Mouse and Marmot

Spain: Buen Retiro Park

One of the best attractions in Madrid is the sprawling Parque del Buen Retiro. The park grew slowly over several centuries as different royal families added bits and pieces for their own and their courts' recreation. The large pond, which is crowded with rowboats on a nice day, was originally used for mock naval battles and other aquatic shows. Eventually the park, now 350 acres, was passed to public ownership. And the public has embraced this organic oasis in the heart of its capitol city. 

Near the park is a street lined with bookseller stalls. Kelly spent an hour or so perusing all the old Spanish books, and found a 1923 French trigonometry book (1 euro), and a cool 1951 Spanish transportation book full of ads (10 euro).

It was a nice day out and the first day of Easter break. People were relaxing in the grass, and dogs were everywhere. Spain is definitely a dog country and the paths held almost as many dogs as people. At one corner, there were two giant dogs as well as a dust-ball of a Pomeranian yapping around at their feet. The owners did not seem to mind us stopping to watch the comical scene. We continued along small paths and wide paths, enjoying the shade until we reached a formal garden. Across from the formal garden was Carlos IV monument, with a huge lake out front - the Estanque del Retiro. The line to rent a rowboat looked like it was several hours long so we took the path around the lake and watched the boats, instead.

Street performers were everywhere and drew happy crowds. One man on a unicycle declared that he would do extraordinary things - but we never got to see them. Two puppet shows entertained the children. We stopped to watch one about a dog who was guarding a hen. The dog was tired so he would ask the children to watch the chicken for him. Yet, as soon as he laid his head down to take a nap the kids would begin yelling "Aiee! Perrito! Perrito!" because some intruder would be sneaking up behind him to steal the chicken. The dog would jump up and beat back the intruder, getting the chicken back. This puppet show was a lot more engaging for the kids than the other, which was more of a Punch-and-Judy style. 

At the large Monument to Alfonso XII, people climbed the steps and watched the crush of boats in the lake. Even the rollerbladers had climbed the steps to get a better vantage point. Fathers chased toddlers around the base of the steps, kids climbed the lion statues and lovers kissed passionately, oblivious to everyone. 

When we came back through Madrid to fly home, we spent our last afternoon at Retiro Park. It was sunny, the weather was warm, and it was much less busy than it was the first time because vacations were over. We rented a rowboat and paddled around the lake for an hour. Even with much fewer people it was still hard to navigate the pond without running into others.

A main avenue ran through the park. People walked and jogged on the edges while rollerbladers took up the center, some showing off tricks. Some had set up music and little cones to skate through. Others, were taking what looked like a beginner class, wobbling unsteadily. 

At the conservatory, black swans swam next to fat white ducks. Turtles sunned themselves on a half-submerged log. Nearby, in the garden, male peacocks strutted their feathers and the ladies did their best to ignore them. Old men fed the bird bread, which the males were too busy to eat and the females used as an excuse not to look at the shaking tail feathers behind them. 

Spain: Semana Santa

We purposely scheduled our trip to coincide with the Semana Santa (Holy Week). Because we traveled throughout that week, we were able to see a variety of celebrations. Each place has its own traditions and each day represents something specific. This post will cover all of the processions we witnessed, although the spirit of the week pervades everything. Specialty foods are displayed in all the markets. Families enjoy time together in the park. Trains are full as people return home.  

Many Americans react negatively to images of the nazarenos, or penitents, who walk in the processions. So I want to take a moment to explain what you are seeing. The hooded robes they wear come from mideval times when people wanted to demonstrate their penance to God without reavealing their identity. The colors and symbols vary for each group based on the religious brotherhood and church that the members belong to. Some nazarenos walk barefoot, often for miles. Others wear chains or carry heavy crosses. 

Some women will wear mantillas, which is a raised veil, that have been worn by Catholic women for centuries. These days, it is generally reserved for special ceremonies. 

Segovia

On our way to Segovia I noticed that the snow line was not much higher than the city. And, after the sun went down we ventured into the cold air only because we could hear snatches of drumming and horns from our hotel window. The music grew louder and the procession came right up to our hotel.

It was a small procession, for a small town. A single drummer seemed to be in charge of the music - his sticks white while all others were black. He would lead with a fancy drum roll and the others would follow. Drumsbeats and wailing horns echoed off the stone walls, sounding mournful in the night.

The marchers wore purple hoods over white robes and carried a small float of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross. Behind the float, four more people carried crosses of their own, barefoot despite the cold. A small, hooded nazareno held the hand of a parent as he solemnly navigated the dark. The townspeople, hoodless and bundled in warm clothing escorted the crucifix to the church. Ryan followed them in, where they took off their hoods and cheered. He was surprised at this sudden unveiling as they changed from an identity-less group back into the individual men and women of a community. 

Madrid

Our room at Pension Arcos opened up to a small patio with a view over the Plaza. At around 10pm, we could hear the now familiar sounds of a procession starting up. Looking out, we saw the floats leaving from Iglesia San Carmen just half a block from our hotel. A small crowd was forming along the route and we joined them, finding places about two rows back. Children were pushed to the front as the crowd grew. Everyone kept an eye on them but no one seemed worried.

The procession moved very slowly and stopped frequently so it took a long time for them to reach us. By then, the street was filled from storefront to storefront. Once again, a band led, this time dressed in uniforms. Hooded marchers followed carrying candles, most of which were unlit due to the wind. At the entrance to Puerta del Sol the procession stopped. People adjusted their hoods and shifted from leg to leg on the hard stone. Eventually one person tapped a staff against the ground and the procession began to move again.

The float came into view, lit with candles and burning incense which filled the night air with smoke, light, and smells. It was ornate and each time it moved the lanterns and decorations shook violently. The bearers put it down directly in front of us after some more staff tapping. A woman in a gray parka jumped out from the crowd and burst into a soulful, melancholy song. Her voice was hauting as it carried above the hushed crowd and I could pick out words like Jesús and compasión. When the woman finished the crowd applauded. And then applauded again as the float bearers lifted the float with a whomp and more shaking of the intricate filigree. 

The float moved on across the now packed plaza. Behind it nazarenos walked between the marchers adjusting hoods, tapping out the movement and attempting to light candles. They handed out lollipops to all the kids that had been pushed forward. Extracting ourselves from the crowd turned out to be the hard part as we fought our way upstream toward the hotel with many repetitions of perdón. At about 2 am, we awoke to the sounds snares and trumpets - less melancholy and more triumphant - as the procession returned to the church on our square.

Santiago de Compostela

There were about six Easter processions scheduled for the day, starting at 11am, and ending at 11pm. (We found horarios for each city on the internet. Like this one.) As we were heading back to the Cathedral, we ran into the 11am procession. A small band led and was followed by the main procession of nazarenos, this time in green. Again, four men followed carrying crosses and wearing chains on their ankles. After the crosses passed, children dressed in period clothing carried religious objects like nails and a crown of thorns. Some women dressed in black, wearing mantillas followed them. Behind them were the rest of the church members carrying umbrellas as they made their way toward the cathedral.

Later that day, we tracked down the sound of trumpets to Praza Cervantes. The brethren in this procession wore green or white hoods. The band, crosses and children were followed by a pieta float. The city is small and the processions move slowly, so we followed it around the block, and watched it a second time. After dinner, we heardthe 11pm procession starting, so we tracked it down to a street corner to watch. The procession wassimilar to the other ones we had seen; however this time they carried lanterns. And for this final procession they had two floats, the first a pieta float and the second brightly lit and featuring the Virgin Mary.

San Sebastian - the aftermath

We arrived in San Sebastian at around 6:30 am on Easter day. Since we had spent the night traveling we walked around the deserted city looking for breakfast. The street was filled with paper and bottles. The rain hadn't managed to wash away the pungent smell of beer. A well-dressed young man staggered towards us. He asked me for a light in slurred Spanish and then wandered off when I didn't have one. Other party-goers supported each other as they swayed down the streets. Street sweepers were out in force, and it was like a game of pac-man as they tried to avoid those still up after what must have been a huge party, and we tried to avoid the street sweepers. 

 

Spain: El Escorial

El Escorial was impressive - a combination of Monastery and Royal Estate (no separation of church and state here). The guards looked a little unsure what to do with our luggage, which would not fit in the tiny lockers. Instead, they gave us what appeared to be the key to a tour guide locker. The locker key wouldn't turn. So, we unhinged the door and then put it back on with our bags inside and figured we'd trust people.

The audio guides were unusually helpful and allowed us to look around without being stuck reading all the descriptions (which weren't always available in English). And the audio guides allowed us access to the royal pantheon.

We saw the construction tools used to build El Escorial - trowels, masonry tools and giant ice picks for moving the blocks of ston. There were, of course, rooms full of art (more El Greco and DeVasquez). In the private quarters, the King's bed was surprisingly tiny; smaller than a standard double. The most unique room was The Hall of Battles. The Hall is a long hallway with walls depicting the final battle for Granada and the defeat of the French at San Quentin. The paintings were so detailed that I'm sure you could spend days in there picking out all the interesting scenes. In the short time we were there we spotted little anomalies like soldiers breaking rank and a man drinking from a puddle. 

In the library, all the books were turned with the spines pointed inwards and the titles were written on the edge of the pages. The library was designed to be a place ofcontemplation and also contained a variety of scientific devices, including a Catholic-approved model of the universe rotating around the Earth. A sign above the exit of the library warned that anyone caught stealing a book would be excommunicated!

We left El Escorial and walked down to the station, where we tried to catch a train to our next stop, Salamanaca. Unfortunately, it was the first day of Easter vacation in Spain, and all the trains were
full. In the end, we had to take the train back to Madrid, where we booked a hotel at Pension Arcos (a no-reservation accommodation we found in Rick Steve's), and booked the next overnight train to Santiago (this helped compensate for the hotel room we had already paid for in Salamanca).

So, travel tip: If you are going to travel around a local holiday, find out how long and when people get time off for the holiday. We ran into this again during Ramadan in Turkey. 

And the real tip: Be flexible. If you have to miss something in your itinerary because of unexpected events - move on and enjoy the rest of your trip.

New York: December 2010 - Day 4 Details

DUMBO

We took the Subway to the DUMBO neighborhood, which is not related to the elephant, but is Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass. This part of town was very livable, with small shops and grocery stores. It reminded us a lot of Seattle.

We got breakfast at the Yelp recommended DUMBO General Store, a small restaurant that uses organic ingredients grown from either its farm or places nearby. The building seemed to be an old garage and had a very down-to-earth homey feel. The long wooden tables had heavily worn wooden benches, and the chairs were eclectic and all different. Ryan had a breakfast burrito with delicious cheese and Kelly got a breakfast platter with pancakes that were second only to the amazing vanilla-y maple syrup. At FORAGE, a grocery store next door owned by the same man, we tried to buy the syrup. We weren’t sure we had the right one, but it was pure maple syrup, which is never a bad thing.

Brooklyn Bridge

From DUMBO, we were able to gain easy access to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was still early for a Sunday and there  were only a few tourists on the Brooklyn side; however there were also ugly scaffolding. A bike lane runs down along half of the wooden walkway, creating a hazard for unaware tourists (and probably great frustration for the bikers).

We stopped at the first pylon, and snapped a few pictures of the superstructure. It is a beautiful bridge, with cathedral like arches and a spider web of cables. A lot more tourists had stepped onto the Manhattan side; however the views were better too. Getting outside of the city is the only way to appreciate its cityscape and overall size.

At the other end of the bridge we walked down to the Woolworth building, where a sign told us the lobby was closed to visitors. (It would have been so much more satisfying if they had quoted Oh Brother Where Art Thou - “And stay out of the Woolworth!”)  St. Paul’s Chapel was open. This pre-Revolutionary War church was built in 1766 - the oldest church in Manhattan. It was modeled after St. Martin in the Fields in London, only instead of being painted white; it was made up of locally quarried ruddy brown-colored stones. Alexander Hamilton and George Washington once attended this cozy church, the latter's pew is still on display.

More recently, the church played a big role by housing the rescue workers during 9/11. Some make-shift displays showed how the rescue workers slept, and rested between shifts, and examples of the memorials that were spontaneously created. Once again this was a busy church with a mix of locals, sightseers and those visiting Ground Zero.

Chinatown and Little Italy

North of the Brooklyn Bridge was Chinatown. Both of us having traveled to Asia, it was like a little piece of Hong Kong landed in NYC. All the signs were in Chinese, and most of the people were speaking Chinese. We walked through the “Bloody Angle”, the site of gang wars between the Hip Song and the On Leong Tong gang wars in the 1920’s. Now it sat surprisingly empty and quiet. We had lunch at Great NY Noodletown, a busy little place on Bowery St. With the typical picture menus we selected two entries which came out to about about $10 total.

After lunch, we walked up Mulberry Street, through Little Italy. Only a few blocks long with just a few restaurants, it felt dressed up and in-genuine compared to Chinatown. Stray a block left or right and we were back in Chinatown.

Broadway

We got to the box office of the August Wilson Theatre about an hour early to pick up our will-call tickets. We used our time to share a giant white chocolate and marshmallow covered cupcake from Crumbs, and sipped hot drinks.

When the time came, we took our seats which were 9 rows back, front and center. Really, we couldn’t have gotten a better view. Most of the people sitting around us seemed to be Italian. The “Jersey Boys” were all Italian-Americans, and there were many Italian phrases used in the show. The lady behind us quietly completed the phrases under her breath...“anche questo deve passare.”

Jersey Boys is a musical about the formation, rise, and eventual break-up of the 60’s band, The 4 Seasons. The play was broken up into four parts, each associated with a season, and each narrated by a different member of the band (Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi, and Frankie Valli). The singing was fantastic, and Jarred Spector (who played Frankie Valli) had an awesome voice (maybe even better than the real Frankie). The acting was so natural that it didn’t feel like acting at all.

The set was simple, but did everything it needed to do. Three dropdown LCD screens showed Lichtenstein-like illustrations that went along with the story. During a few scenes, the band played on American Bandstand in front of a TV camera, who’s black & white video showed on these screens live during the performance. One memorable scene was when they performed facing away from the audience, simulating a backstage feel. Flash bulbs and lights simulated the distant “audience, while stage-hands worked “back-stage”.

It was technically a musical but not in a traditional way. Instead, the plot was about the music which was already well-loved and woven in seamlessly. Unlike most musicals, it didn’t feel like reality had been put on hold in order to fit a song in. When they performed the songs, they performed to the audience and reacted to our cheering and clapping as if it were a live concert. “Was that like a f-ing time warp or what?” the actor playing Tommy DeVito said after the show.

Dinner in East Village

We had reservations at Euskara, a Basque restaurant in the East Village. It was quite a few blocks away from the subway station, but we still had plenty of fuel from the giant preshow cupcake. The restaurant/bar was cozy and sleepy on a Sunday night. Basque posters hung on the walls and cave paintings reminiscent of Altamira adorning the ceilings. We ordered three tapas…the bread with olive tapenade and tomatoes were the closest thing to San Sebastian that we have tasted so far.

In the end, we were glad we saved the Broadway show until our last night. It was the highlight of the trip. We left New York the next day feeling like we had seen a lot - and excited to return.

New York: December 2010 - Day 3 Details

Saturday
TriBeCa & SoHo

We started the day in TriBeCa on Canal Street. The tourist groups had arrived and it was impossible to get around them. This touristy part of Canal Street is overcrowded with immigrants selling cheap wares. Just like the cliche, a man with a long trench coat offered me some Rolex watches.

We turned up Broadway and headed toward SoHo. Most of the trendy little boutique shops had been pushed out by chain stores. One expensive shop called Allsaints (which has now made it to Seattle), had row upon rows of black antique  Singer sewing machines. Other bits of antique or (psuedo-antique?) machinery was used for shelving and display. Instead of store catalogs, they had iPads sprinkled throughout the store.

Ryan bought a raccoon hat at Urban Outfitters to keep his head warm, and we visited a cool store called SuperDry, which I guess is a UK brand that features fake Japanese typography (however at $42 a t-shirt, it was a little out of  my price range. This year, we found the same shirts in Turkey for about $12).

The cast-iron architecture in Soho is beautiful, however nothing was more striking than the Little Singer Building. It had frilly Parisian-inspired cast-iron balconies with red accents.

NoHo and Greenwich Village

We stepped out of the cold into Dean and Deluca to get some warm drinks before continuing on through NoHo to Greenwich Village. Because I love When Harry Met Sally, we had to go to Washington Square Park with its imposing white marble arch that is featured in the movie. Inside the arch was a yet-to-be-decorated Christmas tree. The fountain was dry so some street performers were turning it into a makeshift amphitheater by hauling a piano. A concerned artist making designs with colored sand watched nervously from across the other side of the fountain. We peeked at the bookstore from When Harry Met Sally, and headed toward the East Village.

Back on Broadway stepped into the WIRED magazine shop. It was full of the latest gadgets, from fancy refrigerators to 3D HDTV. All the gadgets were real and available on the market, not conceptual. Refrigerators held free drinks and everything was mean to be played with.

In the back corner, there were some art displays, which included a giant electronically actuated “piano” that some 15 year-old put together in his parent’s garage in 3 days, and a post card maker and music video maker from the band “Arcade Fire”. Another displays consisted of a flock of electronic birds that would fly down towards your shadow if you moved. Downstairs there was a “Geek Dad” event, where fathers and their kids were making digital comic strips from Lego action figures, playing foosball and ping pong, and generally having a good time.

East Village

We walked along Houston and passed the graffiti wall, which is painted by celebrity graffiti artists. The current image, brightly spray-painted globs of crazy faces all mashed together, had just been finished the previous week by Kenny Scharf.

A few blocks farther was Katz’s Delicatessen, another famous location from the movie “When Harry Met Sally”. Unfortunately, we were starving and the line was around the block. Instead, we opted for a quirky Turkish place next door. Evidently it’s a favorite hangout for cops, as there was a traffic police officer there, and the counter was covered with police and detective business cards. The food was delicious, even if the presentation didn’t exactly match the pictures shown on the menu.

Top of the Rock

We took the subway directly to Rockefeller center, and surfaced inside 30 Rock. The line seemed long, but it didn’t take long to tickets. The tickets had a time stamped on them for 30 minutes later…evidently they want you to spend some time in the gift shop first. Instead we went to Anthropology, and looked around. One poor husband sat on the steps outside the store, staring unresponsively under a Christmas display with strands of paper icicles lying on his mostly bald head.

Back in line at Top-of-the-Rock, we took the elevator up 1 floor before being shuttled to an escalator that led to another room with some historical displays. After that, we were forced to watch two 4min. movies about Rockefeller Center and Swarovski crystals before being allowed to go in the elevators to the observation deck. The elevator had a transparent ceiling with lights that lit up the passageway as we zoomed up 60-some stories to the 70th floor.

The Top-of-the-Rock arguably has better views of the city than the Empire State Building because the Rockefeller building lets you actually look at the iconic Empire State Building. The three viewing levels had no protective iron bars to block the view and allowed people to spread out more.

We arrived right around twilight. The temperature had dropped with the sun and it was very windy, but the views were fantastic. The first and second levels had protective glass, which although good for blocking the wind, were bad for taking pictures. Fortunately there were gaps between the panes of glass just wide enough to fit a DSLR camera lens. The third level was set back, and did not have anything blocking the view (or wind) at all.

Menorah Lighting and Chanukah Mitzvah Parade

It was still early (6pm) so we decided to walk around 5th Ave again. We went back to the Anthropology store and bought a few things from the sale section (the sale section itself was almost as big as some of the Anthro stores in the Seattle area).The poor, bald husband was still there under the paper icicles, despondent. We passed Cartier, with its building wrapped in a giant red Christmas bow to Grand Army Plaza.

A small crowd had gathered here, most of them dressed in black. A huge menorah (the largest permitted by the Torah…according to the presiding Rabbi) was being lit. A cherry picker lifted the Rabbi to the top of the menorah, where he gave a small speech (the most memorable line being, “We will not negotiate with terrorists”) and lit the menorah.

A steady stream of vehicles streamed passed the menorah, and then turned down 5th Avenue. Small RVs cruised with open doors handing out donuts. People blared music from their stock speakers and danced in the street. They all had homemade light-up menorahs - PVC pipe and 1x4s held bulbs tied to the top of minivans and passenger cars. Many of them had their window rolled-down…asking “Are you Jewish?” to everyone. We were asked, said “no” and were told, “Oh well. Happy Hanukkah, anyway!”

New York: December 2010 - Day 2 Details

Central Park

We started early, and arrived at the 86th St station near the famous Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum before heading into Central Park. The paths contained only  joggers and dog walkers straining to control half a dozen mismatched dogs.

 
We walked south through the quiet park to Belvedere Castle. This weather observatory was constructed around the turn of the century and still functions as a meteorological station. From several stories up, we were able to take in some of the best free views in NYC. Ducks paddled the turtle pond in front of the great lawn. A wooded area juxtaposed trees against the tall skyscrapers. In The Rambles, a forest with small streams running through it,  a small “Christmas” tree was decorated with personal pictures and holiday ornaments of pets.

 
We continued on to the Ice Rink, which was full of children skating. A group of girls were crashing and falling into a huge heap on the ice. Their laughter carried loudly through the cool crisp air until it hit the massive apartment buildings rising dramatically behind the rink. As we approached The Mall, the winter activity was picked up by the resident squirrels. Some were digging for lost nuts, others gathered leaves for a nest, but all were fluffy and fat. There were even some black squirrels running about, remnants of a time when the forests were denser and darker.

The Mall was a wide walkway leading away from Bethesda Terrace, surrounded on both sides by grand rows of American Elm. The fountain was dry for the winter. In front of it, a man with a saxophone played Christmas songs.

Zabar’s

We walked to the Upper West side to Zabar’s, a grocery store that is supposed to be a foodie’s paradise. On the way we passed a Christmas tree lot on the sidewalk (just like the one in When Harry Met Sally!) and beautiful apartment buildings.

Zabar’s is a modest 2-story brick building. “Foodie’s paradise” conjured an image of something upscale, fancy and expensive. However,  Zabar’s was small, fair-priced, and personable. And crowded. A loudspeaker continuously announced the current specials. Between each special was the announcement, “Nothing says New York like a Zabar’s gift basket! Send one to...”

After a quick lunch at Zabar’s café on the corner we went into the store. The already narrow aisles were filled with shoppers, making it difficult to move around. There was fresh meat, a wall of cheese, and many other specialty items. There were easily 40 kinds of olive oil. The store clerks had definite opinions on what oil we needed. We left with a practical grapeseed oil and a fancy olive oil for salad dressings. We decided that, for us, nothing says New York like a sturdy Zabar’s shopping bag - which was much more practical and easy to haul than a gift basket.

 
Macy’s

We hopped the Subway to Macy’s flagship store in Chelsea. Everything in the store felt like it was done on a grand scale. We eventually made our way to the visitor’s center where they gave us a coupon for 25% off of anything. Ryan even helped me dig through the bins of sale tights to find several pairs for really cheap. The most interesting part of Macy’s was the wooden escalators, which turned out to be much faster than taking the elevator. We took the overcrowded elevator from the top floor to the main floor and it stopped on every floor. Everyone let out a big sigh when we stopped at floor 1 ½…

The real attraction of Macy’s and the surrounding stores were the Christmas displays. Each display told part of a story, with pop-up book like animations. Macy’s story was “Yes Virginia,” a book based on a true story about a little girl who believed in Santa Claus. She wrote to the Sun to ask about him, because her father said, “If you see it in The Sun, it is so”.

5th Avenue

After Macy’s, we walked back to 5th Avenue, and saw the lion statues in front of the New York Public Library, the art deco lobbies of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building and the hood-ornament-inspired gargoyles that appear in so many movies. Anthropology, Lord & Taylor, Saks, and Bergdorf Taylor all had colorful holiday displays. St Patrick’s Cathedral was open, so we went inside. Used to the empty cathedrals of Europe, we were surprised to see a lot of people here, lighting candles and crossing themselves in prayer. A well-worn life-size nativity scene with a goofy camel reminded everyone that Christmas was near.

MOMA

It was a Target-sponsored free museum night at MOMA, so there was a long line to check bags. Interestingly enough, we could not check our cameras, we had to take them with us and we were encouraged to take pictures. The building was big enough that the crowds were spread out, not clustered around special paintings or gathered in tourist groups.

We started with the top floor and worked our way down. The most famous painting was Van Gogh’s Starry night, but we had already seen this one in Amsterdam. There were also works by Serrat, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollok, Mondrian, Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin, and Henri Rousseau. Ryan’s favorite paintings were the comic-book like works by Roy Lichtenstein and a painting by Andrew Wyeth called “Christina’s World”.

The third floor contained mostly modern design. We recognized the pieces designed by Gaudi and found a collection of mid-century modern chairs (including an original Eames rocker, of which we have a copy). Ryan was excited by the Tenori-on, a musical device like the one Little Boots plays.

FAO Schwarz

Hungry after all the walking, we got heaping cartons of take-out Cuban food (we arrived just before closing) and had our dinner on the steps near Grand Army Plaza. Across the street was FAO Schwarz, the world-famous toy store. A friendly doorman dressed like a toy soldier “guarded” the entrance and greeted every patron as they came in.

The escalator was flanked by huge stuffed animals by Steiff. Realistic polar bears, wolves and elephants begged affluent parents to open their wallets. Glittering snowflakes were suspended over rows and rows of toys. We avoided the baby doll nursery and found our way instead to the Playmobile section and the book corner. The first floor had a build-your-own Muppet shop which, at $99, would be an expensive toy. (But still far cheaper and more practical than the four-foot tall Steiff giraffe).

 
We opted, instead, for the large selection of Folkmanis puppets where we found - Pack Rat. Pack Rat toured the store on my hand, even while dancing on the giant piano (seen in the movie BIG) until Ryan finally said, “I have a feeling he is coming home with us.” The store clerk didn’t even bat an eyelash when I had Ryan hand her the only other Pack Rat in the store and said, “That one is just to ring up. I want the one without the tag. He's cuter. ”

New York: December 2010 - Day 1 Details

Arrival

We touched-down at New York’s La Gaurdia airport at around 5:30pm Eastern Time. It was cold.
The shuttle soon arrived and took us to the  Fairview Inn, in Astoria (the room was free because of our promotional points).  On the ride, we strained the seatbelts, almost  airborne several times thanks to the stiff suspension and rough road. The driver was friendly and played Christmas tunes, getting us in the holiday spirit.

After checking in, the hotel shuttle dropped us off near a Greek restaurant called Neptune Diner (Astoria has the largest Greek population outside of Greece). This was right next to the Astoria station on the N, Q, and R subway line. We were a little confused about the subway passes, and the girl in front of us let us go first when she saw that we were tourists (so much for “rude” New Yorkers). It only took about 15min on the Q train to get to Times Square.

Times Square

We emerged from the dark spaces of the New York underground, into the bright-as-day Times Square. The huge LCD signboards illuminated the night, so much so, that we could take photographs without using a flash. A Ferris wheel rotated inside the Toys R Us. The Walgreens at  One Times Square pays a lease, I’m sure, but it makes more money now as a sign holder than it ever did from tenants.

Up the TKTS steps we took in the elevated view, including billboards announcing the current  Broadway plays: Jersey Boys (which we had tickets to), Chicago, Wicked, and The Phantom of the Opera. We checked out the walls of colorful candy at the M&M store and the rather boring Hershey’s store. Outside the mounted police didn’t seem to mind us petting their horses’ noses.

Grand Central Terminal

On the way to Grand Central, we passed Bryant Park, which had spotlights and holiday booths setup around a large, crowded ice rink. One memorable ice skater wore mostly white with white sunglasses and multicolored skates covered in with LEDs and reflectors.

We entered Grand Central  through a side door, and came up through the basement floors. Here we passed the actual train and subway tracks leading to destinations away from NYC. Upstairs, the terminal was a huge empty space framed by multi-story arched cathedral-like windows and a beautiful robin’s-egg blue ceiling decorated with golden constellations. Near the Oyster Bar, we found the whispering gallery. We  stood in opposite corners while I stood in the other and could hear each other clearly, despite the echoing hubbub from the crowd.

Rockefeller Center

We walked up 5th Ave until we reached Rockefeller Center and the Sunken Gardens. Just as we got there, a light display began on the building opposite of Rockefeller Center. Bubbles and snowflakes danced and collided with each other against the wall of windows. In the end, one lone snowflake and one bubble floated off, Romeo and Juliet.

The sunken gardens were surprisingly crowded for the late hour on a weekday. Lighted angels and stars lined the fountains and flower beds, which led to the Prometheus statue overlooking the tiny skate rink. The UN flags of summer had been replaced with gold and silver banners which sparkled under the spotlight. In the center of all this was the Rockefeller Christmas tree, which although huge, felt lonely and lost beneath the towering concrete canyons of the surrounding buildings.

Dinner was at a Japanese place called Katsu-hama, found on Yelp. The food was good and the wine was cheap.

2012: One Little Word

Happy New Year!

If you're looking for an alternative to resolutions this year, I suggest you check out the idea of One Little Word. I've been doing this for the last few years and I find it is much more impactful than a to-do list for the new year. Instead of focusing on what to do, it focuses on how I want to be in the world as I meet whatever the new year brings. For more information and background check out Ali Edward's blog. 

My word for this year has been sneaking up on me over the last couple months. This morning I woke up knowing my word for 2012 is generous. I want to be generous with love, with gratitude, with listening, with art, with stories, with my family and with myself as I start a new chapter of life - motherhood. Last year my word was discover and I am still holding that word as I anticipate the arrival of our first child and everything my husband and I will discover together as we learn to be parents. 

2011: Christmas Letter

This year has been filled with celebrations, traveling & happiness.  As we look back on everything that has happened it feels like two years. You can click on any of the pictures in this letter to see them larger or to see more from that event. 

Celebrations:

Grammy Dorothy turned 90 this year and had a big bash to celebrate. I crashed the party as a surprise. 

Grammy Jean turned 80 in the spring and we had a surprise party for her in Missouri that somehow managed to stay a surprise. 

On June 1st I did a solo performance as part of my Master's thesis project. I took a class to help me learn to develop and present it. Everyone in the class developed a piece and we did them as a showcase for a live audience. It was a thrilling experience during which I learned a lot. 

On June 12th I graduated with my Master's degree in Organization Systems Renewal with a focus on Developing Intercultural Competence Through Storytelling. It was a bittersweet weekend, celebrating two years of hard work and moving away from seeing my classmates every month - they have become a very important community for me. Two of my cousins graduated the same day - one from high school and one from college. 

The biggest thing we are celebrating we found out about shortly after graduation. On June 22nd we learned that I was pregnant! I said I wanted to try for after graduation but I had no idea we'd get that close. In October we found out that we will be having a girl. She is due March 1st and it has been a very comfortable pregnancy so far. At 3 months pregnant I was able to travel to Turkey and at 6 months I still have the energy to teach a Dale Carnegie class and take an improv class. 

 

Traveling:

Part of the reason 2011 felt like two years is that we took two amazing big vacations this year. In March we hit the #1 place on my list - the Galapagos Islands. We went on a smaller boat, the Samba, with only 12 other tourists. The boat, the group, the crew and the guide all contributed to one of the best trips of my life. The Islands, of course, helped, too. I am still trying to develop the words to express the experience, so hopefully I will get them up on this blog sometime soon, when I do. Ryan's favorite part of the trip was swimming with the sea lions. My favorite was watching and listening to the complex relationships between the birds on Genovese island. 

Our next big vacation was in August when we spent two weeks in Turkey, along the southern coast. It was Ryan's 3rd visit to Turkey and my 2nd. We enjoy the atmosphere and the people, who are very friendly. We made several friends on the trip and also met up with a couple of our Seattle friends, Sarah & Jon, half-way through the trip. Ryan's favorite part of this trip was taking a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia. That was a highlight for me, as well, and I also enjoyed hiking from Kayakoy to the blue lagoon and swimming for hours once we got there. The details of that trip will also make it on to the blog soon. 

Ryan visited China, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hawaii and Australia for work. 

Within the U.S. we made the annual visit to Missouri for 4th of July. I took a trip back to San Luis Obispo, where we went to school, to visit our friends and their super cute baby boy. We also housesat for a friend on Camano Island, in northern Washington. We used the opportunity to cross the border and spend a day in Vancouver, Canada where we rode bikes around the park, went to the aquarium and saw an improv show. 

 

We didn't climb as much this year but we did get some shorter climbs and snowshoeing in. 

 

We wish you all a very happy holiday season and a joyous year in 2012!

New York: Where We Ate

Katsu-hama - Found on Yelp - Food was good, I'm just not a big fan of Katsu. 

Zabar's - Not expensive and yummy, home-cooked food. I got the corn chowder which was excellent. 

Cuban takeout near FAO Schwarz - barely made it in before closing. Lots of really tasty food for cheap. Pretty sure it was Tina's. 

Dean & Deluca - Tea & muffin for a snack. I love the availability of whole leaf tea in New York!

Kebab restaurant just down the street from Katz's deli. Cheap but good food at a kind of divey place. But we didn't have to wait in a line that went around the block. 

Tri-tip place in Rockefeller Center. It was convenient. 

DUMBO General Store - Delicious breakfast with super-yummy syrup on my pancakes. 

Great NY Noodletown - Chinatown - so cheap and very yummy. Had duck lo mien and wonton soup for about $10. Bought a cup of tea and some loose tea at Kamwo - very cheap! 

Crumbs - cupcakes in the Theater District. Big enough to share, but you probably won't want to. 

Euzkadi - Basque tapas. We split pronto de burgos, churrisoto and calamari for dinner. I had a glass of txakoli. And we finished with bread pudding and almond cake. All very good - but not as good as Spain.