Off to Canada and Alaska

We'll be away for 3 weeks, most of June.

Cruising in Europe

We're off again - this time on a European river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.

Air travel is with Qatar Air and it's a bit fraught as Qatar is being boycotted by neighbouring Arab nations - hope we're not shot out of the sky for encroaching on someone else's airspace.

The cats are going to the Fur Family boarding kennels.

in praise of Amtrak

We've really enjoyed our trips on Amtrak trains. They have been on time at beginning and end, have pleasant, helpful staff, are clean and comfortable and most importantly - you can sit back and relax because someone else is doing the driving. 

The waiting room at Salt Lake City was a bit creepy because it was so late at night but they got better culminating with Union Station Los Angeles:

Pretty good! There is a grand piano there if you care to play it; unfortunately nobody did while we were there. 

Today we rode gently back to LA from San Diego, wheeled off our cases straight to the Flyaway Bus stop and were at the airport within an hour. Checked in our luggage (mine is 4 kg heavier than when I came - how did that happen?) and are waiting for boarding call. 

the planes of San Diego

We went to Stone Brewery for our last dinner. 

It's great to be able to sit outside in October - but - because it's fairly close to the airport the noise every 3 minutes is incredible. A plane flies over just after take-off with a deafening roar and you can't hear anyone talking. The same happens at Ocean Beach where we are staying, starting at 6 am on the dot. Fortunately they stop at 10 pm. 

A tour guide told us that when outdoor theatre is playing they stop dead in mid-sentence while a plane passes: "Oklahoma where the wind" - everyone freezes till the plane has gone - "comes sweeping down the plain". So Carol and I have taken to singing "Oklahoma" at each plane. And it's a lot of planes.  

Final morning: Carol and Jim left quietly at 4 am in order to return the hire car and board a plane for Virginia. We heard their plane: it was one of 24 that took off between 6.30 and 7.

last day in San Diego

David and Jim did the SS Midway this morning, said to be the second-best museum in the US, only beaten by the Smithsonian. It is a Navy aircraft carrier and they had a wonderful time climbing up and down ladders. When we called them they were too busy touring the bridge to stop for lunch.  

Carol and I pottered around Sea Port shopping centre: never have I seen such a collection of tourist stuff, but somehow there were a few things to buy - have to be small as my suitcase is full. Below is a shop called Magnuts selling only magnets, minimum price seems to be around $7. Carol checked them out the found the same thing next door for $2.99. Plus tax - there's always tax in California 

After lunch on the pier we went to Old Town, the first white settlement on the west coast, about 1840.  I was intrigued by the prevalence of skeletons dressed in colourful clothes:

                    Gruesome!!!???

It's nothing to do with Halloween or Thanksgiving - I waylaid a tour guide to find out. It's a Mexican tradition "The Day of the Dead"  on 1st November when the dead come back to visit their descendants and check out the grandchildren so they are welcomed with bright colourful clothes. 

stormy seas at Ocean Beach

There were unusually high seas this morning and a crowd of locals on the cliffs in front of our house to watch. No surfers, not surprisingly. 

            Jim watching the waves

They closed the pier because waves were breaking over it as you can see in the photo above. There is a restaurant out along the pier so I guess they didn't get many customers for breakfast. 

We drove to Mission Beach and La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya) and saw the same  big waves. 

Carol and Jim went off to their wedding, dropping us at San Diego Zoo. First surprise: $50 is the cheapest ticket (I guess we don't get out much...) Second surprise: so many people! A combination of perfect weather, Saturday and children free in October meant there were thousands of adults and tens of thousands of children. I've never seen such vicious-looking strollers used as battering rams. And a large preponderance of twins. 

We started with the bus ride to get an overall view - 20 minute wait - so it was half an hour before we saw the first animal, then another 10 minutes to see the next. After the bus we walked 7,644 steps (measured on my iPhone) and I came to the conclusion that it was primarily a nice walk along pleasant green paths; only occasionally did you see an animal or part of one. 

David remembered the Pygmy hippo from our visit in 1979 so was pleased to see it still in residence:

       Pygmy hippo with monkey above. 

I could find only one otter, a pacing tiger, some striking zebras, beautiful giraffes - an excellent breeding programme - pandas you have to pay extra to visit. 

I was shocked at a sign saying if you can't see the aye-aye, go on-line for it. 

Liked  the aviaries the best. Lots of birds and very clean. 

We saved the best till last and crossed the zoo on the skyway:

The guide on the bus cheerfully informed us that they make LOTS of profit which goes into research and conservation - so we have done our bit to save endangered species. They say koalas are endangered: wouldn't have thought so. The koalas are in an area called "Koalifornia" poor dears. Every possible way to squeeze money out of the punters is tried like in-your-face photographers, extra for pandas, theatres, fast food, cotton candy; it becomes tiresome. 

Balbao Park

It's wonderful having Jim and his GPS doing the driving because the system of highways and freeways is baffling to us country folk. He drove us to Balbao Park which is 1200 acres of parks and museums run by the San Diego City and includes the Zoo. What a beautiful place! There are 15 gardens and the famous Lath House which is perfectly manicured:

Jim and David are outside the Lath House, admiring a very tall but crooked Canary Island pine. 

Among the many museums is a free art gallery where we all liked Lovers in a Park by Boucher. 

               and the orchid display

Then we took the 2-hour trolley ride which takes you through the highlights of the city and over Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island. 

                    (not my photo)

We were held up while the local homecoming parade passed by, the football team looking very cool riding in  a fire truck and candidates for King and Queen looking super-cool in convertibles.

Another great day!