Sunday 20th March This morning was a rare time on this circumnavigation because we had bad weather. We explored the Pudding Creek trestle bridge. Timber trestle bridges were commonplace on the Northwestern Pacific railway network as there were many deep inlets to cross (as we did yesterday in the car) and a wooden trestle could …
Saturday 19th March We left Valley Ford as the sun was burning off the early morning mist over the marshy lowlands and undulating meadows of this farming region. We shortly passed through the fishing harbour of Bodega Bay which is protected by the massive bulk of Bodega Head. The bay was discovered for Europeans by …
Friday 18th March Our mission today was to retrace our steps up Highway 1 North, crossing the loess of China in North America, to reach the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco by lunchtime. Through the coastal range to San Francisco. We achieved this and along with hundreds of other people explored the 1.7 mile …
Thursday 17th March We are based in Monterey which is the historic capital of California under the Spanish and Mexicans. There are many historical sites here but the one that is perhaps most important can be followed along the Path of History which is the old railway line used to export sardines and their reductions …
Wednesday 16th March As we could not sail the Pacific we are now making the most of our time on the west coast to see things we haven’t had chance to see on previous visits. We collected a hire car in order to explore the west coast and reach Seattle in order to continue with …
Tuesday 15th March We have just completed an exploration of the cable car network of the Downtown and Fisherman’s Wharf Districts. Essentially these are a tourist attraction but for some local people they are an easy way of getting up and down the steep hills of the city. Some of these hills are at least …
Monday 14th March We were up and at it early this morning in order to guarantee good seats for photography for the first open top bus tour of the city. The morning was bright, dry and a little crisp and Fisherman’s Wharf was coming to life. For the next two and a half hours the …
Sunday 13th March Dear Readers Today has been another getting there day. We left Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport on a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777 – 300 extended range, which means it can fly the Pacific with ease. This 10 hour flight was necessary because of the cancellation of the container ship. The railway journeys …
Saturday 12th March We arrived in Shanghai a little late at 8:15 as a result of track maintenance and single-line working during the night. Shanghai station is a more modern and spacious one, quite near the city centre. Following check-in and breakfast back at the Yangtze Hotel we revisited some of the Art Deco buildings …
Friday 11th March Today we have a train to Shanghai to catch so we have time for some final visits and lunch before catching train Z94. Our first stop was the Bell Tower which we accessed from underground in the middle of the roundabout upon which it is located. The Tower was built in 1384 …