Newsletter, May, 2016
What a month I’ve had!
This
was my month in America, the month when I refresh and reset my writing,
and when I get to see the wonderful things the USA has to offer. This
time, my husband came with me, so we had
double the fun!
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| The elegant ladies of the NOLA RWA chapter - plus husband and me. |
Since
I went for five weeks this time, there’s no way I can write this in one
newsletter, but I do plan more detailed summaries to come. I can,
however, do a flying trip around the
highlights. There were so many!
The
first ten days were spent in New Orleans, first staying with a lovely
friend and her family in Mandeville, over the longest bridge I’d ever
travelled on. We went to places I would
never have discovered as a tourist, and got a fascinating glimpse of
what it would be like to live in New Orleans, or close by. We had lunch
with ladies from the NOLA RWA chapter, and had the enormous privilege of
enjoying
an Easter Sunday brunch with our hosts, author Leah Penn and her family.
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| On a trolley car in New Orleans |
Then
to New Orleans itself, and there we met up with Aussies Megan Bamford
and her husband. What fun we had! Our hotel was right in the French
Quarter, but after one quick Bourbon Street
experience, we opted for the other delights NOLA has to offer, like
shopping on Royal Street and listening to the fabulous music produced by
the jazz bands there. It was the perfect way to start our visit.
After
lingering in New Orleans, we took the plane to Las Vegas, and a
completely different experience! Our hotel, Planet Hollywood, was kind
enough to upgrade us, so we found ourselves in
a beautiful suite overlooking the Paris balloon, and the Bellagio
fountains. Sitting in a comfortable armchair, watching the fountain
display is a memory that will remain with me for a long time. Vegas is
everything I expected
–– noisy, busy, and chiselling, in the sense that they want every last
dime you’re prepared to give, and then some. It’s the last “some” that I
found unpleasant. Resort fees, where you’re
basically paying upwards of $30 a day for the privilege of using the
hotel’s internet and fitness facilities, for instance. That’s something
that should be included in a hotel package, but presumably the use of
personal hotspots have reduced the way the hotel can charge. The deposit
taken at check-in, which depletes disposable income, even if it is
returned at the end of the visit, and the constant surcharges for this
and that, that
turn affordable into extortionate.
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| Me blocking the view of the Grand Canyon |
But
everybody should see Vegas at least once, and this was my once. I’d go
back for a day or two, perhaps to see a show, which I didn’t manage this
visit, but probably not for
an extended visit.
We took a couple of days out to see the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.
That
was so worth it, I might have travelled over the ocean just to see
that. The Canyon is – staggering, unbelievable, wonderful, stunningly
beautiful and so much more. It’s
like I said when I posted my picture on Facebook – there are no words.
Of course I’ve seen pictures and read descriptions, but, like
Michelangelo’s David, it’s something you have to see in order to
appreciate.
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| Megan and yours truly in the prep room before the convention. |
After
that, came the RT Convention. This was a strange one, mainly because of
the hotel. It was half a mile from our room to the convention centre,
so every time I forgot something or needed
a break, I had that mile to trudge, through the smoky casino which was
nearly always empty, or close to it. It was one of the most depressing
places I have ever been in my life! The Rio is in desperate need of a
facelift,
as everything is tired. The rooms were tired, but it was nice to have a
refrigerator and plenty of space. There was no central bar or lobby
area for people to gather informally, either, although the hotel did its
best to
accomodate us. The staff were pleasant, but there wasn’t a lot they
could do to alleviate the slowly deteriorating hotel. On the first and
second days, it rained, sending the whole of Las Vegas into meltdown.
Several
rooms in the hotel leaked, and occupants had to be moved.
But
the convention was fun, and I got some business done as well. More of
that, later. And while I was there, “Dilemma in Yellow Silk” came out
and did very nicely. It was really
nice to have copies to sign at the Kensington party!
After
the convention, we went to stay with a friend in Texas, Anna
Albergucci. She has the most astonishingly lovely house, every corner of
which demonstrates her creative imagination. I’ll
try to get her permission to post some photos!
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| Martin and I with a fantastic guide at the Alamo |
We
ended our trip with a day in San Antonio. It’s always fun to walk by
the Riverwalk and watch the lights, have a meal and watch the world go
by. Plus, there’s the Alamo. We
stayed at the Menger, a lovely old hotel built twenty years after the
Battle of the Alamo. San Antonio is a beautiful city full of history and
interest. My husband said he could easily have spent more time there,
but it was
time to go home.
The
journey was long, and for me, arduous, since for the first time ever, I
got airsickness. It was dire. I climbed aboard the plane with a
migraine, and that was probably why I was so ill.
For the most part the stewards pretended not to notice, but that was
okay with me, and my lovely husband took the greatest care of me.
I got home and slept, and here I am now, writing this.
See you next month!
Lynne Connolly
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