Here is the view from our bedroom window:
Monday, March 12, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Autumn on Waiheke Island
Autumn arrived at the same time we did, lucky we were expecting it and brought the right clothes A tail wind blew us from Melbourne to Auckland so the flight only took three hours - barely time to get settled.
Auckland was full of hardy Kiwis in shorts and thongs and tourists huddling into jackets against a sharpish wind blowing off the harbour but it had dropped by the time we headed out to dinner on the pier. 3 stars only.
Ferries to Waiheke Island run every hour on the hour so it was easy to walk out of our hotel with our cases onto the ferry for the short trip to the island where a bus was waiting. Buses are frequent and cheap but it didn't take us long to decide we had to have a hire car so back we went to the ferry terminal to get one.
The house I rented off the Internet was rather euphemistically described: a "5 minute nature walk" down to the front door which is actually for mountain goats and I dread going back up it with my suitcase. The shower is under the house which means out the back door in your nightie in the rain but fortunately there are no close neighbours. The other houses are scattered around the mountainside with precipitous hair-raising drives if you're lucky or a grassy glassy footpath like this one. Well we wanted quiet!!
We drove (love that car!) to our nearest village of Oneroa for basic supplies at the Four Square and came back for a quiet night with our books: TV is three channels of commercial rubbish and the AVIs I brought on a stick won't play on the TV set. There is an iPod dock so we can play our music.
The hire car guy told us there are 8000 permanent inhabitants, 4000 weekenders and in January 20000 visitors! I'd sooner be here in March even if it is raining.
We spent this morning exploring the tiny villages around Oneroa and taking time to decide on a winery for lunch. There are 31 vineyards and half of them have restaurants - we can't try them all, sadly. Stonyridge was a good choice: you sit on a verandah overlooking a valley of vines and horses and eat delicious food. Winery lunch will be our main meal and I award this one 4 stars. Food is expensive here - I suppose it's a long way from the mainland but it was surprising to be told we have to tip. The menu offered duct tape for hyperactive children so I reckon they earned a tip. Nowhere is very far away here with an island 23 kms long.
The rain lifted but we still have a grey sky so my photos won't look like a tourist brochure. We came back to our cottage and undertook the walk to "our" beach Herekoa Bay for which you need to be a mountain goat with cleats. It's a dear little rocky beach lined with dinghies and oysters on the rocks - which we will leave there, David having suffered twice in the past from dodgy oysters.
Auckland was full of hardy Kiwis in shorts and thongs and tourists huddling into jackets against a sharpish wind blowing off the harbour but it had dropped by the time we headed out to dinner on the pier. 3 stars only.
Ferries to Waiheke Island run every hour on the hour so it was easy to walk out of our hotel with our cases onto the ferry for the short trip to the island where a bus was waiting. Buses are frequent and cheap but it didn't take us long to decide we had to have a hire car so back we went to the ferry terminal to get one.
The house I rented off the Internet was rather euphemistically described: a "5 minute nature walk" down to the front door which is actually for mountain goats and I dread going back up it with my suitcase. The shower is under the house which means out the back door in your nightie in the rain but fortunately there are no close neighbours. The other houses are scattered around the mountainside with precipitous hair-raising drives if you're lucky or a grassy glassy footpath like this one. Well we wanted quiet!!
We drove (love that car!) to our nearest village of Oneroa for basic supplies at the Four Square and came back for a quiet night with our books: TV is three channels of commercial rubbish and the AVIs I brought on a stick won't play on the TV set. There is an iPod dock so we can play our music.
The hire car guy told us there are 8000 permanent inhabitants, 4000 weekenders and in January 20000 visitors! I'd sooner be here in March even if it is raining.
We spent this morning exploring the tiny villages around Oneroa and taking time to decide on a winery for lunch. There are 31 vineyards and half of them have restaurants - we can't try them all, sadly. Stonyridge was a good choice: you sit on a verandah overlooking a valley of vines and horses and eat delicious food. Winery lunch will be our main meal and I award this one 4 stars. Food is expensive here - I suppose it's a long way from the mainland but it was surprising to be told we have to tip. The menu offered duct tape for hyperactive children so I reckon they earned a tip. Nowhere is very far away here with an island 23 kms long.
The rain lifted but we still have a grey sky so my photos won't look like a tourist brochure. We came back to our cottage and undertook the walk to "our" beach Herekoa Bay for which you need to be a mountain goat with cleats. It's a dear little rocky beach lined with dinghies and oysters on the rocks - which we will leave there, David having suffered twice in the past from dodgy oysters.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A Foggy Day in Santa Monica
We spent our spare day in Santa Monica where we walked in the fog on the pier and beach. The fog made in coolish and we'd left our jackets at the hotel (where it was warm). Quite spooky looking out to sea through the fog, very suitable for Halloween.
Adults everywhere got into the swing of Halloween, including this cute deer at Barnes & Noble bookshop. Ahhh Barnes & Noble... We spent some time there buying books (David) and a Nook Color e-reader (me). Yes I know B&N doesn't like Australians but I have strong hopes of getting around that and have pre-loaded it as much as I can.
Lunch was on a third floor rooftop overlooking Third Street Promenade and was nearly too chilly till they turned on a heater. Great small dishes of Asian/Latin American food to share: we didn't much like the yucca chips but all else was delicious.
Adults everywhere got into the swing of Halloween, including this cute deer at Barnes & Noble bookshop. Ahhh Barnes & Noble... We spent some time there buying books (David) and a Nook Color e-reader (me). Yes I know B&N doesn't like Australians but I have strong hopes of getting around that and have pre-loaded it as much as I can.
Lunch was on a third floor rooftop overlooking Third Street Promenade and was nearly too chilly till they turned on a heater. Great small dishes of Asian/Latin American food to share: we didn't much like the yucca chips but all else was delicious.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Los Angeles
We made it to Los Angeles and so - surprisingly - did our luggage as we only had 20 minutes in Atlanta to travel by train from B concourse to D. Atlanta has long escalators that plunge you under the runways to a train that comes along every five minutes to whisk you away to the next stop and another very long escalator up. But our cases must have taken a quicker route.
Our travel agent booked us into a medium hotel (on Qantas we hope) and we had a mediocre sort of meal with
a waiter
straight out of Fawlty Towers and are very ready for bed after the exhaustion of 8 hours sitting in planes. Why is that I wonder?
Our travel agent has booked us on Virgin Australia Monday night at 9.25 pm so we have a day in LA to follow Jenny's advice.
Outside is the city that never sleeps:
Our travel agent booked us into a medium hotel (on Qantas we hope) and we had a mediocre sort of meal with
a waiter
straight out of Fawlty Towers and are very ready for bed after the exhaustion of 8 hours sitting in planes. Why is that I wonder?
Our travel agent has booked us on Virgin Australia Monday night at 9.25 pm so we have a day in LA to follow Jenny's advice.
Outside is the city that never sleeps:
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Crisis!
Qantas has grounded all aircraft! We will be stuck in Los Angeles waiting to get back home. Jenny: what can we do in LA for one day? Our travel agent is hot on the job so I'm not worried; we'll get home even if it takes a while.
Tim got bagels for breakfast which we ate with the delicious wild mayhaw jelly. Mary knew it is a wild hawthorn and googled it to discover that it used to be a family tradition to go mayhaw picking in the woods - "a tradition now sadly defunct" - except at Wokulla Springs. Somebody should tell them.
Meanwhile today we are watching The Game Florida Gators versus Georgia Bulldogs and the Dawgs are winning which is causing great anguish in this house.
When The Game is over we will attack Ben & Jerrys ice-cream. It was buy one get one free at Publix so I bought 6 different flavours: Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Red Velvet Cake, Everything But The... and Imagine World Piece. The names are a big part of Ben and Jerrys. If you suggest a name that they adopt you get a lifetime supply of ice cream.
Here we are with Tim and Mary optimistically toasting the Gators' success:
But they lost 20 to 24...
Tim got bagels for breakfast which we ate with the delicious wild mayhaw jelly. Mary knew it is a wild hawthorn and googled it to discover that it used to be a family tradition to go mayhaw picking in the woods - "a tradition now sadly defunct" - except at Wokulla Springs. Somebody should tell them.
Meanwhile today we are watching The Game Florida Gators versus Georgia Bulldogs and the Dawgs are winning which is causing great anguish in this house.
When The Game is over we will attack Ben & Jerrys ice-cream. It was buy one get one free at Publix so I bought 6 different flavours: Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Red Velvet Cake, Everything But The... and Imagine World Piece. The names are a big part of Ben and Jerrys. If you suggest a name that they adopt you get a lifetime supply of ice cream.
Here we are with Tim and Mary optimistically toasting the Gators' success:
But they lost 20 to 24...
Friday, October 28, 2011
Wakulla Springs and St Marks
Nancy and Al came early to pick us up today and drive us two hours north to the REAL Florida - the land of cypress knees, swamps, alligators and good-ole-boys in pickups. We had sausage and biscuit (scones) in Perry for morning tea and coffee then pushed on to St Marks, formerly San Marco when the Spanish had it. It was a fort strategically placed where Wakulla and St Marks rivers meet and flow to the sea and like so many historic sites changed hands from Indian to Spanish to British then American. Now it's a peaceful spot with only the fort foundations left and a good place to launch your boat for a day fishing.
Then when you don't catch anything you can have lunch at the Riverside Cafe which is practically IN the river it's so close. We had steamed oysters to start - rather odd - then
I had breaded shrimp and the others had blackened grouper.
Next stop was Wakulla Springs State Park (nearly to Tallahassee) which has a most surprising hotel, a 1930s grand mansion which has been turned into a hotel - Nancy and Al have stayed there many times and often bring visitors. They have a particular fondness for old hotels. We've known Nancy and Al since we lived in the same apartment complex and our children became friends. Al was on sabbatical at the time but returned to Gainesville to become a professor at the vet school.
We took the boat ride on the Wakulla River, through the swamp and over the springs and it was gorgeous! Just one other couple and us (how unlike most places in America) and so much wildlife - 12 manatees, alligators, big and little fish and any amount of birds. Spanish moss hangs from the trees and when the boat engine was turned off all you could hear was the croaking of frogs. The spring emits 250
million gallons per day of fresh clean water - amazing to us! There were a few kids jumping off the diving board but otherwise no-one. I could have gone around again it was so good.
We stopped at a good-ole-boy selling honey and jelly by the side of the road and I bought a jar of wild mayhaw jelly. My picture is of Nancy deciding to buy some of the Tupelo honey.
St Marks also has a National Bird Reserve so we drove out there to a land of sea and sky and a dyke between the sea and swamp where you can walk looking at seabirds one side and swamp birds the other as it is a staging post for birds flying south for the winter. It's also a breeding place for monarch butterflies which were so busy that I could photograph them close up. Al had a lovely time with his binoculars looking at birds until the no-see-ums forced him back to the car.
We drove past the honey man for the third time in search of the perfect place for a picnic which turned out to be Wakulla Beach, deserted except for a dog and a woman netting for bait fish. Here we had smoked mullet from Riverside, crackers, olives, nuts and the wild mayhaw jelly which is a lovely pale pink and tastes of quince crossed with pomegranate. A winner!
The two hour trip back on route 19 passed quickly. Many thanks to Al for his excellent driving and to Nancy for her inspired choice of outing!
Then when you don't catch anything you can have lunch at the Riverside Cafe which is practically IN the river it's so close. We had steamed oysters to start - rather odd - then
I had breaded shrimp and the others had blackened grouper.
Next stop was Wakulla Springs State Park (nearly to Tallahassee) which has a most surprising hotel, a 1930s grand mansion which has been turned into a hotel - Nancy and Al have stayed there many times and often bring visitors. They have a particular fondness for old hotels. We've known Nancy and Al since we lived in the same apartment complex and our children became friends. Al was on sabbatical at the time but returned to Gainesville to become a professor at the vet school.
We took the boat ride on the Wakulla River, through the swamp and over the springs and it was gorgeous! Just one other couple and us (how unlike most places in America) and so much wildlife - 12 manatees, alligators, big and little fish and any amount of birds. Spanish moss hangs from the trees and when the boat engine was turned off all you could hear was the croaking of frogs. The spring emits 250
million gallons per day of fresh clean water - amazing to us! There were a few kids jumping off the diving board but otherwise no-one. I could have gone around again it was so good.
We stopped at a good-ole-boy selling honey and jelly by the side of the road and I bought a jar of wild mayhaw jelly. My picture is of Nancy deciding to buy some of the Tupelo honey.
St Marks also has a National Bird Reserve so we drove out there to a land of sea and sky and a dyke between the sea and swamp where you can walk looking at seabirds one side and swamp birds the other as it is a staging post for birds flying south for the winter. It's also a breeding place for monarch butterflies which were so busy that I could photograph them close up. Al had a lovely time with his binoculars looking at birds until the no-see-ums forced him back to the car.
We drove past the honey man for the third time in search of the perfect place for a picnic which turned out to be Wakulla Beach, deserted except for a dog and a woman netting for bait fish. Here we had smoked mullet from Riverside, crackers, olives, nuts and the wild mayhaw jelly which is a lovely pale pink and tastes of quince crossed with pomegranate. A winner!
The two hour trip back on route 19 passed quickly. Many thanks to Al for his excellent driving and to Nancy for her inspired choice of outing!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Gainesville Florida
Here we are in Gainesville where we lived 1976 to 1979 while David did his PhD at the University of Florida, home of the Gators.
Things have changed a lot since then: to start with the U of F now has 50,000 students instead of 30,000 so that's a lot of extra people. Entrance requirements are rigid: the grading system is 1 to 4 and undergraduates here need 4.4 to get in! We are staying with Mary and Tim who are associate dean of research for the discipline of agriculture (Mary) and Director of the Forestry School (Tim). We have known them since 1991 when they spent 6 months on sabbatical in Mount Gambier with their daughters Dorothy and Susie who now have children of their own. Antonio, their 17-year old adopted son from Paraguay lives with them plus Star and Jazz the two dogs.
This is a lovely time of year to be here as the temperature is just right: most of the year it's very hot and air-conditioning is a must. But it's too cool for the swimming pool so I brought my bathers for nothing.
David spent the day at the University revisiting old haunts and having lunch with Mary: I had the generous loan of Mary's sister's car and zoomed off to the Oaks Mall which I always loved when lived here. Driving was fine and I kept to the right easily and the Mall was just where it used to be near I75. One of the new shops is Teavana which I really liked - all sorts of expensive flavoured teas. (I hope I can get them through customs. ) No bookshop any more, as at Blacksburg - books are out of fashion...
Susie came to dinner with us at nearby Haile Village, new since our time, and a charming place of shops and restaurants with fairy lights in the trees and apartments above the shops.
She has fond memories of Mount Gambier and would love to return.
Things have changed a lot since then: to start with the U of F now has 50,000 students instead of 30,000 so that's a lot of extra people. Entrance requirements are rigid: the grading system is 1 to 4 and undergraduates here need 4.4 to get in! We are staying with Mary and Tim who are associate dean of research for the discipline of agriculture (Mary) and Director of the Forestry School (Tim). We have known them since 1991 when they spent 6 months on sabbatical in Mount Gambier with their daughters Dorothy and Susie who now have children of their own. Antonio, their 17-year old adopted son from Paraguay lives with them plus Star and Jazz the two dogs.
This is a lovely time of year to be here as the temperature is just right: most of the year it's very hot and air-conditioning is a must. But it's too cool for the swimming pool so I brought my bathers for nothing.
David spent the day at the University revisiting old haunts and having lunch with Mary: I had the generous loan of Mary's sister's car and zoomed off to the Oaks Mall which I always loved when lived here. Driving was fine and I kept to the right easily and the Mall was just where it used to be near I75. One of the new shops is Teavana which I really liked - all sorts of expensive flavoured teas. (I hope I can get them through customs. ) No bookshop any more, as at Blacksburg - books are out of fashion...
Susie came to dinner with us at nearby Haile Village, new since our time, and a charming place of shops and restaurants with fairy lights in the trees and apartments above the shops.
She has fond memories of Mount Gambier and would love to return.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Virginia Tech
Today Jim took us on a tour of Virginia Tech campus which stretches over a huge area and comprises many large building including a football stadium that holds 66,000 fans - and did so last weekend for Homecoming. (They're the Hokies and the football team is doing very well in the current competition.)
A memorial to the 32 students and faculty shot by a deranged student in 2007 is most moving and we spent some time there reading about the victims.
The Hahn Horticultural Garden also has a memorial, both in restrained good taste - but so sad. The Garden has beautiful trees, ponds, flowers and no-one there, so wonderfully peaceful. Carol and I went off to the hairdressers while Jim and David went target shooting from the back patio. (The yellow ATV is to drive up the hill to check the target. )
A memorial to the 32 students and faculty shot by a deranged student in 2007 is most moving and we spent some time there reading about the victims.
The Hahn Horticultural Garden also has a memorial, both in restrained good taste - but so sad. The Garden has beautiful trees, ponds, flowers and no-one there, so wonderfully peaceful. Carol and I went off to the hairdressers while Jim and David went target shooting from the back patio. (The yellow ATV is to drive up the hill to check the target. )
Monday, October 24, 2011
At Home in Blacksburg
Carol and Jim live on 30 acres at the edge of the city where they are nearly self-supporting, certainly locavores. In the picture below the house is set further back than the barn on the right. The barn is a man-cave with every desirable object known to a handyman including two shy barn cats.
Both have retired from professorships at Virginia Tech, a university of 30,000 students and have more time to devote to grandchildren and raising home-grown produce on their farm. Deer live in the woods and get converted into meat so we had venison sausage for breakfast, along with their own eggs, Carol's bread and preserves.
Jim and David went out to look at every tree in the woods and Carol and I went to zumba. Wow! I never once did the same as the instructor and I was very glad to hear the magic word 'stretch' because it meant the agony was nearly over.
Both have retired from professorships at Virginia Tech, a university of 30,000 students and have more time to devote to grandchildren and raising home-grown produce on their farm. Deer live in the woods and get converted into meat so we had venison sausage for breakfast, along with their own eggs, Carol's bread and preserves.
Jim and David went out to look at every tree in the woods and Carol and I went to zumba. Wow! I never once did the same as the instructor and I was very glad to hear the magic word 'stretch' because it meant the agony was nearly over.
Supper with the Grandchildren
Carol and Jim's daughter Julie and het husband Ben invited us to dinner with them and Clara aged 4 and Helen aged 1.
Here they are Julie, Clara, Jim and Helen:
Here they are Julie, Clara, Jim and Helen:
Sunday, October 23, 2011
North Carolina in the Fall
Fall put on a wonderful show for us today - a crisp night of 1' followed by a bright sunny day of 16', no wind, no cloud - so that the colours of the leaves glowed. The red of red maple, red oak and scarlet oak fairly snapped crackled and popped against the yellow of yellow polar and other oaks and maples interspersed with the dark green of red spruce and white pine. (I have consulted my forestry expert to get that bit correct. )
We left the b&b early to get started on the trek to Blacksburg Virginia where the Burgers live, which meant no posh b&b breakfast - instead breakfast at The Moose Cafe because David wanted me to experience a Moose Cake. But before that came a hot biscuit (scone) with apple butter then the Moose Cake (pancake) the size of a dinner plate. This was at 7.30 am and the place filled up soon after. In the foyer was a welcoming very large stuffed moose.
We soon got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway which runs along the mountains for 470 miles through North Carolina and Virginia. At Asheville we were 2000 feet above sea level and driving through mixed forest filled with glorious colour and as it was so early - no-one else around.
By Mount Mitchell, 6000 feet above sea level everything had changed: more people, icicles by the side of the road, less trees and less fall foliage then the road comes down again, the day warmed up, fall foliage came back and the number of people increased dramatically. Cars were everywhere and people determined to enjoy the sun and leaves. We had it easy, sitting back and drinking it all in while Jim did the driving and coped with the traffic.
Time ran out and we had to return to the major highways to get to Blacksburg in time for dinner.
We left the b&b early to get started on the trek to Blacksburg Virginia where the Burgers live, which meant no posh b&b breakfast - instead breakfast at The Moose Cafe because David wanted me to experience a Moose Cake. But before that came a hot biscuit (scone) with apple butter then the Moose Cake (pancake) the size of a dinner plate. This was at 7.30 am and the place filled up soon after. In the foyer was a welcoming very large stuffed moose.
We soon got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway which runs along the mountains for 470 miles through North Carolina and Virginia. At Asheville we were 2000 feet above sea level and driving through mixed forest filled with glorious colour and as it was so early - no-one else around.
By Mount Mitchell, 6000 feet above sea level everything had changed: more people, icicles by the side of the road, less trees and less fall foliage then the road comes down again, the day warmed up, fall foliage came back and the number of people increased dramatically. Cars were everywhere and people determined to enjoy the sun and leaves. We had it easy, sitting back and drinking it all in while Jim did the driving and coped with the traffic.
Time ran out and we had to return to the major highways to get to Blacksburg in time for dinner.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Craft Fair and Serious Trees
Carol and I did the Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands this morning - serious high end craft, much of it big and heavy and expensive. Lots of pottery, woodwork, jewellery, fibre art - two large floors of it beautifully lit and presented and quite overwhelming in its volume. It was all for sale but credit cards required: the most attractive things were carved wooden rocking horses, one of them a wooden hare on top of a tortoise, very clever.
Meanwhile Jim and David had an early start to go out in Pisgah National Forest with the Chief Silviculturalist, a former student of Jim's. They had breakfast at Moose Cafe and raved about it but Carol and I were enjoying our elegant b&b breakfast.
We also enjoyed our lunch at a combined secondhand book store and champagne bar: sounds an odd combination but works very well. Downtown Asheville was buzzing with music groups, crafts and many shoppers and we had fun poking around the shops which are different from the usual touristic offerings. We came back to Biltmore Village near our b&b for more shops including Yarn Paradise just fabulous wool but I can't buy any more.
Meanwhile Jim and David had an early start to go out in Pisgah National Forest with the Chief Silviculturalist, a former student of Jim's. They had breakfast at Moose Cafe and raved about it but Carol and I were enjoying our elegant b&b breakfast.
We also enjoyed our lunch at a combined secondhand book store and champagne bar: sounds an odd combination but works very well. Downtown Asheville was buzzing with music groups, crafts and many shoppers and we had fun poking around the shops which are different from the usual touristic offerings. We came back to Biltmore Village near our b&b for more shops including Yarn Paradise just fabulous wool but I can't buy any more.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Treasure Trove of Trees
A whole day to look at the Biltmore Gardens and forests turned into an orgy of tree-spotting and naming for David and Jim. Carol and I got to go in all the gift shops because the guys simply didn't notice, being too intent on identifying pin oak or scarlet oak (depends on the bark). We stopped in front of the house to take photos - that's Jim and Carol below.
The gardens at Biltmore supply the house with flowers; lots of Singapore orchids in the hothouses ready to be sent to the house, luscious ferns and tropical plants with classical music playing quietly to get them growing. There wasn't a lot outside except the ubiquitous 'mums', chrysanthemums to us. When I first saw them I liked their tight fat heavily floriferous form but now I'm tired of them and would like to see a floppy one with long stalks. They're everywhere not just at Biltmore. The perennial border was very good and there still are a few roses flowering - such a lovely day for looking at gardens, warm and sunny with a blue sky.
Tiffany lamps were on display at Antler Hill Village, part of the estate. Such gorgeous colours and shapes, absolutely beautiful and demonstrations of how they are formed by copper foiling. We had a wine tasting - not a patch on Australian wines - and checked out yet another gift shop. Somehow this took all day with three drives around the estate tree-looking, then back to the b&b for cheese and wine before dinner.
The gardens at Biltmore supply the house with flowers; lots of Singapore orchids in the hothouses ready to be sent to the house, luscious ferns and tropical plants with classical music playing quietly to get them growing. There wasn't a lot outside except the ubiquitous 'mums', chrysanthemums to us. When I first saw them I liked their tight fat heavily floriferous form but now I'm tired of them and would like to see a floppy one with long stalks. They're everywhere not just at Biltmore. The perennial border was very good and there still are a few roses flowering - such a lovely day for looking at gardens, warm and sunny with a blue sky.
Tiffany lamps were on display at Antler Hill Village, part of the estate. Such gorgeous colours and shapes, absolutely beautiful and demonstrations of how they are formed by copper foiling. We had a wine tasting - not a patch on Australian wines - and checked out yet another gift shop. Somehow this took all day with three drives around the estate tree-looking, then back to the b&b for cheese and wine before dinner.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Biltmore Mansion Asheville NC
9 am breakfast at this b&b - how civilized! - starting with little pumpkin breads, bowls of berries and then potato frittatas. No lunch required today...
Then off to the Biltmore House (we have tickets for two days admission) and as the morning is coolish we're spending the morning inside the house. No photography is allowed so the only photo I've got is of the outside. It looks huge in the photo but that's not all: it covers four acres and has 250 rooms!!! and takes all morning to do the tour, us and 1000 others. (There are over a million visitors a year. )
We did the audio tour which is really good as you can move at your own pace and hear all the commentary as you're looking at the area. You start in the Winter Garden, decorated now to honour Tiffany because there is a Tiffany exhibition on elsewhere then to the Billiard Room and Banqueting Hall with its seven-story high ceiling and pipe organ, these days played by a computer. The table is set for 38 diners. In their heyday of the early 1900s the Vanderbilts were great entertainers and guests might stay for six weeks.
The tour continues with everything in the house amazingly lush and rich-looking while outside the rolling landscaped grounds covered in autumn-toned woods blend into the faraway blue mountains. George Vanderbilt built here in Asheville because he loved the mountains - so restful after the excesses of New York society life - 125,000 acres, just 9,000 left now; still privately owned and open every day to the public with of course restaurants and gift shops.
The Stable Gift Shop is selling Christmas decorations, all exquisite and totally unable to be transported.
Mrs Vanderbilt's bedroom was a worry because no closets but we found out why.
At 2pm (no lunch) we joined the Butler's Pantry Tour which takes you into the servants' part of the house starting with the Bachelors' Wing which is not accessible to the rest of the house. I wonder if it really kept them from the young ladies or were they forever traipsing through the Billiard Room?
We visited the housekeeper's room, the sewing room, the lady's maid's room and finally the huge area set aside for Mrs Vanderbilt's clothes. She may have changed six times a day so she needed LOTS. Very advanced for those times they had flush loos and showers but no hand-basins.
The butler's pantry is where the glass and china is stored on several levels with a catwalk and a dumb waiter to bring them down. Down down down we went right to the sub-basement where coal was burnt to supply electricity and heating, all of which was surprisingly interesting.
A long winding drive to exit took us through the estate which we will see in more detail tomorrow and back to the b&b for wine and cheese and a sit on rocking chairs on the porch looking out at the mountains.
Jim and Carol are locivores which means they try to eat local food rather than food that has travelled a long way which rules out eating at chains. Suits me as I wanted to have barbecue anyway - southern style because this is the South - so the host recommended Moe's as being authentic Bama BBQ (short for Alabama) and a huge plate of ribs and 2 sides for $11.25 ( I skipped the bananna pudding. )
Carol had discovered a knitting demonstration downtown at Purl's so she and I went - very interesting and I won a door prize of a JuniperMoon Farm pattern book. I may never knit anything from it but it was a nice ending to a super day.
Then off to the Biltmore House (we have tickets for two days admission) and as the morning is coolish we're spending the morning inside the house. No photography is allowed so the only photo I've got is of the outside. It looks huge in the photo but that's not all: it covers four acres and has 250 rooms!!! and takes all morning to do the tour, us and 1000 others. (There are over a million visitors a year. )
We did the audio tour which is really good as you can move at your own pace and hear all the commentary as you're looking at the area. You start in the Winter Garden, decorated now to honour Tiffany because there is a Tiffany exhibition on elsewhere then to the Billiard Room and Banqueting Hall with its seven-story high ceiling and pipe organ, these days played by a computer. The table is set for 38 diners. In their heyday of the early 1900s the Vanderbilts were great entertainers and guests might stay for six weeks.
The tour continues with everything in the house amazingly lush and rich-looking while outside the rolling landscaped grounds covered in autumn-toned woods blend into the faraway blue mountains. George Vanderbilt built here in Asheville because he loved the mountains - so restful after the excesses of New York society life - 125,000 acres, just 9,000 left now; still privately owned and open every day to the public with of course restaurants and gift shops.
The Stable Gift Shop is selling Christmas decorations, all exquisite and totally unable to be transported.
Mrs Vanderbilt's bedroom was a worry because no closets but we found out why.
At 2pm (no lunch) we joined the Butler's Pantry Tour which takes you into the servants' part of the house starting with the Bachelors' Wing which is not accessible to the rest of the house. I wonder if it really kept them from the young ladies or were they forever traipsing through the Billiard Room?
We visited the housekeeper's room, the sewing room, the lady's maid's room and finally the huge area set aside for Mrs Vanderbilt's clothes. She may have changed six times a day so she needed LOTS. Very advanced for those times they had flush loos and showers but no hand-basins.
The butler's pantry is where the glass and china is stored on several levels with a catwalk and a dumb waiter to bring them down. Down down down we went right to the sub-basement where coal was burnt to supply electricity and heating, all of which was surprisingly interesting.
A long winding drive to exit took us through the estate which we will see in more detail tomorrow and back to the b&b for wine and cheese and a sit on rocking chairs on the porch looking out at the mountains.
Jim and Carol are locivores which means they try to eat local food rather than food that has travelled a long way which rules out eating at chains. Suits me as I wanted to have barbecue anyway - southern style because this is the South - so the host recommended Moe's as being authentic Bama BBQ (short for Alabama) and a huge plate of ribs and 2 sides for $11.25 ( I skipped the bananna pudding. )
Carol had discovered a knitting demonstration downtown at Purl's so she and I went - very interesting and I won a door prize of a JuniperMoon Farm pattern book. I may never knit anything from it but it was a nice ending to a super day.
Tweedledee and Tweedledum
David and Jim turned up for breakfast at the b&b wearing virtually the same outfit - so that the host asked if they are related!
Jim answered quickly: " No, but we've been thinking the same way for 35 years!". (They were together in graduate school at the University of Florida for three years. )
Jim answered quickly: " No, but we've been thinking the same way for 35 years!". (They were together in graduate school at the University of Florida for three years. )
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Boston MA to Asheville NC
We arrived at Boston airport in good time and farewelled the group - some of whom are going straight home and some going on to New York for a post-tour with Merryle.
David and I had a three hour wait (but better early than late...) then a two and a half hour flight with JetBlue to Charlotte North Carolina, the most memorable part being BLUE potato chips. It was lovely to see Carol's welcoming face at the baggage claim and then to see Jim who had been wrestling with airport traffic and drove in to pick up us and our bags. The airport is huge so the city must be large: however we were soon clear of Charlotte and heading to Gastonia to a restaurant called Rodi's for a delicious southern dinner.
It was another two hours of solid 6-lane freeway driving, cars swooshing past constantly and me battling to stay awake in the back seat until we arrived at Asheville, home of the Biltmore Mansion and our b&b the Biltmore Village Inn. We've got the Executive Cottage which is unbelievably luxurious except for no wine glasses which we will rectify tomorrow. Our host referred to Carol as the tour manager and I reckon she could take over from Merryle any time; she had everything organized for a great three days.
But bed is calling.
David and I had a three hour wait (but better early than late...) then a two and a half hour flight with JetBlue to Charlotte North Carolina, the most memorable part being BLUE potato chips. It was lovely to see Carol's welcoming face at the baggage claim and then to see Jim who had been wrestling with airport traffic and drove in to pick up us and our bags. The airport is huge so the city must be large: however we were soon clear of Charlotte and heading to Gastonia to a restaurant called Rodi's for a delicious southern dinner.
It was another two hours of solid 6-lane freeway driving, cars swooshing past constantly and me battling to stay awake in the back seat until we arrived at Asheville, home of the Biltmore Mansion and our b&b the Biltmore Village Inn. We've got the Executive Cottage which is unbelievably luxurious except for no wine glasses which we will rectify tomorrow. Our host referred to Carol as the tour manager and I reckon she could take over from Merryle any time; she had everything organized for a great three days.
But bed is calling.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Last Day of Tour
We headed south on route 3 with a morning stop at Camden, a lovely little town right on the water and several large sailing ketches in dry dock and shrink-wrapped in plastic against the approaching winter. Route 3 runs near the water for most of the way, next stop Rockland and a visit to the Farnsworth Art Gallery where there are many paintings by Andrew Wyeth: David and I have had a print of his "Geraniums" in our bedroom for ages - so long that the geranium faded to pale pink and David touched it up with darker paint. So it was nice to visit the original and check out the real colour.
Our destination was Freeport Maine which is an outlet town and a last chance for some shopping at outlet prices - couldn't resist buying a Coach bag and a few odds and ends.
Merryle hosted a cocktail party at the hotel for all us passengers and a final dinner. Gordon spoke a few words - correction - many words of appreciation for Merryle and Vanessa's efforts during the trip and finished off with a spirited rendition of "I Love a Sunburnt Country". He has been a source of great amusement during the trip telling stories too long for a blog.
In the hotel room is a copy of the Maine state song:
Our destination was Freeport Maine which is an outlet town and a last chance for some shopping at outlet prices - couldn't resist buying a Coach bag and a few odds and ends.
Merryle hosted a cocktail party at the hotel for all us passengers and a final dinner. Gordon spoke a few words - correction - many words of appreciation for Merryle and Vanessa's efforts during the trip and finished off with a spirited rendition of "I Love a Sunburnt Country". He has been a source of great amusement during the trip telling stories too long for a blog.
In the hotel room is a copy of the Maine state song:
Monday, October 17, 2011
Day of Rest - Worn Out!
We skipped the hotel breakfast this morning and went off to the 2cats which I found highly recornmended on TripAdvisor - breakfast from 7 am to 1pm and that's it for the day.
It was quite a walk from the hotel in bright sunny weather and we timed it just right because when we left 2cats there was a queue stretching down the path. Looking at the young age of everyone I would guess that they too looked it up on TripAdvisor - which shows how influential sites like TA are.
One if the cats showed himself, the other was on his break and we enjoyed the homemade granola with yoghurt and fruit. David wasn't mad on his pancakes but I loved the walnut cranberry muffin, fresh from the oven.
On the way back along Cottage Street I spotted Bee's yarn shop and of course made a bee-line for it while David kept on walking. The owner, Debbie and I had a lovely chat and she sold me more sock yarn which I'm looking forward to.
More walking around the streets where we continually met members of our group shopping and sightseeing. There was another cruise ship in the harbor and the shops were crawling with them By the time we'd done the shore walk past the millionaires' so-called cottages we were worn out and ready for a rest before dinner.
Last food description and our farewell dinner with Anne, Bill and Sue was fabulous!! We went to the Reading Room, chosen by a combination of name and TripAdvisor, and situated in Bar Harbor Inn on a headland overlooking the harbour - practically IN the harbour.
It was quite a walk from the hotel in bright sunny weather and we timed it just right because when we left 2cats there was a queue stretching down the path. Looking at the young age of everyone I would guess that they too looked it up on TripAdvisor - which shows how influential sites like TA are.
One if the cats showed himself, the other was on his break and we enjoyed the homemade granola with yoghurt and fruit. David wasn't mad on his pancakes but I loved the walnut cranberry muffin, fresh from the oven.
On the way back along Cottage Street I spotted Bee's yarn shop and of course made a bee-line for it while David kept on walking. The owner, Debbie and I had a lovely chat and she sold me more sock yarn which I'm looking forward to.
More walking around the streets where we continually met members of our group shopping and sightseeing. There was another cruise ship in the harbor and the shops were crawling with them By the time we'd done the shore walk past the millionaires' so-called cottages we were worn out and ready for a rest before dinner.
Last food description and our farewell dinner with Anne, Bill and Sue was fabulous!! We went to the Reading Room, chosen by a combination of name and TripAdvisor, and situated in Bar Harbor Inn on a headland overlooking the harbour - practically IN the harbour.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
Two cruise ships hit town this morning and 5000 extra people appeared on the streets so it was a good day for us to go to Acadia National Park with our native guide in his bus - tour coaches like ours are too big for the roads.
The Rockefellers are great benefactors of this park, donating much of the land and having personal involvement in the running. John D the second decreed that no automobiles be allowed on carriage roads which holds true to today - and we benefited from that decree this afternoon.
In the morning we drove around the meadow and looked at the wild plant gardens which were established by the local Garden Club, a worthy cause, and a huge amount of work. The cruise ships had commandeered every bus in the area and they were all at Thunder Hole on the coast waiting for it to thunder (usually more of a whisper according to our guide).
Then a stiff climb in the bus up Cadillac Mountain to look out over Bar Harbor and see the two cruise ships sitting innocently out in the bay. It was freezing up there with an icy wind blowing and I hated it - was very happy to come back down to Jordan Pond House Restaurant for lunch pre-ordered by Merryle.
This is the best lunch yet! We had a private dining room and the owner as waiter who explained there has been a restaurant on this site for one hundred years and they still serve the same specialties. Bring it on! They are real lemonade, unsweetened with simple syrup in jugs if you like it sweeter, seafood chowder and popovers. Popovers are a revelation: they're simply Yorkshire pudding batter cooked in muffin tins so they pop up and fall over; they're served hot from the oven and you plunge a knife into its heart, add butter and strawberry jam, shake it and eat. I am ashamed to say everyone at our table ate two - and that was before the seafood chowder, the crabcakes, salad and ham and cheese paninis. Not to mention the homemade real vanilla ice-cream with wild blueberry sauce.
The poor horses had to carry all that on our two hour carriage ride. This was a special treat for the last day and what a delight it was to sit back in the carriage and let our two French percherons driven by Emily carry us up the hill on gradual slopes. Emily is a funny and informative guide and she handled Pete and Gub with skill and obvious love. Pete has had one eye removed and experimental surgery on his other eye so it's touch and go for him but he and his brother didn't skip a beat hauling us up that mountain and seemed to enjoy their work.
It was lovely to slowly and quietly drive under the trees and see at close quarters how the trees cling to the rocks with little shrubs and mosses around their trunks and gaze out at the sea - the cruise boats far in the distance and no cruisers within sight or sound.
Two hours passed too quickly and soon we were back saying goodbye to Pete and Gub and Emily.
David and I had a light dinner and an ice-cream cone: I was intrigued by maple bacon but after a sample settled for maple walnut - delicious - and $2 for 2 cones because they are closing next week.
The Rockefellers are great benefactors of this park, donating much of the land and having personal involvement in the running. John D the second decreed that no automobiles be allowed on carriage roads which holds true to today - and we benefited from that decree this afternoon.
In the morning we drove around the meadow and looked at the wild plant gardens which were established by the local Garden Club, a worthy cause, and a huge amount of work. The cruise ships had commandeered every bus in the area and they were all at Thunder Hole on the coast waiting for it to thunder (usually more of a whisper according to our guide).
Then a stiff climb in the bus up Cadillac Mountain to look out over Bar Harbor and see the two cruise ships sitting innocently out in the bay. It was freezing up there with an icy wind blowing and I hated it - was very happy to come back down to Jordan Pond House Restaurant for lunch pre-ordered by Merryle.
This is the best lunch yet! We had a private dining room and the owner as waiter who explained there has been a restaurant on this site for one hundred years and they still serve the same specialties. Bring it on! They are real lemonade, unsweetened with simple syrup in jugs if you like it sweeter, seafood chowder and popovers. Popovers are a revelation: they're simply Yorkshire pudding batter cooked in muffin tins so they pop up and fall over; they're served hot from the oven and you plunge a knife into its heart, add butter and strawberry jam, shake it and eat. I am ashamed to say everyone at our table ate two - and that was before the seafood chowder, the crabcakes, salad and ham and cheese paninis. Not to mention the homemade real vanilla ice-cream with wild blueberry sauce.
The poor horses had to carry all that on our two hour carriage ride. This was a special treat for the last day and what a delight it was to sit back in the carriage and let our two French percherons driven by Emily carry us up the hill on gradual slopes. Emily is a funny and informative guide and she handled Pete and Gub with skill and obvious love. Pete has had one eye removed and experimental surgery on his other eye so it's touch and go for him but he and his brother didn't skip a beat hauling us up that mountain and seemed to enjoy their work.
It was lovely to slowly and quietly drive under the trees and see at close quarters how the trees cling to the rocks with little shrubs and mosses around their trunks and gaze out at the sea - the cruise boats far in the distance and no cruisers within sight or sound.
Two hours passed too quickly and soon we were back saying goodbye to Pete and Gub and Emily.
David and I had a light dinner and an ice-cream cone: I was intrigued by maple bacon but after a sample settled for maple walnut - delicious - and $2 for 2 cones because they are closing next week.
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