15/9/14 - At The Airport

I'm writing this from LA International airport. There's just a couple of hours now before I board my flight, so after finishing this I will read my book, get my duty-frees, and prepare to board. The duty-free shops have declined since I was last here in October 2011, so there really isn't much to buy except Jack Daniels and wine. Time was when every major airport had book and CD shops, but not now. That's the impact of the web for you.

This morning I had a leisurely breakfast, packed, and then went shopping in the locality of the hotel. I bought some trainers and jeans at reasonable prices. I then went for a swim in the hotel pool before checking out of my room and driving off. I set out very early for the airport because if I'd left it later I'd have got caught in LA rush-hour traffic. That meant that I was through Security by half-four, giving me lots of time to kill until boarding at just after 9. Still, that's better than being caught in a jam and risking being late.

Until now I've occupied myself with reading, having a beer, and then a pizza. Only a couple of hours to go now before boarding.

The final CD I heard in the car was Martin Newell's "Number Thirteen". It has been great catching up with his stuff on this trip.

A year ago I wrote from San Francisco airport that that would be my last USA trip. This time, having completed some unfinished business in Washington and LA, I mean it. I think I've got the US thoroughly out of my system now, and am really looking forward to being back in England.   

14/9/14 - LA

Drove down to San Diego after breakfast and a 'phone call. The drive was very easy - straight down on I-5 - and the scenery was hilly in parts and quite flat in the  middle of the journey. For a good while I was driving alongside the Pacific Ocean, which was awesome. When I arrived in San Diego I parked on 4th Avenue / F Street and walked round the shopping area.

Initially I found loads of cafes but few shops. However I eventually found a shopping mall which had a Macys and other high-quality shops. I found a good bookshop and bought a couple of novels, and also ascertained that there were no CD shops in San Diego. Appalling ! So I made my way back to the car park and drove down to the coastline. There was a large aircraft carrier there which has now been refurbished as an entertainment complex. I managed to get a few pictures while the car was stuck in traffic but there wasn't a ready opportunity to stop and get out.

On the way back I went East along Freeway 8 trying to find a CD shop which the girl in the bookshop had directed me to. However I was unable to find it, so I carried on north to LA. I stopped at a Rest Area to take some pictures and then again at Anaheim to fill up. Then it was back to the hotel for a quick swim in the open-air pool.

Loads of music of course - Johnny Winter and the New York Dolls  on the way down, and two more Martin Newell CDs on the drive back. I enjoyed the Newell the most and the Dolls the least. I seem to be very much in a "song" mood as opposed to outright rock'n'roll.

I am glad to have seen San Diego and it is an attractive city right on the Pacific coastline. It is also a very important centre for the US Navy. So concludes the last full day of my trip.      

13/9/14 - LA

Long driving day today so that I could fit in all the places I wanted to see around LA. I started by making the 50-minute trip to Hawthorne to see the monument commemorating the house where the Beach Boys grew up. It's a brick structure with a sculpture of the five of them holding a surf board on the top. It's a generally low-class (by LA standards) suburb near Inglewood and the airport. I hope that one day a more appropriate tribute is constructed to Brian Wilson's genius. But I'm glad I've seen it nevertheless.

From there I drove to the corner of Doheny Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard and parked in Beverley Hills so I could get out and see The Troubadour, which was the club where The Byrds first formed and a key venue for the late sixties / early seventies singer-songwriter scene. The place itself was nothing notable but it had to be visited.

After a stroll round the locality (and a fruitless search for a toilet, often an issue in LA) I drove north along Doheny Drive and then up into the hills before coming down again into Sunset Boulevard. I then went up Laurel Canyon Boulevard, found Lookout Mountain Avenue, and located no. 8217. This was Joni Mitchell's house in the late sixties which she shared with Graham Nash, an arrangement celebrated in the latter's song "Our House" on the C,S,N, & Y Deja Vu album (this song is much derided by critics but appeals strongly to the soppy romantic in me.). I annoyed a few drivers by stopping on the narrow road to take some pictures.

I then drove through the rest of the canyon, observing the hyper-plush houses and the spectacular views. It's hard to imagine a bunch of hippy musicians living there now as they did in the late sixties. I stopped on Mulholland Drive at the top of the canyon, mainly to take some pictures but also to find a secluded spot to address the now-pressing bladder imperative. Once relieved of this I drove along Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the north and eventually to Ventura Boulevard. After a stop for petrol I turned left into Topanga Canyon Boulevard and drove through the canyon.

Topanga Canyon has its own music history with the likes of Neil Young, Canned Heat, and Spirit having lived there. The views were again spectacular but there were not enough parking places to enable me to get pictures. I stopped at the Topanga Gallery and looked round the gift shops, but it was all a bit "new-agey" for me. From there I drove south down the Pacific Coast Highway, then east on I-10 and then south on the I-5 back to Anaheim.

Loads of music playing of course - the 3rd Grateful Dead CD, new albums by Robyn Hitchcock and Ty Segall, and two Martin Newell CDs. I enjoyed them all, with maybe the pick of the bunch being the Ty Segall. The songs had a few interesting twists and turns in them and some of the guitar work grabbed my attention.

All in all a very successful day. I can now agree with Randy Newman that "I Love LA".           

12/9/14 - LA

Was woken up at 7:45 by a 'phone call from the Virgin rep, so had less than six rather fitful hours' sleep. I had a moan about Alamo, but then she did give me some useful information about how best to get to Hollywood which I used later in the day. So I was actually glad of the call.

I unpacked, had breakfast (expensive but very good), made a 'phone call, and sorted myself out for the day. I drove to Atlantic Station in East LA, where there's free parking and a Metro Line into Downtown LA. I caught the train at about 13:00, changed at Union Station, and reached the stop at Hollywood and Vine at 14:00. From there it was straight to Amoeba Records, where I bought a few really great CDs including new ones from Robyn Hitchcock and Ty Segall, a Johnny Winter live recording, the New York Dolls second album, and a couple of Martin Newell remastered compilations which I was delighted to find since I only have that material on poor-quality cassette copies. I only got the Newell CDs because they were playing them in the shop. Had a brief chat with the guy on the Info counter about Martin Newell, Ty Segall, and other little-known but brilliant artists. It's always nice to come across other people who share my sometimes obscure tastes. 

I got back to the car park at about 16:00, but then it took me 90 mins due to the traffic on I-5 to drive to the hotel. Never mind - I was enjoying the Grateful Dead CD I bought yesterday. It's a magical performance from 1972 which is when the group were at the full height of their improvisatory powers, plus the songs from that period are their strongest. So that kept me happy all the way to Anaheim. I'm now totally shattered and will be having an early night after a few iced beers and a light supper.               

11/9/14 - Washington to LA

Long day today so I packed up and checked out at leisure. I caught the bus to 12th Street, where I'd spotted a Barnes and Noble the day before. I bought a Grateful Dead live triple CD, a biography of Franklin Rooslevelt, and two magazines. After lunch I made my way back to Georgetown and caught the Super Shuttle to Dulles International at 16:30. The end of three really great days in Washington, which expunged the memories of losing my wallet on my previous visit.

At the airport I had supper and a beer and attempted to write an email. However I had problems accessing the Wi-Fi in the airport, and then Microsoft decided to disable my email account, something that happens from time to time if they decide that there's some suspicious activity - like me trying to use it ! - on there. (Postscript - as of Friday 12th the problem seems to have sorted itself out).

The five-hour flight was fine, and I divided my time between dozing and reading The Middle Ground. The only disturbing factor was someone behind me coughing, sneezing, and snuffling the entire way. I don't seem to have caught anything yet so fingers crossed. However that was nothing compared to the hassles I had with Alamo - firstly their shuttle was late, leaving us standing around outside the terminal for 40 mins. Then, having arrived at the car rental point, there was a long queue and only two Agents serving. So I didn't pick up my car until well after midnight  (3 AM to my body clock).

Having got the car I had a bit of a tussle getting the Satnav set up, but set off just after half-twelve and reached my hotel in Anaheim ok. I got to bed at about 2 AM.   

10/9/14 - Washington

Took me a while this morning to sort out my lift to the airport tomorrow. So I didn't leave the hotel until after 10:00. I walked to the "hop on/off" pick-up point in Georgetown and then caught the bus into the middle of town. I got off at the Smithsonian Museum of American History and then walked round there for an hour. The examples of the development of American transport were fascinating, but I was most affected by the section on the War for Independence. Going round this section I got a very clear sense of the development of that conflict and how it was resolved.

I then had lunch outside and walked to the Jefferson memorial. The sun had come out and it was a lovely afternoon, the best patch of weather so far. The Jefferson memorial has four quotes on the walls inside it, all of which are stirring. I have so much respect for that man.

I then walked on a bit and sat and read for a while by the lake. The view here was amazing - right back towards Washington Mall. I then visited the memorials of Roosevelt (FDR), Martin Luther King, and Lincoln. I have visited these before (in 2012) but was stirred anew by the inspiring quotes displayed. The long wall upon which the various sayings of MLK are displayed is awe-inspiring. An incredibly great man who stood up for love in the widest sense as the only way to overcome darkness and conflict. 

Following that I had a long bus journey back to Georgetown via the evening traffic, stopping for hal-an-hour at Union Station. Musically I started the day with Ty Segall's "Sleeper" and then played the Byrds' classic "Ÿounger Than Yesterday" on the return back. I particularly enjoyed the great David Crosby songs on the latter.

      

9/9/14 - Washington

Woke at 3:30 and got off again c. 4. Got up at 6:45, sorted some stuff out for the day, and went to breakfast c. 7:30. The food was delicious - eggs "sunny side up" and crispy bacon - and set me up well for the day. I bought a 48-hour "drop on/off" bus ticket in the hotel shop and set off on the 20-minute walk to the bus stop. I changed in the centre for another route which took me across the Potomac to the Arlington Cemetry.

Once there I walked through the cemetry to John Kennedy's grave with the eternal flame on top. I found it very peaceful and moving there; JFK's assassination affected not only the US nation but millions of people throughout the world, for whom he symbolised the positive hopes of the 1960s. I also found some of the sayings of Robert Kennedy which were by his grave to be very affecting. I then went to see the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and read Margaret Drabble's "The Middle Ground" for a while.

I then took the bus to the Pentagon and then Pentagon City. Amazingly they had a huge shopping Mall here including a Fashion Mall which proved very interesting. I had lunch and then took the bus back to the Washington Mall, where I walked along to the Capitol building. More reading here, then back again. Dropped my MP3 player on the steps surrounding the Capitol, which could have been very annoying - luckily there was no damage done. While walking I listened to "Hooker'n'Heat" - it felt appropriate to hear this great blues album in this most quintessentially American of settings. Blues is the most honest of music forms and John Lee Hooker and Al Wilson were two of its finest practitioners.

From there I got the bus back, and very much appreciated the Dupont Circle with all its attractive-looking shops. Also the architecture as we came through the domestic area between there and Georgetown was fascinating, with a great variety of styles including one house which was only nine feet wide. From there it was a quick stop at the Supermarket and back to the room.

The weather has been cloudy, muggy, and dry today and I took full advantage. Tomorrow is due to bring some rain, so I have many more indoor activities lined up.               

8/9/14 - Flight to Washington

This is the first day of my latest - and almost certainly last - solo US trip. I got up at 5:45 and left the flat at 6:45. The traffic on the M25 was horrendous, and I only got to Terminal 3 at 8:30. The taxi driver was extremely garrulous, telling me all about his plans for various business ventures. I shall look out for flyers for "The Amazing Curry Company" next year - be interesting to see if it materialises.  

After going through Security I had Eggs Benedict for breakast and stocked up with reading matter and food for the plane. The flight itself was quite turbulent in the 2nd half, but I was absorbed in Margaret Drabble's "The Realms Of Gold" which I finished. Had a very nice Chilli - unusually edible for Virgin food - and also read The Times. I heard two great albums on my MP3 player. The first was "Argus" by Wishbone Ash, which I hadn't played for ages and really enjoyed. The twin-guitar work is always arresting, the songs have some very original riffs and structures, and I noticed more of the lyrics. Then I moved on to "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" which is, of course, an all-time classic. It features McGuinn's sonic experimentation at its absolute peak, and there are no remotely weak moments on the album. 

We landed at 15:00 but I didn't get to the hotel until just before 18:00. When we got off the plane we had to wait to be transported to the Immigration area and then the queues were horrendous. I didn't get out of the airport until 16:45, and then there was a lot of traffic driving into Georgetown. The taxi fare was a bit of a shock - $75 ! But then I quickly got into my room and then nipped out for some supplies before writing this at 19:20 US time. Since for me it is 00:20 the next morning, I will be having an early night. 

Tomorrow the plan is to go down to the Capitol and Washington Mall. There's loads of awesome history to soak up there. 

September 2nd 2014

Just trying out the Blog facility on the Tablet prior to taking it to the US. Life is so much better than I ever dreamed possible at the start of the year ! So while I'm looking forward to the trip, what I'm looking forward to even more is life back in England when I return. At the start of the year I felt a bit of "bounce" come back, and now I've been rewarded big time ! I'm just feeling thankful tonight.   
 

World Cup

What a great World Cup it's been ! The Group stages were full of thrilling matches, the most memorable being Holland's games against Spain and Australia. Then, in the last 16, Brazil escaped elimination against Chile by the width of a goalpost, and Costa Rica v Greece was packed with incident, especially after Costa Rica went down to 10 men. Columbia scored two fine goals against a toothless Uruguay.
Most memorable of all was Belgium v USA. Both teams went for all-out attack, and Tim Howard pulled off loads of great saves. In the second period of extra time the USA started two down, yet pulled one back and found the stamina to keep on pressing. Their courage was amazing and they deserved to reach penalties.
The quarter-finals were disappointing apart from Costa Rica's bravery against Holland. The antics of the Dutch keeper in the shoot-out were a disgrace. But the semis were the real deal. Last night Holland and Argentina played 120 mins of gripping technical football, unsulllied by anything as vulgar as a shot on target . Argentina deserved to win as they were the more positive side. On Tuesday, by contrast, Brazil became the tragic heroes of the tournament. Their act of conceding 4 goals in 6 minutes symbolised so many things - by falling apart so completely and utterly they played out the drama of the collapse of western capitalism and also the trainwreck which my own life has been in the past three years. From the heights of 1970 and 1982 to the utter disintegration of Tuesday  - it was truly cathartic to witness. Socrates would have been proud.
It's been a horrible year - domestic hassles, legal nonsense, and problems with my eyes. The World Cup has been a brief glimmer a light for me. I trust that the remaining two matches will provide a suitable ending to a truly historic tournament.

2014

I'm writing this on the Sunday evening prior to returning to work on January 6th. I'm a bit apprehensive about the New Year as there's a new storage heater waiting to be fitted, and my bathroom is going to be re-done on Jan 13th. I'm hoping that it all goes ok and that further hassles do not arise.

Apart from my amazing US and Paris trips, the last three years have been sheer hell. I've lost nearly everything - my wife, my house, 58% of my pension, and a lot of money besides. Winter is a very hard time when you're stuck on your own in a Studio Flat without friends. I'm not a practical man and find many aspects of living alone frightening. I will probably need to resort to Valium to get through the winter.

However over the last few months I have found a bit of the old "bounce" returning. I want to find one or two social things to get involved in, and will be having some golf lessons in the Spring. I do need to do something about all the CDs I've got in the place - there are simply too many for a one-room flat. I plan to have a comprehensive "spring-clean" done on the place and then maybe have a Cleaner in for a few hours a week to get the place a bit better. I do have the occasional cleaning spurt but what with a full-time job and my natural laziness I really do not keep up.

Most of my music listening at the moment derives from my September US trip. In particularly I'm really into Minneapolis bands like The Replacements and Husker Du. In the mid-eighties these were probably the best bands in the world. It was such an experience to stay in Minneapolis and drive round Minnesota. The weather was nice and sunny then, especially when I visited Duluth - but it will be very wintry at the moment.

So what do I want to happen this year ? Basically I just want to do my best at work and look for something to change in my personal life. The isolated life I've been living for the last three years is grinding me down.  

September 22nd - San Fran Airport

I am writing this in the departure lounge at San Francisco airport. I spent most of this morning looking for a reasonably-priced watch as my previous one had broken. This was not easy in the Downtown district as it's full of plush shops. Eventually I found a cheapo department store called Ross and found one there for 50 dollars. I went into Rasputin on Powell Street and spent a fair bit on CDs. Then it was back to the Deli store for lunch.

I am very much looking forward to getting back now, and this will certainly be the last of my solo US trips. Now that I'm settling into (or am resigned to) my new life I am keen to re-build things in England rather than keep escaping to the US. And I am rather tired of travelling alone. I have met some very nice couples here - last night I got talking to Jim and Katherine outside the hotel. Katherine comes from Macon, which I visited on this trip. Jim comes from Atlanta and is a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, whose music I was playing a lot when in Georgia. They were impressed with my tales of my month-long drive of two years ago. But nice as all this is, it would be nice to be part of a couple myself with maybe Grandkids on the way. If I ever become a grandfather things will be complicated by the divorce.

The weather here is bright and sunny - I dread to think what it's like in England. Whatever, I will not be putting the heating on until November ! It will be nice to have a few pints of good old English bitter after the stuff I've been drinking here. There will also be the new Roy Harper album to look forward to as I pre-ordered it before I left !

The As have clinched their place in the play-offs ! At last I have a team to support which wins ! (unlike poor Palace at the moment).

September 21st - The As

Went to see Oakland Athletics this pm. They beat Minnesota 9-1 and didn't need their final innings as they batted second. Their batting was quite awesome, and they scored 5 in the second innings. Minnesota only managed a single home run in the fifth (the Oakland crowd booed this, which I thought was a bit unsporting as Oakland were always going to win - but I suppose that Americans don't cheer the underdog as we English do). The game was meant to start at 1, but didn't begin until after 3 due to the rain. While we waited I got chatting to a lovely couple called Larry and Kathy who live up in the mountains near Yosemite. Kathy said that they get bears coming to the window, which would terrify me. They grew up in the valley and are lifelong As fans - they say that the atmosphere at the Giants is so bad that many Giants fans now come and watch Oakland. I found the same friendly reception when I came to the As before - As fans are great and they're my team ! They will almost certainly now be in the play-offs for the World Series.

I had a good seat, and in front of me was a real all-American family - Mom and Dad and four small boys, all As fans. Mom was such a lively person and dealt so lovingly with the boys. Dad was quieter and focussed more on the game. For me they epitomised the friendly family atmosphere that they have at Oakland - a bit different to when my son and I go to Palace. The English tend to be either middle-class and cold or working-class and loutish. The one English quality I do like (and value in myself) is a sense of restraint, understatement, and self-deprecating humour - you don't find that over here !

The day didn't look promising initially. After breakfast at a Diner on the corner of Sutter and Powell it started to rain, and I wondered whether the game would be on. I wandered round Macy's for a bit to keep dry and had an orange juice in the hotel. I then decided to go to Oakland anyway, and the concierge was very helpful re the Bart trains. So off I went, got my ticket at the stadium (35 dollars), ate some extortionate but nice hot-dogs - and then the rain started up again ! But it stopped by 3 and the afternoon became dry and sunny.

So I've fulfilled my dream of seeing the As again ! A perfect end to the holiday. Tomorrow I shall check out of my room and wander round the local shops. A great CD shop called Rasputin is nearby, so I just might make a couple of last-minute purchases ! Then I leave for the airport after lunch and the flight is due to leave at 18:50. I was pleased this evening to be able to change my seat from a middle seat to an aisle seat - ten hours stuck between two people would have been a bit cramped ! (Woody Allen said that sex between two people can be a wonderful thing - you just have to find the right two people to get between).

My next blog will be back in England in my little Studio pad. I'm not looking forward to the English winter, but I am a bit homesick now. Travelling in the US so much in the last couple of years has helped me to appreciate the good things about my own country - however much Thatcher, Blair, and the Coalition have messed it up.                   

September 20th - Frisco Day 2

Went round the corner for breakfast as the hotel restaurant is pricey. Initially they brought me the wrong meal, but this was soon corrected and it was delicious. I then went to Union Square and caught the "drop on / off" open-top bus, which takes you on a two-hour trip round the city. We went through the Tenderloin district, so named because the police had to be given extra money to patrol it, and they would spend this on better-quality meat ! I stayed on until we reached the Natural History museum in Golden Gate Park.

I went into the museum. There were some extraordinary fish tanks with creatures of all different shapes and colours. I was reminded of Ringo's "Octopuses' Garden" off Abbey Road. There was some very well-presented material on evolution - all totally fallacious of course as everyone knows that God created all the species simultaneously 4000 years ago, but well-presented nevertheless. That reminds me - yesterday at Fisherman's Wharf there were some Christians selling Bible Study pamphlets. Now I am fascinated by The Bible and know it pretty well, so I got talking to them about the book of Revelation (one of my faves). We had a good old chat about the pre-millenium Rapture. As I went off I passed the usual down-and-outs that you see round here - and it bothered me that I didn't stop and try to help them. These deadbeats would once have been innocent young boys playing with their mates and looking forward to what life has to offer. It doesn't take much for someone to slip into homelessness over here, and England is pretty much just as bad. I also reflected (with sadness, guilt, and anger) that my own children are now the products of a broken home. One of my aims when I get back is to find better ways of helping the disadvantaged in our society.

Back to today - after leaving the museum I had lunch and read for a bit, before making my way to Haight Ashbury and Amoeba records. There I bought 2 Galaxie 500 CDs, plus Robyn Hitchcock's Respect, Randy Newman's Trouble In Paradise, and a Quicksilver Messenger Service live 1968 double CD. I popped into Land Of The Sun, where I get my San Fran t-shirts, but nothing caught my fancy. I then bought a Patterson Hood solo album in Rasputin - the album is all about his divorce, so I should have a good time with that one !

Having completed my purchases I walked all the way back to the hotel, which took 1.5 hours. This gave me a chance to see streets I haven't visited before - I really do know my way around here pretty well now. The architecture here never fails to yield new pleasures.

Tomorrow is my last full day. It is great to be in 'Frisco but I doubt whether I will return unless it is with a partner. One slightly unfortunate aspect of it is that I'm not in the Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf - when you're there breakfast is thrown in as part of the deal and you meet people. This hotel is more of a business facility and I haven't really got talking to anyone. One the plus side, the room is very high-tech and has a fridge. In general I am feeling homesick for England now, which didn't happen on previous trips. I take this as a sign of progress in my recovery from the last two terrible years - when I was over here before it was such an escape from things at home, but now my own life is starting to come together a bit.

I'm going to have a great last day tomorrow - the "As" are playing tomorrow lunchtime and I'm going along. It's due to be raining here, so going to watch the baseball will round things off perfectly.        

          

September 19th - Frisco

Walked down from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf to have breakfast at Denny's and then attend the meeting with the Virgin rep. Arranged a tour into Marin County for the afternoon and then a two-day pass on the open bus tour for the following two days. For the rest of the morning I stayed in the Fisherman's Wharf area, where I saw some sea-lions squawking, swimming, and fighting in a confined space of water just outside Pier 39. The weather - unusually for round here - was very bright and sunny.

After lunch I queued up for the coach trip and was a bit peeved at having to wait in the hot sun for half-an-hour. Eventually the coach turned up and off we went. We drove down Lombard Street to Golden Gate Bridge and then over into Marin County. We turned off Highway 101 onto Highway One, and the views were spectacular as we climbed the hills. We stopped for an hour at Muir Woods, which had some huge Redwood Trees with wide trunks which stretched up nearly 300 ft. The area was very peaceful and I would never have driven there on my own, so it was well worth paying for the coach.

On the way back we stopped in Sausalito. This is a small town by the shore which is one of the most expensive places to live in the world. Fleetwood Mac recorded the "Rumours" album here, gorging on cocaine while they sang about their various broken relationships. Otis Redding wrote "Dock Of The Bay" there. Then we drove back and I was dropped off on the corner of Lombard and Fillmore. I walked uphill along Fillmore - good exercise in 'Frisco - to find the cinema I was planning to watch a film at.

I saw a film called "Äfternoon Delight", which was a slightly raunchy marital comedy / drama - a sort of film version of what I imagine "50 Shades Of Grey" is like. On the way out a couple of middle-aged ladies remarked that it wasn't as "earthy" as they were expecting - I dread to think what they usually watch ! Maybe I should write a book about the Pay and Grading review at work called "50 Grades Of Pay". Anyway, the film was quite amusing and the cinema facilities were excellent.

Caught the 38 bus straight back afterwards. Quite an active day !        

September 18th - to Frisco

Spent today travelling from Minneapolis to 'Frisco. Started with breakfast at Al's again, then packed up and left the hotel at 10:30. Had a lot of hassle finding a garage near the airport to fill up. The satnav directed me to a place on the ring road - however it was on the other side of the road and you weren't allowed to turn left ! So I went round the one-way system again and eventually found another place. After that I got sorted ok and read an article about Jerry Brown in "Rolling Stone" while having lunch. He is the Governor of California and has rescued the economy with a combination of fiscal toughness and enlightened initiatives on health, education, and infrastructure dvelopment.

The flight took 4 hours but, of course, my clock is now two hours back as it's California time. I landed in 'Frisco on schedule - as you fly in you go very low over the sea, and the runway is surrounded by water on all sides. I have flown into here three times now and it's always amazing. For most of the last hour of  the flight all you see below you is rocks and mountains, and you only see a built-up area when you are on the descent. California looks very narrow from the air.

My hotel is on Stockton Street, near Union Square. The room is very high-tech, and it took me a while to work things out. Found a nice Deli just up the road where I got some beers and a fresh sandwich. Tomorrow I will go down to meet the Virgin team at Fisherman's Wharf and plan my excursions. It's great to be back in this magic city. No more driving now so I can really relax.          

September 17th - Minneapolis

Spent today in the local area. Had breakfast at Al's, which is a little shack seating 14 people on 14th Avenue. It was delicious, and the owner was quoting Leonard Cohen lyrics. The guy next to me had come in from Washington, and had been delayed yesterday by the naval shooting. I then drove to the Mall Of America, the largest mall in the US, and bought a pair of jeans and some trainers.

I then had some fun with the satnav while trying to reach St Paul. It took me to a park on the outskirts, so I stopped there and had lunch. I then drove along University Avenue to the East, and returned to park the car at the hotel before walking into Minneapolis. Once there I visited the Mill Museum, which I really enjoyed. They took you right up the tower in a lift, stopping at various floors to explain the process. It is highly treacherous since flour can explode ! There was an observation area right at the top which gave you a great view over the Missisipi. They also showed a brief film on the history of Minneapolis.

Returned to the hotel via the Deli, where I said goodbye to the friendly proprietor. Upon my return it took me an hour to check in for my flight tomorrow, firstly because their computer was dead slow and secondly because the Delta system was not finding my reservation. I had to ring Delta, sitting through their various IVR menus and trying to stop myself swearing at it. Then I completed the check-in via my Tablet. I would have been lost in this place without it, so the purchase has proved its value.

Musically I listened to the radio as I drove around this morning. There was a good post-punk programme on, and then some classic hits, the best being "25 or 6 to  4" by Chicago and "Travellin' Band" by Creedence. I then played a bit of US Kaleidoscope from my MP3. Really enjoyed them - eclectic and original.

I had loved seeing Minnesota, especially the visit to Duluth yesterday. It really is a beautiful place and worthy of being Bob Dylan's birthplace. Now for 'Frisco ! 

September 16th - Duluth

What a beautiful day in Minnesota ! Clear blue skies and bright sunshine all day. So I went exploring the countryside in the morning, driving North up I-35 before heading East along Highway 18 to Rutledge and then North through Willow River, Sturgeon Lake, and Moose Lake. The countryside was forests punctuated with lakes, with what little housing there was being wooden shacks rather than brick. I stopped by a lake in the absolute middle of nowhere - the place is just vast ! A very good place for a bit of quiet reflection.

I then re-joined I-35 North and had lunch in a rest area, where I chatted with the caretaker. The weather patterns in Minnesota seem similar to those in England - like us they had heavy snow last winter which lasted until Easter with a blazing hot March in 2012. I then arrived in Duluth at just after 2. A man in the car park thought I was trying to steal the car ! This was because the car opens automatically when the key is near it, so to check that it's properly locked I leave the key a distance away and then check that the doors won't open. Just another of my little paranoias ! Another feature of the car to baffle me was that I had great trouble finding the button to open the petrol cap. It's tucked away in a fairly obscure place inside the passenger door.

Duluth is the most beautiful town as well as being Bob Dylan's birthplace. It's right on the Western extreme of Lake Superior and has hills behind the main street. I went down to the waterfront and then back to the main shopping street (Superior Street), which runs parallel with the front. I found a record shop and bought Dylan's "Another Self Portrait", plus the latest Van Morrison and the first two Rodriguez albums, having heard a track of his on the radio the other day. I spoke to the owner for a while about the music scene in London and told him about Bevis Frond.

Then I walked on and found another waterfront view which was really lovely. I asked a lady there to take my picture (always a good intro line here - wonder if I could use that back in England) and we got chatting. London accents really do the business out here. Then I returned to the car and drove back down I-35.

My music on the drive North was mainly Van Morrison - "Down The Road", "Pay The Devil", and a bit of "The Philosophers Stone". All this was great - Van is a big favourite of mine and has had such a long and consistent career. The music is very carefully-arranged and yet sounds spontaneous - that's what good musicians can do. And I do enjoy his lyrics - he uses commonplace language and has an unforced empathy for the working man. As I came into Duluth I heard a bit of Blood, Sweat, and Tears' first album.

The way back was nearly all Beatles - "For Sale", "Rubber Soul", and "Past Masters". I don't listen to them that often as I'm so familiar with their stuff, but they are simply irresistable. Together with Dylan, they changed millions of peoples' lives, including my own. They tore into America at the start of 1964 and, by April, had the top five records on the singles chart. The freshness and sheer bounce of their early stuff swept us all away back in 1963 and still stands tall due to the innate quality of the songwriting and the power of the vocals. They kept growing and growing throughout the 1960s and very rarely made a duff track (I hate "Here, There, and Everywhere" though). It was great last year that Dylan closed his latest album with a tribute to John Lennon - the two cultural giants of the post-war era.

Just at the end of the journey I played a bit of Terry Reid's "River" - a welcome slice of blues/soul after all that Beatle-pop.                   

September 15th Hibbing

Woke up early and walked round Dinkytown looking for breakfast. Didn't feel like a huge American platter so eventually ended up in good old MacDonalds. On the way I saw the Purple Onion, one of the places where Dylan played when he was starting out.

Then I embarked upon the 250-mile drive to Hibbing. I drove up the I-35 for a couple of hours, then turned off onto Highway 33 at Cloquet, before driving up Highway 53 to Virginia and then west on 169 to Hibbing. It being a Sunday, the place was deserted. Hibbing is basically one long main street (Howard Street) with the usual rectangular structure of streets around it. I went to a bar called Zimmy's and found out where Bob Dylan Drive was. I walked down it and found the house where he grew up. It is a cubular two-storey house painted blue on the corner of 7th Avenue and 25th Street. So it was in this small house in a remote and nondescript town that one of the major geniuses in the development of human culture grew up. I can only imagine how liberated he must have felt to come down here to university in Dinkytown.

The drive back was very exciting and comfortable - the sun was out and I could see the scenery better. Hibbing is in the middle of the Iron Range, which used to be a large mining area in the Second World War. The subsequent closure of the mines and the resulting impact on the local economy is the subject of "North Country Blues" on the "Times They Are a Changin'" album. The countryside is full of lakes and was largely flat where I drove. The sheer scale and remoteness of the place is very striking. It's hard to imagine people conducting their daily lives in such places.

Loads of music of course - constant Dylan on the way up, naturally - I played "The Bootleg Series" Vols 7 and 9. Much of this is early acoustic material and what stood out for me was the exceptional urgency and intensity of the performances, as well as the emerging lyrical genius of songs such as "Hard Rain". Dylan has never been easy listening, so he would never have got a hearing in these bland times. It is a tribute to the communal musical ear of the 1960s that such an uncompromising artist was a major pop star.

On the way back I started with Chuck Prophet's "Temple Beautiful", my favourite CD of last year. Then I heard "White-Faced "Lady" by the UK Kaleidoscope, a double album which was never released at the time. I found its English lyricism and pop sensibility to be highly refreshing after all the Americana. I then heard "Parachute", the Pretty Things classic from 1970 which was voted album of the year by Rolling Stone (I'd go for "Workingman's Dead" myself). There are some bonus tracks on here which are very, very good - full of different structures and interesting lyrics. Finally I heard some live Quicksilver Messenger Service tracks as I arrived back in Minneapolis.                      

September 14th - from Atlanta to Minneapolis

Had some entertainment taking the hired car back to the airport at Atlanta. The satnav kept urging me to go down a road which was blocked by a gate. So I went round in circles for 15 mins until I stopped and asked somebody. The satnav was a godsend when visiting places, but couldn't work out how to get me to the rental return area ! Lesson - never put your trust totally in technology.

Took the train from the rental location to the check-in desk. American airports are very large and you can do a couple of these train trips during a visit. Eventually got near the gate and had some "brunch". I then succeeded in giving myself a minor panic when I left my printed boarding pass on the table. I realised this when I was about to buy some snacks for the flight. The "fight/flight" reaction kicked into gear before a waitress kindly pointed out that I could go to the Delta desk and get another one printed. Having lost my wallet on my last trip I'm paranoid about this sort of thing - why do I give myself these frights ?

I got on the plane and it left on schedule. Upon arriving in Minneapolis I went to collect my next car and was talked into upgrading it to have a built-in satnav instead of borrowing one to stick on the windscreen as I had in Georgia. So, for a little extra money I've now got a really plush Chrysler to drive around Minnesota in the next few days. I drove to the hotel and my initial impressions were unfavourable - it looked like 1970s-style student lodgings. But actually the room is really nice and much better than the rather creepy place I was in in Atlanta. My former hotel was in a rather dingy area with nothing much around it. There was a security guard on patrol outside and I found the whole atmosphere a bit unsettling. The room was large and imposing, and worst of all the fridge didn't work ! By contrast, the room here is much more modern and comfortable. Also the lady on the front desk was really friendly and gave me lots of advice about the locality.

I'm located in Dinkytown, which is the University area and is where Bob Dylan first started playing folk music when he came here from Hibbing in 1959. I went for a walk in the city and crossed the Missisipi on a beautiful brick bridge. While doing so I got talking to a very friendly couple who had a "mini-pincher", which looked like a miniature Doberman. I had a cheerful conversation with the lady about being with people when they die (as I had been with my father). The downtown area was quiet (it being a Saturday) and much less garish than most American cities.  On the way back I bought some stuff in a Deli and got chatting with the shopkeeper, who was called Laurie. She stated that the shop used to be a bar in which Dylan played ! I feel at home here - it's a lovely city which reminds me a bit of Austin (another University town).

It was actually raining during my walk, which was a relief after the crushing humidity of  Atlanta. Laurie told me that they'd recently had a similar heatwave here, so I'm glad that I missed it. Tomorrow I will be driving to Hibbing, where Dylan grew up. It's a long drive but must be done !