Our check in time was 3, but we were about three hours later getting in. It does take more than 2 hours to get here, but I was giving the cleaning lady extra time as we thought there was a family leaving this morning at 11. As it turned out, that family had motorcycle wreck troubles and didn't ever make it here, and we encountered a train in Baldwin that encourages neighbors to get out of their cars and visit with each other and smoke. Even the First Baptist Church electronic sign says, Stopped by a Train-take the oppoirtunity to pray.
We thought about Callahan BBQ for dinner, but they are closed on Sundays, so we setled for Sonny's take out and waited till we were pretty moved in and cooled down. I had gotten as far as setting up the electronics and couldn't find the wi-fi password. It wasn't in "the letter" that our landlady sends with the info we need. I did look on the reciever but didn't see it. Just as well as it was an excuse to knock on the neighbor's door. The first responders are always a gaggle of dachshunds and then some time later by Nell. She came over and suggested look behind the tv and there it was. However, she stayed and visited for awhile. Last year she was with her sister, Alex. Alex had had a leg removed at the hip, but she relied upon herself for whatever. Sometimes we would find things she left on the front stairs when she would scoot herself up one step at a time. She was the one who brought us our first piece of Ms Carolines coconut cake. She died in April. Nell said that she was at the door of her own house letting the dogs out and just died. Not a bad way to go. Hard for Nell and hard for Alex's dog who now lives with Nell and her dogs.
We got several other stories before she left including the new location of Ms Caroline's and their extended hours. I think she is relieved to have someone in shouting distance or banging distance. She makes a good neighbor for us as well.
Stella loves the beach-always has. Shes not as fast, but the smile is the same. Of course, she remembers the house, but she gave it a good inspection just the same.
We are alnost settled in. It's nice to know where everything is. I tried to get our landlady to keep my last year's deposit for this year, but she has her system and it doesn't include keeping deposits. I might just try again to put in for next October when we leave this year. It's really perfect for us here. Marcia even found our Penzey's half sharp paprika in the spice cabinet left from last year. She does have to reinstall the handhell shower head though.
So we are breathing in the salt air. There is a trip to Publix tomorrow and tomorrow evening a visit from a cousin. Never met her, but I've seen her genome.
KG
Sunday, October 06, 2013
Tuesday, August 06, 2013
How to Top Off a Fine Week in Toronto
Do all the things on your bucket list that you have energy for, but top it all off with a late afternoon cruise on the three masted Kajama.
I took a cab about noon time to the new City Hall where I did see the Ai Weiwei zodiac. Then made my way to the Hudson Bay Company store where I had lunch in the Lower Level. There is an amazing array of food and all high quality-no Burger King food court here. I had two salmon and chopped fennel slaw tacos and a side slaw of diakon, carrot and occasional raisin and vinegary red onion soaked soft. I washed it down with a lemon green tea. I walked around the store a bit and was tempted by some socks, but they would actually have been quite hot most of the time, so I passed on them. Better that they warm some North Country legs this winter.
I did a bit of walking down to King street and eventually wandered into St James Church. We had heard about this church many times from riding the Ho Ho, so it's C of E interior was not a surprise, but there happened to be an organ concert and I was able to catch the last 10 minutes. Very nice way to rest my legs and much more inspiring than just the decor. I was puzzled at why there would be a pew 106 and the next pew would be 106 1/2 when all the others were whole numbers. Didn't get to ask the Vicar, though he was standing nearby, as he was engaged in conversation. We do know, from our many rides on the Ho Ho that this church had a pew tax so that the smaller church in Corktown was built for immigrants fleeing the potato famine and it did not require a fee. St James has done away with their fee, but, when the Queen is in town she worships there and the pew fee comes back. At least $400 CAD (one assumes) and higher the closer you sit to her. Though I have never been Catholic, buying indulgences seems more prudent. One wonders if the pew fee goes up if the new Prince goes to church. He could be worth is weight many times over.
Church done I decided to head down King St to take a peek in the household furnishings design shops. I also popped into a chi chi wine shop and asked the manager why I could not find any BC wines in Ontario. He did his best to promote the one red BC wine he had, but said that the government of Canada is the one responsible. That it is a long way to ship the wine. I suggested that New Zealand seemed further and I had been enjoying NZ wines in Canada. He smiled and moved on in conversation. He knew my fave, Joyeau Nobel and agreed that they made excellent wines-that they have the dry climate that makes for good wines. He also pointed out that worse things could happen than going to BC and I had to agree. Sounds like provincial wine battles in Parliament to me.
The chi chi design furniture eluded me. I was particularly intrigued by the Amish Urban, but won't get to see it this trip. I spied the St Lawrence Market and decided to take a look. It was mostly food and goddess knows we need to clean out the refer before we go, but I did want to take a look around. I found a t-shirt for MDT and will try to get a photo for you to see. It involves fishing. Then I found a bag of cheese curds and it is a longstanding thing with us that when we spot them we buy them, so I did in spite of the refer delima. Then I caught a cab back home in time to meet Suz for the sail
Kajama is quite lovely and only costs $20CAD for about 1.5 hrs. We thought that a 4 pm sailing would be about perfect and it was. We have literally thousands of photos to sort through and edit. I sampled a Steam Whistle Pilsner on board and it was quite good. When in Toronto I would suggest having one.
On the way back to the condo a short one block away from the ship's landing, we had to pass the lobster roll stand that I have been oogling for a week, and it didn't take much to convince Susan that we needed to support the local economy and get them. The partners in the condo declined, so Suz and I dined and then helped out with the cheese curd and fruit and assorted Chinese pastries. I also have a bottle of wine that I have almost cleaned up, but it's that oaky chard tasting thing, so the salted cheddar is working with it.
When I finish this blog I have to go pack. It is the saddest thing about the journey. So much to do and so little time. We are covered for the Powerball drawing, so perhaps we will be back soon.
KG
I took a cab about noon time to the new City Hall where I did see the Ai Weiwei zodiac. Then made my way to the Hudson Bay Company store where I had lunch in the Lower Level. There is an amazing array of food and all high quality-no Burger King food court here. I had two salmon and chopped fennel slaw tacos and a side slaw of diakon, carrot and occasional raisin and vinegary red onion soaked soft. I washed it down with a lemon green tea. I walked around the store a bit and was tempted by some socks, but they would actually have been quite hot most of the time, so I passed on them. Better that they warm some North Country legs this winter.
I did a bit of walking down to King street and eventually wandered into St James Church. We had heard about this church many times from riding the Ho Ho, so it's C of E interior was not a surprise, but there happened to be an organ concert and I was able to catch the last 10 minutes. Very nice way to rest my legs and much more inspiring than just the decor. I was puzzled at why there would be a pew 106 and the next pew would be 106 1/2 when all the others were whole numbers. Didn't get to ask the Vicar, though he was standing nearby, as he was engaged in conversation. We do know, from our many rides on the Ho Ho that this church had a pew tax so that the smaller church in Corktown was built for immigrants fleeing the potato famine and it did not require a fee. St James has done away with their fee, but, when the Queen is in town she worships there and the pew fee comes back. At least $400 CAD (one assumes) and higher the closer you sit to her. Though I have never been Catholic, buying indulgences seems more prudent. One wonders if the pew fee goes up if the new Prince goes to church. He could be worth is weight many times over.
Church done I decided to head down King St to take a peek in the household furnishings design shops. I also popped into a chi chi wine shop and asked the manager why I could not find any BC wines in Ontario. He did his best to promote the one red BC wine he had, but said that the government of Canada is the one responsible. That it is a long way to ship the wine. I suggested that New Zealand seemed further and I had been enjoying NZ wines in Canada. He smiled and moved on in conversation. He knew my fave, Joyeau Nobel and agreed that they made excellent wines-that they have the dry climate that makes for good wines. He also pointed out that worse things could happen than going to BC and I had to agree. Sounds like provincial wine battles in Parliament to me.
The chi chi design furniture eluded me. I was particularly intrigued by the Amish Urban, but won't get to see it this trip. I spied the St Lawrence Market and decided to take a look. It was mostly food and goddess knows we need to clean out the refer before we go, but I did want to take a look around. I found a t-shirt for MDT and will try to get a photo for you to see. It involves fishing. Then I found a bag of cheese curds and it is a longstanding thing with us that when we spot them we buy them, so I did in spite of the refer delima. Then I caught a cab back home in time to meet Suz for the sail
Kajama is quite lovely and only costs $20CAD for about 1.5 hrs. We thought that a 4 pm sailing would be about perfect and it was. We have literally thousands of photos to sort through and edit. I sampled a Steam Whistle Pilsner on board and it was quite good. When in Toronto I would suggest having one.
On the way back to the condo a short one block away from the ship's landing, we had to pass the lobster roll stand that I have been oogling for a week, and it didn't take much to convince Susan that we needed to support the local economy and get them. The partners in the condo declined, so Suz and I dined and then helped out with the cheese curd and fruit and assorted Chinese pastries. I also have a bottle of wine that I have almost cleaned up, but it's that oaky chard tasting thing, so the salted cheddar is working with it.
When I finish this blog I have to go pack. It is the saddest thing about the journey. So much to do and so little time. We are covered for the Powerball drawing, so perhaps we will be back soon.
KG
Dicy Buddies
Good morning blogophiles. I neglected to blog last night though I had a couple of adventures yesterday. One of my travelmates has introduced me to Dice With Buddies which is basically Yhatze. We started out with one game and then she showed me how to start another game and while she was away for a bit I fiished my turns on all of the games we had started and I spied the already been won games and opted for a rematch and before you knew it we had 97 games going. I'm still not sure how it all happened, but there we were last night working our little stylus to the metal trying to finish some of those games.
Yesterday's adventures were, for me and Marcia, the ROM, Royal Ontairo Museum. My Ho Ho pass has expired so we took a cab. Easier and quieter. The featured exhibit was Mesopotamia on loan from the British Museum (you may remember several adventures at the big BM). The artifacts were good, but what caught my attention were the little films telling about the digs and issues of the wars fought in this area. Apparently the French and British were all about the artifacts and the Germans came along and excivated the arcitecture. This brought to mind the museum Cathy and I visited in Berlin that had huge exhibits giving one an idea of the scale of these ancient cities and the skill it took to build them. I still have no idea how Nebakanazer's folks got the water to rise several stories to make waterfalls and to water the hanging gardens.
The other thing that there were plenty of were the clay or stone cylinders used for sealing. Not letters because writing was on wet clay (with stylus-full circle back to iPad) but crates of stuff belonging to important people. The little cylinder told a little story, the meaning of which was probably something like a warning with implications about what might happen to the person who broke the seal. Having dabbled in clay myself I couldn't help but think that some of the seals probably got broken by accident and how unfortunate that would have been.
The last little film I watched reminded us that the Babalonians used a base 6 number system, hence we have 60 minutes in an hour and 12 signs of the zodiac.
Time for lunch. Choices were the noisy cafe or a swank sit down bistro. The ROM lives at one end of the Millionaire Mile, where the sidewalks are paved with granite and the shops are designer. If you plan to shop here choose a sunny day as rain and ice on granite are trecherous. In spite of a forecast of rain, our day was sunny and we made it a short way down the mile to the Bistro and enjoyed a delightful lunch. Apparently we are on a Benedict binge as the thing that appealed to us both was a lobster benedict. Marcia got a bowl of gaspacho as well and it was quite tasty. I opted for the mimosa which was quite good as well. Rather tart.
Back at the museum Marcia went to the second floor to see bones and crystals and minerals and rocks and I went straight for Asia. There were some very fine 11th century Buddhas to look at as well as ancestor paintings. I particularly enjoyed some of the ceramics and have a photo or two.
We came back to the condo for a rest, and I caught up on some dice with my buddie. Suz and Charlotte had a nice stroll through the distillery which has been converted into shops and restaurants. Then took a long walk back to the condo mostly by the lake. Suz got great photos of sailboats on the lake. I'll see if she might share.
Dinner was leftovers, but what great leftovers. Chinese duck with veggies and a bit of pasta. I tried the Ontario Savignon Blanc and was not impressed. There is a little store in our block that sells nothing but Ontario wines and when I told the clerk that I liked the New Zealand Marlborough SB she enthusiastically recommended this Ontario SB. It had an oaky chard taste that was not unplesant but not my light and grapefurity NZ SB. My favorite Canadian wine, Joyeaux Nobel from BC does not seem to be available here. I wonder what is the problem? One might think that Canada would be all about promoting Canada wines whether they were from BC or Niagra. I cannot even get it shipped to the US. Who knows. Must make sense to someone.
My plans for today are modest. I want to see the Ai Weiwei Chinese zodiac statues at the new City Hall. I actually want to see the City Hall as the tourist bus just offers a sideways glimpse. I might drop by the Bay Company Store as well since it is in the neighborhood. Remember the Hudson Bay Company from 5th grade history? Well, it still exists in the form of a huge department store just catty cornered from City Hall-the old one which is next to the new one.
Sadly, tonight will be all about packing and tidying up in preperation for our flight on Wednesday. Over soooooo soon.
KG
Yesterday's adventures were, for me and Marcia, the ROM, Royal Ontairo Museum. My Ho Ho pass has expired so we took a cab. Easier and quieter. The featured exhibit was Mesopotamia on loan from the British Museum (you may remember several adventures at the big BM). The artifacts were good, but what caught my attention were the little films telling about the digs and issues of the wars fought in this area. Apparently the French and British were all about the artifacts and the Germans came along and excivated the arcitecture. This brought to mind the museum Cathy and I visited in Berlin that had huge exhibits giving one an idea of the scale of these ancient cities and the skill it took to build them. I still have no idea how Nebakanazer's folks got the water to rise several stories to make waterfalls and to water the hanging gardens.
The other thing that there were plenty of were the clay or stone cylinders used for sealing. Not letters because writing was on wet clay (with stylus-full circle back to iPad) but crates of stuff belonging to important people. The little cylinder told a little story, the meaning of which was probably something like a warning with implications about what might happen to the person who broke the seal. Having dabbled in clay myself I couldn't help but think that some of the seals probably got broken by accident and how unfortunate that would have been.
The last little film I watched reminded us that the Babalonians used a base 6 number system, hence we have 60 minutes in an hour and 12 signs of the zodiac.
Time for lunch. Choices were the noisy cafe or a swank sit down bistro. The ROM lives at one end of the Millionaire Mile, where the sidewalks are paved with granite and the shops are designer. If you plan to shop here choose a sunny day as rain and ice on granite are trecherous. In spite of a forecast of rain, our day was sunny and we made it a short way down the mile to the Bistro and enjoyed a delightful lunch. Apparently we are on a Benedict binge as the thing that appealed to us both was a lobster benedict. Marcia got a bowl of gaspacho as well and it was quite tasty. I opted for the mimosa which was quite good as well. Rather tart.
Back at the museum Marcia went to the second floor to see bones and crystals and minerals and rocks and I went straight for Asia. There were some very fine 11th century Buddhas to look at as well as ancestor paintings. I particularly enjoyed some of the ceramics and have a photo or two.
We came back to the condo for a rest, and I caught up on some dice with my buddie. Suz and Charlotte had a nice stroll through the distillery which has been converted into shops and restaurants. Then took a long walk back to the condo mostly by the lake. Suz got great photos of sailboats on the lake. I'll see if she might share.
Dinner was leftovers, but what great leftovers. Chinese duck with veggies and a bit of pasta. I tried the Ontario Savignon Blanc and was not impressed. There is a little store in our block that sells nothing but Ontario wines and when I told the clerk that I liked the New Zealand Marlborough SB she enthusiastically recommended this Ontario SB. It had an oaky chard taste that was not unplesant but not my light and grapefurity NZ SB. My favorite Canadian wine, Joyeaux Nobel from BC does not seem to be available here. I wonder what is the problem? One might think that Canada would be all about promoting Canada wines whether they were from BC or Niagra. I cannot even get it shipped to the US. Who knows. Must make sense to someone.
My plans for today are modest. I want to see the Ai Weiwei Chinese zodiac statues at the new City Hall. I actually want to see the City Hall as the tourist bus just offers a sideways glimpse. I might drop by the Bay Company Store as well since it is in the neighborhood. Remember the Hudson Bay Company from 5th grade history? Well, it still exists in the form of a huge department store just catty cornered from City Hall-the old one which is next to the new one.
Sadly, tonight will be all about packing and tidying up in preperation for our flight on Wednesday. Over soooooo soon.
KG
Saturday, August 03, 2013
Ho Ho AGO
It's the Art Gallery of Ontario and Marcia and I toured it today. All of these museums are more than can be done in a day, so we took our time getting up and going this morning, left Suz and Charlotte with the laundry and took the long Ho Ho ride to stop #11. By the time we got there it was past our lunch time considerably, so we stopped at Franks, the nice restaurant next to the museum and had the bennys-eggs benedict on a croissant with a side salad. Very nice. Photo to follow.
Speaking of photos, we are being frugal with the iPhone and not doing data here because it costs quite a bit more, so the iPhotos will make it to the blog when the big girl camera photos do.
What I liked about the AGO was the portraits. In particular the shots front and profile of mostly men in Indochina in the mid 19th century. They were found in a museum of anthropology in Paris. Each photo has the person's name and age. I was struck by how they look older than their age. I can imagine that life might have been hard on them. I have a lovely photo of a portrait of the Queen, g grandmother Queen these days. She has her eyes shut. I imagine she hates the portrait, but...
We missed the Ai Weiwei exhibit which will start 17 August. We also missed a Blue Jay's home game which is really a shame as it would have been three blocks away from us. However, this condo is lovely enough to rent again, so maybe we will catch up with the Jays. I'll have to check on Weiwei's tour to see if he might come to Atlanta.
I'll let Marcia tell you herself about what she saw. We learned a long time ago to go our own ways in a museum and share later. She did have a good time.
We came home to find Charlotte under the weather with stomach troubles. She has had several OTC remedies and is now up, so it looks promising.
The Phillies and the Braves are all tied in in the 12th, so we have a game going. Soon back to bed to rest up for another day.
KG
Speaking of photos, we are being frugal with the iPhone and not doing data here because it costs quite a bit more, so the iPhotos will make it to the blog when the big girl camera photos do.
What I liked about the AGO was the portraits. In particular the shots front and profile of mostly men in Indochina in the mid 19th century. They were found in a museum of anthropology in Paris. Each photo has the person's name and age. I was struck by how they look older than their age. I can imagine that life might have been hard on them. I have a lovely photo of a portrait of the Queen, g grandmother Queen these days. She has her eyes shut. I imagine she hates the portrait, but...
We missed the Ai Weiwei exhibit which will start 17 August. We also missed a Blue Jay's home game which is really a shame as it would have been three blocks away from us. However, this condo is lovely enough to rent again, so maybe we will catch up with the Jays. I'll have to check on Weiwei's tour to see if he might come to Atlanta.
I'll let Marcia tell you herself about what she saw. We learned a long time ago to go our own ways in a museum and share later. She did have a good time.
We came home to find Charlotte under the weather with stomach troubles. She has had several OTC remedies and is now up, so it looks promising.
The Phillies and the Braves are all tied in in the 12th, so we have a game going. Soon back to bed to rest up for another day.
KG
Ho Ho Hos
We all have passes for the Ho Ho bus. All except Marcia who was not feeling well enough to go yesterday. My plan was to do a whole loop without getting off and then have another Dim Sum with Marcia.
The city reminds me of Chicago. Several Art Deco buildings and lots of glass and steel. Like Chicago, fire was a threat and the city burned several times. After that they realized that just because wood was plentiful it might not be the best building material for a city and they passed laws about brick. These days it is all about glass and steel and there is quite a bit of it. And more to come. We are totally blown away by the amount of construction all over town. There is big money floating around. Who knew that three cents on the dollar would promote such growth. Or is it the other way around?
Dim Sum was quite good again. The restaurant has windows all around and the center is three steps higher than the window side tables, so there is really not a bad table in the house. The boats on the lake sail casually by as one picks delicious little treats from the rolling trays. Our landlady tells us that people come from around the world just for this restaurant. She also promises to send us a list of her favorite restaurants.
After lunch I caught the Ho Ho bus again. Susan and Charlotte rode the morning bus with me to their stop, #11-Chinatown, AGO (art museum), Kensington, and the general sites of Spadina St. They had lunch in Chinatown and visited the Ding Dong Bakery before taking a long walk home. I rode the bus again. By the time I got to the AGO myself it was 1.5 hrs before closing and there isn't a two day pass, so I decided to wait till another day-perhaps today. The disadvantage of the Ho Ho is that it is not direct and takes a long time. Sometimes this is just fine as we have energy for just doing the museum and riding the bus is low energy entertainment, but it didn't work for me yesterday. It did work in the sense that I got a nice walk around Chinatown and Kensington, which is like a hippy district with retro boutiques and Tibetan Clothing and lots of food markets and little restaurants. Since they never have my size and I couldn't even find an appealing scarf and we had done the marketing, it was a quick trip for me. When I was really hot and thirsty there appeared before me a cane juice stand. I remember seeing them in China. The canes are sliced down the middle and fed through a little press and the juice is caught. I had the guy fill my cup to the top with ice and then he poured in the juice and sealed it with a thin aluminum foil cover. One grabs a straw which has a pointed end and perforates the foil and voila-a form of Gatorade. My rejuvenated electrolytes made their way through the rain and back on the bus. I was able to get a seat on the bottom level which was fortuitous as the skies opened up a short time later.
Meanwhile, Suz and Charlotte had made it home mid afternoon and were lounging and indeed napping. Marcia made us dinner of roti chicken, linguini with pesto and shiitake and campari tomatoes and onions, steamed asparagus and ourfavorite chibatta baguette. We got deserts from the Sobey's and Suz and Charlotte got Ding Dong deserts, so it was more desert than I usually have, but it was all so good. Even the Ding Dong was quite nice.
Down below us at the harbour front is supposed to be a rather large Caribbean festival this weekend. Our Ho Ho guides said that 2 million people are expected at the parade. We don't know where the parade route will be, but under our balcony seems unlikely as there is massive construction going on and you can barely get a bus through the maze of fencing. You certainly wouldn't know there was a festival about to happen looking down there now, but it is fairly early yet. Island time, ya know.
Charlotte could probably turn cartwheels all the way to the Casa Loma from here, but Suz and I are knackered. I'm hoping that the big cup of coffee I just had will prompt me to get on the bus and go to the museum, but it's not looking good at the moment. Maybe a nice hot shower will make a difference.
KG
The city reminds me of Chicago. Several Art Deco buildings and lots of glass and steel. Like Chicago, fire was a threat and the city burned several times. After that they realized that just because wood was plentiful it might not be the best building material for a city and they passed laws about brick. These days it is all about glass and steel and there is quite a bit of it. And more to come. We are totally blown away by the amount of construction all over town. There is big money floating around. Who knew that three cents on the dollar would promote such growth. Or is it the other way around?
Dim Sum was quite good again. The restaurant has windows all around and the center is three steps higher than the window side tables, so there is really not a bad table in the house. The boats on the lake sail casually by as one picks delicious little treats from the rolling trays. Our landlady tells us that people come from around the world just for this restaurant. She also promises to send us a list of her favorite restaurants.
After lunch I caught the Ho Ho bus again. Susan and Charlotte rode the morning bus with me to their stop, #11-Chinatown, AGO (art museum), Kensington, and the general sites of Spadina St. They had lunch in Chinatown and visited the Ding Dong Bakery before taking a long walk home. I rode the bus again. By the time I got to the AGO myself it was 1.5 hrs before closing and there isn't a two day pass, so I decided to wait till another day-perhaps today. The disadvantage of the Ho Ho is that it is not direct and takes a long time. Sometimes this is just fine as we have energy for just doing the museum and riding the bus is low energy entertainment, but it didn't work for me yesterday. It did work in the sense that I got a nice walk around Chinatown and Kensington, which is like a hippy district with retro boutiques and Tibetan Clothing and lots of food markets and little restaurants. Since they never have my size and I couldn't even find an appealing scarf and we had done the marketing, it was a quick trip for me. When I was really hot and thirsty there appeared before me a cane juice stand. I remember seeing them in China. The canes are sliced down the middle and fed through a little press and the juice is caught. I had the guy fill my cup to the top with ice and then he poured in the juice and sealed it with a thin aluminum foil cover. One grabs a straw which has a pointed end and perforates the foil and voila-a form of Gatorade. My rejuvenated electrolytes made their way through the rain and back on the bus. I was able to get a seat on the bottom level which was fortuitous as the skies opened up a short time later.
Meanwhile, Suz and Charlotte had made it home mid afternoon and were lounging and indeed napping. Marcia made us dinner of roti chicken, linguini with pesto and shiitake and campari tomatoes and onions, steamed asparagus and ourfavorite chibatta baguette. We got deserts from the Sobey's and Suz and Charlotte got Ding Dong deserts, so it was more desert than I usually have, but it was all so good. Even the Ding Dong was quite nice.
Down below us at the harbour front is supposed to be a rather large Caribbean festival this weekend. Our Ho Ho guides said that 2 million people are expected at the parade. We don't know where the parade route will be, but under our balcony seems unlikely as there is massive construction going on and you can barely get a bus through the maze of fencing. You certainly wouldn't know there was a festival about to happen looking down there now, but it is fairly early yet. Island time, ya know.
Charlotte could probably turn cartwheels all the way to the Casa Loma from here, but Suz and I are knackered. I'm hoping that the big cup of coffee I just had will prompt me to get on the bus and go to the museum, but it's not looking good at the moment. Maybe a nice hot shower will make a difference.
KG
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Tuckered in Toronto
I woke up wondering where was the truck that ran over me and realized it was an airbus. So I decided to put up my feet and rest in hopes of stockpiling some energy for the rest of the week. I had my breakfast shake and coffee and by 10:30 I was ready to do my exercises. Suz and Charlotte were texting from the Ho Ho bus which can be caught at the Raddison which is across the street and about a block away. They now have a week pass which will serve as transportation to the sites we want to see around town. Museum, museum, museum!
Marcia found a Japanese restaurant across the street in the Terminal building which is a combo business center and mini mall harbourfront. By 12:30 we were ready to cross the street. Turns out there is a little Sobey's grocery in the terminal as well. Also turns out the Japanese restaurant is in a little food court and next to it is a sit down Chinese restaurant called Pearl which serves Dim Sum daily from 11:30 to 3pm. We were down for Dim Sum in no time flat. Beautiful views of the harbour and good food-light and easy. We'll probably be taking Suz and Charlotte soon as there is a Caribbean Festival in the park next to the terminal and across the street from us and as the weekend comes it is likely to get fairly crowded. Of course, there will be live music that will probably be able to be heard from our balcony and I'm sure the food vendors will be out. Jerk chicken, pigeon peas and rice and plantains fried. Works for me. Regge on!
So, we came home and had more rest which now feels well worth it. Suz and Charlotte joined us mid afternoon full of useful info about the Ho Ho bus and a bunch of photos. Charlotte and I took off for Longos for some Salmon and other supplies that we didn't get yesterday. That was plenty of exercise for me.
I did mention that wine is expensive, but today I bought laundry detergent- an average sized bottle of unscented Tide for almost $11 CAD. One has to factor in that the Sobey's is on the harbourfront, but ex-pen-sive! We are clean though. Suz for one appreciates a harbourfront condo with laundry service. Scullery is my specialty!
Tonight's menu: Salmon a la Charlotte, ww pasta, Brussels Sprouts Marcia and the lovely chibatta baguette from the Longo bakery. There is also a selection of lovely tarts. The special French bakery is 16 blocks away, so we will see if the Ho Ho will take us near there.
KG
Marcia found a Japanese restaurant across the street in the Terminal building which is a combo business center and mini mall harbourfront. By 12:30 we were ready to cross the street. Turns out there is a little Sobey's grocery in the terminal as well. Also turns out the Japanese restaurant is in a little food court and next to it is a sit down Chinese restaurant called Pearl which serves Dim Sum daily from 11:30 to 3pm. We were down for Dim Sum in no time flat. Beautiful views of the harbour and good food-light and easy. We'll probably be taking Suz and Charlotte soon as there is a Caribbean Festival in the park next to the terminal and across the street from us and as the weekend comes it is likely to get fairly crowded. Of course, there will be live music that will probably be able to be heard from our balcony and I'm sure the food vendors will be out. Jerk chicken, pigeon peas and rice and plantains fried. Works for me. Regge on!
So, we came home and had more rest which now feels well worth it. Suz and Charlotte joined us mid afternoon full of useful info about the Ho Ho bus and a bunch of photos. Charlotte and I took off for Longos for some Salmon and other supplies that we didn't get yesterday. That was plenty of exercise for me.
I did mention that wine is expensive, but today I bought laundry detergent- an average sized bottle of unscented Tide for almost $11 CAD. One has to factor in that the Sobey's is on the harbourfront, but ex-pen-sive! We are clean though. Suz for one appreciates a harbourfront condo with laundry service. Scullery is my specialty!
Tonight's menu: Salmon a la Charlotte, ww pasta, Brussels Sprouts Marcia and the lovely chibatta baguette from the Longo bakery. There is also a selection of lovely tarts. The special French bakery is 16 blocks away, so we will see if the Ho Ho will take us near there.
KG
KRISTINA T MESSAGE
I have your keys but not your email. Will be in Toronto for a few days. kayeliz@bellsouth.net Besides that, would love to see you if you are in town and not touring Europe. Should we look in BP or on the Spanish Steps?
Kay
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Day One Toronto
Up at 4 am and all went well with the flight. Suz got us in exit seats so we were not so cramped.
I had forgotten that our check in time was 3 pm, so we were at the place where we pick up the keys at about 11:30. Bit of panic added to the panic of not knowing if we could waltz into a bank here and get enough cash to pay the rent. The owner called us to remind that the key would be dropped off in the afternoon. We were able to get the desk guy to let us drop our luggage and went around the corner to, of all things, Thompson's Diner. The food was quite good and there was not a crowd so we could sit for as long as we liked. Two of us got fish and chips, one got the Deep South burger which was a large hamburger with puled pork bbq and onion rings, and one of us got the mushroom, asparagus, roasted red pepper and goat cheese omelette with home fries.
After our lunch was taken care of, three of us headed out in search of a bank and one held down the fort. It is truly amazing to me that one can truly waltz into the Royal Bank of Canada with several pieces of plastic and a passport and emerge with enough cash to pay the rent and have some spending cash. The bills are pretty interesting too. The Canadians have invested in plastic bills with see through strips with holograms. Don't they melt, you may ask. Don't money burn, I would reply. It's really much more durable and at least as light. We have been using credit card for most purchases except cab fare, so we haven't gotten any loonies or twoonies yet. We have brought along coin purses as we remember the quick accumulation of change.
So, all's well that ends well and we think today will. Once in our condo we got wi-fi and found a nearby grocery-Longos. Luckily we emptied a suitcase and took it along with a backpack so all we had to tote home in bags were a heavy wine bag and several paper products bags. It's not a long schlep to Longos from the condo, but after a long day of travel it is a bit much.
Longos is something of an upscale yuppie store which means it has everything our hearts desire and then some. Currently on my dinner nosh plate are the following: hunk of cibatta baguette, several fresh cherries, half a white peach, several small black mission figs, slices of mancheco, oka cheese, herbed and garliced goat, procuttio and a few crustini. Wine is quite expensive here and only bought at the province store, but it was conveniently located upstairs from Longos. The selection was limited and sadly there was no Joyeau Nobel from Vancouver, but I have two bottles of Kim Crawford which cost half again as much as I can buy it at home, and after a long day and a walk to and from Longos it seems well worth it.
We can see several different kinds of ferry boats or tourist boats we might like to check out. We have a nice view of the lake right near the ferry terminal. More sail boats appear after working hours. I'll probably get you a nice photo of the Maple Leaf flapping across the street ideally with some sailboats beyond on the lake. However, if it rains, and it promises to, there is a lovely salt water aquarium indoors and at about 6 the black light comes on making things florescent. It's not nice to flash at the fish, but I'll see what I can do with the big girl camera, or better yet, put Marcia on the task.
We are some tired somebodies, but we still have dreams of what we will do tomorrow. The harbour becons and there is a So So bus to check out the lay of the land. We usually take the Ho Ho bus, but here we find a Step On Step Off bus. We assume the quality is the same. Will let you know.
As you may remember from 2006 and 2007, we love Canada.
KG
I had forgotten that our check in time was 3 pm, so we were at the place where we pick up the keys at about 11:30. Bit of panic added to the panic of not knowing if we could waltz into a bank here and get enough cash to pay the rent. The owner called us to remind that the key would be dropped off in the afternoon. We were able to get the desk guy to let us drop our luggage and went around the corner to, of all things, Thompson's Diner. The food was quite good and there was not a crowd so we could sit for as long as we liked. Two of us got fish and chips, one got the Deep South burger which was a large hamburger with puled pork bbq and onion rings, and one of us got the mushroom, asparagus, roasted red pepper and goat cheese omelette with home fries.
After our lunch was taken care of, three of us headed out in search of a bank and one held down the fort. It is truly amazing to me that one can truly waltz into the Royal Bank of Canada with several pieces of plastic and a passport and emerge with enough cash to pay the rent and have some spending cash. The bills are pretty interesting too. The Canadians have invested in plastic bills with see through strips with holograms. Don't they melt, you may ask. Don't money burn, I would reply. It's really much more durable and at least as light. We have been using credit card for most purchases except cab fare, so we haven't gotten any loonies or twoonies yet. We have brought along coin purses as we remember the quick accumulation of change.
So, all's well that ends well and we think today will. Once in our condo we got wi-fi and found a nearby grocery-Longos. Luckily we emptied a suitcase and took it along with a backpack so all we had to tote home in bags were a heavy wine bag and several paper products bags. It's not a long schlep to Longos from the condo, but after a long day of travel it is a bit much.
Longos is something of an upscale yuppie store which means it has everything our hearts desire and then some. Currently on my dinner nosh plate are the following: hunk of cibatta baguette, several fresh cherries, half a white peach, several small black mission figs, slices of mancheco, oka cheese, herbed and garliced goat, procuttio and a few crustini. Wine is quite expensive here and only bought at the province store, but it was conveniently located upstairs from Longos. The selection was limited and sadly there was no Joyeau Nobel from Vancouver, but I have two bottles of Kim Crawford which cost half again as much as I can buy it at home, and after a long day and a walk to and from Longos it seems well worth it.
We can see several different kinds of ferry boats or tourist boats we might like to check out. We have a nice view of the lake right near the ferry terminal. More sail boats appear after working hours. I'll probably get you a nice photo of the Maple Leaf flapping across the street ideally with some sailboats beyond on the lake. However, if it rains, and it promises to, there is a lovely salt water aquarium indoors and at about 6 the black light comes on making things florescent. It's not nice to flash at the fish, but I'll see what I can do with the big girl camera, or better yet, put Marcia on the task.
We are some tired somebodies, but we still have dreams of what we will do tomorrow. The harbour becons and there is a So So bus to check out the lay of the land. We usually take the Ho Ho bus, but here we find a Step On Step Off bus. We assume the quality is the same. Will let you know.
As you may remember from 2006 and 2007, we love Canada.
KG
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Blog Up
I thought I would pull the blog out of retirement today as we are getting ready to go to Toronto. I think the coast is fairly clear. There was that tropical storm, Dorian that gave us a little concern last week but isn't looking so threatening this week.
It looks as though things are warming up in Canada. I found the weather app on my iPhone and with the help of Ms Tech Support I got Toronto on board, so every day I can check in to see the forecast for our visit.
We are going with Suz and Charlotte. Blog readers may remember them from the mug shots in Paris two years ago. Our plan is to go to Orlando Tuesday before rush hour traffic and check into a hotel. Our flight leaves at 7:55am which doesn't sound so bad until you factor in getting there to check in at 6 and getting up at 4 in order to be ready for checkin at 6. You may remember my philosophy of arriving early-one can always read a book provided one has had her coffee, and is there an airport in the western world excepting Italy without Starbucks? However, running for a plane is not going to happen, so best to be early.
You may also recall that I sing the praises of Tampa International Airport and poo poo Orlando. However, Tampa does not offer a direct flight to Toronto, and better to endure one poo poo airport than several. Perhaps they have made improvements to Orlando International since I last visited. Was it 1993? Long before the blog.
We have a fine condo near the lake on Queen's Quay West. I understand there is a nice Gelato place nearby, so we should be set.
Marcia has been struggling with this and that physical ailment for months now, so it is a big YAHOO that she had decided to go. We are all thinking that the cool Canadian air will be good for us. Then again, it might encourage us to go traipsing through a nice botanical garden for another whiff of pollen. As I recall, Canada is all about flowers everywhere in the summer, so what's the difference.
Nobody will be very surprised to know that I am packed-mostly. It's not quite like going to Europe where I have to pack meds for 3 months, but the formula is otherwise the same. Three of this and three of that and a swimsuit and the rest is all orthopedic devices and remedies. My suitcase is about 10 lbs under my usual go to Europe weight, and I'm not taking my roll on the airplane case-just the backpack. We are flying cord wood class, so just as well.
This brings me to photos. Since I am not taking the Dell ultralight computer, there will be no photo editing. I'll be taking the iPad and the travel camera and the iPhone. So, occasionally an iPhone photo may make it to the blog, but the serious camera photos will have to wait till we get home. This trip could revolutionize the way I travel-we shall see. Then again, maybe I should consult tech support about photo editing on the iPad.
So, we are almost excited. Not a good idea to get too excited till takeoff, but the ducks are in a row. Janice the housesitter will be home with Stella. They are old friends, so it will be something of a vacation for Stella to have someone new to train. I'm sure Janice will get a kick out of giving Stella her new Gator Bites dog treats from Louisiana.
Knock wood, eh?
KG
It looks as though things are warming up in Canada. I found the weather app on my iPhone and with the help of Ms Tech Support I got Toronto on board, so every day I can check in to see the forecast for our visit.
We are going with Suz and Charlotte. Blog readers may remember them from the mug shots in Paris two years ago. Our plan is to go to Orlando Tuesday before rush hour traffic and check into a hotel. Our flight leaves at 7:55am which doesn't sound so bad until you factor in getting there to check in at 6 and getting up at 4 in order to be ready for checkin at 6. You may remember my philosophy of arriving early-one can always read a book provided one has had her coffee, and is there an airport in the western world excepting Italy without Starbucks? However, running for a plane is not going to happen, so best to be early.
You may also recall that I sing the praises of Tampa International Airport and poo poo Orlando. However, Tampa does not offer a direct flight to Toronto, and better to endure one poo poo airport than several. Perhaps they have made improvements to Orlando International since I last visited. Was it 1993? Long before the blog.
We have a fine condo near the lake on Queen's Quay West. I understand there is a nice Gelato place nearby, so we should be set.
Marcia has been struggling with this and that physical ailment for months now, so it is a big YAHOO that she had decided to go. We are all thinking that the cool Canadian air will be good for us. Then again, it might encourage us to go traipsing through a nice botanical garden for another whiff of pollen. As I recall, Canada is all about flowers everywhere in the summer, so what's the difference.
Nobody will be very surprised to know that I am packed-mostly. It's not quite like going to Europe where I have to pack meds for 3 months, but the formula is otherwise the same. Three of this and three of that and a swimsuit and the rest is all orthopedic devices and remedies. My suitcase is about 10 lbs under my usual go to Europe weight, and I'm not taking my roll on the airplane case-just the backpack. We are flying cord wood class, so just as well.
This brings me to photos. Since I am not taking the Dell ultralight computer, there will be no photo editing. I'll be taking the iPad and the travel camera and the iPhone. So, occasionally an iPhone photo may make it to the blog, but the serious camera photos will have to wait till we get home. This trip could revolutionize the way I travel-we shall see. Then again, maybe I should consult tech support about photo editing on the iPad.
So, we are almost excited. Not a good idea to get too excited till takeoff, but the ducks are in a row. Janice the housesitter will be home with Stella. They are old friends, so it will be something of a vacation for Stella to have someone new to train. I'm sure Janice will get a kick out of giving Stella her new Gator Bites dog treats from Louisiana.
Knock wood, eh?
KG
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Aiken/Edgefield South Carolina
We arrived Wednesday and set in provisions from Fresh Market in our rather spacious condo. We only need the downstairs as there is a master suite, kitchen, laundry, half bath and living room. We have Wi-Fi. What more could a body want?
Thursday we spent the day in the Edgefield Genealogical Society's library. I got most of the way through the Delaughter family file and we had lunch at the 10 Governor's Cafe. It's a buffet lunch and Thursdays is fried pork chop day. All was fine.
The library is closed for the holiday weekend, so Cousin Carol Pardu offered to do a cemetery tour with me. Carol and I are 3rd cousins 1x removed. Our common ancestors are Absolom and Nancy Day Delaughter of Edgefield. She is actually a double cousin as her gg grandfather married Sarah America Lanier. I have Laniers on my father's side. They go back to musicians in the court of Henry VIII where they married the Bassanos, also musicians. Amelia Bassano is thought to be Shakespeare's dark lady, and more importantly was a published poet when it was thought scandalous for women do publish. But, I digress....
Carol took me around to quite a few cemeteries-some were on land now owned by other people who have built houses. Lucky I met Carol as I would have never found these graves and certainly would not have felt free to tromp through people's back yards to take a look at them. Of particular note was Grandaddy Absolom's grave.
Thursday we spent the day in the Edgefield Genealogical Society's library. I got most of the way through the Delaughter family file and we had lunch at the 10 Governor's Cafe. It's a buffet lunch and Thursdays is fried pork chop day. All was fine.
The library is closed for the holiday weekend, so Cousin Carol Pardu offered to do a cemetery tour with me. Carol and I are 3rd cousins 1x removed. Our common ancestors are Absolom and Nancy Day Delaughter of Edgefield. She is actually a double cousin as her gg grandfather married Sarah America Lanier. I have Laniers on my father's side. They go back to musicians in the court of Henry VIII where they married the Bassanos, also musicians. Amelia Bassano is thought to be Shakespeare's dark lady, and more importantly was a published poet when it was thought scandalous for women do publish. But, I digress....
Carol took me around to quite a few cemeteries-some were on land now owned by other people who have built houses. Lucky I met Carol as I would have never found these graves and certainly would not have felt free to tromp through people's back yards to take a look at them. Of particular note was Grandaddy Absolom's grave.
I had read that Gradma Nancy was buried here when she died and that their two girls who died at ages 3 and 7 were buried here. We found only two grave markers, Rebecca Delaughter Taylor (sister to Absolom) and Absolom. Of course, they died before the war and there would have been money to buy markers. Not so much after the war. Carol showed me the house that sits on the graves of the girls a couple of miles away from this little cemetery. She thinks that Rebecca and Absolom's parents are buried here as well and that the marker has been moved to Big Stephen's Baptist Church Cemetery. Absolom's father, George William Delaughter was the preacher at Big Stephen's.
Apparently he gets a CSA marker even though he died before the Civil War. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Perhaps the CSA marker is for the grave behind him.
So, we cemetery hopped till we were hungry and then went to McDonalds in North Augusta (SC) where we could get wi-fi with our lunch and share stuff. Of course I wanted a copy of everything, so when we were fairly knackered but still have enough pep to get home we made a plan for a future time to sit down with electronic storage devices and swap stuff.
That had to be today as Carol works and we go home on Wednesday. So she came over for lunch and a visit and afterward we got down to swapping stuff. By the time we were finished we were both a bit bug eyed but happy. Carol had a box of incredible treasures like old letters and photos and obits. Kid in a candy shop!
So, I have plenty to work with when I get home. Carol also tells me that in addition to Essie Mae Washington Williams and Al Sharpton, 50cent's family came from Edgefield. I'm saying, Cousin 50cent. I plan to ask the librarian in Edgefield more about this and ideally take a look at his genealogy.
Tomorrow we have plans to go to the Redd Cemetery to see who we might find from Marcia's tree. Then perhaps take a drive to Little Mountain and look into the Shealy's. Then we have two more days in the library in Edgefield. I'm thinking we will head up here again. The condo is nice and the area rich for exploration and besides that there is a Publix AND a Fresh Market.
KG
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Last Supper in NYC
We have about done it all for this trip. Carol is down at TKTS buying us tickets for something tonight. We have a bottle of wine left in the room, so maybe dinner delivery tonight and eaten in room. I am having a bit of a rest.
Since blogging last we have been to the Book of Mormon. It was not exactly as I expected, but in the way of Broadways shows it was quite good-very irreverent and very funny. With all the jokes about Orlando I'd love to see it performed at the Bob Carr, but I see it is coming to Tampa soon, so maybe there.
After Mornon we did our trek to Brooklyn. Got out at Clark St and I had to take out my map to get oriented. Soon we found my old place at 25 Monroe Pl. It is quite gussied up with a covered entrance. Carol was pleased to photograph the UU church on the corner. I remembered the Supreme Court Building where all the dogs poop all winter and spring brings a stench that would kill a goat. I had forgotten the church. We walked down to the Promenade and had a look at the Manhattan before heading off in search of Pok Pok at 127 Columbia St. I had forgotten how Brooklyn Hts is so much calmer than Manhattan. Very soothing after Times Square, and it reminded me that I really used to love it there.
In Park Slope, next to Brooklyn Hts, there is a Columbia Pl, a Columbia Hts, and a Columbia St. We found them all and got actually fairly close to the restaurant by walking, but decided to head back to where we had come and get a taxi along the way. Even the driver has a questioning sound to his voice, but he got us there. There was a 1.5 hour wait, so we went to a nearby bar for drinks to wait it out. Pok Pok started in Seattle and has recently opened in Brooklyn. There is another on the Lower East Side, but it doesn't have all the dishes the Brooklyn site has. The Brooklyn site is a room smaller than our bathroom with possibly 6 tables and a bar. The food is pretty fabulous if you ask me. It is also spicy hot. Pat got the chicken, Carol and I shared the mushroom dish and the eggplant with shrimp dish and we all had lots of sticky rice. I would go back there and wait another 1.5 hrs.
We were directed back to Brooklyn Hts, so next time I know the way. I hope my photos of the city at night will be OK. It was so lovely. We had a long walk through Times Square through the end of the weekend crowds and made it back to the hotel around 11.
I was a sleepyhead this morning till the clock by the bed said 9:30 which ment it was actually 10:30. By 11:30 Carol and I were making our way to the Upper West Side. No museums open on Monday, so we went to St John the Divine and had a look around. I have photos. Next we walked down to Absolute Bagels and they were still warm in the bag on my back as we caught a cab to Momofuku Milk Bar for lunch. I got the pork bun with kimchi and Carol got the Veggie bun with kimchi. WE both got seriously hot ginger beers. Next was Zabars where foodies have a heyday. It's changed from my time on the Upper West Side. More stuff. We got some stuff and an ice pack and insulated bag but we forgot to get our knishes. The most credible knishes in NYC and we forgot to get them. Maybe Carnegie will provide. I hope my suitcase will not be overweight.
So, now resting till Carol calls and we go to the top of the Rock-Rockafella center is just a block or so away and we have tickets to go to the top for a look around.
Knock wood our flight is not delayed tomorrow with the wind and rain. At least I have a room at Microtel to go to in Jax and my car is waiting for me. I can go with the flow.
KG
Since blogging last we have been to the Book of Mormon. It was not exactly as I expected, but in the way of Broadways shows it was quite good-very irreverent and very funny. With all the jokes about Orlando I'd love to see it performed at the Bob Carr, but I see it is coming to Tampa soon, so maybe there.
After Mornon we did our trek to Brooklyn. Got out at Clark St and I had to take out my map to get oriented. Soon we found my old place at 25 Monroe Pl. It is quite gussied up with a covered entrance. Carol was pleased to photograph the UU church on the corner. I remembered the Supreme Court Building where all the dogs poop all winter and spring brings a stench that would kill a goat. I had forgotten the church. We walked down to the Promenade and had a look at the Manhattan before heading off in search of Pok Pok at 127 Columbia St. I had forgotten how Brooklyn Hts is so much calmer than Manhattan. Very soothing after Times Square, and it reminded me that I really used to love it there.
In Park Slope, next to Brooklyn Hts, there is a Columbia Pl, a Columbia Hts, and a Columbia St. We found them all and got actually fairly close to the restaurant by walking, but decided to head back to where we had come and get a taxi along the way. Even the driver has a questioning sound to his voice, but he got us there. There was a 1.5 hour wait, so we went to a nearby bar for drinks to wait it out. Pok Pok started in Seattle and has recently opened in Brooklyn. There is another on the Lower East Side, but it doesn't have all the dishes the Brooklyn site has. The Brooklyn site is a room smaller than our bathroom with possibly 6 tables and a bar. The food is pretty fabulous if you ask me. It is also spicy hot. Pat got the chicken, Carol and I shared the mushroom dish and the eggplant with shrimp dish and we all had lots of sticky rice. I would go back there and wait another 1.5 hrs.
We were directed back to Brooklyn Hts, so next time I know the way. I hope my photos of the city at night will be OK. It was so lovely. We had a long walk through Times Square through the end of the weekend crowds and made it back to the hotel around 11.
I was a sleepyhead this morning till the clock by the bed said 9:30 which ment it was actually 10:30. By 11:30 Carol and I were making our way to the Upper West Side. No museums open on Monday, so we went to St John the Divine and had a look around. I have photos. Next we walked down to Absolute Bagels and they were still warm in the bag on my back as we caught a cab to Momofuku Milk Bar for lunch. I got the pork bun with kimchi and Carol got the Veggie bun with kimchi. WE both got seriously hot ginger beers. Next was Zabars where foodies have a heyday. It's changed from my time on the Upper West Side. More stuff. We got some stuff and an ice pack and insulated bag but we forgot to get our knishes. The most credible knishes in NYC and we forgot to get them. Maybe Carnegie will provide. I hope my suitcase will not be overweight.
So, now resting till Carol calls and we go to the top of the Rock-Rockafella center is just a block or so away and we have tickets to go to the top for a look around.
Knock wood our flight is not delayed tomorrow with the wind and rain. At least I have a room at Microtel to go to in Jax and my car is waiting for me. I can go with the flow.
KG
Once in NYC
Sunday morning in the Sheraton lobby. I'm forced to my notepad to blog and post later because everybody from Pat's conference and the High School United Nations and regular business and pleasure travelers are here in droves all wanting their wi-fi. There is only so much bandwidth to go around. We are later than usual getting up. There was a time change that added one hour to our lateness, so it's 11 and I am just having my coffee. Apparently that is the case for lots of other people as well.
Yesterday Pat and Carol were up well before me. I'm pretty sure they did a couple of laps around Central Park and petted lots of dogs before I got up. They did indulge me a walk to the park and a few photos before heading for the Carnegie Deli for an early lunch. Pat got the Caesar Salad, Carol the shrimp salad sandwich, and I got the pastrami on rye that is actually enough for a couple of hungry people. I had half and the other half is waiting up in the room in what we call the refrigerator. It is still cold enough by the window to do the trick, but with the sun out these days it probably warms up a bit during the day. I might just get a sesame bagel before going back up and plop my leftover pastrami on it for lunch.
We met Pat's sister, Linda yesterday and had a great time going to see "Once". We were a bit early for the performance, so we found a little wine bar and split a bottle between us. Then the performance which was quite good. Once is set in Ireland. An Irish musician is brokenhearted over his girlfriend moving to America and decided to give up music. He is saved by a Czech immigrant musician who sees his talent. The two cultures and the talented musician make the show. What didn't make the show for us was the talking of various people sitting behind us, but there were enough periods of quiet that we could enjoy mostly.
We were out much too early for our 6:30 dinner reservations at Barettas, so we went back to the wine bar for another round and more visiting. Pat's sister is HR for a power company in eastern Pa, a wife , mother and grandmother. She is easy to get along with and interesting. We made our way to Barettas a bit early but were seated. Since it is in the theater district they offer a prie fixe menu, and it seemed the best bet though it was a lot of food. I had a roasted vegetable soup that was quite nice, and my main was a slow cooked beef with polenta. The beef was great-not so much the polenta. We topped it off with a chocolate torte thing that was lighter than it looked. Between it and the decaf (which actually has a bit of caffeine) it's a wonder I got to sleep last night, but I finished The Twelve Tribes of Henrietta and fell asleep a bit after 11. What with the late sleep in this morning i feel refreshed.
Today we have the Book of Mormon at 2 and I will plan a trip to Brooklyn Heights for dinner and watching the city light up. I'll look for the address of Pok Pok. Might have to actually pay the $15 for prime time internet. Pat is not thrilled to take the subway but swimming is so not an option.
KG
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Post Guggenheim Wednesday
It's Thursday and tiny snowflakes are being blown about. It's very light and from my perspective in the hotel coffee bar it is quite lovely. I think we will go to MOMA today, so a short walk there will not be bad. We are predicted to have snow/rain off an on till Friday, then sun. Carol and I are happy to museum hop and save the outdoor adventures for the sunny times.
We had dinner last night at Dakhar, a nice Indian restaurant around Lex and 55th. We started with the spinach fritters smothered in spicy mung bean sprouts. Good start. Our mains, which we shared, were beet balls swimming in a thick pink sauce with an occasional almond. They were surprisingly delicious. I would have them again in a nanosecond. The beet roots were ground and probably mixed with spices and perhaps nuts. They had a fairly solid and not juicy consistency. The other entree was an eggplant dish all mushy and brown but with excellent flavor. These were served with rice and we ordered a puri that turned out to be the size of a Hasidim wedding hat. I have a photo on my blackberry so it won't go on the blog till I get home. Alas, if I only had an iPhone.
Ditto the few photos I took at the Guggenheim. For those of you who got them emailed, and the rest of you that will eventually see them on the blog, they are taken in the lobby. Once on the ramp no photos allowed. I would have loved to have had my real camera but I seem to be reluctant to tote it all around for both the toting itself and for the possibility of getting it stolen. There were tons of people with their lovely cameras on the High Line and at the Guggenheim though. When the sun comes back out I will probably tote mine too.
So in the playful spirit of Gutai the artist interacts with materials-the Gutai or matter, or concrete-but the materials maintain their essence. The tubes with color strung from spiral galleries of the Guggenheim were soft plastic with colored water. They are quite dramatic in the Guggenheim. There were photos of them strung elsewhere including out of doors, and they were not as spectacular.
Atsuko Tanaka was my favorite. She does wonderful things with circles and made the most amazing electric light dress. I particularly enjoyed a film of her drawing circles and connecting lines in the sand. It was, of course, a time limited piece immortalized in film. I was reminded that eastern world view honors the process as well as the finished product. All along the way of the galleries there were little films or photos of the artist producing the piece. The foot painting one was pretty spectacular as well. Coming at a time of low morale for Japan, this groups emphasis on playfulness was clearly much needed. They loved Jackson Pollock.
I am craving a bagel and schmeer. I tried to get one from a street vendor, but he was out. I might have to join Carol at the deli across the street for one. So many things that say NYC to me. Cheesecake, pastrami and rye, ethnic food of all sorts. I'm still groovin on the Sapporo miso soup ramen.
We had dinner last night at Dakhar, a nice Indian restaurant around Lex and 55th. We started with the spinach fritters smothered in spicy mung bean sprouts. Good start. Our mains, which we shared, were beet balls swimming in a thick pink sauce with an occasional almond. They were surprisingly delicious. I would have them again in a nanosecond. The beet roots were ground and probably mixed with spices and perhaps nuts. They had a fairly solid and not juicy consistency. The other entree was an eggplant dish all mushy and brown but with excellent flavor. These were served with rice and we ordered a puri that turned out to be the size of a Hasidim wedding hat. I have a photo on my blackberry so it won't go on the blog till I get home. Alas, if I only had an iPhone.
Ditto the few photos I took at the Guggenheim. For those of you who got them emailed, and the rest of you that will eventually see them on the blog, they are taken in the lobby. Once on the ramp no photos allowed. I would have loved to have had my real camera but I seem to be reluctant to tote it all around for both the toting itself and for the possibility of getting it stolen. There were tons of people with their lovely cameras on the High Line and at the Guggenheim though. When the sun comes back out I will probably tote mine too.
So in the playful spirit of Gutai the artist interacts with materials-the Gutai or matter, or concrete-but the materials maintain their essence. The tubes with color strung from spiral galleries of the Guggenheim were soft plastic with colored water. They are quite dramatic in the Guggenheim. There were photos of them strung elsewhere including out of doors, and they were not as spectacular.
Atsuko Tanaka was my favorite. She does wonderful things with circles and made the most amazing electric light dress. I particularly enjoyed a film of her drawing circles and connecting lines in the sand. It was, of course, a time limited piece immortalized in film. I was reminded that eastern world view honors the process as well as the finished product. All along the way of the galleries there were little films or photos of the artist producing the piece. The foot painting one was pretty spectacular as well. Coming at a time of low morale for Japan, this groups emphasis on playfulness was clearly much needed. They loved Jackson Pollock.
I am craving a bagel and schmeer. I tried to get one from a street vendor, but he was out. I might have to join Carol at the deli across the street for one. So many things that say NYC to me. Cheesecake, pastrami and rye, ethnic food of all sorts. I'm still groovin on the Sapporo miso soup ramen.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Guggenheim Day
There is a definite Japanese theme to our Apple week thus far. The Guggenheim exhibit was of the Gutai Artist Group. The concrete art if translated literally. They are very playful and not into representational art. We watched their evolution from the late 1950's to the present as we rounded up the spiral of the Guggenheim. Then we had a little lunch in the cafe watching winter in Central Park with particular interest in the dog walkers. I suspect they were trying to get to pooches pooped and exercised before the rain/snow starts here. So far we are doing fine, but I see dark clouds in the west.
We left the Guggenheim about the time school was letting out, so the stay at home flex hours Mommies and Nannies were fetching the kids. We decided it might be better to be a dog walker than a kid walker, but then there was this great big Mastif... I, for one, would not want to share my apartment with a great big Mastif anywhere, but particularly not in NYC. Even on the upper east side with a dog walker. That's just me.
So, my perch for watching the dark clouds is the bar of the Sheraton at 53rd and 7th Ave. Carol and I are just about to take the subway to 55th and Lex and have a nice Indian dinner. Ideally before anything wet drops on our heads. We will evaluate the trip back with warm Indian food in our bellies.
More later....
KG
We left the Guggenheim about the time school was letting out, so the stay at home flex hours Mommies and Nannies were fetching the kids. We decided it might be better to be a dog walker than a kid walker, but then there was this great big Mastif... I, for one, would not want to share my apartment with a great big Mastif anywhere, but particularly not in NYC. Even on the upper east side with a dog walker. That's just me.
So, my perch for watching the dark clouds is the bar of the Sheraton at 53rd and 7th Ave. Carol and I are just about to take the subway to 55th and Lex and have a nice Indian dinner. Ideally before anything wet drops on our heads. We will evaluate the trip back with warm Indian food in our bellies.
More later....
KG
In the Apple-again
I'm back after 25-35 years. My last brief visit was May 1987. I remember because Stas was an infant in his Moses basket. I last lived here in 1980. Some things have changed. Some not so much. It takes 2.5 hours to fly here from Jax, and just a bit less time than that to get from LaGuardia to the city. We took the Super Shuttle and it was fine. The Sheraton is posh by NYC standards. That would be, nice linens (though Conrad holds the honor of best towels) and good amenities in very small space. The beds are very high. Even I have to put a little effort in hoisting myself into them. I'm thinking I would appreciate them more if I had to make them up.
I'm in the lobby now sipping my Starbucks. Internet is free in the lobby and $15 for 24 hours in the room. As tired as I was last night there was not need for internet. Just climb up into bed and zzzzz. We got up at 3:30 in the Microtel in Jax in order to make our 7am flight. The TSA in Jax did not seem affected by the sequester. The flight went well. Somehow we were the only two bags checked in. Big time commuter flight, I guess. Could be that I'm a dinosaur. Carol has asked me if I planned to check in a bag and I said "Is the Pope (if there were one) Catholic?" I have medications and lotions and orthopedic devices enough to fill a large suitcase, and we are going to need warm clothes. So, a nice man directed us to our two lonely bags standing alone behind a roped off area waiting for us. I actually felt like a VIP.
Lunch was a lucky surprise. We just headed out from the hotel looking around and happened upon Sapporo. Thinking that a noodle bowl would be just right for the weather, we popped in and got a seat right away. I knew it was right when almost every face in the restaurant was Japanese. Con niche wah and bring on the noodles. We were seated next to a threesome of two Japanese guys in business suits and one American white guy who looked at me with distain when I parked my backpack too close to him. Too bad. Not much room. He got over it. Turns out that Barkley's is just across the street. He probably needed his hands slapped in addition to having to deal with my backpack anyway. The Miso ramen with the boiled egg was fabulous and exactly what I needed for an afternoon in the cold.
After a short walk to Times Square-some things change like lots more electronic signs, and some the same like hawkers. We learned that TKTS will open at 3pm on Friday, so Pat may be here to buy the cheap tickets of her choice. We have tickets for Book of Mormon and Once for the weekend. Carol and I decided, after a little rest, to make the most of the sunshine and walk the High Line. We also went by my old neighborhood at 59 Thompson to see the changes. Much more gentrified. The High Line was way cool in both senses of the word. The plants were dead, but come real spring it will be lovely. The sad but amusing to me sight of the walk was seeing New Yorkers sunning themselves-getting their vitamin D-all wrapped up in winter coats and hats and scarves and lounging on the chaises. Probably wicked of me to be amused, but I was. We saw the Chelsea market from afar, but I would like to go back.
Today is Guggenheim. Carol has been wanting to go and I haven't been in about 35 years, so it's a go.
Rain followed by snow is predicted for late afternoon. I'm thinking it will all melt soon as the temps are a farkle over freezing.
KG
I'm in the lobby now sipping my Starbucks. Internet is free in the lobby and $15 for 24 hours in the room. As tired as I was last night there was not need for internet. Just climb up into bed and zzzzz. We got up at 3:30 in the Microtel in Jax in order to make our 7am flight. The TSA in Jax did not seem affected by the sequester. The flight went well. Somehow we were the only two bags checked in. Big time commuter flight, I guess. Could be that I'm a dinosaur. Carol has asked me if I planned to check in a bag and I said "Is the Pope (if there were one) Catholic?" I have medications and lotions and orthopedic devices enough to fill a large suitcase, and we are going to need warm clothes. So, a nice man directed us to our two lonely bags standing alone behind a roped off area waiting for us. I actually felt like a VIP.
Lunch was a lucky surprise. We just headed out from the hotel looking around and happened upon Sapporo. Thinking that a noodle bowl would be just right for the weather, we popped in and got a seat right away. I knew it was right when almost every face in the restaurant was Japanese. Con niche wah and bring on the noodles. We were seated next to a threesome of two Japanese guys in business suits and one American white guy who looked at me with distain when I parked my backpack too close to him. Too bad. Not much room. He got over it. Turns out that Barkley's is just across the street. He probably needed his hands slapped in addition to having to deal with my backpack anyway. The Miso ramen with the boiled egg was fabulous and exactly what I needed for an afternoon in the cold.
After a short walk to Times Square-some things change like lots more electronic signs, and some the same like hawkers. We learned that TKTS will open at 3pm on Friday, so Pat may be here to buy the cheap tickets of her choice. We have tickets for Book of Mormon and Once for the weekend. Carol and I decided, after a little rest, to make the most of the sunshine and walk the High Line. We also went by my old neighborhood at 59 Thompson to see the changes. Much more gentrified. The High Line was way cool in both senses of the word. The plants were dead, but come real spring it will be lovely. The sad but amusing to me sight of the walk was seeing New Yorkers sunning themselves-getting their vitamin D-all wrapped up in winter coats and hats and scarves and lounging on the chaises. Probably wicked of me to be amused, but I was. We saw the Chelsea market from afar, but I would like to go back.
Today is Guggenheim. Carol has been wanting to go and I haven't been in about 35 years, so it's a go.
Rain followed by snow is predicted for late afternoon. I'm thinking it will all melt soon as the temps are a farkle over freezing.
KG
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