Cammackstan in America
 

Fans of Neil Cammack will be releived to learn that he and Robyn arrived safely in Oakland, California earlier in the week

AndrewDavid

Hurrah! Have you all met up yet, or do they have to go farther north first?

Lee Ann

And I am having lunch with them today at my favorite Italian restaurant!! I am so looking forward to seeing them.

I had a beautiful day with Neil and Robyn in San Francisco yesterday. We had a 3 1/2 lunch..what a joy they are!
My only complaint is I don't know when I will ever see them again.

Hello!

first Fodorite contact reporting in --

The plan: to meet Neil and Robyn at the Menlo Park train station and whisk them away for a day of sightseeing in Monterey --

sounds simple enough -- and you wouldn't think we could miss each other at the very small Menlo Park train station, but we did.

Especially since I was wearing my Aussie flag baseball hat and waving a small Australian flag....no matter; other arrivals were quite amused / confused.

After that small misstep we proceeded to Monterey and then a BBQ at our house. A good time was had by all. I'll leave it to Neil to post the details after he returns.

As LoveItaly sez, my only complaint is when we'll ever see each other again, - but at least we were able to meet and have a great time!

Regards,

Melodie

Strike me roan...

is Neil_oz doing a royal tour of every fodorite on the west coast of north america.

Sadly Lee Ann, we not yet met. I must await their arrival in Victoria

Melodie glad you found them. Loveitaly if you rush up here to Victoria they'll be here the 15-17th

cheers

AndrewDavid

Hello Andrew, how I wish I could! Thank you for your thoughts. I love your beautiful Victoria also!!
You will have a wonderful time with Neil and Robyn, they are a delight.
Imagine they are on their way now, heading north. Hopefully they will not run into heavy end of Labor Day Weekend traffic.

John,

I'm not sure if the Tour encompasses EVERY Fodorite on the West Coast, just us "special" ones! :)

Melodie

All:

I believe Neil and Robyn proceed from here to visit the special "Judy in Calgary"

Loveitaly , what's your favorite italian ristorante in San Francisco. I was always a fan of Cafe Sport. Is it still in operation?

Perhaps we'll have to eat togethet the next time I'm in Oakland and compare Cammack stories,eh

cheeers

AndrewDavid

Hello AndrewDavid, my favorite restaurant is now the MonaLisa at 353 Columbus (just a couple of doors down on the right (west) side of Columbus from the cross street Vallejo.
I would love to meet you there. Do have Neil and Robyn give you my email address and phone number when they get up to Victoria. Just don't tell them we will be discussing them, lol. But do tell them what a wonderful time I had with them. I know you will also as Melodie and I both did.

Yes, Cafe Sport is still there in North Beach. I haven't been there in ages.

The MonaLisa is owned by a Maurizio from Naples. He owns another restaurant south of SF also but I can never remember the name of it or the exact location.

I sure look forward to getting together with you when you are here in the SF/Bay Area. CinCin!

AndrewDavid,

hello???? Caffe Sport is MY favorite restaurant - they've spoiled me with their pesto and now I judge everyone's by theirs, and they always fall short!My best SF evening is dinner at Caffe Sport followed by Beach Blanket Babylon.

You better put me on your speed dial when you're in town next! You can get my numbers from Neil as well!

Melodie

And, sob, I can't eat pesto anymore due to my allergy Melodie. I love pesto, so have some for me, lol!

Johnj

It's not ONLY the west coast, you know.............

Hi Andrew, would you mind posting here or dropping me a quick email when Neil and Robyn arrive there? I would just like to know they made it to your area. Actually with they way Neil keeps telling me how easy he gets lost and turned around I hope he doesn't end up in Detroit or somewhere, lol! Thanks.

loveitaly,

Neil and Robyn are due on the morning ferry from Port Angeles on the 15th and I'll announce there arrival.

I am studying italian here in Victoria as I frequently travel to italy and enjoy speaking the language. How about you. Neil actually speaks a little also

cheers

Andrewdavid

Thank you Andrew, that would be most appreciated!!

My Italian, it is pathetic. I always say that the Italians must be the most intelligent people in the world considering they understand my miserable Italian, lol. And I have no excuse actually as I have heard Italian spoken all of my life. I did notice when I asked Neil to chose the Italian wine at our luncheon that he pronounced the name of the wine with quite an Italian accent..but I didn't know he speaks some Italian. Smart fellow our Neil, even if he doesn't have any sense of direction (at least according to him).

Andrew, don't forget to have Neil and Robyn give you my email address and phone number. And do enjoy your visit and time with the Cammack's, I know you will. Saluti per tutti!

Please send some knowledge of Italian this way!

I'm heading to Italy for a month next year (big birthday, y'know!) and would appreciate any help. :)

Margo,

Last year's Big Trip (3 weeks) was Italy again; Rome for 1 week; Tuscany for a week (Chianti to be specific) and then Southern Italy (Capri / Amalfi).

Please feel free to email me with your Italy questions, I'd be happy to help!
(use the ther business address: [email protected]).

Ciao!

Melodie

Good morning Melodie!!! Just wanted to post that I heard through a friend that Neil and Robyn have arrived in Portland! Have a good day!!

margo mi piace moltissimo parlare italiano con te
dov'e pensi di visitare in italia

la mia citta favorita e Venezia. Il luce e squisito e mi piace la manca delle macchine nella strada

Ho viaggiato in italia molte volte e sempre e benissimo
le gente sono amabile e belle e puoi magiare bene a buon mercato

puoi scriveremi in e-mail in inglese per parlare di piu

[email protected]

ci parliamo

AndrewDavid

The eagles have landed:

Neil and Robyn arrived safely in Victoria this afternoon. I toured them around to the top sites:

where I was nearly washed out to sea , kayaking on Wednesday

My partially finished house

my favourite swimming beach

ending at Canoe Brew Pub where I graciously allowed them to treat me to dinner

Tomorrow they'll be on their own so I can finish preps for the dinner for 15 I'm throwing in their honour.

If anyone wants them tomorrow after 7PM call
250 386 6458

cheers
AD

dinner turned out to be 17 someone even brought australian wine no cheap drink up here neil and robyn were feted and left content for vancouver this am

cheers

andrewdavid

AndrewDavid,

HA! We served Oz wine as well, er...many many bottles. We spared no expense, as we were showing the "natives" how unbelievebly cheap we can get Oz wines here. (most of which they'd never heard of); yes, I think the top end was all of $5.00.

Yeah, I spare no expense when entertaining! :)

Trader Joe's and Big Lots (which, if you've never tried the later, and it was new to me) is amazing.

Melodie

Hello AndrewDavid, it sounds like Neil and Robyn had a marvelous time with you thanks to you hospitality. And I am sure they loved your beautiful Victoria. They are having quite a road trip, better than most of us here on the westcoast usually treat ourselves too. Best regards.

It is difficult to understand how we all afford to drink up here and pay taxes given the high price of alcohol. If I dared to cross the border frrom the US w/o a few bottles I'm sure my housemates would show me. the door.

Hopefully Judy ( in Calgary) will report Neil and Robyn's safe arrival

cheers
A/D

ps now well stocked w/ Tim Tams

Nancy, Neil and Robyn ferried of w/o relinquishing your e-mail ( actually I forgot to ask).

me : [email protected]

cheers

AndrewDavid

I'd like to reassure everybody that I haven't been lurking here all tthis time basking in all this unaccustomed (and undeserved) attention. Fact is that we're among the laptop-derived, a despised race in the days of WiFi hotspots, so we're somewhat incommunicado.

I'll have to make this quick because people are waiting to use the hotel PC, so I'll just thank Andrew, Melodie and Nancy (in alpha order!) for the wonderful hospitality we enjoyed in the Bay Area and Victoria BC. We've also enjoyed much kind advice and interesting chats with the many North Americans we've met along the way, along with many commiserations on the death of Steve Irwin...

Right now we're in the spectacular Canadian Rockies, which are particularly awesome after a fresh snowfall the other night, and I'm keeping a nervous eye on the grizzly warnings.

Better go -
Cheers,
Neil (and Robyn)

Oh Neil, how great to hear from you!!!
And how wonderful it was to enjoy our time together in SF..the only sad part was not knowing when I would see you and Robyn again.

Watch out for those grizzley's! I send you my best wishes that the rest of your trip will be enjoyable and the driving will be pleasant. CinCin dear friends from Oz!

LoveItaly, you'll just have to shake off that Italian addiction and head Down Under, eh? (Uh - scratch the 'eh?' ... I must be turning Canadian.)

Grizzly count, nil, thankfully. Despite numerous warning signs in the Rockies national parks, wildlife count so far has been:
- 2 ravens sitting on a trash bin;
- 2 red (and assorted urban) squirrels;
- 2 deer;
- the many Australians working in and around Lake Louise.
Hoping for more action in Yellowstone (we head south for Montana tomorrow, thence Wyoming), though I'm happy to view the bears from the inside of the car, thanks very much).

You North Americans have some scary animals. At least crocs and brown snakes don't climb trees.

Neil and Robyn, How was your visit w/ Judy. TimTams were a great hit at dinner on Saturday. People are still talking about your outrageous behaviour in Victoria

eh

AndrewDavid

Alright Neil, give us the scoop, what did you do in Victoria, LOL. Are you going to tell us AndrewDavid???

Neil, we had a friend (son of my husband's godparents) from Vancouver. We saw him every summer. I would find myself saying "eh" after ever visit with him.

Down Under, yes that is something I have always wanted to do..we will talk about that.

Continue on having a grand time Neil and Robyn. But scary animals? From everything I have heard OZ has the scary critters!! And no, I don't mean the residents. Take care with wishes for a safe and fun time in our Mountain states.

Happy to report that Neil and Robyn safely reached Calgary.

They had dinner at our place last night (Tuesday, September 26th). Our red wine was the Australian they had brought and our white wine was a South African (where we are from originally -- way back).

Also participating in the meal were my mother-in-law and my two sisters, who are visiting with us from South Africa. Our university student son breezed in for part of the meal.

If they have kept to their plans, Neil and Robyn are driving to Montana at this moment (Wednesday morning, September 27th).

It was great to meet them in real life after so many online discussions with Neil.

Hi Judy, thanks for posting. It is fun to keep track of our Aussie friends. I am still chuckling over Neil's comments about "strange animals". Take care!

Judy thanks for reporting. Are they on to visit anyone else?

chjeers

AndrewDavid

See - I told you it wasn't just the west coast they were terrorizing!

>>>>>>Are they on to visit anyone else?<<<<<<

As far as I know, Andrew, the evening at our home was the last "date" on their itinerary.

We did indeed enjoy Judy and Rodger's wonderful hospitality - and Judy, you're forgetting that excellent South African red! As I told Judy, we took Oz wines not out of misplaced patriotism but because of lack of familiarity with the Canadian product. (I did though have a very nice Merlot from the Okanagan Valley - so good that I forgot the name, unfortunately.)

Needless to say I reject AD's calumnies in their entirety and blame any misunderstandings on the large quantities of wine circulating on the evening in question. Most of it, as far as I remember, Australian (we took Californian).

We're now in Cooke City, Montana, the NE entry point to Yellowstone, having spent a night in Great Falls and two in Bozeman, the latter a town I could easily live in (but I'd have to spend a winter there to confirm that impression). The other modestly-sized place I could live in is Ashland, Oregon, a little gem with a Shakespeare festival that runs for most of the year.

We've sampled local fare in many places, most memorably the Thursday special (chicken-fried steak, gravy and fries, choice of soup or salad) at an atmospheric cafe in White Sulphur Springs, MT - a line of silent old codgers in baseball caps perched at the counter, the heads of every species of mammal in the American West mounted on the wall. There's nothing like authenticity, after all, and there's nothing quite like the chicken-fried steak at Dori's Cafe.

Tonight I have high hopes for a planned buffalo burger washed down with Moose Drool ale at the cafe next door to our Super 8. Contrary to Australian belief, America is awash in excellent local brews, and what's more they're half the price of the Australian product. Also I must mention that espresso machines have colonised the land since our last visit in 1996, and few and very small are the towns where you can't get a morning cappuccino these days. We also agree with Melodie that bagel cafes are a very good thing that Australia could usefully emulate.

BTW, having done a couple of training courses in North Queensland, I had little trouble picking up the Canadian "eh?", although the inflection is different, the NQ version being rather more robust and assertive.

The natives of both countries have been most friendly and welcoming, and we can report that seeing (part of) North America courtesy of Budget and Super 8 has given us a new insight into this great part of the world, albeit sometimes a little blurred after visiting sundry red-bearing Fodorites.

good on Neil, Blame your troubles on the North Americans. Canadians are rightfully proud of their drinking capacity ( an economic hardship due to high liquor and wine prices). With much embarassment BC Health Authority had to admit that blaming Canadian 's alcohol on the climate wouldn't wash as the largest drinkers were from that sunny country down under known as OZ!

Rest assured my lips are sealed re what happened in Victoria

cheers
AndrewDavid

Is this the new B.C. slogan?

"What Happens in Victoria STAYS in Victoria?"

Neil, your artery-clogging dinner in Sulpher Springs sounds very atomospheric! Robyn will have you on salads for months when you return to Oz!

We'll all be waiting your next installment to find out if you got your buffalo burger & Moose Drool Ale (that one made Sam laugh out loud). BTW, since you've been there now - buffalo burgers are available at Trader Joe's! ":)

We got your postcard yesterday, thank you, but as they'd say in Montana

"now listen feller, don't go wasting your hard earned scratch on those gimcracks and geegaws!"

Melodie