Travels and Other Information

United States		France		Australia
	Chicago		Paris		Melbourne	Patagonia
	New York		Lyon		Brisbane	Sicily
	New Orleans		South West France		Sydney
					Australia
Great Britain
	Scotland
	London

Chicago

Chicago was my first experience of staying with a SERVAS host, although I had contacted 'day hosts' before. I was having difficulty finding a room for the Saturday night, because there was a huge restaurant convention and every hotel seemed to be full. So in desperation I turned to the SERVAS host list for America and lo and behold! There was someone listing jazz and journalism among his interests! He subsequently saved me $399 by inviting me to stay an extra night- the hotel rate went up because there was a shortage of rooms, it really is outrageous that they can charge so much. True, they have very good staff, and also a lot of services. I know people on business don't have time to launder etc. but…. And there was a pool and fitness centre, which was really good, with exceptionally friendly staff. There was also a business centre, which was just daylight robbery, charging $6.85 for 15 minutes on the internet! I found a computer café on Ontario St. that cost $20 for 5 hours, and the Soho Grand hotel in New York and the Hotel Versace in Southport on the Gold Coast of Australia don't charge anything for their business centres. Also, most Australian hotels provide the use of a washing machine/ tumble dryer, a very good idea. This hotel in Chicago was the Intercontinental, on Michigan Avenue, and it did also have an excellent concierge service, which you don't get in more reasonably priced hotels.

Speaking of which, the hotel I was originally booked into was the Cass Hotel, "The downtown hotel without the downtown price." It looked nice, but was totally unsuitable for me, with stairs, a door, then more stairs before even reaching the reception. In my younger days……………….

The receptionist was very helpful, and found a room for me in the Intercontinental Hotel, a hotel which I had tried to book into a month earlier on the internet, which has severely dented my faith in the Internet.

I discovered quite a bit more about Chicago. Rush Street was within easy walking distance, and it is a lively street, many restaurants and night clubs. The Water Tower, on Michigan Ave, still pumps and filters some of Lake Eyrie, which is shared by four states: Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. There is a modern building next door which has taken the same name, which houses a 7-storey shopping mall, the first of its kind.

Chicago is a very clean city, with a lot of flowers, and a new Millenium Park, in a prime position between Michigan Ave. and the Lake. It hosts concerts and the annual jazzfest, has a huge modern sculpture and the Crown fountains, which depicts a face, and very little else that I could see. But it is a nice to stroll in - in good weather! The excellent concierge was able to get me in to the Green Mill, a famous jazz club. which was once a speakeasy owned by Al Capone, and holds about 175 people. It is not dressy, and a low cover charge, which they seem pretty relaxed about- or I suspect that may have been the doing of that excellent concierge. I couldn't get over how low the non-alcoholic drink prices were - $2! That is a good incentive for not drinking! I was sitting opposite a lady who gave me a potted history if swing dancing. Jazz and blues grew out of spirituals and gospel singing. It was known as the lindyhop, then, when it came to Britain during the war it became known as the jitterbug. This was when the ladies were swung into the air, doing the splits before landing again. Then swing, be-bop, hesitation, and now it is called stepping.

New Orleans

New Orleans, the pretty, graceful city with dainty iron filigree balconies filled with over-hanging baskets of bright flowers or green vines, glimpses of diners or house interiors through the half open shuttered windows, the black iron horse-tethering posts along some pavements, and glimpses of courtyards through arched doorways. It is a city dedicated to fun. In the Palm Court café it is not unusual to see dancers spanning five generations, or impromptu 'parades' by the customers, waitresses and waiters alike! Although Mardi Gas began in Italy in the sixth century, organized parades had to wait for the Americans organisational skill in the twentieth century By 1905 there were just 17 cars registered in New Orleans,. which was founded in 1722 by Bienville, a Frenchman.. It was French until 1760, then Spanish for 40 years before reverting to the French, who finally sold it to America in 1803. There is a statue to honour him in Decatur Street, just to the east of the Lafitte visitor center. There were two brothers, Jean and Pierre Lafitte Very little is known about Jean Lafitte. He was born about 1870 , and was a privateer, Eventually the English approached him, hoping that he would help them capture New Orleans. However, Lafitte told the French instead, leading to the defeat of the English, and after the war the two brothers were given a full pardon..

The architecture of New Orleans was influenced by the different nations, bright colours came from the French, and although they had balconies, it took the iron-making skills of the Spanish to produce the lacy iron-filigree work of the balconies. They also introduced courtyards and patios.

Degas lived here for a while. His mother was Creole. The French were fond of alleys, they were cool and shady and allowed the air to circulate, as did the louvred shutters on the houses.

Near the north end of the French Quarter lies Congo Park, where there is a statue to Louis Armstrong. The annual jazzfests are held here (at the end of April?)

One of the 'must-do's' for a visitor is a swamp trip. It really is marvellous scenery, with the almost continual background frisson of danger. Alligators have ashorter snout than crocodiles. There are no crocodiles in New Orleans. There are two types of crocodile, fresh and salt-water.and the latter are 'real mean' Alligators are only found in fresh water.
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The Mississippi river is swift, deep and dangerous. It is six feet above sea level. At New Orleans the river is at its deepest and widest, 200 feet deep and 200 wide. It can stray up to 50 miles from its course. Levies have been built to try and corral the river. It is 2,340 miles long, and goes from Minnesota to the gulf of Mexico. It has 7 major tributaries, notably the Missouri and the Ohio. In the Mississippi Delta there are 9 distinct dialects. On the river is the paddleboat Natchez. It has two sightseeing cruises a day which are really good value, as well as a narration, lunch and one hour of good traditional jazz music from Duke Heitger and his steamboat stompers. It also has a dinner cruise. The Natchez carries 1633 passengers. It leaves its berth with an obligatory blast of its whistle. New Orleans, with its well-known Jackson Square, was built in 1722 with the famous St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest in the USA. Pope John Paul visited it in 1987. Jackson was a hero of the Civil war, and later went on to become the seventh president of the United States.

There are 22 miles of wharves. 62% of all the coffee that's drunk in the USA passes through here. After the warehouses we passed the the New Orleans Centre for Creative Arts (NOCCA for short) where Louis Armstrong graduated. Then some land where a sea-captain built four streets, naming them after his four daughters. One used to be called Desiree Street, but at some time after the French sold New Orleans to the US it lost its final 'e' and became Desire Street, which would probably have gone unnoticed except that Tennessee Williams immortalized in "A streetcar named Desire". The New Orleans government is currently planning to re-install the streetcars.

Lake Pontchartrain, to the north, is at sea level. It is never more than 13 feet deep, and a 24-mile bridge spans it. There are two houses which are famous architecturally, known as the Steamboat houses. A captain built one for himself in 1904, and one for his daughter in 1905. They have different roofs, a traditional wood one, painted green, and the second had a black slate roof.

We passed Jackson Barracks, which is now home to the Louisiana National Guard. Then the sugar refinery, which produces 6.2 million pounds of sugar daily Finally we passed the battleground where the English and Americans fought each other for the last time. The civil war had been over for two weeks, but news traveled slowly in those days. England lost 2,000 men, but America only 9 - one of the most lop-sided battles in history! And the war was already over! .

New Orleans. November 2006

I ventured on to the ferry across the river to Algiers but I couldn’t find anything – except the Dry Dock cafe, which seems to be quite an institution. It is a friendly bar with good food, and I believe they have live music on some evenings. Iberville and his French explorers camped there before they founded New Orleans. After consulting the calendar, (3.3.1699) they named it ‘Le Point de Mardi Gras. They had the first Mardi Gras celebration that night, and there are a series of placards in the ferry terminal showing how the carnival has grown over the years. In 1857 decorated floats were introduced, by the Mystick Krewes, known as ‘flambeaus’. In 1894 the first black carnival club was started, and in 1949 Louis Armstrong was honoured as King Zulu. The custom arose of ‘throws’.

New York

What a bustling, vibrant city, and everyone seems so pleasant, friendly and helpful. The staff at the hotel are particularly friendly, when I arrived for the second time after six months absence most of the staff either recognised me or knew my name, which is impressive in so large a hotel (Mind you, I am one of the few guests using a wheel-chair, as far as I know, although one doorman said it was because I went out so often.) The hotel is owned by Harts Mountain, a Philadelphia-based company who made their money in pet food, and is in favour of dogs; there is a large drinking trough at the entrance, and several life-size statues of greyhounds standing or lying among the potted palms.

Soho Grand Hotel, West Broadway/Canal Street. NYC. Tel = 212 965 3000 Fax = 212 965 3200

Across the street from the hotel are piles of flowers outside the attractively-named 'Soho Garden'; on closer inspection it turned out to be a large delicatessen, its shelves crowded with packets and jars and tins, but also, a wonderful choice of Asian-American food, hot and steaming and delicious. You can also get coffee and ready-prepared fresh fruit, and all manner of biscuits, buns and cookies. It is all so cheap as well - worth paying a bit more for the friendly Soho Grand if you can save on breakfast and lunch.

The hotel backs on to the Chinese quarter, while in the other direction are restaurants and art galleries among other shops. (Rocco's restaurant, at 188, Thomson Street, is just within walking distance, as is the art gallery in Spring Street, where I bought some paintings and also where I saw the painting of 'Leon de Lyon' which was the final straw in making me want to go there. (see 'Lyon') Gallery 151,
920 Third Ave, Between 55 and 56 St..

The other wonderful hotel I found, and at 1/2 the price, was the Chelsea Hotel. It used to be run as a cooperative, when over 40% of the apartments were let on a semi-permanent basis to artists and their dependants, The walls of the lobby and stairs were crammed with pictures, done by artists who had or were currently living there, though I don't know if they were accepted as payment for rent or not. Apparently they were just presents to the owner, Stanley Bard, from friends. Stanley has been running the hotel for over 50 years.

On the façade of the hotel are several plaques, commemorating famous artists who have lived there, such as Arthur Miller and Dylan Thomas. Some of the people who have lived or worked there have been Mark Twain, William Burroughs, O'Henry and Arthur Clarke. Before dying (of alcohol poisoning?) in a hospital, Dylan Thomas uttered his last words here, in room 206, which expressed satisfaction at having drunk so much whisky. Apparently Sid Vicious committed suicide while staying there. Once, as I passed through the lobby, an opera singer was doing some song-rehearsing. Jimi Hendrix used to rehearse here. One of the inhabitants is a sculptor. Most f the rooms have kitchens, and it has been likened to "a small village in a beg city'. Chesea Hotel, 222 West 23rd. Street, between 7th & 8th. Ave. Tel= 212 243 3700, Fax = 212 675 5531.

Lyon 2004

I only went for three days, and missed what jazz there may have been. But I was lucky, it hardly rained, and I had a stroke of luck in meeting a former school teacher, Simone Aubry who gave up her afternoon and gave me a quick guided tour instead. I had decided to try and see some culture, but was not having much luck as the previous day had been a public holiday and today was a Tuesday, which is when most museums close.

The hotel had told me that the ‘muse des tissues et des arts decoratifs’ was quite nice, so, as they answered the phone, we set off down the rue Merciere, which is lined on both sides with all kinds of restaurants and bars. Apparently it used to be the red light district of Lyon. Along the adjacent streets we could see the basilica of Fourvieres. In the 18C there was a plague; The people promised to build a monument to the glory of God if He spared them, so…….

We passed ‘Le bisrot de Lyon’, which had a life-size painted (in very un-real colours!) lion on a block outside. Simone explained that recently 60 artists had been give the chance to decorate them how they liked. Now all the lions have been sold except that one – which I noticed was securely chained to the restaurant;

Lyon was first settled by the Romans, and the Rhone used to be used for transport. Trade became very important and trade with Italy flourished. Francois 1 appreciated the importance of trade and lowered or even abolished taxes for trading. In 1536 Lyon became a centre for trade fairs.

At the south end of the rue Merciere are some old buildings dating back to the Renaissance. They are of a lovely rose/ocre colour, and you can see the ‘tete de chat’ construction, which are beams along the floor. Into the Place des Jacobins, past the Theatre des Celestins and into the Place Bellecour, which is huge, and used for large ‘manifestations’ which I always think of as being rather anti-establishment. There was a large equestrian statue of Louis XIV. flanked by a man and a woman, I think the woman was representing the Saone river.

The we saw the museum, which, among other things, showed how serge, taffeta and satin were woven. Silk has played an important part in the history. It turned out that the old lady whom Simone was going to visit, used to be a silk worker, or canut’. The area where they all lived was the Croix Rouge because the houses were built with high ceilings to accommodate the looms so that the canuts could work at home..

One of the traditional dishes of Lyon is called ‘cervelles de canut’ - brains of the silk workers! It is fromage frais with onion and chives – cheap and nourishing.

There are two main hills in Lyon, which are known as the praying hill (Fourvieres, with the basilica on it)and the working hill(Croix Rouge, where the canuts live.)

The old quarter, although picturesque, is cobbled and steep, so we only went as far as cathedral of St Jean, which has a marvellous astronomical clock, it is in working order and chimes once a day, with moving figures, so it must be a pretty crowded occasion. Unfortunately we didn’t arrive until later, so that is one reason for returning to Lyon. Students were sitting in the nave of the cathedral, sketching the vaulted arches presumably, although the light was not very good.

Paris - Luxembourg Gardens

In Paris I go on guided walks round an area or subject, restaurants and galleries. The gardens of Luxembourg are a particular favourite of mine at the moment, having just been to see the exhibition of the history of the gardens, and of the large country house, Vauvert, at the south end which 'saint' Louis had given to the Chartreux monks. At that time it lay well outside the city boundaries. The house had been empty since Robert the Pious had lived there. When he had divorced his wife to marry his cousin the Pope had excommunicated him, on the grounds that the relationship was too close. No-one wanted to live where an excommunicated king had lived, and the house fell into disuse, providing a shelter for tramps, beggars, criminals, the homeless etc. Vines grew in the grounds, so there was a plentiful supply of drink. I read a novel, about time travel, and a couple from the mid-20th.C ended up living in Paris of 2-300 years ago, and the author, Diana Gabaldon, seemed to have done her research, because apothecaries were mentioned, which, to a large extent, was what the Charteux monks did, trying to make elixir of life. They never did, but they made Chartreuse. But because they occupied Vauvert, that did limit the expansion of the Luxembourg gardens to the south. 'Saint' Louis wanted to have an ecclesiastical movement near Paris, so invited the Chartreux monks to live there, which they did, despite the fact that this was out of character for them to live in such proximity to a large centre of population Some 50 years later, Marie de Medicis had the gardens of Luxembourg built.

During the Revolution, Vauvert was seized by the state. Now the gardens are a favourite spot for Parisians to go. Apart from walking and jogging, there are open-air concerts, boating, tennis courts, and for children pony rides, go-karts and play areas. There are chess tables, open air exhibitions, and exhibitions mounted by the senat, which are very extensive and well worth going to. I have seen ones on Raphael, Gaugin, Modigliani and self-portraits to name a few. Often there are a collection of large photographs mounted on the railings surrounding the gardens. There are over 200 species of rare trees, which are brought into the Orangerie in the winter, during which time the public is not admitted.

As well as trees, there is a vegetable garden, and bee hives - I don't know who gets the honey!

There are also innumerable statues dotted about. There are even stretches of lawn where people can picnic or do physical exercises. And there are accessible toilets!

Yesterday I went on another visit to the Chinese quarter which our guide insisted was not Chinese, but Asian, including people from Laos, Vietnam,and Cambodia as well. It is in the triangle of Choisy, so called because it is bordered on “ sides by the Avenue de Choisy, the Avenue d’Ivray and the Boulevard Kellerman, in the 13th.arrondissemet.

There are 40,000 Asians in Paris and 450,000 in France. (Compare that , allowing for the increase in population that 100 years would make,with a figure I was recently given, that in Montmartre during the Annees Folles, there were 25,000 US people living here.) They work mainly in the car industry, restaurants, (there are 3,000 Asian restaurants in Paris!) information technology, jewellery, jade, and the travel industry.

Jade is found in rock, and to reach the jade you have to wash away many impurities. Also, jade is found in many colours, the rarest (and most expensive) is black. The Asians are extremely good at business and entrepreneurship and are very resourceful. We passed the catholic church of St. Hippolyte, (Av.Choisy) which celebrates mass in Mandarin, and the nearby Macdonalds restaurant not only employs a lot of Asians but also has the menu in Mandarin.

The 13th arrondissement is a very young community. The children have the old Confucian ideas of respect for their elders, and they have an extremely good ear – after all, Mandarin has five (in Britain we are taught 4!) intonations and Cantonese nine! And there are 300,000 characters! But although young children pick up French quickly, it seems to get increasingly harder with age. There is one well-known (and expensive) Chinese restaurant where the avenues of Choisy and Ivry cross where the owner cannot speak French.

Claude Marti, our guide, thinks that the Asian population will gradually move towards Belleville. Because of the Confucian idea of reverence for ancestors many people are baptised with the ancestors’ name, one example is the ‘freres Tang.’, a sprawling shop. They make some ritual cake/bread, which is cut into 108 slices, one for every Buddha. The reason why Carrefour (a leading chain of French stores) does so well in China is because the way the word is pronounced in Chinese makes it sounds like ‘family well-being’.

Musee Dapper – 6.2.06 - Musee Dapper - 35bis, rue Paul Valery - Metro Etoile : Tel. 01 45 00 91 75.

This is quite far from the centre of Paris, I find that people are more friendly further away you get from the centre, but that, of course is a sweeping generalisation and quite untrue – but the more people there are, the less time one has to be friendly. Often people in London are utterly engrossed by their portable ‘phones or their Walkmen(?). Thankfully I don’t find that in Paris, where human contact is still obligatory in etiquette - although just about everyone uses a portable.

Anyway, Back to the Dapper Museum. There was an exhibition on the African heritage of Brazil. . I found the Musee Dapper really nice, quite small and wheelchair friendly, (very good toilet facilities) nice architecture. – the lighting wasn’t all that good, but very few places really splash out on lighting like Melbourne Art Museum.

Brazil was discovered in 1500 by a Portuguese, Pedro Alvarez Cabral Between the 17 and 19 centuries 4 million slaves from Africa arrived, mainly from Nigeria, Benin and the Congo. That was an enormous number in those days. They were employed in the culture of sugar cane; tobacco, cotton, coffee and in mineral extraction. The Portuguese brought Catholicism with them. But the slaves, while keeping some aspects of Catholicism, such as Notre Dame de Rosaires. The Yoruba tribe, from Nigeria/Benin, seem to have been either the most populous or most powerful. The gods of war were called Eshu or Exu,Gu, and Ogun or Ogam. The god of thunder was Xango or Shango. Nkosi was the god of war and metal. Spirits were usually called Inquince, as that was the nearest in pronunciation to nkisi. Nkisi were usually depicted bristling with nails, which were placed there by the nganga, or penitent. The nkisi nkondi was the most powerful spirit, and chased way evil. So I got the impression (I’m probably wrong) that in Brazil spirits were good on the whole, whereas in Haiti and Louisiana voodoo, or black magic is practised.

One of the most powerful of the kings of Yoruba, Glele,(who dealt in the slave trade) was under the protection of Gu, the god of war. There were also voduns, ( minor deities?) who kept back the forces of the wind, water, fire and thunder. [A lot of the grand ‘hotels particuliers’ in Paris have carvings of mythical figures representing the four elements.] Glele was also under the protection of Lisa. The two top voduns were Lisa, who represented the male being and Mawu, the female. The voduns repulsed the forces of the wind, fire, water and thunder. Bacios were intermediaries used by the priests, depicted by wooden sculptures and placed outside houses. Shango, the god of thunder, was depicted as having a double-edged hatchet on his head.

At least four of the best known modern Brazilian artists had works in the museum, depicting Exu or symbolising aspects of this rich cultural past. Chico Augusto depicted Exu, god of war, as having cloven feet in 1953. (akin to Satan?), Rubem Valentin, 1922-91, O MolièreJorge dos Anjos, 1953, Marco Tulio Resende, 1950.

The music of the candomble was rhythmic, each spirit having their own particular rhythm.
Eguns were spirits linked to the dead. Yemanja, whose name was ‘mother of fish’ was the goddess of the seas, in Brawil, and Oxam was the fresh water goddess. There were 3 main black saints; Benoit l’Africain, Sainte Iphigénie and St Balthazar, one of the three magi. Notre Dame de Rosaires was also worshipped, and introduced by the Portuguese into the Bantu culture.

On the Wed. I met a friend for lunch behind the gardens of the Palais Royal, at La Table d’hote du palais royal – quite a big mouthful. It is good home cooking, But the owner does tend to be a bit ‘distraite’ when she is busy. I went shopping first. It is a lovely area to wander round in.

I found a very ordinary café – but it had a level toilet! (They’re like gold dust in this area!) It is called Lucky, and is on the corner of the rue St. Anne nd the rue Therese. At the angle of the rue Moliere with the rue Richelieu there is a statue (fountain?) of Moliere. (That restaurant also has a toilet on the ground floor.) After lunch we went to see the Bonnard exhibition.

Musée de Art Moderne, 11 av.de President Wilson, Tel. 01 53 67 40 00. Bonnard lived from 1867-1947. From 1887- ’90, and knew Monet and Vuillard. There were 157 paintings, still lifes, everyday scenes, countryside and a series of self portraits dating from 1904-1947. You can see him as a young, black haired man, then lighter brown/chestnut (I suspect the use of hair colour) to nearly bald shortly before his death.

The official pamphlet divides the paintings into 5 groups, nudes, still lifes, In 1906 Misia Sert commissioned him to do four large paintings, which had a border of monkeys, magpies and interlaced pearls (For an absent-minded moment I read ‘feet’ instead of magpies!)

From 1908 for the next 16 years seems to have been an animal phase. Bonnard did a well-known series of a table covered with a reed and white checked tablecloth, and always a dog is eyeing the spread but the painting I liked best was the still life with the cat, painted in 1924.

SW France - 2003

The best three things about Aire-sur-l'Adour (about 50 miles south of Bordeaux) were:- its municipal camp-site, which earlier last year had become privately owned and was extremely well managed, with excellent provision for the disabled; the good restaurants in Aire and round about, and the wonderful cycle tracks which abound in the region.

Our first outing was by bicycle, on minor roads along the river valley to Grenade, where we had lunch in a lovely restaurant overlooking the river, with lots of weeping willows and large umbrellas at the tables. Last year it must have been a Saturday that we went, because we sat outside, above the river, and the terrasse was full of people and lively, whereas this year there was one other middle-aged couple, we were in the dining room with them, they talked in whispers and did not respond to any of Chris' cheery 'Bonjour m'sieu, 'dame' or 'bon appetit, m'sieu' 'dame'. This is so unusual for southern France that we concluded that they must be Parisians - or tourists!

Anyway, it was a delicious meal, but the atmosphere was not really congenial. The other really good relais et chateaux we went to was Herve Garrapit at Villeneuve-de-Marsan, we found him delightful. He pays a moving tribute yo his father on the menu. Both of these restaurants had Michelin stars. One of the reasons why we enjoyed them so much was that each of them was after a 3-hr cycle ride, so we were in need of sustenance. There is a wonderful, broad cycle track running through the trees from Mont-de-Marsan to Villeneuve/Lot.

One day we drove to Eauze to see the market, it is certainly a very large one, I bought some clothes, on the way back we passed the Relais d'Armagnac which Miles Morland author of 'a banker who gave up his job, and went to walk in France with his wife' said had gone bankrupt. It looked pretty shut up, but there was a motor-cycle outside, so Chris found the chef in the kitchen, who said he would open specially for us at noon the next day. We were on our bikes, and did not arrive till 1.30, which must have annoyed them, but the wife, who served us, was charming, and the food was very good - or maybe, having cycled there, we were extra hungry! They stock a lot of wine by Alain Faget, which we enjoyed, especially the rose. I don't think it travels well, because it didn't taste as good here!

On our last night we went to a local logis, which also served good food, including a marvellous poele de foie gras which I had! The taste of cooked foie gras is out of this world!

The people in the camp site were very friendly. There were some mobilettes (rented small houses on wheels. We were invited in for an aperitif by a friendly couple with a very large Alsation dog which they kept tied up outside. It was quite friendly towards people though it did not like other dogs. He was a cabinet maker, and lived in Perigueux, but had a 2-week contract to come and work in a school, repairing some other mistakes that another workman had made, doors not hanging straight or angles of objects not being true. They were a very social couple, most evenings they would friends round to talk, and at weekends they would disappear totally - back to Perigueux.

And we really hit it off with another couple, he was a retired teacher of maths and religion from a private school. They were a delightful couple, so interesting. They came every year to take the waters at Eugenie-les-bains. He kept fit active and busy. Amongst other things, such as being a keen cyclist, he took part in the humanitarian project NSB in central Africa, which aided the communities' diet by farming fish.

Sicily - 2002

Our Sicilian cookery course started and ended well - with wine! Oddly enough, because apparently Sicily does not produce such good wines as Italy. While waiting in Rome for a connecting flight to Palermo we went into a nice antipasto bar where we had a deliciously smooth wine from Sicily called Passomaggio. It did not seem to be well known in Sicily, not on the part where we were, but near the end of our stay I
managed to track it down when we visited Palermo.

Football also featured, because our course fell during the first week of the World Cup. We flew by Alitalia; Italy was playing at our departure time, and the flight was delayed till after the end of the match, although that may have been coincidence. Luckily Italy did not lose, which made us feel safer about our flight. No terminally
depressed Italian pilot! They won a match during one of our excursions to a town, Palermo, and amidst the general euphoria of horn-hooting and smiling, happy faces, were two healthily-tanned boys with black hair ingreen shorts waving a large Italian flag on a balcony.

Our week's course was held on the south of the island, in a small town called Menfi, where we stayed in a lovely old villa, which must have slept about 12, with a cobbled courtyard, beautiful lantana placed in tubs, bougainvillea growing up the walls, two tall palm trees which looked as though they were growing out of the roof. Tuition was
interspersed with optional visits to the site of ancient Greek temples, modern and traditional pottery, salt pans and windmills. It took place in the kitchen IF it rained, but was held in an open-air space beside the kitchen, with a huge marble table top - ideal for cooking and kneading dough!

We learnt that when the Greeks had discovered Sicily, it was a thickly wooded island, they built a great many temples, including the Concordia, which, after the Acropolis at Athens, is the best example of a Greek temple today. When the Romans arrived, they cut down a lot of the trees to make ships, and discovered an extremely fertile soil beneath, and now Sicily is known for its olives, fruit, fish and bread, and mix of sweet and sour flavours (arising from an Arabian influence).The Arabs also introduced cinnamon, almond and pistachio. Some of the ingredients we used were sesame, pine nuts, chick-peas, orange and jasmine flower extract, saffron, candied fruit, oregano, bayleaf, onions, potatoes, aubergines - and always, lashings of olive oil. Colours were important, too. The red tomatoes were used for sauces, whereas green- tinged ones were cut and used in salads.

Cheese also featured quite strongly, I can't even remember all the most common ones; but there was ricotta, which is white and crumbly and can be salted, epporino, which is a kind of Sicilian parmesan, but cheaper, and mozzarella.

So sight and smell are both very important in Sicilian cooking, but I think one of the most important senses used is touch - the texture of the pasta and the dough, pliant and elastic-like if the dough is well-kneaded, or sticky, crumbly and downright messy if not. And the texture of the firm, crisp, juicy vegetables, the feel of a large, round soft olive in your mouth, the coolness of liquid, the warmth of the sun, the sound of conversation with music in the background, all made for a pleasant holiday where we learnt a lot.

It was arranged through 'Tasting Places' , Unit 108, Buspace Studios, Conlan Street,
London W10 5AP, Tel: 020 7460 0077, Fax: 020 7460 0029, ss@tastingplaces.com

Melbourne - The Great Ocean Road & 12 Apostles

Melbourne, a city plagued by flies. That was my first impression, but very soon I was completely won over by the friendliness and sociability of the Melburnians. Whilst there I took a bus tour along the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 appostles and the magnificent coast line. I don't usually take a bus tour because no-one knows my capabilities, and it makes for difficult personal interactions. Add to that the difficulty a lot of people have in understanding me.

Anyway, I am really glad I went on the tour, because the driver, Gary Nash, was so knowledgeable, commenting on most things we passed. I didn't get everything down, between the bumpy bus and my slow writing.

We drove over Briscoe's Bridge, and I thought that my grandmother, who was a Briscooe, might be related.. Some future research! We passed Bells Beach, to which thousands flock every year from all over the world for the competition to find the best surfer.

Split point, where the lighthouse was built with such effort, hauling the materials up the cliff as there was no road to transport them. That lighthouse is now known to locals as the White Lady. I think the bay is Lautit Bay, named after the captain of a ship that sunk. Hang gliding takes place inland, from the hills around here. The sea around here is very dangerous for swimmers, with lots of undertows. Apparently the thing to do is not to try and fight your way to shore but to let yourself be taken as far as it runs, eventually you will be able to swim ashore. That may take 30 mins. The rock near Melbourne is volcanic basalt, known as blue stone. There is good fishing around these volcanic rock areas. Further along the coast line the stone is sand stone, and with the incessant pounding of the waves they say they are losing about 2% a year - one arch of London Bridge fell into the sea in 1999; as it used to be a popular walk, it is a miracle no one was crossing at the time.

At Bourne the Erskine river flows into the sea, it is very shallow (it is so shallow because it is used extensively for irrigation) making it an ideal holiday spot for young children. The Murray River comes from the Snowy Mountains in Canberra 2 ½ thousand kilometres to Bourne. At Bourne there is the annual pier to shore race. This year it was won by a young 18-yr-old. A lot of politicians enter the race, which is sponsored to raise money for the community.

Sheolite is mined further along, then we passed the scene of the Godfrey Wreck.
The coast along the Great Ocean Road is littered with the wrecks of ships, and has becaome known as the shipwreck coast. The Great Ocean Road was built after the first World War, partly as a way of employing the returning soldiers, and the project, originally started in 1919, was finally finished in 1935.

There were two great waves of European immigration; the first wave was whalers and sealers, including the famous Hinty Bros. another shipwreck. The second wave of immigrants were timber man.

At Shrapnel Gully there are a lot of manna gums, which provides food for koala bears, consequently there are often koala bears there. There are often cars parked there, with people staring up, pointing and photographing. Then past Cape Patten Lookout, Millers Creek, and into Apollo's Bay, which is safe for swimmers. Because the sea is so dangerous along the coast, Australians learn safety rules from an early age. Often marker flags are placed on a beach, delineating the area within which it is safe to swim There are holiday camps for children where they are taught how to surf safely. One of the only safe swimming spots along the coast is Port Campbell. We went to the Port Campbell National Park, where the Rufus Greyback Bristle tail bird is to be found. It is nearly extinct, because it is a ground bird, and cannot out-run many of its predators. There are also Tiger Snakes, which can give you a painfel bite. I took a 10 minute trip in a helicopter to get a wonderful bird's-eye view of the 12 Apostles - so called because they look stately. There are in fact 18 stacks. It was a beautiful sight, and from 2 thousand feet up hard to understand how such a scene of beauty could have been a scene of chaos, terror and destruction for so many people.

The Loch Ard was shipwrecked here. Only two people were saved. Tom Pierce managed to swim ashore, when he heard the screams of a young girl, Eva Carmichael. He plunged back into the water, managed to find her and swam with her to the shore, and somehow they managed to climb the cliff. In real life they never saw each other again, but a film was made, using poetic license…..

Numimbah Valley Adventure Trails, Australia - February, 2005.

I decided to go horse-riding for exercise, adventure, and because I would see more of the country. The owner was an absolute star, very caring about the community. As well as running a 2,500 acre cattle ranch. he ran the adventure trails, and had two other money making projects, gravel and organic gardening. He also plans a kind of rain forest education teaching centre. He also looks after about 14 children who are really wild, no social graces, and succeeds in making them acceptable to other people. He is a volunteer fireman too.. And he gave a running commentary of landmarks we passed on the way, I'm sorry I can't reproduce his sense of humour.. My sense of direction is lousy, but I think Numinbah Valley was south west of Southport.

On the way we passed a park, or place with trees,. called Cascade Gardens, where aborigines used to hang out, but where there now is a largish colony of fruit bats. Then the casino, there seems to be quite a lot of gambling in Australia, every large city had a casino, which all seemed to be popular. (The Worker's Club, in Southport, which did such a good range of incredibly cheap food, apparently subsidises its food by a roomful of one-armed bandits, or 'pokies' as the Australians call them. That was how Hope Island Tavern up in Sanctuary Cove was able to provide free live music) Then Pacific Fair, which had grown from a supermarket into a 'whopper shopper' in which it's easy to get lost. Then Ravina, which is built on what used to be swamp land, although the council say that there is no longer any danger of floods, past the Carerra Markets where you can buy back what you had lost the week before! There are at least three golf courses on the way to Numinbah, and a pony club, at Mudgereeba. Along Warrongarry and Gilston Roads, (there is a curious mix of wonderfully descriptive Aboriginal names with much duller British names. Numinbah [or it might be Yowgurribah, which is the name of the horse-riding part] comes from an Aboriginal word meaning something like 'enclosed valley guarded by high hills'

We passed the Hinze Dam, which supplies the water for the whole of the Gold Coast (pop 500,000 and rising) which is enormous, backing into numerous valleys.. As you drive past it you can see the lanes marked out for rowing practice - fishing and canoodlin' are allowed, but not swimming. There are bass and perch in the dam. All this area is thickly wooded, and the National Park fences in land owned by them, does not clear the undergrowth, and does not go in for 'controlled burning' which encourages trees to propagate. As a result, when there is a fire it is fiercer, more violent, and more difficult and dangerous to control. It is horrendous hearing koalas screaming in terror when they are stuck at the top of a burning tree, or kangaroos and wallabies on fire, rushing through the flames, trying to get away.
Both the Green Party and the National Park have been called, and neither of them has come to help.

Numinbah town lies at the entrance to the valley, consisting of about 50-100 houses. There is a business marketing wild flowers, which is called Numinbah Natives - at first I thought it was a compound for aboriginals! The local school has 15 children. There are cattle, horse and deer, kangaroos, wallbies and birds in the valley; although this is the beginning of the Outback, people still outnumber kangaroos. The local town hall is called the School of Arts, an odd name! There are wonderful bird calls in the valley, particularly the Whip bird, which really does make the sound of a whip lash - rather disturbing as there is a prison next door to the farm. It is a 'safe' farm, one hears the prisoners being called for tea, for telephone calls, and some of the noisier occupations like mustering the cattle. The riding was all I could have wished for, (except that I still find the trotting bumpy, but with practice, who knows…?) I was given 6 photos, made into a poster, as a memento. The scenery is terrific. Grass, wild flowers, rainforest trees, Egg Rock and a table plateau all around. Roughly halfway into the ride we dismounted and had a rest by the enchanting Nerang Creek, where turtles swim. We brewed up some billy tea and ate damper. We had forded the creek on the way, which was quite exciting!

A real Aussie country wedding - 19.11.05

Kimberley Anne Hinde married David Peter Brendan Lyons at Venus Pools and the reception was held afterwards at Fig Tree Flat on the Lyons estate at Yowgurribah in Numinbah valley.

BYO camping. Dress informal. Kim looked gorgeous, a bouffant ground length dress, exquisite pearl ear-rings, necklace and tiara; and David looked smart in burgundy and black (and very wild-Western and romantic), in his Stetson and ¾ length jacket.

Venus Pools was a beautiful setting, peaceful and natural, still pools, a pebbly; shallow bit for children (and there were quite a lot ) to play. It was a very short ceremony, with the couple each reading out their own vows. Then milling around and talking, then there was a wood-chopping contest. A large camphorwood log was set up, two 6-ft. long two-handled saws were produced and contests were held to determine which of two couples were fastest. There was a contingent of 6 Japanese girls so there was the unusual scene of 2 ‘traditional’ style Japanese girls sawing against 2 more, Then there was the bride and groom, the 2 best men, (well, one and an usher), the 2 young flower girls and the father/young daughter versus mother/young son pair. There was also to be a gum-boot throwing contest, but it got too dark, so we all went to the marquis on Fig Tree Flat, where we had a meal and some wedding cake decorated like a Friesian cow. Music was provided by a ‘-piece and called ‘Tartan About’, guitars and fiddles, and the muic had a distinctly Irish sound to it, though they did play the ‘Gay Gordons’. I wouldn’t let Jon and Acushla drive me back until I’d had a dance with the groom.

Sydney, Mittagong and Melbourne

Second part of April, “06.

I saw Martin and Michiko, went for a swim three times indoors with 3 pools And we ate out every evening! Sel et Poivre, Marque, Paua, Giardinetto, Country Comfort hotel and Manta.

At the weekend Derek came down from Brisbane, where he has been overseeing the renovations and repairs of the club, which still hasn’t got a name.

We went out to Mittagong for the classic jazz and ragtime festival, run by John Buchanan. There were about 500 people there. Jason Downes, the brilliant clarinetist who was with Allan Beechey’s band for a year or two in London, was there, playing wonderful music with Michael McQuaid Carol Ralph was also there, she has a wonderfully deep, strong voice – unusual in a female singer. There were far too many artists to mention them all, (besides, I’ve lost the programme): Geoff Powers (reeds), Dan Barnett (trombone) Stephen Grant and Ben Johnston (piano). The washboard was played, which was not a patch on Gerard Bagot in Paris Washboard but was tremendously popular.

Then I went to Melbourne, spending a few days in the centre of the city, where I stayed at the Duxton again which has now changed its name to the Rendezvous. I discovered the international cake shop (185 Lonsdale Street), which had all sorts of luscious sweetmeats on display. Mindful of my weight I chose ‘tyropita’, a kind of cheese tart. I also went up to the markets, which were quite incredible, about 4-5000 stalls in a covered concrete shed. I got a 15AD watch there, and restrained myself from buying more. On the way up the hill I passed Flagpole Park, lovely by day but frequented by undesirable characters at night. Apparently there is a station underneath it, or maybe it is underneath the market, and an ancient cemetery is under Flagpole park. On the way back passed an excellent little café, run by a lady from Babylon, called Zanzibar (360 LaTrobe Street). Also, I went to Cicciolina at 130 Acland Street. (I had spotted a recommendation for it in the Virgin Blue magazine. It is marvellous, a crowded Italian restaurant with excellent food, very unpretentious. Then I moved to the south of the city for Bob Barnard’s jazz party. The hotel had a heated, outdoor swimming pool which was heavenly I really enjoyed the jazz, again, too many too mention everyone, but Don Burrows, who apparently is ‘a living legend in Australia” was there He is a marvelous reeds player, has bad arthritis and so is learning the trombone. Then there was also Mike McQuaid and Steven Stribling and Dave Gardner on reeds, and I nearly forgot Jo Stevenson, Dan Barnett and Dan Barrett (who played some hauntingly sweet melodies, including ‘whispering grass’ which was made famous by the Ink Spots) on trombone, John Surry and Andy Gaylor on guitar. Stephen Grant and 3 other pianists, one of whom is emigrating to Ireland soon, to be married, Australia’s loss indeed. And of course Danny Moss senior (saxophone), his perceptive son of the same name, (bass) and wife/jazz singer, Jeannie Lambe.

Brisbane

Port of Brisbane - it was a fine day so I went out to the Port of Brisbane. Actually, had gone because it had appeared in a wee booklet entitled “Fine Dining”. It wasn’t, I did not think much of the food, but here was a chance to see some birds, go for a pleasant walk around and there was an extremely interesting tour of the port. It is all built on reclaimed land. There are currently about 1600 employees, in the next 7 years or so that number is expected to rise to 6-8 thousand! About 30% of the work force are women. There are a lot of single people, and creche, bank, cinema and no doubt a restaurant/cafe are planned. It is pretty fully operated by electronic robots; moving these huge, heavy containers around would have taken 2 burly men the best part of a day – the robots can do the same task in minutes and they are extremely sensitive, they can detect a human footfall in the vicinity, which will make them stop what they are doing which will doubtless set off alarms. All the containers are thoroughly x-rayed, which makes the work of customs easier. They did catch one man smuggling antique chairs in as garden chairs – and they also found one bird on the under-side of a container.

Speaking of birds, they have set aside 12 hectares as a sanctuary for nesting birds, called the ‘shore roost’.

Scotland - 2005

The next day was Glasgow, where we had a family dinner and went on a bus tour round Glasgow. I found that really interesting, however my notes are incomplete because not only am I a painfully slow writer, but the bus was incredibly jolty as well.

The tour starts in George Square, where there is a Doric column, on the top of which is a statue to Sir Walter Scott. It should have been George III, but it was towards the end of the eighteenth century, and George III had just lost the war with America. There is a
mistake in the statue - Sir Walter is wearing his plaid over his left shoulder, instead of his right.

The Chamber of Commerce has a magnificent mosaic ceiling. Then we passed the cathedral, and its Necropolis (graveyard) The author of 'Wee Willie Winkie' is buried here, as is the Queen of the Gypsies, in a grave marked 1901.

Past the Barrows and the Peoples' Palace , looking over the fountain, and a carpet factory which is now a business centre. In 1740 St. Andrews-on-the-Green was built, which is known as the' whistlin' kirk'. The Gorbals derived its name from the the Goory Balls, a leper colony. Then Paddy's Market, followed by the Italia quarter, where the Trade Arms was built by Adams.

The Horseshoe Bar, in Drury Street, is decorated with Venetian gold and (I missed what else). Central station is built on a straddling a street, and is called the Highlanders' Umbrella. This is because, following the defeat of the Scots, men could make their way there, and be fairly sure of finding members of his own or neighbouring clans. Each clan had 'their' doorway where they sheltered.

In the 19th. Century there were 62 shipyards, now there are only 9. There is a tall ship, a heliport and a building called the Armadillo housing the SECC and Science . The rotunda, nearby, houses the casino and a restaurant. Then we came to Glasgow University, and
Kelvin Grove Park, where the Great Exhibition of 1891 was held. Then the Hunterian museum.

There is a large percentage of Gaelic speakers in Glasgow. The name Sauchiehall Street (one of the best-known streets of Glasgow) came from ancient words meaning 'The Meadow of the River Trees'.

Then Derek and I set off northwards, passing through Renton at the foot of Loch Lomond, and from there up to Aviemore (via Inverness!) because Scotland in the summer is so crowded and stupidly I hadn't booked, but Derek was willing to drive. The down side was that we drove along Loch Ness in the dark! We stayed at Aviemore, then drove on to Dornoch, where there is a very fine golf course, every bit as good as St. Andrews. From Dornoch we made two day-excursions, the scenery is just magnificent, and the weather was beautiful, mountains, forests, streams and waterfalls, mist and a ruined castle, rocks and sea. The cathedral in Dornoch is wonderful, 13th century, beautifully carved, compact and extremely well kept. Dornoch even has one 'good' restaurant, 2 Quail, Castle Street, Dornoch. It also has rooms to let.

Sutherland, IV25. 01802 811 811 - fairly expensive but not by London prices. About £35 a head. I was particularly struck by how friendly and pleasant everyone was, and also it was nice to see so many young foreigners working in Scottish hotels for the summer - particularly from Poland.

Then back to Aviemore, I had more family nearby, and Derek went up Cairngorm. Then on the way to Nairn for the jazz festival, which was the real reason for Derek's visit, we saw round Cawdor Castle, extensive grounds and a dungeon. After the festival we drove to Aberdeen, stayed at a very reasonably priced hotel in Dyce, (by the airport), the Skean Dhu hotel (£50) (a skean dhu is the dirk that men in full Highland regalia wear in their socks). We drove into Aberdeen to let Derek glimpse that lovely city, dropped my luggage then headed out to the airport where he flew off.

I spent two more days in Aberdeen, I have relatives there too, and one lovely day we had tea outside at a tearoom which does heavenly 'pieces' or 'cakes'. The Falls of Feugh Tea Rooms and Restaurant Banchory, Kincardineshire. They do cater for evening meals, on some days only.

I had forgotten how many handsome buildings there were in Aberdeen, which is where I spent considerable periods of time during my childhood - such as Marishall College. In my youth it formed the main part of the university,. And during Charities week students used to hang various articles of clothing from one of its myriad spires. Now it stands empty. It was going to be a hotel, this year I heard it is now going to be developed for offices. I hope it isn't going to be left alone for too long. I'd also forgotten the number of churches there were.

Then Edinburgh, where I stayed in the Caledonian (where I had my wedding reception)) then the Malmaison (cheaper, but far too far away to be convenient for the Fringe) and the George cheaper still, a very good location, but I loved the olde-world style and grandeur of the Caledonian Hilton. I saw more cousins, and some friends. I also saw some parts of Edinburgh which I had not seen before - like the enchantingly pretty High School Wynd which leads into the Cowgate. And at least 6 swans on the loch at the foot of Arthur's Seat. I also went to more jazz venues tham I had been to before.

Scotland. 2005-08-26

Glasgow, where we had a family dinner and went on a bus tour round Glasgow. I found that really interesting, however my notes are incomplete because not only am I a painfully slow writer, but the bus was incredibly jolty as well.

The tour starts in George Square, where there is a Doric column, on the top of which is a statue to Sir Walter Scott. It should have been George III, but it was towards the end of the eighteenth century, and George III had just lost the war with America. There is a mistake in the statue – Sir Walter is wearing his plaid over his left shoulder, instead of his right.

The Chamber of Commerce has a magnificent mosaic ceiling. Then we passed the cathedral, and its Necropolis (graveyard) The author of ‘Wee Willie Winkie’ is buried here, as is the Queen of the Gypsies, in a grave marked 1901. Past the Barrows and the Peoples’ Palace , looking over the fountain, and a carpet factory which is now a business centre.

In 1740 St. Andrews–on-the-Green was built, which is known as the’ whistlin’ kirk’. The Gorbals derived its name from the the Goory Balls, a leper colony. .Then Paddy’s Market, followed by the Italia quarter, where the Trade Arms was built by Adams. The Horseshoe Bar, in Drury Street, is decorated with Venetian gold and (I missed what else).

Central station is built straddling a street, and is called the Highlanders’ Umbrella. This is because, following the defeat of the Scots, men could make their way there, and be fairly sure of finding members of his own or neighbouring clans. Each clan had ’their’ doorway where they sheltered.

In the19th. Century there were 62 shipyards, now there are only 9. There is a tall ship, a heliport and a building called the Armadillo housing the SECC and Science . The rotunda, nearby, houses the casino and a restaurant. Then we came to Glasgow University, and Kelvin Grove Park, where the Great Exhibition of 1891 was held. Then the Hunterian museum.

There is a large percentage of Gaelic speakers in Glasgow. The name Sauchiehall Street (one of the best-known streets of Glasgow) came from ancient words meaning ‘The Meadow of the River Trees’.

Then Derek and I set off northwards, passing through Renton at the foot of Loch Lomond, and from there up to Aviemore (via Inverness!) because Scotland in the summer is so crowded and stupidly I hadn’t booked, but Derek was willing to drive. The down side was that we drove along Loch Ness in the dark! We stayed at Aviemore, then drove on to Dornoch, where there is a very fine golf course, every bit as good as St. Andrews. From Dornoch we made two day-excursions, the scenery is just magnificent, and the weather was beautiful, mountains, forests, streams and waterfalls, mist and a ruined castle, rocks and sea. The cathedral in Dornoch is wonderful, 13th century, beautifully carved, compact and exremely well kept. Dornoch even has one ‘good’ restaurant, 2 Quail, Castle Street, Dornoch. It also has rooms to let. Sutherland, IV25. 01802 811 811, fairly expensive but not by London prices. About £35 a head. I was particularly struck by how friendly and pleasant everyone was, and also it was nice to see so many young foreigners working in Scottish hotels for the summer – particularly from Poland.

Then back to Aviemore, I had more family nearby, and Derek went up Cairngorm. Then on the way to Nairn for the jazz festival, which was the real reason for Derek's visit, we saw round Cawdor Castle, extensive grounds and a dungeon dating back to

After the festival we drove to Aberdeen, stayed at a very reasonably priced hotel in Dyce, (by the airport), the Skean Dhu hotel (£50) (a skean dhu is the dirk that men in full Highland regalia wear in their socks). We drove into Aberdeen to let Derek glimpse that lovely city, dropped my luggage then headed out to the airport where he flew off.

I spent two more days in Aberdeen, I have relatives there too, and one lovely day we had tea outside at a tearoom which does heavenly ‘pieces’ or ‘cakes’. The Falls of Feugh Tea Rooms and Restaurant, Banchory, Kincardineshire. They do cater for evening meals, on some days only.

I had forgotten how many handsome buildings there were in Aberdeen, which is where I spent considerable periods of time during my childhood – such as Marishall College. In my youth it formed the main part of the university,. And during Charities week students used to hang various articles of clothing from one of its myriad spires. Now it stands empty. It was going to be a hotel, this year I heard it is now going to be developed for offices. I hope it isn’t going to be left alone for too long. I’d also forgotten the number of churches there were.

Then Edinburgh, where I stayed in the Caledonian (where I had my wedding reception)) then the Malmaison (cheaper, but far too far away to be convenient for the Fringe) and the George cheaper still, a very good location, but I loved the olde-world style and grandeur of the Caledonian Hilton. I saw more cousins, and some friends. I also saw some parts of Edinburgh which I had not seen before – like the enchantingly pretty High School Wynd which leads into the Cowgate. And at least 6 swans on the loch at the foot of Arthur’s Seat. I also went to more jazz venues tham I had been to before.