http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Row/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Row en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:10:54 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:10:54 +0000 King Island. As poet Robert Frost said we have found a ldquoroad less travelledrdquo again for a wonderful vacation. A short aeroplane flight on a small Piper Chieftain one hour from Melbourne took us three hundred kilometres south to King Island Tasmania. King Island is a beautiful parallel universe a short distance from Australiarsquos second biggest city that might as well be a millio http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Tasmania/King-Island/blog-262926.html Kangaroo Island South Australia 2008.It is a while since Irsquove ldquobloggedrdquo as wersquove not been travelling much Work unfortunately gets in the way of travelBut wersquore just back from Kangaroo Island South Australia. It is a stunning place. ldquoKIrdquo as the locals call it is Australiarsquos third biggest island after Tasmania and Melville NT. Although it has o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/South-Australia/Kangaroo-Island/blog-239181.html Travelling to Xanadu A Year in the USA..In Xanadu did Kublai KhanA stately pleasuredome decreeWhere Alph the sacred river ran Through caverns measureless to manDown to a sunless sea.So twice five miles of fertile ground With walls and towers were girdled round. It was a miracle of rare device.A sunny pleasuredome with caves of ice.And mid this tumult Kublai heard from farAncestral voices http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/blog-166.html Poulsen and Merrill and Jessica Smead to Saint Anthonys Falls Como Park and to a Jazz Performance. After that to dinner in the Mexican quarter of St Paul. The weekend after this there were again several things on and we had to pick We visited the Cinco De Maya 5 of May Festival in South Saint Paul. This was amazing. It is the big Mexican national celebration second only to their Independen http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/blog-167.html What I most liked was the strong connection maintained with the sea in Salem. We went aboard the dinky little sailing ship the Friendship maintained by the National Parks. We didnt go into the old Customs House once run by Nathanial Hawthorne as it cost There was a craft fair on the waterfront where oldtimers and new enthusiasts demonstrated maritime model making knot tying scrimshaw etc http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/blog-168.html 11. Split seconds increased momentum to the police estimated fiftyplus miles an hour.12. Steering eventually became uncontrollable and the steering wheel slapped back with such force that it sent Daggis arm into the air. Like a stock whip breaking her wrist. There was no direct impact of her wrist on any object and it snapped in midairIt is all a salutary lesson how such things can happen. A http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/blog-169.html Confusing test results with real education is perpetuated and institutionalised through compulsory state and national testing. The testing industry is a four billiondollar vested interest that produces dubious data purportedly objectifying student progress. These results bear little relation to any sound international educational standard. The US eschews looking at successful overseas examples in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/blog-170.html ..and so to Mexico http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/blog-181.html