Highlights of Philly

The rest of our spare time seems to have been spent walking. I've walked miles, one end of the city to the other, many times. It's a lovely city. Very relaxed, very nice to walk round, lots of squares, parks, fountains, wide streets. There's a boulevard from the centre to the Museum of Art based on the Champs d'Élysées with a great fountain at one end, and the flags  of every nation lining it. 

Highlights of the stay  include:
A visit to Elfreth's Alley, a street of terraced houses built in the 1700s which have been continually inhabited. Very pretty and very well conserved. Lots of lovely doors, and as it's nearly Halloween, lots of pumpkins.

The Magic Gardens of Philadelphia. An amazing place created by an artist who has covered whole buildings with mosaics made with everyday things - bottles, cycle wheels, bit of pottery, and has created a grotto in the garden of one of them by digging steps, caves etc. Here's some pictures, but they don't really do it justice - it was amazing. 

And my absolute favourite, a trip on a Segway. An hour and a half in the late afternoon sun cruising round Philadelphia's parks, just 3 of us and a tour guide. We even went to the top of the Rocky steps - although not straight up them. Brilliant, I absolutely love them, so easy to ride, and great fun. The sensation of using your balance, and only very slight movements to accelerate, steer and stop them is quite something. I would love one, but they are quite expensive, although the patent runs out in a couple of years so some competition should reduce that, and in the UK you can only use them on private property - so far behind many other places in getting them licensed. Oh well, maybe one day I'll have one! 

Off to Philly

Set off yesterday to Philadelphia for this year's EDUCAUSE conference. Fairly uneventful trip, drive to Heathrow, read paper, get on plane, watch film, sleep, land!  Bit bumpy over Canada but I slept through most of it. Then an hour's wait to get through immigration, fingerprints and photo taken, and interrogated on life story by very nice, but thorough, immigration officer!

Met up with some other Brits, and shared shuttle van into town, and as usual my hotel was the last on the route, so had 30 mins to unpack, shower and get to bar for a very welcome beer and meet up with the rest for dinner. Not as many of us as expected, and one of the direct flights from Manchester had been cancelled. So some colleagues had not managed to leave, but were still in airport. hope they make it today.

About 8 of us ventured outside of the hotel and realised we were in Chinatown. So, we went for a Chinese meal. A great place, and we were kept amused by the chefs, especially the one making thin bread by spinning the dough round his head.

Back to the hotel, and in bed at a reasonable time. Woken in the middle of the night by someone banging on a door somewhere near me. Obviously locked out, and couldn't wake the person in there. Eventually security were called, they were making so much noise! Woke at 7, so had managed 8 hours sleep, hopefully sorting out the 5 hours time difference. Although I did eat much more at breakfast than my normal fruit and yoghurt. Body was convinced it was lunchtime! Anyone know what's actually in the "gravy" you get with your bacon and eggs here?

A group of us met up and decided to get the open topped bus tour. An hour and a half round the city including the historical district and the museum district.  Also saw the famous LOVE sculpture.  A really good way of getting your bearings. Then a couple of us decided to queue to see the Liberty Bell, a very famous landmark and important piece of American history.

 A quick trip round the Independence Visitor Centre and back for lunch to the market, which is just by the hotel. A great place, full of food stalls selling almost everything - Chinese, Indian, Thai, Italian, and the local specialty, Philly Cheesesteak. One of our number was brave enough to try one, I think you could probably fed a family of four on it.

In the afternoon we visited the Museum of Art, a lovely place, at the top of "the Rocky steps". I didn't know what that meant, but if you've seen the films then you'll apparently know.

You also get a great view of the city skyline from the top of them.

 Lots of impressionists, modern art and Asian art. Huge, we spent a couple of hours there and barely touched the surface. In the evening we visited a microbrewery pub, for some beer and food.

Gorillas, Weddings and Fire Engines.

Thursday we went to Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz, about an hour's drive away which was very pleasant in the hot sun with the top down.  It started off as a Parrot park, but is now much more than that. Whatever you think about zoos, and I am in two minds, this one is very good. The animals are in huge well, maintained enclosures and are often rescued or in breeding programmes. We especially like the gorillas, a bachelor group of 7 lowland gorillas who are in a huge enclosure with ponds and waterfalls, and I love watching them.

 

Especially when they come and peer at you, then pointedly turn around and sit with their backs to you. I also love the penguins, on a giant ice floor, with snow dropping on them. When they swim, they look like they're flying through the water. 

And while we're talking about my favourite animals, tigers win everytime. I know these amazing animals shouldn't be in zoos, but these two have been rescued from a performing circus I think, and have a lovely enclosure which must be better than where they were before. They amused me because one wanted to play, and one obviously didn't!

We spent most of the day there, either looking at the animals, walking through the gardens, in the aquarium, or walking through the treetops walk looking for parrots.  Back to the pool bar for dinner, and a nightcap in the bar, where our singer had learnt the words to Hallelujah for us!

Friday was another pool day, and very hot! Lunch on the balcony of the apartment,  more reading, a last swim, and back to quickly pack. Dinner in the resort, and a last drink in the bar.

Saturday we were off by 10am and as we had a latish flight went to Santa Cruz for the day. We started in Plaza d'Espanya which has been completed remodelled since last time were there with a pool, a fountain and some great buildings with green roofs. We had a coffee in the square, and finally found some free wi-fi!  Then we walked round the town, via the market, some lovely squares and churches. One of them had a wedding going on, and we just looked through the door, but other tourists were just walking and and looking round as if nothing was happening!

After lunch in the square, a visit to the Natural History Museum and a look at some Guanche mummies, we headed off to the airport. No delay this time, and we actually landed 20 minutes early, at just after midnight. Given how hot it had been in Tenerife, we'd travelled in shorts and t shirts, with some warmer clothes on the top of the cases so we could get them easily. When we landed it was cold (definitely not the 29 degrees it had been when we set off), and raining. All was going well, until while we were waiting for our bags, the fire alarms went off. There was some confusion about what to do, but eventually we were herded out into the cold and wet, where we waited for about half an hour. There were fire engines and everything - would have exciting if it hadn't been so cold! Eventually we were allowed back in, and finally got home about 2am and fell into bed!  An interesting end to a great holiday.

Whales

Tuesday we woke up and it was raining and cloudy so we decided to visit a local park which apparently had a display of cacti and a rainforest experience. However, things didn't exactly go to plan. As we set off a warning light came on in the car, and we had to stop by the road, and use google translate on my phone to translate both the warning message and the relevant bit of the manual. In the end, we decided to drive back to the airport and go to the car hire people. One of them looked at the message, grovelled under the front seats armed with nothing but a pair of scissors, and seemed to fix it!

Then we got to the park to find it derelict and obviously closed. So, we carried on to Los Gigantes, for which the last 11 kilometres we descended a very steep, very windy road with sheer drops to the sea below. My favourite sort of road, and one of the longest 11 kilometres I'd ever spent. Half way down we met a bus coming up which was unfortunately mainly on our side of the road. How we didn't hit it or go over the edge I don't know, there must have been inches in it. Eventually we got to the town, and too late I remembered the road by the harbour which is not quite wide enough for two cars, and with a drop into the sea with nothing protecting it. I had to get out and walk whilst Stu drove down it. If anyone was going in the water, it wasn't going to be me

We managed to find a boat trip going out at the right time, and set off to see whales, and see them we did, a school of pilot whales, some with  babies, after about 40 mins of travelling. I took a lot of pictures of the sea to get a good one of a whale, they're very quick.

Then we came back, and had lunch by the harbour, before setting off to drive back along the coast, avoiding the windy road this time, and got back for dinner in the Italian restaurant in the resort, and then sat in the outside bar listening to the singer.  This bar is new this year, and its great. Just keeping the biting insects away can be a bit of a problem.The mohitos are pretty good through.


We spent Wednesday by the pool, armed with books and several new audiobooks and albums on my iPad. It was cloudy but very warm, and I completely misjudged how strong the sun was and got a burnt tummy! Stu swam several laps round the pool.

On Wednesday evening we walked to San Blas again. Same restaurant, where I had the same gorgeous strawberries in amaretto I'd had the other night. Stu reckoned they lasted about 20 seconds. Then back to the bar which has become of a bit of a regular thing. There's a singer very night who plays an assortment of keyboards, and sings almost anything, he's very good. We had a request tonight for Halleluiah by Leonard Cohen, and although he didn't know the words, he played the tune  for us.

Off to Tenerife

Set off Saturday for Leeds Bradford airport, a first, never been there before. It's a nice little airport, was quite impressed, especially with the premier lounge which we got in courtesy of Priority Pass. Only problem was the plane was delayed by an hour. And of course, when we got on it, we sat for a further 45 mins on the tarmac because the take off slot had been missed and we had to re route due to storms over the Atlantic. We were leaving in the short Indian summer we've just had, and the captain announced that for the first time in his flying career he could say that Leeds at 29 degrees was hotter than Tenerife at 26!

A good, but long flight and we landed two hours late at just before 9pm. The airport was very efficient, and we had our bags and car and were out by quarter past. A ten minute drive to the apartment was lengthened slight by Stu going the wrong way as we came off the motorway, and taking us back to the airport again. Got there eventually, and were directed to a very nice two bedroom apartment, despite having booked a one bedroom one, and rushed to the Italian restaurant before it closed for spaghetti and lasagne, washed down with welcome beer.

Then to the outside bar overlooking the sea where the pianist was having a Beatles night, and when that closed to the pub where we caught the last of the karaoke, and the beginning of happy hour. Yep, happy hour starts at 1130pm! No aircon in the room, so slept with the French windows wide open to the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach.

Next morning we decided to go to the supermarket and stock up on provisions, as well as getting the top down on the little Renault Megan we'd hired. But, apparently supermarkets don't open on a Sunday on Tenerife, so we had a nice little drive but came back empty handed.

Then to the pool. There were a few clouds, but it was mainly sunny, and we spent a couple of hours reading, swimming and listening to our iPods. Then back to the apartment for lunch, and a nap, before going back down again. More of the same, then we noticed a few raindrops so decided to come in. Out to the pool bar to eat, then to the pub for the evenings entertainment which turned out to be a Barry White tribute act, and very good he was to. I seem to remember getting involved in some sort of love train around the room. I'd nodded off before he came on, and again when we got back, and realised that I'd changed the antihistamines I was taking in case of insect bites and they were knocking me out. Have changed the make today to if I can stay awake a bit longer!

Monday was blazing hot, and we set off to drive to Guimar to see the pyramids. Now I know this is Tenerife and not Egypt, but there are pyramids. Quite, small, and quite different, but pyramids nevertheless. They're just outside Guimar, about 50mins drive away, and we shot up the motorway with the top down, my hair blowing all over the place, Stu's head burning in the sun.....

It's a lovely little park, and as well as the pyramids there's a couple of very informative displays and some nice Canarian gardens.

The pyramids are not the only ones in the Canaries, but many have been destroyed by farmers who thought they were piles of stones left by previous farmers when fields were being cleared. as well as the pyramids, there's a lot about the explorer Thor Heyerdahl, famous for sailing the balsa and reed raft the Kon Tiki from the west coats of South America to the Polynesian islands in 1947. Since tenths sailed a number of reed rafts across oceans to prove that settlers could have done it, and until recently there was a replica of one of them, Ra, on display here, but it's been damaged in a storm. We caught a glimpse of the new one, still wrapped in polythene waiting to be installed.

After the pyramids we went to Candelaria where we saw the church square with its bronze statues of Guanches lining the seafront.

We had lunch in the square, and made a slight mistake ordering tapas. We asked for bread, cheese, ham, mixed salad and fritatta to share. We got enough to feed about 4 people!

After lunch we went in the church to see the statute of the Madonna that it's famous for which was apparently washed up on the beach

A lovely trip, and we made it back in time to get the last hour and a half by the pool to catch up with some reading, listening to music and he obligatory nap! I'm reading American Gods by Neil Gaimen, which is long, odd, and just right for a holiday.

In the evening we walked along the coastal path to Son Blas, and had a meal in a restaurant we've been going to for years. We got back in time for the start of the entertainment, a parrot show - we thought we'd be too late for that and miss it, but it did make me laugh, rightly or wrongly. Wrongly I suspect.

Then the dance show, which was slightly odd, but very good, in a strange sort of way. Of course, when they asked for volunteers, I was up there.... Me, extrovert?

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