Journeys Home – Page 2 – Wendy's Out of Station

Not so much a New York state of mind, but maybe I had more fun than I thought

Well days two and three in New York – Saturday and Sunday – mmm yeah. Sometimes you know yourself well and to be honest I had misgivings about how I’d like New York. So in fact, putting a positive spin enabled by being back home in Australia now, it was actually better than I expected! I even really seriously enjoyed two bits! OMG, three! But I’m getting ahead.

Saturday morning I decided to walk along the Hudson River from the hotel toward the Staten Island Ferry with the aim of getting to see the Statue of Liberty. She had been strongly in my mind and I wanted to get closer, to understand my response. So off I set, along a really nice riverside park way full of joggers and families, walkers, waffles. Mmm the waffles were hot and the eye candy sweet. It was a cool cloudy start but I could see the clouds were blowing away and the forecast was for a fine day. I was feeling positive.

I think that tall box at the end of the two piers is the top of the ventilator shaft for the Holland Tunnel. I liked its style. Continue reading “Not so much a New York state of mind, but maybe I had more fun than I thought”

A high point: The High Line

In all the agony of New York, I loved The High Line. It’s a former elevated rail spur that has been converted into a fabulous urban garden. Should have stayed up there for hours. And it’s where I found the best coffee that I drank in New York.

And a bee and I found each other not too far from a pair of water towers. No wonder I was happy. Continue reading “A high point: The High Line”

Visiting Anne

Apologies for the delay in posting about my visits to several things Anne of Green Gables this last week – as you will see there are rather a lot of photos! I started off on Monday with a walk around Charlottetown, looking at some of the wonderful houses. The parlour is from the B&B I stayed in, The Shipwright Inn, which I would certainly recommend.

Then in the afternoon I drove west toward the area where Lucy Maud Montgomery lived her life, and the setting of the Anne of Green Gables novels. The countryside was simply magnificent. You can see how it was so inspiring for her.

On Tuesday it was again overcast but undeterred I set off to the Preserves Company (amazing preserves sadly in heavy glass jars), only to discover that on their grounds are the Gardens of Hope, a beautiful setting created to assist people in palliative care. While not strictly Anne content, I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I did. Continue reading “Visiting Anne”

New York… is it me?

There’s an old guy sitting on his walking frame, no not next to me and no he’s not making love to a tonic and gin, although to be honest I can’t speak to what’s in his flask, anyway he’s sitting on the Arthur W Stickland triangle and he’s feeding the pigeons. Looks like he could use a decent meal himself. Wonder what Art did to get himself a garden triangle? The cafe I’m in is playing 1920’s jazz, and the living is easy… sorry I may run out of lyric puns eventually, or maybe not. I’m sitting here with an Argentinian Malbec watching the world go by, waiting for my soul to find me. She’s lost between the moon and New York city, I know it’s crazy, but it’s true. Oh god I’m tragic.

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I should confess I’ve demolished a pastrami Reuben on rye, which was magic. And seemed very New York. Note to self, I need to find proper New York bagels to try.

I think I’m in Greenwich village, a little different to the Greenwich of two days ago with its empty silences filled alternately by waves, or the sound of the wind in the poplars. I wish you could have heard the sound of the wind in the poplars, it was unearthly but so centring. Vibrating on some harmony common to all life. Here my ears are full of Billy Holiday, conversations, the kitchen clatter, laughter, horns & traffic. So different, but also so alive and pulsing. Happy. I think, or maybe I shouldn’t think too much. Continue reading “New York… is it me?”

Prince Edward Island ~ Paradise really is beautiful

I really struggled with which picture to put at the top of this post, there are so many that I totally love… this was the runner up. It’s actually from the end of Tuesday, hence the atmospheric mist.

Did I make the right choice?

Late that afternoon, right before my lobster supper, the weather was so intense it was just perfect. Continue reading “Prince Edward Island ~ Paradise really is beautiful”

Where the earth reflects the sky

I know I’m posting out of order, but writing the Anne of Green Gables visit blog post is taking a while! After I left Anne of Green Gables House and the LM Montgomery Museum, I went out to the coast nearby. Oh I had so missed the ocean in Montreal. Given the soil is so red and rich and fertile it’s not surprising that the beach cliffs are red sandstone. Takes a moment to get used to it, but it’s so soft and crumbly and beautiful.

The cliff top foliage is just lovely. Hanging onto life. And it’s good not to go too close to the edge as the crumbly red earth really is constantly collapsing into the sea.

I missed the photograph that explained my title for this post. I sat in the car watching the waves like we used to on the Great Ocean Road when I was a kid. No thermos of tomato soup, but the gulls were huge and just as loud. As the waves stirred up the rubble the sand coloured the water, dissolving, merging. My immediate thought was “Champagne waves”, but really as I sat and watched and relaxed, I thought liquid topaz flowing into aquamarine. The colours swirled. Waves foamed and filled my ears with a gentle purr of continual movement. And you know how the water reflects the sky, well it seemed to me that impregnated with the red earth, the sea looked just like how I imagine it would look if the earth could reflect the sky. Full of rain clouds and squalls that had drenched me, the sky was a steely grey, not harsh or cold, more sleek and silvered and smooth. So there was this bubbling champagne topaz sea reflecting a living quicksilver sky, surrounded and penetrated, swirled into an aquamarine setting. Just beautiful, and my subconscious did keep going back to thoughts of a rich topaz champagne, but you’ll have to use your imagination because I was so caught in the moment I didn’t photograph it properly. Sorry about that!

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap… Cambodian Nostalgia

A friend has gone to Siem Reap, Cambodia today. Listening to her plans made me nostalgic so here are some journal entries from my time there Christmas 2012.

I’ve tried posting them in reverse order so you can read from the top down. Or just dip in as you like. Enjoy

22/12… Santa Krishna’s in Siem Reap

Sing along please:- It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… there’s tinsel on the tree and a sleigh ride for you an’ me… yep Santa’s in shop windows, carols are blaring, war maimed beggars are wearing flashing Santa hats. Incongruous enough at any time, totally bizarre in 35C heat in Buddhist Cambodia, but I guess since the world didn’t end yesterday (21/12/12) we’re here in a multi-cultural multi-faith world a little longer. Also incongruous I must say was the tinsel and mistletoe adorning the Singapore Airlines plane interior yesterday – but if it’s good enough for Singapore Airlines I guess it’s good enough for Siem Reap, so Santa Krishna’s abound (local pronunciation).

Yes, you guessed it, I have arrived in Cambodia! Lara Croft and Indiana Jones eat your hearts out – coz I’m here!

Nothing much to say actually as I’ve not done any tomb raiding yet – I believe from the signs and themed souvenirs that Angkor Wat is somewhere nearby. Continue reading “22/12… Santa Krishna’s in Siem Reap”

23/12… Lady Croft

Ok I’m struggling. Clearly Lady Croft was a lot to live up to.

The day started dark, lit only by blue and white Christmas icicles and flashing stars adorning the trees around the hotel. Hot, but festive. Full of hope. All good.

We drove in the darkness at speeds never exceeding 30km/h toward Angkor Wat, bought my entry ticket, were dropped from the car in the dark and, leaving the world of artificial light, set off like good pilgrims in darkness down a track into the unknown.

Stars pricked the velvet blackness of the predawn sky, all was silent, the outer rock wall of the temple loomed in the faint light of the guide’s cell phone. We rounded a corner and gasped, just able to discern the towers of the great temple complex against the near black sky. Motorbikes passed breaking the moment with sound and light, flashlights popped as people tried to capture the dim moment in pixels. I adjusted my ISO to max, manually focused, sat the camera on what I think was a rock wall and 8 seconds later (no flash) had a moderately focused poorly composed silhouette of Angkor Wat with the evening star bright above her spires. Should have gone home then. Continue reading “23/12… Lady Croft”

24/12… Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve and those sleigh bells are still jin jin jingling too, coz its just fabulous weather for a sleigh ride together with you. 35C and somewhat crowded in the sleigh with the 150 Malaysian Lions Club members now over running my otherwise excellent hotel. I am a grumpy old fart really (farts not to be trusted or loo opportunities missed,)

Getting a bit frustrated with these full day tours that are finished by lunch time but I guess on the bright side that leaves me free time. Maybe this is what normal people do on holiday.

You will be pleased to know that The Blue Pumpkin cafe at which I am eating lunch and using free wifi has an Argentinian Malbec that is by all accounts (the menu) unctuous, fresh and with notes of cheery. Gotta be happy with that really. Me I’m sticking to iced coffee. What is unctuous when at home? And cheery wine? Continue reading “24/12… Christmas Eve”