Jim and I had a great holiday this year combining a trip to see family and friends in Canada and America with an opportunity for Jim to play some gigs on another Continent.

A Trip to New York City

We had planned a trip to Canada to visit my sister and her family with the particular aim of attending my nephew Sean's graduation - or, as they call it at Western Ontario University, convocation. Given that we were going so far afield we thought that it would be an opportunity to visit New York City and find some gigs for Jim to play there. So on the 3rd of June we found ourselves heading for John F. Kennedy airport via Icelandair. Just as well the trip hadn't been a couple of weeks earlier or the volcanic ash could have played havoc with out plans.

Encouraged by Fran Ferguson, a native of New York, whom we've met in Glasgow, we decided to make our base in the West Village and found accommodation in Perry Street - just along from where Carrie's house was in Sex in the City. :). We spent six days there and grew very attached to this quirky neighbourhood.

On our first morning in NYC Fran treated us to a lovely brunch at 'Manatus' in Bleeker Street and then showed us around her neck of the woods and helped us track down guitar shops. Following the advice of Anthony MulcahyAnthony Mulcahy, one of the friendly Irishman we met in New York, we headed for The Guitar Centre, W. 14th Street and Jim purchased a Takamine acoustic guitar. Just as well as he had a gig the next night at The Bitter End in Bleeker Street.

We had been really looking forward to this gig as The Bitter End is such an iconic music venue but our initial experience was rather fraught as the staff were pretty abrasive. However, things brightened up when Mr Mulcahy, his band and his lovely wife Tifaney, showed up and we ended up having a good night out. The dour doorman had the cheek to heap praise on Jim's finger pickin' as we left.

Next day we were up bright and early, in fact around 6 a.m. - it's difficult adjusting to the different time zone. Still this gave us plenty of time to check out our downtown neighbourhood before heading uptown on the subway. The New York travel system is fairly straightforward but if you get confused there are lots of friendly folk happy to offer advice. Thus we arrived no bother at our destination - Madame Tussauds at Times Square, where you buy tickets for the hop on hop off tour bus.

Actually we only hopped off once to go to the fabulous 'Set in Style: Van Cleef and Arpels Exhibition' at the Smithsonian, National Design Museum. It was fascinating to see on display stunning jewellery worn by the likes of the Duchess of Windsor and Elizabeth Taylor.

The bus tour was also great and the guide regaled us with information about the famous tenants of the posh apartment buildings on the Upper West Side. It was also interesting to drive through Harlem before we dismounted at Museum Mile. We enjoyed a stroll through Central Park, which is amazing and alive with cyclists, skaters, and dedicated joggers, as well as strolling couples and families having a more leisurely day out. We fitted in well with the more relaxed element but got plenty of exercise walking down to Third Avenue, where we had a browse and some lunch in Bloomingdales. Somehow we found ourselves in a wee kitchen area, where staff were demonstrating their wares and having a chat. They were a friendly bunch and we made friends with Frank and listened to his stories of the store where he had worked for thirty years or so, whilst we sipped the complimentary non-alcoholic Margaritas offered by Sofia. Nice!

Suitably refreshed, we hopped back on the tour bus downtown to West 10th Street and picked up some goodies in one of the many delis in the Village. First time I've ever sampled Russian black bread - it's lovely.

Jim had another gig in Bleeker Street that night, this time at The Red Lion, where he had been booked by Niall Connolly, who runs a tremendous acoustic session at the venue. We enjoyed hearing Niall play and there was also an impressive line up of talented acts played slots. Including: the absolutely wonderful E.W. Harris, his wee brother Phillip, a Danish woman, Katrine Christensen, ?Manquillian Minniefee from North Carolina, Paul Tabachneck, Casey Black, an excellent guy on mandolin, Sam Locasio and an English fellow, Warren Malone.

It was a great night and Jim proved to be pretty popular: "Jim Byrne plays guitar beautifully and brings his own melodic Glaswegian slant to the blues. Like many great musicians he makes complex and clever compositions seem effortless. "

Should you ever find yourself in the Village then it's worth checking Niall Connolly out at The Red Lion. You might even catch him in Glasgow as he's previously played here at Brel.

The following evening we had a very different experience of life in New York when we were invited to a wee house party by my friend Chris del Balso, who lives with her husband Paul in a gorgeous apartment block on the Upper East Side. First time that we've ever been escorted to someone's home by a liveried doorman. Chris and I are very old friends and she's visited us both in Old Kilpatrick and Glasgow and I've stayed with her before in Canada and New Jersey but not in New York.

This time we met some of Chris' friends who volunteer with her at unleashed a personal development project for girls. It was interesting hearing about their work and plans for a party in the Hamptons. Mind you it was with some difficulty that we tore ourselves away from the amazing views over the Queensboro Bridge and the East River.

We met a lovely woman at the party, Marj was heading home in our direction and gave us a wee tour. It was lovely to see Manhattan at night and we walked home via Union Square and Washington Square Park, which is a lovely area with great architecture. We returned during the day and could not believe our eyes when we saw a young man sitting playing a grand piano under the great marble Washington Arch!!

A highlight of our stay in New York was going for a cruise around Manhattan. We had the best guide possible on the 'Robert Fulton', Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise – possibly a history professor in a previous life, although, his knowledge of past events was equally matched by his firm grasp of current developments.

He particularly enjoyed recounting the story of the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when pilot Chesley Sullenberger splash-landed the U.S. Airways Airbus A320 in January 2009 after his plane was struck by geese. Amazingly all 155 passengers and crew survived and apparently our boat was one of the vessels involved in the rescue. It was a beautiful day and perfect for seeing the sights - the Statue of Liberty, this impressive gift from the French, looked particularly spectacular. A further highlight of the trip was when a girls' choir from Slovenia were persuaded to perform. It was beautiful sailing around Manhattan in the sunshine listening to their lovely singing.

I'm a very big fan of city guides but we also saw quite a bit of the city under our own steam including the construction of the Freedom Tower at Ground Zero, Battery City Park, Broadway, China Town and Little Italy, which we visited after Jim played a gig at Banjo Jim's in Alphabet City in the Lower East Side. The bar was empty but it was a nice wee place and Jim loved this gig - so did the barman. :-)

If the weather had not become just so hot wwe would have seen even more but when the temperature shot up to 98F we were pretty happy hanging out in our own wee neighbourhood trying out the various cafes and restaurants recommended by Fran. 'Joe' was indeed a big hit. Although we only managed a brief visit to the High Line Park which she had thoroughly recommended.

Otis, Massachusetts

The next stage of our trip took us to Otis in The Berkshires, where we had been invited to spend a couple of days with the Del Balsos. Chris and Paul picked us up at Perry Street and we said goodbye to Greenwich Village and headed through New York State, Connecticut and into Massachusetts. It was a lovely day and we enjoyed a leisurely drive, only stopping off for "the world's best hot dogs" along the way - not to mention the sweet potato fries.

Otis was a completely different experience for us. Situated in forest lands the area is picturesque and remote. Paul's first statement when we arrived was: "There's been a bear!" It had wrecked a very sturdy bird house by pulling down an iron bar! There was certainly plenty of wild life around the house with chipmunks, red squirrels, a great variety of birds and a beaver in the pond at the bottom of the road.

We spent a lovely couple of days relaxing, the first night hiding out from a very dramatic storm and dining with the neighbours Steve and Lil, a couple of New Yorkers, who along with Chris and Paul, were great company. The next day we went for a drive to Williamsburg, a tranquil New England town and then visited The Clark Museum in Lincoln, a beautiful gallery with a tremendous collection of art dating from the Renaissance to the late 19th century and including French Impressionist paintings. Jim is a Clydebank lad and he was intrigued to hear that the collection had been purchased with the fortune accrued from the Clarks' ancestors, owners of the Singer Sewing Machine Co.

Chris and Paul were disappointed that we were just one day early for the El Anatsui Exhbition but nonetheless we found the museum fascinating.

Another great outing they had arranged was to The Dream Away Lodge, a wonderful restaurant and live music venue in the middle of nowhere on October Mountain, Becket. We enjoyed both our meal and the band: Bread and Bones,

A Berkshire legend for more than 90 years, it's rumoured to have been a brothel and speakeasy and was founded by Mamma Maria Frasca and her three daughters. In the 70s it was visited by Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Allen Ginsberg and this led to it being featured in Part Two of Dylan's epic film 'Renaldo and Clara'. We enjoyed the food, the music and the experience.

It was also interesting seeing the huge stately homes around Lenox. Apparently described by one 1694 traveler from Albany to Boston region as ?a hideous, howling wilderness" and home to the Mahicans, who were later scattered from the land. By the mid nineteenth century it had grown in reputation to become a very glamourous holiday destination for wealthy families and its attraction remains very clear.

We enjoyed a very restful and enjoyable couple of days with Chris and Paul, leaving us sufficiently prepared for a very dramatic trip to Canada via Albany to Philadelphia and then the flight from hell from Philly to Buffalo. We were seated in row 9 of the plane, which was the last row! It was the most turbulent, scary flight possible. We were tossed around for almost an hour and for some reason Jim had forgotten to put on his seat belt and managed to hit his head off the ceiling. It's a pity we hadn't paid closer attention to our route as we could have driven to Buffalo in around four hours but instead we were travelling for around 10 hours. We would have been quicker driving to Canada.

It was with great relief that we alighted from the plane to see my sister Catherine's smiling face at Buffalo Airport. We were all set to be driven to the Aitken abode with Alastair confident at the wheel - he was one time Ontario champion rally driver –and before too long we arrived at their home in Oakville.

Canada

The last time Jim and I visited Canada was in 2006, this was his third time in Oakville and I've been coming since 1981 so on pretty familiar territory. The Aitkens live in Bronte, near Oakville, and it's a beautiful place. Their house backs onto the creek and is just a short walk from Bronte Harbour on Lake Ontario so well situated to take a stroll.

Lauren, my niece, was there to greet us when we arrived and the table was all set for dinner with a lovely little touch of strawberries dipped in chocolate - three each for Jim and I with our names spelled out on them. It was the first time that we had met Max, their West Highland Terrier but he too was very welcoming.

Lauren was in great form as she had just landed a super new job at Holt Renfrew, a very upmarket store in Toronto and a convenient fifteen minute walk from her apartment. We were keen to hear all her news and give her information of her cousins in Scotland.

Catherine filled us in on the arrangements for Sean's graduation, our trip to London, Ontario and told us about all the people who were coming along to The Moonshine Cafe where Jim had a gig the next night. Both these events were further highlights of the trip.

The Moonshine Cafe

The next day we went into Oakville to check out the venue and first impressions were excellent. We could have hung out there all day listening to the bluegrass band who were playing and it transpired that our contact, John Marlatt, the proprietor, was the banjo player with the band .

John is a real music enthusiast who has turned The Moonshine Cafe into one of the most popular music venues in the area. He manages a fine balance of being completely on the ball and totally relaxed so no pressure regarding the gig. We were delighted when produced the local newspaper with Jim's photograph and a write up about the event on the front page.

The gig that same night was a big success with Jim playing to a full house. Many of the people whom we had met on previous visits came along plus some friends of Catherine's and Lauren's that we had not met before. There was even a couple of people there, Bernadette and Fiona, who knew of Jim through the website. It was a great night with lots of applause, laughter, audience inter-action and many CDs purchased.

The Convocation at Western Ontario University

Our next occasion was Sean's graduation and as we had a pretty early start Catherine had arranged for us to stay over at the University in the students' accommodation and we headed off for the two hour drive to London next day. We met up with Sean, who was delighted to see everyone plus the dog, then we went along to check out The Black Shire where Jim was to play in a couple of days time.

We had a meal there and then went off to see our digs. I've never lived in student accommodation but I had stayed once at Stirling University many years ago and the set up at London was much more spacious. We had a unit with a small lounge area, a kitchen, four small bedrooms cum study rooms and two bathrooms so completely adequate for our one night stay and handy for the big event but something about it made us, well Catherine and I, a bit giggly.

The next morning certainly provided some hilarity as we struggled to work out how we went about getting breakfast. The arrangements were clearly set up to challenge the mental capacity of all who ate there - for example, we eventually worked out that utensils were kept on a bizarre carousel device from which they were selected individually. The kitchen staff were pretty fierce and I had to laugh at Jim's social skills in attempting to ask for another cup of coffee approaching the woman in charge with a friendly Glaswegian: "Aye, aye!" - it worked. It all added to the fun. :-)

There was a great deal of bustle and excitement as we queued to enter the Alumni Hall; fortunately we were in the queue for ticket holders. For some reason we had an excess of tickets so Catherine was able to hand over three spares to grateful people in the other queue.

Western Ontario is a large university with 30,000 or so students so the event was on a huge scale and going to last a long time but it was very interesting. There was a significant amount of pageantry as teaching staff in robes of various styles and hues led the procession onto the platform. Then they were followed by hundreds of smiling students as proud parents and friends beamed at them.

I've been to a few graduations, a couple of my own, Jim's and when I was a lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University. The main difference with this Canadian version was the attention paid to honourary recipients of degrees, who had praise heaped upon them for a very long time. Although I very much enjoyed the speech by The Honourable Warren Winkler. The student group also seemed rather different, characterised by a very wide variety of ethnic backgrounds with many Latin, Asian, Irish, German, Scottish, and East European names among the graduates plus a smattering of Native Americans including Katie Big-Canoe.

The ceremony was very emotional, enjoyable and happy and we loved every minute. Sean graduated B.A. (Honors) with a special distinction in Psychology. He's enjoying academic life and continuing his studies at the University and working on a research project over the summer. He has a notion to come to Scotland to study at some point so hopefully that will be possible. We had a great time with him on his special day and hung around taking photographs and chatting to some of his friends before heading off for a celebratory meal at a really nice restaurant, the name of which I have totally forgotten.

We were back in London a couple of days later for Jim's gig at The Black Shire accompanied by John Flynn, a friend of Catherine and Alastair's, who had very kindly driven us up from Bronte. Sean also came along to the gig. We had some time to take a walk down by the River Thames, yes, they've taken the naming of the town very seriously, before heading up to get organised for Jim's gig. The contact was Brian Mortimer, Mortz, a very busy and enthusiastic music promoter. He had arranged for Jim to play a gig on the Patio for three hours so it was to be quite an unusual event with regard to both length and location.

We were a bit apprehensive about the set up but it turned out to be really enjoyable. The crowd, including, Mortz, comprised of a bunch of true music enthusiasts with some very witty hecklers, which Jim responds to very well. They clearly enjoyed his playing and could not get enough finger pickin' - he eventually had to repeat some numbers as his repertoire was exhausted. However, such was his popularity by this stage that he could not have put a foot, or played a chord, wrong. So despite the blisters on his fingers we went home a happy gang.

Jim had to return to Scotland a few days earlier than planned as he had some gigs back in Edinburgh and Glasgow that may well have been compromised by jet lag. Before he left we spent a day in Toronto and also went along to the Burlington Music Festival - a very large affair situated on the Lake Shore. We also enjoyed a stroll down by the harbour in Bronte, where it was lovely to sit and relax in the sunshine watching all the fishing boats sail out into the vast lake.

After Jim left I spent the rest of the holiday catching up with friends including: Grace, Margaret, Marie, Willie, John, Carol, Lesley, Kirsty, Isobel whom I had met on previous trips. I also went into Toronto with Catherine and Alastair to spend some time with Lauren and admire the lovely store where she works - even although it's a bit outside our price range. We then had a meal at 'Sugo;, a lovely Italian restaurant in Gay Village, near where Lauren lives..

We spent some time shopping for gifts to take home but most of the time Catherine and I chatted about home and laughed and laughed at memories of our childhood and times when our own children were youngsters.

I am now back among my men folk of brothers, sons and Jim and missing my sister like mad. Still we had a lovely time. I'll be hoping to go back before too long. After all I've yet to read Lauren's project, which she completed at school when she was ten. It was titled 'My Aunt Patricia' much to my delight, however, apparently it was private. :lol:

More photographs from the trip