London: Fresh Hope on A Cold Horizon

After months of life transpiring in a way only London can offer there is much to talk about, but remembering in exactly what order all of the following happened is nigh impossible. So please forgive the erratic and unpredictable nature of the paragraphs to follow.

Global Gathering

We last left you with tales of London and our trials and tribulations of setting up our new lives in one of the busiest and infamous cities in the world. We have since had a couple more visitors, Antoinette’s sister (Marie) and mum (Pam), and done all the usual things you do in London when you have visitors. They both came during the height of the British summer and it was great to get some sunshine while they were here. Marie and James celebrated their birthdays at Global Gathering, a huge music festival in the British countryside, and the celebrations were suitably messy and entertaining.

Our room. At it's finest.

Our living conditions continued to be a cause of pain and stress, but we no longer have to worry about that because we are weeks away from moving in to a new place in East London. Moving out of Cricklewood is a decision we only wish was made a long time ago. It feels as though we are getting a new start in one of the greatest cities in the world and our outlook has become a lot more positive since throwing 25kg on our backs and closing the door of Flat 137 Ashford Court one last time. It wasn’t the area we wanted to move from, in reality it is quite nice, but the people we are living with (an ever changing collage of dim-witted eastern Europeans, one of whom thought he could unclog the pipes in the washing machine by putting it on a ‘dry’ cycle, and really lazy ass holes) and a property manager who just treated us like dirt. We are moving to Bethnal Green and can’t wait to make this area our home for the foreseeable future and, potentially, the place we spend the rest of our time in London. We put our deposit down last week and are looking to move in on the last weekend in October and the area is soooo much closer to central London that it is going to be strange to have so much on our door step.

All dressed up. FOTC Style.

It has not been all bad news, although our blog posts might present it that way sometimes, and we have had some amazing experiences in the last seven or eight months. We have been clubbing in Brighton at Digital, one of the UK’s most infamous clubs for drum and bass enthusiasts like James, spent a week in sunny Barcelona, dressed up as Flight of the Conchords for a farewell party and had a full on Italian wedding experience in Acqua Viva. London and the UK is becoming more and more comfortable and homely as time passes. Even with the mornings becoming colder and the days much shorter there is always something on the horizon to keep us interested and entertained.

Barcelona from atop Mt Tibidabo

Spain was, quite simply, amazing. Our trip could not have come at a better time. The weather in London was grey and drab and after almost a year of rolling through wet and cold weather sunshine was what we needed. Despite Barcelona being a shadow of its normal self due to the August holidays we still had a fantastic time getting acquainted with Barcelona’s architecture, food and beaches. A couple of notable highlights would have to include dinner (a couple of times) at Tapac 24, brilliant chocolate that almost did not survive the trip home, a private walking tour in the Gothic quarter, a flamenco performance and hours of sun soaked bliss on Barceloneta Beach. After eating and lounging our way around the capital, and changing our sleeping patterns to take full advantage of Spanish hospitality, it was time to head back to money earning reality and get planning for our next couple of adventures.

Dressed for the occasion.

Heading to Italy to meet relatives of Antoinette’s she had only seen in photographs was a surprisingly comfortable affair. Perhaps it is because we are becoming so used to being outside of our comfort zones or perhaps it was because we both knew they were family, but the prospect of meeting people who don’t speak a word of English was actually something we looked forward to. Thankfully, however, Antoinette’s cousin Antonio was there to translate for us a majority of the time, but after a few days we could hold a very loose conversation with our hosts thanks to over enthusiastic pointing and gesticulations. Before the wedding we had two days in Milan and had a really relaxing time, except for when chaos reigned supreme at the gates of Milan’s soccer stadium moments before a champions league match. The wedding itself was awesome. 350 people, a ten course meal and plenty of vino. The countryside where this all happened is some of the most beautiful we have seen and being able to see such a significant place in the history of Antoinette’s family was pretty special for both of us.

James @ Kaffeine

Work wise we are both doing ok. Antoinette is working as a receptionist for The Royal Society in a beautiful area of London just south of Piccadilly Circus. James is still slaving away at Kaffeine, but his hours have become more manageable so it has been nice to have a little more time to spend with Antoinette and, of course, London. We have been really fortunate to have saved our tax refunds until finding a place to live and only now are we starting to spend some cash and it feels good. Really good. After living on a budget to get the cash to go on this trip, living on a tight budget while on our American leg of the trip and having to save almost every penny during the start of our London leg having money to spend is a luxury we are definitely enjoying while it lasts. With the festive season and colder weather approaching we are excited about the next couple of months being more positive and rewarding for both of us, but knowing London, well, nothing is certain.

‘Till next time,

Antoinette and James.

London: A Cruel Mistress and Long Lost Friend

Long story short, for those who might loose interest in the extended trilogy limited release special features version of the story detailed below, Antoinette hates bed bugs, James is not sure about his job, our apartment is shit, we have a herb garden, we drink a lot of really tasty beverages and get to wear shorts only occasionally in the peak of summer.

Time heals all wounds, but does not heal writers block. Saying Antoinette and I have been busy over the last three months is one hell of an understatement and we are only now feeling as though we are beginning to settle into our new surroundings. Arriving in London after a torturous flight with Iceland Air on the 3^rd of March we have experienced the whole scope of London life with everything and everything from bedbugs through to sumptuous market food now another element of our new lives. There is much to tell about the trials we have endured during our breaking in time, as it is very common and apparent for the first two or three months of any persons adjustment to living conditions in London to be full of bad happenings, and we are not here to paint a façade with words describing the lives we wish we were living. The last three months have been incredibly difficult, draining and frustrating with little bursts of normalcy and enjoyment scattered through the days and nights of living life in London.

The main event at Secret Cinema

London is what you make of it and we have found ourselves repeating the same sentence to people we meet when asked the inevitable “how are you finding London?” We can say we love London, but (and this is a big BUT) we hate where we are living. The music, café and food in London has far exceeded our expectations and the culture on offer here is magnificent for younger people wanting to get out and do something a little less than normal (like paying 35 quid each to see a movie without knowing what movie you will be seeing until it starts after two hours of pre-show interactive entertainment, an event otherwise known as Secret Cinema). Our first London drum and bass gig was nothing short of exceptional as we were privy to a very special album launch party for Icicle’s, aka the Ice Man, Under The Ice Album and after months of sub bass starvation my insides were rumbling warmly indeed.

Oh Borough How We Love Thee

We are, however, consistently plagued with problems within our home away from home. House mates who seem to be allergic to the thought of cleaning, the ever present threat of bed bugs and the daily grind all contribute to fatigue during the week, but we always make the most of the time we have off together. We spend most of it eating, enjoying whatever sunshine can be found and catching up with friends (both new and old) in and around London. London’s thriving market scene is always a good morning adventure and we have already named Borough Market as our favourite and James has already worked his way through one too many coffee places. There is always something to keep us on our toes and the next couple of months will be no exception.

We are heading to Barcelona in mid August for some real ‘it is too hot to do anything weather,’ our lease expires on September 10 (insert psyched fist pump here), Antoinette’s contract ends at the end of August and James is on the path to a new career armed with a brand new CV ready for distribution once a new room has been acquired. On top of all this we have Marie, Antoinette’s sister, visiting us at the end of July and we will be celebrating both Marie’s and James’ birthdays at Global Gathering on July 30^th and have been invited to attend an Italian wedding in early October. So, as you can tell, all this will be a challenging, intense and fun filled couple of months and we are looking forward to every second.

Another Sunny Day in Bath.

The British summer so far has been exactly what we expected, a little bit of sunshine now and then and plenty of overcast days with the mercury rarely topping the tables at over 22 degrees Celsius. After so many months of cold temperatures and rain we are very acclimatised to all types of weather now and are longing for some dry heat, which I am sure we will find in Barcelona in August, but come next April we will be hitting the slopes (hopefully not literally) when we head to Austria for an event we have been excited about since hearing tales of adventure and debauchery in the latter stages of 2010. Snowbombing is, no doubt, the light at the end of a very wet and cold British winter, but after surviving two blizzards in New York and walking around with a foot of snow on the footpaths we should be ready for it regardless.

This entry has taken a very long time to get out in the blogosphere and we’re not going to make any excuses, we’ve just been a little lazy and have not thought too much about it lately. This is something that will be changing as we finally feel as though we have settled into life in London and you can believe us when we say there will be more stories of our escapades coming to a computer screen near you very soon.

La’er Ladies and Gentlemen,

Antoinette and James.

P.S. We've had this entry sitting in it's juices for a while now so it might be a little outdated. Stay tuned for part two.

The America Dream

Lego James and Lego Antoinette

The last five weeks have passed in a blur of sights, food and caffeine. New York has far exceeded any of our expectations and we can see why it is considered by many to be one of the best cities in the world. After having completed the great American road trip and living in the centre of Manhattan for over a month we were very happy to be discovering little bits and pieces throughout New York well into our final days in the USA. Apart from repeat trips to some of our favourite food and coffee hangouts we have taken in the less seen areas surrounding Manhattan.

Since we last touched base we have done a lot of things we had on our ‘to do’ list. One of those things was seeing some stand up comedy and the Comic Strip was where we ended up after picking up some discounted tickets in Times Square. The club was quite small and we didn’t know what to think after we were seated with a group of strangers, but it wasn’t long before the strong drinks and quality comedians made the night worthwhile. After two hours the caliber of comic steadily deteriorated, or maybe the alcohol was wearing too big a hole in our collective wallets, and it was difficult to find what they said funny. Leaving meant the hecklee became the heckler and any one seen leaving would cop a mouthful from the comedian, but that didn’t bother us, and it was funny to watch some of the patrons confused expressions as they got caught speechless.

There have been many days when we have just chosen a starting point for our day and kind of explored the side streets and avenues on our way home. These explorative walks have let us see a lot more of the city than most tourists and we can really say we prefer the downtown areas to uptown, except for Harlem of course. The diversity and collection of shops, cafes, delis and restaurants make it easy to get what you want when you want it.

Katz's infamous meat-wich

One New York attraction, that we highly recommend to any carnivorous tourist, is a trip to Katz’s Delicatessen. It is one of the oldest delis in the New York area and serve up quality slow cooked meats that are hand carved the old fashioned way with nearly nothing else. The results are delicious meat mountain manwiches with a side of pickle and their perfectly spiced pastrami and corned beef (both on rye bread with mustard of course) is the reason this Deli is still packed from open till close every day of the week. What made this place even better was that Baby Cakes was only a five minute walk away and there have been a few lunches followed by irresistible chocolate chip cookie sandwiches. The foodie memories punctuate the great times we have had in this city and we have definitely made the most of it because we are skeptical of what our next transatlantic destination holds in store for us.

Deep fried oreo = win

Even though we are thousands of kilometers and months away from Texas we couldn’t help ourselves and we just had to get some decent BBQ eating in one more time. It was at a place called Rub, ideally just around the corner from us, and the food was just what we were craving. Delicious pulled pork, wicked pastrami (not as good as Katz’s Deli though) and ribs that rivaled the mighty Joe’s BBQ shack, way back in Houston, for the title of best baby back ribs. We ate way more than we should and even ordered a serving of deep fried oreos to take back to the apartment. It may sound like a weird concept, but wrapping a real oreo in donut batter and deep-frying it made this once in a blue moon dining experience something to remember.

On a very fine winter’s day last week we caught up with one of James’ aunt’s acquaintances and had a really relaxing day wandering the streets of Brooklyn. Not knowing what each other looked like made it very interesting trying to figure out exactly who it was we were supposed to be meeting in a café with no spare seats. A fortunate encounter while we were paying for our drinks, as we arrived unexpectedly early because we had no idea how long it was going to take to get to Brooklyn, meant we discovered each other with little difficulty. We walked around Brooklyn, which is a nice area of New York with lots of vintage music stores and quirky retailers tucked away in the brown rock and red brick buildings. We had a really satisfying lunch at a local pub and talked about anything from Margaret River’s beaches through to smoked hot sauce and it was awesome to catch up with some locals. Seeing Manhattan’s impressive skyline from the Brooklyn foreshore really lets you appreciate exactly what makes this place so special.

Our last weekend in New York City started with a bang at Café Wha. This place has seen it’s fair share of big shot musos over the years with Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix playing regular gigs at this under ground club and café. If you are looking for an ‘intimate’ night out do not come here. You get sat at a really small table with up to six other people and the service is pretty average, but it is a lot of fun and a really entertaining couple of hours if you like loud music and alcoholic beverages (which we have both been sincerely missing over the last couple of months). The night started around 10pm and after 15 minutes intoxicated revelers had taken to the impromptu dance floor in the walkway. All the musos were having a great time and they played a lot of classic rock songs and their on stage energy was very intense, it was just a shame our waiter couldn’t keep up with our thirsty appetites. We got to meet some wicked people from Canada, who’s names escape us thanks to our good friend Mr.Alcohol, and were able to let off a little steam after being cooped up in the apartment for too long thanks to the colder weather.

One very fat pigeon

One thing we just had to do while here was head up-town and check out Harlem and some of their infamous culture and gospel churches. The whole day was really intense and intriguing. Andy, our tour guide, was an incredibly energetic 82 year old who has lived in the area since his early 20s and seen it transform from heaven, hell and back again. Seeing a real gospel style worship service was entertaining and spiritual in a way many churches can only dream of and the buildings in the area are very well kept considering most of them are over 100 years old. We also learnt that most of New York’s older residential buildings are safe from demolition because all a building needs to be worth saving are structurally sound exterior walls. It doesn’t matter what the inside looks like. If a building has dodgy wiring, no plumbing and no floors it doesn’t matter. If the building is purchased in that state the new owners enters into a pre-existing agreement that means they have to leave the exterior façade intact and update the interior to modern safety and building codes. It is so refreshing to see a city that embraces modern architecture, but works very hard to maintain the unique, old school and historical elements that contribute to making this amazing city what it is today. After seeing some of the oldest churches and buildings in the area we were taken to Harlem’s main business district to see the legendary Apollo Theatre, where both The Jackson Five and James Brown have won amateur nights, and catch a glimpse of where former US president Bill Clinton has his offices. It was sad to hear there are proposals to radically change the Harlem area into just another commerce centre with 25 story skyscrapers lining the wider roads and pedestrian walkways. It was a privelage to see this area the way it is today because with things changing as fast as they are and the ruthless persistence of New York realtors and property developers looking for their next big cash cow, Harlem will not be what it is now in five years time.

The holy grail for gluten free celiacs.

Our last days in New York City were spent taking in long walks through the streets and avenues while re-sampling some of the cities best food and coffee places. Another visit to Kaffe in the Financial District, the last batch of chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, milkshakes from Shake Shack and one of the most satisfying lunches from a place in Chelsea Markets called Friedman’s Lunch. The highlights and lowlights from the journey thus far were always on our minds as the American chapter of our round the world trip came to a close. Being able to say we have driven across America is pretty awesome and to have met some ‘real’ Americans along the way, instead of the stereotypes we see sensationalized in most modern media, was quite eye opening. Having to say goodbye to the comfort of our New York apartment, the city that never sleeps and North America all at once was an interesting feeling full of conflicting attitudes and emotions.

quite a view from the Empire State

On our last night in New York, at least what we thought would be our last night (don’t worry we’ll explain that later), we did what we had to do before we left the United States. The Empire State building affords gorgeous night-time viewing of the world within a city and this iconic landmark delivered in a big way. Getting there was easy as and within half an hour from leaving home we were up on the 86^th floor taking it all in while competing with blustery winds. New York for us really personifies the best parts of America and it was hard to leave somewhere that has become more homely and comfortable than we imagined any place other than home could. So after a gluttonous and relaxing day in the city we started our journey out to JFK. The thing is we got so very caught up in the holiday lifestyle we completely lost track of what the date was so we arrived at the airport 24 hours before we were supposed to. We saw this as an opportunity to do things not many New Yorkers get to do, take a day trip out to JFK, and all we got for it was a stupid air rail pass.

Our comfortable studio apartment in Chelsea

The final steps have been taken to make our transition into the working world as easy as possible. Our resumes, which are looking quite sharp in our opinion, have been edited and reformatted to suit the acceptable UK style and been sent on to a number of recruitment agencies in London. Our accommodation will take a little adjusting to as we will be in a four-bed dorm to save cash while we find jobs and a place to call home for the foreseeable future. We are not sure what will happen over the next couple of months, but being able to start with a clean slate is really liberating and we are incredibly motivated to make the most of London, the UK and the rest of Europe. We are sure the phrase books and language DVDs will get a good workout over the coming months and we are hoping to save hard, again, to do a majority of our European adventures in September and October of 2012, with a couple of exceptions of course.

‘Till next time,

Antoinette and James.

New York, New York

The weather outside on our New York bound adventure.

After the tumultuous uncertainty of the last week of road tripping across America our final destination before the UK and Europe was the light at the end of a 9000 mile tunnel. We are very happy, and relieved, that there was no damage to the RV and even with the sleepless and stress filled days now behind us we can look back on the great American road trip with very fond memories and plenty of stories. Our trip into New York from New Jersey happened to fall right in the middle of one of the worst winter storms to hit the area this season. After struggling into a taxi with all our worldly possessions we arrived in New York after two short taxi trips and a half hour train ride. While waiting in line for a taxi at Penn Station we had our first encounter with New Yorkers who quizzed James on why he had a stuffed animal strapped to his luggage and after claiming to ‘just be holding it for a friend’, who happened to be standing out of sight at the time, the whole situation was an unexpected and entertaining way to enter New York City.

Our apartment. Spacious

Our apartment is on West 15th Street just off 7th Avenue, in Chelsea for those of you playing at home, and is in a really nice neighborhood with everything within a five minute walk or subway trip. Granted we have been living in an 17 foot RV for the last four months, but having to walk more than two steps from the kitchen to the bedroom is really luxurious and we are really glad to call this place home until early march. After settling in after only a matter of hours it became clear there was so much to do and it didn’t take long to make a list of things we wanted to do in The Big Apple. Our first impression of New York, regardless of the mountains of snow and ice on the sidewalks, was a good one and New York is a really easy city to live in and enjoy. The public transport is incredible and we have not had to wait more than a couple of minutes to catch a subway train to any of Manhattan’s destinations.


Our first destination was the downtown area and financial district to pick up some winter essentials, better jackets, gloves and scarves, to bear the bone chilling winds whipping through the cavernous streets of New York’s boroughs. After experiencing some seriously good coffee [from a little place called Kaffe on Greenwich] we wandered through the World Trade Centre Memorial and were unexpectedly moved by the stories and artifacts portraying the heroic and tragic loss of life on that fateful day in September. After a challenging half hour of self reflection it was time to pick up what we needed for winter and it took all afternoon to stroll the gargantuan expanses of Century 21 to find what we needed and it didn’t cost nearly as much as expected, which gave us a little more cash to burn in this fantastic city.

Mmmmm...gluten free brownies.

It has been so long since we updated the blog and we have done something nearly every day, unless the mercury drops well into the negatives, and with each day we both feel more at home and in love with this bustling metropolis. We have done all the usual things early to give us time to explore the different and distinctive areas of Manhattan. One notable highlight so far has been the food and coffee scene here. We have been able to find top quality products and experienced some seriously good stuff in the last couple of weeks. We have nearly worked our way through the menu at Babycakes, a bakery specializing in gluten free and vegan cookies, cakes and more, and we really cannot speak highly enough of what Babycakes are capable of. Their cupcakes and cookies, all gluten free for Antoinette’s sake, are so close to the real thing and free of most of the things that make cupcakes a sometimes food. Seeing Antoinette’s expression after biting into a brownie, something she had cast into the ‘I’m never going to have those again so I’m not going to think about it’ pile, was entertaining enough to see us return three times in the last week. Another incredible taste of Manhattan’s cuisine was made possible through NYC Restaurant Week and a little place called Megu. This place takes Japanese food and twists it into a modern double helix of taste and design and the results were exceptional. Great sushi, great kobe steak and a great vibe in the restaurant made this a wicked experience and we were even able to put the $9 price tag on the spring water behind us.

We were also fortunate enough; at least James was, to be in America for the Superbowl. Getting into the spirit of things required some research into peri peri marinades and the results were pretty damn close to our beloved Mt.Barker chicken wings from home. The result of the game was kind of irrelevant, but the commercials were entertaining enough and these 30 second snippets were the only reason Antoinette was able to bear the three hours of padded meat wagons running into each other to prove their ‘stick-to-it-ivness’ [a very intelligible phrase used by a NFL commentator].

Another highlight of Manhattan is, of course, the shopping. Everything from custom kicks to shelves and cabinets full of belt buckles are right around every corner and the areas surrounding Soho have definitely made our wallets a little bit too light for our liking. Then again sacrificing meat for a week to gain the last pair of US 9s limited edition Star War Adidas kicks was always going to be an easy decision. We have been able to splurge a little in this city and we are very glad we toughed it out in the middle of our trip to leave cash to spend here as the opportunities and potential for entertainment in this city are limited only to our imaginations. The only limitation on our spending is the practicality of transporting our latest acquisitions via very limited luggage space into the UK, where the inevitable accumulation of belongings will continue and probably require the purchase of another bag to carry everything home.

Steel on ice. What can go wrong?

The weather here has been what you would expect in the depths of a North American winter and the sidewalks are finally visible for the first time in two weeks. The maximum temperatures have been floating between five above to nine below for the last two weeks and seeing maximums in the double digits for the next couple of days is really exciting for us. There have been days when we have been forced to cut our explorations short because of the bitter winds and cold weather eating through our many layers of clothing. The weather hasn’t really stopped us doing what we want to do and we have thoroughly explored central park, despite a foot of snow covering everything. Ice Skating, or more precisely, Ice Stumbling [seriously the guy who thought it would be a good idea to put metal and ice together for fun needs some therapy] was good for a laugh and taking a horse drawn carriage through the park was something pretty memorable. The weather has been made bearable, mostly because of the public transport, and you never really have to spend to much time in the cold and it doesn’t take long to warm up as every store and restaurant has their heating on overdrive.

For us Manhattan has been about the little things. Babycakes’ brownies, the shake shack at Madison Square Park, the little sculptures throughout our local subway, hot dogs in central park while seeing a crazy guy dancing on the sidewalk, the crazily busy comic book store and the really average buskers on the subway are some examples of the little things that continue the stream of pleasant surprises. Just walking the streets makes the little strips of cafes and shops visible and there is plenty more for us to do before we leave in a little over two weeks. We have planned day trips to Brooklyn and some of New York’s other boroughs, a few more museums, a debaucherous night at a comedy club, a night out with a few beverages and a plenty more to keep us busy and out of trouble. Apartment living is definitely a luxury we are taking advantage of while it lasts and we know the reality of living in the UK will have us sharing space with more than a few people. All the more reason to take in this city while we can.

'Till next time,

Antoinette and James.

The End of The Road: Almost

Leaving Florida was easy, it would have been less easy had we known the sunshine we saw would be the last we would see until reaching the northern most parts of North Carolina. We headed for a place called Charleston on the South Carolina coast and arrived just ahead of bad weather that seems to have been stalking us since we left like a shadow. Charleston is a place full of history and architecture stretching back to the conflicts that shaped the United States into what they have become today. Charleston is a quiet port town thriving on the near by college and tourism for more than a couple of reasons. Our first day in Charleston saw us brave the cool conditions embracing the area to check out the Ft.Sumter Island and cruise around the museums and restaurants dotted along the riverfront.

Ft.Sumter

Ft.Sumter is a fortification used throughout the last two hundred years to defend the strategically important coastal access and was where the first shots of the United States civil war rang out. Charleston was also a hub for the trade and sale of slaves in the 1700s and learning about the history of the time and the area was a humbling and thought provoking experience. The labor purchased was used to fuel the growth of plantations in the area and drove the local economy from strength to strength and maintained many households throughout the Charleston area. There were some amazing examples of architecture spread through the downtown district and we finally got to see the inside of one of them after trying about four others in the pouring rain. The splendor of these houses was an impression of the lifestyles lived by those with the means and money to make something of their family name and seeing very well preserved furniture well over 200 years old was fascinating.

Check out those cannons on the North Carolina

The colder weather meant our expeditions outdoors were becoming shorter and our planned route would see us travel further northwest towards Central America. We changed our minds after driving through a winter wonderland and constant sleet on our way to see Bishopville. After two days in the freezing cold and our new route that would see us stay closer to the coast all the way up to Washington DC meant the coastal town of Wilmington, North Carolina, would be our home for a couple of nights. To pass the time we decided to tour the USS North Carolina, the most decorated US battleship from the WWII Pacific Campaign. The size of the ship is really deceptive and being able to walk through nine levels of solid steel makes you realize how massive these ships really were. There were some eerie moments below decks, including one were the lights turned out momentarily, and seeing the massive projectiles the USS North Carolina fired through the 16” cannons above was frightening in an awesome kind of way. The tour seemed to take forever and it took most of the afternoon to wind our way up and down through the levels and sections of the ship before coming back out onto the main deck to get hit by a seriously chilly wind. Wilmington is also renowned for its boardwalk shopping district, but it was far from what we expected and after a few hours of pointless and fruitless meandering we headed back to Phoenix to take in a good hot dinner, our last southern dining experience [mmm…ribs] and a little rest and recuperation.

Mmmm...cold.

After a few relaxing days in Wilmington we continued our north bound adventures with the Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras of North Carolina well and truly in our sightes. The weather was atrocious and we were both fighting colds while the wind and rain rocked our little RV from side to side with us well and truly thanking our decision to invest in top quality thermal gear. Now would be as good a time as any to mention the lengths we are going to in order to stay warm in these sub zero temperatures. A typical outing requires two pairs of socks, a singlet, two shirts, two jumpers, two pairs of thermal leggings, a pair of jeans, a rain jacket, gloves and a beanie. Getting in and out of this gargantuan collection of thermal clothing is a time consuming task, but necessary as even this still sees our extremities feel the bite of the cold more than both of us would like. Driving isn’t the bad part, because the heating keeps us really warm, but when we stop and the chill sets in it doesn’t take very long for Phoenix to cool down. Keeping warm is tough enough, but with the sights and attractions becoming sparser and further apart it wouldn’t take us to long to get through what we had planned in the Outer Banks.

I believe I can fly

For those who know their aviation history the Wright brothers certainly need no introduction and the first point of call in the Outer Banks was paying the first men in flight a visit. Over 100 years ago two brothers who owned a bicycle store started coming to the Kitty Hawk area of the Outer Banks to test their imaginations and engineering skill. The results landed their names in history books as the first men to achieve self propelled flight and kick started the aviation industry. Seeing the area where the brothers conducted their historic tests and seeing first hand the distance achieved by the first flyer was really something special and inspiring. After wandering around the parkland and checking out some of the exhibits we headed south along the Outer Banks to check out the tallest lighthouse in the United States.

The Cape Hatteras lighthouse looks like a massive barbers pole and is one of the oldest operational lighthouses left in the country. The lighthouse is a massive building and was impressively moved from its original location away from the crumbling sea wall several years ago. The weather at the time made it difficult to see the top of the lighthouse, but it was more something to pass the time than a ‘must do.’ Typically during the warmer months the lighthouse is open to the public allowing wicked views of the banks and the small coastal island, but with tourism season well and truly over we just had to take their word for it. The Outer Banks area really does thrive on tourism and most of the businesses in the area were closed for the season and this would definitely be an amazing place to visit during the summer months. This concluded our North Carolina adventures and DC was our next point of call.

Arriving in the nations capitol was exciting for a couple of reasons, one being the feeling of seeing the places we have seen so much of through modern media and the other was the fact our road trip of a life time was close to its conclusion. For two days we took in the history and culture of the DC area and visited the Smithsonian museums and monuments that make this area a hotbed for tourism and everything American. Standing on the stairs of the Lincoln memorial and being in a place where so many brilliant minds and movements have pronounced their missions to the world was a very surreal feeling for both of us. Another favourite place of ours was the American Museum of National History, which features everything from original Muppet dolls, Dorothy’s red slippers from The Wizard of Oz and one of the very first star spangled banners ever made. Seeing so much in such short a time made it difficult to absorb, but standing before a copy of the Magna Carta from 1297, original copies of the bill of rights, the United States’ Constitution and the declaration of independence was a humbling experience. It is not the age and condition of the documents, but instead the knowledge that surrounded these documents when they were written and being in the vicinity of something so historically significant is something we both will not be forgetting in a hurry. So after two jam packed days of overloading our brains with more history than we have witnessed before and a winter storm closing in on New York we cut one day from our intended stay in DC to beat the storm and return Phoenix the next day.

The drive was uneventful, and we wish we could say that for the events that followed, but we have run into what could be a costly issue with Phoenix. Upon checking into yet another budget motel and taking Phoenix to the drop off location everything seemed to be going to plan until we were asked if we had ‘winterised’ the RV. This was the first time we had heard of this and we asked what it meant. Apparently RVs are incredibly susceptible to cold weather [well at least the plumbing, pumps and fixtures] and the pipes and attached accessories are supposed to be either emptied by air pressure or filled with non toxic anti freeze to ensure the system does not suffer freezing damage. Our vehicle supplier never made us aware of the potential damage cold weather could inflict on the RV and the documents they supplied mention nothing regarding maintenance of the system in preparing for sub zero temperatures, so needless to say, we feel a little cheated. After such an epic adventure and road trip to have something like this happen and have a potentially hefty bill hang over our heads is absolutely devastating and we both have a few sleepless nights ahead while the rental company assesses the damage. Not really the way we wanted to say goodbye to Phoenix and we are looking into our options and awaiting further information before deciding what to do. So stay tuned for more.

‘Till next time,

Antoinette and James.

Mission Accomplished: Well Almost

Antoinette's XMas Tree

We left you with a massive interval between entries last time and believe us when we say our days have been full on for most of the last three weeks. With Christmas, New Years and so much in between finding time to rest, let alone update you all on what we have been doing, has been hard. Christmas Day was amazing and we both got to chat with family, which was a boost we both really needed, as was the cocktail with vodka, juice and champagne poured into a novelty yard glass procured in Vegas. We had so much good food and were able to spend the day drifting in and out of sleep while watching movies and tv, which is something we have not been able to do since we left home all those months ago.

Prawns: Cuban Style

Tampa is a city sharing a lot of similarities with Perth due to it’s size, population and proximity to the ocean and nearby porting facilities. The port of Tampa is still one of the most important and busiest in the USA as all goods must pass through Tampa from South America onwards up to the east coast and even further for Europe. One afternoon was spent on a cycling tour of downtown Tampa, which was thoroughly deserted because of school holidays and the Christmas break. The tour was a great way to get acquainted with some of the history of Tampa and how this city has evolved through the last century. What started as a small colony was not a destination until the railroad was installed and allowed a port to be established on the west coast of what would become the Florida peninsula. It then became a hotbed for immigrant populations and Cubans, Italians and Spanish peoples would settle and influence the areas food and culture over the coming years. Tampa was once home to the largest cigar manufacturing plants in the world and it was not until the 1930s that their economic influence could not overcome the depression, advances in cigar manufacturing production and subsequent downturn in demand for hand rolled cigars. Since then the plants have been permanently closed. The evening was finished with our first Cuban dining experience, which took place at the largest family owned restaurant in America, in a place capable of serving 1500 people for each meal. The food was good and plentiful and left us with a very satisfied feeling for downtown Tampa.

Our view from the mountains.

Tampa had one last event in store for us and after freezing our asses off in the nosebleed section of Raymond James stadium watching the Buccaneers comprehensively beat the Seahawks, it was time to head west for St.Petersburg. St.Petersburg is billed as Tampa’s dysfunctional brother, but we did not really see the wild side we expected. The day we spent in St.Pete’s dissolved taking in the largest public display of works by the genius Salvadore Dali and chilling on the pier. The collection of Dali’s masterpieces is quite amazing and seeing the different stages this artist went through to achieve his ‘master’ status was intriguing and insightful to say the least. The magnitude of his bigger works is really something and the intricacies and illusions he places on canvas firmly cements his position as one of the most impressive and unique artists of recent history. Our detour through St.Pete’s was a welcome change from the ill managed RV park we found ourselves trapped in over the Christmas break, but with the east coast calling our names it was time to head south for Miami and some much needed sunshine.

The infamous Ocean Drive in South Beach, Miami.

The drive to Miami was brilliant, purely because the temperature increased as every hour passed, and it was not long before we were in our dodgy motel room literally across the road from the airport. We can say, with great humility, WE DID IT! We have crossed the country from San Diego to Miami with everything in between and although the gravity of what we have accomplished has not fully sunk in we both know we will be very proud of what we have done when it does. Within two days of being in Miami we had our RV serviced, picked up genuine hand rolled Ecuadorian cigars and toured the art deco district of south beach leaving us just enough time to prepare ourselves to celebrate the year that was. We headed back to South Beach to enjoy the pedestrian heaven that was made possible by road blockages on Ocean Drive, the road running alongside Miami’s most famous beach, with bars and restaurants moving their al fresco areas right out onto the roadway. Most of the entertainment was compiled into a very compact area and the evening involved us having a drink inside one art deco hotel after another taking in the freak show that was unfolding in front of us on the foot path. Being in such an iconic location for New Years was really something special. The first day of 2011 was anything but classy with a serious sleep in, junk food and plenty of trashy television and, in all honesty, it probably was not much different from many we have spent at home previously.

Sleeping alligator.

Another thing we had on our to do list in South Florida was checking out the everglades and cruising around in one of the airboats, pretty much just a dinghy with a massive fan on the back. This would happen at Billie’s Swamp Tours and Safari’s where we also saw a trainer put an alligator to sleep by rubbing its belly and were also taken on a slow drive in monster trucks through the reserve to see a variety of animals. We were able to see more animals, including some not native to the area, than we did on both of our previous swamp tours, but after seeing the everglades one swamp looks much like another. It was a nice relaxing day and was good to get out of the hotel after spending the previous day inside the confines of our small room. We have both decided to live in the moment a little more in 2011 and a spontaneous decision to take a cruise to the Bahamas was just what we needed to kick start our resolution.

Junkanoo Beach and clouds. :(

The all-inclusive tour started with a 5am pickup and being the first people aboard the shuttle we also knew we would be the last dropped off much later that night. After picking up other passengers we were taken to the terminal and were on board the discovery cruise ship in no time. The breakfast was wicked, or more wicked than anything we have had in a while, and not having to do any dishes was a great bonus. The beverages were flowing freely by mid morning, although there was no matching to table of Germans across the room who looked like they had been enjoying the free booze since boarding the vessel, and we settled in for our five hour trip to the Bahamas. The weather was not fantastic and we were told we would need to purchase tours if we wanted to do anything on the island we were headed towards because the port area is isolated from any of the sights. This pissed us off a little as we thought an ‘all inclusive’ cruise would cover things like this, but alas we caved and organized to be transported to one of the islands best beach clubs. After an okish lunch and a few hours on a sandy beach covered by an endless patchwork of clouds it was time to head back to Miami. The time flew by really quickly this time, as we tipped the waiter a little more to make sure our glasses were rarely empty, and even the god awful tunes the “DJ” was playing all night couldn’t dampen our spirits. What did end up dampening our spirits was the bus ride home which saw us open our hotel room door two and a half hours after reaching shore in Miami at about 11:30pm.

Any higher and we would need oxygen.

Like we have mentioned before we have been doing something pretty much every day and the following day was no different. On our last night in Miami we cruised back to South Beach to soak it all up one last time and give Antoinette a chance to get some photos of the brightly lit fluorescent signs adorning the classic art deco hotels in the area. Afterwards we headed for American Airline’s Arena to see the Miami Heat clash with the Milwaukee Bucks, host of fellow Australian Andrew Bogut. Seeing some really classy NBA players like Lebron James and Dwayne Wade make shots with such ease was really wicked and even Antoinette managed to stay interested right through to the end of the game. The game was surprisingly close right throughout until the last five minutes when the Heat rolled over the top of the Buck’s and forged ahead by a dozen or more points. Even after such an American experience the dilemmas awaiting us upon exiting the arena sum up Miami’s worst aspect. Traffic in Miami is $#@!&^! Drivers use their horns excessively and do nothing but put those around them on edge. We were abused a couple of times by very ugly women speeding around in SUV’s with no regard or care for road rules let alone the state of their bashed up faces. It seems like red lights are optional and seeing people rush through them at the last second or block a busy intersection because they don’t realize their car is not going to fit behind the one in front is frustrating to a point you would find hard to fathom without experiencing it. We now totally understand why people in the country have such big trucks. It is so if anyone pisses them off they can run right over the top of them. Every one seems in such a hurry here and perhaps if they made it compulsory for drivers to listen to 93.1 Easy FM, our favourite station while driving, the soothing sounds of the Beach Boys, Elton John and more would melt away at the tension rising on Miami’s roadways. This traffic is the one thing we are both glad to see behind us upon leaving Miami.

Leaving Miami left only one destination in Florida before saying goodbye to big cities until Washington DC in late January, Orlando. Of course if you haven’t already made the connection between Antoinette and Orlando we will give you a second to figure it out…

WALT DISNEY’S DISNEY WORLD!

Antoinette and her house.

This is the other half of what we started in California a few months ago and we had quite a challenge of cramming four Disney Land size parks into one day. To do this we had to skip a few attractions, pump ourselves full of caffeine, eat on the run and spend time busing between parks, but we both had a really good time. A highlight for both of us was the first ride we went on, and Animal Kingdom’s newest ride, in Everest. The ride was nuts and was a great way to kick start the adrenaline we would undoubtedly need to keep firing all day to make sure we did not stop. After Animal Kingdom we headed straight for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and tackled the Tower of Terror and put up with Aerosmith’s freakishly wide face waiting in line for over an hour for a ride that lasted less than a minute. The rest of the day was spent wandering to Epcot and then the Magical Kingdom, waiting excessively long times for rides and scouring the souvenir places for a second time to make sure Antoinette did not miss anything. Disney World is a massive place and trying to cram so many worlds into one day really is not the way to go and we both would have loved another day or two to really experience it, but we now have a valid reason to come back to the US that does not involve BBQing animals. The lines were a real drawback and we spent somewhere between four and five hours of the day in lines waiting for rides and the fastpass system was impractical as the return times were past what we could afford for each park. We both agree that Disney Land is our preferred destination between the two for a couple of reasons, less people crowding the good stuff and more characters. The only character we saw all day was an ant from one of the animated movies, but we did catch a glimpse of Mickey, Donald, Minnie and Goofy’s head while on a monorail ride past one of the resort dining rooms.

We returned back to Phoenix, our RV in case you have forgotten, exhausted and crashing from a sugar high that lasted most of the day. Nothing a stiff drink couldn’t fix though. This was our last day in Florida and we now have only a handful of states and miles resting between us, Washington and then New York. The countdown to apartment living has definitely begun and we are both looking forward to having an oven, a bathroom we don’t have to walk outside to get to and somewhere we can unpack more than the cloths we are wearing that day. Florida really did deliver some pleasant and unexpected surprises and we cannot wait to go back to Miami and Orlando to experience it all again some day, alas we have plenty more ahead of us yet.

‘Till next time,

Antoinette and James.

So Close To The East Coast

First and foremost I would like to apologise for how long it has been since updating the blog, but we’re not going to. The last two weeks have been a traveling whirlwind and we will get you up to speed very soon.

Saying goodbye to Texas was easier than either of us expected because it did not take long to cross the border into Louisiana and we had no idea when we actually said goodbye to Texas. Another gargantuan seven-hour drive was just what we needed, NOT. The destination we selected, however, proved itself worthy of our patronage and our first stop in Louisiana was a place called Lafayette. This small metropolis is known for its live music, great Cajun and Creole cuisine and swamp dwelling animals. Among other things we were drawn to this place because it is the where Tabasco sauce was born and is still the only bottling plant for the world famous and instantly recognizable McIlhenny product.

The worlds biggest Tabasco bottle.

Our first order of business was to get settled in a cozy RV park and get set for another night below freezing. All we can say is thank god we have top quality sleeping bags and we both know we are pushing their boundaries as some nights on our adventure have been cold enough to shorten any mans…well you get the picture. After figuring out how to get to Avery Island, the home of the McIlnenney family for generations, we arrived at one of the Lafayette areas biggest attractions. The factory tour was free, our wallets were grateful, and explained some of the history and pulled apart almost all the mysteries of Tabasco sauce. The peppers are treated with salt taken from the Avery Island salt mines, regardless of where in the world the peppers are grown, and then left in oak whiskey barrels to mature for three years. Once the mash is ready it is stirred constantly for 28 days and bottled in the trademark red capped, foil sealed bottles that have become synonymous with the brand.

Cooling our tongues after the sample bar. 

After the factory tour there was a gift shop offering samples of all the Tobasco products. Needless to say, due to the fact we have been deprived of Mt. Barker chicken products for so long, we were craving the burn and proceeded to sample everything they had on offer. Our personal favourite was their latest invention. An earthy chipotle pepper sauce that had an amazing BBQ feel to it. All you chili lovers should really look out for this, we could not get enough of it and after blasting our tongues into oblivion we had to save them with some jalapeno ice cream [which was actually pretty damn good]. The aftermath of the Tabasco factory left us feeling satisfied and in need of a change of pace to allow our tongues to cool down before our first taste of Louisiana cuisine. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving through Avery Island’s Jungle Gardens, which were nothing spectacular, and becoming acquainted with a local snack known as boudin balls, a very satisfying mix of spices, pork and rice deep fried to a deep golden brown.

Louisiana Swampland

Not satisfied with the lack of local wildlife at the Jungle Gardens we headed to our first swamp experience with hopes of seeing gators galore. The day was really overcast and quite windy so our chances were dashed before we even arrived at our starting point. For two and a half hours we were driven through the calm waters of the lake and swamp with flora and fauna being pointed out along the way. Plenty of birds were eyeing us suspiciously and we did see one tiny alligator, but the highlight of it all was being driven around for two hours and doing nothing other than soak up the scenery. Some of the trees in the swamp, which has been devastated by logging in times gone by, are over 500 years old and some of the birds looked more than a little weird.

A Cajun / Creole Feast

The day would be completed with our first Louisiana dining experience and even though we did not know what to expect it was kind of a good thing we had low expectations. The food was ok, but nothing special. The alligator was tasty, the bbq prawns’ sauce was disappointing [un-shelling these was not much fun either], the jambalaya was horribly bland, but the chicken and sausage gumbo was very delicious. Overall we tried a few of Louisiana’s most recognizable dishes and were happy we did, but we really felt this place did not do the food justice so we are still on the look out for a quality southern cuisine establishment.

Beignets and Coffee New Orleans Style

The next day we were headed for New Orleans, or N’awlins depending on how thick your accent is, and had scheduled a tour for the very same day. The tour guide was very informative and really explained the history of New Orleans and the surrounding area incredibly well. This part of the city is bustling with activity and the buildings are a throw back to what was cool centuries ago. The square in front of the church and old priest’s accommodation was very picturesque and you could not help but feel the history oozing from every street corner in a place like this. There is, however, a dark side to New Orleans and even five years after the events of Katrina this is still a city very much on the mend. The RV park we were staying at had a shuttle bus driven by a New Orleans police officer who made it very obvious areas outside of the French Quarter is still not safe for locals, let alone tourists. The French Quarter itself is across the road from some of the worst projects in the area and the driver also pointed out ‘you hoos’ standing on the borders of the French Quarter who spot tourists leaving the area and let their friends know to come and collect their prize. This is definitely a place you want to be on your toes and from impromptu street poets wanting to serenade you for a cost or people wanting to guess where you got your shoes from there is always someone looking to get after what you have.

With a line this long it had to be good.

We did not let this deter our expeditions as we managed to wander the quarter incident free for almost two days and get accustomed to what the locals do. We made a few stops for coffee at Café Du Mont, which specializes is coffee mixed with chicory and also offers beignets, delicious traditional French donuts smothered in icing sugar, that are so very addictive when fresh. Another thing on our to do list was the infamous po boy sandwich. These monsters are a long French baguette cut in half stuffed with baked ham, roast beef, potato frites and gravy. The modern day equivalents have any variety, meat or filling you can think of. These N’Awlins sandwiches are an amazingly satisfying and messy meal that was so very worth it. After lunch we were rolling around the streets because walking was out of the question, but we could not say goodbye to the French Quarter so soon. We still had to get up close and personal with a ‘real jazz’ band.

The 726 Jazz band.

This was to take place in a historic building called Preservation Hall, which has been an institution in New Orleans since the 1920s or 30s. We arrived an hour and a half before the doors opened and we were surprisingly not the first people there. Within 20 minutes the line was bigger and minutes before the door opened the line disappeared around the corner. The old mantra of ‘if the line is this long it HAS to be good’ is definitely true at Preservation Hall. The band was incredibly tight and every member was a master of his or her respective instrument. The songs were delivered with passion and soul like we have never experienced and Will Smith, the singer slash front man slash trumpet player for the 726 Jazz Band, had a voice that demanded your ears’ attention even before he launched into the lyrics. The venue was a perfect reminder of the history that surrounded us in the French Quarter and being in such an intimate venue and hearing such talented musos go about their craft was exactly what we came to New Orleans for.

A manatee. Seriously strange and slow.

Leaving New Orleans after such a wicked taste of live music was hard and even though we would have loved to stay and listen to more the road was calling once again. Our destination was Tallahassee, Florida, which is getting closer and closer to the east coast and we are both so excited to be close to accomplishing our goal of driving across the United States. To think we were chilling on a beach in San Diego not long ago and in under a week, by the time you read this, we will be lazing in the Miami sunshine. The gravity of this accomplishment has not even begun to sink in yet, but we know it will probably kick in when we arrive in New York on January 26 and hand the keys back for our RV. Tallahassee was a quick stop before heading further south in Florida and we made the most of our time by heading to Wakulla Springs, the worlds deepest freshwater spring, and getting outdoors before the madness of more American big cities. Getting there was easy and once there we were told there were some manatees grazing in the main spring and these things are certainly one strange creature. Think of underwater cows crossed with dolphins and you can imagine what they look and move like. They have the speed of an underwater steam roller, but can definitely move when confronted with a boat of tourists, and the mobility of a fridge in a small apartment building. The manatees were an unexpected surprise, but we also saw plenty of alligators, something we did not see on our swamp tour, and plenty of turtles as well so it was nice to see all the things we should have seen in Louisiana in Florida, but no hard feelings of course.

Christmas came and went quickly and was filled with champagne, luxuries like bacon, cheese, mushrooms and a new season of entourage to help the day cruise by, which you will hear about in greater detail in the next entry. On boxing day we headed to Raymond James stadium to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Seattle Seahawks and being at the game was really entertaining and had all our attention not been turned to keeping our extremities from freezing the game would have been more of a spectacle. After Tampa we were bound for St. Petersburg before touching down on the coast of the Atlantic in Miami to complete our transcontinental road trip and get closer to our ultimate objective, New York.

‘Till next time,

Antoinette and James.