WILD AND TAMED

MSC CRUISE

Set off for Marseilles & then a train to St Rafael on the Riviera...lovely town & pleasant hotel.

On to Genoa & a swish hotel overlooking the marina. The city certainly had remnants of its fantastic history but I did not feel totally comfortable or safe although there were many tourists around

Boarded the gigantic MSC ship which seemed to have many noisy miscreants on it incl. a noisy Italian family in the next cabin...stopped at Citavecchia,Palermo which was dirty & dreary...a dissapointment...then on to Valetta in Malta, always a delight. Spent a gorgeous day on the beach & rocks & really wanted to stay rather that return to the ship...didn't get off at Barcelona,but exited at Marseilles for the flight home.

TRAX

Time for an upgrade & more robust car.

Flew down to Manchester & trained to Formby, north of Liverpool where I picked up my Chevvy Trax. As I write it has behaved wonderfully.

Drove home with a night over in Dunfrieshire

OREGON

Flew into Chicago. After a night there, caught the EMPIRE BUILER Amtrak.

Through Illinoise, Wisconsin,N Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington & over the Columbia R into Portland, OR.

Picked up my rental & drove through stunning country to Seaside, a small town on the Pacific Coast.

Stayed at a great condo...Tradewinds. The FOT was down the prominade in a Best Western...🤔

Visited towns around incl Astoria on the Columbia & WA/OR border. Drove over the hugely long bridge into WA.

Also south down the coast  on the OR coast Highway, the same road which is the Pacific Highway from Bellingham on the Canadian border to San Diego...to Manzanita to see the damage from a sea spout converting into a tornado.

Flew out of Portland to San Fran where I connected from a very busy airport on a flight to Fayetteville,Ar. We hit violent storms in the 3 hr flight...glad to get on the ground only to head for the bathroom & relief from the tension in the air...this what I overheard from the Pilots😲

The time with Sid & Susan was interupted by anxiety as they were trying to sell their house. Sue's Mum had passed away but her dad...Mr Jack was still smilling...He lived to just short of his 101.

Took a Greyhound to Kansas City where I stayed a night before a flight to Chicago & my SAS back home via Copenhagen.