Mar 10 - Apr 8 - Stateside again - in Miami

We arrived in Miami and to year round summer - a constant reminder why the local basketball team is called the Miami Heat.  (The stadium was close to our accommodation).  Miami has its own vibe quite different from the rest of Florida, or the United States.  It was an adjustment because it did not feel like we were back in the USA. Our accommodation was on the 27th floor of one of the many high rise buildings that identify this cityscape.  The floor to ceiling windows gave us plenty to look at 24 hours a day.  A city in constant motion: cruise ships in and out, cars on the highways, boats on the water, police vehicles buzzing around, the metro system, buses, trams, and railway line. We could see over to the airport, downtown, and South Beach, plus the surrounding blocks of lower level housing, empty lots, and industrial sites.  As the sun set the lights came on which was beautiful.  We could be entertained just by looking out.

But of course we did venture out to discover Miami for ourselves.  What we found was equally fascinating and often contradictory.  Lots of wealth, and a good number of not so wealthy.  Incredible homes, luxury cars, people out and about.  The Miami Design District (extremely high end stores such as Tiffany, Louis Vuitton) - a few blocks of luxury retail in the midst of residential homes with chain link fences.  A washed out, moth eaten sweatshirt in the window of one of these high end shops with no price tags.  Noticeably to me were the number of young people, and the number of people taking photos of themselves.  Apparently Miami is where you need an Instagram account.  Be seen.

As different as Miami was we turned it into 'home' with the arrival of Harry for his spring break.  It was great to see him and explore the city together.  We also had the opportunity to reconnect with some of our friends made in Lowes Island: Mankovskys, Livingstones, and the Garners.

We ventured, typically on foot, to areas of the city: Little Havana, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne (I thought that Brickell was upscale!), South Beach, Wynwood... diverse and all very different, yet share being uniquely Miami.

Feb 17th - Mar 9th - Touring England's green and pleasant land!

This had not been on the original schedule, but so glad we had the opportunity to be a tourist in our native country.  England is lovely - even out of season in February.

We mapped out a route to visit some places that we had never been to, to see friends, and to explore.

Off on the open road.  We gassed up the rental car ($5.80/gallon - yikes! (currently $3.50 in Virginia)) and plugged our first destination into the GPS and listened to the directions that the very polite voice gave us.  "Please proceed north".  Pleased to do so, we proceeded to York.

York: popular with tourists this very historic city is famous for its cathedral, medieval shopping area (The Shambles), and the old city walls.  Dodging the storms we completed the 2.5 mile walk around the ancient walls. Got utterly soaked in a downpour, dried off, saw Evita (excellent production) at the theatre and continued onto Manchester via Harrogate.  Got soaked again in Harrogate so curtailed the visit staying just long enough to consume a most delicious breakfast in a charming café.

Manchester: trendy northern town notorious for rain. Great vibe in this city. Walking around it is evident that it was an industrial hub in its heyday.  Wealth generated from the textile industry.  Nowadays it is a young person's place with several universities.  It was great to meet up with Ollie who is studying Football Marketing and Business (doesn't that sound like a fun degree?)

Liverpool: loved this city.  Recent redevelopment has transformed this once depressed port into a city with lots to offer a visitor.  The Museum of Liverpool could have kept me engaged for days: Liverpool is so much more than where the Beetles came from.  Of course you can't leave Liverpool without a visit to The Cavern Club.  It may have sold its soul to the tourist, but it is was great evening out.

The Cotswolds: an area of quintessential English countryside dotted with limestone villages, rolling hills, quaint shops, cafes, and in the summer, loads of tourists.  It is easy to see why.  We explored the north eastern section that included delightfully named places such as: Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on Wold, Lower Slaughter, Moreton-in-Marsh, Burford.  If you google places to visit in the Cotswolds there are so many more that make the list of 'must see's.

A night in Oxford: quick meet up with Liz and Graham.  It was a Friday night and pubs and restaurants full once again.

Onto Bournemouth: visiting Sarah and Nick.  Bracing stroll along the beautiful Dorset coastline with its multi-million pound houses, along with quintessential beach huts adding color to the sandy shore.

From there to Southampton: stopping in to see Rachel and Steve.  Further bracing walks and calming views of sailing boats in the English Channel.

Cornwall: the last county in England.  Another gem with white cottages and dramatic coastlines. I exhausted the adjectives trying to sum up this delightful area.  Being remote from the rest of England it did feel quite different with almost foreign sounding names. We stopped in Bodmin (stayed in the former jail - having been beautifully renovated into a hotel), visited Tintagel - famous for its association to the legend of King Arthur. These small Cornish towns and villages are linked by the most narrow lanes edged with dry stone walls so old that nature is taking them back. Driving through St Ives is not for the faint hearted. The tin coast region - stunning!  Rocky cliffs support many reminders of the Cornish mining industry (old chimney stacks, derelict stone structures of former mines). The tip of Cornwall - Lands End - had to be visited for the obligatory photo with the signpost. We learnt why a Cornish pasty is shaped the way it is - a miner's fast food that could be eaten without their arsenic tainted hands contaminating the lunch!). Yes, we could not leave Cornwall without eating one. So many places to explore on and off the coast.  St Michael's Mount is only accessible when the tide is out - this outcrop is topped by a castle and steeped in history. Friends, Aneeta and Ewen have a house near Truro.  We loved seeing them; rowing over to the local pub for a pint, walking in the nearby National Trust estate, around the village and along the creek.  Noticeable is that houses in Cornwall have names - not  numbers.  Cornwall is very pretty, unique, and beautiful.

Final stop: Bath.  Wow - this city is stunning.  At every turn there are the grand and glorious Georgian buildings built of golden Bath stone. We had just a night here to catch up with Jon and Elaine.

England really is a green and pleasant land.  And well worth the price of the gas to explore.