Charm City

The beautiful Madam Baltimore...She goes by many names including The Charm City, The Monumental City, and Mobtown.  But until you decide for yourself, beautiful will work.  I thoroughly enjoyed Baltimore.  It is famous for so many reasons starting with its role in the War of 1812 and the Revolutionary War, to being the home of "The Star-Spangled Banner", Edgar Allan Poe, James Blake, Billie Holiday and of course, Babe Ruth. But ultimately, this is quite simply a beautiful waterside city full of culture, culinary delights, history, great architecture and really interesting and diverse people.

There is so much to entertain visitors here. You could just chill and relax by the water, or visit one of the many museums and galleries, shop till you drop, or walk walk walk...as I did.  I also did two activities outside of my normal sphere of interest.  I took a tour of the historic Camden Yards Ball Park, home of the Boston Orioles baseball team and visited the National Aquarium.  Given where I come from, I am not normally into visiting aquariums but I did on this occasion and was wonderfully surprised and taken home!  The two newest displays were Black Tip Shark Reef, based on the Great Barrier Reef and its environment, and the second was Arnhem Land.  I was just chuffed but equally quite amused at the attendant who was determined to point out a Kookaburra and Flying Fox.

The Ball Park was equally well worth the journey.  I was most impressed though that the historic buildings incorporated into the ballpark design were all thanks to the foresight of a young woman and the Head Groundskeeper is the only women groundskeeper in the NBL.  It was equally kind of cool to be about to step out onto the grass at home plate and take in the atmosphere.

The Beautiful Virginia

After spending a few wonderful days in Washington DC, we grabbed some wheels and headed into the South...to Virginia, a State that is just gorgeous so I can see why it has been fought over throughout its history.

Virginia is officially known as the Commonwealth of Virginia, which is kind of quirky.  Its also known as the "Old Dominion" because of its historic connection with the English Crown, and "Mother of Presidents" due to the fact the many US presidents have been born there.  The area was originally home to a number of Indian peoples including the Powhatan famous because of the connection to Pocahontas.  But that all changed in 1607 when an English settlement, the Colony of Virginia, was established.  Virginia was one of the original 13 colonies that fought in the American Revolution and because of its significant role in politics, plantation economy and slave labour, it joined the Confederacy in the Civil War.  Richmond, the capital, was the Confederate Capital.  Today, the State is home to the CIA, the Department of Defense and all that entails, the Pentagon, and Arlington National Cemetery.

Its a fabulous State to meander through as there are beautiful rives and lakes, gorgeous hill country and great beaches that front onto Chesapeake Bay and the outer banks.  There is so much to see here that a week was not nearly enough.  I immersed myself in history visiting the National Civil War Museum, Williamsburg, and Jamestown.  Would have also taken up the opportunity for a swim only that a hurricane decided to join the party, along with some tornadoes.  Maybe next time.

Washington DC

Cities that are the political hubs of their country, for example Canberra, often get criticized for being boring or dead outside of the working week.  But I have to admit that I not only like Canberra, I think its a beautiful city with a great culture and plenty to do.  So...that brings me to Washington DC.  I thought DC was fantastic.  Its incredibly historic, has some of the worlds best museums and art galleries, has public spaces that are straight out of the movies, and its just generally beautiful.

Washington, for those not in the know, is an old city.  The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land in order to create a federal district, the District of Columbia.  The land that was donated included the little historic villages of Georgetown and Alexandria which are now essentially suburbs of DC.  The city was founded in 1791 as the United States capital and was named in honor of the first president, George Washington.  But there is no doubt its primary purpose is politics.  Everything is centered around that.  Restaurants and bars have quirky names that play on themes associated with Capital Hill, the National Mall runs from the Lincoln Memorial right up to Capital Hill, and its just chock full of memorials to presidents, the civil rights movement, war veterans etc.  Everywhere you look, you are reminded of being in "the Capital".

The architecture is all grand and monumental and is reminiscent of Rome and other wonderful European cities where the built environment portrays power and might.

But what I particularly loved about Washington was its walkability.  We didn't stop.  We spent several hours each day of our visit just walking the sites, the galleries and museums and what surprised me was how compact it really is.  For example, we breakfasted near the White House, walked across the Potomac to Arlington, Virginia, had lunch in Georgetown, and made it back to our hotel in the afternoon for a cool drink before heading out for some great jazz in a Colombian restaurant down the road near Capital Hill.  I loved it and of course, I didn't let a moment pass where a movie scene couldn't be re-enacted!  We certainly had our Forrest/Jennie moment!  I would happily go back again.

The Texas Riviera

I am embarrassed to admit that it has taken me almost 2 years to do the relatively short trek from Houston down the coast towards Mexico, to the little coastal towns of Rockport, Port Aransas and the city of Corpus Christie.  Having now made the effort, I wish I had done it sooner.  This area of Texas is quite lovely and reminds me somewhat of the Sunshine Coast back in the 80s.  The combined little towns and Corpus Christie itself spread along the last stretches of the Intercoastal Waterway and have a series of barrier islands that result in lots of little sheltered bays and fabulous boating spots.  In fact its a yachties dream cruising area, except of course during the hurricane season!

The name, Corpus Christie, means Body of Christ and was given to the area by Spanish Explorer Alonso Alvarez de Pineda back in 1519.  So it is a very old area of the State.  It also played a really important part in the wars with Mexico, the American Civil War and in World War II.  Today, its an almost forgotten part of the State in terms of tourism, yet really worth the time and energy to get there.  Time has passed it by, allowing it to develop a fabulous relaxed lifestyle that is beautifully peppered with the culture of Mexico.

A great spot to escape to!

Beautiful Amsterdam

Five days in beautiful Amsterdam is truly something to be cherished.  And particularly so when its in spring and that magnificent blue sky reflects onto the mirrors of the canals.  There is something to be said for a city that has almost completely abandoned the motor vehicle for feet and bicycles.  While there is still some traffic to contend with, the historic city of Amsterdam is really a pedestrian and cyclist's dream. So many wonderful little streets and alleyways to explore and all lined cheek by jowl with fabulous and quirky architecture.  You sometimes wonder how these buildings have stayed standing but I suspect the fact that they all support each other helps.  Methinks if you pulled one of the jenga tiles down....they'd all come crumbling down.

What I particularly love about this city is how easy it is to meander and get lost amongst the cafes and funky little shops, yet not really be too far from your starting point.

While there are aspects of Amsterdam that don't necessarily appeal to me, such as the dope and weed smoking culture, or the ridiculous and sometimes obnoxious groups of bucks and hens on their 'last mad fling' parties, those grungy bits just add to the character of the place.

The real appeal is in its art, architecture, canals, people and its wonderful little cafes.  A visit here isn't complete without visiting some of the fantastic galleries and museums, or enjoying some pastries and coffee on a busy little corner bordered by a canal.

Hallowed turf and ground

So I again find myself in Scotland.  With each return trip, I try to explore something different and previously not experienced.  And this is truly a country that gives.  It is really beautiful, despite oftentimes dreary weather.  Occasionally, as on this visit, I am blessed with gorgeous blue skies and when set beside that green that can only really be experienced in this part of the world, it is breathtaking.  On this trip, I have taken the opportunity to explore central Scotland and the east coast, particularly the area around St Andrews.  Embarrassingly, I always thought of St Andrews as nothing more than a golfing mecca but it is so much more.  Apart from being drop dead gorgeous, the city of St Andrews is just perfect.  Its quaint, chock full of cobblestone streets, bustling with people and energy, historic yet young and fresh, and well, a must see on the "things to see in Scotland" list.

Despite being a golfing sacred site, St Andrews is the home of the University of St Andrews, the third oldest university in the English speaking world and St Andrews Cathedral, which is said to the resting place of St Andrew's relic.  Not much is left of the cathedral today but you can easily see that it must once have been an awe-inspiring site for pilgrims.  It is a sprawling ruin today, smack bang in the middle of the city's centre and surrounded by wonderful old university buildings and homes.  A visit to St Andrews definitely requires your time and energy and if you intend to play golf on that hallowed turf...a few more days.

Theme parks and the child within

You are never too old to scream your lungs out on a roller coaster and laugh until your belly aches.  Just like you are never too old for fairy floss, creaming soda and The Cat in the Hat!!

Legoland, Orlando

Universal Studies - Islands of Adventure

Savannah Sojourn

The beautiful and elegant, Savannah, is the oldest and most stately city in the State of Georgia.  The city was established in 1733 as a British Colony but later became a strategic port during the American Revolution and then the American Civil War.  So its a city chock full of beautiful architecture and history.  I guess that explains why the downtown area is deemed to be one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the US.  The downtown remains pretty much as was originally planned and by my reckoning, many of the buildings and private homes are still very much as you would have observed them back in the day.

 I only had the pleasure of visiting Savannah briefly and as with Charleston, a short trip is almost criminal and does little to allow full immersion in the atmosphere.  But it does provide a brief opportunity to indulge in the city's beauty and enjoy her character.  On my hit list of places to visit was the experience of Leopold's Ice Cream.  This little gem was founded in 1919 by three immigrant brothers from Greece.   They opened their little parlor in Savannah, bringing the art of candy and dessert to the South.  Today the ice cream parlor is owned and operated by Stratton Leopold, famous for his executive roles behind the scenes in movies such as The Big Chill, Wise Blood, Mission Impossible, The Wolfman and various others.  So apart from divine ice cream, the parlor is a treasure trove of movie industry paraphernalia and history.

Then of course there is the Savannah River front and the wonderful old shops and restaurants that cram together along the wharfs, and the many wonderful old squares that dot around the city lined by beautiful old Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss.  It really is out of movie set and is just picture perfect.  Savannah is one of those places you really must get out those walking shoes and prepare some trail mix for.  No other way to really enjoy her other than walking.