Well, I've been back in Australia for three months now and am starting to settle back in, reconnecting with friends and family. There have been a few trips to the beach, I love the blues of the ocean offset with the white, tan and greens of the beach and dunes. The endless blue sky caps it off and the occasional cloud is the crown. Even my eyes feel relaxed somehow...
My first dip in the Ocean was when we went to see Egg & Leoni on the Gold Coast. I certainly have missed being able to play in the waves...even if Danielle was laughing at my wave riding skills. I ended up having the last laugh as her and Pat were dumped big time...that ended surfing so we took turns with Eggs' kite. I was please to remember how to get one up solo as I hadn't flown a kite in a rather long time.

We had a weekend stay with Leggsys' at Currumbin so he and Pat could take in the Grand Prix in Surfers Paradise...we girls relaxed at the beach house. The twins fed the Rainbow Lorikeets & we caught up on some quality reading and beach walking time. My latest beach excursion was to Mooloolaba (Sunshine Coast) where Kath, Sonia & I had our girls weekend. We had 3 nights at the Landmark in an Oceanfront executive suite...gotta love it! It was a G weekend which meant we tried to think of things to do starting with G ...so a gourmet (we do our own cooking)& glamour weekend. My gourmet meal choice was Ceviche which of course doesn't include cooking in the conventional sense teehee. We also managed a morning gambole in the waves each morning prior to some sort of grooming (Kath brought her hair staightener & pedicure stuff, I brought a Sea Salt body scrub...)Our last night included a gargantuan storm display which ended up being the worst storm to hit the area in 25y. A thrilling electrical/wind/rain show and greatfully the girls weren't in the elevator for the period of time our grid lost power. A definate highlight of the weekend was watching the gorgeous giant full moon rise over the ocean each evening....

It is good to be back at this time as it is Spring here and the trees are blooming. Those lavender Jacarandas are just fabulous against the deep blue sky. When you add in the white Frangapani and Magnolias with the delicate pink of the huge peapod trees and the brilliant orange of the other unknown (?plane tree) then the horizen is a painters dream. Of course the perfumes of these trees try to outdo the bushes of Jasmine and Gardinia, which try to outdo the beds of Lilies and Roses and this culminates in a heady perfume that unfortunately awakens my allergies. But that is a price I'll gladly pay. This is one of my favorite seasons here ...though we are slowly moving into Summer which will eventually become too hot and humid. In the meantime I'm enjoying the knowledge that I will not have to deal with anything approaching 0C!

I ended up requiring some dental work when I settled back and was told that correcting my underbite is likely to minimize (and possibly eliminate) the headaches I've been getting from clenching when I sleep...hmmmm ...interesting to see how that works. So I now have braces for about a year and have decided that I may as well get the most out of them and started with screaming pink and metallic blue bands. I like them (as far as mouth jewellery goes) and hope they serve their purpose! Apparently I get them adjusted every 6 weeks or so (next Dec 11) and can have the band colours changed...so will likely get red and green for Christmas next.

After some adjustments I have settled back into work. I'm enjoying being back in the high acuity/fast pace of a tertiary care trauma center hospital. The commitment and philosophy of this ICU is in line with my own and that makes it an enjoyable if stressful experience. Fortunately there is a number of nurses remaining that I know and respect which makes settling in much easier and I am picking up the threads of my work social life again. The old 'theatre group' from work reconvened and we took in some of the Brisbane Jazzfest at the Powerhouse (always a funky venue) followed by a picnic along the River.

A family of Kookuburras moved into the neighbourhood while I was gone so now we have their haunting laugh to join the noisy chatter and bright flash of the Rainbow Lorikeets...they almost make up for minimal numbers of song birds. Certainly the Whoosh of the night wings of the fruit bat are sounds like no others! Spooky yet somehow reassuring at the same time...

August 11 was the longest travel day I've had in ages. Starting at 0430 at Peters where I took to train to Frankfurt to fly out for 1330. I flew Qatar Airways which were very pleasant with excellent food, meeting a very nice ex-ballerina from Munich on the plane. We killed the few hours waiting for connecting flights in Doha looking at the gold and drooling. After a total of about 27 hours traveling I arrived in Hong Kong. I managed to get some sleep on the flights so actually didn't feel too bad! I had a bit of a fright at the HK airport when the China Construction ATM wouldn't give me any money but I managed to get some from the Bank of China. I purchased my Octopus card (for the MTR aka subway) in the airport and found the YMCA in Kowloon where I was booked without any problems. Though first thing out of the train station some fellow was trying to pull me into a tailor shop... and we all know how badly that ended in Singapore! hahaha

I wandered around my homebase (Tsimshatsui) and decided the shopping was too designer and $$$ for me. So I headed to Victoria Harbour (which is a couple blocks from home) and watched the fantastic lightshow that is put on every night. It is partly laser show and partly the City lights that are synchonised to music and is really well done (as perhaps evidenced by the 'fireworks' show that was part of the Olympics).

First thing on my list of things to do in Hong Kong was to head up to The Peaks...so I took the MTR to Hong Kong Island and found the base for the Tram which is a funicular built in 1885 and has only been stopped for WWII & after serious rain/floods washed a large portion of the rail in 1966 with no serious accidents. Unbelievable considering there are portions of the rail where we must be on at least a 60% incline!! Fantastic in itself...and the views from the Peak tower (built to withstand 270km/h winds) are incredible. I was blessed with a clear day, perhaps it was good to be here during the Olympics as the Chinese shut down a number of their plants in order to 'clear the air' for Beijing. I gather from reading the english language papers here that China is using the Olympics to try and boost their standing in the 1st world nations. I spent quite a while enjoying the view, orienting myself in the mean time and luxuriating in the cool breeze.

After a while I headed back to sea level and started exploring Central district on the Island which as the name suggests is the central business district in HK. My first stop was Stanley street (recommended in my guidebook for Camera equipment) for a new memory card. I got a 1G card for HK$95 (HK$6=AUD$1 approx)so I think that was a pretty good deal though, to be honest, I really don't know...but I needed a memory card. This brought me to Li Yuen St which is a tangle of stalls in a tiny street (more like an alley) where I picked up some gorgeous Pashminas for a ridiculously low price and a funky cotton skirt. This was more my style! I wandered around checking out the stalls which carry all the 'stuff' we buy from China at a fraction of the price. There are some fantastic old market stalls and ladder streets (steeply inclined streets with steps)to be found in between the newer, massive business skyscrapers. I even managed to come across some wet markets, so called because they keep wetting down the produce to keep it fresh. Apparently, many of these have been banned as a result the SARS and Bird Flu issues here so I was pleased to be able to check one out.

When I couldn't think of walking anymore I hopped on a double decker tram to rest my feet and get an overall ground view of the northern portion of HK Island. I asked a local if the thing just went to the end and turned around and even though his english was very limited and my cantonese is nonexistent he was quite helpful. In fact, when the tram was to wait at the turn around point (where my new friend got off) he actually waited for the driver to kick me off and then showed me which tram to take back! Of course, me being me, I got on a different one as soon as he was out of sight...it was marked Causeway Bay and I wanted to check it out!

Causeway Bay used to be an area of godowns (businesses and warehouses) and a protected harbour for fishermen & boatpeople. Much land has since been reclaimed and it is now a top shopping district. I didn't get off the tram until I stopped seeing designer labels and started seeing more traditional shops (and much more bamboo scaffolding which is lighter and more durable than our metal ones-though it sure doesn't look like it!). I rambled through Jordens Bizaare and some other fascinating steets and alleys, checking out the wares. Lunch was on the go..something or other deep fried and rolled in sweet sticky rice...one of those point and hold up your finger things...and it was yummie! Who says you shouldn't eat from the street vendors?!

It was really rather hot and humid there...even I was sweating but the ocean breeze makes the difference between unbearable and just uncomfortable (33C with 80% humidity). Still...I was wise enough to head back to my homebase for an afternoon rest and guess what I stumbled upon in Central Station? Mrs. Fields Cookies!! So I brought some back to my room for afternoon tea and put my feet up.

When I ventured out again a few hours later I first stopped at Chung King Mansions (mentioned in more than one spy novel) which is a huge ramshackle high-rise famous for 'budget accommodation' with no questions asked (not even when they find a dead body if rumours are to be believed). The interior is stuffed with stalls selling whatever you could want and is more than rather sleazy...I suspect the fellows I passed on arrival asking if I needed accommodation meant to bring me here...glad I had already booked at the YMCA! After wandering around a bit I headed to the Star Ferry Terminal and took the ferry over to the Island ...it is a very short ride but as it was deep dusk with all the lights coming on and a rising full moon it was really quite spectacular. So I watched the lights from the Island for a while then took the MTR back to the mainland and headed for Temple Street night markets at Yau Ma Tei. I hung around checking out the jampacked stalls which radiate North & South couple blocks on either side of Tin Hau Temple. One can find all the copy watches, purses etc. including pirate CDs & DVD they could want there. Sonia had requested a purse so I used the excuse to check them out but liked a 'non-fake label' one best anyway. I actually found that most things I was interested in were cheaper where I was earlier so ended up just soaking in the atmosphere... grabbing a meal to go and then getting my fortune done. He was quite amusing, using a combination of physiognomy, numerology and palm reading...offering to be the one nightstand I was looking for (I believe quicky was the word he used) and gave me his card when I left. We shall see if he is more accurate with any of the other stuff eh? hahaha I even stopped and listened to the sidewalk Chinese Opera for a while but found it didn't really please my ear so I moved on after a short while.

The following day I ended up having issues with my Octopus card but the fellow was very helpful and didn't make me go through what seemed to be a painful process. He took my word and reissued my card on the spot...Hurray! After wandering about in Sheung Wan district for a while I swung by Ice House Road..there are some old stone steps with the wrought iron China Gas lamps from days of yore (1870)...most things here are relatively new as there isn't much regard for history it would seem, outside of temples of course. As if to highlight that fact...one of the buildings lining the area was covered in bamboo scaffolding. These were on my way to the Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens. HK gardens cover 5.6 hectare and opened in 1864...I guess they would be the 'green lungs' of HK Island. They have an assortment of mammals ie lemurs, sloth, orangutans. Reptiles such as tortoises and alligators and a fantastic aviary (WHAT!! you say...an aviary in Hong Kong ....with bird flu?) I confess to the same thoughts crossing my mind but as I wasn't handling these birds and things were very clean I enjoyed wandering around immensely. There was one cage with emerald and purple starlings and I pondered as to why we only seem to have the plain black ones in Canada.

I was surprised at how much cooler and fresher the air was in amongst the trees. So after hanging about for some of the hottest part of the day I headed to the Bank of China to take in the City views from their 43rd floor. This building is notorious among the Chinese as it is triangular and therefor has bad Joss according to the principles of feng shui. The refreshing views and air conditioning gave me enough energy to wander about a bit more before heading to my room for an afternoon rest.

The evening was very pleasant so I took the MTR to New Kowloon to see the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple which is one of the busiest Taoist temples in HK. It was built in 1973 and is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin who is worshiped by business people, the sick, and those trying to avoid becoming ill. Since I was in HK during the Hungry Ghost Festival which is when the gates of hell are opened to free restless spirits for two weeks to walk the earth is was indeed a very busy place. Unfortunately they were closing so instead I went to the infamous Walled City of Kowloon. This notorious village remained an enclave of China throughout British rule of HK and was known for its vice, prostitution, illegal dentists, and gambling and was also mentioned in a number of spy novels...didn't Robert Bourne go here? Shortly after reunification occurred the Chinese rehoused the residents and demolished the tenements, creating a lovely park instead. There are quaint little pavilions, ponds, and groomed grounds...all of which is walled (though the original walls were torn down by the Japanese when they occupied the area during WWII to build other things)and is very peaceful and yet somehow unsettling. Perhaps this was a remnant of history, perhaps it was that I was there at dusk and I found the apartment buildings in the neighbourhood to be more like tenements themselves. Never-the-less I wandered about having a look ...timing my return to the MTR with deep dusk (and there was that beautiful full moon to keep me company!). I found I was too tired to do anything else so headed back to the Y and had an early night.

My last day in HK found me in a slight panic...I wasn't ready to go! I had hardly seen anything! I still had some room in my backpack! What a place...the police presence is so visible (don't run in the MTR station - you'll attract attention) it is reassuring and unsettling at the same time. Like Singapore the government likes to leave messages of kindness, mellowness and restraint everywhere. Though I confess to being very glad of all the no spitting signs! According to the paper in some areas if you are caught jaywalking you must direct traffic for 30 min! Though apparently there has been objections as it is humiliating...I didn't read this article until after I had done a fair bit of my own jaywalking. Made me think twice about doing anymore I can tell you.

I checked out of my room and went back to the Sik Sik (which means spirituality, tranquility, intuition and purification) temple. The air was thick with incense, one of the few times I thought I could actually cut the air with a knife, really. All the worshipers (and there were hundreds even first thing in the morning) use incense aka joss sticks to offer up their prayers (which are promptly removed to make room for more!). However, I was glad that I decided to return. The temple grounds cover 18,000square meters and have several different halls, buildings, ponds and groomed grounds. As I had never been to a Taoist temple I was unsure as to edicate and didn't want to excite the anger of Wong Tai Din, especially during Hungry Ghost festival, so my first stop was the information centre where I made a donation and a few inquiries. Armed with permission to take photos I wandered about watching the worshipers, absorbing the atmosphere, enjoying the grounds and seeking the smoke clearing breezes. The Good Wish Garden & Nine Dragon Wall Garden were excellent places to clear my head and my lungs. I took quite a number of photos as I found the buildings to be so elegant and beautifully decorated. If I hadn't made an appointment for a hair cut I could have easily stayed much longer...I hadn't even had my fortune done with the chim (fortune sticks)! This may have been for the best...what if it only confirmed what the other fellow said about my unlucky love life?

After my haircut ($21 thank you very much) I went to the HK Museum of History where there was an exhibit honouring HKs' hosting the equestrian events. The main exhibit takes you through the history of HK island starting about 400 million years ago, giving the geological history, then moving through the last 6000 or so years of human history. Fascinating and very well done I thought, with replicas of village buildings, ships, costume, even a chinese medicine shop. To be honest, I didn't realize it was the British who started the Opium Wars by importing opium to China in a effort to equalize trade (the Chinese were exporting masses of teas and importing nothing). There was footage from WWII with interviews of ex POWs of the Japanese and a room which was a jumble of 60s and 70s 'stuff' from when Made in Hong Kong showed up in our christmas stockings. The special exhibit of the Horse throughout Chinese Art History was also very interesting. There were some excellent pieces both painted, carved and cast...though I confess to feeling shepherded by the security personnel.

I had enough time left for one more (well two really) Star Ferry ride to HK island. I also stopped at the Olympic Center to try and find some good Olympic souvenirs and even got my photo taken with one of the mascots. After collecting my backpack from the Y I took the MTR to central station where I was able to check-in and rid myself of my very heavy backpack (but I had 4kg left before reaching my limit...damn!).

I think I was wise to spent the hottest portion of the day in the aircon as I wasn't a sticky puddle when I arrived at the airport (though I packed so that I could take advantage of the showers there if need be) did I say yet that I love this place?
And started to look around and figure out where to spend my remaining HK dollars. I noticed a Tea store and thought how could I leave China without tea!!?? duh. However, by the time I made my selections I spent more than I had and used my credit card (the saying all the tea in China comes to mind). Though, I happened upon a Visa stand-proud supporter of the Olympics and only card accepted- where I noticed that I had spent $2 more than required to get a free Olympic pin and the chance to have my photo taken with one of the Chinese Olympiads (a cardboard one of course). As I wandered about looking where to spend my remaining HK dollars (again hahaha) I came across a lovely little restaurant with a 4 piece Jazz combo playing. So, I ordered sushi and green tea..killing the remaining time listening to jazz and spending my money in the most pleasant manner.
Hong Kong (which has a 50 year agreement to stay the same post reunification) sure knows how to make parting with your money pleasant.

Now I have been back in Brisbane for a few weeks and am settling into the next phase of my life. Sonia and Pat have kindly allowed me to stay in the room under the house until I can find a place of my own. Work has become a reality instead of a distant memory and I once again join the masses of full time workers. Almost said 'normal' people ...but I think I shall never join THEM eh?

Peter met me at the Hofbahnhof as arranged, though he was a bit late due to traffic so we didn't take the ferry to Switzerland we had to drive there. Just as well he drives a porsche haha. I realized as we crossed the border into Switzerland (which isn't part of the EU) that the downfall of the EU is no stamps when I enter new countries! Though I guess not having to change money makes up for that...but my passport remains sadly empty.

We got in rather late but he prepared a traditional Swiss cheese fondue which was lovely (hurray! a man who loves to cook!)then we sat around and got to know each other a bit. He lives in the foothills of the Swiss Alps about an hour outside Zurich. After a lovely breakfast of omeletes (what a change from the usual bread, cheese and fruit) we headed to the Alps in the Porsche with the top off to see what we could see. It was fantastic touring through the passes in a convertible...checking out the Swiss cows (whose bells are just a musical as the Bavarians) and the jagged mountain peaks ...heaven! The peaks here range from 2500-3200m. Some have glaciers, many have pastures and in some of the high passes the cows have free range and therefore one must be careful not to hit them. One was even lying on the road! We passed through the area where Wilhem Tell must have lived as there was a monument along with the occasional Gasthof named for him. The road drops off quite sharply as you would expect and it was an exciting and scenic drive to say the least. I was quite surprised by the number of cyclists (I'm not talking motorcycles here...though there were plenty of those also) we came across on the drive...talk about hard core!

We stopped here and there and then headed back to Peters for a dinner of Raqulet cheese and assorted other things. Raqulet is also traditional and we had it on a grill thing that melts the cheese to put over potatoes or assorted meats and vegetables...very yummie! The following day we explored the Altestadt of Zurich which is a 700-800 years old and really rather picturesque. It is located along a lake which is an unusual shade of green/blue with there plenty of wild Swans also. Peter says they are vicious which I believe as I know that geese sure are! We wandered around for a few hours then headed back to the foothills for a bit of afternoon tea at a scenic old restaurant that has a patio with a fantastic view of the Alps. One can arrive here by small plane if they want as there is a grass landing strip associated with the Inn...infact someone did leave via plane while I was enjoying my apfelstrudel with warm vanilla sauce and icecream! We had a quite evening as we needed to leave at 0430 to get me to the hauptbahnhof in time. Peter prepared a lovely porkloin with mushroom sauce for dinner...I haven't eating this well since leaving Christine!

With great reluctance I left my friends in Austria and started on the next leg of my travels. Thank you Christine & Martin for a wonderful time with you! Christine helped me pop a box in the mail and then saw me off at the train station where I boarded a train for Bavaria, Germany. I decided on Regensburg as that is very close to where my paternal grandmothers' (Windschiegl) family emigrated to Canada from. Regensburg is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, bombs fell around the Altestadt but not ON it during WWII so it has been refurbished but not rebuilt. It started as a Roman settlement under Marcus Aurelius and was the first capital of Bavaria. For 600 years it was the residence of dukes, kings and bishops...enjoying the benefits of an imperial free city. All this means that there are some fantastic buildings as each tried to outdo the other! Including the Old Stone Bridge (which helped make Regensburg a major trading center as it was the only stone bridge downriver from Vienna) and St. Peters Cathedral (started in the 12th century taking about 500 years to complete). Johannes Kepler (famed astronomer and mathematician) and Oskar Schindler (of Schindlers list fame) both lived here.

I stayed in the heart of the Old City (Altestadt) and found Regensburg to be a lovely place to wander around with its narrow, twisting cobbled streets and interesting buildings. I made a point of trying to take different ways to get places so I could see as much of the city as possible and even though the streets are purposefully designed to confound invaders I had no difficulty negotiating my way...bizarre! I spent the first day getting the city tour and then just looking around. Then, as I was there for the weekend I spent Saturday night out wandering to see what was going on. As I was sitting in one of the many squares watching people I noticed a group of fellows in Kilts with one playing the Celtic drum, turns out they were a Bucks party out to celebrate and they had quite a number of antics that had to be performed by the groom-to-be including trial by ice (carrying an icebag under his kilt a predetermined distance) and some sort of pain thing..snorting a rather large line of salt, having lime squeezed in his eyes and chugging tequila (which he likely needed by then!). It wasn't long before they were joined by a group of fellows in Lederhosen (it surprises me just how many people actually wear traditional clothes in Bavaria)doing their own silly things and then groups of Does daring the bride to be with their own agenda...one of which included bribing one of the Celts to show what he was wearing under his Kilt! Needless to say I hung out there for quite sometime watching but unfortunatly I had decided to travel light and didn't have my camera. From there I decided to check out a couple clubs I had noticed...starting at the Banana a Rock club that played some great music but somehow I feel weird sitting at a bar, not drinking alcohol, by myself and as it wasn't busy (perhaps 2400h is too early?), and some fellow seemed to have decided that he was taking me home...I went to the Piratehole which turns out to be a heavy metal bar (but again not live music) however as it is a smokebar (you pay a 1Euro fee and become a member so you can smoke tabaco in a hooka) I decided that it wasn't for me and headed back to my homebase.

I went to the Cathedral for high mass in the morning which was great. The 'sparrows' (their famed choir) were on summer holidays but there was a replacement choir, along with the organ which was wonderful. It was a beautiful setting for mass, which of course, I couldn't understand. From there I caught the train to Furth im Wald - a medieval town that takes its medievalness seriously! For the first 2 weeks in August they had medieval days with jousting and all sorts of activities. They seem to be mad about Dragons here (my ancestors settled here before branching out in a NorthWesterly direction)so perhaps the Windschiegl side of the family were dragonslayers. It is a quaint, isolated little town right near the Czech border...in fact a woman I struck up conversation with on the train said that when she used to take the train to Prague (where she was currently headed) prior to the fall of the iron curtain she was often the only person on the train. I spent the day wandering around...finding the Church that was there at the same time as my ancestors (15th century) but the Cemetary was too new and I didn't find any Windschiegl tombstones.

As the trains didn't actually go to the town my greatgrandfather came from I settled for close...going to Hof which is either in or very close to what would have been East Germany. I managed to find my way from the train station to the town center without any trouble (very few people speak any English in this area) and took a look around but only stayed for a few hours as a major storm was moving in. After picked up some Hofen truffles and other food I managed to get on the train back to Regensburg just as a downpour started. I got to enjoy the lightening from the comfort of the train! Luxury cars seem to be manufactured around here as I noticed several train cars of Audi and BMW in the loading area at a station on my way back.

From Regensburg I took the train to Rhineland where my paternal Grandfather emigrated from. Once again, trains don't go to the town where he was born, so I decided on Koblenz (pop 108,000)which is at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. It was established by the Romans in 10BC and is now the commercial and economic centre of the Upper Rhine region. Home to two fantastic castles, it is the northern gateway to the Romantic Rhine. As an ancient commercial centre is has a lovely Altestadt with some excellent churches and buildings. I had my usual lunch of bread (I love the dark bread with all sorts of seeds!), cheese and fruit in the Am Plan square which, over the years, has been used for such things as a butchers' market, a stage for religious plays, a place of execution and an arena for medieval tournaments. It is now a perfect place for people watching.

I had planned to take the trains around the countryside, as I did in Bavaria, but changed my mind and booked a day tour up the Rhine. It was a wise decision and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip on the Paddle Steamship 'Goethe' viewing the fantastic rolling hills, many of them covered with vineyards, the amazing number of Castles...some in ruins others privately owned, even a few that are backpackers or hotels, and the quaint, picturesque villages. I was only here for a few days which was just a well...there is some sort of bug that likes me and leaves an itchy/painful welt that took a week to go away. I never did see what was biting me.

Fussen in the Bavarian Alps was my next stop (yes, I know, I'm zigzagging again). I felt I needed to complete my Castle viewing by checking out what is likely THE biggest tourist drawcard in Germany... Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau.

Fussen (pop ~ 10,000) is the last stop on the Romantic Road and is nestled between towering Bavarian Alpine peaks (about 3000m)and is a part of the Konigswinkel (Royal Corner). It has a wonderful Altestadt with tangled cobbled lanes lorded over by the Hohe Schloss...a late Gothic palace which used to be the retreat of the bishops of Augsburg. The inner courtyard is a fantastic example of illusionary architecture dating from 1449. The sgraffiti is really quite fantastic and the photos I took of course don't do it justice. The north wing of the palace has an interesting collection of 15th & 16th century paintings and sculpture. Below the Schloss is the former Abbey of St. Mang (8th century)which is a lovely baroque building that houses the museum also. They do an excellent job of showing some of the Roman foundations along with some interesting exhibits (unfortunately for me in German-I MISS MY TRANSLATOR Christine!!) especially on showcasing their heyday as a 16th century violin-making centre. However, I was lucky enough to be wandering around while a wedding was about to take place so I got to see everyone in traditional dress and listen to their Chamber music.

The real attractions though are associated with King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He was born in 1845 of the future King Maximillan II of Bavaria and Marie, a princess of Hannover-Braunschweig (and considered excentric by her Ladies-in Waiting as she liked to climb mountains). Ludwig was raised in Schloss Hohenschwangau which is decorated with fantastic murals depicting the mythological world of the history of Germany in the Middle Ages. These paintings influenced an already romantically-inclined boy who developed into a simple noble man. Not exactly King material (not being prepared for this role by his education didn't help either)...his romanticism and passion for music led him to a love of Richard Wagner. As his role was largely as figurehead only (he became King at age 18), he was able to concentrate on more 'noble and beautiful' things...such as designing and building fantastic castles. Schloss Nueschwanstein was designed largely by King Ludwig II himself with the help of a stage designer (rather than an architect)and is a fantastic Romantic medieval castle. It is so lovely/romantic that it was the model that Walt Disney used when designing the castle in Disney Land. The wonderful murals throughout are depictions of different Wagner operas (which, in their turn, are part of Germany mythology). The amount of time, materials and money that went into the Palace is mindboggleing and as this was only ONE of his creations (he was getting further and further into debt..though he wasn't using public funds) the Bavarian Government decided to have him declared insane. Without even examining King Ludwig II Dr. van Gudden declared the King insane and unable to rule (interestingly Ludwig would likely have abdicated voluntarily) and removed him to Schloss Berg. The following day both King Ludwig II and the Dr went for a walk never to return...they were found dead in very shallow water. No proper investigation was undertaken and it all remains a romantic mystery. The Palace was never finished but what was completed is absolutely fantastic. It remains in the family and I should think they have certainly paid back any debts owed and then some. The castles continue to help the locals make their living and if you are in the area it is worth a detour to go and see.

I walked from the Castles (about 30 min on the edges of the Bavarian forest) to Tegelbergbahn which is a cable car that takes you to the top of Tegelberg (1707m) and gives a wonderful view of the Alps and the Forggensee (a lake where I had dinner the night before with a fellow I met on the train). With my usual luck, my ride was timed to include coffee and cake (an excellent plum cake) in the price of my ticket. I enjoyed the cooling breeze and the views while watching the hoards of parasailers (with the odd hang-glider)take off. If tandem parasailing had been offered I would have partaken...as the views were perhaps even better than in the Rockies (bite my tongue!) with a deep blue sky and the craggy peaks, some with glaciers, that I love so much. Even the cows here seem to be scenic..they are an unusual shade of brown/grey and have the Bavarian cow bells which are very musical. Schwan is german for swan (it is part of the name of things around here-and is the heraldic symbol of the Bavarian Royalty) and there are certainly plenty of wild swans which adds to the charm.

I was to meet a friend of Loris' (Peter) in Friedrichshafen (on the border of Germany and Switzerland) so I left Fussen a little earlier than necessary so I could stop in Lindau for a couple hours. Lindau (pop 24,300)is on an island in the northeast corner of Lake Constance. It has wonderful views of the Alps, exudes old-world wealth and romance AND is where Nobel Prize winners gather for a week (though in June not August). The train stops right in the Altestadt and so I left my backpack in a locker at the bahnhof (It is SO organized for travellers here!) and wandered the streets for a few hours admiring the views and stumbling across a place that screamed out Moms' name for a souvenir. You may have to collect it here in Australia though Mom hahaha.

Our next excursion included Martin as he had an unexpected day off. We went to the Mechanische Klangfabrik Museum which has all sorts of automated musical devices dating from the 1800s up to a 1950s Jukebox. The earlier pieces were quite interesting and it amazes me how good some of them still sound. Most were pneumatic devices requiring to be pumped or the later ones require electricity. One of the nieghbour girls came along and as Christine was helping her learn English I took the opportunity of the gramatical explanations to try and pick up a bit of German ( probably should have said yes when Christine ask if I wanted German lessons from her when I arrived...talk about being a slackard!).

The following day we went for a scenic 10km return walk along the Gross Mühl river through pastures and fields to Ulrichberg where we had a lovely little lunch and returned to Schlägl for a tour of the Monestary which is the only Austrian monestary that continues to brew beer. Alfred was our tour guide (an aquaintance of C&Ms) so he took his time explaining things to us...allowing us up to the High Alter (usually Verboten). It was founded in 1203 so is Gothic with renovations to add Baroque alters and Rococo touches in later years. My favorites were the wonderful library and the catacombs which are also the oldest part and more Gothic than Baroque. Martin met the three of us for coffee which we had in a very old restaurant, which is associated with the monestary, with our table being in a HUGE old wine cask. After coffee I went with Martin in his Maserati to pick up a movie (which we still haven’t watched). It was my first ride in a Maserati and I quite enjoyed it ... it has a surprisingly smooth ride and I love the sleek clean lines of the car. The steep hills and winding roads are excellent for testing a sports car!

Christine & I spent a day touring along the Gothic trail which means we saw a number of Churches dating from the middle ages. Our first stop was Bad Leonfeldon to check out the lovely stained glass. Then to Kefermarkt where they still have their pillory post (where people who misbehaved were shackled to be humilitated) and their church has a fantastically carved 13.4 meter high alter (carver unknown). We spent quite sometime admiring the detail and intricacy of the cravings before carrying on to Friestadt. This town was established in 1220 by Duke Leopold VI who had the unusual idea of allowing the peole ablsolute title to their houses and land with no feudal duties! How progressive was he!? Thus the name Friestadt = free town. It still has the ring wall around it (actually 3 successive walls), you can see where the moat was (now grass) and it has been wonderfully restored. They had special priviledges (similar to Linz) which includeed staple rights (1277) and mile rights (1363). This means that all traders HAD to stop for 3 days to give the citizens the opportunity to buy goods-especially iron & salt which were more precious than gold at the time. Mile rights means that noone could offer food or accomodation to travellers within a mile of the town. This made the town very rich but the 30 years war changed all that. It was an excellent place to spend the afternoon with an informative museum in one of the watchtowers (the keep) that gave a very good explanation of how life was lived during the heyday of the town with an excellent view from the top of the tower.

However, I think the most moving part of the day for me, was at the beginning when we went to a memorial for the iron curtain. There was a portion of the fence (moved a few kilometers from its original spot at the border for easier access) which was chilling enough...I can only imagine how intimidating it would have been seeing the road that ran along the communist side with the tripwires and landmines located in the carefully cultivated (to see any footprints) field that would have been there. Not to mention the armed guards (whom Christine heard were paid extra if they caught potential escapees) and viscious dogs...we are so lucky to be born in rich and free countries!

C&M had visitors from Vienna for a couple days and that was very pleasant. We all went down near Linz on Saturday (Martin & I drove in the Nissan 330ZX-love it) where we had lunch in a little town called St. Florian. This is were Anton Bruckner (composer during the romantic times) went to school and later was a teacher and organist. His sarcophagus is in the Catherdral there which is very much a Baroque style catherdral. I had been thinking that I prefer the Gothic or New Gothic but this was really something else! The frescos, sculptures/carvings and marble are really quite fantastic. We happened to be there just prior to a wedding so the organ was being played –apparently it was Antons favorite and it did sound quite spectacular. As it looked like the wedding was about to begin we went outside to find a couple of trumpeters playing and the wedding procession exiting another portion of the monestary to come to the cathedral! Naturally we stood aside and watched...some of the members were in local custumary costume and it was all very wonderful.

From there we went to Freilich Sumerauerhof-a typical (rich-as the area around here was rich) farm built in the square courtyard style from the 1800s. They have an excellent exibit of life in the country with a large collection of typical painted furnature of the times. They had some interesting presses for making Must (like a cider) from apples or pears and a collection of farm implements including one of the first combustion engines and even a John Deer which had been sent over by the Americans after WWII when there was such poverty and need here.

Sunday C&I went to Mariondom (the ‘new’ catherdral in Linz) for an organ concert which was very nice and gave me the opportunity to appreciate the fantastic stainedglass and architecure again, now that I have seen so many other cathedrals. I love the soaring gothic arches and the stained glass really is something else. Not far away in the country is Wilhering (how DID and area so small support so many fantastic buildings?) monestary founded in 1146 it was burned very badly in 1733 by a young girl who was influenced by a local peasant boy. He was burned to death as punishment and she had to watch...knowing she would be next. The monks decided to give her a reprieve but the whole experience drove the poor girl quite mad. This destruction was so extensive it gave the opportunity to rebuild in a very impressive Rococo style. It is quite beautiful though far too much decoration for my tastes. Apparently, after a time, even the craftsmen-artists had to agree and the styles became cleaner and less complex again.

After lunch at the Linz house with Carolina and Andreas C&I continued on to Rainbach where the first permanent railway on the European Continent has a museum. We were able to ride on a strech of the railway in a horsedrawn carriage to the museum where they have a lovely private (vs state owned) exhibit. Originally just goods were transported – salt from Linz to Budwies with granite and glass on the trip back to Linz. Eventually there were coaches for people so a little restaurant was added in the building and it was there that we had ‘road apples’ dumplings filled with nuts and something else...rolled in poppyseeds and surrounded by vanilla custard...very delicous once you got over the fact that they kind of look like road apples hahaha. We had a brief stop at the chruch in Reidenthal where the pulpit has carvings of human heads representing the 7 Cardinal sins...greed, lust, wrath, pride, gluttony, jealousy and sloth.

The Schulmuseum in Bad Leonfelden (closed when we were there the other day) was a highlight of the day. It gives a wonderful explanation of how schools worked (or not!) in Austria from the 1700s. They started off as glorified childminding (in my mind anyway) where the school master earned almost nothing and really was quite uneducated himself. In 1774 Empress Mariea Theresa decreed that all children must go to school from the age of 6-12 and her successor, son Franz Josef II had a school specialist create a book outlining what a school should look like and what should be taught (reading writing and arithmatic were added). The system progressed to a wonderful system that is in place now where education is acutally affordable to the masses. What a concept!

My last few days in Austria have been a bit more relaxed. We walked to the neighbours to pick johannesbeer (?red currents) for juice and jam and then in the evening went to the local dairy farm for milk. The farmer was just preparing for the evening milking session and showed us how it works...the milk is just so much nicer than pasturised...perhaps because it is whole! On our way through the fields to the dairyfarm we came across a herd of Highland cattle which made me think of you, Lori.

We made a visit to the local recycle center today and I was very impressed at what they accept. Everything from fridges to batteries, used oil, assorted glass, metal, cables and plastic. Even old clothes wood and bricks are sorted and recycled as possible. It was quite busy when we were there (and this is a small village!) and Christine explained that garbage is picked up only once a month in the country so people have added incentive to recycle and compost. In the city you can decide if your garbage is picked up more than once a month but you pay an added fee. I like it! We popped into the town hospital (180 beds) where Martin is head of Radiology and he gave me a tour..very impressive and well laidout.

Christine is an awesome cook and has been making all sorts of Austrian dishes for me and I’ve been helping in the kitchen...will this be the beginning of the end of my non-cooking life? Only time will tell...in the mean time I’ve been gorging on assorted types of strudel (sweet and savory), spätzle (perhaps my favorite-thick homemade noodles), and knödel (dumplings which can be stuffed as the road apples were-or even better with fruit) to name just a few items. On Thursday C&I will return to Linz see a bit more before I head for Bavaria, Germany on Friday.
It has been wonderful experiencing Austria with such knowledgeable and warm people! I can't think of a better way to 'get my feet wet' in Europe.

My time in Austria is flying by I will stay in Austria for perhaps another week and then head to Germany. My flight over the Pond was uneventful (the worst leg of my travels will be Frankfurt to Hong Kong) and my friend Christine (her husband Martin was working in Rohrbach) was in Linz to meet me. Contrary to the belief of some people I talked with in Vernon BC, I did not have to parachute into Linz, in fact they have a lovely little airport (international) and have changed their image from a dirty steel town (created by Hitler who went to school here and adopted the city) to a Cultural Center. In fact they will hold the status of European Capital of Culture for 2009.

The first thing to get used to was the narrowness of the roads! Fortunatly the majority of cars are compact though of what we would consider luxury makes ie BMW, mercedes, Audi. After visiting with C&Ms sons Wolfgang & Andreas whom I first met in Nicaragua, Christine & I went for coffee at her third sons, Lucas, whom I had not met yet. As I expected, he is as welcoming and warm as the rest of the family and immediatly put me at ease. We explored the neighbourhood around his new flat and then picked up Carolina (Andreas fiancee whom he met in Nicaragua) and set out for Rohrbach- where C&M have their main home in the village of Krien (consisting of 10 homes). We met Martin at a restaurant called Teufelsmühle (devils' mill) where we had dinner. I tried the Grammelknödel which is dumplings with pork crackling over saurkraut yummmmm I can see that I will enjoy the cuisine here! The restaurant (as the name implies)in in an old mill set along the river and is a lovely setting, and a great way to become accustomed to not being able to read the menu! Fortunatly for me, most people have some basic english and seem more than happy to make the translation efforts. My homebase is now the spare room in the upper corner of a renovated farmhouse dating from the 1760s. The farmhouses here a build in a large square with an inner openair courtyard where the animals/garden used to be. They have done a fantastic job renovating and I shall feel very comfortable here. We relaxed the first few days...a bit of berry picking and a walk to the local little chapel which are everywhere in the hills (these may also be small mountains depending on how you look at it!) around here and are really quite quaint. We went to an area very close to the Czech Republic called Berenstein where the rock formations are quite dramatically layered as a result of the granite and erosion over the millenium. After climbing to the top of the highest point one can see the Czech Republic and Christine told me the story of how when the communists came into power after WWII a man made lake was created flooding many homes in Austria with little if any warning. They also evicted any Austrians within the new borders with one hours notice and then destroyed the villages. Many people came to the area where we were to watch the burning...how aweful that must have been! We spent part of a day at Haslach at the weavers museum which was really quite interesting. They have working models of the first automated weaving machines and some excellent exhibits of early methods of local weaving.

After a few days in Krien Christine & I returned to Linz and explored the city. Christine was (still is..once a teacher, always a teacher) a teacher and is a wealth of knowledge. We parked by the Danube River and I got my bearings for the city via a very well done relief map located in the Nue Rathaus (new City Hall...I like the name in German haha). As we walked across the bridge to the AlteStadt Christine pointed out two rectangular buildings on either side that were erected by Hitler. As I mentioned, Hitler quite liked Linz and made a point of bringing some wealth to the area. There is a building to the right where an Apothecary is still located that used to belong to the brother of Beethoven. In the 'new' Haptplatz (main square..and by new they mean from 1300s!) there is a wonderful Baroque style column erected in 1720 after the plague to guard against war, fire & plague. I gather these are fairly common but unfortunatly didn't really work as all these things occured again after it was erected! The buildings here tend to be narrow and long with high doors on bottom so the horses and wagons could enter. In Linz buildings were taxed according to how many windows opened into the square. The first Kirch (church) we entered was set off from the square as it was Jesuit (from the late 1600)and as Austria was protestant then, they weren't allow to build on the Haptplatz. Anton Brickner (famous composer) was organist here from 1856-1868. We wandered around the Old Market seeing where the salt used to be weighed and where Mozart stayed while composing the Linz Symphony during the later part of the 16th century. The local Schloss (castle first mentioned by Karl the Great in 799) was built along the Danube and has been turned into a museum. The walls are about 1-1.5m thick and the history of the area is well laid out inside. As with much of Austria it was inhabited from the neolithic era and there were artifacts from the stone age to the Roman era through to the 20th century. Some of my favorites include the music collection including a piano given to Beethoven by his pharmasist brother and artifacts from typical life in Austria over the centuries. There was a wonderful reproduction of a typical farmhouse for both the upperclass and the 'regular' farmer..two rather different homes. The heating system is rather ingenious using ceramic enclosed fireplaces which are loaded from another room in the wealthy homes to avoid the associated dirty and disruption. We checked out several other buildings and churchs MarienDom is Austrias largest church with fantastic stained glass done in the same style as NotreDame in Paris. As with many churches the stainedglass was removed and hidden during the war to prevent breakage/theft. As an interesting aside Vienna passed a law that no church steeple could be taller than Stephansdom Catherdral (in Vienna) so the stone cap (3m) on MarienDom had to me removed...but to spite the Viennese they put up a cross instead which is even higher!

Christine & Martin had prior commitments, so on July 9 I broke in my Eurrail pass and set off to Vienna. C&M had booked me into a home for retired priests run by the Benedictine Sisters (www.stephanushaus.at) which is in an excellent location just on the border of the AlteStadt (old city) and a 4minute walk from the U-Bahn (subway) which is very well laid out and took me pretty much everywhere I wanted to go. The room was sparse but clean with the bathroom & shower down the hall but for €30/ni is likely the best price in town! Vienna started as a Celtic settlement in 400BC with evidence of stone age occupation as early as 5000 BC. It was a Roman garrison in 180 (Vindobana) and is first recorded by the name Wenia (it is called Wein in Austria not Vienna) in 883 by Charlemagne.

My first tourist stop was Stephanplatz where the U lets me out right at StephansDom Cathedral. There are some removations going on but it remains a spectacular building with lovely ceramic tiles on the roof. The first church (it is the custom to build new churches on the grounds of old churches) was started in the 13th century and rebuilt/enlarged over the years. It is also the custom to change old gothic churches to suit new styles ie baroque. The only original parts are the great gates (entryway)and the heathen towers which are built on top of ancient heathen worshipping sites. I returned to view Stephandom several times but my favorite church is in Minoritinplatz which remains more gothic than baroque and houses a mosaic replica of da Vincis Last Supper commissioned by Napolean when he occupied this city and created by Raffaelli. It is hardly mentioned in the guide book perhaps because it is more simple but it was built in the early 1200s (rebuilt in 1339). There are so many wonderful buildings dating from the middle ages onwards I shall only mention those that I felt more interesting! An area that I returned to fairly regularly was the Hofburg (imperial palace) residence of the Habsburgs emperors who ruled Austria for 640 years until 1918. It was orginally a medieval castle which was expanded and made evermore grandiose by each successive ruler. Now it incompasses gardens and several buildings, taking up a few city blocks. It was here that I happened across the Rainbow Parade and spent several relaxing afternoons when I had my fill of sightseeing...and switched to people watching. I was leaving the gardens my first evening here when a fellow in the costume of the 1900s talked me into a ticket for the Wiener Mozart Orchester. This is a group of musicians from the Vienna Orchestra who perform in authentic costumes and wigs from the 18th century in the style of the times. That means instead of playing the whole symphony/opera only favorite parts are played. The night I went they played in the State Operahouse and were performing works from Mozart. For an encore they played Blu Danube (Yes, I know that is Strauss) and it was simply fantastic! Likely the best €19 I will spend. I happened to see the fellow a few days later and as he seemed to recognise me I thanked him for talking me into the standing area tickets. As I was right in the center I had a perfect view (who cares if musicians are small after all?) and the acoustics are fantastic as one would expect.

The next morning, after my breakfast of bread, cheese, jam & coffee (included in my €30/ni!) which is typical here, I headed to Schloss Schönbrunn (as reccomended by Jeff as a MUST in Vienna). It is a UNESCO world cultural heratige site that started as a hunting lodge in 1696. As is the practice each Kaiser added on and renovated until it is a huge summer palace accomodating over 1500 people including the 16 heirs of Kaiserine Mariea Theresia (1700s). These Hapsburgs were serious about producing heirs and in the later years of their rule used marriage to curry power and peace instead of war...I kind of like that idea! The Schloss has remained in the last style Rococo with excellent ceiling frescoes which is fantastic with huge crystal mirrors and chandaliers (swarovski crystal is Austrian). 6 year old Mozart gave a concert here in the Mirrors room...there is much history here and I spent the entire day exploring. There are huge gardens with scattered scultpures and monuments with the Gloriette set far back on the top of a hill. It was constructed in the Roman style in 1757 to commemorate the victory in the battle of Kolin over Frederick II of Prussia and offers an excellent view of the Schloss and the city in the background. There is also a hedge maze, palm garden inside a steel and glass structure and the Zoo which is Austrias oldest and yet most modern. I opted not to pay to see the zoo, and managed to catch a glimpse of the Giant Pandas they have through the fence! There is a fantastic Imperial Coach Collection you would have appreciated Janice and I'm glad I had set aside an entire day for this.

I met up with Carolina (who studies and works here) and Andreas who took me for gelato, which makes the gelato we were getting in BC seem somehow less Suzie! Of course I ended up repeating the gelato experience several times and shall continue our search for the best! After Andreas left for Linz, Carolina and I went to catch some live music at Tunnel Vienna (www.tunnelvienna.at) which is a favorite student hangout. We saw Herbie Smith Department which were an excellent jazz/blues/rock mix. On the Friday Carolina & I went to the Prater which is a park opened to the public in 1766 and is now an amusement park with a ferris wheel (Riesenrad) dating from 1897 which offers an excellent view of the city. We spent Saturday lazing in Nue Danube park where one can swim in the Danube (I didn' swim but DID get do a bit of wading) and escape from the heat of the City. I managed to go to Sacher Hotel home of the famous Sacher Torte which was very nice though a coffee and a piece of torte were €10! A bit rich for my budget-though not too rich for the tastebuds.

The day after returning to Linz Christine & I took the train to Innsbruck where Martins mother lives right in the AlteStadt. We stayed with her and so were right in the middle of history. It is much cooler here as it is in the Austrian Alps (2000m peaks) which makes it very picturesque and the town itself was central for trade (close to silver, salt & copper mines)Archduke Maximillian I, who ruled here until he died in 1519 did his best to spend money by erecting a fantastic monument to himself- the Hofburg (Court Church). There are 28 larger than life bronze casts of his ancestors and some he wished were his ancestors including King Arthur (of the round table)however it is a beautiful Baroque church with a fantastic sarcophagus (which is empty as he is actually buried elsewhere) and is the final resting place of Tyrolean (the name of the area)freedom fighter Andreas Hofer. St. Jakobs catherdral is a pilgrimage church dating from the 1200s and houses the miraculous image 'Marieahilf' by Lukas Cranach (most recognised picture of the Virgin Mary)I liked it so much that I bought a card with a replica of the painting.

Christina, Frau Oertl & I explored the Yeughaus which was the weaponry depot of Max I in the 1500s and now houses an interesting museum of Tyrolean history & culture including a history of local trains-important for trade and tourism, which Innsbruck has been encouraging for over 200 years..tourism that is. After lunch Christina & I went to Schloss Ambras a Renaissance-style castle built by Fedinand II (1529-95) for his wife who was a commoner. He was very progressive with a fabulous collection of armour and was the first to cataloge and organise his collections. His 'kunst-und wunderkammer' (chamber of art and curiosities) is excellent. The special exhibit there was on Count Dracula-Wojwode Und Vampire(impaler and vampire) which was very interesting for the Romanian aspect and also amusing for what people will actually believe. The gardens here are in the English style and are very lovely also.

Our last day in Innsbruck the three of us caught the bus to Hall (20 minutes away) which is where Christina was born & raised. It is even more quaint than Innsbruck which seems huge in comparison and is where the local Mint is located in Münzerturm...located in the old (1200s)fortress Burg Hasegg. This mint was famous and was the first to automate..creating a water driven press. This is the home of the coin called the 'thaler' which later gave rise to the name dollar! The view from the watchtower was excellent, with the mountains in the background and the quaint ancient village..love it!

C&M&I ended up going back to Vienna the day after we returned to Linz so they could look for a flat for Andreas & Carolina. While they did that, I took the opportunity to visit the Albertina which is one of the largest and most beautiful (if you go with the literature-but I agree) classical palaces in Central Europe dated from 1776. It is built on one of the bastions of the wall that used to surround Vienna at the southern end of Hofburg (mentioned earlier as a favoured hangout of mine). The collections in here are fantastic. They have recently opened the state rooms to the public and there are paintings by the likes of Rubens, Dürer an others scattered about. I went to see the Monet to Picasso exibit from the Batliner collection. They have a collection of about 500 works which are shown from time to time here. So I got to see stuff from my favorite (Monet) as well as Degas, Cèzanne, Kokuchka, Picasso, Edvard Munch (not the scream), and even an early Toulouse-Lautrec (before his Molin Rouge times). There was also a special exhibit by Paul Klee graphic artist cum artist. All in all an excellent day...when my eyes had their fill I wandered around the museum quarter checking out the subculture exhibits there until meeting C&M & Carolina to return to Linz.

We spent the night in Linz and went to the AlteStadt to check out the pflasterspektakel (steet performers festival) before heading back to Krien. Now we will relax for a few days and catch my breath, in the mean time Christine continues to tempt my palette (and expand my waistline)with fantastic local foods.

Catching up with my old friend from Band Camp (who found me on facebook after 26 years)was fantastic. Sandra is one of those friends I´m blessed with that it doesn´t seem to matter how much time has passed...we just catch up and pick up from where we left off. We chatted pretty much nonstop the whole time and enjoyed each others company. Her husband Ken is in Calgary as they are moving there for a business opportunity and Sandra and the kids have stayed in Salt Spring until they sell their house. They have 3 kids Max (13), Alexander & Stephanie (twins 10) who are fantastic and helped make the visit extremely pleasant. We toured around the Island checking out the beauty -so many Arbutus trees here-in hindsight I didn´t get any photos of one but they remind me of a eucalypt tree in that they shed their bark. The scenery remains very rugid and spectacular with rocky beaches and large tree trunks washed up on the shore. Salt Spring is known for their Artist Community but there is much more than just them living here...with a population of 11,000-it is fairly well off but of course has the usual element of less well off. Apparently the homeless find their way here also...

I went to Salt Spring on the Friday and stayed until Monday afternoon...we played games with the kids and managed to see quite a bit of the island. Going for walks and tooling through town, including going to the Markets on Saturday where I picked up some fantastic tie-died shirts. And guess who I bumped into? Shaun (of the good advice) from Port Alberni! How bizarre is that? So I took the opportunity to thank him for the info and we chatted for a few minutes...such a small world. We bought some Salmon Candy (Suzie had mentioned something about it when we saw some in Coombs at Goats on Roof) which sounds disgusting but is actually really nice. It is a sweet smoked salmon and we gobbled it up pretty quickly! Sandra said it is just as well that we didn´t try it in Coombs as it is much better there.

I returned to the Mainland via the milk run ferry and thus had a opportunity to have an excellent tour of the Gulf Islands. We left from Long Harbour (a different Harbour than where I arrived) and stopped at Pender, Mayne and Galliano ($$$)Islands before arriving at Tsawwassen. Rick and Anne were there to pick me up and we headed back to White Rock for Canada Day. We spent the day tooling around White Rock Beach checking out the live entertaninment including the buskers and the bands they had playing. I had gotten some tattoos from a government public awarness thingo we came accross in Vancouver so we put them on. I also wore the Bandana (with Canadian Maple Leafs all over it)Alison gave me as a Going Away Gift before I left the QCH and I got tons of compliments on it. We set ourselves up in a perfect spot on the beach to watch the fireworks and were treated to an excellent display! We made it an early night as I had to leave in the morning but it was a lovely last Canada Day...glad I stayed the extra week and didn´t leave Vancouver the same time as Suzie as I originally planned.

Anne dropped me at the Airport and my flights to Europe were rather uneventful. Once again Air Canada seemed to have it together! Christine was at the airport in Linz Austia to meet when I finally arrived. I had been delayed in Frankfurt Germany for a few hours due to some computer malfunction and I took the opportunity to use some recliner chairs they have to catch a bit more sleep (I was on the redeye from Montreal). I tried to notify Christine that I´d be late but the phones and the crazy internet at the airport (31 Euros per hour!!!) didn´t seem to want to work for me. So here I am in Austria! If the internet remains as expensive as it was at the airport then I shall try to add another update and photos before I depart from Christine and Martins (a couple that I met in Costa Rica and then stayed at their place in Nicaragua)company.

So we headed up the mountains after catching up on laundry and a bit of emailing in Squamish. On our way to Whistler we stopped to see Lake Garibaldi and Bradywine falls as the sun came out. Suzie is finally starting to understand why I say the mountains are like Ontario and yet, so not .... The ceiling is finally lifting and she can get an idea of the spectacular scenery which is all around. Our first pit stop was Whistler where we walked around and had a wonderful Skor caramel apple. We decided that it was too cloudy to bother with the chair to the top and carried on over through Pemberton turning down the logging road to St.Agnes Wells/Skookum Chuck/Chick. This is a place recommended by Shaun in Port Alberni and he had mentioned that if you carried on furthur there is some natural springs. So we asked the young fellow at the gate and he gave us some directions...we paid him for us to camp that night and off we went in search. Shortly after we came across a reservation town with a beautiful old Church completed in 1904 and the graveyard to go with it. The community (what little we saw of it anyway) was very friendly and we toured the Church at the urging of a local..."just pull on the door on your right...your other right" hahaha. After asking a couple other people we happened on (logging company workers) for furthur clarification we found it without mishap. The last fellow we asked happened to have a black bear in the bed of his truck...we found out later that it was a garbage bear from the camp that was in traffic (such as there is in logging camp) and was provoked by the honking horns until he finally charged a truck and died. So Suzie and I got a close up of a Black Bear...we parked the car and walked down the rather steep hill down to these fantastic Hot Springs The temp is about 150F at the source and was very rustic. Someone had setup a shelter to change under and we noticed some shorts etc...so we changed quickly and investigated a bit more closely...there is a graduated series of pools starting with the hottest and cooling down to something close to the glacier fed mountain stream. As you may have suspected I tended to be closer to the source rather than furthur. We decided that it was far too beautiful there to bother about returning to St. Agnes that night (which was about 40km back on the logging road)...so I offered to trek back up the hill for our cooler. As we were setting out our cheeses and breads two First Nations ladies joined us...Judy who works in the logging camp and Byrl who drives a rock truck and is married to a Chief. We made some silly comment about marrying well and she said 'no,no he just came into Chief in the last few years' my comment about her being the strong woman behind the powerful man seemed to go over well and the next thing we knew we were laughing and giggling like old friends. Three fellows from the camp joined us and we laughed together until about 2200h when the ladies left and the rest of us light the tealights strewn about and laughed and chatted for another hour or two. The fellows carried the cooler back up the path for us - hurray! and we made our beds in the back of the JEEP...we would have slept well except for another car that showed up just as we were falling alseep...wouldn't have been a problem except they kept shining their light in the JEEP making us a little paranoid. We managed a good sleep regardless...and the drive back down to St Agnes Wells went well...we stopped and asked directions (Judy and I had laughed at my driving tactic of waving my arm at oncoming traffic to indicate the desire for information) with a logging crew and they sent us a different way. Once we figured that out we wanted to actually go the way we came so we could stop at St Agnes...we happened on a stopped logging truck and asked him...he gave us the info we required and then said 'I'll radio them and let them know you're heading that way now'...guess they had been tracking our progress which was a bit freaky and yet reassuring at the same time! St Agnes was lovely in itself...yet could not compare to our rustic springs. We chatted with the fellow at the gate and he found our liscence plate from the day before and let us in for free ($5 per person is the fee we paid ) so we could check them out. They have their hotsprings 'enhanced' which translates to they direct the water to scattered old jacuzzi tubs. There was half a septic tank for the main/hottest one which also had a wooden shelter around it. We hung about for a few hours enjoying the different baths then set up for lunch along the side of the river. Then we were off back up the logging road (another 46km) to Lillooet and into the Thompson Valley. The Cache Creek area apparently is a microclimate which has the hottest temperatures in Canada. All I know it that when we stopped for photos it was the first time I didn't grab my coat this trip! It was fun to watch the flora change from the big pine/spruce/cedars to the sage scrub. And sad to see the damage done by the Pine Beetle...Suzie said she was thinking how beautiful it all was until she realized these weren't fall colours but dead trees.

After spending the night in Kamloops we headed to Jasper...one of my favorite places in the world...I just love the jagged snow covered peaks and the abundance of wildlife. We stopped at Joffrie lake along the way which is beautiful with its big old trees and glacier lake. We stayed at the HI Jasper (hostel international) which is a large well run backpackers which was in a awesome location for us as we had a car...bit of a trek from town I think though. It is at the base of Whistlers Mountain and we saw some Black Bears and a herd of Elk (not at the same time) with some young on our way back to the hostel that evening. We took a side gravel road and found a perfect spot to watch dusk turn to night and the lights of this little mountain town come on.
We took our time driving from Jasper to Banff...with our first stop being Mount Edith Cavell which was named for a ?Belgium nurse who was executed by the Germans for helping the Allies associated with Mount Edith Cavell is Angel Glacier guess what it looks like? Yes an Angel...Next stop Athabasca Falls which a lovely but what I think is even better is the way Parks Canada extended the view areas so that you get an idea of the power of water by viewing some of the abandoned areas of the stream and the erosion in the rock. Spectacular! Peyto Lake was another wonder...the water is a spectacular blue as a result of the glacier sediment (same as Lake Louise on a good day) and really something to see. Columbia Icefields is just down the road and the shear immensity of it is staggering. We did a number of other stops and were amused at how we bumped into a group of others making very similar stops to ourselves. Fortunately, there aren't enough fellow tourists for this to be annoying. We tooled around Lake Louise but acutally spent more time at Morain Lake (which used to be pictured on the back of our $20 bill) We spent two nights in Banff, staying at the HI there which, if you request the Mary Ellen Barclay building is really a lovely log building with a fireplace. We went horseback riding by the Banff Springs Hotel and checked out the hotel and town fairly thoroughly. We even remembered to call our Dads for Fathers Day!

After a bit of relax time in Banff we headed for the Okanagan Valley making it as far as Sicamous the first day. This is where the house boats put in to tour around the Shuswap lakes. Just before Sicamous is Cragellachie where the last spike for the coast to coast railroad was driven. A rather historic place for Canada! We toured through the valley fairly quickly, stopping for a while in Kelowna to get photos of the Ogopogo and Kalamalka Lake. The weather was balmy and warm here too so we were happy to hang about for a bit. It was nice to see the rolling hills again and I was amazed at how many orchards have been converted to vineyards. We stocked up on fresh fruit and headed down the valley and to the Kicking Horse Pass which has a new bridge and is still pretty spectacular for scenery as is that whole stretch of driving...Roger Pass and the Princeton Highway which goes through Fraser Canyon/Thompson Valley country again. We saw some more Black Bears and stopped at a lovely spot for lunch (this is our routine...pull over at some fantastic spot for lunch...this stop was at a place where we could put our Cokes in the river to cool...using a good old BC Cooler heehee). Or only mishap was when we stopped in Hope we managed to lock the keys in the car...hurray for CAA (the automobile club for you non-Canadians) who arrived quickly and broke in with their usual skill. The rest of the drive went smoothly and we dropped our JEEP at the airport. Unfortunately Chook found leaving the JEEP behind so traumatic that he jumped out of the bag he was in on our luggage cart and committed suicide...I've shipped him to Australia for surgery...time will tell if he will survive.

Jeff (my Brother) picked us up at the airport to take us into the big City of Vancouver. Jeff and Reg made us feel completely at home and armed us with Maps and Brochures of what to do...but when you're located in English Bay as they are... it is hard to NOT find something interesting. So English Bay is our homebase while in Vancouver and we used it to total advantage. Walking to most destinations...we explored Gastown which is the old part of town where we saw a gorgeous painting by Jerry Whitehead that Suzie ended up buying. Apparently I'll be left that in her will hahaha as I played a large part in ooohhhing and aaahhhing to influence her decision. On our way from Gastown to China town we passed by/on E Hastings which is where the missions are located and the concentration of homeless was overwhelming. I gather there is a shortage of Mission beds so they are forced to spend a good part of the day waiting in line for a bed for the night. The smell and sense of desperation was too much so we detoured around to get to China town. We wandered around, checking out the Dr. Sun Yat Sen gardens, which were donated to the City of Vancouver by the Peoples Republic of China. Very beautiful.

Stanley Park was a full day affair and we used the free tourist bus to go around and information gather first, being entertained by first an ex-history/geography teacher, then a new Canadian who were both very knowledgeable and amusing. We got out at the 'hollow tree' which is 700-900 years old depending on who you talk with and unfortunately was damaged enough in 2006 to require being torn down sometime in the near future. I think any Canadian who has been to Stanley Park in the past has a photo of themselves in this tree. There is a photo posted near it with an elephant in it! In 2006 a hurricane smashed through Stanley Park destroying about 10,000 trees in about 4 hours. It took many months of tree harvesting (which funded the reconstruction) to clean up. Near the furthest point in Stanley Park there is a souvenier shop/snack bar and the destruction around that area was so severe they decided to just expand the parking lot. We grabbed an Ice Cream to fortify us for the walk back to the City and enjoyed checking out first the destruction-which also, now conveniently allowed for some great views of West Vancouver which is apparently the most exclusive suburb in Canada-and then the beauty that is Stanley Park. We took the required photos at the Totempole collection and then continued on.

I finally made it to Granville Island this trip and it is something to checkout. We caught the aquabus and spent most of the day there wandering through the farmers market and the various artisan shops. Emily Carr has her Institute of Art & Design here and it is very artsy. Much of the craftwork was way out of our league...but fun to look at never the less. The Ron Basford Park there has a wonderful view of the work going on for the Olympic Village and we watched that for a while and rested our feet. We went out for dinner with Jeff and Reg that night and had a lovely time catching up. They took us past the building where they purchased an apartment and we strolled about enjoying the evening until we decided to stop to eat. We had a lovely evening and I loved the opportunity to hang out with my brother and get to know Reg better. They are fantastic hosts and I look forward to staying with them in their new place!

Suzies last saturday we spent wandering around Gastown watching the free music from Jazzfest (including Dal Richards!) and there was also Aboriginal Days going on which included demonstrations of different dances and in general a celebration of the Official Apology for the Residential Schools. For you non-Canadians the Residential Schools were the brainchild of our government earlier in this century to 'educate the savages'. They entailed bringing the aboriginal children into towns etc and teaching them to be 'civilized' ie servants, read, write. The problem with the schools was the isolation from community for these kids (which was part of the point from the whitemans point of view) and there was unfortunately a fair bit of various kinds of abuse going on. Judy (from the rustic Hotsprings) was in one of the Residential Schools. Suzie left for Ottawa on the 22nd and I sent my last box to Australia, repacked my backpack, and spent the afternoon splitting my time between the free Jazzfest music around Gastown and the entertainment outside the Art Gallery for Aboriginal Days.

The monday I caught up with Ingrid (who I happened to bump into on the street our first day there) and then caught the bus to White Rock where I caught up with Anne. The next few days saw me back in Vancouver-North Van this time- with Gail who picked me up in White Rock. She is in town for a couple days only so I feel pretty lucky to spend a chunk of time with her. We went to Mike & Linda Cranes for drinks one night and dinner (lovely fresh wild salmon in filo) the next and in general have been enjoying each others company. We called Audra for her Birthday adn she is off the the Napa Valley to celebrate there. From here I head to Salt Spring Island.

Our trip to Houston was packed with fun.  We checked out the InnerCity Aquarium which was interesting especially as there was almost noone else there.   In addition to the wonderful underwater displays they have White Tigers!  Wierd combo I know...but they are behind this glass wall (I know!)  that made viewing amazing.  I hung around for some extra time with Jackie to watch them while Ken was kind enough to manage the Souvenier shopping. On our way back to the hotel we managed to get in the HOV lane (which looks like the symbol for carpool in other places..really) which is for buses and whatnot  OOOPPPS.   We were fortunate enough to get behind a bus and follow him out through the barracaded fence.  We topped off a lovely day with a meal at Outback Steakhouse...good old Texas beef...I had the prime rib...melt in your mouth as usual.

Air Canada has redeemed themselves in my eyes to some degree.  My flights were on time and I even made a 30min connection in Toronto.  That includes clearing Customs (rechecking my bag) enduring Security again and hoofing it over to the other terminal.  My bags even met me on the other end!  My stay in Ottawa was whirlwind as I knew it would be.  I managed to get everything done and squeezed in an extra visit with Sam prior to the FIST reunion.   Daphne was kind enough to allow me to shower at her place as the hotwater heater died at Mom & Dads (didn't help the cold shower when I woke up late for the airport haha).  Lori picked me up and we went out for a headbanging night!  I got to see some old friends and listen to some fantastic tunes so must confess to having a wonderful time.  Thankyou Lori for an excellent birthday party yet again heehee.  
Suzie and I landed in Vancouver, picked up our red JEEP Liberty and headed off to Vancouver Island.  We landed at Victoria and Danny was kind enough to sort us out for the night.  We got to listen to some of his music but unfortunately his band isn't currently playing.  We did a walking tour of Victoria and it is a lovely harbour town.  We checked out the old buildings including the Empress where we didn't have tea.  I liked Fan Tan Alley in China town but the city itself is really quaint.  We checked out Emily Carrs birthplace and had lunch at Fishermens Wharf which was the first of many excellent seafood meals.  The Terry Fox memorial which is located by the 0 mile marker for the TransCanada highway was very moving for both of us and on that note we swung out of town and checked out Butchart Gardens for the afternoon.  They are lovely and not to be missed if you like that sort of thing...which I do!  We ended up driving up Island to Duncan town of Totem Poles where we spent the night.  We backtracked a bit in the morning to see Chemainus, town of Murals and Cowichan Bay which was lovely all misted over with low lying clouds...very eerie.  We stocked up on Cider for Suzie at Merrydale Cidery and cheese from Little Qualicum which has a funky working farm you can checkout with the family.  I bought a wooden chicken who I'm doing my best to annoy Suzie with.  I've deemed him our mascot and insist he sit in the back seat so he can see.  We stopped in Coombs at Goats on Roof which is a wonderful general store that is huge and has a grass roof and therefor real Goats on the roof.  We picked up some bread and Tapanade and we were set with our staples.  
Fat Salmon in Port Alberni ended up being where we spent the next night.  It is a funky little backpackers with a welcoming atmosphere.  The owners, Chris is from New Zealand & Char is from Ontario, were lovely and we ended up getting some excellent information from them.  We were off to Tofino in the morning...stopping at a lovely mountain stream/river along the way to jump along the rocks and find a nice picnic spot.  We lucked out and had the place to ourselves AND the sun shone!  The sun came out again for a photo op at Long beach and then we made our way to Tofino.  We stayed at the Whalers on the Point (www.tofinohostel.com) which is seriously on the Point and has a fantastic outlook with large windows which came in handy as the weather turned nasty.  After having some Killer Fish Tacos at Sobos Suzie and I sat out watching the seals, eagles and seaplanes come in until we were too cold then admired the view from behind glass.  The next day was worse so we skipped the Whale/boat thing and started our Christmas shopping instead.  
We shopped our way through Tofino and went over to Ucluelet which is much smaller than Tofino and less developed..excellent!  We stayed at the SurfsInn which is a great location but we found it cold -though maybe it just WAS cold haha.  They recommended we eat at a new restaurant called the Float House, as you would think, it is at the marina in a float house!  They food was incredible...we had a salad with fruit, cheese, veggies and seafood that was brilliant and then had some tuna, salmon & shrimp sushi.  To top it off they had bottomless green tea and I finally warmed up for the day.  We wondered around and had a look then headed back to Port Alberni then Bamfield which is back down the other side of the Sound via about 100km of gravel logging road.  The isolation has preserved this sleepy fishing village and that was my personal favorite of the three for that area.  There is a large Marine Research and Teaching facility there The building is just fantastic and set up on the cliffs of course overlooking the Ocean and Hawaii in the distance.  We stayed at Maries B&B but saw very little of the room.  We wandered about town and had dinner at the Hawk Nest Pub which had only opened within the week for the summer.  This is a village of about 350 permanent residents and is divided by the Sound....after a long winter it would appear that the pub is a popular place to be on a Friday night.  Suzie and I enjoyed being the "hot chicks" in the bar  and ended up shutting the place down.  We met a number of characters, but I think it is Russell we will always fondly remember...he is an older native fellow who took us under his wing (or did we take him under ours?) when we first arrived.  He had us laughing and introduced us to some people and we took off from there.  The following morning we took the water taxi to the other side of town and walked to Bradys Beach where we hung out for the day and had another lovely picnic. and found a sheltered place to hang out and snooze for a while; The scenery is fantastic around here...and this little town is very cute...but I wouldn't want to spend a winter there I don't think.... at least that is what Science Man said when I was talking with him at the Pub.  He is a professor/marine biologist from the Research Centre and he said that even though he loves it in Bamfield, he is glad to return to Nova Scotia for the winter...imagine that!  Anyway...Bradys Beach is wild and rugged... it is rough out here on the edge of the Continent and I love the way the wind twists and stunts the trees.  We haven't seen any HUGE slugs but have enjoyed all the moss that comes with going through the Rainforest.  We spent the day handing about and exploring...had a lovely picnic (amazing how Suzie & I always manage to eat well and find beautiful spots to do it). Then headed back over the logging road to Port Alberni where we spend another night at Fat Salmon.
There were some new people there, the most interesting (in my mind) were two girls from Florida who are on their way to South Africa to work in a orphanage teaching sustainable farming.  They have the most beautiful voices...they did a set after our BBQ potluck (I love this type of backpacker!) and Suzie and I bought a couple of their CDs-Rama Jordan & Ashton Addison...lovely mellow music.  We partied a bit again that night but as we only managed a few hours sleep after our big night Friday we didn't stay up too late. Though I stayed up late enough with Shaun to get him to burn some alternative music CDs.  Next morning found us on the road again...this time up Island.  We stopped in Coombs again and restalked...this time the other shops were open so we checked it out.  There was a one man band (Shane Philip) with didgeridoos etc playing and we got a couple of his CDs too!  Now we are set for music when we hit the mountains.  We continued up Island as far a Campbell River which is the Salmon Capital of the World and jump off point for the wild northern part of the Island.  We decided not to do any of that partly because of the lousy weather.  So we had some excellent Ceviche and a Seafood Ceasar at the Lookout Restaurant and then caught the ferry from Comox to Powell River.
The Old Courthouse was our accomidation for that night.  It used to be the Courthouse/jail and has been converted into an Inn.  We were kind of hopeing for an old jailcell but had a Judges chambers instead...perhaps that goes along with my not getting into trouble anymore?  hahaha  Powell River is one of those places that feel like home for me...a mid sized town (Coastal of course) with a pretty outlook and a wonderful welcoming air.  It isn't a settled and developed as further down the Sunshine Coast and Suzie and I fell in love!  The weather continues to suck so we tooled around having a look and checking the shops after a beautiful breakfast in Lund (another 10min up the Coast) at Nancys Bakery.  If your ever in the area, check it out.  It is situated in a small marina with a lovely view and the best Quiche ...we had a mix with Artichoke hearts and all kinds of stuff and then ended up getting a Raspberry Scone and a Pecan cinamon roll to go.  
The ferry took us from Saltery Bay to Egmont and we travelled down the Sunshine (sure the sun shines;-( Coast until we stopped in Sechelt for the night.  The Upper Deck is a nice clean facility that is located over the Bus Depot.  We were relieved that the buses didn't wake us at some rediculous hour and had a good rest there.  The other occupants seems to be displaced 'local' rather than backpackers which made for some interesting conversations...or should I just come right out and say 'wierd'!?  The local Indian band has some lovely totem poles and carvings commemorateing self government and land title claims so we checked them out and walked along the beach until we were too cold.   So off to Roberts Creek we went...this is a settlement where a number of US Vietman War draft dodgers settled and it still has a bit of the alternative lifestyle feel...mind you so does most of what we've seen so far...
Our highlight for the day though was stopping in Gibsons which is where the Beachcombers was filmed from 1972-1990.  We had lunch at Mollys Reach -lovely fish & chips...the fish being beerbattered Salmon and the chips being sweet potatoe-and soaked up the atmosphere.  They have several photos scattered about and it was fun to relive memories (vague as they are) of the show.  The town itself is very quaint and beautifully developed...but we could tell that we are getting closer to Vancouver by the price of real estate.  We checked out some of the co-op artist stores and then took the ferry to HorseShoe Bay.  We are currently in Squamish and will start checking out this part of BC.

Our pedicures and massages were at the L’Auberge du Lac casino and were fantastic.  Isn’t that were you ended up after being caught up in Hurricane Katrina Mike & Lisa?  Since we were at a gambling establishment on my birthday I dropped $20 at the roulette table with my usual gambling success…none.  I’ll keep all my luck to other aspects of my life Thank You!  The next day we all went in Kens hunting boat for a tour on Old River, a defunct arm (?leg) of the Calcacieu River.  Unfortunately, there is some (introduced) weed which is choking off this part of the river…the government spray about 8 months ago …prior to that is was impassable to boats.  So I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to get a dose of the Bayou so close to home.  It was a lovely day though rather hot when we weren’t in the shade, we saw plenty of wildlife…sometimes I wish I was better with a camera…but I guess I’m at least TAKING photos lol!  We had lunch in the boat…looking out for alligators which we didn’t see, though I know they are certainly around. I did get a photo of a spider the size of my fist (legs not just body) but it was too blurry to post…I’m sure I’ll see more of those elsewhere…at least this one wasn’t poisonous or a jumper!    We all went back to the house for ice cream birthday cake which sure tasted good after being in the heat all day.  Thank you Jackie, Ken, Sarah & Abigail for making my Birthday so enjoyable.

 

Summer seems to have arrived already here…90+F with way too much humidity …though I better get used to it for when I’m living back in Brisbane!  My timing for the blossoms was great and the hospitality has been fantastic.  This visiting old friends for extended periods it really the way to go…they don’t feel obliged to take holidays and we get to actually relax and hangout.  Too bad employers don’t think such extended holidays are a good idea.  Fortunately, ICU nurses are in huge demand and I can pretty much work wherever I want, one of many blessings in my life.

 

I’ve enjoyed my time back in Louisiana though it is rapidly coming time to head back to Ottawa for a few days.  We are off to Houston today to check out that city and I fly out tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to the Chaud Squad reunion Friday night!  Should get my dose of metal/rock music and catch up with people I haven’t seen for many years.  And then the 4^th month of my Sojourn begins.

 

 

We all went camping at South Toledo Bend for my second weekend in Louisiana.  This is a reservoir created by a dam built for hydroelectricity.  A beautiful area with plenty of fishing and nature.  I didn’t manage to take any photos but we broke in Jackie & Kens new 32 foot camper trailer and went in style!  Ken reckons he should be getting a satellite dish like all the others...Jackie and I were sitting around the campfire one night, postulating at to why it was so quiet even though the campground was almost full and we decided that everyone was inside with the aircon watching TV…hhhhmmmmm.  We rented canoes and took the girls out, they were becoming very proficient at paddling by the time we returned them.  Saw plenty of Snapping Turtles and even a Water Moccasin snake (poisonous AND aggressive)!  I love watching the Egrets fish and there was a pair of Blue Herons also.  They odd Bald Eagle helped to round out the bird watching as do the Turkey Vultures which are abundant in this area.

 

The morning after we returned from camping Jackie was kind enough to lend me her car and I drove to Austin Texas to stay with my cousin Paul and his family.  The drive was uneventful aside from as I was passing through Vidor, Texas I noticed that I was getting some serious road rage...I had to think about that one and am attributing it to the fact that Vidor has a VERY strong chapter of the Klu Klux Klan...perhaps I was feeling the hate.  Paul & his family treated me like royalty…Keitha and Samuel took me on a little walk the first morning to check out the local scrub (texas cedar & live oak) with a lovely view of Lake Travis (there is a dam there also) we proceeded to Chuys for lunch which has the best TexMex I’ve had in a long while!  Keitha was kind enough to send me back to Louisiana with some of their famous creamy Jalapeno sauce and chips for the drive.  Paul was pulling into the driveway when we returned home and he took us out to Lake Travis where we rented a ski boat to go touring around (and I was thinking of YOU Travis…;-).  There are some fantastic homes along the lake as well as a restaurant called the Oasis which is a fantastically decorated multilayer restaurant in a perfect position for watching the sunset.  So, of course, Paul & I went there for drinks and dinner…absolutely lovely and gave us a chance to really talk.  Since I don’t drink alcohol anymore I offered to drive so Paul could have a couple drinks and unwind....it was a sacrifice drinking his BMW home especially as we took the windy roads…but I DO love to sacrifice hahahaha.  Check out the Oasis at www.oasis-austin.com  and if your in Austin it really is a must! 

 

Paul & I spent the next day exploring the City (population approx 1 million) which is really quite lovely with a river running through it as almost all really old cities in this country do.  Austin is the capital of Texas so we checked out the Capital building which is HUGE (everything is bigger in Texas after all) and lovely.   There were several schools doing tours so we only cut through on the way to the University of Texas…had to check out the Tower, of course, site of a shooting massacre in 1968.  This City is vibrant and funky with a hippie history…if I was ever to come and work in the US again I think it would have to be here!  We had a quick lunch at Chipotles (to die for wraps) and met Keitha and Samuel in the Greenbelt area, a huge park with a natural Spring rock swimming pool which is always at 67F.  We took the little train tour and then proceeded to Green Mesquite which is famous for their Texas Bar-B-Q…for good reason.  I had a telephone interview in the middle of our dinner with a hospital in Brisbane and am no longer unemployed…so we stuffed ourselves in celebration!  Paul thought I should celebrate by going back to the Apple store and getting that computer and iphone we were looking at...lol.  Paul & I carried on after ….going to see the bats that roost under one of the cities bridges…supposedly they come out in a massive black cloud in the evening but not that night!  We did see some…but it was getting too dark to see much (does the full moon affect bat habits I wonder?) so we moved onto to the bar/music district.  Austin is called the Music Capital for good reason…we went from bar to bar catching fantastic bands and this was a Wednesday night!  I’d love to see the quality of their weekend bands!  We had only planned to stay out for a bit, but next thing we knew it was last call (0215h) so we headed home and I had to sacrifice again and drive.  If your thinking of going to Austin checkout http://www.austintexas.org. it is a wealth of information.  I have fallen in love with the city …especially after seeing how much live music they have!  I was reluctant to head back to Louisiana...leaving the Texas hospitality of Paul & Keitha behind…but it was a lovely drive with plenty of wild flowers along the way. 

 

Today is my birthday and Jackie and the girls brought me breakfast in bed to start the day.  Thank ya'll for your calls and emails...I am so lucky to have so many wonderful friends and family!  Jackie & I are off to Lake Charles this afternoon for massage and pedicure…I love it!

 

Louisiana

Well…I’ve been here just over a week and I’m already speaking with a Southern Drawl ya’ll! On my first weekend here Jackie and I took the girls to Baton Rouge to see High School Musical on Ice. It was very well done as most Disney productions are and we enjoyed it…though I confess to enjoying the rest of the weekend more! Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, so we toured the Capital Building which is boringish on the outside but lovely inside…lots of marble etc. It was built in 1932 and has a viewing platform on the 24th floor which gives an excellent view of the city. On one side are the acres of manicured gardens (and the 200+year old Live Oak you see in my photos) and on the other side is an excellent view of the slums…we didn’t see any shootings while we were there but apparently there is plenty of that action since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita tore though this area. I guess a large number of the dispossessed poor from New Orleans resettled here and the infrastructure just isn’t in place to deal with the issues. I have made the decision not to go to New Orleans this time around…I preferred getting out of the French Quarter to some degree (which has always been a bit dodgy) and now that just isn’t an option unless of course you have a serious deathwish. Since neither of us HAS a deathwish (and we had kids with us ;-) we just strolled along on the bluffs (aka levee) of the mighty Mississippi River of Baton Rouge in the early evening to look at the lights from the Casino Riverboat. We stayed at the Sheraton which is in a ‘safe’ area though on our early morning stroll on Sunday we were approached by a few of the many homeless...however, I feel impelled to add that even these homeless people were very polite to us. I wonder if looking them in the eye when answering their questions helps? Or was it the fact that is was Mothers Day and we were with kids? Regardless they were satisfied with our answer that we didn’t actually have any money and they wished us Happy Mothers Day and moved on.

I’ve been working on getting my fill of Southern Fare…I just love grits and biscuits for breakfast…and have made a point of gettin’ me some crawfish and even a po boy (sub sandwich-I like mine with spicy sausage!). We took the scenic route back to De Ridder from Baton Rouge…stopping in Opelousas (birthplace of Zydeco Music) to take a look around and check out the Graveyard. Around the information area they have a collection of the original buildings, which weren’t open on the day we were there. We didn’t figure this out though until Abigail was pulling on the Church door and the alarm went off! They build their graveyards above ground here on account of the water table/rainfall. I guess having the coffins/bodies rise out of the ground during heavy rains just isn’t something people want! As a result, I find the graveyards to be rather attractive places to visit. Unfortunately, while we were checking out the names and dates-pondering what plague may have killed off that family with 5 young children in 1959 I managed to get my first (for this trip anyway) fire ant bites and as usual they continue to bother me even almost a week later!

Jackie & I took a day to ourselves and drove up to Natchitoches –first settlement in the Louisiana Purchase- where we walked along the Cane River admiring the preserved historic district and had lunch at the famous Lasyones. I had some delicious tea (cold with plenty of ice and lemon) and have a lovely meatpie (though I confess a preference to New Zealand or Australian pies) and I go me some fried okra which was the best I’ve had yet! We took the scenic drive back to De Ridder …stopping at Melrose Plantation circa 1796 (close to Bubbas – the first Honkytonk in Louisiana) which was started by a slave (Marie Therese Coincoin b 1742) who was freed after fulfilling a 19 year lease (this means she was owned by one white person while on loan to Another) and bearing the fellow 10 kids. She eventually owned her own slaves and purchased the freedom of her 14 kids . They settled the area and created the local Creole community. The 3rd owners of the Plantation –who changed the name from Yucca to Melrose- were quite active culturally and she used to invited all kinds of writers and artists to stay. Apparently, if they were unable to report any progress in their creative process after 3 days they were asked to leave! Some of the more famous writers include John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, Harnett Kane and Lyle Saxon. One of her slaves, Clementine Hunter, became a rather famous painter in her own right …starting by using cast off paint tubes and any surface she could find including bottles, old bits of wood. She tended to show how much or how little esteem she held for people/things by the size she painted them in perspective to other things in the painting. The preacher and some other men are routinely very small where as the mistress of the house (Cammie Henry) is relatively large! The plantation is set among pecan groves with fields of cotton and corn. We didn’t remember the corn from our last time in the area and apparently with the ethanol craze (but hey…don’t decrease usage!!) local farmers are switching from growing cotton and corn…expect higher prices for cotton in the future…perhaps this will be the impetus required to increase the production and usage of hemp!
 

MayDay MayDay...does anyone know how to make this crazy web designing program  work faster? I've been trying to do something fun with this Journal page in Chronicles but it is not co-operating. I'm starting to wonder if it just wouldn't be better to recreate this whole thing using something besides Website Tonight! Perhaps the question really is Does anyone know of a good webbuilding tool to use? If so, post it in under Your Thoughts please! Anyway...I thought I would include the first page of the new journal I started for this Adventure. Thank you Jackie for the gorgeous Journal. As you can see it is a good thing I figured out how to add a good journaling page to my website instead of making you decipher my handwriting!

Edmonton is in the throws of Spring (again) and there will be leaves on the trees within the next couple days if this keeps up. Best enjoy the wonders of Spring while I'm in a country that has a real one lol. I have continued my flurry of visits. After reaquainting myself with Colleen & Henks kids, we dropped them off at the Grandparents house and had some quality adult time. Of course we ended up at the Commercial and the band playing was very much to my tastes! The following day we wandered around Old Strathcona, checking out the Farmers Market (breakfast yummie) and the trendy clothing stores on Whyte Ave. I made it to Dawns to see Grant & Stews band play...kind of weird seeing a band playing in the basement again. Reminded me of going to the Hart canteens in my wild days.

Kelly & I made it to Sorrentinos Downtown for their Garlic Festival menu, which is one of the reasons I'm in Edmonton in April! It was wonderful to be back at our old Haunt together. She has kept up the ritual of going there before the Citadel Theatre and the Maitre D' made sure we had a perfect evening. Though I noticed that people kept their distance for the next few days...just as well I only went once.

While Terry and I were out and about we have encountered tanks can you believe it?  We were both quite surprised to be driving down Whyte Ave in the middle of the day and see a tank (this occured on two very separate occaisons) going the other way.  Thats not something we see in Canada very often...especially Edmonton.

Chris was to introduce me to his ladyfriend but since she couldn't make it he picked me up in the Viper which made the ride to PiccoLinos on the otherside of town a pleasure. The food was to die for especially the TiraMisu...just as well I'm still interested in putting on weight! We're to go out again on tomorrow night..but, unfortunately it doesn't look like I'll see the Kids this trip. And I just realized now...I didn't ask after the pet snake. My attempts at feeding her on my last visit were unsuccessful;-(

Shauna & I tried to make it to Dadeos yesterday. But since Wednesday is their day of rest we went to Chiantis. I can't believe I've been here this long...gone out for this many meals...and STILL not been to Dadeos! We chatted and laughed like I had never left. Then she took me to Lululemons where she helped me pickout my first purchase from them. I'm hoping that they will work for backpacking in Europe later...they sell Yoga/active wear for those whose don't know them yet....oh...and Canadian hahaha.

I ended up making the ramble to my old stomping grounds...checking out the neighbourhood. The road to my old High School has completely changed. As has the School...I went in to find the payphone and of course it isn't there anymore. They have a free one outside the office (which is in a completely different place) instead. I managed to roam around without getting lost, the School has been majorly upgraded and looks great. Though I confess to a moment of horror when I came across the wall where they hang the Class of ....plaques and they didn't go back as far as my year!!

All this visiting and computer work and I'm still managing to usually listen to Steves blurb as The Voice on the Current CBC am radio and watch the Young & the Restless in the pm!  What more could one ask for?  One more week of this and then off to Louisiana.  


 

I was fortunate enough to also get a visit with Loreen and Eden at The McPeaks when I went by to visit. Seeing kids change and grow from a distance is always surprising somehow eh? April 18 was Liams 2^nd Birthday. I spent a few days with his parents Sandy & Colin in their gorgeous new home in Sherwood Park. We did the trek to West Edmonton Mall for his birthday and went to Galaxy Land where of course I rode the MindBender rollercoaster with Colin. I’m not sure if the restraint was looser than usual or if I’m finally starting to feel my age but I might have declined if Colin asked to go again …fortunately (for me only) he was feeling the pain too! Sandy had a birthday party for Liam on Saturday so I got to see her family (who hosted me for my orphan Christmases in Edmonton) and friends.  It started snowing that am and it hasn’t stopped since (it is Monday am) but that didn’t stop Terry and I from going to hear some Blues at the Commercial on Saturday night. I haven’t been there since I don’t know when, but, as with all good dive bars it hasn’t changed a bit. I even got up dancing which I haven’t done in a while…and it felt goooood …look out May 30 hahahahaha