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A&K Adventure 2019
  • Anthony and Katey Curnow

A&K Adventure 2019

A 86-day adventure by Anthony and Katey Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 5, 2019
    Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    Pre-departure Car Drop

    July 3, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Just a quick drop off with the car, before jumping on the train back to Melbourne to fly in just a few days time.
    Plus some gardening therapy, as it’ll be a few months before I get my hands dirty (maybe...).
    See you later mum and dad! X    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    En route to Melbourne

    July 3, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    On the train on my way back to Melbourne. For me, I feel like this is the beginning of a very long journey all the way to NYC.

    This is also a test post, as I’m writing this in airplane mode and hoping it saves and posts when I’m next in a wifi zone.Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D1 Sydney - Up We Go

    July 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Sitting here on the tarmac in Sydney and we’ve travelled a total of a one hour flight but both feeling it having been up since 2am. Anthony is grumpy because we’ve not been able to score an isle seat. It’s been a very peculiar check in process to the good ole days when you’d lob up to the checkin counter and ask for an exit row seat and they give it to you if you look tall and are kind.

    On a more positive note (says Katey), the seats are a lovely shade of forest green. Maybe it’ll keep Anthony calm across the Atlantic! Ha.

    The sun has started to shine through morning showers here in Sydney, and we’re very excited to be heading to somewhere warmer.

    Until then...    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D2 New York - Brooklyn

    July 6, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Impressions of New York so far:

    - Brooklyn is rad. With its old school
    Industrial architecture and views of both downtown and uptown Manhattan.
    - It feels just like the movies depict it. It’s beautiful and quirky.
    - It’s expensive - think queen vic night market prices but in US dollars. So a grilled pork panini (delicious!) cost 13 usd.
    - Their public transport system has a lot of character, energy and life. Aka there’s plenty of homeless people singing, selling Oreos and water and speaking to themselves.
    - Customer service (even when tipping isn’t necessary) is excellent. This may be influenced by the tipping culture however.

    TOP 3 Highlights of today:

    1. Brooklyn - wandering the Williamsburg and Dumbo neighbourhoods. Eating at Smorgasburg and getting custom made jewellery...for Anthony
    2. Brooklyn Bridge - walking with the masses across the wooden boardwalk while dodging local hoons on bicycles.
    3. REI - Kate had her first introduction to this US icon. We broke the budget, and it’s only day two...    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D3 New York - Harlem

    July 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    So one thing that we said was non-negotiable whilst we were here in NY was attending a worship service at an African-American Baptist church in Harlem. It came highly recommend by family and friends who had lived here for a time- one friend said “It’ll hit you like a punch to the chest.”. Oh and most importantly “Make sure they don’t sit you with the tourists!”. So we both did some research and picked a few potential churches, and fell asleep with the intention of making an 8am service...

    ...I woke up at 9am. The subway got us promptly to central Harlem just before 10am where we walked a short distance to one of the largest churches in the area. We took one look at the MASSIVE queue that was halfway round the block and turned straight- one minute up the road was Canaan Baptist Church of Christ, and the sound of a woman already singing drew us in.

    We were reminded to not take photos or videos and were ushered to a pew towards the front by a lovely man in white gloves, sitting us down amongst the rest of the congregation. From what we could see, us and the few tourists attending were scattered throughout the church, and we all looked a tad shabby next to everyone else who was in their Sunday best. This included floral hats and a lot of red and white clothing matching the church’s logo colours. The woman had since stopped singing but a young girl of about 7 years of age stood up on the stage and started singing “This little heart of mine” accompanied by a young man (who would later make his own mark as soloist). This was just the entree to a 2.5 hour feast of constant proclamations of joy and love through song, the reading and preaching of His Holy Scripture and also the participation of those attending. The choir was so full of energy and encouragement that many people were constantly up on their feet in response, reaching out and thanking God - ‘hallelujah,’ ‘praise the Lord’ they would call. Those who remained seated were no less passionate, clapping with each song and wiping away tears of joy.
    The message given by the Reverend Johnson Sr., was delivered simply and effectively (‘an unchanging god that has the power to change things’), after which we continued with the Lord’s Supper- a great ending to a big morning.

    The people at Canaan were so beautifully welcoming to us and we never felt out of place once. The church had a formal welcome to visitors in their service but it was the handshakes and welcomes of those seated around us that made us feel most at home.

    For the remainder of the day- we lunched and then went to join our friend for her final wedding dress fitting. We will unfortunately miss her and her fiancées wedding by a week (🤯) here in NY, but having the chance to see her in her wedding dress was priceless. She is going to make a jaw-dropping bride 🥰

    And then we shopped. Again.

    TOP 3 Highlights of today:

    1. Holding hands - at the end of the service, every person in the congregation held hands and swayed in unison after the communion (which was delivered by these cute little disposable packages that looked like the milk cups hosting a mini wafer above some Ribena).
    2. Final fitting - having the opportunity to see our friend Gemma collect her wedding dress.
    3. Seeing the sun - today was the first day where the sun completely cut the clouds away and provided us with a stunning summery evening that caused the buildings to glow.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler
    1

    D4 New York - Downtown

    July 8, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    It turns out that many New Yorkers begin work at around 10am, so when we left the house at about 7.15, the streets were pretty sleepy still. We headed down Broadway past some lovely gothic architecture and into the business district where Anthony got up close and personal with a giant brass bull’s balls.

    After passing the airport like security screening, we boarded the Statue Cruise boat and floated away from the southern tip of Manhattan towards the lady whose job it is to be ‘enlightening the world’ - the Statue of Liberty.

    On arrival, our first impressions were that she wasn’t blessed with Heidi Klum’s lusciously long legs - she was a touch on the smaller side to what we imagined, but we agreed that this should not have been a surprise. Kate noted that the Sphinx in Egypt had much the same effect.

    As soon as the boat docked, I grabbed latent the hand and in classic Curnow atyle, said ‘Let’s go, we’re going to get to the crown first!’

    And twenty minutes later, up 377 narrow steps that spiralled their way up under her dress and into her resting ‘passive’ face. On arrival to the crown viewing room, the frat question I had apparently has no poetically deep meaning - that being, why i she facing in the direction that she is. Apparently this may be her looking back towards France, and the fact she’s facing the entry point to the bay. Much to Kate’s surprise, who had predicted the book Liberty is holding was some classic French cuisine cook book (in alignment with it being a gift from the French), it was not. The guard didn’t get the joke.

    As we descended down to terra firma, I overhear an American father say to his wife, ‘you’ll get arrested for that up the skirt shot!’ The crowds by this stage have built to their maximum with the cruise boats churning people in and out by the hundreds. It was a blessing to have booked so far in advance to secure our rather quiet experience that we had of meeting her.

    Next stop on the ferry was Ellis Island, a few hundred metres away and a place also rich in history. For 100 years this was the first pit stop in their journey to becoming American citizens...unless you had immigrated illegally, had a contract to begin work here, had an infectious eyeball or just looked completely suss. It had been restored beautifully since it fell into ruins after the 1950s and it was interesting to hear how the government had approached immigration proceedings. Hello audioguide! 🤩

    We made our way back to the business district and made a new line for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Simply put- we are in awe of how resilient this community is after such a brutal and shocking event shook this city. Both sites are set up in a way that perfectly pays respect to and remembers those who were affected and lost their lives at 9/11.

    To finish up another big day (yes, the soles of our feet are waning) we’ve come up to the observatory deck in the new World Trade Centre. It’s tall, like real tall. Being up the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at dusk is making for some pretty sweet shots and we can’t wait to frame these memories already!

    TOP 3 Highlights of today:

    1. Being the first up to the crown at the Statue of Liberty 🗽 This did come at a price, out poor lungs and legs will not be thanking us right now...
    2. Seeing 9/11 through the eyes of the American community. The museum, and more specifically the exhibition within the north tower, really broke down the day for us and we felt all the emotions. Also being aware now of the sheer magnitude at which the towers came down-this was shown through the displays of steel beams, some 20 metres in length, that had completely bent over on themselves. What even.
    3. The ‘small’ Fresca pizza from Rubirosa Restaurant. A.maz.ing. And not small.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler
    1

    D5 New York - Midtown

    July 9, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    After a well needed sleep in, we had a quiet morning. Anthony did a spot of shopping while Kate caught up on her Pilates.

    The main events of today however, included a dirty phat pastrami sandwich from Katz Delicatessen, some quiet reflection time at the New York Public Library (yes, think Ghostbusters!) and a quick wander around midtown to buy a few more pairs of socks from Paragon Outdoors.

    TOP 3 Highlights of Today:
    1. The delicious fatty slow cooked charred meat on rye.
    2. Iced coffee. Yes, the American filter coffee on ice is proving to be a favourite for Kate. Especially when accompanied by a cookie that is 60% chocolate chip, 40% dough at best.
    3. Dinner with Gem and Akeem New York style, completed by a trip to a rooftop bar with panoramas of Downtown.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D6 New York - Central Park and Midtown

    July 10, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    As we knew today was going to be on the warmer side once again, we got up early and trained up towards Central Park. We signed up for a 10am bike tour as we figured it’d been the best way to sightsee around the 10km radius of this beautiful city centrepiece. It’s obviously a big business as we had to swim through a sea of sign-waving men tempting us with their deals for bikes 🚲 but we went with a local company with sub-par reviews 👍🏼
    At 10.05am the 16 of us plus our guide Barsha (from Russia....) started our 2 hour venture with praying enthusiasm....until one of the bikes went 💥!!! The dooverwacker on some girls gear thing broke in half, so one urgent Russian phone call to HQ, 5 minutes and a new bike later we were on our way. Until another bike failed, less epically this time. Our tour guide remained optimistic and things went smoothly for the rest of the tour 🙏 To be honest, knowing how untrustworthy the bikes were, I spent most of the time being paranoid and making bee lines for ideal exit routes should MY brakes fail.

    Times Square was amazing but an immediate assault on the senses, so we retreated to the M&M shop...big mistake. Who knew there was a land beyond peanut, crispy and mini m&ms?!

    We followed the crowds to Rockefeller Centre where we made our way up to the top floor- the view of Manhattan including Central Park offered a far more impressive perspective than from downtown at One World. We loved the gothic style architecture from the brass decals to the tall window frames. The spectacular views were popular for Asian brides, a handful of which were there getting their photos taken while their patient new husbands kept cool by intermittently stepping in and out of the air conditioned viewing spaces.

    To finish the afternoon, we had our first whole foods experience. It took every ounce of willpower to prevent us from buying up half the store (the chipotle salsa was amazing!).    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D7 New York - West Side

    July 11, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    A few highlights of the day:
    1. The Highline - takes out number one, androstenedione certainly the highlight of the day.
    2. Visiting the place Anthony’s parents lived in the 70s
    3. Wandering the streets of the Meatpacker district
    4. Completing our visit to the final Patagonia store (Anthony....)
    5. Oreo donut from Donut Pub (eaten before photo)
    6. The Vessel - google it!    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D8 New York - Midtown ...again

    July 12, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    After a rejuvenating sleep involving severe burger and beer digestion, we left Nolita on foot. Heading up to Greenwich Village via the little side streets and the verdant green Washington Square, we ate a delicious bagel from Murray’s, loaded with a mixture of toasted seeds on its outer crust, it was filled to the brim with cream cheese, tomato, lettuce and avocado 🥑.

    Our stomachs full, and the temperature rising, and time on our side, we walked north following glimpses of the Empire State Building.

    After passing the little shops of 5th Avenue and crossing the increasing number of streets, we reached the Flatiron Building, an impressive architectural feat aptly named for its shape.

    Some distance from our temporary home near Little Italy, we finally reached our destination out front of the Bank Of AmericanTowers, where we met or tour guide for the afternoon, the George Clooney of New York’s food scene - Brian Hoffman. Let us just begin by saying thanks to a group of Kate’s friends for their gift voucher - it, was, amazing...!
    Brian’s an old hand at the tours, having conducted them for more than a decade.
    He appreciated the inquiring questions from the predominately Australian crowd!

    A few notes from the tour:
    - ‘Gentleman’s agreements’ are in place over getting a spot on the street for the busy Monday - Friday trading period.
    - Every night, the small carts must be removed and taken to a holding place where by law they are to be cleaned and restocked. No food can be reused like in restaurants.
    - The stipulations that surround the successful operation of a good cart are governed by 7 different laws - it’s all very confusing. Clean and store every night
    - There are only 4100 permits available, which equates to that many on ground. Thi hasn’t changed since the system was established in 1983.
    - there is a 10-20 years waiting list for a permit, and a lottery exists just to get on that list! People put these permits given their value into their wills.
    - Interestingly, many original permit owners now offer a subleasing system (kinda black market), and so many are newer operators.
    - You can rent a permit to others for two years - $25000 for the two year permit.
    - The food carts are a key supporter of the migrant population, offering valid employment opportunities.
    - Key message of the tour - hot dogs and pretzels are for tourist suckers and should never be bought on a cart. However, every cart regardless of its focus will typically stock both due to demand.

    Our evening was spent at Yankee Stadium - Yankees beat the Blue Jays 4-0. The atmosphere was electric, and Anthony’s pretty ecstatic about the ‘souvenir’ plastic cups. Saving the world of waste.

    TOP 3 Highlights of the day:
    1. Digging into a Bangladeshi biryani from one of the food carts.
    2. Having a few quiet moments on the stoop of the New York state library after our long walk from Lolita.
    3. Home run hit by the Yankees (and BONUS - seeing a gorgeous little Latino 2 year old with a whopping fro, NY jersey on, and a giggle that’d melt your heart as he was assisted down a flight of stairs).    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D9 New York - Rooservelt Island

    July 13, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    It’s our last full day here in NYC, and both of us agree that we’ll not only have to return to see more of this amazing metropolis, but also see way more of America.

    While we haven’t visited any museums or galleries, we have seen many different neighbourhoods and when looking for something quiet to do today, we thought a stroll around Roosevelt Island was a good idea. After catching the cable car across (which offers an unrivalled perspective of the surrounding area), we headed first to the southern tip. This end houses a park launched in 2012- this was after its designer passed away some 40 years earlier when the city was on the verge of bankruptcy! The name of Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park was adapted from his 1941 State of the Union address, at the point of America’s early entry into WW2. It defined four essential human freedoms:
    1. Freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world.
    2. Freedom to worship in his [their] own way - everywhere in the world.
    3. Freedom from want - everywhere in the world.
    4. Freedom from fear - anywhere in the world.

    Another few kms and a visit to Starbucks (evil, we know, but are balancing their delicious beverages with trips to local coffee establishments- no judgement , please), we headed back to Manhattan only to get caught up in a Saturday train cancellation drama. This took us to the subway on 125th st (Harlem) before we could turn around and head downtown. Fun times, not.

    We said our goodbyes, and with thanks to Akeem and Gemma who hailed a cab for us, headed to the airport. We do not recommend the soggy spinach gozleme from Eat&Go in Terminal 1...

    Goodbye New York (New York) and hello Frankfurt!    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler
    1

    D10+11 Scotland - West Coast Ayrshire

    July 15, 2019 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After an unexpectedly long sleep in, we:

    - Had a wander through the Main Street of Ayr.
    - Visited Burns Cottage, and Anthony ate a full Scottish breakfast including a ‘link’ and ‘square’.
    - Drove through Alloway and saw Kate’s grandma’s old house on the river Doon now featuring a large golden rocking horse in a conservatory.
    - Were tripped out by the ‘Electric Brae’ where we rolled uphill in neutral.
    - Paid a visit to the majestic Culzean Castle where Kate’s parents were married 35 years ago (ps, congratulations!).
    - Were guests at the family reunion dinner held in a delicious cafe in Troon.
    - Viewed the major sites of Ayreshire as Kate’s ‘Aunt and Uncle’ chauffeured us around. This included seeing the birthplace of Andrew Fisher! Amazing...!

    Today we rose a little earlier and hit the road north to Largs:
    - Caught the ferry to Cumbrae.
    - Circumnavigated the island on bike -10 mile.
    - Were told by the bike store owner that Australians were the second country to log on to his webcam - google Mape and Sons!
    - Walked 3 mile from Millport back to the ferry terminal.
    - Conducted an in depth analysis of the difference between a US Starbucks Frappuccino and a UK Costa iced caramel latte.
    - Ate steak with Kates godparents and Telstra family members - it was a hoot!
    - Completed our third late night philosophical discussions with Kate’s Aunt and Uncle.

    TOP 3 Highlights of the Day
    1. Family.
    2. Family.
    3. Friends of family.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D13 Scotland to England

    July 17, 2019 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today we knew was going to be a hard one because:
    A) We were leaving Scotland- which meant saying goodbye to loved ones.
    B) Driving 220ish miles (354km) while trying to stop and admire many the beautiful view.

    For the last two mornings, my Auntie Bella and have so kindly laid out brekkie for us and today was no exception! With our bags packed and our bellies full, many hugs were given and compulsory photos were taken. We are so thankful for Bella and Billy- we will miss the late night chats with copious cups of tea...

    We had a great morning as I introduced Ant to a couple more relatives of mine, who took us out for brunch. Apparently Scottish cafes don’t cut the mustard, so to really impress a guest, brunch is to be consumed in a glass house near a castle. Go figure.
    I think I may have sent the poor waiter into a head spin when I asked about non-dairy milk options....I clearly need to learn my target audience better. To add insult to injury, the coconut/soy/monkey beard milk he was using wasn’t frothing for my cappuccino so I said I was happy to slum it flat white style. Breakfast was beautiful- pancakes, salmon and eggs and the largest vat of porridge you’ve ever seen. Thank you again Aunt Moira and Uncle George- you spoiled us rotten.

    On our way down the coast we stopped off at Dumfries House and Gardens in Cumnock, which was just amazing. We were pressed for time for the agreement was to see as much as possible of the garden in as little time as possible. Yeah right- over an hour later we reluctantly ran back to the car totally blown away by what we’d seen. I’m not a huge fan of gardens as I wouldn’t know where to start, but Ant is totally in his happy place. And in saying that- if I come across a veggie garden, which I did, I can also lose track of time. 10/10.

    From the moment we left Prestwick, the heavens had opened and it was either lightly raining or right pissing it down. That, with wanting to reach our destination by dinner time, made the journey a bit more challenging. We reached the Lake District after 5pm and had fun zooming down the tiny roads at 100km/hr (sorry Mums!)! It was such a vast expanse of mountainous highs and lows- it was probably a good thing we couldn’t pull over for photos every 5 minutes! Ambleside was our only pit stop and was so cute -very busy- but was full of character and we’d definitely go back as there looked like plenty of walks nearby.

    Once we reached our accomodation in Manchester, we spent the night relaxing and catching up with old, and new, friends. Can’t ask for a better way to finish a day!    Read more

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    D14 England - Tatton Park

    July 18, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Anthony was nothing short of excited... today was his return to the world of plants and English show gardens - the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

    Nigel, Anthony’s old boss and mentor from RHS Wisely was running the retail operations at Tatton Park and was able to secure us tickets to the show. On our early arrival, the security guard refused our entry, and so with Nigel’s charm, we were able to get photo security passes made up which provided us with unrivalled entry to the show for the day as volunteers.

    We spent the day wandering around the show, avoiding the light drizzle at times but remaining optimistic that the sun would shine. A few insights from the day:
    1. The capacity for the general public to use the meta language of gardening is impressive. They simply know their stuff.
    2. The show is unlike Chelsea which is primarily for world class displays. This show is all about selling garden related paraphernalia. It’s big business.
    3. The metal workers are all competing for business with delicate constructions of foxgloves through to highland cows (aka coos).
    4. Old people and their plastic crate trolleys, all hepped up on an aggressive desire to score a rare Hydeangea with black stems, can be a dangerous thing to get yourself caught up in.
    5. Anthony really is a plant geek.

    We left the show late afternoon and spent the following three hours stuck in traffic as we navigated our way to Darley in the Yorkshire Dales. Here we ate a classic pub meal with old friends (Nige, Jo, Pam), before hightailing it back to Manchester (completed with a twilight tour of the Yorkshire Dales).    Read more

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    D15 England - Stoke-on-Trent

    July 19, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Potteries, potteries, potteries. We made it to the land of potteries - Moorcroft, Portmeirion, Wedgewood and our new favourite - Emma Bridgewater.

    You can’t come to this part of England and not make a pitstop to at least one of these very dynamic workplaces. It turned out, that we only made it to Emma’s place as time was against us, and there was plenty to see at that particular pottery - new wares, mini walled gardens, samples shop and a dainty tea house to boot! We ate one of our most delicious lunches so far off some of the most delicious poteeey we’ve used. The potato and onion soup, veggie and hommus sandwich and tomato mozzarella salad all tasted better than it would served on any other plate.

    We paid a quick visit to the Italianate gardens of Trentham Estate, an expansive Capability Brown garden. The intense blue cornflower meadows, dandelion fairy sculptures and long vistas were just a few of the highlights. The huge swathes if perennial colour saw Anthony snap happy, once again.

    That evening, we drove over to Alsager to visit some of Anthony’s old friends who fed and watered us well in their gorgeous little home full of life - children and a garden that’ll have you reeling with envy! Many strawberries were consumed in a very short timeframe.

    We finally crashed at our picture perfect hotel at he back of a pub in the middle of the countryside- but not before we toasted the day with a glass or two of Malbec!    Read more

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    D16 England - Whichford

    July 20, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The only motivation to get out of that incredibly comfy bed was a cooked breakfast....and it paid off. We had a great stay at White Lion Hotel in Weston- and only wish our stay was longer! The accomodation, food, late night bevvies and service was brilliant- thanks guys and girls!

    Over scrambled eggs and muesli, we had deliberated over which National Trust properties to visit as today was our last day with the silver bullet- our beloved Volkswagen Golf. We arrived at Packwood House in Lapworth and spent a couple of hours wandering through beautiful pastels-worth of flowers, ancient manicured trees and a house with a rich history, touched by the presence of Royalty and major dignitaries. A highlight was being invited into a roped-off area upstairs as the lovely volunteer we were chatting to felt compelled to show us what we were missing. Turns out it was a sitting room with the best view in the house- directly aligned with the garden that we had been in minutes before. We were so chuffed!

    Anthony had been planning our trip to Whichford Pottery for months- if not only to add to his collection of hand thrown mugs he guards so fiercely. This place has such a sense of family and hard work- and when you see the productivity of the place, there’s no doubt of the passion that makes these workers and potters tick. We left empty handed- no mugs for us- but we loved our visit regardless!

    After dropping the bullet off we took the bus from Heathrow down to Woking where we find ourselves sleeping the night. Let’s just say, we’ll be sleeping with the windows closed as our hotel sits right on the high street. And it’s Saturday night...do the maths!    Read more

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    D17 England - RHS Wisley

    July 21, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Due to chance meeting a few days ago with one of Anthony’s ex-colleagues, we were very kindly offered a lift from Woking to the RHS Wisley Gardens. Because the family live right in the village attached to the gardens, it was easy to get in - but not before they fed and watered us with coffee and generous mounds of fresh pastries! I’m talking ballpark 18 varied croissants....for 5 people. Yes, it was a highlight of Anthony’s day.

    For the next 6 hours we made our way around the gardens, and even then we felt like we had pushed ourselves. I myself have never seen such a beautiful display of so many species of plants - ever. It seems unfair, as we’re coming from such a harsh climate, to compare the two, but it is evident that the British take such enthusiastic pride in their public gardens.

    I followed Anthony’s lead today as this used to be his turf - he worked in the plant centre doing a traineeship for a year in his early twenties, and has retained several friendships with people still in the garden industry. But despite him knowing The layout so well, he was unfamiliar more often than he expected due to significant growth and physical change in the gardens layout. His old workplace, for example, was completely derelict in addition to a few other areas that were operating a decade ago. A tree that was planted at the time (Wollemi Pine) and was so excited to see has also gone. But with disappointments came so much surprise and pleasure - I mean, the Summer palate in itself was stunning (Salvias, Astilbe, Penstemon, Echinacea, Eryngium, Echinops, Ligularia, Hydrangeas, Alliums,
    Lathyrus, and Lavandula). Meadows, orchards and allotments, and gardens with hundreds and hundreds of local and foreign flower species.
    Apparently life is too short for lunch....we assigned a 15 minute break. Places to be, plants to see!

    We got a lift back to Woking and got the train to Waterloo Station, and then to Paddington. Our hotel is just a 5 minute stroll towards Hyde Park, which is ace, but that’s pretty much when the positivity in my tone will end.
    The room, while relatively clean and tidy, is small. Lets just say you happen to have an Anthony sized ruler (which I so have on my person) and lay it from wall to wall....it would fit perfectly. But we’re just here to sleep...we’re just here to sleep...we’re just here to sleep...

    We went to a local pub for dinner and Ant enjoyed his first roast in the UK, whilst my body was screaming at me to go light. I ordered a salad, naturally. With a side of fried calamari, to share of course.    Read more

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    D18 England - London

    July 22, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We had all but one whole day in London and we found it challenging to select exactly what to do with our time. So naturally, we decided to avoid the crowds on the tube and do our own tour on foot.

    We headed west from our delightful abode in Paddington (not), and wandered down to Soho and Covent Garden where we found some nudie jeans for Anthony and a cute little jumpsuit for Kate. We then wandered down south looking at numerous outdoor stalls for some hiking shorts for Kate, to no avail.

    We jumped on the Bakerloo line with the view of seeking out the Association of Anaesthetics (or something to that effects) but before arriving there for the time of Kates life, we found this amazing coffee place below ground in what used to be a men’s toilet! Sounds gross, but that was many moons ago and I assure you, it’s been well cleaned and given a new breath of life in its current state. The cold brew was delicious, and the Buddha bowl salad had both of us ooh-ing and ah-ing. So much so that Kate noted down the recipe.

    After our refuelling, we dropped into the very lavish Anaesthetics Heritage Centre, which comprised of two very small, but informative rooms. Kate was definitely in her element, and I most certainly learnt a little more about the grotesque world that my wife operates in (pun intended).

    We were feeling the museum fatigue by this point (FYI - it’s the only museum we’ve been to), so we jumped back on the tube to Sloan Square to visit the Chelsea Physic Garden. It really is an impressive little part of London for those with little knowledge of the long lasting stories that can be associated with many plants. It tells the story well with lots of signage. This was backed up in our case by a great tour by Pippa who informed us of many interesting plant facts - i.e. go have a read of the history related to the discovery of quinine and how it helped to combat malaria in the developing world. She also talked about a common little bedding plant that is being researched for its use in treating cancer. She mentioned so much, that it’s difficult to recount, and any photos just don’t tell the story!

    During the evening, we ate at a Lebanese restaurant with Fi and Amelia - the tabbouli was incredible, the service was not... But, we had a great time catching up and we felt very privileged to have had that opportunity.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D19 London to Orsieres

    July 23, 2019 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    It’s a rest day!! Or should I say, time to wash our dirty smalls, jump on a tube to Heathrow, fly to Geneva, train to Martigny, then to Sembrancher and onwards to Orsières. Arriving at around 930, it was a late chicken burger for Anthony, and a quick pack in preparation for day one of the Tour Du Mont Blanc.Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D20 - TMB Orsieres to La Fouly

    July 24, 2019 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    So since we’re walking our little touchies off for 10 days with no certainty of wifi- we’ve decided to keep the updates short and sweet....

    TOP 3 Highlights:
    1. Eating alpine fare - We found wild raspberries and blueberries along the way which kept our sugars up (in partnership with skittles), and also added some wild thyme on our tomato and cheese sandwiches at lunch. Sounds a bit wanky...probably is.
    2. Fresh water on tap - We were able to routinely fill up our drink bottles but the best surprise was coming across a spring of mountain water. So clear, fresh and ice cold. And yes, Ant stuck his head in.
    3. Alpine brew - When we reached our hotel in La Fouly, naturally the first thing that Ant noticed was that they stocked their own beer. That’s where we find ourselves now...playing some cards and drinking some lovely cold beer. And the bottle has a Saint Bernard on it. Maybe I’ll put it to local breweries back home to incorporate retired greyhounds to their packaging?    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D21 - TMB La Fouly to Refugio Bonatti

    July 25, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    TOP 3 Highlights:

    1. Marmots - well perhaps not plural, but we did spot a single marmot running away into its burrow.

    2. Col de Ferrat - a highlight, literally. This was on just day 2, a huge pass of 2537m above sea level, then dropping us drastically (and dramatically) into the depths of the next valley. The wild flowers had me in fits of excitement, particularly when I found the vivid blue Gentians, a prized characteristic of the Swiss Alps!

    3. Freezing River Water - the most rejuvenating thing one can do in the middle of the day, soak the weary feet in the icy spring water. Don’t mind the cows sitting up stream on the banks keeping their cool...

    It was a long day...    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D22 - TMB Refugio Bonatti to Courmayeur

    July 26, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    TOP 3 Highlights:

    1. Second breakfast - A lovely English couple that we got to know last night (who are unfortunately walking TMB anti-clockwise) said that there was a good coffee stop midway to our destination today. So we enjoyed fresh coffee and cake (it was advertised as chocolate but that’s debatable, delicious nonetheless) at Refugio Bertone, 1989m elevation, with our new chatty friend Mike, from south-east England.

    2. Hardcore Helicopter Happenings - As we were finishing at morning tea, the helicopter that delivers goods/picks up other items from more remote Refugio’s landed just behind us. The driver dropped off his box of eggs (and a group of electricians for the Refugio) in about 30 seconds and then nose dived back down the valley, leaving a whirlwind in his place. It was so freaking cool, I wish I (Kate) was a helicopter driver.

    3. Rain watching - As we’re writing this we are sitting quite happily on our little balcony at our hotel for the night. We’re feeling so blessed as it gives us a brilliant view of the Aosta Valley which is surrounded by these mountainous giants. Anyway, for the last hour the clouds have closed in and storms are predicted....so we’re waiting patiently and getting some sketching done while overdosing on salted peanuts. Fingers crossed it’s over by 7pm though, as we’ve got a booking for pizza in town.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D25 - TMB Les Houches

    July 29, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    TOP Highlights from the past three days:

    1. Stepping off the bus in Chamonix - After a terror of a night in Courmayeur, I (Anthony) was not at all myself having received what we can only describe as a very toxic dose of food poisoning. Kate was also unwell so we made a quick decision to cancel the following two days of walking - quick yet difficult and disappointing decision. These two days were forecast to be, and subsequently were, very wet. When the rain comes down here in the alps, it buckets. So really, it’s a double win that we became so unwell! Right?

    2. Public benches and lemon water - Given we survived the short bus trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel without puking, it was an absolute pain when we found we had to wait 3 hours for check-in to our respite accomodation. However, things turned around when I slept resting on Kate’s comfy thigh lying on a public bench in the middle of town (and didn’t even wake to a small boy apparently poking my shoe). Then, when finding fresh lemon water in the hotel lobby, I instantly felt it was the right place to be!

    3. Watching a French kids movie - Even with our limited French language skills, we were able to enjoy the highlights, lowlights, scary, sad and happy bits of Sammy 2. Adorable, it’s like a French ‘Finding Nemo’, but with slightly sinister moments.
    Particularly liked the song that went ‘let’s quit the BS and depressing stuff...’ Something for everyone!

    4. Monopoly Deal card game - This was one thing we deliberated over when doing our final pack in Orsières, and it turned out to be a bit of a life saver for us biding time. It truly is the game of champions! Who wants to play?!

    5. Chamonix - Having the opportunity for us to stop and slow down in a famous and somewhat charming resort town, with a raging river that cuts its way through the centre. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people with ‘all the gear and no idea’ - at least I’m not carrying new crampons, helmet and an ice axe.

    6. Getting our glow on - As we sit here at our final last minute booking that has saved us, in a little hotel aptly named Le Saint Antoine, we watch the glorious Alpen Glow. A classic alpine sunset, which alights the glacial capped peaks that surround the Mont Blanc massif, taunting us with the colour resembling a peach Melba. Ironically, this was the desert house special that despite our improvement, our bellies would not allow.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler
    1

    D26 - TMB Les Houches to Le Brevent

    July 30, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    TOP 3 Highlights:

    1. Back on your bike - As today was essentially our first day climbing real elevation since being sick, we were pretty determined to make it to our destination. We agreed to lighten the load as we were returning to Les Houches, so we only took food, water and essentials in my (Katey) smaller pack, and at 7.30am we stashed all our remaining things in the spare cupboard downstairs and set off at speedy pace. We both noticed that it took us a bit longer to find our rhythm but it’s hard to find complaint on a beautiful morning in the French alps. Les Houches is at 1008m elevation and our goal was to reach the cable car station at Le Brevent at 2525m. Ouch. Despite the seemingly never ending ascent, we really enjoyed the hike up and down, and even fitted in some time to go rogue off the beaten track....we may have scared a few sheep.

    2. Coffee at high heights - We stopped for a mid morning cawfee at Refuge Bellachat, and quite happily took our time as the view panned across the Mont Blanc massif. The fact that there were two little pug dogs running around the deck didn’t hurt either! It’s so nice to see so many people bringing their dogs along for the adventure - whether it be for the day or several.

    3. ‘Ring my beeeeelllll’ - on our way up, we reached Statue du Christ-Roi (Christ the King) at precisely 8.00am. We took our steps towards the beast, when all of a sudden there was a deafening sound of church bells. Further investigation saw that it was in fact one bell, taller than both of us, inside a structure nearby. It was an unexpected and moving moment that made us pause and give thanks for our health and continuation of our ‘tour’.
    The statue is a 25m concrete statue erected above the town of Les Houches in 1933-4 by the locals.    Read more

  • Anthony and Katey CurnowA&K Adventure 2019Traveler

    D27 - TMB Le Brevent to Auberge LaBoerne

    July 31, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    TOP 3 Highlights:

    1. Waterfall - About halfway through our hike today, and just when the sun was starting to smart a wee bit, we stumbled across a waterfall. Even better, it was a waterfall that we could walk up to, sit near and soak our weary feet!

    2. Wildlife - heading out from Le Brevent we were quickly greeted by a chamois in the distant skyline, spotted by the keen-eyed Kate. Even more exciting was that in a matter of minutes it was on the path not too far in front. For the following hour we saw many chamois running up and down what seem impossible routes, nose diving towards rocky deaths but recovering every time at the last minute. They’d watch us intently, with no doubt others peering down upon us from rocky ledges above the trail. Later in the day, I stopped in a spot that a few other walkers ahead of us had and peered upwards to some rock climbers high on a massive slab. I panned down and at the bottom of the face in a patchy meadow lay a huge horned Ibex lapping up the afternoon sun. He was at much lower altitude than I would ever have imagined. He looked pretty relaxed, using his curved horns to scratch his back, lucky guy.

    3. Weak knees - the last section of today’s hike saw us clambering down Via Ferrata style steel ladders and pins bolted into the rock faces. Always keeping three points of attachment, we slowly lowered ourselves down steep faces with drops of up to 20m. Scary (fun) stuff!

    *Bonus* - the very French style freshly made apricot tart and delicious coffee on arrival at Auburge La Boerne went down way too quickly, seeing as we’d missed out on lunch! So quickly, in fact, that a photo opportunity was missed. We made a new friend in the form of a Border Collie, one eye brown and one blue, totally up for pats and crumbs.    Read more

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