Early tommorow morning, arriving in Lincoln early on Sunday morning, so should be online on Sunday :)
If not, then Chicago on Monday
xxxx
Friday, 30 July 2010
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Amtrak and Salt Lake City, Days 12 and 13; Coming from the mountains
So, after 12 hours on the train I made it in to Salt Lake City after travelling from Truckee. Got to my hostel at half four in the morning and had to just sit in the lounge for a bit while it was time for me to check in.
The train ride was great, again; played cards with a girl who sold all her possesions and took off travelling and a guy who's off to do a ten month placement in Russia. Then, about 10pm, a groupo of Amish people suddenly started singing choral hymns which was quite a moving and spectacular moment.
Salt Lake City itself is something quite unique, Truckee was small with not much there, Salt Lake City is huge, sprawling, spread out with mountains penning it in on all sides. The founder of the Mormon church essentially marched into the middle of the desert and announced a temple would be built. They fetched stone from the mountains and they built the temple and it is quite a spectacular building. Just in the public library at the moment, which is really nice- there's a poetry circle here tonight which I might try to crash if the locals will let me!
Just one more day here, that's tommorow, and then 24 hours on the train to Lincoln, Nebraska, just for one night, and then Chicago will be my next big city stop.Travelling by train has been so much better than I ever thought it would, I'm really tired, missing people, but it's definitley worth it.
The train ride was great, again; played cards with a girl who sold all her possesions and took off travelling and a guy who's off to do a ten month placement in Russia. Then, about 10pm, a groupo of Amish people suddenly started singing choral hymns which was quite a moving and spectacular moment.
Salt Lake City itself is something quite unique, Truckee was small with not much there, Salt Lake City is huge, sprawling, spread out with mountains penning it in on all sides. The founder of the Mormon church essentially marched into the middle of the desert and announced a temple would be built. They fetched stone from the mountains and they built the temple and it is quite a spectacular building. Just in the public library at the moment, which is really nice- there's a poetry circle here tonight which I might try to crash if the locals will let me!
Just one more day here, that's tommorow, and then 24 hours on the train to Lincoln, Nebraska, just for one night, and then Chicago will be my next big city stop.Travelling by train has been so much better than I ever thought it would, I'm really tired, missing people, but it's definitley worth it.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Day 11, Truckee; Amtrak Adventure
So I will hopefully do a more thorough update when I get to Salt Lake City early on Thursday Morning but Amtrak has been an incredible experience so far. Incredible views, comfort and really amazing people. Probably been the best day of the trip so far today :) I can't get on facebook from here though, in case you're wondering why I've not updated.
Monday, 26 July 2010
San Francisco, Day 10: The Sea Swings In
So, last day in San Fran today, headed out to Ocean Beach, which was freezing cold but some great views out to the Pacific and had lunch in a great little diner that was part Thai, part American place that played instrumental versions of Don't Cry for Me Argentina throughout my meal. I then had a walk through Golden Gate park which is really nice, but far too big to spend just one day exploring. The Pacific Ocean is an incredible thing to see close up, I kept getting lines of Anne Sexton in my head:
'The sea swings in like an iron gate'... 'the wind falls in like stones'
Everything's packed up and I'm off to Truckee tomorrow morning, a small town just outside Lake Tahoe. After just one night there it's on to Salt Lake City for a couple of nights, which should definitely be interesting. This is where the real travelling starts I guess, after the security of staying in one place for over a week.
Onwards
'The sea swings in like an iron gate'... 'the wind falls in like stones'
Everything's packed up and I'm off to Truckee tomorrow morning, a small town just outside Lake Tahoe. After just one night there it's on to Salt Lake City for a couple of nights, which should definitely be interesting. This is where the real travelling starts I guess, after the security of staying in one place for over a week.
Onwards
Last Few Days
So, last few days have been great! Not been updating as much as I want but it costs too much to spend too long on the internet so that's why
so, last time I updated was Thursday. On Thursday I went up to Haight Asbury which is an amazing part of the city, lots of independent designers, vintage shops and a really nice 'peace cafe' where I had some lunch. Lots and lots of homeless people too though (as there always seems to be in this city) but, more heartbreakingly, these were all very young people. Perhaps who had moved to the city with dreams of being artists or writers? Maybe it's a way of trying to warn me away? I don't know, I still do want to live here though, it's a pretty amazing city.
So Friday I walked back up through China Town to North Beach. I'd been there on my first day but didn't take my camera, so I just retraced my steps to City Lights and to the Beat Museum to take pictures so that I actually remember things when I get home. Walked all the way out to the piers which is where I'm going to be setting off from tomorrow as I set off for Truckee and then Salt Lake City. Was a really cool day just spent wandering around and things; was really tired by the end of that so just had a relaxed day.
Saturday I did some more wandering and looking around, and then met up with my partner's friend to go for some drinks. Turned into a very good night out on Castro street, met some really nice people and it was just great to finally get a night away from the hostel and have a dance. Treated myself to a very random breakfast (it was called a Wagon Wheel and was potato, a burger patty with gravy and mince on top and then a fried egg as well- it tasted better than it sounds I promise!) and then a Chinese in the evening as well.
Last day in San Fran today so I'm thinking of heading out to Ocean Beach and exploring that area because I haven't been there yet. Early train tomorrow which is going to take me to Truckee, a town on the banks of Lake Tahoe and then to Salt Lake City for two nights.
The journey continues.
so, last time I updated was Thursday. On Thursday I went up to Haight Asbury which is an amazing part of the city, lots of independent designers, vintage shops and a really nice 'peace cafe' where I had some lunch. Lots and lots of homeless people too though (as there always seems to be in this city) but, more heartbreakingly, these were all very young people. Perhaps who had moved to the city with dreams of being artists or writers? Maybe it's a way of trying to warn me away? I don't know, I still do want to live here though, it's a pretty amazing city.
So Friday I walked back up through China Town to North Beach. I'd been there on my first day but didn't take my camera, so I just retraced my steps to City Lights and to the Beat Museum to take pictures so that I actually remember things when I get home. Walked all the way out to the piers which is where I'm going to be setting off from tomorrow as I set off for Truckee and then Salt Lake City. Was a really cool day just spent wandering around and things; was really tired by the end of that so just had a relaxed day.
Saturday I did some more wandering and looking around, and then met up with my partner's friend to go for some drinks. Turned into a very good night out on Castro street, met some really nice people and it was just great to finally get a night away from the hostel and have a dance. Treated myself to a very random breakfast (it was called a Wagon Wheel and was potato, a burger patty with gravy and mince on top and then a fried egg as well- it tasted better than it sounds I promise!) and then a Chinese in the evening as well.
Last day in San Fran today so I'm thinking of heading out to Ocean Beach and exploring that area because I haven't been there yet. Early train tomorrow which is going to take me to Truckee, a town on the banks of Lake Tahoe and then to Salt Lake City for two nights.
The journey continues.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
San Francisco, Days 4-6; Thom Gunn Archives
One of the things that I was most excited about coming to San Fran was the chance to get up to Berkley and get inside the archives of my hero Thom Gunn, who I am moving on to research in October. The archives are huge and extensive and three days certainly isn't enough time to get done everything I wanted to do but I feel like I made a good start and certainly found enough cool stuff to be going on with.
There are some incredible things there, annotated poems which Thom would read from which give unique insights into the meanings behind some poems. Diaries which Gunn kept meticulously everyday from the 1960's and even one harrowing one from his childhood. There are lots of files of correspondence, from friends and colleagues and there are little bits of paper, scraps and scribbles hidden everywhere which proved to be a real treasure trove of information. I know more about the man that I ever did and I feel like, for the first time, that my book on him could be something truly interesting- presuming nobody beats me to it!
The best thing I took away from Gunn was his love- for all his friends, for his long time companion, for his family. The intimacy of an entire city and an entire community, encapsulated in one man, is on show and it's breathtaking. Some of the most moving moments came when looking through Fan-Mail to Gunn, much of which he managed to reply to. On the back of one letter, received towards the very end of his life, Gunn has scribbled a reply which it is unsure whether he ever sent. It is truly beautiful and shows Gunn's compassion to be immeasurable.
3 Days was not enough time but I was grateful for anytime spent with such wonderful articles and documents. Hopefully, as my project progresses, I will be able to go back again.
There are some incredible things there, annotated poems which Thom would read from which give unique insights into the meanings behind some poems. Diaries which Gunn kept meticulously everyday from the 1960's and even one harrowing one from his childhood. There are lots of files of correspondence, from friends and colleagues and there are little bits of paper, scraps and scribbles hidden everywhere which proved to be a real treasure trove of information. I know more about the man that I ever did and I feel like, for the first time, that my book on him could be something truly interesting- presuming nobody beats me to it!
The best thing I took away from Gunn was his love- for all his friends, for his long time companion, for his family. The intimacy of an entire city and an entire community, encapsulated in one man, is on show and it's breathtaking. Some of the most moving moments came when looking through Fan-Mail to Gunn, much of which he managed to reply to. On the back of one letter, received towards the very end of his life, Gunn has scribbled a reply which it is unsure whether he ever sent. It is truly beautiful and shows Gunn's compassion to be immeasurable.
3 Days was not enough time but I was grateful for anytime spent with such wonderful articles and documents. Hopefully, as my project progresses, I will be able to go back again.
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