooper at The Old Lumber Yard in Johnson city for BBQ and it’s delicious.

Next day I’m left to my own devices as the General (that’s how I like to refer to Jennifer) has to go to work. [sidebar: she is quite the high powered executive – very impressive as she walks out the door] . I have a bit more of a lie-in and then head out for a run. I end up stopping quite a few times for some photos of the city.

Spotted this bird walking along the plank with the reflection in the water – so cute.

The pathway is so nice around the lake, I cover a much longer distance than planned.

Back home I grab a sandwich in the local deli and spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool. Oh yes… April in the sunshine – I love it!

Once Jennifer is finished work, we meet up with her sister and friend and go to a really cool bbq restaurant called Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar. It’s a bbq place with an Asian twist. The food is great and the cocktails are amazing – I get a tasting of slushies – have you ever had a gin and tonic slushy – well I can recommend it!

After dinner, on the way home, we hit the main Texas grocery store , which I’m excited to check out – it’s called H-E-B and it’s been around since 1905. It’s still privately owned and it’s massive!

Next morning I’m out for another trek on the trails and around the lake – this time a walk as opposed to a run and I try to cover some different ground.

It’s such a great spot for a walk and the weather is just glorious.

I have to pack today as I’m on a very early flight tomorrow so I spend some time at the pool….. (of course!)….

…… do some laundry and I’m packed and organised by the time the General gets home from work with some Detroit pizza. I’d never had Detroit pizza before – it’s rectangular, deep dish with a thick crust – delish for our final meal with a glass of wine!

The final thing that was on my list to do while I’m here is to see the bats leave the Congress Bridge at sunset. When the bridge was remodelled in 1980, it left deep narrow crevices between the beams and it turned out to be the perfect bat habitat. In spring and summer approximately 1.5 million bats emerge from the bridge every night and fly east, most to hunt for insects along the Colorado River. It is truly awesome to see them fly in the sky – in fact we saw them last night too as we were driving home- a long long line in the sky… it’s very cool!

Well that’s my Texas trip, Austin is such a great place to visit and especially when in good company. Until next time!

We are flying back to Mexico for the second time this year, this time to Mexico City to attend a wedding. We fly from Hilton Head, Georgia (which is essentially the Savannah airport) through Dallas, to Mexico City, a total of about 5 hours flying.

We arrive late in the evening so don’t get out until next morning when we see the jacarandas are in full bloom.

We walk through Parque Mexico and see some interesting art …

We have our first torta (a Mexican sandwich from a street stall) before we meet up with the wedding crew and take a bus to Morales. The torta has egg and chorizo and it’s gorgeous… a good sign of things to come. Meeting point for the bus is the famous Angel of Independence – this is my first view but there will be many many more!

It’s a long bus journey to Morales where my friend Vania (who’s Mexican) from Deloitte is getting married to Louis. We stay for two nights at the wedding venue, which is an old hacienda and have an amazing time with a great crew at a great wedding.

On Monday we head back to Mexico City where we are staying in the Roma Norte neighbourhood. We head out for some grub and find it hard to pass these amazing sausages.

We take a walk around the neighbourhood, get some supplies in the local grocery store (Sumesa) and have a quiet evening in anticipation of clocking up a lot of miles in the coming days.

Next morning we are up and out to see this city. We walk on the Paseo De Ls Reforma road which is the main thoroughfare. Plenty of statues to check out and admire among the skyscrapers and smaller streets, packed with restaurants and food stalls.

We continue to this beautiful building which is the Palace of Fine Arts.

I’m fascinated by the traffic lights of which there are many different kinds. Some have a tall fancy looking green man, some a short man, some go from green to red with no warning, some have a countdown and the below which is my favourite by far has the little green man speeding up (ie running) as time is running out to cross the road!!

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We walk down this crazy busy street in “centro” to the Zócalo or the central main square. It is noisy, hectic and overall just crazy chaotic!

Along the way we stop at the convent of San Francisco which is a real oasis as you step into its courtyard away from the masses. This complex was the headquarters of the first twelve Franciscan friars headed by Martín de Valencia who came to Mexico after receiving the first authorization from the Pope to evangelize in “New Spain”, as Mexico was called back then. The complex dates back to 1560.

The church standing today is the third to be built on the site. The first two sunk into the soft soil underneath Mexico City and had to be torn down. This church was built between 1710 and 1716 and the gold alter inside is very impressive.

Onwards to the square…. When you arrive upon it, it’s very impressive. Not only is it huge but the lava rock that the buildings are made from make it look dark. This is the cathedral which is giant and the other buildings around the square are as big, if not bigger!

It’s really hot as the sun is beating off the dark stone and yes, I’m roasting!! We walk toward the display of the old city ruins.

Exploring the surrounding streets, there are churches and impressive old buildings on every corner.

There are also plenty of peculiar looking things like this…

We stop for lunch and have a dish from Oaxaca called Tlayuda. It’s a large, thin, crunchy tortilla, partially covered with a spread of refried beans, meat and Oaxaca cheese. Then you load up on the salsa and veggies. It was really tasty.

Back at the Zócalo, we head inside the cathedral. Its full title is The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. It was built in sections from 1573 to 1813 on top of a sacred Aztec site. It has a number of impressive alters, this being the most impressive.

After getting our fill of culture, we make our way through another busy street to walk toward home. On the way we pass the famous ‘Pastelería Ideal’ and have to go in for a look. It’s the biggest cake shop I’ve ever seen.

We walk through Alameda central – you don’t need to walk too far to see a monument of some sort in this town!

… and continue through Cuauhtémoc viewing more art and buildings along the way…

The impressive building of the Plaza de la Republica is surrounded by a fence and hard to get a good view….

By the time we get back to our very spacious apartment, we are close to 30,000 on the ole Fitbit!

Tonight we have a really tasty meal at a casual restaurant close by. The margarita is delicious and I rave about this meal for days, it’s so good!

Next day we are off for more exploring. We go to Bosque de Chapultepec, one of the biggest city parks in Mexico.

There’s a great view back, with the Angel of Independence at the far end and the Estela de Luz (Stele of Light) on the right.

The park is home to Chapultepec Castle, formerly the imperial and then presidential residence, it now houses the Museum of History. It sits on a hill and we are up too close to see the scale of this beautiful building (also the queue is ridiculously long for the museum so we’re not going in).

Walking further into the park we stop to watch a “flying pole” performance, the “Danza de los Voladores”. A group of men in traditional outfits do a ritual dance while drums are banged and music played. Then five of them climb to the top of the pole!

The pole is 30-metres in the air and four of the five participants launch themselves, tied with ropes to descend to the ground. The fifth remains on top of the pole, dancing and playing a flute and drum. It is very entertaining to watch.

It’s time for lunch and another torta… these sandwiches are giant with layers of meat so I only manage a few bites of Shane’s!

We walk to Polanco, an upmarket neighbourhood, which happens to be where Shane lived many years ago. His old apartment still stands!

Back to the park, it’s time to visit the National Museum of Anthropology. The building is amazing.

There is a huge volume of exhibits so a lot to see.

The most famous is the Aztec sun stone which has a complex set of glyphs representing a type of calendar (it gets very complicated when you read the different interpretations). Likely carved in the early 1500s, it was buried during the Spanish conquest and was discovered in 1790 during repairs to the cathedral in the Zocalo.

Next day we are off on a full day tour which I’m very excited about. We have a knowledgeable tour guide who gives us all sorts of info about Mexico while we are on the bus, e.g. the official name of Mexico is the The United Mexican States and there are 31 states plus Mexico City. Our first stop is a place called Tlatelolco and what is known as the Square of Three Cultures. From this spot we see the modern city, an Aztec archeological site and a colonial church.

Back on the bus, we see the dense volume of houses built on the hills, sprawling to the edge of the road. They are colourful and have a certain “picturesque” quality from the road, but as you look a bit closer there’s no doubt there is a significant amount of poverty in these areas.

Next stop is somewhere I have wanted to visit for many years – Guadalupe. It’s a place where Our Lady appeared in 1531 so one of the oldest accounts of an apparition of the Virgin Mary. For those of you who know me well, you know I love this stuff… Having been to Fatima, Knock, Medjugorje, and the Rue de Bac in Paris, visiting Guadalupe is a huge thrill.

There’s a lot of ground to cover as the area has become a huge complex. First we go into the new basilica, which is huge and has numerous entry points. There is currently mass going on so we quietly walk around and then head to the main attraction that’s housed in this church.

We go behind the alter to see the very famous tilmàtli (cloak) which was worn by Juan Diego (who Our Lady appeared to in 1531) and according to what was documented at the time, an image of the Virgin Mary appeared on it in the presence of the bishop of Mexico City.

I’m always on the lookout for a relic and spot one of a saint who I’ve never heard of before.

José Luis Sánchez del Río was a Mexican Cristero who was put to death by government officials because he refused to renounce his Catholic  faith. He was 14 years old when he was killed in 1928.

There are a number of churches to visit including the original church that Our Lady requested Juan Diego to build.

From here we walk up the hill to the place where Our Lady appeared.

The views of the large complex with the city in the distance is impressive on this sunny (albeit grey-ish) day!

I could happily spend a whole day here but it’s time to move on, so after picking up a small statue in the gift shop, we get back on the bus and have an hour or so drive to our next spot. On the way, we see more houses on hills and our guide points out the aerial trams that are a regular form of public transport for those who live in these areas.

We reach our destination and there’s lunch (which I’m not able to have due to the ole tummy situation), a bit of a cultural show, then some local booze tasting (again not able to partake), and some display of local crafts (which I’m really not interested in) and eventually it’s time to visit the UNESCO world heritage listed, ancient site of Teotihuacan.

Teotihuacan is the site of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids.  The most famous pyramids are the Moon and Sun and in between there are lots more. It’s a vast complex and really awesome as we walk around.

We walk along the “Miccaotli”, a Nahua word meaning “avenue of the dead,” because it was mistakenly thought that the ruins on the sides and along the road were burial mounds. Partially visible today, this 50m wide and almost 5km long road also served as a backbone that structured the rest of the streets, squares and multi-family homes along it. It was the main avenue of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. The local population and visitors walked along this path; also, being a political, economic and religious center of great importance, it was possibly a pilgrimage and procession route for the surrounding towns.

The most common mistake people make is assuming these are Aztec ruins but they’re not, they were built by people earlier than the Aztec rulers (around 200 AD) and this is more than just a site for pyramids, this was a huge city in its day.

We head home for a rest after the tour and then hit a local restaurant for dinner. Shane is delighted to get his chilli rellenos and I’m taking things easy with some mini sopes. They are delicious.

Next day is our last day and we set off again on foot… we are covering a lot ground! We pass “Glorieta de las y los Desaparecidos” – the Roundabout of the Disappeared, which has been symbolically renamed and taken over by families of missing people. It’s a prominent traffic circle, that was renamed after families of missing individuals installed posters and memorials of their loved ones on the posts. It is very eerie.

We also pass the stock exchange building which has a cool display of stock prices around the circular top .

And of course more art along the main road…

I really want to see some Diego Rivera murals and we get to see his most famous “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon at Alameda Central”. It is fascinating to look at all the people depicted in the mural and try figure out who they are. Luckily there are notes to help identify them.

From here we take the metro, which by the way costs about 25 cents, to Coyacan which is where Frida Kahlo and Diego lived. Casa Azul (the blue house) is the house where they lived, now a very popular museum that needs to be booked weeks in advance. We didn’t book early enough so have to be satisfied with a view from outside.

They have really “leaned in” to the Frida phenomenon and she is everywhere around here.

It’s a really colourful area to walk around and there is a large market that has tonnes of food options so we opt for some enchiladas for lunch.

We stroll around and visit Parque Frida Kahlo where there’s a cool statue of Frida and Diego.

A short walk from the park is Museo Trotsky, where Trotsky lived from 1937 until his death in 1940 and where he is now buried. There is a lot of interesting history to read as we walk around his former home.

We take the metro back to the Zócalo. Did I mention it’s also called Plaza de la Constitución – so many names! The giant flag is getting a good gust today and you get an idea from this angle how big this square is. This important place has been a gathering place for Mexicans since Aztec times and it is always busy!

We were hoping to visit the palace where there are more Diego murals but unfortunately it’s closed so instead we visit the National Museum of Culture. Much of the displays are from around the world and they even have an Egyptian mummy!

It’s nearing the end of our time in Mexico City so we hit a Mezcalaria so I can have a final margarita and Shane can finally try some mezcal. We round it off with some guacamole, which feels very appropriate.

Next day before we fly off, we get to have a final tacos al pastor, which I think are my favourite tacos!

Mexico City has been a blast and I’m fairly confident we’ll be back again!

We arrive in Savannah Georgia to our Airbnb rental which is in a beautiful Victorian house in the Starland neighbourhood.

We have a room on the ground floor which is huge with its own living room. I love it!

We’re a bit of a walk from downtown so we decide to stay in our local area tonight. The houses around here are beautiful.

Of course Shane has found a brewery close by so we check out Two Tides Brewing Company which has this very tasty mango seltzer. We’re not loving the vibe here – nothing to do with the fact that we were asked for ID when we ordered but we decide to move on!

As we walk along the quiet (and hopefully safe) streets, we see the house of the first black nun in Georgia! Mathilda Taylor was born in 1834 in New Orleans. and came to Savannah as a young woman. She taught black children in her home before the Civil War, when it was still illegal. She married a black businessman in 1869 and after he died, in 1877, she traveled to York England and became a Poor Clare nun. She returned to Savannah and established an orphanage in 1886 and founded the first group of black nuns in Georgia where she became known as Mother Mathilda. She died in 1903. What a great story! There are historical markers all over Savannah sharing this kind of history.

Onwards to another brewery not too far from our house, called Whale Ale. As we arrive it seems there’s a local comedy night on and we see four comedians who are clearly very new to this but give us a good giggle.

Again we’ve had a big lunch so not able for dinner but we do have a second beverage at this place as it’s cosy and has a good vibe (and we weren’t asked for ID!!)

Next morning we set off to explore the town and walk to Forsyth park. Forsyth Park is Savannah’s largest and oldest public park.

The park’s iconic fountain was installed in 1858 and is one of the most photographed places in Savannah.

There are so many squirrels around. These two were particularly cute and seemed to be almost posing for me!

The weather is beautiful and there are so many nice buildings to see and squares (with many historical markers) to view.

We have sussed out the 7F bus which runs from downtown to our house and is free so we are able to jump on this and shorten some of the time to go back and forward.

We want to have brunch in our local area as there are a few soul food places we want to try. Unfortunately none seem to be open so we head back into town and end up at Paula Deans restaurant “Lady and Sons”. This place is huge and must be massively popular as she’s a big deal in the South. In fairness the food is very good.

After lunch we walk to the river which is the main touristy area and it’s busy, albeit with domestic tourists as we haven’t met any foreigners since we arrived!! We see the below slavery memorial.

We see the WWII memorial.

After wandering around for a while we buy tickets for the Telfair museum just off Telfair square and we see the famous Bird Girl statue that was removed from the Bonaventure cemetery when it became famous, having been depicted in the best selling book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” which I’m reading right now!

Our ticket is valid for 3 museums so next we do to the Telfair museum and see some art. I particularly like this.

The third museum is The Owens Thomas house and Slave Quarters. This is by far the highlight. Just as a reminder – on December 18th 1865, ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery. Below is the beautiful mansion that was lived in by a wealthy family who owned up to fifteen slaves in the 1800s.

The mansion was built from 1816 – 1819 for Richard Richardson, a Savannah merchant and is considered Savannah’s finest and among the nation’s best. The rooms are very grand and in particular there’s an amazing “bridge” at the top of the staircase.

In contrast, we see the slave quarters which were bleak and cramped, housing slaves who worked as nursemaids, cooks, gardeners and held various roles needed for the family in their urban home. Of course they owned many more slaves on their plantations out in the countryside.

The guide is fantastic and really knows lots of history of not just these buildings and the families who lived here but the general politics at the time. It’s a really good tour.

Time to head home and get cleaned up for a fancy meal tonight at Husk restaurant – it’s another anniversary celebration! We have oysters and beef tartare, catfish and a massive array of veg and a buttery Californian Chardonnay – delish!

Next morning after a pastry at Foxy Loxy, we pack up the car and head to one of the world’s most beautiful cemeteries, Savannah’s Bonaventure. It was made internationally famous by John Berendt’s 1994 bestselling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (that I’m still reading) as the book’s iconic cover photograph, depicting the Bird Girl sculpture in the moss-draped cemetery, became a symbol of both Bonaventure and Savannah. It is also particularly famous for the oak avenues of moss covered trees.

BONAVENTURE was initially developed in the 1760s as a 600-acre plantation and was later established as a cemetery, with the first recorded adult burial in 1802.

From the 1860s through the 1920s, the cemetery increasingly resembled a sculpture garden as wealthy families commissioned funerary monuments by artists from Savannah, the Northeast, and Italy. There really are some amazing sculpture and headstones to see.

The famous “Little Gracie Watson” was the daughter of a hotel manager, popular with everyone in downtown Savannah. She died of pneumonia when she was six years old, and her monument is based on a photograph given to a new sculptor in town named John Walz. It is famous for its likeness to the child and is kept in a beautifully maintained site behind an iron gate.

The other very famous person buried here is Johnny Mercer, who was a lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol records. He wrote tunes such as “Moon River “, “Hooray for Hollywood”, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” and many more. He’s also mentioned in the book I’m reading as the main antagonist lives in his former home which sits on one of the squares we visited yesterday.

We leave the cemetery and head for Tybee island which is a holiday destination.

It’s sunny and warm, and although we’re not quite dressed for the beach, we take a walk along the sand to the pier and enjoy notching up some steps before we head to the airport Mexico bound!

Well America it’s been nice to see the places we did. We didn’t witness any MAGA madness but we also didn’t have anyone really engage with us…. Maybe it’s always been that way, who knows. Ah well, I’ll be back after Mexico. Adios!

I’m excited to get to this southern state as it’s been on my list for a while. This is no. 32 of the 50 states for me, it’s been a while since I’ve ticked a new one off the list. We arrive from Chicago and pick up a car – it’s really hard to do any travelling in the USA without one. Here’s our baby for the next few days.

We had a small pastry in the airport this morning before our flight so we are ready to have a southern lunch. We stop at Boxcar Bettys for a fried chicken sandwich and it doesn’t disappoint.

I’m doing the driving and Shane is navigating and we easily make our way to Charleston where we are staying downtown in a “loft” which is essentially a tiny little two story apartment. It’s very compact and really close to the main drag. We park the car, drop our gear and head out to explore. There are tonnes of shops in the downtown area and while I’d love to do some shopping here, I haven’t a hope of fitting stuff in my bag at this early stage of the trip! Best to stick to admiring the many churches….

And the homes are beautiful too…

And there are more churches as we continue to walk to the river.

We are going to see lots of Civil War monuments and memorials in this neck of the woods but in Marion park we see the Charleston Holocaust Memorial. In addition to the structure in memory of the six million Jews murdered, there’s an inscription wall that lists survivors who settled in South Carolina. The wall also includes the names of 24 major concentration, transit, and extermination camps positioned east to west to reflect their extent throughout Europe.

We see the beautiful Customs House building or as I like to call it the Tariff collection house!! 🤣

Continuing to the Waterfront park we see the famous pineapple water fountain. There are little kids splashing away in it so I did well to get this photo in between their play. It’s warm but it’s not that warm!!

After a lot of walking, we agree we are still full from lunch so won’t go out for dinner tonight. We find a corner store and get some milk for tea and then it’s back to our tiny “loft” for an early night.

Next morning we set off for a day exploring Charleston. The fire department is a block from our place.

I have a craving for biscuits and gravy (sure you’d have to when you’re in the south), so we go to Callies Hot Little Biscuit and the biscuits and gravy are delicious. The gravy has big lumps of sausage meat which is quite different to what I’ve had before. I really like it! Carrie Morey is the proprietor and she serves us – she’s a bit of a celebrity as she’s got a couple of cookbooks and has been on tv. She adds a couple of cookies to our order as she has no English breakfast tea and I have to provide my own (Bewleys) emergency teabag from my handbag!!

We continue walking along King Street and visit a gallery where there are beautiful photos of Charleston – lots of trees with Spanish moss and doors, kind of like how you see the beautiful Georgian doors in Dublin. We take a few photos of our own although ours aren’t filtered enough to compare!!

We walk through Marion square and see a large stone which is from a fortress that protected Charleston during the Revolutionary War. It was destroyed long ago, but remnants of its formidable tabby walls (tabby is cement made with oyster shells and it’s very popular here and in Savannah) lie just below the surface of the park. This fragment is preserved above ground as a reminder of the structure that once stood here.

We arrive to Fort Sumter National park and walk toward the water and Liberty square.

From Liberty Square we see the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge which is a prominent landmark connecting downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant over the Cooper River.

We have booked a boat trip to Fort Sumter which is on a small island, about 45 minutes away. We sit in the half open deck and the wind is extremely gusty. We are blown out of it but we suffer on and are glad when the fort comes into view.

Upon arrival we listen to Ranger Walt (an extremely expressive young man with a booming voice!) give us the history of the fort. This is considered the place where the civil war began. In the early dawn of April 12, 1861, a mortar shell fired from Fort Johnson in Charleston Harbor burst over Fort Sumter, inaugurating the American Civil War. For 34 hours Confederate forces bombarded the fort, forcing the Federal garrison to surrender. On April 14 victorious Southern troops claimed their prize.

For the next four years Fort Sumter remained a Confederate stronghold despite frequent Union attempts to capture it. Between 1863 and 1865, determined Confederate soldiers kept Federal land and naval forces at bay for 587 days – one of the longest sieges in modern warfare. By February 17, 1865, the fort was virtually demolished and the Civil War was nearly at an end. The Confederates reluctantly abandoned the fort, leaving it to be re-claimed by Federal troops. And that my friends is the American Civil War in a nutshell!

For the return boat trip we decide to sit in the lower deck where we are protected from the wind. When we get back we visit the Old Slave Mart Museum, which was where slaves were traded.

It’s a sobering thought to be standing in the “salesroom” of what was Ryan’s Mart, built solely for slave auctions. Crowds of slave traders and buyers did business here in the seven years the building operated. It’s hard not to feel enraged and deeply sad at the thought of it.

After that tough history reminder, it’s time for a little respite so we head to a brewery called Palmetto. Shane has sussed out a free bus that will take us close-ish and we walk the rest of the way, through streets that we hope aren’t too dodgy!! Shane enjoyed the beers and the cider is good. There is even a red stout named after County Cork! From here we go to dinner at Rodney Scott’s bbq which is on our list to try. This place is famous for its collard greens (which are fantastic) and its whole hog bbq cooked low and slow. The meat is exceptional.

Walking back into town we go for a drink in a bar called The Dispensary and I try a local cider which is terrible. It’s not often that happens to me but I actually can’t drink it. The barman is really nice and says he’s had other people complain about it so I try a different cider which is like Ribena (not an apple in sight!!) and sure that’s grand!!

We get home just before a crazy rain shower that is so loud it would wake you up… luckily it ends before bedtime!

Next morning we are leaving Charleston and driving to Savannah, Georgia but first it’s time for a Big Bad Breakfast! I do love my biscuits and gravy and although these are quite different to yesterday’s they are still delicious. Shane’s shrimp and grits are super tasty, seems nearly too spicy and flavourful for breakfast and you could have them for your dinner!!

We have two places we’re going to visit on our way to Savannah. The first is Angel Oak and it’s down this lovely road…

The famous giant Angel Oak tree is in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island and it really is huge. Experts believe it’s age is between 400 and 500 years.

The tree measures an impressive 8.5 metres in circumference, and its branches stretch outwards to cover an area of approximately 1,600 square metres. The span of its longest branch reaches a staggering 57 metres from tip to tip. The sheer scale of the Angel Oak is a reminder of the incredible potential for growth in nature, given time and favorable conditions. It’s hard to capture its massiveness in a photo but to give you an idea, it took a few minutes to walk all around its branches.

Next stop is Cypress Gardens nature reserve which has 170 acres of extremely picturesque swamp!

They also have a butterfly house, birds (parrots and macaws), fish, turtles, peacocks and a couple of giant alligators on show!

We do a loop walk around the swamp and gardens and just past this sign….

…. A frog jumps in front of me and frightens the life out of me… while I’m looking at the frog Shane points out that the reason he jumped out of the swamp toward us is because there’s an alligator in the water. Hopefully you cans see him in this photo…

Having clocked up plenty of steps we continue on our way and stop for lunch at a diner in Goose Creek that does a shrimp po-boy and it is delicious.

We cross the river into Georgia state and say goodbye to South Carolina.