London

Posted on February 2, 2016 by kathy

Our British adventure began with a few days in London. Neither of us had been for many years and we couldn’t resist seeing the postcard sights. The best view had to be from the London Eye.

1.London Eye

Opened in the year 2000, it is Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel at 135 metres. One revolution takes about 30 minutes, travelling at a rate of 0.9km/hr. This allows enough time to get on and off without stopping and do a quick sweep for explosives in between.

2.The Eye

The 32 pods each hold 25 people. I’m pleased to say we only had 8 in ours.

3.The Eye

Before long, the iconic landmarks came into view. St. Paul’s Cathedral and Waterloo Bridge.

Charing Cross Station with Embankment Place shopping complex above and Hungerford Bridge, often called Charing Cross Bridge.

A little higher

8.The Eye

and we could see across the 23 hectare St. James’s Park

9.St James's Park

to Buckingham Palace.

10.Palace

From the top

11.The Eye

it was a long way down

12.The Eye

and we were awed by the dimensions of the Palace of Westminster, otherwise known as the Houses of Parliament.

13.Parliament

As we descended, we had a close look at the intricate architecture of County Hall and a glimpse along the Thames to Westminster and Lambeth Bridges.

After lunch and a beer on Southbank we embarked on a Thames River Cruise. On the way we had a different view of County Hall and a closer look at Big Ben.

The Houses of Parliament were just as impressive from the water.

19.Houses of Parliament

The Tate Modern was not an attractive building, it looked like the power station it used to be.

20.Tate Modern

Hay’s Wharf was a trading wharf from the middle ages until 1969. The Wharf and Galleria now house offices, restaurants, shops and flats.

The glass facade of City Hall contrasts sharply with HMS Belfast, moored nearby and now owned by the Imperial War Museum.

Tower Bridge blends with the hue of the river and sky.

25.Tower Bridge

The Tower of London stands proud

27.tower

despite competition from The Gherkin.

28.Tower & Gherkin

The 40 storey commercial skyscraper in the financial district has dominated the skyline since 2004.

29.Gherkin

We walked the scenic route back to our hotel, past the Horse Guards Parade,

up The Mall, through Admiralty Arch

32.Admiralty Arch

to Trafalgar Square. Nelson oversees the hustle & bustle from his Column, keeping watch on The National Gallery.

Piccadilly Circus concluded our sightseeing.

35.Piccadilly Circus

I think we did well for one day!

Caddo Lake

Posted on January 22, 2016 by kathy

While staying with Michael’s brother and sister-in-law in Texas, we were taken to Caddo Lake, the largest freshwater lake in southern U.S.A. Half in Texas and half in Louisiana, the 26,800 acre lake was once home to the Caddo Indians. The land was bought by the Government in 1835 and within a year all were moved out.

There are a number of theories as to how the town of Uncertain, on the shore of Caddo Lake, got its name. We lunched at Uncertain General Store & Grill, their specialty being catfish, along with other tasty offerings.

1b.Uncertain

I chose the safety of a bowl of fries but Michael had no trouble tucking into a mug of refried beans.

1c.Uncertain

After lunch, we boarded the Graceful Ghost, a replica 1800s steamboat, for a leisurely paddle around the lake.

1.Caddo Lake 1a.Graceful Ghost

The wood-burning paddlewheel steamboat hypnotised us with rhythmic harmonies as we skimmed along Big Cypress Bayou.

2.Caddo Lake 3.Caddo Lake 5.Caddo Lake 6.Caddo Lake

The majestic cypress trees, draped in Spanish moss, were surreal and eerie.

4.Caddo Lake 7.Caddo Lake

The egrets were magnificent

8.egret

and the occasional beaver nest broke the surface.

9.beaver nest

This hitchhiker was enjoying the sunshine.

12.Caddo Lake

The Tea Rooms could do with some renovation

13.Caddo Lake 14.Caddo Lake

and if you don’t want to dine there, you can always catch your own.

15.Caddo Lake

Our Caddo Lake experience was enchanting

10.Caddo Lake 11.Caddo Lake 16.Caddo Lake

and the tempo of the Graceful Ghost inspired Michael to create a musical composition.

17.Caddo Lake

This is where you can listen to “The Graceful Ghost” https://michaelcannon.bandcamp.com/track/the-graceful-ghost

Monarto Zoo

Posted on January 13, 2016 by kathy

Monarto Zoo is the largest open-range zoo in the world, set on 1,500 hectares about half an hours drive from our former home in the Adelaide Hills. I heard about a package called “Working with Wildlife” which involved spending a day with the keepers behind the scenes. I decided I would surprise Michael in October for his birthday. Little did I know, he had the same idea for me and beat me to it in March. The obvious thing to do was go together. We had an early start and after meeting the team, breakfast for the lemurs was the first job.

1.lemur

The rhino baby was adorable

2.rhino baby

and loved a groin scratch while mum tucked into some tasty greens.

3.rhino1

We got up close with the meerkats

6.meerkats1 7.meerkats2

and tempted them with some delicious mice.

11.meerkats6

A cheetah breeding program at Monarto has been very successful. These four were the first surviving litter in Australia in 15 years.

12.cheetah1

There was a lure set up to give them exercise and hone their hunting instincts.

15.cheetah4

The real thing soon followed and they shared somewhat reluctantly.

16.cheetah5

This lion waited patiently for his meal

19.lion1 20.lion2

while the lioness paced outside.

21.lioness1 22.lioness2

We were then driven around the park in a 4 WD to admire some of the other residents. There were various antelope and deer.

This handsome bison was a bit embarrassed.

27.bison1

The Mongolian Wild Horses happily shared their space

30.mongolian wild horses1

with the zebra.

Each Cape Hunting Dog has unique markings and rather large round ears.

The highlight of the day was feeding the giraffes. We were instructed to keep the trailer between us and them

37.giraffe1 38.giraffe2

but no-one told the giraffes!

44.giraffe9 43.giraffe8

There is a gorgeous homestead ruin overlooking the savannah but I am unable to find any history on the building.

45.homestead

If you are in Adelaide, a trip to Monarto Zoo is a great way to spend the day.

http://www.monartozoo.com.au

more Melbourne

Posted on November 30, 2015 by kathy

We had a few hours left in Melbourne but with suitcases packed to the brim, shopping was off the menu. We opted for a stroll to the Royal Botanic Gardens, passing through the Queen Victoria Gardens on the way and it’s colourful flower beds.

1.QV gardens

The floral clock contains over 7,000 flowering plants that are changed twice yearly.

2.QV gardens

The roses were past their best but still presented a bright display

and the lake offered some lovely reflections.

6.lake 7.lake

The little mynah birds are cute but apparently a bit of a nuisance.

8.mynah bird

With limited time we only saw a small portion of the stunning 94 acres of gardens. The path we chose took us through a cactus garden

to the Temple of the Winds. Built in 1901, the grey masonry structure has 10 columns, each one crowned with a sculpted elkhorn fern

and a gorgeous ornate ceiling.

17.temple of the winds3

The Grey Garden was interesting

and the Plant Craft Cottage had a quaint garden of its own. The cottage, built as a gardener’s home in 1850, is heritage listed.

22.cottage

We followed the path around the lake

31.lake2 32.lake3

to the William Tell Rest House. Built in 1897, it was destroyed by accidental fire in 1994 and rebuilt in 1997. Last year, it was obliterated by arsonists (the mental acuity of our so called ‘intelligent species’ never ceases to astound me!) and has been resurrected yet again.

33.rest house 34.rest house

After a coffee and muffin stop at The Terrace, we continued our circuit of the lake past stunning flowers,

awesome foliage

and amazing trees.

I have never seen a smiley face tree before

We exited at the historic Lych Gate, originally built in churchyards to shelter coffins awaiting burial.

58.lych gate1 59.lych gate

I hope to return to The Botanic Gardens one day with a lot more time to explore.

marvellous Melbourne

Posted on November 27, 2015 by kathy

Last weekend I ventured to the big smoke to spend some time with my sister from Adelaide. We had a lovely apartment on the thirtieth floor on Southbank with expansive views to the south from the balcony.

1.south view 1 2.south view2

The ocean of glass to the north dazzled with stunning reflections that seemed to change constantly

8.north7

and the shifting light added dimension to the adjacent tower.

We were fortunate to be in Melbourne on the weekend of the Mind Body Spirit Festival held at the Exhibition Centre where I enjoyed a whole range of new experiences.

Our days were filled with shopping and we walked for miles, taking in the sights along the way. The river is a tranquil centrepiece to the bustling city.

17.river3