Day Two Hundred and Fifty-seven

The snowstorm finally stopped yesterday leaving about a foot of the white stuff everywhere. Here is our home and, besides having to clear the driveway of it, we can still appreciate how pretty everything looks.

Day Two Hundred and fifty-six

IT'S FREEZING! Actually, its beyond freezing. I've never been in an environment this cold, except maybe on school ski trips but I don't remember too much of those. This is the temperature reading on the rear-view mirror in my car.

And for the Americans amongst you!

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-five

Our first Christmas present came from Amanda's Mum and Dad.

The Three Wise Men were carefully put in their place in the nativity scene by Landon.

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-four

Its less than one month to Christmas now so it seems like a good time to put up some Christmas decorations up! Next year well get a real tree...

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-three

After catching up on the CBS' Amazing Race and Amanda trying to convince me that we'd be able to take part, here is a picture of my young lady carrying my bag downstairs, shortly before announcing "I'd never be able to backpack anywhere". Which is lucky really, because winning a backpacking race without a backpack is great tactic (you can run faster)!

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-two

It's Thankgiving!

My first ever experience Thanksgiving in America, we spent most of the day at Amanda's Grandparents house and feasted on some splendid cooking...

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-one

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-one: Part One

Up extra early this morning to catch the morning flight out of Adelaide, it'll be the first of three flights in what will end up being the longest day of the year. Just had enough time to grab a full Aussie breakfast (which is essentially just a full english but with everything upside I guess).

So this is where it gets confusing. After my first flight from Adelaide to Sydney, I board a second one just a few hours later bound for Los Angeles. On this second flight we view the sunset to the west and several hours later the sunrise in the east, and somehow its still the same day.

Day Two Hundred and Fifty-one: Part Two

At this point I'm walking around in a rather confused state any time-traveller might experience, but I looked at a newspaper in LA airport (Marty McFly style) and it said it was definitely still Wednesday, so I found my way the departure gate for my third and final flight to Las Vegas where I landed at 10am.

The most unbelievable part of it? Some twenty hours after eating breakfast in Adelaide and its not even time for lunch yet...

Day Two Hundred and Fifty

The 'turn around point'. Each morning since I've been in Australia I've ran along the coast, the path on the sea wall is always filled with joggers and cyclists making the most of the area's beauty. These photos are from Brighton Jetty (pier), about 5 km south of Glenelg, the perfect place to stop, rest and enjoy the surroundings before heading back north.

Day Two Hundred and Forty-Nine

This is the city centre of Adelaide looking down King William Street, whilst waiting for the tram to take me back to the beach in Glenelg.

Day Two Hundred and Forty-eight

The sunsets here in on the Adelaide coastline are pretty special and every evening draw a pretty big crowd (see the people lined along the jetty) of, couples, tourists, locals and the odd wannabe photographer.

Day Two Hundred and Forty-seven

I'm pretty sure this flag (which, incidentally, was sticking out my chicken burger at Nando's) was in the wrong place. There not a doubt in my mind it should be flag high next the national flag at every entry point into Australia. It in the 30 to 35 degree bracket this weekend. Hot. Bloody hot and only for the adventurous heat seeker...

Day Two Hundred and Forty-six

A small taste of home! After being in America for six months, the sight of a real "fish and chip" shop was enough to pull me in. Finally some chips that weren't skinny and didn't come pre-loaded with salt. And I wasn't given a 'what on earth are you doing look' when i coated them with vinegar...

Day Two Hundred and Forty-five

There's something quite beautiful about watching the sun fall into the ocean. Each evening (bar one cold and cloudy evening) since I've been here in Adelaide I've taken my book, and sometimes my camera, down to the sea wall to relax and watch it...

Day Two Hundred and Forty-four

Here's a few shots of the hostel I'm staying in Adelaide, its a grand colonial building which as been ruined in a way only backpacker know how to do!

Day Two Hundred and Forty-three

This is the small town I'm staying at in South Australia right now. The original name for the town of Glenelg was Holdfast Bay, and is still generally known at 'The Bay' by locals. This monument by the beach front pays tribute to the first settles, who laid anchor here after riding out a storm.

Day Two Hundred and Forty-two

England's biggest export? The English language of course! I saw a few of these in America and now here on the other side of the world, Buckinghamshire's very own, Roald Dahl. I remember enjoying his books when I was a child, but I never knew he wrote so many. Here's a selection of some I saw in a bookstore in Adelaide.

Day Two Hundred and Forty-one

Its very peaceful to sit on the benches at the back of the beach and just watch the world go by. Footsteps in the sand...

Day Two Hundred and Forty

The eternal optimism of a cricket fan...

If you want a definition of optimism, some might say speak to a sports fan, in particular maybe a Cleveland Browns supporter (they had fans for years when even their team didn't even exist!). But I'd say speak to a cricket fan. There few other events in the world that can get people to sit and wait all day in the rain on the final day of a test match (which has sometimes lasted 5 days). You sit there, watching the skies, convincing yourself the rain is easing up, convincing yourself its definitely getting brighter and that maybe, just maybe, England can come out and bowl down 10 wickets in two hours. So I stayed , because if it did stop raining (which it did) and if it did get brighter (which it did) and if England did get 10 wickets then it would have been well worth the wait.

Did it happen? no it bloody didn't.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-nine

Not sure how this hasn't caught on in America yet, where you can "drive thru" and buy almost anything without having to leave you car. This is a drive thru bottle shop (aka, liquor store, off licence).

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-eight

Love at the cricket! Perhaps the most civilised sport in the world, going to watch a game is like a pleasant step back in time.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-seven

I'm in Adelaide, it took two whole days to get here, but I made it. Trying desperately to stay awake (and avoid jetlag) I took an afternoon walk onto the jetty in Glenelg. This is view back down the coast line...

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-six

The shortest day ever? We crossed the date line around 3 am I think, which makes day 236 only a few hours long.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-five

Leaving America, for now, I'm in LA tonight waiting patiently to board my delayed flight to Sydney.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-four

Thanks Landon, this windscreen was getting a bit dirty on the long drive back from Salt Lake. Luckily Landon was there to give a helping hand....

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-three

We started today with a mini-Christmas. As I'm off to Australia in just a few days, I surprised Amanda and Landon with a few presents (except Landon was off at a sleepover neither of us knew about so unfortunately he missed out). This is a photo I took of Amanda and I and two clocks showing Cedar City time and Australia time.

In the evening we headed to Salt Lake to watch Real in the MLS play-offs, an exciting and tense game ended in a 1-1 tie, which meant Real lost out on aggregate after losing the first game 2-1.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-two

More scenes of Autumn, this is our street on a beautiful November morning.

Day Two Hundred and Thirty-one

Tonight we went to Applebee's and Amanda, trying to be healthy, ordered a water. I ordered a thick chocolate milkshake and instantly made her the most jealous woman in America. Luckily I was in the mood for sharing!

Day Two Hundred and Thirty

In the summer, this trees gave me shade when I stopped on my run to stretch out. The leaves are changing and the Indian Summer sure is leaving now, not cold enough to stop my morning run though.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine

Today we made a trip down to St. George and visited some of Amanda's friends there. Also had a chance to teach Landon some soccer skills. He's a natural (by American standards anyway!)

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Eight

The most beautiful church in America? I'm a firm believer that Britain has some of the most picturesque churches in the world (and that my own, St. Paul's is among them, see day 41). In America, there's a tendency for churches, of any denominations, to be rather plain in comparison. For that reason, it was a pleasant surprise to see this wonderful stone walled and Tudor styled church here in Cedar City. Coupled with the changing of the seasons and the leaves on the trees, I could resist taking a photo of it.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven

We headed up to the mountains for a Sunday afternoon walk on an unseasonally warm day. Patches of snow here and there tell us winter is just around the corner so we made the most of the tranquillity in the sunshine up here whilst it lasts. Bliss.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Six

A saturday shopping trip down to St George, and a chance to enjoy a bit of warmer weather too. After buying a few new clothes for summer in Australia, we headed to the park with a coffee, a hot chocolate and some pastries. The the left of the park's bandstand, is the Mormon temple in St George.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Five

Its certainly political season here in America. Cedar City is littered with signs like these. To me, a relative outsider, it all seems a little weird. Being the politically minded person I am, I read the local news from the town and have yet to read anything which tells me more about a candidate than these signs do. Maybe this guy, Dan Webster, was responsible for the pointless lighthouse here at 6000ft above sea level, who knows?

There's no great suspense in awaiting the outcome of the elections, this is solid Republican country and views and laws are more conservative than I thought existed. It would be interesting to see how long or popular some of the policies would be back home in England. Take this example; in Cedar City its perfectly legal to deny someone employment if they are gay. Its clearly a topical point and last week a motion make this illegal was brought before the council but voted down. But as I said, I'm a relative outsider and it all seems a little weird.