Honey Island swamp tour in New Orleans

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC spent a couple of days in New Orleans this week. One morning we braved the thunder storms and the warnings of flash flooding, to go on the Honey Island Swamp Tour with Cajun Encounters.

My impressions? Trees, trees’ knees, reflections of trees, and hidden danger.

The book I’m in

Wool, by Hugh Howey.

Travel tip

In my last post, I recommended that you watch out for people who don’t blink, as they may not be what they seem. Now this worm can inform you that alligators do blink, so you can trust that they are what they seem.

The photos

Me, your intrepid travelling worm, about to set out on the swamp tour:

At the start of the tour we were on a wide river with swampy banks on each side:

This vertical-lift bridge is in working order. The entire bridge, including the house in the middle, rises up the towers to let higher craft pass underneath. Our boat captain said you need to call about four hours beforehand if you want the bridge to lift:

Water lilies on the river bank:

Witch’s hair lichen drapes the trees:

Are those all lily pads amongst the trees? The powerful zoom on the TC’s camera reveals a usurper:

A snake coils comfortably on a tree trunk. I’m not sure what type of snake it is. Maybe a Copperhead:

Reflections of trees wobble in the boat’s wake:

Another quiet scene of lilly pads, trees and reflections. The TC is fond of such scenes:

All is quiet, nothing stirs:

Yet danger lurks ever close by. Here, in the bank next to the boat, a Cottonmouth rests:

Locals build their houses safely above flood level:

Right next door, someone thinks the safe level is even higher. A reaction to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, our guide informs us:

Alligators smile on a log:

Inexorable beauty:

Do alligators like marshmallows? Watch this video to find out:

That’s all for today, dudes.

New Orleans views and vampires

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in New Orleans for just two days. This city is gorgeous. Colour and light, in the buildings and the people. Tourists at play. Locals working hard for a living.

My impressions? An abundance of stories.

And the vampires? Join me in a journey from light to dark, if you dare.

The book I’m in

Wool, by Hugh Howey. The TC is about half way through the book. It looks like the IT crowd are the baddies. This worm whole-heartedly approves of this choice of reading matter.

Travel tip

Drop in on Bourbon Street at dusk. It rocks. Literally.

And watch out for people who don’t blink. They may not be what they seem.

Pronunciation tip

To say “New Orleans” like a local, pronounce it as “Norlns”. And go heavy on the “or” part.

Recommended accommodation

Hotel Mazarin, 730 Bienville Street, New Orleans. Clean, comfortable, and conveniently located in the French Quarter. Just a single complaint from the TC: Our room was near a generator, which emitted a constant uncomfortable hum and high-pitched squeal.

Recommended restaurant

Olivier’s, 204 Decatur Street, New Orleans. Tasty Creole food, excellent and caring service.

The photos

Me on the streests of New Orleans, with the city seal:

A view from the aeroplane on our way in, showing the city centre on the bend of the Mississipi river The bridge is actually two bridges, forming the Crescent City Connection:

The beautiful, wide Canal Street, which runs along the edge of the French Quarter and leads down to the Mississipi River:

Jazz Gumbo in Canal Street:

The Mississippi River:

A tasty and colourful dish of Creole food from Olivier’s in Decatur Street:

A colourful row of houses in the French Quarter of New Orleans:

A mule wending its way through the French Quarter. The TC was taking a photograph of the gallery above, and the interesting door at bottom right, when the mule wandered into the shot:

Many of the buildings are decorated with ornate ironwork, which the TC calls “broekie lace”. This ornate gallery sports a drape showing the New Orleans fleur-de-lis, used all over the city to symbolise its recovery since Hurricane Katrina:

Renovating a lovely house:

Are you ready to share a slide down the slippery slope into another world? It begins here:

Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo:

This worm, hob-nobbing with the zombies and voodoo dolls:

A palm reader in Bourbon Street:

As dusk draws in, Bourbon Street hots up:

And the serious dudes move in. The TC and I dared to do a ghost and vampire tour with Lord Chaz:

How does a vampire use a mobile phone? With a pen, of course:

One of the eeriest spots on the tour was the nunnery next to St Mary’s Catholic Church. The attic windows are permanently closed, with dormers that are nailed shut. As our tour guide pointed out, this is most unusual in New Orleans, especially in edifices from the days before air conditioning. The attic windows form an essential cooling function. This sealed attic is the source of the belief that New Orleans has vampire inhabitants, and has had them for generations. We also heard perplexing and inexplicable stories of women shipped to New Orleans with arrays of 5-sided coffins, all to disappear into the nunnery. And hundreds of dead babies under the wall. This has to be the spookiest place to be, especially when you’re there with a being who doesn’t blink. As we were:

This woman, all unknowing, is leaning against a lamp post on the most dangerous corner of  New Orleans. In the house above her, the Carter brothers murdered 18 people by drinking their blood through their wrists. A little girl escaped one night, after suffering through five nights of feasting, and the Carter brothers were at last brought to justice. But later when the city opened the Carter brothers’ graves, they found nothing. The brothers had vanished. And since then, so the stories go, New Orleans has suffered from numerous serial killers, some apprehended, some not. There’s one active right now ….

That’s all for today, dudes.

Ghosts in Atlanta GA

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

This week me and the TC spent four days in Atlanta, Georgia. That’s in the deep south of the United States, where people speak with a delightful slow drawl and are very, very polite. They also say “y’all” to get around the lamentable lack of a second-person plural in the English language. The deep south is also the home of deep-fried everything. A picture in the post proves it.

The TC spent most of her time working hard at a conference. This worm spent most of my time on the same page of the book I’m currently in, because the TC didn’t have much time to read.

We did get out one evening, to do the famous Atlanta Ghost Tour.

My impressions? Wide quiet streets, imposing churches, boarded-up buildings, and shiny office blocks. Not many ghosts materialised. To be exact, not a one. But the tour was fun anyway. A good way to see the night-time streets of Atlanta.

The book I’m in

Wool, by Hugh Howey. The TC has only just started this science fiction novel. This worm is enthralled by the characters and their situation, and keen to know more. I’ll have to prod the TC to get a move on.

Travel tip

If your bag keeps falling off your shoulder, or you feel a tap on your arm, or your hat lifts off your head, there’s a ghost in the ‘hood.

Recommended accommodation

Hyatt Regency Atlanta, at 265 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta. The TC is attending a conference, so we’re residing in the conference hotel. It’s a large, well-organised and very pleasant place to stay. Highly recommended for location, service and comfort.

Recommended restaurant

Ted’s Montana Grill, 133 Luckie Street, Atlanta. Excellent service, a friendly ambience, and plenty of character. The food is tasty too.

The photos

Me cowering in a park opposite the eerily-named and ghost-ridden Medical Arts building in Atlanta:

Our tech-savvy band of ghost-busters brandished various electronic gadgets to aid in the search. Below is the Ghost Radar app on my iPhone. This screenshot shows the Ghost Radar has picked up two presences. The red blip is emitting the strongest phantom vibes ,the yellow has medium strengths:

The leader of the ghost tour brought along a couple of K2 ghost meters, powerful detectors of spirit presence:

What struck me is the way the churches muddle in with the city’s glossy sky scrapers:

Outside the Medical Arts building, the K2 devices picked up a ghost. She’s well known. Her name is Sally, and she reputedly can tell creepy stories of the medical experiments carried out on hapless patients in the Medical Arts building of old.

We took a closer look at the Medical Arts building, later the same evening. Yes, we looped back for more chills:

This is the door. Knock if you dare:

The leader of our ghost tour told us the sad story of the Ellis Hotel in Peachtree Street, Atlanta. This building, then called the Winecoff Hotel, was the location of America’s most deadly hotel fire. Candy Kid, a well-known local thief, set the fire on purpose, because he wanted to kill a particular man.  The intended victim escaped, and 119 died in his stead. Unsurprisingly, there are reports of many hauntings in and around the Ellis Hotel:

Many people take photos of this church, only to find a ghost or two in the shot. Do you see any?

As the night grows darker, the display in an army surplus store is evocative of other worlds:

A gas mask in the next window sends a shudder up this worm’s spine. (And my spine is not stiff, even at the best of times.)

The TC snapped this picture of the Atlanta city seal at the base of a lamp post. The bird is a phoenix rising from its ashes. The motto is “resurgens”, Latin for “rising again”. These symbolise the rebuilding of the city after it was destroyed in the American Civil War.

To finish off with, I’d like to lighten the tone. Looking for proof that they fry everything in the deep south? Look no further:

That’s all for today, dudes.

Jazz in Harlem, NewYork

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are staying in Harlem, New York. It’s a grand old neighbourhood that has had its ups and downs. The people are friendly, the streets are wide, the transport is good. If you are looking for somewhere to stay in New York that is a reasonable price, this worm recommends Harlem.

My impressions? People are busy but make an art of taking things easy in Harlem.

The book I’m in

The Serbian Dane, by Leif Davidsen. Things are coming to a climax now.

Travel tip

The subway is good, but try the buses too. They are a bit slower, it’s true, but they are air conditioned and less crowded. The biggest advantage is that you can see the sights as you travel. Route M2 takes you all the way from Harlem to Greenwich Village in about 40 minutes, depending on traffic.

Recommended accommodation

Easy Living Harlem, 214 West 137th Street, NY NY 10030. It’s a grand old house run by a hospitable couple. You’ll get a lovely room with bathroom en suite, as well as the shared use of a kitchen, living room and garden. Photos below.

Recommended restaurant

Spend a couple of hours at the Shrine in Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard, soak up the jazz, then move next door for a meal at Yatenga.

The photos

Me at a Harlem subway station, West 135th Street:

We stayed at Easy Living Harlem, in 137th Street:

A closer look at the house where we stayed – it’s the dark red one in the centre:

The view from our window. The neighbours are getting ready for a Memorial Day barbecue:

A general view of Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard in Harlem. It’s generously wide – this is just the right-hand side of the street:

Flowers, a fire hydrant, and the NYPD:

When in Harlem, jazz is a must. Our landlady recommended the Shrine. She was right, it’s the place to chill out and soak up some vibes. This picture shows Yatenga French Bistro (yellow) and the Shrine (white awning) on Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard:

Jamming at the Shrine with Lu Reid and guests:

The band in action:

That’s all for today, dudes.

Times Square, New York

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC hit New York a couple of days ago. On our first evening, we wandered into Times Square quite by chance. It was that magic time when day is just about to yield to night. If you’re ever in the neighbourhood, make sure you catch the square at that time. It was perfect.

My impressions? This is where it’s all at.

The book I’m in

The Serbian Dane, by Leif Davidsen. Yes, still here. There’s been so much happnin (see, I’m picking up the lingo) in New York and Chicago, so the TC hasn’t had much time to move me to a different book.

The photos

Me in Times Square, junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue:

Elmo was there too:

So was this mime artist:

The square got its name in 1904, when the New York Times took up residence in one of the buildings on the square.

Click the play button for a full 360-degree view of Times Square:

This M&M saw us out of the square:

That’s all for today, dudes.

Chicago at dusk

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC have just left Chicago,sometimes  fondly called Chitown or the Windy City. It was a bit draughty at times, but this worm hails from Cape Town in South Africa. Chicago’s breezes pale in comparison to the infamous Cape South Easter.

In farewell to the beautiful city of Chicago, I’ll show you some scenes of the streets and pubs at dusk.

My impressions? Twinkling lights, glowing water, translucent sky.

The book I’m in

The Serbian Dane, by Leif Davidsen. Engaging characters, good story.

Recommended restaurants

Have a drink and a pub meal at Monk’s Pub, corner of Lake and Wells, for great atmosphere and great beer. Eat the peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. The soft crunching underfoot adds to the atmosphere.

The photos

Me at Monk’s Pub, Lake Street in downtown Chicago:

As you can see in the above picture, the walls of the pub are lined with books. A haven for folk like me. What’s more, someone has cut the books in half. They must have used a circular saw. This is good for worms who want to finish a book in half the usual time.

The Chicago river at dusk:

A city with its name in lights:

The House of Blues:

Inside the House of Blues, the decor is richly beautiful:

Although the sound quality was not good (booming and warped) the singer created a great atmosphere:

That’s all for today, dudes.

Downtown Chicago, a train runs through it

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in downtown Chicago. “Downtown” just means the city centre. Did you know that? This worm did not, until quite recently. I assumed it meant the more grungy areas of the city, even though “the lights are so much brighter there, you can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares…”

Faithful readers of my blog will notice that this is the second post in a row in which this humble worm admits to a mistake. Is the end of the world nigh?

Chicago is lovely, and quite different from any other city I’ve been in. Clean, tranquil, packed full of architectural splendour. And through it runs a bizarre railway line on a no-nonsense iron and wooden track, elevated some few metres above the ground.

My impressions? Magnificent architecture, with a train running through it.

The book I’m in

The Serbian Dane, by Leif Davidsen. I’ve just started this one. It’s promising, so far. Good fast action.

Recommended restaurants

Drop into one of the Chipotle Mexican Grills for good quality, delicious food, and fast service.

The photos

Me at a Chipotle restaurant, with a Mexican meal in front of me and the elevated Chicago railway track visible through the window behind me:

Press the play button to see and hear a train rumbling over the track:

The track is made of very solid and utilitarian iron and wood. Just like any other railway track, really, except that it’s above ground. They’re normal trains, and it’s not a monorail.

The TC and I walked around under the railway struts, feeling as if murder and mayhem should be breaking out all round us. The locals just take it in their stride.

The track winds its way through the gorgeous buildings, and even between people’s houses, at rooftop level, almost scraping the verandah rails. This worm found it very very odd. Here is the view from our hotel window, looking down on the railway as it disappears into a station amongst the skyscrapers:

The Wrigley Building, white with clock tower, and the Gothic-style Tribune Tower with its flying buttresses:

Reflections wriggling in the blue glass of a Chicago building:

A train crossing the Chicago river:

The gold-capped Carbide and Carbon building, surrounded by other blocks:

Zooming in close to the Carbide and Carbon building:

The designer of this tower took pains to make the roof the same colour as the Chicago sky. It makes for an interesting effect, even more noticeable in real life than in the picture:

A water taxi and one of the bridges over the Chicago river:

Underneath a Chicago bridge, showing the typical brown iron colouring, also reflected in the window of the building next door:

The John Hancock building:

A view of the city from the top of the John Hancock tower:

The shores of Lake Michigan, seen from the top of the John Hancock tower:

That’s all for today, dudes.

A quick crawl around Oahu, Hawaii

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Making our way from Sydney to Chicago, we spent yesterday on Oahu, the most populated of the Hawaiian islands and home to the city of Honolulu. It’s not often that this worm admits to a mistake, but I do confess that up to a few weeks ago I thought Honolulu was on the island of Hawaii. If prodded (which is probably not a good thing to do to a worm) I may even admit that I assumed Waikiki was an island itself. But no, it’s a suburb of Honolulu.

We landed at Honolulu airport, spent a couple of hours getting lost in the city and surrounds, then found our hotel in Waikiki. Early next morning we enjoyed a couple more hours getting lost in the city, before finding the road that leads east. We drove across the island to Kaneohe on the east coast, then north to Kahuku, then back inland via Haleiwa and Wahiawa. We narrowly missed Pearl Harbor and caught our Chicago flight by the skin of our teeth.

The TC did not brush her hair all day.

My impressions? Honolulu is a city much like any other, and caters very well to the TC’s proclivity for getting lost. The east coast of the island is gorgeous. I want to go back and see the rest of it.

The book I’m in

The Midnight Road, by Tom Piccirilli. Satisfyingly weird, this book starts with the words, “Flynn remembered the night of his death more clearly than any other in his life”. I’m in the middle of the book, and wishing the TC would find the time to move me on a few pages so that I can see what happens to Flynn and the ghosts that populate his life.

Recommended airline

Hawaiian Airlines is friendly and efficient, and keeps the fuss of US travel down to a minimum.

The photos

Me at Kualoa Point, on the east coast of Oahu. With a palm tree, of course:

Honolulu, seen from one of the surrounding hills:

Palm trees, of course, outside our hotel in Waikiki:

The military presence on the island is noticeable. This number plate, spotted in a Honolulu parking garage by the TC once removed, is a case in point:

When we were in the queue at the airport waiting for the security checks, there was an army dude in full military togs in front of the TC. One of the officials leaned in and informed him very respectfully that he could take the express queue next time.

A military aircraft and a palm tree, of course:

The velvety striated range of hills that lines the east coast:

Mokolii Island, seen from Waikane on the east coast of Oahu:

A closer view of Mokolii, also known as Chinaman’s Hat island because of its shape:

Kualoa Point:

A Red Crested Cardinal, pretty but beady-eyed and not a worm’s best friend:

The TC admiring the view. Yes, it’s a bit gusty. And as I remarked before, she did not brush her hair all day. I think this preyed on her mind. I was careful not to remark on her dishevelled state, even after she boarded the aeroplane that evening.

Another gorgeous beach somewhere on the east coast. Probably Laie Bay. Applause to the photographer – no palm trees in close view:

Water. I steered clear, of course, but the TC has no such qualms:

Is a worm nowhere safe? First the Red Crested Cardinal, and now a Peahen lying in wait in a stairwell at Waimea Botanical Gardens. Neither bird is native to Hawaii, I might add:

Me, making a tactical retreat from a Peacock:

A steep hillock in Waimea Valley:

A Hawaiian temple, or heiau, at Waimea. This one is dedicated to Lono, the god of agriculture. It’s called the Hale o Lono, which means “house of Lono”, and was built between 1470 and 1700 AD.

The colourful bark of a Mindanao gum tree, spotted at Wahiawa. This gum tree is native to western Pacific islands such as Papua New Guinea and the Phillipines. Not, surprisingly, to Australia. It was introduced into Hawaii in the late 1920s.

At this point we remembered that we had a plane to catch, and hare-tailed it out of there. Alas, we spotted some signs to Pearl Harbor and decided to drop in. We got lost (again). We were definitely in the area:

By the time we saw the official signs we were already late:

We did go down that route, but discovered that seeing Pearl Harbor is a big deal involving boat trips and the abandonment of all bags, purses, large cameras, and what have you.

So we got on a plane to Chicago instead. More on that in my next post.

Long Beach, California

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are in Long Beach, California. The TC is attending a conference on technical communication. I’ve come along for the ride.

So far we’ve seen the beach, which is long, and some gracious old buildings, which complement the new entertainment complexes, and lots of friendly people.

The TC had a strange encounter on our second day here. As so often happens, she found herself wandering around in places where she’s not supposed to be. At the moment, and perhaps perpetually, the footpaths in Long Beach are in disarray due to some major road reconstruction. The TC went wandering down the causeway, dodging barricades and warning signs, in search of a more interesting route to the shops. She strolled past the only other soul in this bleak area, then did a double take when she noticed that the other woman was weeping. Quite forgetting that she was in California, she turned back and asked the passer by, “Are you OK?” This question elicited a long tale of woe, revolving around the fact that the other poor soul’s “number is 8″ and that the number 8 had not been on a good footing since the 8th of August 1968. The TC, bless her cotton socks, took it all in her stride, commiserated and assured the woman that the wheel of fortune will keep turning and will come back round to her in good time. Then they parted ways, each to continue meandering more or less contentedly on their life’s journey.

I myself stayed wisely silent in the safety of my book.

My impressions? Long Beach is smaller and more drab than this worm expected. Still, it has that great open feeling that I’ve noticed in other parts of California.

Travel tip

Don’t speak to strangers unless you’re ready for them to talk right back at you.

Recommended accommodation

Hyatt Regency, 200 South Pine Avenue in Long Beach. This is the conference venue. It’s plush and convenient, with friendly and efficient service. Photo below.

The book I’m in

Portent, by James Herbert. It’s an unsettling coincidence that the TC chose to start reading this book just before the awful series of earthquakes and tsunamis that have hit Japan, and so soon after the earthquakes in New Zealand and the disasters in other parts of the world. Portent is a somewhat mystical book, weaving natural disasters into an extended Gaia philosophy built upon James Lovelock’s ideas. This worm recommends the book for a good fast read in James Herbert’s best style.

The photos

Me at Long Beach:

Long Beach, California

A building that graces one end of the beach:

Long Beach, California

Another gracious building, in Pine Street:

Long Beach, California

Below is the Hyatt Regency on Pine Street. The waterway around the hotel is part of the Rainbow Lagoon Park:

Long Beach, California

More of the Rainbow Lagoon Park, round behind the hotel. In a fast action scene in the film “Last Action Hero”, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, this park masqueraded as the La Brea Tar Pits:

Long Beach, California

Most days, Arnie is not around and the park is home to a quieter, more contemplative crowd:

Long Beach, California

Here’s a view from the hotel window showing Shoreline Village, a tourist’s delight of food, sweets, T-shirts and lovely water scenes:

Long Beach, California

Moving slightly to the left of the above view, you can see the rest of Shoreline Village, as well as the Queen Mary which is now a hotel and tourist ship, and another ship at dock:

Long Beach, California

The TC and I trickled down to Shoreline Village to soak up the sights:

Long Beach, California

Me looking back at Long Beach proper, from the boardwalk at Shoreline Village. Or, I should say, from just off the boardwalk. As you can see, the TC does not hesitate to dump me in the dirt if it serves to make a better snapshot:

Long Beach, California

A blog post about California would not be complete without a sunset, preferably with some palm trees tangled up in it:

Long Beach, California

That’s all for today dudes.

San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 25-year-old bookmark and can proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC) .

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC are back in San Francisco for a flying visit. The TC is working here for a week, so this worm has tagged along as usual, keeping her book warm and generally looking after her. Today, Sunday, is her only day off on this trip. So we all got in to a Smart Car and drove over the Bay Bridge, to see what happens outside San Francisco.

My impressions? Oakland and Berkeley are worth the drive, if you have time on your hands, if only to see the Bay Bridge and the view of SFO from the other side.

Travel tip

Smart Cars are larger inside than you may think.

Recommended restaurant

Pakwan restaurant, corner of O’Farrel and Jones streets, San Francisco. Quite outstanding. See photos and words below.

The book I’m in

Gone Tomorrow, by Lee Child. The TC hasn’t had much time for reading, so I’m still stuck in the same book as when I wrote my previous post. No matter. I’m quite attached to the book!

The photos

Me with Peg and the food at the Pakwan restaurant:

San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland

The Pakwan restaurant is on the corner of O’Farrel and Jones streets, San Francisco. It offers “Pakistani-Indian authentic cuisine”. The space itself is not all that impressive, but the food is simply delicious. The price is very reasonable too.

San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland

Me with the Smart Car that we hired for the day. I’m attached somewhat precariously (as usual) to the aerial:

lackadaisical

Me and Smarty Tyres are parked in the grounds of the University of California, in Berkeley. Here’s one of the attractive buildings on campus:

San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland

Next we drove down to Oakland. Surprise, Jonathan was there! Here he is, admiring the view from Oakland docks of the mist coming down over San Francisco:

San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland

That’s all for today dudes.