Hello out there,
Quite a few people asked me about my ' Trip of a Lifetime' and gave me some great hints and tips on surviving this holiday.
The flight out was ok, the long haul in commuter traffic to the airport and a $100 taxi fair and we hoped that our apartment would be what it was on the internet. THE most amazing Art Deco building stood in front of us and if it wasn't that we needed a cuppa so badly we would have stood outside for longer. On entering the apartment we found our first hire wheelchair. The apartment was exactly like it showed however the kingsize bed was KINGsize, at a height of over 4ft 6in I needed a helping hand and Terry didn't stand a chance but what would I have to do if caught short in the middle of the night!! I gained remarkable bowel control. The sofa in the lounge area was so designer but it was about 6in off of the floor and there was no way I was going to get down and up from it so my wheelchair and I got very friendly bar the odd night or two where we wanted to sit next to each other. LA was a dream, the metro has to be one of the best in the world however their roads and curbs need a lot to be desired. When we literally stepped out of the front door of the apartment building there were gold coloured stars with the names of the famous actors and actresses, were living on Hollywood Blvd!
Union Station in LA was an Art Deco heaven and we spent over an hour taking as many photos as we possible could. The main general seating was an old wood with well used leather seating and so we were looking forward to our Amtrak journey up the coast. Transfer to train, easy, welcoming glass of Champagne, easy, our Superline Roomette, amazing and as was the rest of our 12 hour journey and some of the countryside breathtaking.
We arrived later than expected and San Francisco was from a distance looking good. When we drove over the Bay Bridge we got our first glimpse of the roads and they are not on hills but on mountains, my stomach flipped as we went up and down, up and down, higher and higher then lower and lower, Good Golly Toto This Was Not Kansas!! When we pulled up along side our new apartment it was perched right at the top of a mountainous street and I cannot put into words the agony I experienced in leaving the taxi and getting into the building. We got in and suddenly it sounded like a 125mph train blast us by, it was a cable car rightoutside!! As we started to look around there some very strange things, the flat screen tv was perched on top of some bedside drawers and where was the 2nd bedroom? We looked and we looked but as it was so late we fell into bed. No problems with the bed size but where was that other bedroom. In the morning we discovered that the said bedroom was the liviing room but you can't have both if one room does both. I was not a happy bunny. The 2nd hire wheelchair was there so that all worked out really well. But getting out of the building was petrifying! It had to be a 90 degree angel, there were 4 very steep steps and the wheelchair lookedlike a seat in a rocket! With my stomach doing acrobatics I couldn't face getting out of the door so we went back in side. I was furious. The images on the internet were not what we got, the owner didn't show the side door we had to use but the flat one around the other side of the building. Even when I mentioned the word WHEELCHAIR' the owner still said nothing, not forgetting my lost bedroom, the noise, in fact we had been ripped off. My 'Trip Advisor' review will be put out later today. Anyway we did manage to get out of the door with a million thanks to my wonderful partner Terry. We did do the tour bus, yes I got to see my Bridge, we did the ferry ride under the Bridge, we dined at some the best restaurants in SanFran (did you know the Americans hate us using that abbreviation but I shall use it for ever more) and we had some magical moments.
Yes it was the holiday of a lifetime, my regret was my legs. I don't think we'll go back again and I have to keep as positive as I can about all of this but if there is one thing I cannot tolerate and that is people who rip off others in worse circumstances and bare faced liars. How that SanFran owner sleeps at night I will never know.
So thank you to summer and to all of you out there who gave me so much support before we went, thank you.
So glad that despite it all you both had a fab time. You chill out now my lovely and maybe put up a pic or two for us to enjoy 
my familys story 
Five Holding and One New One to Go
