Carol, myself, L1, L2 and L3 (as Carol affectionately calls her girls) had a fun day mulching around Mineola. We started with coffees and a bite to eat at Henry's House of Java. I was able to get wifi connection and so made a Skype call to London. I was able to introduce Sandy, Mads and Clem to my good friends here in Texas. This is when technology is great. We wandered around the back streets of town catching a glimpse of different buildings. The town is almost...

There's a new restaurant in town, and the consensus is it's good! The full car park last Tuesday was not a fluke. It was a sign! We went mid-afternoon, around 3pm and had a feast. Warm tortilla chips and dips, with excellent guacamole on the side, followed by vegetable fajitas for me. All fresh and sizzling. Carol was embarrassed her Tex-Mex off spring ordered their cheese burrito with a side of mac & cheese, plus fries. They seemed happy though! So that's ...

My friend Carol suggested her and I are like the town mouse and the country mouse (me, hailing from London, UK; Carol, hailing from rural East Texas). So, yesterday we had an afternoon of adventure at The Fresh store in Tyler. It's similar to Whole Foods, an emporium of treats from around the world, freshly prepared ingredients either made up into a meal, or ready for you to cook up for yourself. I discovered there's even Texan wine. I bought a Chenin Blanc, wh...

The train pulled into Mineola at 6pm on Tuesday. I thought it would be deserted, but no, there were around 20 people waiting to board, and of course 'my delegation'.... Well, Carol, David and their kids! What a charming station Mineola is. Part station, part museum, beautifully decorated with Christmas tree lights. It was great to see my friends waiting there in this lovely setting. We headed out to eat straight away. I haven't eaten Chinese food in a long time...

My longest train ride started from San Francisco on Sunday. I was up super early to ensure I didn't miss any connections, otherwise I'd have been in trouble. I had to make a one hour switch in LA at the end of the day otherwise I'd have to wait three days for the next train onward to Dallas. This time I wheeled my rucksack down the hill from Union Square and even had time to nip into Starbucks to pick up a latte. The Amtrak Thruway bus left from outside the West...