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A&K Adventure 2019A&K Adventure 2019
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A&K Adventure 2019

July - September 2019
A 86-day adventure by Anthony and Katey Read more
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  • 86days
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  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 9

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    1
    Day 11

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 13

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 14

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 15

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 16

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 17

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 18

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 19

    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

  • TravelerA&K Adventure 2019
    Day 20

    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

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