I had great visions for yesterday – visions of lovely Natchez, of stately Civil War-era homes and of cotton-growing. But they weren’t to be, thanks to what I later discovered to be TD5.

It rained heavily pretty much from the moment we set out from Vicksburg on Route 61 on our way to Natchez. And that rain, as I learned on the local Louisiana news that night, was courtesy of Tropical Depression 5 – or TD5 for short – a weather system that luckily didn’t grow into a hurricane. Now that would’ve been a travel adventure (and a few blog posts) to remember! more…

Vicksburg, Mississippi is a town with a bloody history. As a major Confederate stronghold strategically located on the Mississippi River – the South’s major supply line – it took beating after beating as Union troops tried repeatedly to capture the city during the US Civil War.

A lengthy and brutal siege by northern forces in the spring and early summer of 1863 eventually took its toll on the Confederate forces, as well as the beleaguered townsfolk, many of whom had taken refuge in caves dug into the surrounding hills as a way of avoiding the constant shelling.

Food supplies became scarce, and by the time the city fell, the city’s cat and dog population had almost completely vanished and civilians and soldiers alike were also resorting to eating mule meat and even rats. more…

It’s Elvis Week here in Memphis – which I didn’t know when I set about plotting our roadtrip through the South. To be honest, and this is certainly a sacrilege in this town, I’m not even really that much of an Elvis fan. But I’ve always considered Graceland to be one of those “must sees” on my list of American cultural sights and attractions, sort of like the Cheers bar in Boston and Southfork Ranch in Texas.

So here we are. more…

We’re on our way south, Bill and I, on a road trip to the southern US. Today, we crossed three states enroute to our first destination, Memphis, spending the whole day doing nothing but driving and enjoying the sights and sounds of the I-75. And I-65. And I-40.

There’ll be lots to write about once we get off the Interstate but after 1,500 km of driving over the last couple of days, here are five things we’ve learned:
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Every time I get onto an airplane, I experience the same sensations.

I feel butterflies in my stomach. My hands get clammy. My face gets red. My heart starts to pound and my pulse starts to race. And it gets progressively worse until the plane is in the air and the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign.

You see, I have a fear of flying. more…

It’s the very last thing I expected when I stepped off the Eurostar at St. Pancras station yesterday. The UK has a certain reputation where the weather is concerned, so imagine my surprise when I found out that I’ve unknowingly walked into Britain’s first heat wave in three years.

Now granted, after just spending the better part of a week freezing my bits off in Switzerland amidst endless fog and rain, I was quite pleased to see the sun shining and feel the warmth of its rays on my face.
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