Don’t think for a moment that this flaw has gone unnoticed by my family. Only a few weeks ago, when I was expounding upon the beauty of a passing Citroen 2CV, the long-suffering expressed concern that if I thought the car in question was beautiful, when to her eyes it was clearly an eyesore, then she had concern about my professed admiration of her own features.
More recently, I came home with the new mechanical love of my life – a 1975 Volkswagen Westfalia camper. As I excitedly showed her my find, she shook her head sadly while muttering something about a “tin can."
I know that because of my marital compact I will never have an opportunity to own a Bull or Bedlington Terrier – although I do hold out hopes of one day playing my banjo with a Bloodhound at my feet and two fingers of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon (my personal favorite) in a glass.
And although I do not believe I have endangered my marriage with the Volkswagen, I’m confident that my marriage would not survive the glorious roundness that is the AMC Pacer.
Still, I keep a running mental list of the odd places I’d like to visit. I’ve been to Wall Drug. I’ve eaten lunch in a restaurant shaped like a giant artichoke. I’ve traveled down a slide made out of the world’s largest radio flyer wagon.
I once drove 50 miles out of my way just to get a photo of my dog playing dead on the side of the road with Devil’s Tower looming ominously in the background.
And yes, I have been to Gatorland although I do not have the t-shirt.
For reasons I can’t quite explain, although I’d love to visit the Louvre I’d be probably happier visiting Stonehenge, or Carhenge for that matter.
But now, I find that I’m strangely drawn to another location: an enormous pineapple on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Previously, I never even knew such a place existed. But then I got Sandra’s email. She’s received her shawl and, as promised, sent me a couple of photos. First things first, I understand that Sandra’s finished her treatments and is feeling well.
But the pineapple! Well, Sandra you’ve managed to add to my list of places I need to visit. Now how to get to Queensland. . .?
Oh no....the pineapple is NOTHING. You can make an entire vacation based around Big Weird Things in Australia and New Zealand. Here's Australia's list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia%27s_big_things
ReplyDeleteAnd here is New Zealands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand%27s_big_things
New Zealand is also home to the World's Largest Knitted Jersey in Geraldine. The fellow also has a reproduction of the Bayeaux Tapestry made of gear cogs I believe. He will tell you all about how he made it when you pop in! And there is a big apple at a fruit farm that you can climb up and into, but it isn't on the Wiki list for some reason. The big sheep and dog are really cool.
You should meet my sister in Bellevue...she has a 1971 VW bus and an earlier vintage VW pick up too. N
ReplyDeleteI used to hate Citroen 2CVs - until my husband and I bought one for ourselves and loved it. It was the cheapest new car on the market. It was economical. It was quirky. It was red and white with a red rollback vinyl roof. Yes it was basic but it was great. Sadly we sold it when we emigrated to Canada. And they had stopped making new ones by that time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've been to Stonehenge too. But not Carhenge!
Nicola (at nicolaknits.wordpress.com)
If you travel to Scotland after Stonehenge you could always stay in this pineapple:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rampantscotland.com/visit/blvisitdunmore.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunmore_Pineapple
Sharon -
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I do hope to get to Scotland at some point. And assuming I don't find myself incapable of movement after visiting a distillery or ten, the pineapple seems like a cool place to visit.
~TSMK