#ThrowbackThursday - where we were on this date in Septembers past

Porto, Portugal 

We've often been travelling at the ends of Septembers because Dave's birthday on the 25th is a good excuse to get away! I know then that during late September a decade ago we were visiting Austin, Texas, for the first time with our friends Andy and Barbara. Amongst other memorable experiences, Wednesday the 27th was the evening we went to an amazing small gig at The Cactus Cafe, discovering singer-songwriters Danny Schmidt and Anais Mitchell. They are both still favourites of ours! I wasn't blogging that long ago though so don't have photographs.

Instead, this first photograph is of a huge public sculpture in Porto, Portugal, where we had a long weekend in late September 2013. It rained. A lot! But we did still get out and about taking a tram ride to the coast, being awestruck by the gorgeous Lello bookshop and loving the art deco Fundecao de Serralves park.

Waiting for the tide at La Flotte 

On this day in 2014 we were caravanning on the Ile De Re in western France. This was before I had bought my Roquetas folding bicycle so I wasn't able to totally appreciate the miles of cycle routes criss-crossing the island. I must go back. We did enjoy fresh sardines and several good walks though. I remember the fishing villages here being particularly picturesque. We had to leave on the last day of September though because the campsites were closing down for the winter season. We weren't quite the last to leave and could happily have stayed longer.

St Nicholas' church window 

We were in the UK for the 29th September 2015 and it was the last day of our British summer tour which we had begun in the April. We were near to Weymouth and back on the trail of Lawrence Of Arabia, plaques to whom seem to crop up disproportionately often in our travels. We visited Moreton to see his grave and also the incredible engraved glass windows in nearby St Nicholas church. The day before we had met up with Dave's brother, Andy, and his wife Lynda for a pretty walk that included spying over a hedge to Thomas Hardy's cottage. The cottage is owned by the National Trust which I am considering rejoining, for a year at least, because there are numerous properties across south Devon that we haven't previously visited so a year's joint membership could be worthwhile.

I love being able to look back across my blog posts like this, reminding myself of how much we have done and seen over the years. I wonder where we might be this time next year?

I just found another Kickstarter project to back

photo by Rachel Ries 

I love Kickstarter! So far I have backed six projects, three of which have reached their funding goals, two of which haven't and one I backed today which still has 28 days to go - exciting times.

Local-to-me documentary film The Moo Man had a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund its UK cinema release. Two of my favourite Austin musicians Devon Sproule and Sam Baker have both turned to Kickstarter to help with their most recent albums and now I discover through Anais Mitchell that Brooklyn songstress Rachel Ries is fundraising through the platform for her new album Ghost Of A Gardener.

We saw Rachel sing at the Blind Tiger Club in Brighton when she accompanied Anais on the Young Man in America tour in 2012 but this is apparently the first music of her own in five years. Ghost Of A Gardener also features the Austin contingent of Devon Sproule, Paul Curreri, Danny Schmidt and Carrie Elkin - all favourites of mine.

Please pop over to Kickstarter, check out Rachel's music and help out if you like what you hear!

Quote from Soren Kierkegaard

competition-winning photo by Dave Greene
taken in the Brecon Beacons

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. If one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right."

I've just read this inspirational and timely quote in Follow The Money by Steve Boggan. I'm in Austin, Texas, on holiday. We're enjoying the beautiful weather - sorry to gloat! - and have been walking at least a couple of hours every day for a fortnight now, both here and last week in New Orleans. Whether around the cities, through the wonderful Parks or out on hiking trails into tamed wilderness, a good walk definitely is the best way to clear niggling thoughts and worries.

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