A Community's Favorite

If you live in Bellingham or are coming for a visit, you have to check out Fairhaven. It is filled with many unique restaurants and shops. The history in Fairhaven is worth experiencing! You can enjoy picnicing on the waters edge at beautiful Marine Park or tour the Alaska Ferry Terminal.

Take A Ferry Cruise

If you get a chance to make it to Fairhaven in Bellingham, WA, make sure you check out the great real estate options. Feel free to contact me, Ellen Piro, if you have any questions or are interested in looking at a home or condominiums!

A long time ago, it seems ages, I fell in love with a bird. He was a long, dark bird, with sun in his feathers and sleepy yellow eyes. He was very different from most birds his kind, and a non-native, a starling (Sturnus vulgaris).

We met one night near the train tracks. I sat alone, waiting for my ride, and he called to me from a power line, “you are so beautiful, may I nestle in your red locks?” I giggled and looked away, and when I looked back he had hopped to the top of a eucalyptus and flown away.

And so it went, these chance meetings, and he would only appear when I was alone. Sitting on a bench near the ferry terminal, he would fly down and peer at me from an empty chair; rattle, whirr, and whistle – fly a little farther away, and do it again.

For a while, starling and I only exchanged fleeting moments like this. One day he dropped a little bookmark at my feet. It looked like a gold paperclip with a small rose engraved at the top. He flew down next to me and watched my expression as I picked it up. I could smell his feathers from where he landed, the heat and the heart underneath them, and I was smitten.

Starlings are relatives of the Myna bird, and like them they have impressive vocal abilities and a gift for mimicry. He learned how to imitate the words “Habibi,” and “maybe,” but I think they might have been the same words, it just depended on which day he said them. I would hang on those words, and depending on which one I thought he said it could make or break me, until we met again.

When we weren’t together, starling would travel with a pack of grackles and blackbirds. I would hear from the house finch “yes, I saw him over on Chestnut, drinking from a gutter and whispering sweet nothings to another.” I did not flinch. I knew that starlings were known for their brood parasitism, and he was only looking for a new, temporary nest. But as I mentioned, he was different from the other starlings, he wasn’t so much interested in proliferation, but the addiction of connection.

Watch while the queen
In one false move
Turns herself into a pawn
Sleepy and shaken
And watching while the blurry night
Turns into a very clear dawn

As the days went on, we became closer and closer. He would abandon his main nest more often, and we would sit together, saying nothing, breathing each other in, learning the other’s own special language. Though he would go back to his home high above the hill the time we spent together was enough to sustain me. I would drive dreamily home, still smelling of the oil from his wings.

I am thinking of your woman
Who is crying in the hall
It’s like drinking gasoline
To quench a thirst
Until there’s nothing there left at all

Alas, it…
Was not meant to be

No clean transition
Wish there was a better ending
The hottest love has the coldest end

Starling
flew
away

Mourning Dove

Sibulan Airport

The trike driver from the airport initially asked for 70 PHP. I haggled and I ended up paying only 50 PHP. I still think it's a bit expensive for a 10- minute ride to the ferry terminal.

However, my parents weren’t able to wake up early, so I had some time to myself. After I got ourselves tickets for the 10:30 AM trip, I rode a trike (7 PHP) to Sans Rival.

They are best known for their sylvanas.

I have been to Dumaguete countless times. But this is the first time that I was able to go around the city alone. Since Sans Rival was still closed, I decided to just walk along the famous Rizal Boulevard.

This place is beautiful at night.

After a while, the heat became unbearable. When I found a group of men entered a cafe, I followed suit.

Cafe Mamia

My first meal of the day- herbed tomato pasta and mixed berries smoothie both for 75 PHP each.

After a while, I got bored inside the cafe and decided to just walk around again. I went back to Sans Rival but they were still closed. I continued to walk through narrow streets without really any destination in mind.

Diner serving Filipino- style breakfast; I just have to take a picture of the inverted "kalderos" as seats

My mom then called to say they have just arrived in the city.

Market pictures on Flickr

bike

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Naoshima isn’t a very well known island for most people, but if you are into art, and especially modern art, Naoshima is the place to be in Japan.  It is an island that has embraced art and made it the number one attraction on the island.  Access to Naoshima is relatively easy.  The most common route is to take a ferry from Uno, near Okayama.  Since this is on the main island of Japan, and the easiest way to get there from the Shinkansen, it is also the busiest way to Naoshima.  However, from Shikoku, you can catch a ferry from Takamatsu, which takes less than an hour.  Travelling to and from Naoshima is an interesting adventure in itself.  Naoshima is located near several other islands, and it is near a busy shipping lane for Japan.

Upon arriving in Naoshima, you will more than likely enter the main port.  This area is Miyanoura.  It is a tiny area which gives a glimpse into what Naoshima is about.  From here, you’ll have two choices, to either rush onto the bus, or look for a bicycle rental shop.  The day I visited Naoshima, it was raining on and off, so I decided to take the bus.  Do note that the bus drivers speak minimal English, at best, but they can help you with the very basics of buying a ticket.  If you have a little time, a quick trip to a giant red pumpkin at the port is worth a visit.  You can literally walk inside.  There are two pieces of art around the ferry terminal that is sure to wet your appetite for what’s to come.  You can also walk over to the “007 ‘The Man with the Red Tattoo’ Museum” which is only a few hundred metres from the terminal.  This is not worth visiting unless you have extra time waiting for the ferry as it comprises of just one room with only a few pieces of James Bond memorabilia.

The easiest place to visit is the Honmura district.  This is the location of the “Art House Projects”.  It is a collection of 7 homes that were designed by artists.  One of the homes requires a reservation in advance, but the rest don’t.  There is a 1000 yen fee to visit all of the homes and you will get a very nice souvenir listing the homes and a map of the Honmura area with locations of each house.  If you are taking a bus, make sure you get off when you see the school and post office.  It will be on the right.  It is very easy to miss, but it’s the best starting point.  You will be located very close to “Haisha”.  This is a very interesting house that was built to look derelict.  It is a collection of trash that was formed into a two storey house.  It was by far the most interesting house, in my opinion.  “Ishibashi” was the second house I visited and it was a nice place.  Inside the house, it was designed to look like a waterfall.  Without pictures, it is impossible to give a good description in only one or two sentences.  It was a nice place, but too easy to forget.  “Gokaisho” is another easy to forget place.  It was nothing more than a couple of shacks, albeit extremely nice shacks that faced a beautiful stone garden.  Of course you couldn’t walk into the garden, but you could sit down and enjoy the peacefulness of the garden.

“Kadoya” had the most interesting message.  Throughout the house, there were digital numbers counting up or down and at different speeds.  It provided a very surreal experience.  If I had more time, I would have liked to stay even longer.  “Minamidera” was more interesting outside than inside.  It was an interactive house of darkness.  You are taken inside a pitch black room where you have to wait for about 5 minutes while your eyes adjust.  After that, you’ll be able to faintly see a screen with fog, which you can walk up to.  It’s not very interesting, but something that’s worth a visit.  The last house was “Go’o Shrine”.  This one wasn’t difficult to find and it was fairly beautiful.  However, finding the entrance to the inside was more difficult.  There is a hill next to the sea where you can walk down.  Then, you have to walk through a thin concrete hallway till you are under the shrine itself.  It provided a very peaceful experience that was even better because very few people were on the island when I visited.  After visiting Go’o Shrine, you can also take a quick look at some castle ruins, but be warned, there was nothing but garbage in the area, so you shouldn’t feel a need to see it.  The area is very small and easily accessed on foot.  Do note that it’s a little difficult to find each street and the map makes the town look much bigger than it really is.

The Benesse area is located along the south cost of the island.  If you rent a bicycle, it is probably the first place you will visit.  Otherwise, it is the last few stops on the bus route.  There are two museums, the Chichu Art Museum and the Benesse House.  I didn’t enter the Chichu Art Museum due to the cost, and my lack of real appreciation of modern art.  I did enter the Benesse House where I got a map to the outdoor exhibits.  The Benesse House is a small modern art museum that took me less than an hour to look through.  It wasn’t as impressive or breathtaking as I was lead to believe, but if I do go back, the Chichu Art Museum is on my list.  I was told I missed a very important museum.  The main attraction in the area is the outdoor works of art.  There are 18 works and they are all free to see.  You can get a map from the Benesse House, and maybe the Chichu Art Museum.  Although they are scattered throughout the area, from the Chichu Art Museum, past Benesse House, and out to a fishing port, the majority are located in clusters.  One set is located near Benesse House, and it’s a little difficult to find the entrance as there are no signs.  This makes it more interesting.  Along the beach, between Benesse House and the fishing port is the second cluster.  The beach is where the most famous piece of art on the island is held.  It is a giant pumpkin located on a small pier.  It provides a great beacon for anyone on the water, and an even better photo opportunity for travellers.  While I don’t get the entire message of the art, it was something I had to do on the island.

Naoshima is a great one day adventure from either Okayama or Takamatsu.  While most people recommend a day and a half, staying overnight at the Benesse House is extremely expensive, and the other accommodations are difficult to book.  Language can be a problem, but most people who work for the Art House Project, the Museums, and the Ferry Terminal all speak minimal English.  They can help you get tickets and find your way, even without English.  Just smile, speak slowly, and say “arigato”.

Information on Naoshima:
http://www.naoshima.net/en/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Naoshima

このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。

The ferry terminal marks the end of a wonderful short trip…and as the sun sets, I look forward to a brand new day.

Our International family welcomes you to experiance our famous hospitality, Traditional Turkish Quisine and BBQ’s, Relax around our poolside bar or take the 5 minute walk to the beach
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Free pick up service from the Harbour and Bus stations.
10 minute walk to beaches
Many optional activities.

Please come and stay in our 5-star hotel

Arrival Information: If arriving at Bodrum Bus Station or Bodrum Ferry Terminal please either give us a call and we will come and pick you up or please catch a taxi to the hotel and your fare will be paid for you when you arrive. If you arriving at Bodrum Airport we can arrange a transfer for you which costs 40 Euro and if you would like this please let us know your arrival information ahead of time.

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I know exercise is key in calming the mind, so I mapped a walk near my home, and I set out to walk and walk and walk some more.  I’m so happy I decided to start walking down on the waterfront.  It is only a seven minute drive from my house, and the views are healing.  I thought I’d share a few shots of my late morning journey.

Brackett’s Landing is the ferry terminal for the town of Edmonds.  This park has saved my life.  I can remember bringing my son here when he was very young.  This park will always remind me of our days at the beach.

There is something magical about this place.  I like to read and write here.  Lately it seems to have gained popularity and it’s a challenge to find a parking spot.  I just park up the hill in town and make the walk longer.  It’s all good.

Just past the ferry terminal is a lovely path through yet another park.  In mid summer there are small trees here that are very fragrant.  I still don’t know what they’re called, but the fragrance stops me in my tracks.  I swear fairies live here.

25 MORE PHOTOS BEHIND THE CUT…

Then it’s past the Senior Center–if I’m not too tempted to stop into their little thrift shop!–and down the steps onto the beach.  I need to feel the sand under my feet.  It grounds me.  Of course then I need to empty my shoes of sand when we climb the next set of steps up toward Anthony’s Beach Restaurant.

When you walk by the restaurant, you can smell the alder planked salmon.

Next, the fishing pier.  Over the years, I’ve seen amazing things on this pier.  Shrimp, crab, salmon, starfish, and sea lions…and so much more.

A lone fisherman.

Fishermen who like to chatter.

Plenty of boats along the marina.

Bridge to yet another park.

A colorful little family building sand castles on the beach

“There goes the ferry!”

This little girl has it going on.  She has enough buckets and colorful castle molds to create quite a kingdom.

I can’t believe how many people I see talking on cell phones at the beach!

They can’t hide from me.  I spotted two beautiful sun bathers in a hidden corner by the wall.

Heading back to town for the car.  I couldn’t stand the heat, and I was starving, so Mark and I stopped off for a cup of soup at the Waterfront Coffee Company.

A dog friendly coffee shop to boot!   I love to stop in here for hot tea in the winter time too.

Stomachs full, and making our way back up the hill.

Anxiety?  What anxiety?

Underground parking is free when you show a receipt for purchase of any items.  Most locals and ferry passengers favor pleasant family outings or get-togethers with friends at the Lonsdale Quay no matter what time of day throughout the year, while visitors to North Vancouver stay at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel two floors up from the underground parking area at the north end of the Quay. 

First you’ll notice Margitta’s flower shop directly inside the main entrance, & next a trolley filled with sequined and beaded handbags, purses and wallets. 

The shops fill either side of two long aisles which are parallel to each other.  At the northern entrance, you will either exit the underground parking elevator or pass one of the outdoor coffee shops. 

Stairs to the second floor afford a view of the covered walkways above the ground floor shopping area. 

The shop pictures are by no means exhaustive.  The pictures do not include the wine shop, herb and vitamin shops, jewellery, fresh meat shops, fudge shop or several dozen others.  

Beavertails sells Seattle’s Best coffee along with a beavertail-sized form of fry bread to which you add whatever syrup or fruit or spice your composer’s heart desires.

Flowers by May you will find at the South end of the aisles. 

Directly forward of the South end is a large open strolling area with fountain and views of the waterway between North and South Vancouver.   

 On the outdoor decks of the Quay you will find views of other covered shops leading to the ferry terminal on the west side.

. 

Climbing up the stairs to the second floor above the ferry terminal provides additional views of the waterway looking Southward, as well as the mountains, looking northward.

To the East, from the outdoor seating areas you are afforded views of the moored boats and cranes beyond – truly a perfect way to spend a few relaxing hours.

First up was a ride on the cable car from the other end of town up the hill to the Botanic Gardens. As most people had suggested, I planned to walk back down through the gardens, but unfortunately my knees were disagreeing with the plan so I wandered around a little bit, saw the museum and came back down via the cable car. After that I walked through the ‘built up’ end of town, the CBD and ‘high street’ shopping area.

My aim was to reach the Beehive and Parliament, which I did the long way around. The area was very quiet, being a Sunday, but there were a few tourists and I did my best to keep them out of my photos as I went around to get different angles. I then headed into the Beehive (executive parliament) as I noticed it was open, and there were tours being run, but with no photos allowed, I had little interest in it.

I planned to have a look at old St Paul’s Cathedral up the same end of town, but before I reached it I found the new St Paul’s Cathedral. The pastel pink/coral colour first caught my eye, then the grotesque angles and lack of external decoration (hoping it might detract from the colour). I honestly felt it was more ugly than Guildford Catherdral in England – which, constructed with red brick, is hard to beat. I didn’t go in because there was a Sunday morning service in progress. Thankfully when I came to Old St Paul’s Cathedral, it was a beautiful old wooden building which apparently had strong links with the American Marine Corps which was stationed there during WWII – there are several flags and mentions of it.

I had heard a little about a pub called The Backbencher up this end of town – apparently full of satirical political jokes and puppets. I came across it as I headed back into the town centre and stopped to have a drink of the NZ brew Tui. Granted I didn’t many of the political references – knowing very little about NZ politics – but the puppets were impressive and it was a great place with brilliant staff.

I meandered my way back into town, seeing various buildings which I would have been interested in but which weren’t open, and finally headed down to the water where I found the Museum of Wellington. Smaller than Te Papa, and more specific to Wellington, they had some very interesting displays – including 100 years of Wellington, with a notable event for each year, complete with memorabilia. The display on the Wahine disaster was by far the most interesting – although, as could be expected, depressing.

As I went back into the sunshine, I was feeling peckish so made for a small cafe near my hostel called Felix. Service wasn’t the best, but the scrambled eggs and sourdough toast was plentiful, well-priced and delicious. After stuffing myself there, I headed back to the hostel for an afternoon nap (again!) Unfortunately this turned into just a rest.

A few months ago, I had spoken to a friend from Melbourne and found out he would be in Christchurch while I was there, and we had discussed meeting up. I SMS’d him on my last day in Wellington, planning to arrange something for the next evening in Christchurch, but he replied that he was on the boat to Wellington then. We eventually arranged to meet for dinner that night once he had come into town, and left it at that.

When we finally agreed on a meeting place, I came to the corner and they (him and his partner) were both incredibly shocked to see me. They had thought I was another friend of theirs called Jake, and the last person they had expected was me! After getting over the shock, we walked down Courtenay Place for a late dinner and finally ended up in Coyote (a second time for me) – which I was definitely not opposed to. We discovered they had a short wait for a table, but it gave us a chance to have a drink and catch up. It was good to see a friendly face while away from home.

After a delicious dinner and some good beer, they headed out of the city to their accommodation and I went off to take some more night photos. Again, I did not feel unsafe, but knowing that I had an early start the next morning (6am!) I decided to head back relatively early. Back at the hostel, one of the guys from my first night had moved out to his own place, and another German bloke had come in – another tourist though.

The next morning I had to rise bright and early – I was catching the ferry down to Picton on the south island and the bus to Christchurch. The Interislander ferry check-in was around 7.30am, but the shuttle bus from the hostel left between 6.45am and 7.15am – meaning I needed to be up, ready and checked out by around that time. The guy who had moved into the room the night before was also catching the ferry, so getting up wasn’t too much of a problem.

The bus arrived, with another large and overly enthusiastic Maori driver, who thanked us for travelling with him and encouraged us to join in praising the lord. A few smiles were exchanged between passengers, but overall it was nice to have someone so friendly first thing in the morning!

As I checked in for the ferry, they asked if I had already checked in because apparently that’s how the computer had me listed. Obviously I hadn’t, but they found a boarding pass that had been printed an hour earlier and said to go on through. As I boarded the boat, they scanned the pass but it said my ticket had been cancelled. A second scan, and the same thing. The guy just shrugged and let me go through – I was utterly confused but thankful I was allowed on the boat.

As I came off the boat, I had an hour or so kill before my bus left (from the ferry terminal), so I caught some sunshine, – it had only rained while I was on the ferry – had a snack and checked my email. The bus was on time but the driver less excitable than the earlier one. I decided to catch up with some napping between admiring the countryside as we travelled down to Christchurch. There was one stop in Kaikoura, which was small but apparently a gateway for nature.

The journey was uneventful – the area is beautiful, wild seals all along the coast and black volcanic sand. It rained on and off, but not while we stopped, or once we had arrived in Christchurch. My luck with the weather continued!

I had picked up a map in the ferry terminal and managed to find my hostel, just a block away from where the bus dropped us off. This time I was staying in a YHA hostel in Manchester Street (nearly all of the streets in Christchurch have English-themed names). After settling into my room (this time all females, none particularly friendly), I checked out the lockers so I could drop one of my cameras for the evening again. After being told where they were and how to work them, I lost $6 to find out they weren’t working – then I was told that someone is coming to fix them tomorrow. They couldn’t give me a refund, so I headed out for dinner.

Having read several guides on Christchurch, one place had stood out as being particularly good for seafood – a restaurant called Dux De Lux. I found it on the corner of the Arts Centre (a block of art-y shops, boutiques and cafes) and headed in. On entering I found that, rather oddly, I had to read a menu on the wall and queue up to order. Taking a tray with my drink (a dark Hereford Bitter, award winning apparently) to find a table and just sit to await my meal. Only five to ten minutes later, my seafood jambalaya (actually seafood risotto) came out – which meant it was either undercooked, or had been sitting there. The latter turned out to be true. Unfortunately the entire meal was disappointing – the seafood was mushy and overcooked, the risotto was cooked in what tasted like tinned tomato soup with a little chilli and the salad was soggy.

To add to this, the older couple next to me, who were also tourists, were also bemused by the unconventional serving methods. They sat down to their main courses, wondering where the vegetables that the husband had ordered were. After he lay down his cutlery from his main course, they were bought out and laid down – as they took away his main plate. All in all, it was an odd dining experience, and I was left wondering how they had such a good reputation – although the awards for beers were well warranted.

Again, I took some night photos on the way back across town to the hostel. I found the fourth occupant of the room just heading to bed as I was, a Canadian girl who was heading off the next morning in a hire car with some other backpackers. Add her to the Northern Irish girls and I think I preferred the company of the male-dominated dorm room.

This is Part VI of a multi-part series chronicling my motorcycle adventure from Tokyo to Sapporo and back again.

Background:  In 2007, I had finally gotten my Japanese driver’s license and a motorcycle.  I had been an avid motorcycle rider in Canada before I came to Japan, so after 2 years of no riding, I finally bought a motorcycle and decided to go on a big adventure.  I went from Tokyo to Sapporo by motorcycle and ferry. It was an adventure to say the least.

Leg 6 (Hakodate and Hachinohe)

The last day in Hokkaido and the poor weather had returned.  I had a two day journey that would take me straight back into Tokyo.  I had only one morning to get from Sapporo to Hakodate, about 270 km.  While I normally wouldn’t consider this to be tough, I originally planned to take the low roads and enjoy the vast scenery that Hokkaido has to offer.  Instead, with my bike troubles in the back of my mind, I ended up racing in the very early morning from Sapporo all the way to Hakodate along the Hokkaido Expressway.  It was very cold in the morning, but at least it wasn’t raining.  By the time I reached the 1/3 mark, it started to rain again.  In Japan, they call me an ame-otoko, or rainman.  Whenever an ame-otoko travels, it rains wherever he goes.  I certainly felt like this was true for me.  The expressway itself is much better than the Tohoku Expressway.  There is a section just past Muroran where you start to enter a narrow section of the island.  It is a very windy place and there are many windmills making the scenery very picturesque.  On my way to Chitose, I mainly took the low roads.  I felt the sea, and saw a little of it, but I never really saw everything.  The highway is located a little ways up the mountain range and every so often, you can see the entire curve of the coast.  It was very beautiful, but unfortunately, I would have preferred to have a car at that moment.  I kept dreaming of a car with a rooftop and a strong heater.

Once I reached Hakodate, I had to find my way to the station and ferry terminal.  Because of my horrible sense of direction, I almost got lost, but I figured things out.  Hakodate really isn’t a bad place.  There is a nice little hill near the city centre that has a nice lookout, and the fish market is one of the best in Japan.  Do note that almost every major coastal city in Hokkaido has a “famous” fish market.  In order to warm up from the cold rain, I decided to get a nice hot bowl of ramen.  It did a great job of warming me up and I was ready for the ferry ride back to Honshu.  If you do have the chance, Hakodate would be a great place to spend a night and enjoy a lot of sightseeing.  I’m sure there are a lot of great places to see.  While Hakodate isn’t the ideal location, there is an underground train station in the Seikan Tunnel on the Aomori side.  The Seikan Tunnel is currently the longest undersea tunnel in the world and the deepest.  There are two stations within the tunnel itself that provides emergency access.  One of the stations doubles as a museum to the building of this tunnel.  There are three tours available everyday.  However, you can only choose one.  One starts in Hakodate and ends in Aomori.  One does the reverse, and one goes from Hakodate, to the station/museum, and back again.  If you are a trainspotter, this might be a lot of fun for you.  If you have a lot of free time, this might also be fun.

Crossing back to Oma was a little different this time.  I knew the crossing, and the seas were rougher than last time.  It was raining and I spent my time drying my clothes.  I wish I was better prepared for all the rain.  The next time I take a long trip, I’ll try to prepare a lot more.  Once in Oma, the sun blocked by the clouds but it wasn’t really raining.  I only had to deal with all the mist from the cars and such.  I made a quick trip from Oma to Hachinohe, which was my final destination of the day.  The trip was cold, wet, and dark.  I had a bit of an adventure about 30km from Hachinohe.  I missed a road sign, or it didn’t exist, and I went in the wrong direction for about 7 km.  I had to turn around and find my way in the middle of nowhere.  Thankfully there was no one around to help me, whatsoever.  To say the least, I was a little scared, but I was happy that I turned around instead of getting completely lost.  It wouldn’t be the last time I got lost either.  By the time I entered the city limits of Hachinohe, I got lost again.  I ended up wandering around the city for about 1 hour before I found the main station.  I found the station and had to decide on where to sleep for the night.  I found a place in the downtown area and headed for it.  Unfortunately, the sign for the hotel was so small, I missed it three times.  I ended up going to a convenience store and asking for help.  After about 10 minutes a very nice man decided to drive ahead of me and show me the way.  I was so happy for the help.  After checking in, I had a few hours to dry my clothes and enjoy the city.

Hachinohe itself isn’t as bad as my personal experience.  It has all the amenities that you could need and everything is centrally located within the city centre.  They were also preparing for the summer festival.  I could hear taiko drums beating for a good portion of the night.  Aside from the festivals, I doubt that there is anything to really do in Hachinohe.  I’d be better off going straight through Hachinohe, but unfortunately, I needed a place to sleep unless I rode all night to Tokyo.

このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。

Here’s another route! Sorry for the delay in posting new routes, I have been swamped with work, and some great new games have come out for the 360 in the past few weeks. *cough* Fable 2 & Mirror’s Edge *cough*. Anyways, this new route will feature a connection the western side of the city, connecting the Ferry Terminal with Aspdin Road in Alderney. This route has been split up into two separate routes. Route 43A ~ The standard route which is operated from 0930 – 1430 & 1930 – 0500 (non-rush hour) and Route 43E ~ rush hour route which operates between 0530 – 0917 & 1434 – 1926 (rush hour). This route is going to ease traffic levels on the current routes which are offered greatly, helping out the drivers and passengers who use the routes everyday. For more info, please consult the maps below.

Enjoy!

Sorry for the inconvieniance, these maps are too large for this blog, so they are hosted on the websites image host, MajHost. Please click here for Route 43A and click here for Route 43E

This route connects the Alderney Ferry Terminal bus stops with the north and western portions of Alderney. This route will travel as north as Beaverhead Ave. and loop around by Auto-Eroticar onto Asahara Ave. to connect back with the terminal. Please see the map for the most details.

Enjoy!

 Please go to the image host directly to access this map, click here.

This photograph was taken on the South Shields side of the River Tyne on October 8th; the day of the QE2′s visit. Now, I know people’ll will be thinking: ‘Why take a photo of the ferry when there’s the bleeding great QE2 across the water?’ Well, thats because I always keep my eye out for a good shot; I have a very keen eye.

I should probably do this now:

Now, as you can see its the Spirit of the Tyne ferry, coming in to the South Shields ferry terminal. The only editing I’ve done to this shot is to slightly alter the hues of the foreground waves from the usual septic brown to a more pleasant blue.

I took this with my Canon Zoom lens with its image stabilisation switched on. You can really appreciate the clarity of the shot in comparison  with a regular kit lens. Its like having a macro lens without having to get close and without spending £600!

Stay tuned for more photos from South Shields, daily at http://www.jrmarnie.wordpress.com.

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I set my computer to Sleep mode so that I could finish the post in the morning, closed the monitor and went to sleep almost immediately after takeoff. But because of that, I never saw that my computer had never actually gone into Sleep mode, and was still running. When I woke up, the battery was dead, the computer was off and my post was gone.

So I have to start over completely. Almost exactly eight hours before I started writing this post, I was walking out of the Borders at 3rd and King in San Francisco and starting to head to the airport. As I walked past AT&T Park one last night, I felt two conflicting emotions: melancholy that the trip was finally over and urgency to get to the airport as fast as possible.

Between then and now, I’ve taken two trains, a bus, an airplane and one of those funky Dulles Airport mobile lounges, and I’ve slept just enough to write write something cognizant this morning. Now I’m sitting on another bus, one that will take me from the airport to the Metro in downtown D.C.

Although building with concrete hasn’t been fashionable for a while, the Eero Saarinen-designed Main Terminal still stands as an architectural masterpiece.

With floor-to-ceiling glass and steel bisected by soaring, curved concrete columns, Dulles harkens back to the time when air travel was a pleasure, not a burden. Walking through that kind of space on a sunlit morning definitely cheered me up a bit.

Yesterday seems long, long ago at this point, even if technically the day only ended five hours ago on the west coast. It began with another CalTrain ride into San Francisco, this one starting in Mountain View instead of San Jose.

Though it took the same amount of time to get there from where I was staying as it did to get to the CalTrain station in San Jose, Mountain View is half an hour closer to San Francisco and therefore is a cheaper ride.

(Of course, I didn’t figure this out until the last chance I had to do so.)

After arriving in San Francisco, I dropped my suitcase off at a bicycle garage next to the CalTrain station. The guy behind the desk was happy to take the bag; it certainly seemed like I wasn’t the first person to have made such a request.

From there, I headed to Embarcadero Center. It’s an open-air, but covered, shopping center that is broken into four parts by the city street grid. I walked through the whole thing, then ended up on Embarcadero Plaza. The centerpiece of the space is a big concrete sculpture that includes a number of waterfalls and a stone path under them. So I walked through the path to take some pictures.

From there, I headed across the street to the Ferry Terminal building for lunch. The terminal has a great market inside, and while it’s higher-end than Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia or Eastern Market in D.C., there’s still plenty of good food.

I almost never got inside, though, because there was a farmer’s market outside and seemingly every stall had free samples. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen as incredible a range of amazingly tasty fresh produce. I probably sampled six different varieties of peaches, four kinds of plums and three kinds of tomatoes, as well as some grapes, hummus, kettle corn and almond brittle.

Tomatoes and onions and greens, oh my!

It was almost enough for an entire meal, but not quite. So when I finally got inside, I went to the Imperial Tea Court and got a dim sum platter. It did the job, and in what I consider a minor upset of the odds I was able to eat everything with chopsticks.

I wasn’t as fond of the Chinese version of iced tea, though. The lychee flavoring gave it a kind of sweetness that I didn’t quite like, and it had a creamy foam on top. I’m sure a lot of people really like it, but I’ll take the Diet Snapple I bought for the plane ride instead.

After lunch, I walked along the Embarcadero for a few blocks, then cut across town to the TransAmerica building to take some more pictures. That was followed by a MUNI ride to the Mission District, where I visited a bakery that a friend recommended. The line was really long and slow, but everything looked very good and I could tell why the place was so popular.

When I got back downtown, I decided to check out Union Square. In addition to having a really nice public park, the area is full of high-end shops and department stores. I went in the Nike store and Macy’s, albeit just to look instead of buying anything.

By that time, it was getting close to dinner – and closing time at the bike garage. So I went back to King Street, and spent the rest of the evening over there.

After getting a bite to eat and picking up my suitcase, I spent an hour recharging batteries at the Borders. Then it was time for one last ride on the MUNI and BART, and finally the flight back east.

It’s hard to believe the trip is over. These last eight days have been an incredible whirlwind of sights, sounds and the full range of American cultural identities.

It started with the rolling green West Virginia countryside, then turned into the majestic Chicago skyline that rises so magnificently along the Chicago River. Endless flat rows of corn and soybeans in Iowa led to soaring panoramas in the Rocky Mountains and small towns across the Nevada desert.

And finally, the Sierra Nevada redwoods rolled down into Sacramento and on to the Bay Area, with San Jose’s sun-drenched office parks and San Francisco’s laid back, post-industrial chic.

Yet as great as the scenery was, the real meaning of the trip was found in the people I spent time with. I got to visit a number of people I hadn’t seen in a long time, and got to know some very interesting fellow travelers on the train.

All of us who use social networking tools on a regular basis know that they help us create a cyber-manifestation of ourselves that can easily become the person that we want to be instead of the person we really are. These tools are all useful, and are often enjoyable as well.

But I value real, face-to-face interactions a lot more. Sure, we’d all probably rather be something other than what we are in reality. But that reality is what we have to face in the present tense, so we might as well embrace it and make the most of it.

Just after I took the photo at the top of this post, my camera said the memory card was full. It was a fitting way to draw this amazing journey, as well as this blog, to a close.

Writing this blog has been a blast. And the truth is, pretty much all of you know the reality-based version of me. So you know how much I was looking forward to the trip, why it mattered to me so much and why I so dearly wanted to write about it.

I did struggle through one period last night where I felt too tired to get on here. But I decided I should at least try to say something, and suddenly I hit a groove and was off and running. That’s just the way it is sometimes.

I thank all of you so very much for reading along over the last week. Perhaps some day, I’ll have an opportunity to do something like this again. Until then, I’m headed back to the real world, for better or for worse.

I’ll see you there.

I am very excited for the two of you – Congrats!

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