2025 - Puglia - Sicily - Berlin - NYC

Last night was interesting. We look out the window at the now quiet and peaceful Little Tokyo with its Japanese- Americans and its Japanese expats - it looks a delight - it would be nice to return in less turbulent times. We contemplate our last day in LA - our plan was to store our bags at our hotel and to explore the Getty Center and Santa Monica Pier. We were then going to collect our bags late in the afternoon and head to the lounge at Lax. Based on the road closures of yesterday afternoon we become afraid that our bags might be left languishing at the hotel - we revise our plans - The Getty Center will have to be the subject of a virtual visitation when we arrive home - we will stay at the hotel until checkout at 12:00 and make our way directly to LAX. We wander out to a pharmacy - that was a car!  Past the Japanese mall and back to the hotel.  Our Russi...

Well it is nearly over - well not really - we still have a day in the riotous LA - we are staying downtown - about a mile North East of the rioting - I contact the hotel - is it safe? - I await a response.  We prepare early - an Uber to JFK at 10:30 - the app says we will be there by 11:15 - we say our good byes! - "you might have to come and see us from now on" says I The Uber arrives on time to the very minute - soon we are speeding along the I90 with the rain keeping the windscreen wipers fully occupied. We are sad to say goodbye but are pleased to be heading home.  As we arrive at JFK - there is construction everywhere you look - bridges forming overpasses - excavations that will form tunnels - buildings that will do something or other - everywhere billboards shout out - "we are building a new JFK" - "about time" thinks I  There is still nothing from the hotel - the news reports about the riots continue to be concerning. We head through che...

Our last day in Connecticut - off to LA tomorrow morning on the first leg of our homeward journey. Last night? - A night with Simon, a movie and popcorn - reliving past days!  Bo has had a great tournament in Delaware - they will be back early this afternoon. Bernie and I sit in the sun - we listen to the neighbours chatting over the side fence - we listen as Jane provides some last minute French tutoring for Parker - his exam is tomorrow!  We watch - we swear we can see the plants growing before our eyes - spring is so fast here!!! - we look at the pollen falling from the trees - I rush inside to replenish my body's reserves of anti hystermines. I retire out of the sun to a garden seat in the shade - the chipmunks tear around doing what chipmonks do - Birds? - plenty of them but they are quite! I relax on the garden seat under the trees in deep shade - I drift off for a second - there is a strange noise - another strange noise - my neither regions expe...

We are tired - holidays are hard work! - we sleep late - we show no inclination to want to do anything much.  We chat and reminisce with Simon - we say hello to Parker and we rest some more - it is delightful - relaxing. I sit in the garden and enjoy the sun - it is supposed to be raining but all the clouds are doing is to serve to ameliorate the worst effects of the sun. I watch the bird box for signs of occupation.  The neighbourhood is quite - the backyard still save for the occasional movement of bird and squirrel and chipmunk. "Lazy - lazy - lazy" says Bernie - "won't be like that when we get home" says she.  Eventually the clouds overcome the sun and drops of rain appear - we resume our state of laziness inside. We look outside at the droplets - we wonder their effect on the Porch Jam event scheduled for today - an annual early spring event - neighbourhood roads closed - streets dedicated to those on foot! - every 100 yards or so a resident...

Ah - glad I brought spare sets of reading glasses! - set number 3 deployed this morning.  Slow - slow - slow - 9:30 and just stirring!  When we surface Bo is just packing - he is heading 3 hours away to Delaware for a lacrosse tournament - he will have two days with Amy all to himself!  We meet Parker's girlfriend - lovely - we wander down to the farmers market for breakfast. The market? - small - friendly - well supported - valued by the locals!  We try bubble tea - real hot dogs - salads - dumplings. There are mushrooms stands - fish stands - stands selling plants - stands selling Thai food - bakeries stands and patisseries stands and knickknack stands.  All the stands under the control of a sales person - "hi - try this - it is our specialty! " - "you know we have a store in town don't you?" - American sales culture on show everywhere!  We look around the little park - out is shaded by Maple and Chest...

Tired - we breakfast at the Tria diner again  - it is crowded but  pleasant - pancakes - coffee - $US50 - the speed of depletion of our stock of US dollars in New York continues to amaze me! We smile -  the pedestrians of Chinatown are clearly colorblind  We check out of the Hotel Mulberry - homely - pleasant - she appropriately claims three stars. I suggest to Bernie that there is already a car waiting for us. She is not impressed!  We resort to the app and take yet another dollar depleting Uber to store our bags at a UPS store on Lexington Avenue. As we head uptown we look out over the river and back across the island toward the large brick apartments that command the river. We look out the car window at the bridge and road infrastructure - the unfunded maintenance costs enormous!  It is starting to get warm - the weatherman spruking his trade on the television at the diner claimed it was going t...