Gettysburg

Gettysburg Diary: Days 1 and 2 - Oh, I love Gettysburg - definitely the highlight of our trip for me so far. We arrived in Gettysburg early afternoon and were wowed by the wonderful Cyclorama painting - what a cool idea! The museum was fascinating also. Then we checked into our gorgeous B&B: the Gaslight Inn - our room was so gorgeous and in the bathroom we had a two person sauna shower - I have never seen or heard of such a thing before! Dinner was out at the historic Dobbin House, which is the oldest house in Gettysburg. The food was authentic Civil War era food, my drink was a Raspberry Shrub - a delicious champagne based cocktail and I had the most succulent frenched lamb chops with baked sweet potato and Pennsylvania mushrooms. Dessert was good old apple pie - yum! Our waitress, Karen, was so kind and helpful. The next morning we toured the battlefield with our wonderful guide, Jim Martin. His knowledge of the battle was encyclopaedic and his enthusiasm was boundless. It was the best way to experience the Gettysburg battlefield. After we finished our 3 hour tour, it was time to hit the road for Nashville, Tennessee.

More on Washington D.C.

Washington Diary Days 2 and 3: Well, Day 2 started well with a bit of a sleep in and then a trip to Arlington Cemetery to pay our respects to JFK and then it was back on the Hop On Hop Off bus to see some more of Washington - the Jefferson Memorial, etc. We stopped at the Holocaust Museum which is part of the Smithsonian and then visited the Ford Theatre which is where Lincoln was assassinated - fascinating.  Unfortunately then I started to feel unwell so it was back to the hotel for me and bed from 4pm until the next morning!
Day 3: A tour of the White House was on the agenda for the morning - what a thrill! So many paintings of Presidents! Then we took the Hop On Hop Off bus to tour Georgetown and had lunch there in a fantastic Italian restaurant.  Georgetown was gorgeous - no photos taken by me unfortunately as no cameras were allowed on the White House tour so I was cameraless for the rest of the day.  A pity really as Georgetown was very pretty and quite historic.  We visited the Stone House, which was a pre-Revolution house.  By the time we arrived back at our hotel our dear friends, Angela and Woody had arrived from Nashville to meet us.  So, after a joyful reunion we went to historic Alexandria Old Town for a fabulous seafood dinner.  This was another pretty place but I do have photos of this - we are having such a gorgeous time.

Some more diary entries about my U.S. trip

Oops! Running behind on my Diary entries. 
New York City Diary Day 7 (last day in NYC): Today, we had lunch with our lovely bookclub friend, Brenda at her gorgeous apartment in Brooklyn, then we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, took the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, then a quick taxi ride up Manhatten to Broadway to see a matinee showing of Memphis - our third great Broadway show this week - and then an early dinner at Broadway Juniors and then a last nostalgic walk from Times Square to West 77th Street. Next instalment will be all about Washington D.C.

Washington DC Diary, Day 1: A very easy and interesting AMTRAK trip to Washington. A 3 and a half hour train trip with a conductor who checked our tickets who looked exactly like a real live conductor - conductor's cap and all. Arrived at Union Station, which is so gorgeous! We shared some Key LIme pie for lunch in the grand Hall of the station. Then we checked in at our hotel in Alexandria OldTown, Virginia and then a very the helpful station manager helped us buy our trainfares to get back into Washington. Have I told you how lovely all of the people are in U.S.. So kind, polite and helpful. Joe and I then took a 3 hour open top bus night tour of the key Washington sites - it was so beautiful at night. Then we finished the night off at Clyde's Sports Bar where we had the most beautiful Calamari and Rockling (the seafood is really good in Washington). Day 1 was a great success in "Our [U.S.A] Nation's Capital".

Sorry, I haven't had much time to catch up on all my blog reading but I am having such a good time here in the U.S. that we are often really tired by night time, also, I haven't always had access to the internet.  But I am thinking of you all.


lots of stitchy hugs, Kaye

New York Diaries

I thought that you might like to read my New York Diaries, which I have put up on FB:

New York Day 1 Diary: Today we: were woken up by a carillon of hymns from the church across the road, went to a Sunday flea market and bought a hat each for the cold NY nights, got lost on the subway, shared a Reuben's sandwich at Katz's Deli and was told a joke about the Empire State building by some lovely people whom we met over lunch, visited Chinatown, Little Italy and Tribeca and the Tenement museum, took the Staten Island ferry to view Manhatten and the Statue of Liberty by night and finished off with dinner in a New York diner!

New York Diary Day 2: Today we: worked out the intricacies of the subway, were saddened at the 9/11 memorial, had a sensory overload in Times Square, ate lunch in the amazing Grand Central Station, soared to the top of the Empire State building, shopped in the largest store in the world, Macy's and walked a fair length of Broadway from 34th Street to West 77th street!

New York Diary, Day 3: Today we: walked through Central Park, heard some sensational soul singers performing at the fountain, had lunch at the boathouse, then we visited The Frick Collection (most amazing collection of paintings - we saw the Holbein portraits of Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell,they gave me goosebumps to see them. Then we walked down Madison Ave, went to Times Square to buy half price tix and then had a drink in an Irish pub. We then took the subway back to our apartment and had dinner in a diner which has been going for 50 years and is open 24 hours. I had a superb hamburger and waffle fries. Then it was off to see a Broadway show, The Fantasticks which has been playing on Broadway for over 50 years. The weather is really good - 27 degrees today!

New York City Diary Day 4: Today we: discovered The Dakota building, had bagels for lunch at Russ and Daughter, and shared a knish at Yonah Schimmel's bakery and then explored Washington Square and Greenwich Village. Tonight we had the best meal we have had for a long time at Serafina's restaurant which is on the corner of our street. Their veal tonnato as an entree and then lobster ravioli as a main were to die for - exquisite food. More adventures await us tomorrow! New York is so exciting!

New York City Diary Day 5: Today Joe and I: walked along the reservoir circuit in Central Park, visited the Met (Oh, what joy - medieval portraits and European masters), walked down 5th Ave to check out Tiffany's and the other fancy stores and I bought some 5th Ave "jewellery" from ... a street vendor! Had a drink or two in another Irish pub, saw another Broadway play "Venus in Fur" - it was utterly amazing! Now back to the apartment after buying some scrumptious dinner at the corner market which is open 24 hours a day! Another fantastic day in New York City.

New York City Diary Day 6: Harlem this morning and lunch at Sylvia's Soul food restaurant, then it was the Guggenheim in the afternoon - fantastic building and the Impressionists and Picassos were wonderful but some of the other exhibitions were "interesting" to say the least. Then we split up - Joe to wander the streets some more, while I meandered back to the apartment through Central Park. Managed to acquire a decent coffee (hurray!) at a French patisserie on the corner of Broadway and 85th St. Not sure where we will venture for dinner yet....

See some of my photos below:

Now, I haven't forgotten my helpful packing suggestions competition, however, I have decided to wait to announce the winner/s once I am back from my trip - I hope that no one minds. Thank you to everyone who gave me great advice.  It was all very helpful.

Stitchy hugs, Kaye xoxox

So much to say....

... well, I am finally on holiday and I am finding New York to be absolutely amazing.  Please check out my Facebook page if you would like to see all of my pics.  But here are a couple:

Well, must fly, will try to write more later - Trader Vic (i.e. my dear husband who has expressed a wish not to be referred to as DH as it sounds like the initials of a very rude and pejorative term in Australia, so as I am Kaisievic he is now Trader Vic (a reference to one of his favourite songs "Werewolves of London"), anyway Trader Vic wishes to use the computer to check out any news of his beloved footy team, the Richmond Tigers.

love to you all, Kaye

Sorry and Bon Voyage

Hello lovely bloggers and my dear followers,

So sorry that it has been ages since I posted but I have been putting in 10/12 hour days at work to get ready to go off on my U.S. adventure and just too tired when I got home from work to face looking at a computer screen.  I have missed you all.

Guess what, though?  I made it.  We are off to the airport shortly.  I promise to write a much longer post once I am safely ensconced in NY city.  Yay!

hugs, Kaye