Before I set off on my American adventure, whenever I told people where I was going, most people just looked blankly when I said "Dubuque." Those few that had heard of the place didn't sound too complimentary. Well, to all those who hadn't heard of the place, allow me to introduce you.

It's a smallish city, a bit like Palmerston North, and the central part of the city is laid out in a grid also. But the architecture is quite different, with a lot of concrete paving, red-brick buildings (both new and old), and extensive rejuvenation of the city centre. When I had looked at the images on Street View before I came here, I thought it looked run down, but its not like that in reality. Instead, it feels worn, but in an historical way rather than in a tatty way. The city is the oldest in Iowa, founded in 1788, and while many buildings aren't that old, the age of the city partly explains its worn look, in some places. But where it has been rejuvenated, it looks quite modern. I went for a walk on Sunday morning and covered about 20 blocks of the CBD. I didn't see a single piece of graffiti. Anywhere. For the most part, it is a very clean city.

On Friday night, I was met by Randy and Joey Taylor. They brought with them their homestay student, a young Argentinian girl and her friend, another homestay student from Chile. Together, we all went to the Town Clock Inn for traditional Chicago-style pizza. 16", with everything. It is possibly the best pizza I have ever tasted! After that, we went to my first ever Ice Hockey game - a high-school level game between Dubuque Fighting Saints and Team USA from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Though it was "only" 17-year olds playiing, it was pretty professional, and the atmosphere rivalled that of any NPC or Super rugby game. But more than that, it was the community pride and spirit that I marvelled at. People didn't just come for the game, they came to socialise with friends,for their kids to hang out in a family-friendly, safe place. It felt a bit like everyone gathering in a big living room to watch the game.

On Saturday, Guy and Becky Hemenway took me and Yigang up the Mississippi River on their powerboat. It was pretty cold, especially when we got up to speed, but it was totally worth it. It is a beautiful stretch of river, and the colours of "fall" aren't fully out, but what I saw was pretty stunning all the same. We then went back to their beautiful log house, and had a Thanksgiving-style dinner - turkey plus stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, squash, and gravy, with pumpkin pie for dessert. To top it off, we watched the college football game - Iowa vs Ohio State. I learned a lot about the game, and think I could probably follow a game on my own. It was a great day out.

Overall, its been a great weekend. Lots of exploring, wonderful people and amazing hospitality. That's Dubuque.