Search This Blog

Popular Posts

Labels

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Edinburgh Festival Travel

I wanted to buy a train ticket today, Friday, to go to the Edinburgh Festival. For the last weekend.
But I can't buy a ticket on line because the system doesn't allow them to sell any more tickets for today.
I can't buy a ticket from the station (which is what I am told to do) because my station does not have a ticket seller around in the evenings.
All I need is a real life ticket seller to be at the station to sell me a ticket and reassure me that somebody is within shouting distance if I have a question or a problem.

Friday, August 3, 2007

France - Lost in Translation

ANGELA'S TRAVELS - travel and language - lost in translationIn France Thanks Means NoThe French no: saying 'thanks' means no thanks.In France we used to be asked if we'd like tea, or coffee. We said, 'Thanks,' which in the UK means 'yes, thanks'.We were asked if we'd like more. We said, 'but you didn't give us any last time.'We were told, 'But last time you said, ''No thanks''.'At this point we reiterated our conversation, word by word, and discovered the cause of the confusion.The French use fewer words. They say, 'Yes, please,' or 'No, thanks,' and shorten those phrases to 'please', meaning yes, and 'thanks' meaning no.

Armchair Traveller's Wish List - Hank Williams Trail Alabama



ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER'S WISH LIST
Alabama, Home of Hank Williams Trail, Helen Keller and More

We drove into Alabama East from New Orleans. We didn't immediately come across any signs to tourist sights. So it is best to set off with planned route to a destination in mind.

Alabama is Northwest of Florida.


Alabama Wish List
Alabama is home of Hank Williams, so it is on my traveller's wish list, high today. It was not high previously, admittedly rather low, but it was on the wish list. Not just because of Hank, but because I have not visited it yet, although I have seen half of America's states and sites connected with singers including several in Nashville, Tennessee.

Yes, I have visited several popular places such as those associated with writers such as Poe and singers such as Presley and Parton. I have bought souvenir postcards and books on writers, songwriters, singers and songwriting.

Hank does not have a lot of rivals. How many immortally famous people, come from Alabama? Alabama is the home of two or three Americans who are watching my blogs - Alabama? I thought of asking them to tell me about Alabama but decided that it would sound rude to admit that my knowledge of Alabama is so sketchy, a bit black and white. The only images I associate with the historical deep south and Alabama were the Civil War, killing black people and marrying girls aged 12 wearing little white dresses.

Alabama As A Side Trip From New Orleans
I confess I should know better and more because I have actually been to Alabama. But although I used to be a travel writer, I never found the Alabama tourist board at the American travel trade Pow Wow, and they never found me. However, I'm always keen to add new places to my list of been there, done that, so when I was in New Orleans we drove into Alabama.

But after several miles of seeing nothing interesting my driver insisted on turning back to the jazzy attractions of New Orleans. To be polite to my Alabama readers, I should first check out Alabama on the Internet and find something warm to say about the tourist attractions of their region.

Where would I find tourist information and houses of famous residents - from the tourist board of course. One click and up on the computer screen is all you and I and anybody else would want to know to set our hearts racing - the allure of Hank Williams Trail.

Hank Williams' Famous Songs
Although I'm a rabid lover of country music, you can tie me to a chair by playing Patsy Cline, it took me a second to recall Hank Williams. What did he sing?

He sang "Hey good lookin' ". What else? "Your Cheating Heart."The Museum in Montgomery, like any good old American museum, has the coloured car - blue -with haunting memories, this being the car he died in.

Highlights and landmarks of the trail include:

1 Mount Olive, Hank Williams' birthplace.

2 Georgiana - Boyhood Home and museum.

3 Montgomery - Life-size statue of Hank holding his guitar opposite (Americans say across from) the Municipal Auditorium (now offices) where his funeral was held for 2,750 mourners, with an estimated 20,000 standing outside in the cold.

4 Oakwood Cemetery nearby has a wreath-laying ceremony on New Year's Day followed by music at the museum.

5 Alabama's Music Hall of Fame is in Tuscumbria.



Traveller's Calendar
New Year's Day - Oakwood Cemetery and Montgomery Museum.

First Saturday in June music celebration.

What else is there to see in Alabama? Any romantic restaurants with mood music and memorabilia or amazing views, or hotels with honeymoon suites?

Helen Keller's Home.

Please tell me.angelalansbury@hotmail.com
If anybody can send me a picture of Alabama, its attractions and Hank Williams, or which is out of copyright or available free to journalists and bloggers promoting something suitable. I'd be glad to receive it.
My websites include: annalondon8.googlepages.com

Alabama Tourism Websites:thehankwilliamsmuseum.comalamhof.org
Labels: ,
https://www.deep-south-usa.com/alabama/fly-drives/hank-williams-trail

Update in October 2021 - now that my son has married, I have a daughter-in-law who comes from Alabama so I have renewed interest in knowing about the place. I had If you ask around you might find you know somebody who knows about Alabama because they worked there, they were born there, their parents came from there, and who has a connection.