Day 31 - St Louis

Taken at the end of the Grand Basin in Forest Park, St Louis, Missouri

The French king Louis XI aka Saint Louis. The city is named after this medieval king - he died during one of the Crusades in the 1200's. Located in Forest Park, St Louis

The Grand Basin, Forest Park, St Louis

A view of the St Louis Art Museum from the Grand Basin, Forest Park. St Louis, Missouri

Another shopping spree, Anne holding a Dillards bag in the Galleria, St Louis, Missouri

On the way back from dinner tonight we walked through Lafayette Park. This park goes back to the 1790's. It is surrounded by Victorian era mansions and we discovered that a few mansions are going for under $300,000 USD. Lafayette Square is St Louis's oldest historic district and idyllic for those you what to live near downtown St Louis with a park view. Unfortunately, many buildings are unoccupied and boarded up - we do not know why?

It is a rest day today. All we did was hop into Ralph and took him and us to Forest Park. This park is huge - it holds two golf courses, several museums, a zoo and the Grand Basin. So we parked at the Grand Basin and spent the morning talking to wood ducks. It is a beautiful day here about 32 deg C and perfect for walking around this park. For lunch we drove to St Louis's big shopping mall called the Galleria. Anne discovered Dillards another Macy like store with splendid women's clothes. We returned back to our hotel at 3 pm and Neil had a hair cut at a nearby barber shop. It is run by two African-Americans and naturally they were curious about Neil's accent. The taller chap immediately recognise us as Aussies (which is unusual - most Americans pick up us as Irish or Pommies). After some discussion and giving these people some good old Ozzie phrases without laying it too thick, one ask how warm it gets at this time of the year in Australia. It's winter said Neil. He couldn't comprehend that Australia is going through a winter whilst the US is in summer!! And the opposite in six months time. Neil received a stone-faced gaze and some head scratching and he was amazed that the geographical situation between two countries cannot have two different opposite seasons. Hence it really got hard when we discuss the time difference - how can Australia be 17 hours ahead and is Thursday when it is Wednesday here?? It was a bit of fun however we believe we impress them with our knowledge of the world. On the manner of what we Australian's can do, we were complimented by an young Amish couple yesterday that we speak good English.......for Australians!!!! We leave St Louis tomorrow and head for Louisville, Kentucky. Actually we are staying over the river in Jeffersonville (a matter of two hundred meters) in Indiana. It's another of those split places where the state border separates two major cities. We will leave early as it is a five hour drive and the time difference in Kentucky/Indiana is one hour ahead of St Louis. Also we have a West Coast Swing beginner's lesson for 6 pm tomorrow in Louisville. So until tomorrow cheers.