Houston to Sydney 2013 22

Our final full day in Houston was a bit special, being my birthday. The ‘celebration’ began by getting out of bed late – at about 9 am. What an enjoyable and decadent feeling!

We had originally intended to have lunch out to celebrate my birthday, but that plan came unstuck when we discovered that the restaurant we had chosen did not open until 5 pm on Saturdays. As an excellent substitute we had breakfast in the hotel, and it was wonderful. Moreover, unlike yesterday, I remembered to get a photo to share with you.

We had been given some vouchers for massages at the Houstonian last Christmas, but we had never been able to find the time to use them. Fortunately (given that we will be leaving Houston tomorrow), we were able to make the time this afternoon, and it was indeed an excellent, therapeutic experience. In retrospect, I could have handled a few dozen such massages here in Houston over the past couple of years, but better late than never!

A particular highlight of the day was spending several hours talking with my children in separate birthday calls via Skype, FaceTime, Google Video Chat and even the telephone – Liesl in Canberra, Phillip in Sydney, Tim in Melbourne and Andrew in Cambridge (UK). Thank you for your kind thoughts and good wishes.

The day concluded with a special birthday dinner at Moreton’s Steakhouse in the Galleria district of Houston. One of Houston’s best steakhouses, this was the first time we had eaten there, and the excellent steaks combined with the very friendly service meant we enjoyed a thoroughly memorable final night – and birthday evening – in Houston.

Day 22 - Houston

Saturday

27 July 2013