tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8130256930171695712024-03-18T20:03:04.945-07:00Travel Size MomTravel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-16511979145130065282013-01-17T17:48:00.000-08:002013-01-17T17:48:40.229-08:00Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpWyY2t7iQ-4iASFS5PVzOAzM3O7sefkDUZvFeYAlWsP1Ea9-S0IFMg1nKnzA1B29WWS2RzyDYj0sQiGHWU3i9rcNmeatr0DMqS1BxYt-m5AUymFJD9zZzIV91e2dgNB-xNQAtKSHUx0/s1600/lemala+camp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpWyY2t7iQ-4iASFS5PVzOAzM3O7sefkDUZvFeYAlWsP1Ea9-S0IFMg1nKnzA1B29WWS2RzyDYj0sQiGHWU3i9rcNmeatr0DMqS1BxYt-m5AUymFJD9zZzIV91e2dgNB-xNQAtKSHUx0/s200/lemala+camp.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Lemala Camp</div>
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The little single engine plane stops three times, picking up or
dropping off a few people, on the way to the Lake Manyara airstrip in
Tanzania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The runway is a very
bumpy dirt strip right on the edge of the “escarpment”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- aka “steep cliff”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We overhear a pilot telling a passenger
waiting for another flight “if the plane doesn’t take off by the end of the
runway, it will be airborne - at least for a little bit... “.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will be taking off from here in a few
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Lake Manyara National Park is in the midst of the East African
Rift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The park is home to lovely
and varied trees and shrubbery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While worth a one-day drive through, this will be our home for two
nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our camp tonight is
deep in the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually it is a
one-hour drive into the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are in the bush again in “luxury” tents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even though billed as lakeside, we cannot see any
water or lake from our campsite.</div>
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The people at this camp are all incredibly nice and helpful and
want so much to make our stay enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of the personnel are either Masai or natives from local
villages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone in Tanzania is
so darned pleasant and friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
feel so horrible even thinking these thoughts about the rustic nature of these
camps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must say the safari
showers do work well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
just let them know about what time you want to take a shower and they bring the
20 liters or so of hot water, pour it in the water bag, hoist it up above the
shower head and you have at least 2 to 3 minutes of hot water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoxbMEv6XGUkxrDtibJ9pem1Ilel6hGVj6xrhYV8bTkMWK2CKPqo-4EqzRRMBrlgFe_WyCFCXQ7UbvyQ_fg9jrSxIUg3Llv2anWCnm6Dun8kKjTVX4lcgiiB73rdIw3mEavU2PJUO6uQ/s1600/elephant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoxbMEv6XGUkxrDtibJ9pem1Ilel6hGVj6xrhYV8bTkMWK2CKPqo-4EqzRRMBrlgFe_WyCFCXQ7UbvyQ_fg9jrSxIUg3Llv2anWCnm6Dun8kKjTVX4lcgiiB73rdIw3mEavU2PJUO6uQ/s200/elephant.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnER261xZm9V4zhQzUMbGxFdIR3BXYbxEwkBJiQKCXt3lnIs1XAmpm74ZsraPWt4n5smzi61fixpEYrq7CXJPt9ZNoeDuVJLz-hwWH_tVyZk54_qE1fpd7qBDfThKmQSMKtYlnaZ9MfI/s1600/flamingos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnER261xZm9V4zhQzUMbGxFdIR3BXYbxEwkBJiQKCXt3lnIs1XAmpm74ZsraPWt4n5smzi61fixpEYrq7CXJPt9ZNoeDuVJLz-hwWH_tVyZk54_qE1fpd7qBDfThKmQSMKtYlnaZ9MfI/s200/flamingos.JPG" width="200" /></a>We see lots of monkeys, baboons, elephants, giraffes, impalas,
flamingos, Acacia trees, and sisal trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner tonight is superb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 13 in camp tonight and we dine of course al fresco
by candle and lantern light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the chef prepares it all in a bush oven or on a gas grill in a
little tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We start with a
delicious vegetable soup, followed by a perfectly done beef filet with rice,
which is beautifully presented, and end with an apple crisp with cream for
dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bread, which is
freshly baked each morning and evening, is amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I must mention again how friendly and personable and lovely are
the people here in our camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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Conundrum #3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Masai are an interesting people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their traditional diet is chiefly meat, milk and cow’s blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will bleed the cow for the blood
and then staunch the wound with cow dung.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cattle herds are most important to the Masai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lions, leopards and other big game are a threat to these
herds and so they are often at cross hairs with animal conservationists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the cow herds are the Masai’s
livelihood. </div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com2Tanzania-6.369028 34.888822000000005-22.3207695 14.234525000000005 9.5827135 55.543119000000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-60771176229406903842013-01-07T16:02:00.000-08:002013-01-07T16:02:37.910-08:00Masai Mara - continued<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJ_427f3Y93KAUrtwRgT8j5HcmqYh-39K3hb89XZgpGXYJzcnTfItG52Pa9ww3f6Q5WVle6iNyJfN50BM8VR-gGVuLhCF6Rmkz1NjZT1skbZCRZYNY_9FMBckRecop5lQ7aJqny07QQo/s1600/rainbow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJ_427f3Y93KAUrtwRgT8j5HcmqYh-39K3hb89XZgpGXYJzcnTfItG52Pa9ww3f6Q5WVle6iNyJfN50BM8VR-gGVuLhCF6Rmkz1NjZT1skbZCRZYNY_9FMBckRecop5lQ7aJqny07QQo/s200/rainbow.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRG_RlYO5PgDhK014K2hh1XleCiSSMPHnv0AhNlNekMQ-Rn7hO_IEO9lv43AdFeohzFEr3qX8_XXJ37pN0WBZW-CrYXFQroxD_JeQG7qzIonGRgR0bf0CWPDfnItUwTGhg5YixW3ERj2A/s1600/buffalo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRG_RlYO5PgDhK014K2hh1XleCiSSMPHnv0AhNlNekMQ-Rn7hO_IEO9lv43AdFeohzFEr3qX8_XXJ37pN0WBZW-CrYXFQroxD_JeQG7qzIonGRgR0bf0CWPDfnItUwTGhg5YixW3ERj2A/s200/buffalo.jpg" width="200" /></a>Kenya is on the equator but it has been chilly and rainy so
far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very strange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We head out for our game drive early
this morning and the rain stops but the roads are quite muddy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see a leopard whose meal is
stolen by hyenas, many elephants and baby ones too (so cute), crocodiles
feeding on a baby hippo (too sad), and lots of rainbows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our guide is quite a good driver but on
the way back to camp we get stuck!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nearby heard of elephants don’t seem to mind us in their space and a
nearby hippo continues going the other way to the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our guide takes off his boots and wades
in the knee-high mud to try to free us but to no avail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another truck comes and we
transfer and return to camp where the resident warthog family joins us for a
superb breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieM7dVSbICAYshJFT7J8qu0vMzK6oDAxQy_fsO0opcqIkP6TMbLsaKoagvKyR4eAaSE-GVVyVC4CSQ3CgDEhwnTkO95aFrkR-lbPl4mrpPneUJkQDTQWII3Gsz-rGnv7ULJrEPhO5hlpg/s1600/wart+hog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieM7dVSbICAYshJFT7J8qu0vMzK6oDAxQy_fsO0opcqIkP6TMbLsaKoagvKyR4eAaSE-GVVyVC4CSQ3CgDEhwnTkO95aFrkR-lbPl4mrpPneUJkQDTQWII3Gsz-rGnv7ULJrEPhO5hlpg/s200/wart+hog.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>Conundrum #2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Driving off “road” in the Masai Mara has allowed us to see so many
animals up close in their natural habitat but with the proliferation of camps
and tourists and jeeps, is this negatively affecting the habitat and therefore the well-being of the animals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or does the resulting increased tourism and income provide improved animal conservation efforts?</i></div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com1Kenya-0.023559 37.90619300000003-16.069331 17.251896000000031 16.022213 58.56049000000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-88629861995495710862013-01-05T17:19:00.000-08:002013-01-05T17:19:49.112-08:00Kenya - Masai Mara<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The variety and numbers of animals in this, the Kenyan portion
of the northern Serengeti, is truly astounding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And unlike the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, which we
will visit later in our trip, the Land Rovers can drive off road to get up
front and personal with all the animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGbboRrw7n-2KTlLGYWfXeIYYwScQ7uC5QOnRLNldrP8VASrxaeFdgaEnA4_vovwaz9HJlZgLVMlVZyMGNCupTtfL69KpeCX5wl4PlD3vXrk_PfyKDWTNpDRFF1kJcx7DAHNogSEodCs/s1600/lions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGbboRrw7n-2KTlLGYWfXeIYYwScQ7uC5QOnRLNldrP8VASrxaeFdgaEnA4_vovwaz9HJlZgLVMlVZyMGNCupTtfL69KpeCX5wl4PlD3vXrk_PfyKDWTNpDRFF1kJcx7DAHNogSEodCs/s320/lions.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2QtjgdDuoWWzQKl0GcPxgB8Lm_z9FAlmPGRScxXA3s9nDaBdvxWpvxIw3d_sh3SLUTJ0ylm38GsufXcezJUXXyAGHVfho2-CrO2NmEaufD6eQc-UsY4JmI384EmD0ZctBp3gWxGZhWc/s1600/LGC+-+lunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2QtjgdDuoWWzQKl0GcPxgB8Lm_z9FAlmPGRScxXA3s9nDaBdvxWpvxIw3d_sh3SLUTJ0ylm38GsufXcezJUXXyAGHVfho2-CrO2NmEaufD6eQc-UsY4JmI384EmD0ZctBp3gWxGZhWc/s200/LGC+-+lunch.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.governorscamp.com/">Little Governor’s Camp</a> is our home for these three nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wart hogs, hippos and buffalo populate
the watering hole right in front of our tent and at night, we can hear
elephants and hippos close by - they roam through the camp at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Armed guards patrol during the day and
the night, making sure not to disturb the animals but making sure they know where they are so
they can detour guests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not
allowed to wander freely after dark and during the day must stay within a very
limited area. </div>
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We find this “luxury” tent camp a bit too rustic for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are staying essentially in a tent,
albeit with a bed and a connected en suite bathroom with flush toilets and a
regular shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food is
marginal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe we have had
the same soup four times, always named something different on the menu (celery
and apple puree, cream of cucumber, cream of zucchini, vegetable), but I am pretty sure it's the same
soup each time. Appetizers in the lodge tent before
dinner are similar to what kids might fix as their first cooking attempt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This review sounds a bit tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But prices for all of our accommodations on this trip are way up there. And we have had
the experience, three years ago, of staying in three camps/lodges in Botswana
and South Africa that put Little Governor’s Camp to shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will mention them now as I am longing
for them...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Duma Tau Camp in the
Linyanti Reserve in Botswana, the even more impressive Vumbura Plains Camp in
the Okavango Delta, Botswana, and the highlight of our last trip: Singita Boulders
Lodge in the Sabi-Sands Game Reserve in South Africa. <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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And so this presents the first of many conundrums of our trip. How can we complain about the quality of the food and the level of luxury in this, one of the poorest countries in the world?</div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com4Kenya-0.023559 37.90619300000003-16.069331 17.251896000000031 16.022213 58.56049000000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-29918117050199401912012-11-11T19:04:00.000-08:002012-11-11T19:04:33.712-08:00Touristy Key West - Hemingway would be appalled<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjGM8TTDF1fhFspCiP_wML1RT3L8DMow7gEhi1HvTFFLa39stXfuHzbPTNjsGSR7eH1HWJ-O0rLmr3cnT5QskRW9R4-jG_mqc5Gn8XcZr7nGgsMoCPtwKIYp-Rox9j0EBg5mF77HHaRA/s1600/what+i+envision.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjGM8TTDF1fhFspCiP_wML1RT3L8DMow7gEhi1HvTFFLa39stXfuHzbPTNjsGSR7eH1HWJ-O0rLmr3cnT5QskRW9R4-jG_mqc5Gn8XcZr7nGgsMoCPtwKIYp-Rox9j0EBg5mF77HHaRA/s320/what+i+envision.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Occasional glimpses of the old Key West</td></tr>
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If you really, really, really! concentrate and get to your
inner self and use your imagination you might feel a bit of the funky, laid
back, American writers in Paris in the 20’s feel if you skirt the masses, stick
to the back streets, avoid weekends and high season, and tour <a href="http://www.hemingwayhome.com/">Ernest Hemingway’s house</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is quite
pleasant to eat in one of the many open-air Caribbean style bar-like
restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I suppose the
hordes and busloads of tourists carousing and shopping and eating their way ala
Las Vegas and New Orleans is just an evolutionary jump but one that I wish
hadn’t been made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will try
to find movies filmed in Key West during a more “traditional” time period and
just pretend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The Rose
Tattoo, Beneath the 12 Mile Reef, License to Kill, PT 109, perhaps will take me back.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIvkpxMpWtrxl5UjSjyzhuZhKQApCzBSztmxUGqqkfFDfaWncIXWfOccxSVXsE1wyuVjdCHoNUQQXK-qffPE83apGpaKNOxtSi58xB0P1gAfOxWDHX-mf1zDJOlJY1bkK4vFkPaDkEvo/s1600/hemingway+cat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIvkpxMpWtrxl5UjSjyzhuZhKQApCzBSztmxUGqqkfFDfaWncIXWfOccxSVXsE1wyuVjdCHoNUQQXK-qffPE83apGpaKNOxtSi58xB0P1gAfOxWDHX-mf1zDJOlJY1bkK4vFkPaDkEvo/s200/hemingway+cat.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVAsjqdoisrNItm-d35EeP-AAdWoy87wix9zaig7JjaiKK6imDXXbkXnKJYnf8DYRtzUHGrGAli8FP71OmgTmWhV7GbiSJVDWCL6baycDht5MMlt4tLVYTV1VgyEOYiPELNQOxxnFJBE/s1600/hemingway+cat+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVAsjqdoisrNItm-d35EeP-AAdWoy87wix9zaig7JjaiKK6imDXXbkXnKJYnf8DYRtzUHGrGAli8FP71OmgTmWhV7GbiSJVDWCL6baycDht5MMlt4tLVYTV1VgyEOYiPELNQOxxnFJBE/s200/hemingway+cat+2.JPG" width="200" /></a>However, if you go:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like New Orleans and Austin, Texas, I have a feeling there are some real
gems to be found if one concentrates on music and investigates and checks out
the various bars and restaurants with live bands and performers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as I’ve mentioned, Hemingway’s
house is fascinating and the tour is a must do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 40 cats in residence and many are descendants of
the original six-toed (or polydactyl) cat named Snowball, which was given to
Hemingway by a ship captain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently six toed cats were considered good luck on ships. These cats
roam the property and seem to own the place.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.conchrepublicseafood.com/">Conch Republic Seafood Company</a> overlooking the docks
right in the middle of town is a great stop for lunch. Good food and atmosphere.
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<i>Fun Facts: </i></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><i>The highway that ends in Key West at Mile Market “0”, US
Highway One, is 2,209 miles long and runs from Fort Kent in Maine.</i></li>
<li><i>The nearest Wal-Mart is 126 miles away.</i></li>
<li><i>Key West is the southernmost city in the United States. The
city is closer to Cuba than it is to Miami.</i></li>
</ul>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-61701611772875756222012-11-09T22:41:00.001-08:002012-11-09T22:41:09.434-08:00Monticello<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I highly recommend the tours at <a href="http://www.monticello.org/">Monticello</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our recent visit the guide was
fabulous – engaging and poignant and obviously a scholar and admirer of Thomas Jefferson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were almost crying at the end of the
tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tour guides do an
excellent job of presenting the environment in which Jefferson and other
southern landowners lived and the contradictions and nuances of the institution
of slavery in the south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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The countryside around Monticello is lovely especially in
this fall season and there are so many interesting stops in close
proximity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After visiting
Monticello, we continued on down the road a few miles on Route 53 to Jefferson
Vineyards for a short picnic, then on a few miles more to <a href="http://www.ashlawnhighland.org/">Ash Lawn</a>, President James
Monroe’s home (he used to visit Jefferson by horseback), and then just a few
miles further to <a href="http://www.trumpwinery.com/">Trump Winery</a> to see what the new Trump owners have done to
the beautiful former John Kluge Estate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The wine is not very good (our opinion only…) but the setting and the
tasting area is lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did not
get a chance to visit Dave Matthews' (yes the singer) vineyard - <a href="http://blenheimvineyards.com/">Bleinheim Vineyard </a>- right around
the corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time.</div>
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For dinner - <a href="http://hamiltonsrestaurant.com/">Hamiltons'</a> on the Mall in downtown
Charlottesville is excellent. The menu changes often to take advantage of fresh
and seasonal ingredients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
blue-plate vegetarian plate was perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(I feel that any restaurant that can do a tasty and elegant vegetarian
entrée definitely has a leg up on competitors.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crab cakes with pickled okra and crispy bell pepper
polenta was memorable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
Charlottesville’s downtown pedestrian mall is quaint, charming, lively and fun
with cute boutiques and shops.</div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-74013366619783533022012-09-30T08:38:00.000-07:002012-09-30T08:38:20.581-07:00Coming Home to an Empty Refrigerator - Ugh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You know the feeling: you are coming home from the airport after a long trip and flight, there is not much in the refrigerator and you are not looking forward to a grocery run. But you at least need milk for tomorrow morning's coffee. And if you are like me, you just can't get too excited about a bowl of cereal for dinner. Even though really, tomorrow will be another day and a better meal. Just one evening without something tasty should be ok? No No. Not to be. Can't do it.<br />
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This time, coming home by myself to an empty house, I do walk to the store to get milk and while there, pick up some romaine hearts. I know I have cans of tuna, pasta and capers always in the pantry and fresh lemons always in the refrigerator or freezer, so I plan on a quick pasta with tuna for dinner.</div>
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A quick Ceasar salad on the side and everything is right again and I feel at home. I can wait til tomorrow for that major grocery trip.</div>
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<i>Pasta with Tuna and Capers</i></div>
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<i>(Serves one)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
1/4 pd. spaghetti or penne </div>
<div>
1/4 cup good olive oil</div>
<div>
3 garlic cloves - thinly sliced</div>
<div>
1-2 teaspoons rinsed capers<br />
3/4 can albacore tuna packed in water<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
1/4 cup chopped parsley (if you have it)<br />
Lemon wedge (if you have it)<br />
Shredded Parmesan (if you like)<br />
<br />
While cooking the pasta, heat the olive oil in a small skillet, add the garlic and let simmer in the oil for a minute or two. Don't brown. Add the capers, tuna and heat through. Fold in pasta and top with pepper to taste, parsley and a squeeze of lemon. </div>
<div>
<br />
<i>Quick Ceasar Salad</i><br />
<i>(Serves one)</i><br />
<br />
Wash the romaine hearts, dry, then keep in refrigerator to chill until you are ready to eat.<br />
<br />
Crush 1 garlic clove and mix with 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, a scant 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I keep quarters of frozen lemons in the freezer in case I am out of fresh lemons) and 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (I always keep a tube in the refrigerator). Whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil. Serve on romaine leaves with freshly ground pepper and shredded Parmesan.</div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-23774052109172672292012-09-02T07:54:00.000-07:002012-09-30T08:25:21.814-07:00An Appetizer For An impromptu Dinner Party - or for Hungry Teenage Boys<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A charcuterie platter like the one at Spruce that I highlighted in <a href="http://www.travelsizemom.com/2012/08/charcuterie-and-brioche-and-caviar-what.html">my last blog entry</a> is an inviting casual dinner party appetizer but an even simpler one that I often put together is a prosciutto platter. Simply cover an attractive platter with thin slices of prosciutto and accompany with a bowl of cornichons, a slab of butter, a trio of varied salts, and a basket of fresh bread slices. (Either an Italian or, surprisingly, a good rye bread are both great with the prosciutto).</div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-47347147501508594652012-08-26T12:43:00.000-07:002012-08-26T13:50:50.753-07:00Charcuterie and Brioche and Caviar - what more could you want?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A lovely birthday dinner in San Francisco<br />
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Spruce is known for their <i>charcuterie</i> and so we of course
start with an assortment to share as an appetizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I will start recreating this platter for dinners at
home all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to assemble at the
last minute and the presentation is lovely.) Spruce includes about 5 varieties
of sliced hams and beef (including bresaola, prosciutto, and beef tongue), a
small pot of pâté, sliced cornichons, a small lettuce salad garnish, and a
delicious fruit preserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g3nCv-EmDWmCNhaY5zyRf-lZ1W90S0iCle5WPRLthgxPMCUUu_T4pRIqZrQvyGONAT9wLJ4Fb58ibXN2D1TacpqHwq-LMu9ggdss7Uq2Iy9zfxJncQbLZsyMPItwDoxzOaagZf68RiM/s1600/charcuterie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g3nCv-EmDWmCNhaY5zyRf-lZ1W90S0iCle5WPRLthgxPMCUUu_T4pRIqZrQvyGONAT9wLJ4Fb58ibXN2D1TacpqHwq-LMu9ggdss7Uq2Iy9zfxJncQbLZsyMPItwDoxzOaagZf68RiM/s320/charcuterie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDDKN9LmMFfN0mt2h8wVdk5Vqgn-eGAUk9a_iKaxIzx55aoVeHKBEogk9ueP7cXr9dgQbvlSxk6WmUzOldzhcSvKK6VLGSJcwViLi3X5FBFSva38HfSuyPTbXIhPtZfYQpJ327bJlWuk/s1600/caviar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDDKN9LmMFfN0mt2h8wVdk5Vqgn-eGAUk9a_iKaxIzx55aoVeHKBEogk9ueP7cXr9dgQbvlSxk6WmUzOldzhcSvKK6VLGSJcwViLi3X5FBFSva38HfSuyPTbXIhPtZfYQpJ327bJlWuk/s200/caviar.JPG" width="200" /></a>We splurge on an order of the <i>California Osetra
Caviar</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know there was
caviar from California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are certainly not every day aficionados but we are impressed with the
taste and try to restrain ourselves so as to make sure we all get about the
same amount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brioche toast
accompaniment (along with the traditional blinis) is devine and I now want to
have brioche toast every morning, with the crust cut off.</div>
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The service - a bit too attentive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There seem to be two wine sommeliers and while our waiter is
lovely, we keep getting interrupted while we are eating or talking to make sure
“everything is ok?”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not a
biggie – we feel very cared for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And at least our waiter doesn’t tell us his name and so fortunately we
don’t have to slash his tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
love my <i>white corn soup with huitlacoche and coriander cereal</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main courses are quite good –
especially the <i>brioche crusted halibut</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Again that amazing brioche.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a very pricey evening out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On first reflection I think I would
like to save my fine dining dollars for the top of the line
establishments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On second
reflection, the total cost is not bad given that we splurge on caviar and enjoy
some lovely wine.<br />
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(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_smut">Huitlacoche</a> - sounds so lovely. It was delicious in the corn soup but now I know what it is and I am not sure I can eat it again. Knowledge is often not a good thing. Don't check out these links if you would rather just enjoy the taste next time you have an opportunity.....<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/27/huitlacoche-corn-smut-goo_n_553422.html">Spoiler Alert!!</a>)</div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.419415537.6745235 -122.577344 37.8753355 -122.261487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-69334584711154974832012-08-19T09:03:00.001-07:002012-08-19T09:03:12.223-07:00Day Trip to Charleston, S.C.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I must say the best part of our trip was getting there. On the recent 2-hour drive from
Hilton Head our family took turns
suggesting songs we wanted to hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My son played each of our choices from <i><a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/">Spotify</a> </i>(through his IPhone) and we had hilarious and poignant
moments critiquing, complaining about or enjoying each other’s song choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most memorable song – <a href="http://rapgenius.com/Jay-z-empire-state-of-mind-lyrics">Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally love
this song but can't understand all the words. So our son googled the lyrics
and gave us an engaging reading of this very intriguing rap song.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BxRuGom8Sqj4bn8XNCXx-onryLETN-bZCFpxzxrH4S0dXu2OJqaT4Aq_vFLafqyABjrpJ3wudKgcFQdMlWdn4eVl7Ge9FeFgLYPVQGe6evb8g6SawNO1Cp1cDH_VFbdR17yrhHYTYGg/s1600/coffee+shop+charleston.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BxRuGom8Sqj4bn8XNCXx-onryLETN-bZCFpxzxrH4S0dXu2OJqaT4Aq_vFLafqyABjrpJ3wudKgcFQdMlWdn4eVl7Ge9FeFgLYPVQGe6evb8g6SawNO1Cp1cDH_VFbdR17yrhHYTYGg/s200/coffee+shop+charleston.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kudu Coffeeshop</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0XpZjZd7c6-A4BlVJ7dpujR82IIBwd3wfUHw0ZRzJIG1kMt2ZDoIyAvZbk6zqLMSIKm5WZ76T2-qN-ULmnMcMDlXu3oUWYEPxL41Qq0T_FVi-Q-OHR1FV_Li-t0kpJ9V3Ko7lCg2Vqk/s1600/marcaroon+boutique.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0XpZjZd7c6-A4BlVJ7dpujR82IIBwd3wfUHw0ZRzJIG1kMt2ZDoIyAvZbk6zqLMSIKm5WZ76T2-qN-ULmnMcMDlXu3oUWYEPxL41Qq0T_FVi-Q-OHR1FV_Li-t0kpJ9V3Ko7lCg2Vqk/s200/marcaroon+boutique.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many cute boutiques</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEemeN5dgWBhepIL2LzV6f4vvIkaPYylYSPQJ15rBjvzQYnUxKcHCqLR_vgOb78jwHMLNsoBOOOCWYQHPS9s1DmTkF_MIphoCRYaN256cjks0URjpihcT3BaTfcSlTKonYOtMmZraLVAU/s1600/fleet+st.+restaurant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEemeN5dgWBhepIL2LzV6f4vvIkaPYylYSPQJ15rBjvzQYnUxKcHCqLR_vgOb78jwHMLNsoBOOOCWYQHPS9s1DmTkF_MIphoCRYaN256cjks0URjpihcT3BaTfcSlTKonYOtMmZraLVAU/s320/fleet+st.+restaurant.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fleet Landing</td></tr>
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Everyone is so darned nice and welcoming in Charleston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We loved driving by the beautiful
mansions in the Battery, visiting Charleston’s historic City Hall
and its beautiful art and hearing from the very knowledgeable docent the story
surrounding John Trumbull’s portrait of George Washington (I can’t ruin the
story in case you go…), lunch on the waterfront at <a href="http://www.fleetlanding.net/">Fleet Landing</a> (great food – don’t let the
industrial looking location put you off), coffee at <a href="http://kuducharleston.com/">Kudu's</a>, and shopping the cute boutiques on King Street.<br />
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-67386820646566766832012-08-15T18:22:00.000-07:002012-09-30T08:41:30.776-07:00The New Napa?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcGZz-2PwyCHZgOrwYvNrCeSBYckGlGzzOu1P1uj_oTJ8Dxq1zcZ4eGMDvDGG21qY36rusVkUzDI_dB0x7vzZSK_eCRa6kVCJoxI1y4a6515_rqI0aAI7nkmn8xCt7dVtC3TPmDSVrx8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcGZz-2PwyCHZgOrwYvNrCeSBYckGlGzzOu1P1uj_oTJ8Dxq1zcZ4eGMDvDGG21qY36rusVkUzDI_dB0x7vzZSK_eCRa6kVCJoxI1y4a6515_rqI0aAI7nkmn8xCt7dVtC3TPmDSVrx8/s200/photo.JPG" width="189" /></a>Albemarle County, Virginia has become
quite the <a href="http://www.monticellowinetrail.com/#/home">grape growing area</a> - which would so please Mr. Jefferson as he is
considered by many to be “the greatest patron of wine and wine growing that
this country has yet had”. You
won’t find the breadth of good wines we do in California but there are notable
standouts and the <a href="http://www.winespectator.com/wct/region/rid/112">area’s wineries</a> have been winning more and more <a href="http://www.richardleahy.com/2012/01/14/va-wines-earn-22-medals-at-2012-sf-chronicle-wine-competition/">awards</a> in
national competitions. Think a history and wine trip to the area - sounds pretty perfect.<br />
<br />
Over half of Virginia's vineyard acres are within the MVA - Monticello Viticultural Area - and most of the wineries in the MVA are within an easy drive from Charlottesville and only a two hour drive from Washington D.C. The <i><a href="http://www.monticellowinetrail.com/#/home">Monticello Wine Trail</a> </i>website has great information on visiting wineries in the area and beautiful pictures to pique one's interest.<br />
<br />
Thomas Jefferson did many things so very well. He was a true <a href="http://www.travelsizemom.com/2012/08/renaissance-man.html">renaissance man</a>. His beloved home, Monticello, and his university, the University of Virginia, are both listed on <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/?search=united+states&searchSites=&search_by_country=&search_yearinscribed=&type=&themes=&media=&region=&criteria_restrication=&order=">Unesco's World Heritage List</a>. I am confident one day Virginia will make him even more proud and become a prime destination for wine lovers throughout the world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtL2ZisjXyrnI0QOJ-J4R1qOer3ktF5zTZepj6XwppzGMMsBrfwWx1UrqGellK4uP523zgZNpFNaDO1kZ0dWT-BNUBmIMiUhaGzMw3JjJ4XEMOacSzkmK-qLx0r0lPawwZclKrdRs35s/s1600/zinc+restaurant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtL2ZisjXyrnI0QOJ-J4R1qOer3ktF5zTZepj6XwppzGMMsBrfwWx1UrqGellK4uP523zgZNpFNaDO1kZ0dWT-BNUBmIMiUhaGzMw3JjJ4XEMOacSzkmK-qLx0r0lPawwZclKrdRs35s/s320/zinc+restaurant.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zinc</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDfJKmCHzRABVrursWKbQaQZIruWF7lr8dxe3-o_59j65sHqFAzJFaF5YWo0du5c4fIDb0ccrq36PV7IsqNqD5E1g-pE9FkHr5FqhxX5MJXONeYFjU9KpgQoVtx7mml_WU8zvRCOVrWs/s1600/zinc+kitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDfJKmCHzRABVrursWKbQaQZIruWF7lr8dxe3-o_59j65sHqFAzJFaF5YWo0du5c4fIDb0ccrq36PV7IsqNqD5E1g-pE9FkHr5FqhxX5MJXONeYFjU9KpgQoVtx7mml_WU8zvRCOVrWs/s320/zinc+kitchen.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zinc Open Kitchen</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWDaMdZP_1xzB6mGz_Yqw9HnkYpJi64vGkXnbKd8uJInBlOT-XQP8FgJB1jFniMQGzmYbS_aAuVPgIPZBKh4algMW7wnqk5a6oKMQq0Tw4NWxiMG0XkIfRhI8bLTkNhHDqSfhDm-0zIk/s1600/pork+zinc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWDaMdZP_1xzB6mGz_Yqw9HnkYpJi64vGkXnbKd8uJInBlOT-XQP8FgJB1jFniMQGzmYbS_aAuVPgIPZBKh4algMW7wnqk5a6oKMQq0Tw4NWxiMG0XkIfRhI8bLTkNhHDqSfhDm-0zIk/s320/pork+zinc.JPG" width="320" /></a>But one must eat when touring and drinking wine. There are some great restaurants in Charlottesville as one would expect from this horse country, university town, wine mecca, and world famous history center.... On this most recent visit we try <a href="http://www.comptoirzinc.com/menus.html">Zinc</a>. We love it. The setting is a former gas station with the former service bays providing funky decor and windows. The wines and cocktails and glassware are enticing. I love the charcuterie plate, the seasonal cold soup, the mussels, the duck. Local ingredients and fresh local produce are in abundance. It is quite obvious that the chef and staff are professionals and care deeply about their restaurant and I can tell this will be a repeat restaurant for us when we are in town.</div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-80650075105245859422012-08-10T20:30:00.001-07:002012-08-10T21:17:54.480-07:00My Mom’s Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream – it’s the best ever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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I do think life moves slower in the south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think weather has much to do with
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Languid, hot, humid, cloudy
much of the times, thunderstorms, lighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We love it! At least for a few weeks at a time<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> l</span>ife is simple and delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been looking forward to my Dad’s
homegrown tomatoes and we eat 100’s of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The silver queen corn is the best ever and we gorge
ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Mom’s homemade
chocolate ice cream recipe – it’s the best ever. </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k-dWFemFEqVH4DSim-8y9P3E2fLOOCdpOGpCdsUuIkXcdFYPX3aWkD55b5TQ8YeGpW2Xsv0j3hJs1Bm1M7yRPD6X9y-3EtNVqfcrdS7DCo8Jd7ibwEN0jxc0pjxBviElOYJ8l2jjQiE/s1600/ice+cream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k-dWFemFEqVH4DSim-8y9P3E2fLOOCdpOGpCdsUuIkXcdFYPX3aWkD55b5TQ8YeGpW2Xsv0j3hJs1Bm1M7yRPD6X9y-3EtNVqfcrdS7DCo8Jd7ibwEN0jxc0pjxBviElOYJ8l2jjQiE/s320/ice+cream.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>2 cups sugar</li>
<li>1 can evaporated milk</li>
<li>1 can Hershey’s chocolate sauce</li>
<li>¼ cup maple syrup</li>
<li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 gallon whole milk</li>
<li>6 junket tablets (I have to order them in Ca. – can’t seem
to find them at the stores…)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
(Plus ice and ice cream salt for the ice cream freezer)<br />
<br />
Bring to a slight boil the sugar, chocolate sauce and
evaporated milk in saucepan. Stir til sugar dissolves. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla
extract. If you have time and can
wait, chill this mixture in refrigerator.
This will save processing time in the ice cream maker.<br />
<br />
Soak 6 junket tables in about ¼ cup warm water until
dissolved. Add to chocolate
mixture. Pour into ice cream
freezer, add the milk, and process according to the ice cream maker’s
instructions. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>My Mom thought the ice cream was best right after it was made. I like it best the next day, after it has hardened a bit more in the freezer. </i></blockquote>
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</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-21599368146911337202012-08-06T12:31:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:08:13.816-07:00Renaissance Man<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxu2wOwkfgEuA9qcldFcCGHUtr6h6wdipAnJdskGJsY_H8xEGhyWo2QPrXWt5cfvKoOOy5YK16x1cQQTC0PHPfrY08TWJWfUaPquZWBV_nk0BCtz0z1ojV-02Vr0BW0Zeynu74J_uYQ0/s1600/blue+ridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxu2wOwkfgEuA9qcldFcCGHUtr6h6wdipAnJdskGJsY_H8xEGhyWo2QPrXWt5cfvKoOOy5YK16x1cQQTC0PHPfrY08TWJWfUaPquZWBV_nk0BCtz0z1ojV-02Vr0BW0Zeynu74J_uYQ0/s200/blue+ridge.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">Soon after leaving Dulles
airport, the consistent green gives way to varying shades of greens and
blues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The light blue of the much
taller Appalachian Mountains further west highlights the dark blue of the Blue
Ridge Mountains in the near distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Only about 25 minutes after leaving Dulles, we spot the beautiful,
compact Charlottesville airport that has been designed in the Jeffersonian
style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rotunda undergoing renovations</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9CAdGo_RQwd91DZHNAEDYhJSAohGgF23yPnuqD4iTPcJ4HA7T53INJ_T5vwhhBfBKy3D_l_89nXi8_CQeXsby8Oxw0DqFDSGUda-A-fPBaQd2upJu3LYycfVk-7FCwTQ0cAwD2O-Zl0/s1600/serpintine+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9CAdGo_RQwd91DZHNAEDYhJSAohGgF23yPnuqD4iTPcJ4HA7T53INJ_T5vwhhBfBKy3D_l_89nXi8_CQeXsby8Oxw0DqFDSGUda-A-fPBaQd2upJu3LYycfVk-7FCwTQ0cAwD2O-Zl0/s200/serpintine+wall.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferson's Ingenious Serpentine Walls</td></tr>
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Charlottesville is Thomas Jefferson’s town; excuse me, that’s “Mr.
Jefferson”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Natives still use the
respectful salutation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grew up
with the great man’s accomplishments all around me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The home he took such pains to build, <a href="http://www.monticello.org/">Monticello</a>, where you can see examples of his many inventions and innovations, is 2 miles
to the south overlooking the University that he founded and designed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Rotunda and the <a href="http://www.virginia.edu/academicalvillage/">“Lawn” </a>at the
University of Virginia are working examples of Mr. Jefferson’s vision in
creating a functional but beautiful educational environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Mr. Jefferson’s tombstone at Monticello has this epitaph he wrote for himself and in which he purposefully neglected to mention being the governor of Virginia, or Vice President and President of the United States, but including those things he thought were most important:</div>
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<i> “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.” </i></div>
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</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-4314586485654259222012-07-31T14:37:00.000-07:002012-08-08T08:02:03.216-07:00Brooklyn Gastronomica<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ok, so now I read in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/dining/eleven-madison-park-is-changing-things-up.html?pagewanted=all">New York Times</a> that the Manhattan
restaurant I have raved about - <i>Eleven
Madison Park</i> <a href="http://www.travelsizemom.com/2012/07/eleven-madison-park.html">(see my previous entry)</a> is working to up their game even more. I'm impressed that they are not resting on their laurels and continuing to innovate. I suppose that is necessary in this high tech, ever changing world we live in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeVIk6ezXEZgGOW9_TQ2sIVwbVjrcEt_KhG27H9jB1g8DrgV7QjRTyNEfY3Ed9NiV0CgSLyjz9lmlU1_rQ8Nl11PFqTWuIlFIREi96UGRrWP32Q4bpZckl051dARWjxrzd-a5OEx6NMo/s1600/DSCN0546_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeVIk6ezXEZgGOW9_TQ2sIVwbVjrcEt_KhG27H9jB1g8DrgV7QjRTyNEfY3Ed9NiV0CgSLyjz9lmlU1_rQ8Nl11PFqTWuIlFIREi96UGRrWP32Q4bpZckl051dARWjxrzd-a5OEx6NMo/s320/DSCN0546_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zUJwnoAtztFrwmXvhG5HBqhwD8zDhEN-mRlMIqiInaO-chq3HLQQSKjiEned6bM_xH1hGUVCEwv2oMJLsO65ZmFOo8gb9ItBRUPKsvJPhiIv5s6ZzGVS-5ma-SgsmrToHpwFBxDj-m8/s1600/pork+ring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zUJwnoAtztFrwmXvhG5HBqhwD8zDhEN-mRlMIqiInaO-chq3HLQQSKjiEned6bM_xH1hGUVCEwv2oMJLsO65ZmFOo8gb9ItBRUPKsvJPhiIv5s6ZzGVS-5ma-SgsmrToHpwFBxDj-m8/s200/pork+ring.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xceWrbE-Kjam0HmTfalmeIYIxlzG0GE9FFODRzwhC7Czegv0_Pj0RKY_JCYylyF0jlj_a1sZcgCeswDyOvjVpt-it_wfjuy78YKODFUKupqQgqPmMX5mDbqsLgI9qRaLO_33EE_LT_4/s1600/DSCN0550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xceWrbE-Kjam0HmTfalmeIYIxlzG0GE9FFODRzwhC7Czegv0_Pj0RKY_JCYylyF0jlj_a1sZcgCeswDyOvjVpt-it_wfjuy78YKODFUKupqQgqPmMX5mDbqsLgI9qRaLO_33EE_LT_4/s200/DSCN0550.JPG" width="200" /></a>I know Brooklyn also has some great restaurants but this
trip we were cooking in and so
went with our native in the know family members and head to <i>Faicco’s</i> for pork
sausage (for a pasta sauce), and the homemade mozzarella and the cheese and
fennel pork ring (for
appetizers). What a beautiful meat counter and I love watching the pork artists at work in their storefront kitchen. And for dessert – of
course the traditional Italian cookies from <i>Mona Lisa’</i>s. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGaX6VeobC4W648Tt6_kHEvKjmyCMDDA7Ys-p27Hiz5q11XJWISck9ojG6FBv3o2-bFCPdeiSQ1vDYQMVEkQgMzla7ZPbglDqqxzBWSWzIryCJAms9gHusJD_csi86IThx_CfO3NMGSQ/s1600/Reagan%2527s+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGaX6VeobC4W648Tt6_kHEvKjmyCMDDA7Ys-p27Hiz5q11XJWISck9ojG6FBv3o2-bFCPdeiSQ1vDYQMVEkQgMzla7ZPbglDqqxzBWSWzIryCJAms9gHusJD_csi86IThx_CfO3NMGSQ/s200/Reagan%2527s+house.JPG" width="200" /></a>On the way back from shopping we drive by “Police
Commissioner Reagan’s” house from our most favorite TV show - <i>Blue Bloods</i>. They don’t film actually in this house
but a fun drive by to see the house front they use in the show. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKY6fUqGPGsRfSG1TQHplw0ogNaUrCKm9_YkbjYp9MaoxLFdpZFPGTMtHhGvUx0XmsKs6K94P79wHQBleWbDBYZWn7ZBwP9upDmh_c8p6AtyUB6JAxxOrhURbh7b8iDBx0IFd3NCcCtw/s1600/nyc-boroughs-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKY6fUqGPGsRfSG1TQHplw0ogNaUrCKm9_YkbjYp9MaoxLFdpZFPGTMtHhGvUx0XmsKs6K94P79wHQBleWbDBYZWn7ZBwP9upDmh_c8p6AtyUB6JAxxOrhURbh7b8iDBx0IFd3NCcCtw/s320/nyc-boroughs-map.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
The five boroughs of New York City. Fun facts to know.</div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-35644691557234280792012-07-31T05:05:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:04:24.658-07:00One of the True Heartlands of America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmh3lGf43zo6zRytiE_JDSupIOiXYnO-4XoBtRx8ulQSE4Ljpzuqx4zm7F8RR0GQQb_ugm5ApEc5yAH1I91cPt_ehc_cGJn8dZ50GwflSPlG8-zBfmhZlqVltxv4LywMMd-osfusQvkw/s1600/tick+tock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmh3lGf43zo6zRytiE_JDSupIOiXYnO-4XoBtRx8ulQSE4Ljpzuqx4zm7F8RR0GQQb_ugm5ApEc5yAH1I91cPt_ehc_cGJn8dZ50GwflSPlG8-zBfmhZlqVltxv4LywMMd-osfusQvkw/s200/tick+tock.jpg" width="129" /></a>I am at Breezy Point in the Rockaways, New York City. I just read <u>Tick Tock</u> - a James
Patterson (and Michael Ledwidge) thriller that is set here. It’s a great summer beach read! </div>
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Breezy Point is on a narrow island near the entrance to New
York Harbor. Even though not
in the middle of the country, this close knit Irish/Catholic beach bungalow
enclave is one of the true heartlands of America. At every turn there are memorials to the police and fireman
from Breezy who died on 9/11, American flags line the boardwalk and
streets, and the fireworks on the 4<sup>th</sup> of July are incredible. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTdaNcxsOPFc40Q-aqa24S59BvF5m1GSaY5G8tqdqKFL6Hc5yJLvhNWdDve4CXP_2zAuKm6GkNSPiduThRg_nT2VTmgUnNb0gfWH6ZLZxEisD1FkI2RlA0hFrVViQEl4JBJMo_0KEgm4/s1600/DSCN0523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTdaNcxsOPFc40Q-aqa24S59BvF5m1GSaY5G8tqdqKFL6Hc5yJLvhNWdDve4CXP_2zAuKm6GkNSPiduThRg_nT2VTmgUnNb0gfWH6ZLZxEisD1FkI2RlA0hFrVViQEl4JBJMo_0KEgm4/s200/DSCN0523.JPG" width="196" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsdaqsOGAdmJ78r2cXC8WNM3S1sSZhRZvp1iXp7mKvQL2kf_49BWvf46t_B7V0FDyOsjHXU-1HXYsg1D9Lr6JelZMqqrBU0nXV9zfZ1aR_rbo2ucAlxoOJiCD3qnhVJHFkXMZM3D1Hh0/s1600/Plovers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsdaqsOGAdmJ78r2cXC8WNM3S1sSZhRZvp1iXp7mKvQL2kf_49BWvf46t_B7V0FDyOsjHXU-1HXYsg1D9Lr6JelZMqqrBU0nXV9zfZ1aR_rbo2ucAlxoOJiCD3qnhVJHFkXMZM3D1Hh0/s200/Plovers.JPG" width="161" /></a>I’ve been coming here for decades with my husband’s family
and have become more and more appreciative of this special slice of life. I’ve even come to love those darned federally
protected plover birds who often dive bomb you as you make your way through a
virtual gauntlet on the way to the beach. </div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-75653514339204548852012-07-11T08:16:00.000-07:002012-08-15T18:32:29.120-07:00Alabama Jacks, Key Largo, Florida<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Not a destination place but if you are in the area...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBw6p0ciqwxTIK7to5KFlonJ_89Mjnj6SG8SXVwiSz35Kc4GoQXlOUztW-ObZCH_cN9SXMd9SZKvPyT_WnIEZ_QKhe7m74VcHZ6qzgT38OBsFTcY6dgw-P9mDXjVhHeiDZxlh8vl_OHE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBw6p0ciqwxTIK7to5KFlonJ_89Mjnj6SG8SXVwiSz35Kc4GoQXlOUztW-ObZCH_cN9SXMd9SZKvPyT_WnIEZ_QKhe7m74VcHZ6qzgT38OBsFTcY6dgw-P9mDXjVhHeiDZxlh8vl_OHE/s200/photo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Forty miles south of Miami, on Card Sound Road, which connects
mainland Florida with upper Key Largo, you’ll come to an open air shack-like
structure in the middle of miles of mangroves, swamps and canals. The food is not all that great, there are birds waiting for a bite, and
good luck if it is crowded and you need the restroom. But otherwise, this is a must stop. Sort of a cross between a biker
bar (but not many bikes – just lots of boats pulling up to stop for lunch or a drink)
and a country western bar (there is usually a band playing and unique and quite! interesting
characters dancing). Lots of
tourists and locals. Try the
conch fritters.</div>
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-36197320985853224802012-07-06T10:55:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:03:29.405-07:00Eleven Madison Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Is it worth it?
Yes!!!</div>
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Last summer we treated our family to Per Se. And we all thought it was fabulous. This summer our treat was <a href="http://elevenmadisonpark.com/">Eleven Madison Park</a>, another 3 Michelin Star NYC restaurant and one of the<a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com/"> top 10 restaurants in the world</a> (# 3 in
the U.S.) It was fabulous times
two. Of course Eleven Madison Park
has a bit of an advantage, as we are still under the influence of the tastes
and nuances of this more recent dining experience. We of course just had to do the eight course tasting menu –
no decisions to be made. I am
sometimes a bit apprehensive giving myself up totally to the dictates of the
Chef. And I typically don’t
expect to appreciate and enjoy every course. But I loved every one of the 15 or so (I stopped
counting after a bit) treats we were served. Every course was a small quantity of a very big taste. I am now a devotee of Chef Daniel Humm.
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I am still relishing the taste of the savory Parmesan and
black truffle “black and white” cookies in a beautiful box with which we were
presented on seating. Then
an amazing tomato tea with striking lemon thyme garnish, several so tasty
seafood amuse bouches, an innovative clambake course complete with seaweed and
rocks, an amazing foie gras course with a raspberry paté and a mint paté, a
lobster course which highlighted the simply elegant taste of the lobster while
still providing innovative garnishes, a duck course, an exquisite egg cream
made tableside, and on and on. </div>
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I can’t wait to go back!</div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-91886933971410483632012-05-10T08:43:00.000-07:002012-08-16T09:10:35.290-07:00At Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have always felt a bit out of sorts when I return home to a sparse refrigerator after traveling. I fill it up a bit but it never has a homey look until I get too much stuff in there and then it just looks junky. I was at a friend's house yesterday and her refrigerator looked so appealing - it was packed with food but she also had a pretty mug filled with herbs on the shelf. It was very appealing. I immediately came home and put herbs on several shelves. Seems like such a small thing but as much as I open the refrigerator during the day this is a huge boost for my endorphins. <br />
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Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-16804642119579070802012-05-04T08:25:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:02:14.111-07:00ABC Kitchen - NYC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><b>New York remains what it has always been: a city of ebb and flow, a city of constant shifts of population and economics, a city of virtually no rest. It is harsh, dirty, and dangerous, it is whimsical and fanciful, it is beautiful and soaring – it is not one or another of these things but all of them, all at once, and to fail to accept this paradox is to deny the reality of city existence. -Paul Goldberger (Former architecture critic for The New Yorker, now a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair)</b></i></span></blockquote>
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I start out in the early evening while the city is still
bustling and am looking forward to the long walk from the East 50’s to the Flat
Iron district where I will meet up with my daughter at a restaurant she has
wanted to try. I have always
enjoyed walking in Manhattan. Finding one’s way is easy – it is a
grid, and you always feel safe with so many people about. As usual, I start out feeling great
about the city and vibrant and exhilarated. But starting around 5 or 6 blocks out I become increasingly
cranky. I soon tire of what used
to be almost a game for me - strategizing my path through the multitudes of
humanity without having to break my stride or give up too much my “way”. The constant din soon turns from
what I used to relish as the “sounds of the city” to a guttural cacophony of
blaring sirens and honks and car noises.
The storefronts start to lose their weathered charm. By the time I arrive at <a href="http://www.abckitchennyc.com/">ABC Kitchen</a> I
am wondering why I continue to come back to New York and am thinking I should
convince my daughter that she should have had enough of the Big City at this
point. I change my
shoes on the little bench (interesting bench - simply lovely) outside the
restaurant’s fairly non descript window front and go in.</div>
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This I suppose is what I love about New York and keeps me
coming back. In a split second all is forgiven as we enter this haven.
Yes this is a city of highs and lows, the best and the brightest and the
downtrodden and degenerate, magnificent art and music and filth and piled up
trash, "if you can make it here you can make it anywhere". Ok enough, I’ll stop.</div>
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ABC Kitchen is not one of New York’s top “fine dining” spots
but it is so very unique and just another sample of what striving for the
newest and best can bring into this city.
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The restaurant is a large loft like structure with what I am
pretty sure are non structural wooden beams spanning across different sections
of the open room, accompanied by a plethora of varied lighting either hanging
from ropes or rods from the beams, or chandeliers highlighting various corners
of the room. The effect
creates an absolutely hip, romantic, atmospheric eating palette. </div>
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The vision for the restaurant is to offer the freshest
organic and local ingredients possible, to use salvaged, reclaimed, or recycled
building materials for the décor, homemade porcelain dinnerware by local
artisan Jan Burtz for the table, bread baskets handcrafted by the indigenous
mapuche people of Patagonia, etc. etc. The effect is stunning.</div>
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We start with rhubarb and lime mimosas (all
drinks of course feature seasonal ingredients and this is rhubarb season…) I am a bit skeptical as I detest rhubarb but the mimosas are delicious. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgsQDqCMFPIwnrADSbUbWtuTaQdVFXstCOh5cOyce1ybXh6WPwJzk7LiamaZCaaUCv9_N28kbHAIRq7H-J7Y9FO2T8jKFXI54K7UNP57d4PELyiXKXeAw19GhHWNZQ5QKUAN7uXDq1Kg/s1600/beet+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgsQDqCMFPIwnrADSbUbWtuTaQdVFXstCOh5cOyce1ybXh6WPwJzk7LiamaZCaaUCv9_N28kbHAIRq7H-J7Y9FO2T8jKFXI54K7UNP57d4PELyiXKXeAw19GhHWNZQ5QKUAN7uXDq1Kg/s200/beet+salad.jpg" width="150" /></a>Then we try a lovely pea soup made even more delicious served
in Jan Burtz’ porcelain bowls,
crab toasts (just so-so), a roasted beet salad with
housemade yogurt, a delicious homemade ricotta ravioli in the freshest and
tastiest tomato sauce I’ve had for some time, and roasted lobster with a spicy
vinaigrette.</div>
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The food flavors are obviously achieved with fresh seasonal
produce and fresh herbs as opposed to an overdose of butter, oil and salt. </div>
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Conclusion:
Pricey (but using the best and freshest ingredients is pricey); not over
the top gourmet but good fresh flavors;
a special and well done décor. Oh! - and the
ABC store that is attached is a must see - furniture, lighting, kitchen and
tabletop items in a 5 story building.</div>
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Until my next visit....</div>
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</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com1Origins Flatiron, New York, NY 10011, USA40.7411362 -73.989658440.7291057 -74.009399399999992 40.7531667 -73.9699174tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-79853361552634218092012-05-01T20:07:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:01:34.715-07:00L'Arte di Mangiare Bene, NYC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
L'ARTUSI Restaurant<br />
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We would never have ventured into the West Village Area when we lived here 25 years ago. Now it is the! place. I will come back here tomorrow and roam 10th St. and shop in the cute, cute, cute boutiques. <br />
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<a href="http://lartusi.com/">L'Artusi</a> - trendy, nouvelle? Italian. Seems like an in place. The noise level is high. The waiters are great. Food is very good, very fresh. We had a raw hamachi appetizer, roasted mushrooms with a fried egg on top, a lovely beet salad, several nicely done pastas and a new age cod dish, a delicious Budino dessert (chocolate pudding with a créme fraîche like topping - excellent), and well done cappaccinos. Everything was delicious but I am still searching for that perfect pasta. </div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0West Village, New York, NY, USA40.735781 -74.003570940.723749500000004 -74.0233119 40.7478125 -73.9838299tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-4980999266151993862012-04-25T14:30:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:01:03.843-07:00Schnitzel in New York<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My son emailed me today from NYC: </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"So last night I was watching a food network show on the best food trucks around the country. I saw a truck in New York, <i>Schnitzel and Things</i>, and was extremely intrigued. They serve various schnitzels, along with sides, and it's apparently very good; they have even opened up a small restaurant around 45th St. in addition to the truck. I checked out the truck's schedule and found that it was going to be at 27th and Park today so I had to try it. I got the Chicken Schnitzel platter with beet and feta salad and fries, with a spicy sriracha mayo sauce. Very good, albeit unhealthy. Might be a good thing to try next time you are in New York!"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It used to be that "a dirty water dog" from the local food cart was a fast and cheap lunch. Today gourmet food trucks seem to be destinations in their own right - especially in New York City.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> What's next? Caviar and blini on the corner? Paté de campagne and cornichons on Columbus?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I checked out the menu for <a href="http://schnitzelandthings.com/">Schnitzel and Things</a> and it looks amazing and real competition for the original. Check out my <a href="http://www.travelsizemom.com/2012/03/vienna-and-operaball-2012.html">blog entry</a> on the schnitzel in the birthplace of schnitzel - Austria.</span></div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-28692963344718890582012-04-16T23:11:00.000-07:002012-08-08T12:00:28.353-07:00Easter Weekend in New York City - continued<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i><a href="http://www.themodernnyc.com/">The Modern</a></i></b></div>
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Simply stylish and modern – as you would expect from this Michelin One Star fine dining restaurant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Glass, white, and shades of grey are punctuated with purple floral arrangements. This very “modern” dining room overlooks the outdoor Abby Rockefeller Sculpture Garden back dropped by a 4 -5 story New York skyline. This is a true visual oasis in the heart of the city. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oysters "En Pannequet"</td></tr>
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There is a prix fixe menu with numerous choices for each of the four courses. Everything is artfully presented and visually appealing. Service is plentiful but unobtrusive. Of course there are plenty of amuse bouches and at the end of the dinner a lovely chocolate cart with a plethora of homemade chocolates. The wine list is excellent – we try a 2009 Talley Olive Chardonnay and a 2008 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir from Russian River, Ca. As for the food: some of the dishes are excellent and amongst the five of us we try almost everything on the menu. And again, the presentation is artful. But many of the dishes are just ok from a taste standpoint. For example, I keep thinking I would much prefer a simple grilled lobster tail with a lemon butter dipping sauce as I try to savor my <i>Slow-Roasted Maine Lobster Tail with Caramelized Turnips and Ginger-Tamarind Jus</i>. And I am dreaming of simple raw oysters in the shell with a touch of shallot mignonette sauce as I labor through my <i>Kumamoto Oysters “En Pannequet” </i>- oysters wrapped in some sort of green leaf and smothered in some sort of red sauce. Ok, all is not lost – the <i>Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Black Winter Truffle and Rye Bread Crouton</i> is excellent.<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<i>Can't I Get to a Real Show??</i></div>
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I have been trying to get to a Broadway play during the past year but have yet to make time. <i>Hours</i>, <i>Death of a Salesman</i>, and <i>The Book of Mormon</i> are still on my list. But we are subjected to much street theatre as we roam the city. Not exactly the same for sure. And I think I do not need to worry about copyright protection on these…<br />
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<b><i>World Trade Center Memorial</i></b></div>
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Must see, must see. Poignant and fascinating. The site is still undergoing renovation and the new visitor’s center is still under construction but that’s ok. Go now and again later when all is complete. Free entrance but you must <a href="http://www.911memorial.org/">reserve tickets </a>ahead of time. Layers of symbolism and poignant reminders of that fateful day, the people who died and the collapse of the awe inspiring Twin Towers. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5784992">controversies</a> surrounding the site and the <a href="http://nymag.com/arts/architecture/features/17015/">memorial</a> seem to have calmed down a bit. I find the young Israeli architect Michael Arad’s design entitled “Reflecting Absence” solicits much discussion and interpretation. The two pools that comprise the memorial sit on the footprints of the twin towers, both with waterfalls cascading into a black void. We visit the memorial on Easter Sunday, an appropriate time and place for reflection on this special morning. I am told you must also visit at night for an entirely different and perhaps even more inspiring experience because of the lights. Whenever you go, make sure to talk to and listen to the park rangers as they answer questions. They are a wealth of knowledge.</div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7830603 -73.97124880000001240.683340300000005 -74.041378800000018 40.8827803 -73.9011188tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-74656997631303491442012-04-10T21:20:00.000-07:002012-08-08T11:59:54.804-07:00Easter Weekend in New York City - Day One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>The Setai Hotel – (managed by the Capella Group)</i><br />
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Great hotel! I highly recommend the <a href="http://www.capellahotels.com/newyork/">Setai </a>even though the location is a bit of a good news/bad news story. The good news: the location is in the heart of mid-town and within walking distance on the south side to what some say is the the new center of gravity for the city - Union Square, Madison Square, the Meatpacking District, Soho, Greenwich village, and the West Village - and on the north side within walking distance to the Fifth Avenue shopping district and the theatre district. The bad news is that the hotel is located a block away from the Empire State building and all the buses and tourists and hawkers that are of course in abundance at this famous site. But it is a holiday weekend…</div>
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The rooms are furnished in shades of wood, white and grey. I am not sure why it all fits together as it seems effortless. But suffice it to say that our room is very soothing – I feel so comfortable and comforted staying here. We have a junior king suite which is one large room with a sitting area with very large and lovely bathroom and closets. Our view is not ideal by any means but we do have a very appealing “4<sup>th</sup> night free” rate so I can’t complain. </div>
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Service is impeccable. And the doormen will be happy to radio the driver of the Maserati to take you anywhere in the city. Yes, this is quite a marketing technique. The hotel owns a Maserati (comes with a driver) that can be used by any guest (first come first served, free of charge). We were able to use it twice. To be honest this perk is a bit lost on me – the car seems like a normal small sedan. But for people who know their cars at all this would be a nice perk for staying here.</div>
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<i>The Morgan</i></div>
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Our first morning we walk just around the corner to the <a href="http://www.themorgan.org/home.asp">Morgan Library and Museum</a>. I have never developed a great appreciation for museums; however, I do enjoy art collections located in former mansions or homes. </div>
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<a href="http://www.biography.com/people/john-pierpont-morgan-9414735">J. P. Morgan</a>, a leading banker in the 1800’s, was also a serious collector of books and art. He wanted to rival the holdings of renowned European libraries. Over the last century, the Morgan has expanded to incorporate three historical buildings with three new modern glass pavilions to house the growing collection. A highlight is J. P. Morgan’s original library that he had designed to house his collection of rare books and manuscripts. </div>
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<i>The Museum of the City of New York</i></div>
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I think we’ll get our museum activity out of the way today so we can move on tomorrow to more exciting things… So after a lovely lunch with friends on the Upper East Side we walk from there to a museum I actually really want to check out. The Museum of the City of New York at 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue has an exhibit entitled: “<a href="http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/current/The-Greatest-Grid.html">The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011</a>”. I love looking at the history of a city through pictures and maps. However, I am a bit disappointed in this exhibit - I was hoping it would have more in the way of photography or pictures showing the different time periods of the city. I enjoyed much more another exhibit we happened onto: “Cecil Beaton: The New York Years”. Amazing photographs by this British photographer and socialite of celebrities in the early 1920’s – <a href="http://www.nycitywoman.com/features/cecil-beaton-exhibit-new-york-years">check some out here. </a></div>
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<i>Spiga</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">This evening we traverse New York again and meet up with good friends for dinner in their neighborhood on the Upper West Side. <a href="http://www.spiganyc.com/">Spiga </a>is a charming, intimate, warm, neighborhood gem which makes it also perfect as a destination restaurant. The warm artichoke and pistachio salad is a must have. My homemade pasta with sausage and an artichoke pesto sauce is excellent. This is a small restaurant so reservations are essential.</span></div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7143528 -74.005973140.5046863 -74.285381100000009 40.9240193 -73.7265651tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-45847708620195069922012-04-09T21:40:00.000-07:002012-08-08T11:59:14.820-07:0024 Hours in DC - continued<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This morning helicopters are continuing to fly everywhere – quite a busy city today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is gorgeous out and the cherry blossoms are not quite ready but the earlier budding magnolias provide a nice backdrop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walk down the Mall to the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/lifestyle/mlk2011/interactive-memorial/">Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial</a> – it is perfectly positioned on the Tidal Pool across from the Jefferson Memorial (my personal favorite).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my first time at the new MLK memorial, completed in the fall of 2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love how each of the different DC memorials exhibit a different tone and theme and style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reviews of the new MLK memorial suggest that the large King statue carved into stone is almost Stalin looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to agree. </div>
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King’s famous <a href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm">“I have a dream”</a> speech was delivered right across the road at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get goose bumps whenever I hear this speech and especially when I watch the video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is one of the most moving and poignant pieces of oratory I have ever heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to include a link to the video here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember the speech being commonly available in the public domain in the past but apparently no more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/14/us/king-estate-and-cbs-settle-suit-over-rights-to-famous-speech.html">King estate sued CBS</a> in 1996 claiming copyright protection and the case was settled for an undisclosed sum of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the video of the speech is only legally available through the estate’s website for a fee and it will remain under copyright protection until 2038 - 70 years after King’s death. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite a controversy…</div>
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This is a beautiful city in the spring and these few days are bringing back memories of some of my most favorite things to do when we lived in this area years ago: </div>
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<li>biking - the <a href="http://bikewashington.org/trails/index.htm">best bike paths</a> ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can travel off road all the way from Mount Vernon, Va. (President George Washington’s home), through Old Town Alexandria, past Reagan airport (stopping to sit for a bit and watch the planes land right over your head at the end of the runway) on through Georgetown<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(stopping for a margarita at Washington Harbor) and on as far as you want all the way to Harper’s Ferry and beyond, along the C&O Towpath. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.tidalbasinpaddleboats.com/">renting a paddle boat</a> on the Tidal Basin</li>
<li>visiting the monuments at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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<br /></div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com1Martin Luther King, Jr National Memorial, 1964 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20418, USA38.886369599999988 -77.04457279999996938.885526099999986 -77.046082799999965 38.88721309999999 -77.043062799999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-13256792248924770062012-03-24T14:31:00.000-07:002012-08-08T11:58:46.889-07:0024 Hours in DC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am tagging along on a business trip with my husband before we go off on a mini vacation and only have 24 hours. I do love DC. When I visit New York I feel I should be working to make a billion dollars, or to be the head of a huge conglomerate, or perhaps to be a famous opera singer at the Met. When I’m in DC I would be very happy to get a cup of coffee for someone who works at the White House or the West Wing. <br />
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We are at the <a href="http://www.hayadams.com/historic-washington-dc-hotels.php">Hay Adams Hotel</a>. What a perfect location just on the other side of Lafayette Square from the White House. So I of course wander through Lafayette Square a bit and absorb some of the power vibes emanating from the White House. I also love the feeling of knowing there are secret service agents about (probably the older bearded Noah-looking character with ragged shorts and an open old shirt sitting on the park bench staring at me is a perfectly disguised agent or is just another deranged homeless person, but I prefer the undercover agent theory). There are lots of coming and goings at the White House this afternoon and sure enough, soon they close Lafayette Square and we all must leave. I find out later that tonight is the state dinner for Great Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha. There will be 300 + guests in attendance including the British actors Huge Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern of that fabulous British import "Downton Abbey", billionaire Warren Buffet, and the handsome George Clooney, who gets to sit by Michelle Obama. Alas, I have not been invited. I am feeling a bit left out.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">But I can pretend I am there as I listen to President Obama’s toast, peruse the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/2012ukstatedinner.pdf">agenda and the menu</a>, and <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57397967-10391698/white-house-state-dinner-fashion-what-did-they-wear/">see photos</a> at least of what the ladies are wearing. I especially love the dress worn by Mrs. Obama’s dress designer - Georgina Chapman.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Hay Adams</td></tr>
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The Hays Adams is a small intimate European style hotel. (Think small lobby, small rooms and small bathrooms.) Take care to at least book more than a superior room if you stay here. The price of the rooms is directly correlated to the view - across Lafayette Square to the White House, across 16<sup>th</sup> Street overlooking St. Joseph’s church, or an interior view looking into an adjoining office building (our view…). But the rooms are well appointed, service is excellent, and one feels just a bit more connected to the power center of the world. The top floor of the hotel has a large space for private events but also has an amazing view of the city and especially of the White House – you can clearly see the sniper agents patrolling the roof. If you stay here make sure to take in this view.</div>
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For dinner I haven’t done any research so I take the concierge up on his suggestion for the <a href="http://www.alabardero.com/welcome.html">Taberna Del Alabardero</a>. The main reason I don’t like to eat by myself is that I can’t sample too much of the cuisine. (When I am with my husband, dinner is mine and my husband’s is too…). So I must suffice with a lovely sea bream with creamy mushrooms and a very nice side salad. It is excellent. For wine, I start with a glass of <a href="http://spanishfood.about.com/od/drinks/a/cava.htm">Cava </a>– the name for Spanish sparkling wines, and then I have a glass of Becquer 2009 from Rioja - a very nice crisp delicate white from Spain – perfect with the fish. To have more variety I could have opted for the tapas menu but have avoided any kind of tapas since a major case of food poisoning in Barcelona last year. </div>
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Tomorrow – the Martin Luther King Memorial and a few museum stops.</div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0Lafayette Square, Washington, DC 20006, USA38.8996074 -77.03665649999999238.8988684 -77.0380835 38.900346400000004 -77.035229499999986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813025693017169571.post-30284679248999804492012-03-11T17:01:00.000-07:002012-08-08T11:58:10.809-07:00Vienna and the OperaBall 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Dp3IALxodrMdKTMWJKYg3NInlypvK-wja3BJr8n0UDB-O7ykO1jlQjFyMCvWehMhPmenPtf4uIp8UvGI0mLFkmJOsc89RJqsZVsyWhQKsabOyEJuQvVapsdeS5glMm5lz-fNWieNdck/s1600/Opera+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Dp3IALxodrMdKTMWJKYg3NInlypvK-wja3BJr8n0UDB-O7ykO1jlQjFyMCvWehMhPmenPtf4uIp8UvGI0mLFkmJOsc89RJqsZVsyWhQKsabOyEJuQvVapsdeS5glMm5lz-fNWieNdck/s200/Opera+ball.jpg" width="150" /></a>I am a bit apprehensive as this, the <a href="http://www.viennaoperaball.com/">2012 Vienna Opera Ball</a>, is probably the most formal occasion to which I will ever go. But after accumulating the required ball gown, jewelry, and formal wrap (thank you good friends!) there is nothing left to think about but enjoying Vienna and the build-up to the event.<br />
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Our hotel is the elegant <a href="http://www.grandhotelwien.com/">Grand Hotel Vienna</a> on the Ringstrasse in the inner city. The Ringstrasse is a grand boulevard built in 1857 by Emperor Franz Josef on the site of the ancient wall around Vienna. Today the Ringstrasse encircles the heart of old Vienna.<span style="color: #434343;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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We are only a block or so from the Wiener Staatsoper – Vienna State Opera House – and so we notice the day before the event the comings and goings as the Opera House is transformed for this annual Austrian society happening which takes place every year on the Thursday preceding Ash Wednesday. Overnight the Opera House is turned into a large ballroom and a new floor, level with the stage, is built. The many anterooms are turned into casinos, discos, and oyster, coffee and champagne bars. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We fortunately have a few free hours to explore a bit of central Vienna. The Grand Hotel is a perfect location, especially in this cold weather, from which to explore the city center. We wander through the famous Pedestrian shopping area, the Karntnerstrasse, passing by the Café Sacher where the famous <a href="http://www.sacher.com/en-original-sacher-tart.htm">sachertorte</a> has its roots. Then we duck into Stephansdom (St. Stephens’s cathedral), then head over to the Imperial Palace, the location of the private apartments of the Hapsburg royalty and also now the site of the famous Spanish riding school and the beautiful <a href="http://www.lipizzaner.com/">Lipizzaner</a> stallions. But this is just a tiny taste of this lovely city.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Vienna was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and the capital of the former Austrian Empire. The University of Vienna was founded here in 1365. This is the city of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, Brahms, Mahler, and Schoenberg. This is the home to the <a href="http://www.wsk.at/jart/prj3/wsk_website/main.jart?rel=en&reserve-mode=active">Vienna Boy’s Choir</a>. This city is a cultural Mecca and I am already thinking we don’t have enough time and we must come back with more time to explore! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Speaking of taste – it has been a few hours since we last had a meal. We are having lunch with friends of my husband’s who have flown in from Warsaw. (Yes I suppose Warsaw is just right up the road a bit.) <a href="http://www.figlmueller.at/willkommen.php">Figlmüller</a> is a restaurant famous for its pork (as opposed to the more famous veal) schnitzel. I am amazed that they can pound and flatten one pork loin so that it is the size of a one-foot diameter gigantic pancake, overhanging by several inches the large plate. Traditionally served with a great <a href="http://kitchentitbits.wordpress.com/recipebook/potato-salad/">potato salad</a> and lemon wedges, this is a delicious dish, but we should have shared one portion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But back to our mission: It is now the day of the ball and we try to sleep late, as this will be a very long evening. The ladies start getting ready in the afternoon with hair and makeup appointments. Then on to dinner at the very elegant Le Ciel on the top floor of our hotel, then at 8:30 pm the one block walk to the Opera House.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My husband looks extremely elegant and handsome in the required Tail Coat (white vest and white bow tie, black coat with tails. At the Opera entrance and inside there are TV cameras and photographers waiting to catch a glimpse of celebrities or perhaps also of the loveliest gowns. The evening officially starts at 10:00 pm with the Austrian National Anthem and the Anthem of Europe (Ode to Joy by Beethoven). There is the presentation of the debutantes (“the Young Ladies Dance Committee”), then performances by the Vienna State Ballet Company and the Vienna Opera orchestra. Another treat is the performance by the opera singer Angela Gheorghiu who sings <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman Italic';"><i>Carmen</i></span> and <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman Italic';"><i>I Could Have Danced All Night</i></span> – very apropos. Finally the opening waltz is announced and everyone is invited to waltz to the strains of Johann Strauss’ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman Italic';"><i>On the Beautiful Blue Danube, OP 314</i></span>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I hear 3500 people are in attendance tonight (and I don’t think this includes the servers and wait staff and security). My husband and I do a requisite dance and then avoid the main floor but continue to watch the proceedings with our party from our box. After a bit we do explore the many different entertainments and activities available throughout this very large opera house. This is one big party where people obviously go to see and be seen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At 3:00 am our host rounds us all up and we are off, still in our opera ball finery, to a local café to have the requisite after opera digestif - a Gulaschsoppa and a beer. <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hearty-Goulash-Soup-11021">Goulash soup</a> is a beef and potato soup which is quite tasty (it is our “go to” snack or lunch choice in Germany and Austria) although at 4:00 am in the morning it seems as if we should be having tea and toast or alka seltzer.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>Travel Size Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17648448104054171728noreply@blogger.com0Vienna, Austria48.2081743 16.3738189000000648.1057593 16.17637890000006 48.310589300000004 16.571258900000061