We have 3 weeks left until we come back to Oz and so now is the opportunity for this blog to become interactive!
I am going to make a post listing my best, worst, most interesting....etc places. If you have any suggestions for this post, or you want to know where I think the hottest guys are, or the worst food (for example) then make a comment here, or email me, or tell me on Facebook and I'll answer.
Put your thinking cap on!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Don't Mess With Texas!
Our time in New York was too short, but last Saturday we flew from La Guardia airport to Dallas/Fort Worth airport via Washington.The first thing you notice is that everything in Texas is HUGE, especially when you have recently come from Europe. The cars are not really cars, most of them are massive trucks like the Ram 250 - google it! Everywhere we went there were huge Bunnings sized shops with even bigger car parks to fit all the big trucks. The meals are huge, and so are lots of the people. Actually I am surprised that EVERYONE is not morbidly obese because it is almost impossible to just buy a sandwich for lunch or just a small healthy meal. Even Subway has a 'fit meal' that include chips! Er, I don't think they become 'healthy' because they write baked on the packet. There are fast food shops every 5kms, if you drive down the highway you go past a Taco Bell (and about 8 other shops like it) and then 10 minutes later there is another one (and another 10 others like it). You never have the oportunity to forget that you are hungry because you are forced to think about your stomach constantly as you are bombarded with food shops. It is really an effort to not stuff yourself sick every time you go into a shop - seeing as even electronic shops sell snacks.
It is hard to get any exercise too since you have to drive anywhere. We decided to walk around to some hotels one night to find out prices (they were all close to each other so we just walked instead of getting in and out of our car) and we got stopped by security who wanted to know why we were walking around. Nobody walks anywhere, there are even drive-in ATMs, and chemists, so you really never have to get out of your car. We did see a woman power walking around an indoor shopping mall though, with her joggers and ipod on though. Nobody walks around outside though.
On our first 2 nights in Texas we stayed in Fort Worth in the same hotel where JFK spent his last night before he was shot - the Fort Worth Hilton. It was our 1st anniversary so we decided to stay somewhere nice, plus hotels in the US (except New York) are super cheap.
In Fort Worth we went to the stockyards one day to see the long horn cattle drive. The cows have huge horns, and they look so much bigger in real life. I think those cows must have a headache from carrying around their horns constantly. The stockyards are full of cowboy shops selling hats and boots and belts etc. The hats are about $400 though and the boots even more for nice ones so we didn't buy anything. I can't really see myself being a cowgirl when I get back to Oz though.
After Fort Worth we drove up through Oklahoma to Amarillo in the north of Texas. We rented a Ford Mustang which, to my surprise, was very comfortable. Much better than a mercedes that we rented in Germany. Here's our number plate. Cool heh!
Leaving Oklahoma we came across the Route 66 museum, although we didn't go in. I think the sign was the most exciting thing there. Route 66 itself was pretty similar to all the other roads in Texas, wide, flat and very straight.
Entering Texas from Oklahoma. Texans do drive friendly too. Driving here is so relaxing compared to the high speed death drives of Germany. It is like Australia really, you can just wack on the cruise control and sit back. The roads rarely curve so you don't even really have to steer.
I took this photo in the hunting section of a shop in Amarillo. There is a whole range of camoflage stuff for hunting from pants to guns. And why bother to search for and animal to kill when you can just lure it to your property with this stuff and then blast it away! Handy!
See, straight and flat! Notice the absence of traffic, unlike Europe.
South of Amarillo is Palo Duro State Canyon Park. Here is our mustang in the canyon, the 2nd largest in the US.
The colours in the canyon are amazing, with lots of red, orange and pink. Unfortunately we couldn't walk around the canyon as it had flooded the previous night with heavy rain.
More car/canyon photos.
Leaving Oklahoma we came across the Route 66 museum, although we didn't go in. I think the sign was the most exciting thing there. Route 66 itself was pretty similar to all the other roads in Texas, wide, flat and very straight.
Entering Texas from Oklahoma. Texans do drive friendly too. Driving here is so relaxing compared to the high speed death drives of Germany. It is like Australia really, you can just wack on the cruise control and sit back. The roads rarely curve so you don't even really have to steer.
I took this photo in the hunting section of a shop in Amarillo. There is a whole range of camoflage stuff for hunting from pants to guns. And why bother to search for and animal to kill when you can just lure it to your property with this stuff and then blast it away! Handy!
See, straight and flat! Notice the absence of traffic, unlike Europe.
South of Amarillo is Palo Duro State Canyon Park. Here is our mustang in the canyon, the 2nd largest in the US.
The colours in the canyon are amazing, with lots of red, orange and pink. Unfortunately we couldn't walk around the canyon as it had flooded the previous night with heavy rain.
More car/canyon photos.
Amarillo is a nice town centred around Route 66. You are really forced to drive everywhere due to the size of shops, and an absence of footpaths. Here is a typical view from the highway though. See what I mean about fast food shops? On either side of the highway are shops, and then behind the shops is just flat empty grassland going all the way to the horizon. It was pretty weird. I've since learnt that all highways seem to be like this in the US though. Hmmm.
From Amarillo we drove back through Texas via Lubbock to Dallas. We were looking for oil wells, but we saw more windmills. I wanted a massive field full of oilwells, but we only found cotton fields with a few oil wells. I probably should have taken photos of that but I didn't. The windmills were cool though, and massive - like everything else.
We spent 2 days in Dallas and on one of the days drove downtown to see 'the grassy knoll'...
and the School Book Depository in Dealey Plaza. Quite a few tourists around there, and people showing some lovely pictures of a dead JFK. Nice.
Lastly we went to a rodeo in Fort Worth which was good although I didn't really like the calf roping. The poor calves just about yank their own heads off when they are lassoed. A bull did get a cowboy back by breaking some of his ribs though, so that made me feel better. The bull riding was pretty good, but I think the baby animals should just be left alone. Poor bubbys.
From Amarillo we drove back through Texas via Lubbock to Dallas. We were looking for oil wells, but we saw more windmills. I wanted a massive field full of oilwells, but we only found cotton fields with a few oil wells. I probably should have taken photos of that but I didn't. The windmills were cool though, and massive - like everything else.
We spent 2 days in Dallas and on one of the days drove downtown to see 'the grassy knoll'...
and the School Book Depository in Dealey Plaza. Quite a few tourists around there, and people showing some lovely pictures of a dead JFK. Nice.Lastly we went to a rodeo in Fort Worth which was good although I didn't really like the calf roping. The poor calves just about yank their own heads off when they are lassoed. A bull did get a cowboy back by breaking some of his ribs though, so that made me feel better. The bull riding was pretty good, but I think the baby animals should just be left alone. Poor bubbys. Now we are in Yellowstone National Park and it is below freezing! I will have some awesome pictures for my next post though.
Monday, October 15, 2007
New York, New York.
How different New York was to Europe! The first and main thing that I noticed was the food. NY is like Australia in that you can get whatever you want and there is food EVERYWHERE! I can completely understand why in Europe everyone is thin, and in the USA there are lots of overweight people. In the USA you can't get away from the food. You are constantly thinking about it because every second shop is a fast food place, or a cafe, or a Starbucks. In Europe I remember so many times when we were starving but we just couldn't find anything to eat, because it was just too expensive, or there was just nothing nice. In the USA you can get 2 tacos for 99 cents, and there are so many options it is impossible not to find something you would like within about 5 minutes. The serving sizes are GINORMOUS. Yes, that is the only term possible to use. We have been easily living on 2 meals a day simply because we are so full from breakfast that we can't eat anything until dinner time and then we are stuffed full again.
The food in NY is terrific though, and I have been going to lots of places that I know from TV shows. I feel like I am familiar with the city due to so many TV shows - Seinfeld, Sex and the City, The Nanny, Law and Order, the list goes on. I feel like I am on a movie set!
On our first day in NY we were walking around midtown on 5th Avenue and there was a Polish parade! How strange that of all the places and all the times this day there was this parade. There were Polish people everywhere and they were all talking Polish. As you can see the whole street was full of floats and people.
Here is the flag of Szczecin!
The next day we got the Ferry to Statten Island and back (it's free) to see the view and the Statue of Liberty. It put into perspective how big the St Peter's Basilica (Vatican) is. The statue would fit into the very top dome of the Basilica.
The view of Manhatten on the way back. The Twin Towers were where you can see the empty space to the left, where you can see through the buildings down the the ground.
After we got off the ferry we walked from downtown, Battery Park all the way up to the Brooklyn Bridge and over it to Brooklyn. This is the bridge next to the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge.
Looking back over the bridge to Manhattan.
My feet were sore for the rest of the week after this walk, I am used to riding my bike now, not walking!
Later in the week we went to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) where I took these pictures. The baby (cupid?) above looks just like sulky Chris I think!
So this is where Starry Night is! After seeing lots of Van Gogh all over the place by now, it was nice to finally see this most famous painting.
Two Kandinsky's.
A sticker is covering up the 'D' from 'danger' but I think this sign is more accurate. NY is a very noisy city!
Radio City music hall, next to the Rockerfeller Centre. We went up to 'The Top of The Rock' to see the view of the city on our last night, as we heard that this is a lot quieter than the Empire State Building and you don't have to look through bars.
Empire State Building.
Chrysler Building on the left.
Times Square.
NY is a great place and I'd love to come back again and spend more time here. There are so many places to eat. Pick-a-bagel is one of my favourites. How I loved eating a BLT poppy seed bagel after having nothing like it for 5 months. Bliss!
Shopping is amazing, although high end shopping is what NY is really good for. Macy's is more my budget, but Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman and Barney's would be terrific... if I just had A LOT more money!
Taxis are cheap, but the subway is even cheaper, and in general there is so much to do. Although I was sad to leave Munich and Europe, New York and the USA are amazing places to be. It is so nice to be able to watch TV in English again, and speak to people while understanding everything (well, 95%) of what they say. America also has that familiarity about it, that I suppose come from a lifetime of watching American TV!
The food in NY is terrific though, and I have been going to lots of places that I know from TV shows. I feel like I am familiar with the city due to so many TV shows - Seinfeld, Sex and the City, The Nanny, Law and Order, the list goes on. I feel like I am on a movie set!
On our first day in NY we were walking around midtown on 5th Avenue and there was a Polish parade! How strange that of all the places and all the times this day there was this parade. There were Polish people everywhere and they were all talking Polish. As you can see the whole street was full of floats and people.
Here is the flag of Szczecin!
The next day we got the Ferry to Statten Island and back (it's free) to see the view and the Statue of Liberty. It put into perspective how big the St Peter's Basilica (Vatican) is. The statue would fit into the very top dome of the Basilica.
The view of Manhatten on the way back. The Twin Towers were where you can see the empty space to the left, where you can see through the buildings down the the ground.
After we got off the ferry we walked from downtown, Battery Park all the way up to the Brooklyn Bridge and over it to Brooklyn. This is the bridge next to the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge.
Looking back over the bridge to Manhattan.My feet were sore for the rest of the week after this walk, I am used to riding my bike now, not walking!
Later in the week we went to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) where I took these pictures. The baby (cupid?) above looks just like sulky Chris I think!
So this is where Starry Night is! After seeing lots of Van Gogh all over the place by now, it was nice to finally see this most famous painting.
Two Kandinsky's.
A sticker is covering up the 'D' from 'danger' but I think this sign is more accurate. NY is a very noisy city!
Radio City music hall, next to the Rockerfeller Centre. We went up to 'The Top of The Rock' to see the view of the city on our last night, as we heard that this is a lot quieter than the Empire State Building and you don't have to look through bars.
Empire State Building.
Chrysler Building on the left.
Times Square.NY is a great place and I'd love to come back again and spend more time here. There are so many places to eat. Pick-a-bagel is one of my favourites. How I loved eating a BLT poppy seed bagel after having nothing like it for 5 months. Bliss!
Shopping is amazing, although high end shopping is what NY is really good for. Macy's is more my budget, but Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman and Barney's would be terrific... if I just had A LOT more money!
Taxis are cheap, but the subway is even cheaper, and in general there is so much to do. Although I was sad to leave Munich and Europe, New York and the USA are amazing places to be. It is so nice to be able to watch TV in English again, and speak to people while understanding everything (well, 95%) of what they say. America also has that familiarity about it, that I suppose come from a lifetime of watching American TV!
Oktoberfest
I never would have thought that it would be hard to find an internet cafe in the USA... but it is bloody difficult! I have finally got access to a FREE internet at the hotel we are in, in Amarillo, Texas, so I can post my belated Oktoberfest and New York blogs. My Texas post will come in about a week (hopefully).
As you can see Oktoberfest is not just a crazy beer drinking festival - it is also a dressing up festival! I bought a dirndle (very hard to choose the colour and style, there are so many to choose from) and Chris bought some lederhosen. Before you think that we are just crazy, have a look at the people in the background of my photos (click on them to enlarge them) and you can see that most people wear Tracht (traditional clothes) to Oktoberfest. Walking around Munich during Oktoberfest you can see lots of people riding their bikes and walking around dressed like this.
In our last week in Munich our friends Brody (above) and Ron (below), joined us so we had lots of fun going to Oktoberfest. In these pictures we are in the Nymphenburg Sekt (Champagne) tent. Oktoberfest is basically like a giant Easter Show with rides and stuff, but also with about 20 GIANT tents packed full of people drinking beer and eating, dancing and singing to bands that play inside them. To get a table at a tent you need to make a reservation months in advance, something that we didn't do, so it was pretty hard to get in. This tent was much quieter than some other ones and we got this little table to use.
We were on the 1st floor, but below us were different bands and more tables as you can see. Here is the band playing while standing on tables. It is a great atmosphere.
We had a fantastic time, although I really did not feel very well the day after a big night! You see so many people asleep (read: passed out drunk) around the grounds and the city, just slouched against a wall. Beer is mainly served in 1 litre steins so it is pretty easy to get completely trashed.
I was really sad to be leaving Munich, I really loved living there and the lifestyle was so fun. I will especially miss riding my bike around everywhere, even in my dirndle after a few too many.
As you can see Oktoberfest is not just a crazy beer drinking festival - it is also a dressing up festival! I bought a dirndle (very hard to choose the colour and style, there are so many to choose from) and Chris bought some lederhosen. Before you think that we are just crazy, have a look at the people in the background of my photos (click on them to enlarge them) and you can see that most people wear Tracht (traditional clothes) to Oktoberfest. Walking around Munich during Oktoberfest you can see lots of people riding their bikes and walking around dressed like this.
In our last week in Munich our friends Brody (above) and Ron (below), joined us so we had lots of fun going to Oktoberfest. In these pictures we are in the Nymphenburg Sekt (Champagne) tent. Oktoberfest is basically like a giant Easter Show with rides and stuff, but also with about 20 GIANT tents packed full of people drinking beer and eating, dancing and singing to bands that play inside them. To get a table at a tent you need to make a reservation months in advance, something that we didn't do, so it was pretty hard to get in. This tent was much quieter than some other ones and we got this little table to use.
We were on the 1st floor, but below us were different bands and more tables as you can see. Here is the band playing while standing on tables. It is a great atmosphere.
We had a fantastic time, although I really did not feel very well the day after a big night! You see so many people asleep (read: passed out drunk) around the grounds and the city, just slouched against a wall. Beer is mainly served in 1 litre steins so it is pretty easy to get completely trashed.
I was really sad to be leaving Munich, I really loved living there and the lifestyle was so fun. I will especially miss riding my bike around everywhere, even in my dirndle after a few too many.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Ducks
Here's Chris feeding some ducks at the lake near our house in Munich. He doesn't seem to realise that one duck is getting most of the food!
Doh! Ok, here are the cows!
I am aware that Chris is not a cow! Here are the cows. That was Chris, I was hoping that previous video would win me stacks of money when I sent it in to Funniest Home Videos, but no luck - he didn't fall over. Almost though...
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