One of the highlights of our stay in New York was the High Line Walkway. This innovative 1.45 mile-long public park has been created by converting a section of the disused New York Central Railroad spur. This elevated rail line was built in the early 1930s to eliminate street-level train crossings to improve both efficiency and public safety. Continue reading
There are a plethora of art galleries in San Francisco, but the most enjoyable art experience we had was meandering through the streets and alleys of the Mission District viewing the colourful array of murals. Continue reading
Once again on this trip I find myself in a church swaying and clapping in time to the rousing music and enthusiastic singing of the choir. Whites, blacks and Hispanics, young and old, well dressed and shabby are all here to experience the community of the Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. All are welcome and this is made clear when after the first, and only prayer, given ad-lib by a long-haired black transgender woman, she finishes with “Right on, Amen, Hallelujah, Shalom, Salaam, Namaste” Continue reading
If a smell could be a colour then I would have been breathing a vibrant spring-like green. The fragrance was piney-resin with an underlayer of warm damp soil following the rain shower the night before. It was sparkling clean and fresh, a soothing balm for my lungs. This was just part of the experience as we hiked through the Sequoia National Park which lies in the southern Sierra Nevada range in California. Continue reading
Throughout this trip the open-air sanctuaries called “Maraes”, which were once the centre of power and spiritual ceremonies in French Polynesian culture, have been a huge draw for me. Though they often look like a ragged and disorganised pile of stones there is something about the sites that are tranquil and calming. The biggest one on Tahiti is nestled in a large tree lined valley. Continue reading
Travel With Grace 