Philly

 Philly to me is synoymous with Will Smith and the Liberty Bell. Apart from a coffee in the former's district, I did not see lots of West Philly, but I certainly got to see the Liberty Bell and other aspects of this lovely city.  My host was a friend I made in the Czech Republic and he was a kind and solicitous host from the outset, from meeting me at a rather bleak downtown location under a bridge to getting me back there three days later before I turned into a fish - some expression of lightening Ben Franklin's re guests only have a three day sell by date.  

The best thing about Philly was his place, up on the 18th floor this flat, which was originally part of a social housing system. It was so central and I loved that the desk at the bottom always said hi if one was passing and that everyone chatted to each other on the stairs or in the lift.  There was even the garage man to tip and chat to each time we ventured in or out.  

Day one was really being a tourist, being shown the sights, or not as it happens,  he was keen to show a view, but that turned out to be closed, and introduce me to the best pizza in town, in a downtown Irish bar, but that also turned out to be a dude, but it was fun winding the streets and in the end we dashed home for great pasta.  Staying with a man who had his own restaurant has its pluses.  Next morning he provided a great breakfast too, in fact each day something  unique, from pancakes, to omlettes, to various types of sausage, was presented.  

Although everything was nearby, at 80 and with a bad back, probably not helped by the fact that my host was sleeping on the couch, to give me a bed, we went most places by car.  Although JV has lived in Philly a long while, indeed his family goes back to early Dutch settlers,  it was a while since he had visited key locations, so we went through the process of going through security, only to discover we had to go to another building to get the tickets, but it was fine, that gave us the chance to see the LIberty Bell close up (it previously had a different name) and then go to the Independence Hall, which also previously had a different name. 

Once again the National Parks Service helped bring the location - the room where it happened - to life.    I followed this up with a visit to Primark and the fabulous Reading Market where to my delight I got some bissap as a gift for my host, before rushing back to rest and then get ready to go to the Opera.    The opera took place in one of the oldest buildings in town, but the Opera was one of the newest in the repetoire - The Listeners.  The composer is a local lass and this was its local debut so the company had gone to town to ensure the place was full, my $300 seat only cost about $11, and I was next to one of the patrons who, unlike the people in the row behind, coped with the swearing and stayed to the end! I enjoyed it and it was lovely afterwards to spot two of the musicians in the bus queue after who had only had a fortnight to memorize an entirely new score.  

It was hard to top that but the following day JV had arranged a tour of the local library archeological department, which was a talk by their head just to the two of us of some of their material. They have loads of original Dickens but also pictures by Dore and Egyptian scrolls! and we got to see them first hand.  I also got to the whispering Civil War memorial and some of the local parks, but the highlight of Thurday was meltingly soft brisket and mac and cheese and pots, in the company of 4 other lively older folk who had just come back from a holiday in Italy.  A chance to be with lots of Americans from all walks of life.  (two Italian originally).  

Hidden behind the cupboards in J's flat was a washing maching and dryer, so it was nice just to sit and chat, catch up with the Hurricane Helene news and election news and not hurtle out, on my final day but once that was out of the way we dropped into another of the many free musuems in town, this one on Chemistry and potted around Ben Franklin's old home before I got onto the Greyhound bound for Baltimore and another adventure. 

New York

 New York has been much more challenging proof I am not really a traveller.. I cannot really say why as nothing untoward has happened here it just feels overwhelmingly busy at times, the hostel is not as nice . Like in Thailand the huge buildings weigh me down, yet I loved it when I came here over 40 years ago. Then I did most of the things I wanted to do and should do in Manhattan including going to Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, Radio City waking up on Long Island .. guest of woman on plane and guest in a brownstone guest of man met on train. It was an adventure.. now at times it has been an assault on the senses. Is that old age or just having less energy. 

But there has been lots they has been good about it and today I did exactly what I wanted to do.. visit the High Line where there was an exhibition on climate change and Chelsea market. With the help of staff I got a metro ticket and back to the hostel in the evening and some great bonuses...the gardens along the Hudson, Washington square. The 9/11 memorial and even part of the Smithsonian on the indigenous population. I wanted to buy up almost everything in the Museum shop but was feeling so rough I only rushed around but good precursor to what I hope to see I Washington 

I am sorry not to have done anything other than pass thru the key outer edges or get to Harlem which I am very close to here but reaching energy limits and for the next few days will be travelling with friends. No word from the one person I very very very vaguely knew of, which is a shame, but glad to have revisited.  And still having problems uploading stuff onto this site. 

Words music and highs and rain rain and more rain

 A friend suggested that if I had the oomph I could visit Concord and see the home of Luisa May Alcott. I didn't booked in case I had a bad night but it was very quiet I went to sleep about 8 woke at 12 slept again but was up and out in time to catch the 8:30 train to Concord, At first I couldn't work out where to buy a ticket to get onto the platform but the woman at the gate was able to oblige.   The journey was fine, but when I tried to get off the guard threw out her arm and ushered me back - no one could leave till she had lowered the steps.   That encounter got me talking to the other woman getting off the train.. a former teacher Meagan from Huston was kind enough to shout me a coffee before we did the tour of the museum. Concord is beautiful full of really old houses Emerson lived there, Thoreau ,Hawthorn and of course the Allcotts. The house is in many ways as they left it  Louisa May had been a nurse before writing Little Women based on her experiences and her family.  But her dad was also a famous philosopher and her sister May Amy in the books was a really good artist who studied in Europe so a great and informative visit. I didn't want to leave as Boston interesting though it is is harder 

Today it rained and rained here so I planned to head up to Harvard and the museums there but got waylaid and landed up Bunker Hill and in the naval dockyards before catching the ferry back to.the Long Wharf. From.there I gravitated back to Boston Common where two sound stages were blaring out hip hop on one and rock in the other but virtually no one was listening as they were clustered round the booths selling dope. I swear I am half high it was so strong. It was still going strong as I strode out across the common to dip into the Black History Trail. Coming back to the hostel though more music was playing all from the 60s and 70s and part of the hostels Peace Day celebrations..! Meanwhile the news from Lebanon Sudan Ukraine gets ever worse.  

Tomorrow I head to New York. 

Boston

 The holiday nerves were super active till I safely and very easily arrived here last night and I was assaulted by a range of mostly nasty smells, loud penetrating shouts and nice meeters and greeters who helped direct me to the youth hostel. I had just run out of maps and inspiration when there suddenly was the hostel. Determined to make the most of my first evening I headed to Boston common and the houses of the Back Bay but was denied access to the river and a site of MIT by the busy roads.

Today though things have gone mostly very well. Having checked where the bus goes from I walked down to the Boston tea party museum which wasn't even open I was up so early and through to the Long Wharf where I was disappointed to discover there are no boats to Salem on account of the weather. So I drifted off to the Fanheuill Market for coffee and to read my book but then stumbled on a national park ranger who was about to take a group out for a free walk and talk in the old town. He was brilliant. I now know so much more.about the complex make up of the people involved with the revolution on both sides and indeed sometimes switching sides and how a group of male Bostonians those who were free men over 21 propertied and therefore.with the right to vote in local community  groups began to discuss wanting more from the British but eventually rebelling.  If only I could remember it all. Some of the Boston buildings are wonderful but the dark brick and sometimes.the scale of some.of the buildings feels a bit ominous. I wouldn't want to bring up kids or dogs here not enough green space so far or air. But from the air I was surprised how green it looked and of course lovely to be by rivers and sea. So a complex and interesting place.

Brie and Now you see us.

 In the last 24 hours I have learned the incredibly bright and interesting husband of a late friend has dementia, another person I know is being treated for cancer and two people have suddenly died. One local, one from my past.  Brie was my best friend at school. In some ways we could not be more different.  Her father was a police officer and her mum was like her a nurse.  She had a sister. Her family were so different to mine. We were all buttoned up and they were all let it hang loose.  I think I first really experience Chinese food at her house.  Her mum was my minimum (cos she was smaller than my mum) and my mum was her maximum.  I probably stayed over with her more than she did with me, but she came on holiday with me.  I will try and find some pictures of her in her short short skirt.  She was a Tory and I was in those days Labour.  I once remember leaving school and having a blazing row with her over deaf and blind charities!   We became friends over films.  I wanted to go to the cinema but did not have anyone to go with, then discovered she was going to see The Entertaining of Mr. Sloane and I joined her and after that we were very good friends till she moved to Scotland.   

She was more boyfriend orientated than I was, or much more experienced. My only visit to her in Scotland it was very interesting to see the work her mum was doing, but the energy was different, she had a fella and seemed a world apart, but then she came back down to England to train as a Nightingale. She worked at St. Thomas' for many years and she I definitely kept in touch.  I cannot remember whether it was then or when we were younger, probably the latter, but after a programme called Smith and Jones, she became Gabriel White and I was Halleluhah Black - players on our names and we communicated using these characters.  However, aside from that she seemed much posher and grown up than me, dating doctors etc, but then suddenly it turned out she was dating one of my flat mates!  So that was quite a turn up.  After that I got married, met John Green and I suppose somehow through me she met him too and they married.   In some ways John seemed to be the every day Brie, whereas she had become a "Nightingale a professional" but for many years I think they were good together. I loved visiting their various homes in  Woodbridge. I always thought she was better than me, better at life, they went to the pub, she cooked Sunday dinners etc, whereas my marriage had broken up.  But then John went through some bad times and the marriage did not survive and sadly nor did my friendship with Brie.  At some point John became my partner, but I think Brie had already broken off the friendship. She wrote to me saying something about no longer being on the fence.  I never really knew what it was about.  Many years later I visited Woodbridge and showed my then partner all the places I used to go with Brie and I bumped into her.  I think she was touched that I thought to show him where she lived but all attempts to communicate with her failed, so I should learn from that. Despite that  I was in Woodbridge last year with another partner. I always hoped that at some point I would see her again.   But clearly it was not to be.  

Woodbridge 2023. 

Ordinarily I would love to go to say goodbye, but how do you do that when you would not be welcome at the funeral.  I will try instead to one day quietly go up and see the grave.  I am saddened and interested to learn she had an autoimmune condition.  She was a very good nurse.  But also smoked and drank.  I wonder what the condition was.   I am also pleased to know she wants a green burial.  Something I would like too. I wonder if we would be more politically aligned now.  I suppose on Tuesday when they lay her to rest I can try and spend that time with her.  

Too much death at the moment.  I know it is always there and it is a great motivator for getting on with life.    Luckily I find with most people my age we can laugh at our bodily challenges and try to make the most of our lives. I feel incredibly blessed by how much I get to do.  Today for example I was in the Tate, having a tete a tete with friends I have known for some 30 odd years at an exhibition about female artists through the years.  Wow, wow, wow,  given that the art history degree I did seemed to think women artists did not really exist in the distant pass what a revelation to see these successful professional artists who succeeded despite the odds against them.  

A wonderful British seaside break and frightening undertones.

 For years Alnmouth has been a tantalising green blue river with a hint of sea glimpsed from the train, but I did not manage to get there when just up the road in Alnwick, yet when my friend LM asked me to join her there I first demured - after all I had been nearby twice before recently. However, it is nice to be asked and it would mean finally finding out what the village and sea beyond really looked like so I decided despite the cost to go for it.   And thank goodness I did.  When LM last visited the HF house there she had dreadful weather and the walk plans were curtailed but this time the weather was stunning.    Is there anything nicer than soft sand under ones feet and a beautiful beach?  And being Northumberland apart from some intrepid families wrapped up against the wind and some ecstatic dogs,  the beach is relatively empty.   

LM was walking the Pilgrims Way,  I headed inland the first day and went to the Ad Gefrin museum in Wooler.  The bus times made a long visit impossible, but there is not a huge amount in the museum and much of it is a recreation. so, in some ways visiting from far away does not make sense but if you are in Wooler it is a great addition.  There is also a little distillery on site and I was lucky enough to be given a glimpse of the shinning new coopers.  Lovely.  And then I was back in time to loll on the beach and paddle.  

The following day was even sunnier.  I caught the bus to Amble as a local had suggested the market there.  I was not sure how far I was capable of walking and felt quite tired as I walked along the river to Warkworth Castle.   But scaling the stairs and the ins and outs of the castle revived me and I did then manage to walk back along the coastal route to Alnmouth with plenty of breaks on the beach reading.   Absolutely lovely.  Some idiots had almost set fire to the brush by the beach but luckily they put it out and so I have learned how good sand is for that purpose, in fact better probably than water as it was nearer to hand, but it is scary how easily a fire can catch hold.  

Greece and Canada have been aflame, and Europe in scalding temperatures, England has been aflame for different reasons.   The far right are on the march.  I did not hear anything untoward in Northumberland but all over Weardale there were whispers of protests and back home I heard that the local hotel where there are some refugee families ,there is extra security.  

Meanwhile I am not the only one complaining about the appalling customer service with Booking.com.  Two programmes of You and Yours have covered problems, but still not addressed the questions I have raised. It is probably too late to write to them to raise my issues, but if I have the oomph I will. 

Still not sure who to complain to or how to complain about Booking.com

 Nothing new,  I just listened to a programme on Customer Service and in the UK people are regularly complaining about the appalling services with many companies.  One of the experts talked about how good Customer Service will bring return custom and I felt that is what Booking.com needs proper training about how to deal with and support customers, which is I know a sort of nebulus complaint but one where action can happen and be clear and specific.  However, can I find out who one complains to about them .. no, trading standards?  No Simon Calder  No,  ABTA No.  I complained to the CEO but that did not even get an iota of a response.  So whilst I have used Booking.com once since then, I am still on the whole trying to avoid them.  But dear reader if you know of how to formally complain abou tBooking.com let me know. 

Meanwhile thrilled that the Olympics going so well in Paris, despite the pollution in the Seine, but worldwide things seem more unstable than ever and England seems more violent these days, what with cross bow and knife deaths.    Thank goodness for Cambridge.  just a chance to chill and relax with friends and listen to good music.  However , my poor little body has been recovering from Parsnip burns so I have been in a lot of pain.   Makes me realise how difficult it must be for people with constant pain from skin conditions.   No wonder we are happy to disappear into sport and music to forget everything else.