The City That Never Sleeps

Apartment Life

Our apartment in New York City is in West 72nd Street, right in the middle of Manhattan and one block from Central Park. It is on the 7th floor and very comfortable for our stay. I do however wonder how so many people are content to live the apartment life in such a busy city long term. At times I long for the fresh air and s-p-a-c-e. There are literally people and traffic everywhere.

New York City Skyline

The weather was perfect when we arrived so we became serious tourists for the first three days and took in all the sights. There were no disappointments. The open top double decker bus took us uptown, downtown, on a night tour and to Brooklyn over the first three days. We made separate visits to the Statue of Liberty and the top of the Empire State Building on a perfect day and had the most magnificent 360 degrees view of Manhattan Island and surrounding waterways. Before each visit however we had to pass through strict security.

Empire State Building from Hudson River

Statue of Liberty from Hudson River

I've learnt that the streets in New York City run east-west with the lower numbered streets in downtown Manhattan and the higher numbered streets in uptown Manhattan. Our apartment in 72nd Street is classified as “midtown”. It was easy to find our way around. We negotiated the subway successfully on our first attempt and purchased our $25 unlimited weekly ticket which we're still using constantly. There was only one mistake and this saw us alight in the middle of Harlem. The walk to our original destination was fascinating, to say the least.

We've visited Times Square many times and in the middle of the throng of people it's always chaotic yet exciting as it pulses with life. Every building with its façade facing into Times Square must have at least 18% of its façade lit up. Most buildings have much more. We've seen our first live Broadway musical “The Jersey Boys” which is the story and music of Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons. The theatre was packed and we were up dancing in our places with everyone else. The audience was so alive and very appreciative and rewarded the performers in ways I’ve never seen at home. We caught the subway back late at night and had to stand, it was so crowded. Even at that late hour we waited less than five minutes for our train.

Everyone we speak to here is very friendly. When I stop to wait for the “walk” sign, I chat with whoever is standing beside me and learn so much. We never have to worry about where or what to eat. Everything is open all hours. We enjoying daily Starbuck's latte too. Department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are open until 9:30 pm each night except Sunday when they close at 8:30 pm. There are so many taxis that at times I look up a street and see nothing but yellow cabs. Apparently there are 10,000 in New York City. How I want to jump into one and yell “Follow that car” just like in the movies! I might do it yet!

New York City is made up of five boroughs – The Bronx (home of Yankee Stadium), Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and Brooklyn. The population is 8.5 million with 3 million living in Brooklyn. There was a United Nations Assembly earlier this week and the top security we witnessed was unparalleled. The East River was even closed because President George Bush was here. Special lanes were created in the middle of the road for visiting dignitaries and their police and security escorts. Traffic at times came to a standstill and I made a mental note to stick to the subway.

We made a very sombre visit to the Tribute WTC Visitor Centre where it was difficult to hold emotions at bay. I have just finished reading “A Widow’s Walk” written by Marian Fontana whose firefighter husband Dave died on September 11, which was also their wedding anniversary. I found his name on the memorial board and photographed it because I feel I know so much about him. Marian set up a support group that is part of the September 11 Families Association which was instrumental in establishing this Tribute Centre. The centre is aimed at connecting visitors to the site instead of having people mill around the vacant fenced block of land. There was much activity there as construction of new buildings and the memorial park are well underway.

Missing with no DNA Found

I viewed personal images and objects that were symbolic of the lost victims and was amazed at the number of missing people without a scrap of DNA ever found because they were vapourised. I listened to a volunteer whose only evidence of her son was DNA from fingerprints found on some bank notes that miraculously survived after being stowed in his firefighter's jacket pocket. I admire her for finding a way to work through her terrible grief. I watched the faces of hundreds of other visitors in the small centre with me and realised we must “never” forget this horrendous tragedy! I now stop and talk to policemen and firemen when I'm walking and tell them they do a fantastic job because I know how dangerous their jobs are and how low their pay is.

Nothing but Praise for NYPD

We met Phil for lunch in NYC on Thursday, between two cruises and Alison O’Carroll joined us – she used to dance with Phil and is now a hostess on a private yacht moored in New York Harbour. The world is full of opportunities for these young ones and they are living their dream! Isn't it wonderful!

Lunch (and Margaritas) with Phil and Alison

As we prepare to pack up and return home, I feel I have been away for ages and have been lucky enough to have four holidays in one i.e. our home exchange in San Rafael just north of San Francisco, our hotel stay in Toronto with bus trip to Niagara Falls, the Canadian cruise and now the apartment life in New York City. Each has been very different and I have learnt so much. Tonight we're heading out to celebrate the end of a wonderful six week trip to North America.

I look forward to returning here some day. I am however also looking forward to "not" watching so much American politics on TV which has been rather excessive given that we were here for the two conventions, the nomination of the running mates for Vice-President and the $700 billion bail-out of Wall Street which is being televised live as I write this. The Presidential election in November will be very interesting and I have my money on Barack Obama winning, which will be a truly monumental moment in American history.

Love

Lyn

"The" Cruise

Being greeted with a Pina Cola when I stepped onboard Explorer of the Seas, was a true indication of the good things that followed. A quick “Phil” tour of the ship revealed 14 decks, 1500 seat Palace Theatre, ice skating rink, numerous bars with live entertainment, English pub, Royal Promenade and its array of shops, movie theatre, fitness centre complete with sauna, steam room, hot whirlpool and every bit of gym equipment imaginable and an additional two sports decks that I didn’t have time to think about until later in the cruise. I later discovered these housed the rock climbing wall, roller skating rink, mini-golf course, full size basketball court, children’s adventure ocean and water slide.

Poolside Music As Soon As We Boarded

The Royal Promenade

A Great Entertainment Venue

Our nine-day cruise was an unbelievable experience for us but something Americans do regularly for their "vacations". During our conversations with people we found it wasn't unusual for people to have done 20 to 100 cruises because they only take short "vacations". There was a different show each night in the theatre. The Royal Caribbean singers and dancers (i.e. Phil’s mob) performed in the welcome onboard show, three different productions of their own, and the farewell show. Guest “headliners” performed on the other nights. One of my favourites was the Horizons – three African Americans with the most amazing sound, vigour and vitality.

Each show was performed twice a night to accommodate both the early and late diners (we were the latter of course).

We skipped the dining room dinners when Phil performed and watched both his shows each night, as there were plenty of other places on the ship to eat later (at no extra charge). One of these was Portofino’s Italian Restaurant and we had dinner there the night of Murder Mystery Theatre in which Phil played Detective Dick Simple. It was an hilarious night and we met our favourite passenger, Sadie, who at 90 years of age and drinking red wine was “vacationing” with her niece and nephew-in-law. She was an absolute inspiration (later gave me her "business" card complete with email address) and she simply loved Phil and his detective hat and we loved her glasses! We had two formal evenings and it was great to see almost all of the 3068 passengers making the effort to dress up! We had four Canadian ports of call and three “sea” days. It was a good mix. Phil came with us on all our shore excursions.

I want those glasses Sadie!

First - A Few Facts I Learnt About Canada

The population is 33 million and Ottawa is the capital. There are ten provinces (similar to our states) and three territories. Each province has a Lieutenant Governor (similar to our state Governor) and a Premier, just like we do. Prices displayed on goods are pre-tax and 14% is added for the purchase price. Personal tax is 30% of salary. Canada is in the middle of an election and thankfully the preamble is less than 30 days (USA should take a lesson from this).

Sydney

You really appreciate a portside balcony cabin as you cruise into your first port of call. The unfolding coastline of the colonial seaport of Sydney on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia was quiet, serene and very pretty. An early history of English and French battling for control of Cape Breton Island was later followed by Scottish immigration. The city enjoyed prosperity in the first half of the 20th century through coal mining and steel production. Today, tourism is the leading industry. I especially enjoyed a visit to Fort Petrie, which was used to guard the mainland from possible enemy invasion during World War II. The Fort has been kept in its original condition complete with underground bunkers, ammunition storage etc. There were countless beautiful spots for photographs as we drove around the coast.

Typical of spots along the Sydney coastline

Charlottetown

After my visit to Charlottetown, population 30 000 and the capital of Prince Edward Island (Anne’s Land), I now want to read “Anne of Green Gables” the classic book written by Lucy Maud Montgomery in 1908. Apparently many of Anne’s adventures are based on the author’s own reflections of life on this small but beautiful island where micro farming is the main industry. Its earlier history is similar to Cape Breton Island, in that the English and French battled for its control. Charlottetown is extremely important in the history of Canada and through an interactive multimedia tour in the Founders’ Hall, I learnt about a weeklong meeting in 1864 wherein delegates laid the groundwork for Canada’s Articles of Confederation and subsequently the birth of the nation of Canada in 1867.

There were some beautiful homes in Charlottetown

The main industries on Prince Edward Island (Canada’s smallest province) are potato farming, tourism and fishing. Horse racing is very popular and Charlottetown is referred to as the “Kentucky of Canada”. The average winter temperature is –7 degrees celsius and the annual snowfall about 300cm (sounds like lots of snow and chattering teeth to me). It was a beautiful clear summer’s day when we visited. The island has 50 operational lighthouses. On the recommendation of our tour guide, we roamed through St Dunstan's basilica which is one of the many beautiful churches we found in Canada.

St Dunstan's Basilica

Quebec

Situated on the beautiful St Lawrence River, the name Quebec means, “where the river narrows”. Quebec city, population 650,000 and former capital of Canada, is the capital of Quebec province. 96% of the population speaks French, which is the official language (not English) although people dealing with the tourists speak English. The 7 million people living in the province of Quebec want to secede from Canada (wow)!

We roamed around old town Quebec’s cobblestone streets and beautiful buildings before we visited the powerful Montmorency Falls that are double the height of Niagara Falls. When you see them it’s easy to understand why half of Quebec’s energy is hydroelectric.

Montmorency Falls and Suspension Bridge

The main industries in Quebec are government, tourism, insurance and research and development (employing Canada’s highest density of engineers and researchers). I received some religious instruction in Quebec when I visited St-Anne-de-Beaupre basilica and found out that St Anne was the mother of the Virgin Mary i.e. Jesus’ Grandma. I must be a real heathen not to have known that earlier in my life!

St-Anne-de-Beaupre basilica

Halifax

Our final port of call was Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. Halifax has a population of 378 000, and has the second largest natural harbour in the world (behind our Sydney) and as such was at the forefront as a strategic port during World Wars I and II. It is the busiest seaport on the east coast of the Atlantic and has more pubs per capita than any other city in Canada. (Must have had plenty of sailors for customers!) A large contingent of Scottish immigrants arrived early in the 20th century hence the city has a strong Scottish heritage.

Citadel Hill

We got a great view of Halifax from Citadel Hill which is an historic site built by the British to defend Halifax from enemy invasion. We also found Garrison Brewery, a microbrewery that’s been brewing for 13 years without using preservatives - great - no hangover!. They were offering beer tasting so we tried five of them – Raspberry Wheat Ale, Tall Ship Amber Ale, Irish Red (their best seller), Nut Brown Ale and Imperial Ale. The beer is only sold in Nova Scotia.

I hope I haven’t bored you with the history and facts I’ve included. Hopefully you've learnt something new like I did. Thank goodness I can still write and read shorthand enabling me to make a few notes for my blog. I’d never remember any of it otherwise.

Phil docks back in New Jersey tomorrow after a trip to Bermuda so we are meeting him in NYC for lunch. I'll post more photos once I get copies of those on his laptop.

Until my next post from New York, take care.

Love

Lyn

"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" but........

Farewell San Francisco

On our last weekend in San Francisco we took a leisurely drive out to the west coast beaches between San Francisco and San Rafael. We visited Stinson and Muir beaches and in the middle of everything American we found a quaint English pub, the Pelican Inn, for lunch.

Pelican Inn - Muir Beach

We drove home via the coast road and stopped at Fort Barry lookout to view Point Bonita lighthouse. Fort Barry was used by the military to protect San Francisco Bay from enemy ships during World War II. Using the word "breathtaking" to describe the rugged, rocky and steep coastline does an absolute injustice to the view.

Point Bonita Lighthouse

As we flew out of San Francisco, I looked back on our wonderful introduction to American life via our home exchange. It was more than we could have wished for and the combination of sightseeing and living as a local, provided us with an interesting, entertaining and restful respite.

Canada

We arrived in Canada (population 33 million) on Monday 8 September, and stayed at a hotel in Toronto for three nights. With a population of 2.5 million, Toronto is Canada's largest city. Because English and French are the official languages in Canada, everything is written in both languages and this enabled me to polish up on my high school French. We visited a different restaurant each night and tried different American wines, our favourties being Sauvignon Blancs from both Chile and Argentina.

Niagara Falls

Maid of the Mist under Niagara Falls

(My favourite photo so far!)

If you haven't visited......you must start saving. The "Falls" are simply breathtaking and I couldn't believe I was actually there. We boarded the top deck of Maid of the Mist and cruised to the side of each of the falls (Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American Falls on the American side). I became very emotional at the sheer force of water pounding over the side and as the water released its pent up energy, my pent up emotions started pouring out and I had to wipe away my tears. It was a surprising and amazing experience.

The American Falls

I was riveted by the Falls which sit right on the United States and Canadian borders and strolled along the top of the gorge for hours. I even wrote a poem while I sat quietly and enjoyed the view. We also took a cable car ride to view the whirlpool below and then returned to Toronto via an area Winston Churchill referred to as “the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world". We called into a vineyard and sampled Ice Wine for the first time. It's made from grapes picked in temperatures of -8 to -10 degrees and is a sweet dessert wine. It’s expensive because you only get one drop of grape juice out of each grape instead of the normal five or six drops.

CN Tower

The CN Tower in Toronto is a hive of tourist activity and at just over 553 metres (the equivalent of 147 floors) it was until recently, the tallest building in the world. It is the telecommunications centre of Toronto and provides some of the best reception in North America. In the “elevator” it took us just 58 seconds to reach the 141st floor (my ears popped twice) where we enjoyed 360 degree views of a very flat Toronto and huge Lake Ontario. On the 140th floor I stood on the glass floor and looked straight down to ground level through a hollow tower center. It was very spooky and not recommended for anyone who suffers from vertigo!

CN Tower with Skypod on Top

Toronto and Lake Ontario

Off to Meet Phil

We left Toronto on Thursday 11 September and flew into Newark airport in New Jersey. This is the airport where one of the terrorist captured planes was heading on the same day in 2001 - the plane that was eventually overtaken by some very brave passengers who lost their lives while averting a more serious collision.

Phil met us on the wharf as we waited in line to board Explorer of the Seas. It was a great reunion. We were so excited to see him and start meeting all his friends and fellow cast members who treated us like royalty. He has a second job in the Loyalty Ambassador office onboard and his boss afforded us Diamond Member status which is reserved for people who have undertaken more than 20 cruises with Royal Caribbean. This gave us discounts and offers galore, and importantly, free alcohol in a special club each night. Our shore excursions were also complimentary and we sincerely thank his friend Sandeep for organising these.

The Royal Promenade Onboard

Phil's Cabin

Our Cabin

We lived life to the max during the next nine days! More to come about life onboard in my next blog. Stay tuned................

Love to our dear family, friends and work colleagues

Lyn

Bridge Walk, Redwood and Champagne

I try not to worry too much about the future and often say “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it”. If every bridge I crossed was as enjoyable an experience as the Golden Gate bridge, my life would be a breeze. Under what looked like an ironed blue sky, with San Francisco Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, it was an incredible walk.

Setting off on the Bridge Walk

The visibility was perfect and views of Oakland, Angel Island, Alcatraz and the hills way up north were magnificent. Sea lions were even playing in the water below. The only negative thing was the sound of the traffic beside me. Considering 45 million cars cross that bridge every year, it was to be expected. The camera was put to good use during the bridge walk. Also from Vista Point and Marin Headland I captured a lovely shot of the Golden Gate bridge with San Francisco skyline in the background.

Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco from Marin Headlands

I drove for the first time this week. It didn’t feel as strange as I had expected, but that’s probably because I’d been sitting in the front passenger’s seat getting used to travelling on the wrong side of the road. At the risk of getting too philosophical, which usually happens when I get some time to think, it was great to rise to the challenge and conquer and more importantly, enjoy it.

Highway 101 during non-peak

Yesterday we drove north along Highway 101 to Armstrong Redwood State Natural Reserve and had a picnic lunch and a long walk through the redwood grove and saw the Californian coast redwoods which are the oldest living things on our planet. The tallest tree we saw was over 95 metres in height and the oldest was over 1,400 years. Because of the dry summers in California, there was not one drop of water in any of the creeks in the grove. Consequently there was no undergrowth and therefore an absence of birds and animals, which would normally be foraging for food.

A Californian Coastal Redwood

I saw a deer and a woodpecker. Speaking of deer – I opened our back door yesterday morning and when I looked up there was a deer looking straight at me. Because of the dry summer weather they apparently come down from the hills behind us, looking for water. I don’t know who got the biggest fright!

A Woodpecker

The Korbel winery was on our way home (completely unknown to us when we set off in the morning). Korbel is the champagne I’ve picked as my favourite affordable Californian champagne since I’ve been here. We stopped of course, and were lucky enough to pick up the last free tour of the day which ended with a tasting from the driest to the sweetest champagne. We’d previously visited Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley in Victoria and learnt about the modern sparkling wine methods but to learn about the original methode champenoise used when they started making wine here in 1882, and to see the original equipment while having the process explained, will make me appreciate every delicious bubble even more. I always thought the “riddler” was in Batman!!!

Korbel Winery

For those of you who are interested (and so I won’t forget) I’ll briefly outline the traditional process (methode champenoise):

1. harvesting
2. pressing the grapes (grape juice from first pressing is used for high quality champagne)
3. first fermention in an oak cask (converts the grape juice to alcohol)
4. blending (the still wine is blended with other base wines by the cellar master)
5. triage (the blended wine is placed in its permanent bottle with a blend of sugar and yeast and closed with a crown cap)
6. secondary fermentation (the bottle is laid down in a cool dark cellar for approx. 15 months to 3 years)
7. riddling (the “riddler” dons a mesh safety mask, leather apron and gloves and turns each bottle a quarter turn and slams it down in the inverted riddling rack to eventually move the yeast down the neck of the bottle). The riddler was the highest paid employee apart from the cellar master.
8. aging (the sediment caused by the sugar and yeast provides much of the flavour and the longer it’s left, the better the flavour)
9. disgorgement (the neck of the bottle is dipped into a solution of brine and ice for five minutes to freeze it; the temporary crown cap is removed and the iced sediment of yeast and sugar shoots out of the bottle).
10. dosage (sugar and a small amount of wine is added to the bottle – of course the more sugar that’s added the sweeter the wine). I loved the .7% Brut I sampled (which is the one I’ve been drinking here) but found the last one I tried at 6% was far too sweet.

The Riddling Rack

Trivia - It doesn’t matter what brand of champagne you buy anywhere in the world, the wire cap holding down the cork has to be turned six times to open it. It’s just the right amount of pressure to stop the cork popping out by itself!

O.K. end of history lesson.

I’m now trying to work out the difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. I watched Sarah Palin’s speech live on TV at the Republicans National Convention last night and thought she spoke very well. She seemed to steal the limelight from John McCain but his speech is tonight.

We’re off to Sausalito for lunch and a walk around the bay. Take care everyone.

Love
Lyn

San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)

A Few Facts First

San Francisco enjoys a Mediterranean climate with cool, dry summers that have lots of fogs and wet mild winters.

San Francisco Skyline from the Ferry

Its metropolitan area has a population of 765,000 and 66,000 jobs are provided through the main industry of tourism. The city was named by the Spanish after Saint Francis of Assisi (cities with "San" in their name are named after a male and those with"Santa" are named after a female).

Streets of San Francisco

San Francisco is built on a myriad of hills and therefore has many steep streets. The most famous of these is Lombard Street which has eight turns over one block with a 16 degree incline. Unbelievable!

Californian wine is plentiful so we've felt obliged to try lots of different varieties and at the rate of one bottle a day we feel we'll get through a fair few in the 18 nights we're in San Rafael. It's a great way to unwind at the end of each day whether we've been a tourist or a local for the day. Thanks to Alicia for introducing me to Californian White Zinfandel. It's definitely one of my favourites, joined closely by Korbel Brut champagne (so far).

We've been into San Francisco by both ferry (from Larkspur) and bus (from San Rafael). The ferry trip was absolutely picture postcard perfect. We went past San Quentin prison which houses California's death row inmates and its only gas chamber, and Alcatraz the infamous prison in the middle of San Francisco Bay. We saw the Oakland-Bay double decker bridge with cars going in opposite directions on each of its levels.

San Quentin Prison

Fisherman's Warf

The ferry dropped us at the Ferry Building at Pier 1 and we enjoyed a slow leisurely walk around all the piers to Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 42. We've since enjoyed San Francisco's world famous clam chowder (with more Californian wine of course) and views of trawlers and fishing boats to top it off.

One of my favourite spots in San Fran

One of the better known landmarks is the Golden Gate Bridge, which some people say is “the most spectacular bridge in the world”. According to a postcard I bought for Mum "it seemed an impossible task to build the Golden Gate Bridge a century ago. The location is exposed to brutal winds, tide and fog. It is less than eight miles from the epicenter of one of the most catastrophic earthquakes in history – the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires. Joseph Strauss was the only engineer willing to gamble that his bridge could withstand such destructive power. The length of steel wires used in the cables of the bridge would circle the earth three times." It truly is spectacular and we are planning on a return walk over the bridge next week.

Chinatown Mid-Week

Chinatown is a little different from many of the Chinatowns I've visited. It has the usual array of restaurants where we enjoyed dim sum and we roamed through a wide variety of shops. The gold rush of 1848 bought many Chinese to San Francisco and they continue to bargain if you ask. I was happy with the outcomes of my bargaining. I was also thrilled to find freshly baked Chinese custard tarts and steamed buns! I just love them.

San Francisco is also famous for its cable car which was first used in 1873 after five horses died the year before, when their horse-drawn car fell backwards down one of the steep streets. The accident prompted the invention of the wire cables still used today. We took a ride on one of these down one of the very steep streets.

The hop-on, hop-off, open top buses for tourists in the bigger cities are great and San Francisco's doesn't disappoint. We picked up lots more information about the popular landmarks and enjoyed hopping on and off over two consecutive days taking in City Hall, Union Square, Panhandle and Golden Gate Park to name but a few spots. Panhandle in Golden Gate Park was was the site of the infamous "Summer of Love" in 1967, when thousands of young people flocked to the site for free food, free LSD, music and free love.

We cruised to Alcatraz on Friday and had a personal audio tour each. The commentary was very well done. The cells, isolation, visiting areas, dining room, warden's house, officer's club etc were all part of the tour. While we were on Alcatraz we also experienced one of the "fogs" San Francisco is noted for. We couldn't see past the edge of the island at all and the Golden Gate Bridge was covered in fog from the water upwards so that only the top of the pylons were visible. I've never seen a fog move in and become so thick, so quickly. It must have been surreal when the prisoners (e.g. Al Capone) were in the exercise yard and the fog moved in.

Living as Locals

One of the most enjoyable things so far has been living like a local rather than a tourist. An Australian we met on our hop-on, hop-off bus, complained that she couldn't just rest in her hotel because she had no outdoor area. We have this beautiful home in the hills to enjoy and return to when we feel like quiet and rest. The pool is beautiful and the scenery from the top of this hill is so calming. I've spent a lot of time out on the verandah enjoying the fresh air. I can highly recommend home exchanges! The cleaning lady is even here today!

Today is also a public holiday for Labor Day which is celebrated on the first Monday of September. Originally this was a day when workers celebrated their accomplishments, aired their grievances and discussed strategies for better working conditions and salaries. Nowadays, it's associated less with union activities and protest marches, and more with things like family picnics, sporting events and the last chance to enjoy summer.

The TV (which is enormous) and the daily San Francisco Chronicle keep us up to date with all the local news and politics. The Democratic 2008 National Convention in Denver Colorado received full TV coverage and it was great to hear Barack Obama's historic live acceptance speech as the presidential nominee. The Republican National Convention starts today in St Paul Minnesota amid Hurricane Gustav's presence and the announcement from Sarah Palin (John McCain's controvertial choice as VP running mate) that she's proud her pregnant 17 year old unmarried daughter has decided to keep her baby. Sarah Palin's background makes for interesting reading and is the topic of much discussion by the media!!!!

We saw Mamma Mia yesterday and if you haven't seen it yet - go! It was such an entertaining movie. We had a sing-a-long version which showed all the words to the songs on the bottom of the screen. I was bopping away in my seat! I didn't want it to ever finish.

Between the dimes and quarters, trash cans, cellphones, Smog tests, gas, food to go, sidewalks etc, I'm wondering how Americanised our son will already be. All in all I can honestly say that here in San Rafael and in San Francisco everyone has been so very pleasant and polite to speak with. I love striking up conversations with lots of different people and listening to their stories.

Back Home

Rachel or Kerry, can you please read this blog to Mum and give her a cuddle from me. Ta!

Steve and Alanna we miss you (hugs and kisses) but we know you'll really enjoy your trip over here next May. Please say hello to Julie and Barry and read them the blog.

To the TARTS - I'm looking forward to our AGM in Caloundra in October! Go girls! Baby cuddles for Beverlee's new grandson and hopes for a continued speedy recovery for Desley's Ron.

To my colleagues at work - I haven't been thinking about the work side of Southbank but I have definitely been thinking of you all. Happy belated birthday Norval! I hope each and every one of you is very well and happy.

To our caravanning friends - we hope those who are going to Kyogle have a great rally. We really enjoyed the recent newsletter. Safe travels everyone.

To our extended familes and the rest of our friends - we send our love and good wishes and look forward to our next get together with you, wine and food.

Much love

Lyn and Ray

San Rafael

We arrived in San Francisco on Thursday 21 August at 12:30 p.m. to be met by Paul Gietzel from our home exchange family. He drove us over the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge to where we’ll call home in San Rafael (population 57 000 and 27 klms north of San Francisco) for the next 2½ weeks. We are perched in a very quiet spot high in the hills of San Rafael, surrounded by pine and fir trees. After meeting Pam Cook (Paul’s wife) and their son Kevin and looking around our Californian home we headed out for dinner (Ray drove) and to a nearby lookout with spectacular views of the night-lights of San Francisco, the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

On Friday we headed out on foot to the local Northgate Mall to get our bearings (about 7,000 steps return on my pedometer). There’s a Safeway there and it’s open 24 hours a day. We feel like locals already because we have our Safeway Club Member card, which has already provided us with savings on our first purchases which included half a dozen bottles of mixed Californian wine. I can attest to the quality of the Californian champagne already. Late Friday afternoon we drove Paul, Pam and Kevin to the airport bus and waved them goodbye as they headed for our home in Brisbane.

We were then alone in America. More particularly we were alone in their iPrius hybrid car, driving from what felt like the wrong seat, on the wrong side of the road. I admired Ray’s bravery for jumping into the driver’s seat on his first day in America. One of the tricks is to keep the double lines in the middle of the road on your left and remain vigilant of the direction of parked cars. Turning left is really tricky until you get used to it. The iPrius doesn’t need a key to start it. There’s an on-off switch and as soon as you put the car in reverse everything behind you is displayed on-screen on the dashboard. It’s very impressive and very economical to run.

Our first night “home alone” we enjoyed wine, cheese and antipasto and fell into bed very tired. Today (Saturday) we are doing what we “should” do at home every Saturday. I didn’t wake until 10:00 a.m. and after a late breakfast out on the deck, which overlooks the

surrounding hills and the inviting pool, we’ve “pottered” in our North American home reading, writing, working out where we’ll go next week and watching Barack Obama live on TV, as he announces Joe Biden, the senator from Delaware, as his vice-presidential running mate. It’s a perfect day today, the equivalent of 26 degrees C with 51% humidity and time for our next bottle of Californian wine. ;-)