For the 85th time: Back to the USA!

 

Got up at 4 am on Tuesday morning, rain pooring down and under 40 deg F! We took the first streetcar to the main train station at 5 am, then by regular train and fast train on to MUC, in total about 2:20 hours - and, no disturbances or delays! Check-in and security went quickly as well. Our plane to Newark/NY - a B747-400 - departed about half an hour delayed - but, fortunately, it was only about 50 % full and we had plenty of space to spread out. Food was bad as usual, mushy and dull in taste, but in total this UA flight from MUC to EWR was smooth and uneventful.

Arrived almost on time and flashed through immigration to baggage pick-up and re-check through security and by bus to Terminal A. Below a photo of our approach to New York and of EWR Airport.

Back to the roots! Haven't been back to Atlanta since 2015, but, it was much earlier when we started our "careers" as travelwriters exactly here: Before the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, we secured commissions for our two very first travel guide books: one, a city guide on Atlanta and New Orleans ("New and Old South") at Reise Know-How Verlag, the other a regional guide on the U.S. South, part of a nicely designed series in the formerly fantastic Swiss Artemis Publishing House.Visited the city several times for research then.

Then, in the 1990s, we proudly hold a Ph.D. in archeology in hands, but no real jobs. We were only able to secure a short career as archeologists at our city department. For a short period Peter worked as a lecturer in a Munich publishing house, and, in addition, we were the editors of an American Sports Magazine, which alltogether provided the money to make a modest living. But, we needed to expand and therefore started to get in contact with guidebook publishers. 

Atlanta, the future Olympic city, was, at that time, a completely unknown U.S. destination, a fly-over city, which especially Delta used as their main hub. First, we planned to cover Atlanta exclusively, but our publisher wasn't convinced and so, New Orleans became the other half of the book. First impression of Atlanta: Even in the 90s, they had "MARTA" (above photo), a convenient and cheap public transportation system from/to the airport. Second, they had their specific people, with a "Southern Drawl", and, predominantly "black" people, all of them very talkative, friendly and helpful. 

 

Staying in Edgewood this time, an Eastern suburb of Atlanta, conveniently connected to downtown and other neighborhoods by MARTA. Below right, "our" house, where we stay in the second floor apartment with the balcony. Really nice, quiet neighborhood. 

 

We dropped our luggage in the apartment at around 7:20 pm (touchdown of the plane in ATL was at 6 pm, luggage pick-up and train to our AirBnB was easy-peasy!) and out we were again to catch another train to Decatur, where lots of craftbreweries are located. Called it a day at "Inner Voice" with a beer and a slice of pizza.

 

View towards downtown from the MARTA station on our way home,,,

More photos of Atlanta tomorrow,,, it's been a long first day in town.

Bidding farewell to Australia

Tuesday evening we went to dine at "Long Chim" at downtown Perth, a Thai restaurant of award-winning chef David Thompson, to get a taste of the streets and markets of Thailand. Food was terrific, and, compared to the U.S. or Germany, really affordable for the quality! 

But ,,, our friend Bruce's home-cooked meals were at least equally good!

 

 

Wednesday was our last (half) day in Australia. I have to admit that we are at home in the meantime. Only good memories and already missing Australia, the vast landscapes, the great people, our friends, and, especially, the warm weather and the sun! Though,,, a cyclone is passing through Australia right now, and, we were fortunate to leave in time!

On Wednesday morning we went for a last excursion to Perth's river and ocean fronts, beaches and "high-society neigborhoods". Perth boasts beautiful long white-sand beaches like Cottesloe and City Beach. To the latter we went swimming in rather high waves (new to us!) last Sunday and revisited today. The beaches are real "city beaches", easily to reach and a swimmer's dream: Fine sand, clean, warm water, just what you want (but don't get at other places)!

We drove along the Swan River, too, stopped at Reabold Hill Summit Lookout (above) and traveled through the most wealthy and fancy neighborhoods of Perth, e.g. Peppermint Grove, Cottesloe, Dalkeith or Mosman Park, with properties are selling for several millions.

Wonderful to look at them, and, to dream,,, Around noon our friends drove us to Perth Airport and all went quick there. Unfortunately, other than originally booked, we departed earlier as planned and had an annoying stop-over in Singapur (due to the political situation). 4.5 hours to Singapur, 1 hour stop-over, 13:10 hours from Singapur to London, 7 hours layover there (photo below) before flying home to MUC. In total almost 40 hours from door to door, stiff and tired at the end. But, full of good memories and eager to get back one day soon! 

Thanks, dear readers, for your interest - be assured, Australia is well worth the long flight!!!

 

Perth's "sister city": Fremantle

Fremantle, "Freo", is contrasting to Perth, both cities are complementing each other. We took the train from Subiaco Station on Monday (day pass AUS$ 7/5,60 Euro!) and it took only 20 min. to get to this port city at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle was visited by Dutch explorers already in the 1600s, long before the British settlement by colonists in 1829. 

It is named after Captain Charles Fremantle, an English officer who claimed the former New Holland as British territory. It became Australia's primary destination for convicts, the first 75 men came from GB in 1850. End of the 19th century the harbour was deepened for commercial shipping and became a gateway during the gold rushes. During WWII it was the largest submarine base in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

 

 

 

 

Nowadays, the city is proud of well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian buildings and appears in total a bit more "woke" and "gentrified" than Perth. 

 

The Round House (photo below) is the oldest remaining intact building in Western Australia, built as a jail around 1830. As part of the equally important whaling operations, a tunnel was constructed under the Round House to provide whalers with access from the jetty and beach. 

At the Fishing Harbor:

,,, where we had fish&chips and met with Bon Scott from AC/DC, the Australian rock band:

The Sail & Anchor Hotel, The National Hotel and other corner hotels-pubs (photos below), churches, and, finally, the Fremantle Harbour, serving as the main cargo gateway for Perth. It manages the majority of the state's container trade, vehicle imports, bulk cargo and (some) cruise ships. 

For visitors Fremantle offers easy access to Rottnest Island, a favorite beach destination. There are the Fishing Harbour, Bathers Beach and Victoria Quai with the fascinating Maritime Museum. It holds treasures such as the Australia II, winner of the 1983 America's Cup,We got to know there about the whaling and the Australian pearl industry (operated by Japanese and Aboriginals), about fishing and the pastoral industries - all very interesting!

Closeby is the WA Shipwrecks Museum, a leading museum for maritime archaeology. Here are  the reconstructed remains of the VOC ship Batavia, excavated in the 1970s (above). The conservation and restoration of the SS Xantho steam engine (right) through maritime archaeology, marks a historic milestone.

Boutiques and galleries along Market and High Street, the famous Cappuccino Strip (South Terrace) – a vibrant street famed for its concentration of Italian-influenced cafes and restaurants in the heart of "Freo".

Gage Roads Brewery - with good IPAs! - closeby the port of Fremantle - was our last stop:
 

 

Below, dinner "at home": delicious Porterhouse steaks from the grill:

Flora and Fauna in Western Australia

Already on the day after our arrival to Perth, our friends brought us to Kings Park and the Botanical Garden, knowing that we were going to love it. And, we sure did! Went a second time to take part at a garden tour and it was fully worth the time, the guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the - so, so different - main plant groups in Australia.

 

 

Kings Park is both, one of the world's largest city parks and home to the Western Australian Botanic Garden, which big plus is the immense collection of endemic/Western Australian plants, over 3,000 species. The botanical garden features bushland trails, garden sections, play and sports areas.

Banksia above

Western Australia is renowned for its diverse flora, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, inculding many endangered species. Native plants like Acacia, Banksia, Grevillea, Proteacea and many Eucalyptus varieties, Bulga and Pepermint Tree, Saltbush and Soapbush, Myrtle and Sandelwood are to be discovered.  The guide explained how adaptable many plants are and how many of them are pollinated by birds, not insects.

 

Eucalyptus capsulas and Jarrah tree (Eucal.) in bloom below, further down in pink and silver the Silver Princess (?), also an Eucalyptus

 

S

Moonflower above (?) - Frangipani (Plumeria) below, not endemic to Australia, but often seen

 

Above and below you'll find a potpourri of photos showing different plants, mainly blooms without further description or captions. Also, some birds. I need to sort my notes first to be able to add all captions. Please, bear with me,,,

Willy Wagtail above, Kookaburra below (right), miner (?) on the left

Rainbow lorikeet above.