Néné La Beet

I've decided to have a separate blog for our travels, which is kept in English. On this one I'll post comments on events in Denmark or use it for mean gossip in Danish about our American friends and family...
Please bookmark my new blog!            

My second cousin Bruce and his wife Nancy picked us up in Austin in their SUV. If you think that everybody in Denmark drives one, think again. But here it seems somewhat more called for. My uncles house is way out in the sticks at the end of a long driveway and they have really steep hills where they live. It’s not called the Hill Country for nothing.

We went directly to the RV-center where an incredibly patient man with a serious twang went through the operation of the RV with us. There are lots of things to remember! Already one day later we’d already forgotten how to put up the awning... However, Texans are incredibly nice and helpful, and people go way out of their way to help us. We don’t mind being the entertainment...

The RV was EMPTY when we got it (we knew that) and yesterday we went to Target to stock up on everything. Dear me, a lot of little Chinese must be working real hard to offer us rich westerners prices like that! And the choice. Well, everybody who’s been to the US knows about this, but it never ceases to astound me never the less. We bought everything from electric kettle to washing up liquid, sheets and pillows, knives and cutting board. Then off to a supermarket to stock up on food.

When we first picked up the vehicle and drove to the camp site Rio Raft where we are now, it was so late that we didn’t have time to buy anything. So when we woke up – ridiculously early because we still suffer from jetlag (we’re old you know), we had nothing (but the sheets and assorted tableware we’d borrowed from Nancy and Bruce). No water, no coffee, nothing but Dane’s weetabix and a little bit of milk Nancy had given us. So he was happy enough! And of course he doesn’t suffer from jetlag anymore. He’s just anxious to get in the pool and staying there all day, whereas we want to get out and do something.

We’re so fortunate that Bruce has lent us his gorgeous Cadillac Convertible, so we don’t have to drive around the area and do shopping in the RV. It’s real scary to park this thing! Driving these hilly roads in this heat is just fantastic in a red Cadillac!

Austin seem from State Capitol (picture by Dane) 

Will I ever get used to American cities that don't have a "real" (real meaning European style) downtown? You walk for miles and only see scattered shops. Today we've been trawling Congress Avenue, which is, I believe, the main road in Austin and the downtown area. Quite a few jewellery shops and a good deal of fast food places, hotels and restaurants, but other than that?

Well, in the end we let ourselves be directed to an area called 6st Street and Lamar Blvd., where we were told there was an awesome bookshop. We needed a Texas guidebook and besides, bookshops are my primary craving.

Before we found it, we found something else. The worlds largest organic food shop. I have never seen anything like it, and I come directly from England, where a Waitrose Supermarket is already a zillion times more interesting and appealing than any Danish supermarket could ever be.

Well, we bought some stuff for lunch. Freshly made sushi for David and me, 8 California makis per person. A slice of pizza and a small carton of organic milk for Dane and a big box of fresh berries to share. And some super-healthy and tasty beverages to go with the food. And some hand made cookies for Dane. That was 40 dollars (220 kr./20 pounds)!

Then we were ready to hit the bookstore. We spent more than two hours in there! It's called Bookpeople and it holds a lot more than just books. Which was lucky for Dane, or he'd have been bored to death... They are open 7 days a week till 11 pm. Wauw!!!!

At the check-out counter they sold electronic George Bush key-rings. But no, not the ones you might picture, Austin being in Texas and all. These one counted the days, hours, minutes and seconds till the nation is rid of George W. Bush. I resisted buying one, but was most tempted!

Tired back and tired feet and tired little head too. Will go lie down even if it's only 5:15 pm here. And tonight we'll go eat something really rustic and Texan. Will let you know how that turns out :-)

You see, I've already started the abb. the American way!

Flight was without any trouble whatsoever, but of course long and tiring. We arrived first at Ft. Worth Airport in Dallas, an almost futuristic airport with a high rise electrical train between terminals (five of them). We had a junk food dinner which I guess is more or less the rule when you first land in America. Then we hung out in the chill-out lounge at Starbucks until our next flight. It lasted only 55 minutes and got us to Austin at seven o'clock our time - that would have been 1 o'clock Danish time and 2 o'clock English time. We took a taxi to our B&B, went out for a meal of Mexican tacos and then fell into a stupor, which we unfortunately woke up from already at 4 o'clock our time.

Now, at 7:30 we're all showered, brushed up on the world news (American news casts do obituaries before seven in the morning!!!) and SO SO ready for coffee and a substantial breakfast.

The heat and the humidity is of course fantastic. We just can't wait till midday...

More later!

På torsdag tømmes huset, og alle vores ejendele køres på "fjernlager". Fredag formiddag flyver vi til England. Onsdag den 5. september flyver vi Heathrow - Dallas/Dallas - Austin. Fredag den 7. september henter vi RV'en ...