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hannahindie · 7 years ago

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Breathe - Part 4

Pairing: Dean x Reader Series Warnings: Fatal illness, character death, blood, canon violence, language, eventual smut, kidnapping. Word Count: 3,200 Square Filled: Fatal Illness Summary: Six months ago, Y/N runs into someone unexpected at the local bar while researching a case. For one night, she decides to forget and just try to be normal. Present day, Dean wants answers and Y/N isn’t sure how to explain herself. A/N: This is the fourth part of my SPN Angst Bingo Card series, hosted by @spnangstbingo. It will be seven parts, and the schedule has already been posted. It will post twice a week (Monday and Friday) until it wraps up.

It was beta’d by the ever fantastic and my writing soulmate @trexrambling: “ Don't we all. -happy sigh-”

My beautiful twinny, @pinknerdpanda: “oof...this would give me feelings to hear from the lips of Dean Winchester”

And my dear, sweet angel baby @masksandtruths: “Ughhhh. Yep I want to go cry in a corner now.”

Thanks to all three for helping a girl out so that her words make sense. I owe a lot to all of you.

As always, tags are at the bottom. If you’d like to be added, please let me know.

6 months earlier…

This bar is perfect. It's in the middle of nowhere, it's cheap, and so far not one person has tried to get my number or buy me a drink.

“Hey, sweetheart, can I buy you a drink?”

Never mind.

I take a deep breath then spin around to face the jackass that's ruining my perfect bar experience, “What makes you think-”

“Y/N?”

I should have recognized his voice, but I definitely recognize the green eyes sparkling in the dim light, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he realizes who he just tried to hit on.

“Dean?”

“Holy shit, what are you doing here?” He looks like he’s trying to decide if he should do something, like give me a hug or a hearty pat on the arm, but ends up just jamming his hands into his pockets. I give him an awkward smile.

“Working a case, what about you?” I turn back to the bar and he slides onto the stool next to me.

“We just finished one, heard there might be something over this way so we figured we'd check it out before we went home.” He waves down the bartender and orders two more beers.

“I'm not even sure it is a case. Haven't been able to find much, I'm starting to think it's a thing for the locals to handle. I figure I'll do some more research in the morning, head out of it’s nothing.” I take a swig from my beer as he waves the bartender down. “We? Sam is here too?”

“Yea, he said he wanted to research and the bar would be too loud. The campus library is open late, so he's camping out there for the night.”

We fall silent, and I wish it didn't feel so awkward. There didn't used to be this...space. Now it feels like we are on two totally different tracks, speeding along next to each other but never actually crossing paths. Not even when we are sitting mere inches apart. I won't lie; the feeling sucks.

“It's been awhile. Why haven't you called?” I look over and he's fiddling with the label on his beer, pulling it off the bottle in tiny pieces like he's always done when he's nervous.

I shrug, “It’s been busy. Phones work two ways, you know.” I’ll just leave out the whole ‘cancer takes a lot of out of you’ part, and the bit where I shouldn’t be mixing alcohol with my pain medicine.

“Fair enough.” He clears his throat, “Listen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything...about Bobby, about what...what I said.” His voice is quiet, but the apology packs a punch. Dean isn’t usually one to apologize, at least not easily.

“You weren’t the only one that said shitty things, Dean. It’s not like I offered you a fresh glass of sweet tea and invited you to sit on the porch with me so we could talk about our feelings.”

He chuckles and I finish my beer, sliding it down the bar as I grab the one Dean just bought for me. “I guess that’s true.” He sighs, “What happened to us? We were...we were good, weren’t we? You, me, and Sammy...we were the best.”

I glance over and really look at him for the first time since he’s sat down. He looks tired, his face more haunted than it was the last time I saw him. He looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and, considering he’s a Winchester, that’s probably not too far from the truth. He’s still handsome though; age has been kind to him. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes are more pronounced, and he looks like he hasn’t shaved in a few days. I like it, other than it hides how strong his jawline is.

“You still are.”

He smiles sadly and shakes his head, “If you knew...I’m not the best, not anymore.”

Without thinking, I put my hand on his arm and he looks up at me, “Life happened to us, Dean. And it’s not like one of the monsters that we can hunt down and destroy. Life sneaks up and picks and pulls you apart, and every once in awhile it gives you a little glimmer of hope, of what could be. If you’re lucky, the glimmer turns into something more, but for people like us...that’s all it is. A hope of what could be, not what’s going to happen. We save people, but we don’t save ourselves.”

I stare at my hand on his arm and remember what we used to be like; best friends, inseparable as soon as John put me in the backseat of the Impala. It wasn’t fair of me to blame him for Bobby’s death, but I had been angry and hurt. It never occurred to me that I wasn’t the only one that lost their father that day, not until it was too late, anyway. “You are a good man who has given up everything so that others don’t have to. I’m sorry I didn’t take the time to understand that before.”

Dean softly places his hand on top of mine and squeezes, “You’ve given up a lot, too.” He clears his throat and straightens up on the barstool, his hand moving from mine to his beer. “I think we need something a little stronger than beer. Still a whiskey girl?”

“You bet your sweet ass I am,” I respond with a smile, grateful that the familiar comfort I used to feel with Dean seems to have returned.

“D-do you remember that time we stole Bobby’s truck and went into town, I don’t even remember what we were lookin’ for, but we left and didn’t tell him?” I stumble slightly, and Dean catches my arm.

“How can you not remember what we were lookin’ for? You decided you wanted to go see Titanic, and you talked my stupid ass into it!”

I snort, “Pshtttt, you know you wanted to see some Kate Winslet boobies, don’t even pretend.”

“I had to pretend to be your brother so you could get in! Lemme just add that as much as I may have wanted to see Kate Winslet boobs, I by no means wanted to see them with you sitting next to me.”

“Listen, you loved that movie. I saw you cry.”

“Tha’s...tha’s bullshit. I don’t cry over chick flicks, ‘specially not when I’m with someone else in a public theater.” He gives his head an emphatic shake, as if that’s going to drive his point home.

“HA!” I stop and poke him in the chest, “You said ‘especially’, which means you’re not above doin’ it alone. Dean Winchester has feelings.”

“Oh, I had feelings, just wasn’t ‘bout the movie.”

“See! You have feelings, you just ad..mitt….wait, what?” My finger is still on his chest, and he smirks down at me.

“Y’heard me.” His eyes are sparkling, and the mischievous look he used to have when we were young is back. It makes him look like a kid again, and it’s enough to make me ignore how badly this could end. I forget that my decision has made this an impossibility, and I shift my hand so that it lays flat against his chest. He’s warm, God, he’s so warm and I can feel his heart beating against my palm.

“You had feelings?”

His hands land on my waist and he pulls me flush against him. I can’t tell if it’s the alcohol or his proximity, but my face feels hot as I stare up at him. “I never said they stopped.”

“Oh,” I breathe out, his words fuzzy and sharp at the same time. “I...d’ya want...I mean, my hotel room is jus’-” I don’t get a chance to finish my question because his lips are on mine and it’s like my entire brain short circuits. I would be lying if I said I never wanted to find out what this felt like. I assume any woman that looks at Dean wonders what it would be like.

I can promise you, there are no words to describe how it feels.

I can try. I can tell you that his lips are soft, softer than I could have ever imagined. He smells like gun oil and leather, with a hint of whiskey from our time at the bar. It reminds me of home, of riding in the backs of cars and learning how to fight, and how to care for people. He’s warm, even through all his layers it's radiating from him like a heater, and I can’t help but let my hands roam across his chest and down to the small of his back.

He pulls back and laughs softly and I take a moment to catch my breath. “What’s so funny?”

“I don’t think this can continue in public.” He shifts, and I am made aware as to why we should probably vacate the busy sidewalk.

“Come on, I think I can remedy that.” I grab his hand and start walking down the street again.

“Where are we going?”

“My hotel room, duh.” He laughs, and it’s like music to my ears. For the first time in a long time, everything feels...normal.

I’m not dying. We aren’t fighting monsters and evil, and we aren’t saving the world. We’re drunk, and we’re letting ourselves feel what normal people get to feel. It might just be a beautiful lie that we’re telling ourselves for this one night, but I don’t care. Because for once...for once it can just be us, and I don’t have to remember that it’s going to be short lived.

We stop in front of my motel room and I drunkenly dig through my pocket, but it’s made difficult by Dean grabbing me by the waist and pressing me against the wall next to the door.

“Dean, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I can’t…mmmm...I can’t get to my key.” His teeth graze my throat, right at my pulse, and I nearly melt. I can feel him smiling against me and I smack his arm. “You’re a little shit, you know that?”

“Oh, I know.” He pulls back and lets me finally pull the key free, watching in amusement as I fumble it into the lock. “Know what else I know?”

I look back at him as the door swings open, “What?”

“I’m damn lucky we decided to stop in Omaha.” He picks me up and carries me into the room, slamming the door shut behind us with his foot.

He isn't the only lucky one.

Now…

It's the beeping that gets me, the incessant dinging of machines, whirring sounds and footsteps, and the never ending barrage of announcements over the intercom system that finally pulls me out of what feels like a coma. Then the smell takes over; a suffocating cloud of cleaners and sanitizers that I only ever encounter in hospitals.

My eyes slowly open to see a blurry form sitting in the chair next to me, chin against his chest as he breathes slowly in and out, the cadence making it obvious he's asleep. Sunlight is creeping through the long, vertical blinds, and the television is turned to some daytime talk show rerun.

“Oh, you're awake!” I roll my head towards the door and see a smiling nurse walk through it and watch as she checks whatever machines I'm hooked to. “You gave us all quite the scare.”

“Sorry…” I don't know what else to say.

“Aww, honey, you don't need to be sorry. I'm just glad to see you're awake. I think he will be, too. He's refused to leave this entire time. Not even the threat of a security escort seemed to phase him.”

I look back over at Dean, who's shifted enough so that his head is tilted against the back of the chair, his mouth hanging open. “That sounds about right.” I struggle to sit up more, and she hurries over.

“Here, let me give you a hand. I'm going to call your doctor, she said she needs to have a little chat with you.” Her face falls slightly as she smooths out the blanket, then she clears her throat and suddenly the smile is back, “I'll be right back.”

“Wait…”

She turns to look at me, “Yes?”

“How long have I been out?”

Her smile disappears again and a crease appears between her brows, “Four days.” She disappears around the corner quickly as if she wants to avoid any other questions and I sigh. Four days.

I grab for the remote, but for a second it's like my hands forget how to do their job, like my brain isn't connected to them, so I juggle it for a second before it slips out of my hand and hits the floor with a crash. Dean jerks upright in his chair.

“What?! What the hell?” It takes a minute for his brain to register where he is and what made the noise, and I watch his eyes come into focus as he stares at me. “You're awake.”

“Yea…” I can feel tubing pressing against my nose and I reach up to pull it off. Dean leans over and puts his hand over mine, gently pushing my hand down to the bed.

“Leave it, they just got you stable enough to use that instead of a mask.” He leans back and watches me, but stays quiet. He looks like he’s thinking about what to say; I know he has a lot of questions, and I’m afraid of what he’ll ask first. I also wonder what he already knows, and how he’s managed to get in here and stay for such an extended amount of time.

“How’d you manage to not get kicked out?”

“Told ‘em we were married, that we were on our honeymoon.”

I would laugh, but I know it’s going to hurt. Judging by the look on his face, it probably isn’t wise anyway. “What about Sam?”

“Told ‘em he lives nearby and that we were visiting him. He’s getting coffee right now.” He crosses his arms, “It was a little harder to explain all the bruises, and why you were pumped full of painkillers before you got here. And the massive amount of blood you were coughing up, see that was the hardest one, because they just assume a husband would know his wife’s medical history.”

“Well, we aren’t actually married-”

“Nope, I’m gonna stop you right there.” He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, and the look of betrayal on his face makes it incredibly hard to look him in the eye. “We are family, Y/N. I get that maybe I want more than that, and that you aren't ready for it. That's fine, but you are still my family. We are supposed to take care of each other. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs, and you lying about this...it could have gotten any of us killed. You realize this, right? I should have realized at the hotel something was wrong...I should know the difference between lipstick and blood.”

“Dean…”

“Listen, I’m not...I’m not angry. I feel like I should be, but I’m not. I just want to understand why you didn’t think you could trust me with this. Why did you not let us help you?”

“It’s difficult to explain-”

“Hello, Y/N.” I recognize the voice before I even turn to face whoever interrupted me.

“Hey, doc.”

She walks around to the end of the bed, clipboard in hand, and glances over at Dean, “This is your husband?” I swallow nervously; she knows I’m not married. It’s not been that long since I’ve seen her. The look in her eyes is a soft accusation, but when I nod in confirmation, she gives him a gentle smile. “Nice to meet you.” She looks down at the chart and when she looks back up, I can see it on her face. “I think you probably know what I’m going to tell you, but I’m guessing he’d like to know what’s going on, and I think you need to know exactly how bad this is.”

That’s the one thing about her that I like; she’s straightforward, no bullshit. She somehow knows that Dean has no idea what’s going on, and I’m simultaneously impressed and terrified. He was never supposed to know about this. I was going to go out hunter style, a blaze of bloody glory. I was alone. Why didn’t I just stay alone?

“Your cancer has spread. It’s no longer just in one lung and the lymph nodes on that side, it’s in both, which is why you began to cough up so much blood. Honestly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. Your body is exhausted, and it’s starting to give up. Without treatment…” she trails off and looks at Dean, who looks like he’s about to be sick. “Even with treatment, it will simply be done to keep you comfortable, though it may prolong your life slightly. Without treatment, your time is very limited. I’m...I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“It’s okay. Well, it’s not okay, but...I chose this. I knew what was going to happen.”

She nods, then gently pats my blanketed leg, “I’m going to go, give you some time to decide.” She looks at Dean one last time, then walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her. I drop my head back against the pillows and close my eyes. Shit.

“Cancer?” His voice is quiet, but rough with held back tears. I squeeze my eyes shut tighter; I can’t look at him.

“Dean, I’m sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Omaha...I didn’t…”

“What are you going to do?” I look at him sharply, but he’s looking down at his hands instead of me.

“What do you mean?”

He looks up, and his eyes are even brighter from the tears he’s fighting against. It hurts more than anything else he could even say. “Are you going to do treatment, or no?”

I swallow thickly, knowing he’s not going to like the answer. I don’t like the answer, but it’s for the best. “I’m tired, Dean. I’m tired and broken, and I can’t drag this out longer. I just can’t. I don’t want to waste away in some bed somewhere, knowing that I’m just putting off the inevitable. I want to go home...I want to spend time with you and Sam, I want to save as many people as I can before it’s over. I just...I wanna go home.”

He blinks, then rubs a palm roughly against his eyes as he stands up, “Okay, well, let’s bust you out of here then. I’m gonna go talk to the nurse. I’ll...I’ll be back to get you. If Sammy comes back while I’m gone, let him know where I went.” He walks out of the room without another word.

I lay back and close my eyes, and I feel a tear roll down my cheek.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

Read Part 5 HERE.

Like what you see? Would you like to see more? My Masterlist is here!

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Dean Only: @akshi8278 @valkyrieslament @lavieenlex @highonpastries @wholelottajackles

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SPN Angst Bingo: @thekarliwinchester @emptywithout @winchesterxtwo @aubreystilinksi @castianityislife02

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oxmarble28-blog · 5 years ago

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A long weekend in New Haven: where to eat, what to do, and where to stay

New Haven is Connecticut’s second-largest city, and to most it’s synonymous with two things: Yale University and pizza. Yale plays a large role in the city’s culture and the pizza is indeed up there with the best in America, but a recent visit at the invitation of Market New Haven revealed that New Haven is multi-layered and multi-faceted, a great walking town with a fascinating history, with an abundance of fun things to do and sights to see, making it a fabulous destination for a weekend jaunt.

New Haven was actually the very first planned city in America, laid out in 1638 by English Puritans according to a grid that today comprises the heart of downtown and is centered around New Haven Green, which is still the city’s town square. Like any American city that’s been around for so long, it played a role in the American Revolution (and, as it survived the Revolution relatively unscathed, many colonial features were saved), but its historical claims to fame go far beyond that: It’s where Eli Whitney developed the cotton gin and where Samuel Colt invented the revolver, it’s where the famous Amistad slave trial was held, and it’s the city that gave birth to the steamboat, the submarine, the corkscrew, the telephone directory and public phone, the lollipop, the Frisbee, the hamburger (more on that later), and the Erector Set. From the 1950s to the 1990s the city saw a period of decline (which necessitated — and was exacerbated by — an “urban renewal” project that saw parts of Downtown demolished), but within the past 20 years the city has bounced back with a vengeance, and it’s become a cultural destination for restaurants, bars, retail, and nightlife, with an influx of high-end housing developments and multi-use conversions of historic buildings making it a fantastic place to live and visit.

After a quick train ride from New York City (about an hour and 40 minutes) and a brief cab ride, we checked into our hotel, The Study at Yale, which we’d strongly recommend. It’s a short walk from the New Haven Green and is located right in the heart of Yale’s campus, so not only are you just a short jaunt from all of Yale’s theaters and museums (including its legendary Yale University Art Gallery), your hotel room might also provide a spectacular view of the campus and its Federal-style architecture. The hotel is sleek and modern, our room was bright and cozy, and the hotel’s restaurant, Heirloom, is a favorite among locals and visitors alike (more on that later).

If you have a free afternoon, just walking around Yale University’s campus and New Haven Green provides ample opportunity for distraction, but there are a few things you shouldn’t miss: the Art Gallery (which is home to more than 200,000 objects d’art), the Louis Khan-designed Yale Center for British Art, which is home to the largest collection of British art outside the U.K., and the famed Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, which is home to an astonishing array of old books (including the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, which has never been deciphered).

After all that walking around, you’re going to get hungry, and if you’re in the mood for pizza, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re not familiar with New Haven-style pizza, it’s absolutely worth discovering if you consider yourself a pizza lover. And New Haven, with its large Italian population, is home to some of the country’s most legendary pizzerias, many of which date back to the 1920s and ‘30s. New Haven-style pizza is fired in a coal oven, and it typically has a thin, crisp, and chewy crust, a slightly oblong shape, and some amount of charring along the outside. It’s also unique in that a “plain” pie is only topped with tomato sauce, oregano, and a little pecorino romano — mozzarella cheese is considered a topping, and it needs to be requested.

The highlight of our visit was the opportunity to visit four legendary pizzerias — Frank Pepe, Sally’s Apizza, Modern Apizza, and the newer BAR — all in one afternoon, with Taste of New Haven’s Colin M. Caplan as our guide. Caplan is perhaps the country’s foremost authority on all things New Haven pizza (known around these parts as “apizza,” pronounced “ah-BEETZ”), as he’s literally written the book on New Haven Pizza and its storied history (you can buy a copy here).

We started at Frank Pepe, which opened here in 1925 and is widely credited with inventing New Haven-style pizza as we know it. (Not entirely coincidentally, it’s home to The Daily Meal’s pick for the best pizza in America, its signature white clam pie.) There are today 10 locations, but it all started right here, and many foodies consider a visit to Pepe’s a required culinary pilgrimage. If the concept of a mozzarella-free pie sounds weird to you, order the “plain” pie here, and the combination of the crisp, chewy crust, the slight char, the high-quality sauce (made with tomatoes delivered in Pepe-branded cans) and a sprinkle of pecorino will be a total paradigm-changer for you. You also owe it to yourself to order the famous white clam pie, which is topped simply with garlic, oregano, olive oil, grated pecorino, and freshly-shucked clams (and bacon if you’re feeling extra). It’s a masterpiece.

Up next, we visited BAR, which also happens to be one of the best bars in New Haven, serving a great assortment of beers (brewed in-house) in a fun and lively space. BAR’s pizzas are cooked in a brick oven, slightly less oblong than the competition, slightly less charred, and available with a wide array of toppings including oven-roasted hot peppers, roast chicken, shrimp and eggs. The mozzarella pie was fantastic, and the pepperoni was solid, but there’s one pizza that put this place on the map, and it’s a must-order: mashed potato and bacon. The crust gets a thin layer of creamy, garlicky mashed potatoes and a topping of crumbled bacon and fresh herbs; there’s nothing else quite like it, and it pairs perfectly with a house-brewed beer.

Up next, the legendary Sally’s Apizza. Sally’s was founded in 1938 by Frank Pepe’s sister, Filomena Pepe Consiglio, who named if after her son, Sal (who in turn ran the restaurant until his death in 1989). The pizza here will be familiar to you if you’ve been to Pepe’s: brick oven, slightly oblong, slightly charred. The plain, mozzarella, and pepperoni pies were all evenly cooked with a crisp, chewy crust and just the right amount of topping, and a real sleeper hit was the potato and onion pie, both sliced impossibly thin and artfully arranged from end to end. It was honestly one of the best pizzas I’ve ever tasted, and that combined with the masterful preparation of the other pies made Sally’s my personal favorite apizza of the day (It was Sinatra’s favorite, as well).

With whatever stomach space remained rapidly dwindling, we made it to our last stop of the day: Modern Apizza. This was actually founded in 1934, even though it looks a lot newer than that (it resembles a traditional, newish Italian restaurant a lot more than the others do), and along with Pepe’s and Sally’s it forms what’s commonly referred to as the “Holy Trinity” of New Haven pizzerias. Pizzas here are fired in an oil-fueled brick oven (one of the last remaining examples in America, in fact), and as opposed to the light and crispy crusts of the competition, these pies were slightly heavier and wetter, and were the only ones of the bunch to have a sprinkling of cornmeal on the bottom. Both the plain and mozzarella were on-point if a little soggy (which isn’t a dig at all), and we were fans of the eggplant pie, which is topped with thin strips of fried eggplant. If you’re a fan of pizzas with lots of toppings, don’t miss the Italian Bomb, topped with sausage, bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms, onion, peppers, and garlic.

There should be one more stop on your New Haven food tour (after you’re regained your appetite, obviously): Louis Lunch, widely regarded as the birthplace of the hamburger. Founded as a tiny lunch wagon in 1895 and today only slightly larger than that, the diminutive restaurant (which founder Louis Lassen upgraded to in 1917) is perpetually crowded with pilgrims in search of the original burger, which (as legend has it) was invented by Lassen in 1900. The burgers served here are cooked in unique upright broilers (the same exact ones used by Lassen) and served on white toast, with cheese spread and sliced onions as the only optional toppings. Eating here is like stepping back in time, and it’s still run by the Lassen family.

Oh, and as for the burger? It’s exceptionally good: The beef is high-quality, fresh-ground in house daily, and formed into 6-ounce pucks, and eating it with just a slice of onion on toast really allows it to shine. The only rule? No ketchup!

Obviously, more restaurants have opened in New Haven since the 1930s, so if you’re looking for something other than pizza or a burger you’re in luck. Heirloom, the restaurant inside the Study at Yale (above), is one of the city’s best fine-dining restaurants, and is spacious and comfortable with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Chapel Street. The seasonally-driven menu is a real crowd-pleaser, with appetizers including warm local ricotta with thyme, truffle oil, and toast; a jar of whipped chicken liver pate with bacon jam; baked Connecticut clams; and roast octopus. Entrees include lamb ragù with house-made penne, seared Maine scallops with caramelized spaghetti squash, bouillabaisse, a grass-fed burger, and filet mignon. We really enjoyed our meal there; service was professional and knowledgeable, and the dining room has a really buzzy energy, especially around the bar area. It also serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch.

Another dinner option is Zinc, which is located right on New Haven Green and has been a local favorite since 1999. They’re sourcing ingredients from local farms and purveyors, and they’re turning them into creative New American dishes with a sprinkling of that oh-so-1999 trend, Asian fusion. Apps include a house-cured gravlax and sticky rice roll, Korean barbecue pork belly, and carrot and smoked cheddar fondue; and entrees include pork carnitas aji verde, ricotta gnocchi with sage brown butter and port-soaked figs, and Scottish salmon with risotto and roasted beets. Our meal there unfortunately had a couple issues — grilled rib-eye steak ordered medium-rare was served on the bloody side of rare, and we were seriously disappointed with the restaurant’s supposedly signature appetizer, duck nachos, which were essentially wonton chips doused in mayo and sour cream and topped with a heavy handful of microgreens; whatever scraps of duck were present were overcooked, flavorless pebbles (you can see one towards the bottom of the plate above). The salmon was nicely cooked, though, and honestly the best part of the meal were desserts from pastry chef Alba Estenoz: a pear perfectly poached in red wine and topped with homemade ice cream, and a multilayered “cake” of chocolate, rum, and caramel mousses served with a shot of caramel milk on the side. Both were spectacular, and worthy of a visit in their own right.

Another popular fine-dining destination is John Davenport’s, located on the top floor of the Omni Hotel on New Haven Green. We stopped in for a Saturday morning breakfast, and had a dizzying array of dishes to choose from — omelets, three Benedicts (traditional, smoked salmon, or lobster), smoked salmon platter, pancakes, waffles, French toast, corned beef hash, avocado toast — and a whole breakfast buffet! We settled on the lobster eggs Benedict and a Belgian waffle with strawberries and Vermont maple syrup. Both were expertly prepared — the lobster was fresh and nicely cooked, the hollandaise was perfectly tart and creamy, and the waffle was light and crisp.

Other standout restaurants in New Haven include Claire’s Corner Copia, serving healthy vegetarian fare since 1975; chef John Brennan’s Olives and Oil, serving creative Italian fare and top-notch cocktails in a cool and modern setting; Union League Café, a super high-end French restaurant; and Consiglio’s, an old-school red-sauce joint.

The cocktail scene in New Haven is also very strong. Ordinary is nestled into a bar room dating from 1910, inside a former hotel (the Taft) that can trace its roots to a colonial-era tavern. The bar room itself, and the back room, are covered in old wood, and it’s honestly one of the most beautiful, coziest bars I’ve ever imbibed in. The cocktails are creative and crafted with an eye for flavor and balance (they run the gamut from classic — like the Bee’s Knees to modern — like the Lawnmower Man (with cachaça, Suze, citrus, green juice, house celery bitters, and lemon verbena air) — and the punch bowls are parties unto themselves. Also worth visiting is Anchor Spa, a classic dive-turned classy cocktail bar; and Elm City Social, chef John Brennan’s first project, a fun and laid-back nightly party that also serves a killer lunch and dinner menu with something for everyone. Another ideal post-dinner retreat is Firehouse 12, a sleek and swanky cocktail bar and lounge that’s also home to a recording studio-grade music venue that plays host to mostly jazz musicians.

New Haven is a beautiful city, the perfect destination for an autumn retreat. Yale lends it a youthful energy, an influx of mixologists and chefs are revitalizing the dining and cocktail scene, it has a walkable and historic downtown, and it has some of the best pizza on Earth. It’s an ideal small city, and if you decide to spend a weekend taking it in, you won’t regret it.

The visit that was the subject of this review was hosted by Visit New Haven.

Source: https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/long-weekend-new-haven

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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cutsliceddiced · 5 years ago

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New top story from Time: We Watched Every New Show on Quibi. Here’s What to Watch—and What to Skip

Like it or not, Quibi is here. The new streaming platform, launching April 6, offers short-form content—”quick bites,” hence the portmanteau, that run 10 minutes or less. These shows are designed to be watched exclusively on your phone, whether you’re on the subway heading to work or sitting in the waiting room at the dentist’s office—places, in other words, that most people won’t be able to go for some time yet in the era of social distancing. But despite the fact that very few people are, for the moment, on the go, Quibi has held fast to its planned debut, launching, by our count, 50 scripted series, documentaries, reality shows and news programs on April 6 with plans to roll out 175 shows over the course of the year.

Quibi is casting a wide net to court various types of viewers: there are soothing cooking shows designed for the boomer crowd, while celebrity-studded reality series aim to lure Gen Z off of TikTok. Television critics have been busy debating whether the Quibi model signals the end of quality television or the wave of the future. But it’s clear the platform is hoping sheer star power alone will entice some quarantined television lovers to download the app. Jennifer Lopez, Idris Elba, Lebron James, Chance the Rapper and Chrissy Teigen are among the celebrities set to star in Quibi content, and filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Catherine Hardwicke, Paul Feig, and Guillermo del Toro have content on the upcoming slate.

The streaming service, which also features proprietary new technology that allows viewers to switch seamlessly from landscape to portrait viewing, will cost $4.99 per month with ads and $7.99 without ads, though a 90-day free trial is available if you sign up in April.

Quibi gave journalists a glimpse at some of their content launching on April 6. We watched everything available to screen in advance (in most cases, around three chapters; “Daily Essentials” like news shows were not available in advance as they will cover news as it breaks). If you’re thinking of subscribing, here’s what you should watch and what you should skip.

What to Watch

Gayme Show! (unscripted)

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Gayme Show! has a deceptively simple premise: it’s a gay game show. That’s it! Hosted with with aplomb by comedians Matt Rogers and Dave Mizzoni, each episode features two straight contestants competing in gay-themed challenges in an effort to be crowned “Queen of the Straights.” The jokes are plentiful, and if you’re not well-versed in gay Twitter—references to Dua Lipa, Laura Dern’s salmon button-down from Jurassic Park and Cynthia Nixon’s wife whiz by—you might have to Google to catch up. But even if you don’t get every joke, it’s hard not to let out a guffaw watching contestants like Demi Adejuyigbe prance around the stage in a unitard during a game called “notice me father”—actually a bespectacled Rogers softly weeping. The conceit is goofy, silly and exactly what you want it to be—and that’s a great thing. —Kelly Conniff

Nightgowns (documentary)

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Lately it seems like everyone who’s ever come within 10 feet of RuPaul’s stage is getting their own show, but don’t hold the deluge of drag content against Sasha Velour, a Drag Race winner who stands out even from that talented pack. While her gender-fluid performances can be transgressive, Velour, who takes a big-tent approach to drag, has a heart of gold. As she adapts her Brooklyn-born revue NightGowns for a bigger stage, this docuseries profiles the queen and an inclusive troupe that features performers with a wide range of identities and styles. Each episode of the show—the only Quibi title I screened that feels particularly suited to the medium—ends with a beautifully shot production number that does Velour proud. —Judy Berman

Prodigy (documentary)

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You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate this docuseries, which covers a different young elite athlete in each episode. With artful cinematography and well-paced storytelling—especially compared to the frenetic quality of many of the platform’s other shows—Prodigy is less concerned with the specific athletic achievements of its subjects (no. 1 ranked high school basketball player in the U.S., five-time national junior boxing champion) and more focused on the sacrifice and singular dedication of these athletes’ family members. If you cried during that Procter & Gamble Olympics commercial thanking the moms who drove carpools and gave pep talks so that their children could get a shot at the podium, this one is probably for you. —Eliza Berman

Punk’d (unscripted)

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This third revival of MTV’s prank show has been winningly updated for millennial and Gen Z sensibilities: it’s slightly more absurdist, slightly less cruel and involves way more animals. YouTuber Liza Koshy ruins a bat mitzvah; rapper Megan Thee Stallion gets attacked by a gorilla. Chance the Rapper—who in the wake of Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow, has rebranded his once-innocent persona to include a mean streak—brings a mischievous energy to hosting duties, and his laugh is infectious. —Andrew R. Chow

The Sauce (unscripted)

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Dance—particularly street dance—doesn’t get enough mainstream respect. The Sauce has something to say about that. Each episode pits two dance groups against each other, judged by talented dance duo Ayo and Teo, with the lure of a $25,000 cash prize. The lack of polish is endearing, as is the raw skill on display; you’ll wish you could spend more time just watching these young athletes move their bodies in ways that have no respect for the laws of physics. Kudos to executive producer Usher and the hosts for making sure to explain regional dance styles, as it’s high time these art forms got their due. Constant camera cuts and stylized editing seem best suited for the TikTok generation, but it’s a joy to watch these dancers in motion in any format. —Raisa Bruner

Shape of Pasta (documentary)

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Now this is my sort of short content. I’m a devoted Bon Appetit Test Kitchen subscriber, Alison Roman Instagram story watcher and Anthony Bourdain worshipper. So, yes, a show about a chef traveling across tiny towns in Italy to discover forgotten pasta shapes is my jam. I can’t get my head around the tone of this show—it’s extremely self-serious, so much so that it’s maybe supposed to be making fun of other food shows? Or perhaps it’s just one of them. No matter. The show has many nonnas teaching Felix Trattoria chef Even Funke how to make pasta in shapes you’ve never thought of but are centuries-old traditions in picturesque Italian towns. It’s delightful! —Eliana Dockterman

You Ain’t Got These (documentary)

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Lena Waithe takes viewers on a thoughtful, well-researched and star-studded tour of the world of sneakers. As the show conveys, sneaker culture is about much more than style. “Your footwear is your ID now in the black community,” Carmelo Anthony tells her; Nas, Run DMC, Hasan Minhaj and a cultural historian reflect on the legacy of icons like Michael Jordan and the relationship between hip-hop and commerce. Questions about branding, exploitation and value are tackled head-on. For sneakerheads it might be mostly recap, but it’s still fun to hear Rev Run reminisce about securing his Adidas deal—and for everyone else, it works as a solid introduction to a foundational part of contemporary American culture. —Raisa Bruner

What to Try

Chrissy’s Court (unscripted)

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In this ode to Judge Judy, Chrissy Teigen rules over petty cases brought by local randos. Each episode is extremely dependent on the personalities of the plaintiff and defendant. Most of the “contestants” are actively awkward (or actually mad, which is bizarre given the TV show’s unserious premise), and Chrissy and her mother Vilailuck Teigen (as bailiff) have to work double-time to counteract their discomfort. The humor often feels forced. Chrissy’s Instagram is more entertaining—at least there, she has total control over the cast of characters, namely her husband John Legend and their two kids, all of whom are way more natural in front of the camera. That said, if you like Teigen and are already churning through her Instagram stories every day, this is a fine way to get some more. —Eliana Dockterman

Fierce Queens (documentary)

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Reese Witherspoon narrates mini wildlife documentaries made with BBC Studios Natural History Unit, each focused on the female members of a species. Some of the lines veer into cheesy girl-power territory: “Getting that belief in yourself and gaining confidence: that’s what growing up is all about. These big cats totally nailed it. Walk tall, fierce queens!” she sings out after a surface-level episode about adolescent cheetah sisters. But thanks to truly beautiful footage and surprising subject choices—unless you already know all about the life cycle of the ruthless, cannibalistic queen honeypot ant?—viewers who want a quick hit of nature and some new fun facts about animals will be satisfied. —Raisa Bruner

Flipped (scripted)

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After one episode, this one looked like it would fall squarely in the “skip” bucket: two incredibly annoying self-anointed visionaries, a married theater director (Will Forte) and Home Depot-esque associate (Kaitlin Olson), are both deservedly fired from their jobs for asserting their own artistic purity over things like appropriate subject matter for tween thespians (in his case) and customer service (in hers). (Think the kind of kooky, self-serious characters you’d find in a Christopher Guest movie, minus the great ensemble to balance them out.) But a hastily paced sequence of events—they decide to try to be house flippers, buy a foreclosed-upon property and find stacks of cash in its walls, which turn out to belong to a drug cartel—leads to the introduction of Broad City‘s Arturo Castro as an organic-apple-eating overlord, which might just elevate this bonkers ordeal from grating to promising. —Eliza Berman

Gone Mental with Lior (unscripted)

The mentalist Lior Suchard lacks the theatricality or scale of other famous magicians like David Blaine or Criss Angel, making him perhaps the perfect match for a low-stakes platform like Quibi. It’s agreeable enough to watch him catch basketballs while blindfolded or exactly guess the number of coins in Ludacris’ hands, but his tricks won’t haunt your dreams, either. —Andrew R. Chow

I Promise (documentary)

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By all accounts, LeBron James’ I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, has been a resounding success: Its students, who were picked to attend after underachieving in the city’s public school system, are testing better and seem to be thriving in their new environment. This show, however, comes off as a surface-level feel-good advertisement for the school. —Andrew R. Chow

Run This City (documentary)

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Jaseil Correia grew up with the dream of becoming the mayor of his hometown, Fall River, Mass.—a city of around 90,000 most famous as the home of Lizzie Borden. At the remarkably young age of 23, he achieved it. But what sounds at first like an uplifting story of millennial striving turns dissonant when Correia is indicted on fraud and extortion charges. It’s an intriguing story that could have made for a fascinating hourlong documentary. Unfortunately, the Quibi format requires director Brent Hodge (I Am Chris Farley) to chop the saga into equal-sized, eight-minute “bites” that drag in the middle before ramping up to exaggerated cliffhangers. The result is a micro-docuseries whose rhythm always feels a bit off. —Judy Berman

Singled Out (unscripted)

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I like host Keke Palmer. I like Joel Kim Booster, who serves as the Jenny McCarthy to her Chris Hardwick. I like that all three episodes I watched had queer contestants but didn’t feel as though they were pandering to an LGBTQ audience. The best one featured a fully decked-out, super-charismatic drag queen looking for a man who could handle her at her most femme. But the best thing about the original MTV show was the unscripted banter, both between the hosts and among the competitors. And there just isn’t room for that in an already-rushed seven-minute show. —Judy Berman

Thanks A Million (unscripted)

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There’s not much here that you can’t already get from watching YouTube clips of Ellen DeGeneres giving out life-sized checks on behalf of name-that-corporation, or soldiers coming home to reunite with their spouses/children/dogs. But if you’re going to subscribe anyway and want a cathartic cry in two-minutes flat, watching celebs like Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas give deserving people $100,000, then watching the recipient give half of it to another deserving person, and so on, should do the trick. If you think too hard about it, the magic starts to fade—how much of this will get eaten up in gift taxes, and how many phone calls is this person going to get asking for a loan after receiving such a large sum on, well, if not national TV, whatever Quibi is? Yet seeing an apparently kind, hard-working person get the chance to pay for infertility treatments, or a house, or more resources for their therapy dog program, is far from the worst way to spend six minutes. —Eliza Berman

What to Skip

&Music (documentary)

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With its sweeping landscape shots, ambient background score and pseudo-philosophical ramblings, &Music seems to want to be the Chef’s Table for the random-dudes-connected-to-the-music-industry set. The show spends each episode with a behind-the-scenes collaborator of a star: there’s Ariana Grande’s choreographers and Martin Garrix’s light guy. But while there are one or two poignant and revealing moments, the show is mostly slick, overproduced and vacuous. There are plenty of music documentaries that are far more worth your time—and that you can watch on a big screen with proper speakers. —Andrew R. Chow

Dishmantled (unscripted)

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Dishmantled is a cooking show, minus the main ingredients that make cooking shows so satisfying: interesting and empathetic contestants to root for and, much more fatal to the whole endeavor, the cooking itself. Hosted by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt‘s Tituss Burgess, the show invites two blindfolded chefs into a small chamber where a mystery dish is blasted into their faces; they have to taste the exploded shrapnel, figure out what it might be, and make a dish replicating what they think they’ve eaten, to be judged on both taste and accuracy by celebrity judges like Dan Levy, Antoni Porowski and Jane Krakowski. But the quick format makes this far from a nutritious meal; viewers don’t have time to get to know or get invested in the contestants, and the cooking itself sails by without any attention to technique or ingredients. The most drama you’ll get here are lines like: “This all comes down to…is this a zoodle or is this a noodle?” —Eliza Berman

Memory Hole (unscripted)

Will Arnett makes fun of terrible pop culture moments from history that nobody remembers for a reason (like that time Alan Thicke appeared in a corny tribute at the opening of a Canadian superdome). It’s unclear who this show is for or why it exists. The references are so obscure that even people who lived through them will have forgotten and the quips feel like something you’d hear at a high school open mic. I spent the entire time watching this show thinking about another, much better show, BoJack Horseman. In that Netflix animated series, Arnett voiced a washed-up ’90s sitcom star struggling to stay relevant in Hollywood. Memory Hole feels like a project that an investor in Quibi would have blackmailed BoJack into doing after BoJack accidentally threw up on him during a bender at a wedding. —Eliana Dockterman

Most Dangerous Game (scripted)

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This show is so obvious, it’s almost funny. These are the exact roles SNL would cast Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz in for a skit—cancer-ridden former athlete with a pregnant wife and an evil billionaire who wants to pay said former athlete to be hunted by rich people. Since each episode is seven minutes, these are not character revelations that slowly come out over time. They are blatantly spoken by the actors to one another in every scene. Don’t come to Most Dangerous Game expecting The Game-esque twists or any subtle dialogue. What you expect is exactly what you will get. Unless you expect fun. You won’t get that. —Eliana Dockterman

Murder House Flip (unscripted)

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Despite the name, there’s nothing original about Murder House Flip. The series is essentially two types of reality shows unceremoniously jammed together: one part home redesign show hosted by two perky designers with a surfeit of canned jokes; one part true crime docuseries filled with the requisite pan and scan over vintage photos and newspaper clippings. This uneasy juxtaposition results in awkward episodes that often feel like a Saturday Night Live parody, especially when one of the hosts brightly announces: “Our goal was to take this murder house and turn it into a happy home.” And a focus on the grisly nature of the crimes reflects the worst parts of a genre that too often obscures victims. Is there a world in which this show could have managed to strike the right tone? Possibly. But as it stands, Murder House Flip is too flip. —Kelly Conniff

Nikki Fre$h (unscripted)

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“Wellness has a new voice. A black voice,” Nicole Richie’s rapper alter ego says in the first episode of Nikki Fre$h (and then immediately clarifies that she’s referring to herself). The resulting show is part poker-faced satire of the goop lifestyle and part honest assessment of organic produce and artisanal honey. Her attempts to draw attention to food waste and the plight of bees are well-intentioned, but cameos from the likes of Bill Nye can’t save the show from falling flat; Richie helped pioneer awkward reality TV on The Simple Life with Paris Hilton, but Nikki Fre$h lacks that show’s schadenfreude appeal. —Raisa Bruner

Skrrt with Offset (unscripted)

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If you like looking at nice cars, you might get a kick out of Skrrt with Offset. Otherwise, there’s not much point. The show has a thin premise (the Migos rapper Offset does stuff with cars) and is executed with even less imagination. When his wife Cardi B shows up for an episode, overflowing with sass and charisma, you wonder why they didn’t just give the whole show to her. —Andrew R. Chow

Survive (scripted)

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Before watching the first five episodes of this thriller about a disturbed young woman preparing to kill herself on the flight home from a mental institution, I might have said something like, “I’d watch Sophie Turner do anything.” Well, Turner is great in Survive—but neither her performance nor the impressive production values manage to redeem a story that, whether intentionally or not, revels in the bloody, nihilistic aesthetics of suicide. A twist (one that’s ��spoiled” in the trailer) that has the plane crashing and Turner’s character teaming up with an obvious love interest (Corey Hawkins) to, yes, survive only heightens the absurdity and introduces plot holes. —Judy Berman

When the Streetlights Go On (scripted)

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It’s the summer of 1995—a stiflingly hot one—when things start going wrong in sleepy Colfax, Ill. That fall, a beautiful high-school mean girl (Kristine Froseth) and the teacher she’s been sleeping with (Mark Duplass) get carjacked, forced to strip and gunned down by their masked assailant. The weirdo sister (Sophie Thatcher) she used to bully wanders around unmoored. A jock sometimes-boyfriend (Sam Strike) is brought in for questioning. Narrating this murder mystery is the student journalist (Chosen Jacobs) who found the bodies. Period signifiers like Nirvana and ck one abound. Every once in a while a show formed entirely out of genre tropes and nostalgia for the recent past is executed well enough to exceed the sum of its parts (see: the first season of Stranger Things). But after three trite, predictable episodes, I’m not holding out much hope for this one. —Judy Berman

Other Shows Headed to Quibi

The titles below are Quibi’s “daily essentials,” more information-oriented programming covering news, sports, weather and entertainment. Screeners were not provided in advance for these series:

Around the World by BBC News Weather Today by The Weather Channel Morning Report by NBC News Evening Report by NBC News Saturday Report by NBC News Sunday Report by NBC News The Replay by ESPN NewsDay by CTV NewsNight by CTV Sports AM by TSN Pulso News by Telemundo For the Cultura by Telemundo Close Up by E! News Fresh Daily by Rotten Tomatoes Speedrun by Polygon Pop5 by iHeartRadio No Filter by TMZ: AM No Filter by TMZ PM Last Night’s Late Night All The Feels by The Dodo The Daily Chill The Rachel Hollis Show Sexology by Shan Boodram The Nod with Brittany & Eric Trailers by Fandango

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

#Time #top stories #IFTTT #news

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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A Traveler’s Guide to the Best Bets in Las Vegas

I have spent a lot of money in Las Vegas, and I don’t gamble much. I’ve paid $250 for a Cirque du Soleil ticket, taken a gondola down the faux canals of Venice for $60 and, on occasion, vastly exceeded my wine budget.

Las Vegas thrives on convincing visitors to splurge, which I considered when Lady Gaga opened her concert residency at the Park Theater. Recently, tickets for the back-row center balcony were selling for $466 (fans in the front row were paying $2,500).

Value, of course, is subjective. But price creep on the Strip, as the casino-lined stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is known, is objective, as resort fees at several high-end casinos rose $6 to $45 a night this year. Rooms, food, drinks and entertainment are increasingly important money makers for casinos, where gaming revenue has fallen from nearly 62 percent in 1984 to a little under 43 percent in 2018, according to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

On a quest to find value, I spent three days riding buses, hunting for cheap and tasty eats, and sampling bargain entertainment. Here’s what I found.

Take the bus

There is one certain money-saver in Las Vegas: the bus. The city of endless traffic lights and taxi fleets is a tangle to transit. Even ride shares are expensive; I took an Uber less than one mile one evening and it cost $8.

But the bus system is affordable and reasonably efficient, especially if you stick to the Strip. A double-decker bus called the Deuce runs 24 hours between downtown and Mandalay Bay resort. A two-hour pass costs $6; an all-day pass costs $8.

I bought a $20 three-day pass and got access to the entire transit system, including a clean, spacious and uncrowded bus from the airport to the Strip, which paid off on that first ride.

Everything about taking the bus, of course, takes a little longer. I waited for 10 minutes at the airport terminal, rather than just hopping in a cab. After a few stops, I connected to a Strip-bound bus at the South Strip Transfer Terminal, a mass transit hub, which was easy to navigate.

The payoff to this relatively slow form of travel was a scenic ride past the Welcome to Las Vegas sign and other landmarks. Other than the Deuce, which can be dominated by tourists, most of the buses I rode were used by local workers and students, with a rare sprinkling of visitors.

Eat off the beaten path

On the suggestion of a friend, I bussed from the airport directly to Tacos El Gordo — a 60-minute trip (I missed the 108 bus, which gets there in about half the time). With roots in Tijuana, Mexico, the cheerfully crowded taco stand in a nondescript strip mall between downtown and the Strip features a row of meat carvers behind the counter, ready to shave spit-marinating pork into pliant corn tortillas ($2.60). Two tacos topped with chopped onions and cilantro made a bargain meal. I was lucky to get a table.

It’s not that you can’t eat cheaply on the Strip. Donald Contursi, the owner of Lip Smacking Foodie Tours, introduced me to several specials, including the $29 three-course lunch, which includes creamy Greek spreads such as tzatziki and grilled fish at Estiatorio Milos, and $5 happy hour appetizers at Mr. Chow. At Eataly, a bustling new food hall that anchors the Park MGM hotel in a space that could double as a train station, focaccia slices sold from $2.90.

But by wandering farther afield, I found intriguing and affordable food. Downtown, I wandered from the dimly lit Downtown Cocktail Room, lively with locals during “halfy hour,” when my $12 Paloma was $6 (Monday through Saturday 4 to 7 p.m.), to the new robata bar Hatsumi at Fergusons Downtown, a former motel now housing restaurants, shops and co-working spaces. Decorated in cartoon monsters, Hatsumi served skewered meats ($2 to $6 each) to the mostly under-40 urbanites who are repopulating downtown Las Vegas.

A friend who lives in another gentrifying neighborhood, the Arts District, guided me to Able Baker Brewing Company, an industrial spot with the brew kettles in the back named for the first two atomic bombs, Able and Baker, detonated at the Nevada Test Site north of town in 1951. Here we had juicy I.P.A.s (most pints, $5 to $8) and generous pork banh mi sandwiches ($9). On the cusp of the Arts District, I paid $6.50 for a chicken-stuffed arepa, or corn cake folded taco-style, at the Venezuelan Viva Las Arepas, a low-key quick service spot where I watched Latin American telenovelas with the office lunch crowd.

Through Eater, which has a thorough guide on cheap eating in town, I discovered Takopa, a tiny and friendly Japanese spot where I sat at the bar and watched the cooks prepare their specialty fried octopus fritters (four for $4.95) in Chinatown, a neighborhood filled with pan-Asian dining deals that required two buses to reach, but worth every bite.

Beware resort fees

Cheap hotels aren’t hard to come by in Las Vegas, though rates vary with business and event traffic. My spacious $40 room at the El Cortez Hotel & Casino downtown was $100 the previous week when several conventions were in town.

Wherever you stay in Las Vegas, you’re bound to have sticker shock because enticing offers — $19 a night! — don’t include resort fees, which run about $25 to $45 a night. The $25 fee at El Cortez brought my nightly rate to $65, still a good deal for an updated room — with lime green walls and Art-Deco-style, black-and-white décor — in-room coffee and a ground-floor gym.

For a real retro stay, downtown’s 1906-vintage Golden Gate Hotel & Casino has 10 original rooms — small but updated for those who just need a bed — that often sell for $25, plus a $25 resort fee.

Attractions worth the admission

When it comes to cultural attractions in Las Vegas, expect to pay. The Mob Museum charges $29.95 admission, but if you’re interested in history, you’ll get your money’s worth learning about the role of Prohibition in establishing organized crime at the former post office and courtroom where hearings were held on the subject in 1950.

Also uniquely Las Vegas, the Neon Museum preserves the city’s castoff signage. I paid $24 for the 25-minute night show “Brilliant,” which syncs light and sound to reanimate the otherwise dark signs. The separate tour of the regular collection, called the Boneyard, costs $30.

During my stay, the lowest ticket available for “Run,” the new Cirque du Soleil show, was $79, or $105 with fees. Instead, I spent $37 ($52 with fees) to take in “The Mac King Comedy Magic Show” at Harrah’s Las Vegas, a daytime-only delight starring the Kentucky-born star who manages to entertain all ages with surprising tricks, sly humor and hilarious interactions with audience volunteers.

“Being the affordable show has been good for me,” said Mr. King, who started out in 2000 with tickets at $10. “Now it’s like buying an airplane ticket with all the fees.”

Freebies by the mile

In three days, I walked 22 miles and didn’t really notice given the entertaining hustlers en route. On my walks I saw costumed showgirls posing for pictures, listened to a classical violinist and passed up one gentleman who offered, according to his sign, “to do something weird” for $1.

When I needed a break, I went to the wildlife habitat at the Flamingo hotel and casino. At 2 p.m. daily, a keeper feeds two rescued California brown pelicans, Bugsy and Virginia — named for Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel, who built the original Flamingo in 1946, and his girlfriend Virginia Hill — and calls out to the other exotic waterfowl, including Chilean flamingos. The rare smoke-free haven provided benches (also rare) and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Among free tours, I attended an “open house” at “Ka,” the high-tech Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand. It essentially functions as a 30-minute sales pitch for the show, but offers a fascinating look at the 80,000-pound rotating stage and other wizardry.

Another morning, I signed up with the concierge at the Park MGM for a free art tour of the garden-themed resort and was introduced to contemporary works by Guy Yanai and David Hockney. Similarly, the nearby Aria resort offers tours and a self-guided map to sculptures by Maya Lin and Henry Moore.

Downtown’s free attraction, the Viva Vision light show at the Freemont Street Experience, projected on a 1,500-foot-long overhead video screen, attracted more buskers. But the real payoff was at Gold Spike, a former casino billed as an “adult playground” (free admission). Instead of gambling, there’s a bar, co-working spaces and indoor games like cornhole, and a vast outdoor yard where I caught a soulful set from Cimirriar Deniece, a local singer.

On my return to the airport, I stopped at the nearby Pinball Hall of Fame (free admission) and spent $5, one quarter at a time, playing games that went back as far as 1964, the kind of slot machines that pay off in joy.

Bottom line: The cost of my trip was about $350 for a three-day stay in Las Vegas.

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newyorktheater · 5 years ago

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Angela Lansbury, who is appearing tonight as Lady Bracknell in a one-night benefit staging of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest at Roundabout’s American Airlines theater, was interviewed at Lincoln Center library over the weekend by Irish Rep’s Charlotte Moore as part of the 37th season of The League of Professional Theatre Women’s Oral History Project. Lansbury, 94, recounted her first role in the movies, as the saucy maid in Gaslight at the age of 17. From then on, “I was a utility actress, as far as MGM was concerned. They could put me into almost any role, and I would act it.” Two decades after that first Oscar-nominated screen role, she won her first of five Tony Awards. Three quarters of a century after she began, she’s still preparing for roles. “It’s terribly important to get out of yourself and into that character. Leave yourself at home.”

So many people (and journalists!) complained that the public impeachment hearings made for dull theater that others angrily denounced the “theater critic school of journalism” and Saturday Night Life responded with a soap opera called “Days of Our Impeachment.”

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Her dignity in responding to Trump speaks volumes. I wonder if this is riveting enough for the “theater critic” school of journalism. Schiff uses the opportunity t make clear Trump is engaged in witness intimidation. This is a moment. A real moment.

— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) November 15, 2019

Covering the news like a fucking theater critic. This is why Donald Trump is president. This is why our missiles are shinier than our schools. This is why the Climate Crisis will destroy us all. https://t.co/ukmWBv99EA

— Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) November 14, 2019

But then others, such as Washington Post theater critic Peter Marks, rightly denounced the denouncers for besmirching theater critics.

The dismissive use of theater criticism is misapplied, anyway. By people who should know better. If you are not observing a performance in the room, you aren’t a theater critic. You are a TV critic.

— Peter Marks (@petermarksdrama) November 14, 2019

A lot of denouncing in America these days — and more to come:

Schedule of impeachment hearings in the coming week

Week in NY Theater Previews & Reviews

Rick Borutta, personal assistant to Elaine Stritch

Preview: “Nobody’s Bitch”: Elaine Stritch as Boss

Elaine Stritch kicked Rick Borutta in the stomach every day. That, anyway, is how he says it felt at the beginning. “Other than that, she was rather likable,” says Borutta, who worked as her personal assistant for four years, an experience that he has turned into a solo show, entitled “Nobody’s Bitch,” which he is bringing to New York for the first time for one night only at The Duplex on November 26th.

Michael Benjamin Washington

Fires in the Mirror

It would be hard to overstate the city-wide trauma that occurred in Crown Heights, Brooklyn in August, 1991, nor the power of “Fires in the Mirror,” the groundbreaking documentary play about it nine months later at the Public, which introduced New York theatergoers to the astonishing theater artist Anna Deavere Smith. That power comes roaring back in a revival at Signature that, for the first time, features an actor other than Smith…“Fires in the Mirror” offers, without judgment and with implicit compassion, a breadth of personalities — rabbis and reverends, activists and everyday residents — with views that conflict, contradict, supplement or concur. But how they present themselves and what they say also often resonate way beyond what happened in Crown Heights.

Tina The Tina Turner Musical

The thrilling final minutes of “Tina” are all that a rock concert should be, and the main reason to see this jukebox biomusical about one of the world’s most electric performers, portrayed by Adrienne Warren in a star-making role. It may not be reason enough, though, especially for those of us who recall the 1993 movie, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” which covers the same remarkable life of the outsized talent born Annie Mae Bullock to a sharecropping family in Nutbush, Tennessee.

Slava’s Snowshow

In the 26 years since the Russian clown Slava Polunin began touring, “Slava’s Snowshow” has been performed “thousands of times to millions of people in hundreds of cities,” according to the playbill. It doesn’t mention how much confetti, water and fusillades of giant beach balls have been dumped on, squirted, and shot at audiences. I’d say tons just in the performance I saw at Broadway’s Stephen Sondheim Theater, where the silly, wordless, plotless, pointless and popular 90- minute show (plus intermission) is running through January 5. Much of the show is a series of moments too sketchy to be called scenes and too scenic to be called sketches

User Not Found

Keep those cell phones on; that’s where “User Not Found” largely unfolds. Yes, this terrific site-specific play takes place in a café near BAM in Fort Greene, where Terry O’Donovan portrays a fellow café dweller also named Terry grieving the death of his ex-lover Luka. But this inventive, pointed work of theater asks us to consider how the current public immersion in the digital world affects both life and death. And so, to that end, the theatergoers are each given a headphone and a smart phone in order to follow Terry’s story, though he’s standing (and moving around, and eating) right in front of us, and speaking directly to us. But he’s also answering his text messages, and looking at his dead lover’s social media accounts – and we’re looking right along with him. “User Not Found” is an unusual show that requires some initial adjustment, dips into what feels like sci-fi, but ultimately, and surprisingly, becomes quite touching…in more ways than one.

BrandoCapote

“BrandoCapote” is a play with a script by Sara Farrington inspired by a fascinating interview Truman Capote conducted with Marlon Brando at the peak of his popularity in 1957, while the movie star was filming “Sayonara” in Japan. It is also a dance theater piece choreographed by Laura K. Nicoll that mixes modern American with traditional Japanese movement, enhanced by vivid Japanese costumes. And it is the latest showcase for director Reid Farrington’s inventive technical experiments in integrating filmed images into live theatrical performance: Very brief clips from more than a dozen of Brando’s film performances (from Oscar-winners “On The Waterfront” and “The Godfather” to such oddities as “The Island of Doctor Moreau”) are projected crisply onto Japanese umbrellas of varying sizes that the cast members suddenly unfold.

Each of these elements of “BrandoCapote” intrigued me and impressed me. But all three put together lost me.

The Week in New York Theater News

Santino Fontana in Tootsie

Tootsie will close on Sunday, January 5, 2020, having played 293 regular and 25 preview performances at the Marquis Theatre.

Forbidden Broadway The Next Generation will close December 1st.

The Drama Bookshop has found a new home a block south of the old store and will reopen in March, 2020.

wow. the new @dramabookshop animated by architect @DavidKorins https://t.co/ukykIRLoFs

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) November 12, 2019

Accessibility Corner

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/13/theater/tiny-tim-a-christmas-carol-disabled-actors.html

Tiny Tim is being portrayed by a disabled actor (actually two.)

In Mockingbird, Russell Harvard, a deaf actor, finally gets his wish not to be defined solely by his deafness: Harvard assumes two supporting parts (both of them hearing characters): Boo Radley, the mysterious, rarely seen neighbor of the intimidated youngsters, Scout and Jem Finch, and more prominently Link Deas, the inscrutable local dismissed as a drunk.

A celebration of the life and legacy of Broadway legend Harold Prince will take place on Monday, December 16, at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street). Beginning at 1:30 PM, the tribute is open to friends, family and the theater community, and will feature tributes and performances from colleagues and loved ones. Doors will open at 1PM. The Majestic is the 31-year home of Mr. Prince’s record-breaking production of The Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

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MasterVoices will begin its 2019-20 season on Thursday, November 21 at Carnegie Hall with the concert staging of George and Ira Gershwins’ 1933 musical Let ‘Em Eat Cake, with a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, a comic satire about a populist U.S. President who is voted out of office and stages a coup to regain power.

Theater has a problem with people of color by Jose Solis: I’ve been working professionally as a theater critic since 2013; I’m a board member of the Drama Desk (where I also serve as part of the nominating committee), and I’ve written for every reputable publication in town. For as long as I’ve been attending theater in the city, my name and brown skin have made me the target of bullies and racists. I’ve been asked if I’m with the catering staff at theater critics events, been chastised by angry ushers to turn my cell phone off, even if I have never taken my device out of my pocket during a performance, and often been asked if I’m sure I belong in the orchestra, as ushers point me to the mezzanine. My skin has become so thickened by the mistreatment and rudeness of theater employees that I might as well be a walking callus. I experience this, in part, because I’m a rarity on Broadway. In the 2017-2018 season, 75% of Broadway audiences were Caucasian, according to statistics compiled by the Broadway League. Theater clearly has a people of color problem: It’s not only that many people of color have no interest in revivals of revered but irrelevant plays featuring beige ensembles, it’s also that when we do come to the theater, we are told that we’re invading white spaces. When I see a show with a white friend, people often ask the friend if they brought me to the show and ask me if it’s my first time at the theater.

“Time 100 Next” list honors Broadway veterans @ALISTROKER, @BeanieFeldstein and @jeremyoharris https://t.co/lUgGDwG2Gb pic.twitter.com/XFRyJ88hUQ

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) November 13, 2019

Have a play in mind you think we should have in our circulating collection? There’s a form for that! https://t.co/UooR75cEFu

— NYPL Theatre (@NYPL_Theatre) November 14, 2019

How Theater Directors Use Fragrances to Create “Poetry for the Nose”

From at least the late 19th century, when David Belasco had actors cook and brew coffee on stage to heighten the realism of domestic scenes, to recent efforts to evoke a piney forest or the tang of gunpowder, directors have tried to involve an audience’s olfactory sense to intensify their experience. …“The difficulties of controlling an odor once released into a large room like a theater are very complicated,” said Stuart Firestein, a neuroscientist at Columbia University and former theatrical actor and director.

(I don’t think you need a neuroscientist with a back to point this out.)

Celebrating 25 Years of Disney on Broadway raised $570,426 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

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#Stageworthy News of the Week: Angela Lansbury 77 years later. Impeachment as Theater? Stritch The Bitch? Drama Bookshop Finds a Home! So many people (and journalists!) complained that the public impeachment hearings made for dull theater that others angrily denounced the "theater critic school of journalism" and Saturday Night Life responded with a soap opera called "Days of Our Impeachment."

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bordersmash8-blog · 6 years ago

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A long weekend in New Haven: where to eat, what to do, and where to stay

The visit that was the subject of this review was hosted by Visit New Haven.

Source: https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/long-weekend-new-haven

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joshuamshea84 · 6 years ago

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How to Spend a Week in London

Published: 07/26/18 | July 26th, 2018

London. The Big Smoke. It’s a sprawling city, covering 607 square miles and home to over eight million people.

In fact, London is really a collection of cities. The City of London (aka “The City”) is just 1.1 square miles (and the site of old Roman Londinium). Everything we think of as London today is actually other cities (Westminster, Camden, etc.) that “The City” gobbled up over the years. (Fun fact: The West and East Ends of London are so named because they were outside the ancient wall that enclosed London.)

My like for London turned into love on my most recent visit last month. Maybe it was the beautiful weather that stood in stark contrast to my other visits, maybe it was the people who I suddenly felt bonded with, maybe it was all the good restaurants and bars I found. Maybe it just took a decade of visits for the city to just “click” with me. Maybe it was all of it. I don’t know.

But now I’m head over heels for the city!

With so much to see and do, London can seem like an overwhelming place, so in today’s post I want to share my suggested one-week itinerary for a visit to London that takes you along — and off — the beaten tourist path:

What to See and Do in London: Day 1

Take a free walking tour – Start your first day off with a free walking tour to orient yourself and learn about the history of London. London is pretty damn big and hard to see much of in just a few hours, so most walking tours simply focus on a small area of the city. Here are my favorite free walking tour companies:

Free Tours by Foot – I’ve taken this company’s NYC tours, so when I found out they had a London version, I was thrilled. Some of the best are the Westminster, Harry Potter, Soho, ghost, and street art tours. Most walks last two to two and a half hours.

Free London Walking Tours – This tiny company offers free walks from a few older British chaps that have an air of a university professor. They tell silly jokes but are super knowledgeable about the most arcane facts of London history. Be sure to check out their “Fire, Pestilence, and Plague” and “Debauched London” tours. Each lasts two hours.

New Europe Walking Tours – This company has free walking tours all over Europe. They are sort of the “backpacker tours,” as most hostels in town heavily promote them, so you see mostly young travelers on their walks. They are good for a broad historic overview of the city. Tours last about three hours.

Pick a neighborhood and wander – London is a great city to just walk around in. You can follow the ancient Roman wall (part of the wall still exists and so does an old Roman amphitheater, which was rediscovered in the 1980s) from the Tower of London through the center of the city. The city maintains a series of panels about the wall and the history of the city along the way.

There are a couple of app-based options too. Visit London has a free app that lets you create personalized maps and itineraries that you can use offline. Detour and StrollOn are two other cool companies that provide virtual walking tours.

Relax in a park – After all that walking on the first day (trust me, it’s worth it), chill out in any one of the city’s many parks:

St. James’ Park (Westminster)

Green Park (Westminster/Central London)

Regent’s Park (Camden Town)

Kensington Gardens (Kensington)

Hyde Park (Central London)

Holland Park (Holland Park)

Battersea Park (Battersea)

Hang in Soho – I love Soho. It has cute little parks, world-class restaurants, lots of popular bars, funky bookstores, beautiful buildings, and everything in between. I recommend you spend your evening (or many evenings) here eating and drinking and hanging out with the locals. Some recommended places:

Ceviche Soho – Great Peruvian food. 17 Frith Street

Flat Iron – Simple menu featuring steak and salad and a daily special. That’s it! At £10, it’s a steal. 9 Denmark Street and 17 Beak Street

La Bodega Negra – Amazing Mexican food. 16 Moor Street

Eat Tokyo – Delicious ramen. 16 Old Compton Street

The London Gin Club – The best gin London can offer! 22 Great Chapel Street

Three Greyhounds – A fun traditional pub. Fun story: I ended up drinking with Rami Malek from Mr. Robot! He was nice. 25 Greek Street

What to See and Do in London: Day 2

Soak in art and culture at a museum – Take advantage of London’s hundreds of museums and overload on history, art, weird oddities, and everything in between. Some of them are so big you can barely see them in a week, let alone a day! Here are some of the bigger ones to start with:

British Museum –

By far one of the best in all of Europe, this giant museum houses one of the most comprehensive art, cultural, and historical collections in the world. Be sure to budget at least three hours to get a good sense of the museum, though you could easily spend a whole day there. Great Russell St. +44 20 7323 8299. britishmuseum.org. Open daily 10am-5:30pm.

National Gallery – This art museum was founded in 1824 and houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to around 1900. There are works by Johannes Vermeer, Sandro Botticelli, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo, among many more! It’s a really extensive and wonderful art museum. Trafalgar Square. +44 20 7747 2885. nationalgallery.org.uk. Open daily 10am-6pm.

City of London Museum – I love this museum. It gives you a detailed overview of London’s history and has an excellent exhibit on the Great Fire of 1666. 150 London Wall. +44 20 7001 9844. museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london. Open daily 10am-6pm.

National Portrait Gallery – Here you’ll find portraits of centuries of famous Brits, from kings and queens to celebrities and artists. St. Martin’s Place. npg.org.uk. +44 20 7306 0055. Open daily 10am-6pm (until 9pm on Fridays).

Note: All these museums are free!

What to See and Do in London: Day 3

Wander around Westminster – Start off with a stroll through Hyde Park’s lush and expansive grounds, with its picturesque walkways, ponds, and ducks, before heading to Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guard at 10:45am. It lasts for about 45 minutes (arrive early to get the best view).

If you’re visiting during the summer, Buckingham Palace is open to the public (in 2018, the dates are July 21 to September 30.). Booking in advance online is recommended. Tickets are £24.

Next, meander over to the Churchill War Rooms. Located beneath the Treasury Building in the Whitehall area of Westminster, this includes the government’s command center during WWII and a museum about the life of Winston Churchill. The centerpiece of the whole place is an interactive table that enables visitors to access digitized material from the Churchill archives. It is one of the best museums in London. Book online in advance to avoid the multi-hour wait! Open 9:30am-7pm in July and August; 9:30am-6pm from September to June. Admission is £18.90 per person.

Afterward, marvel at Westminster Abbey and Parliament. You can see the tombs of 17 monarchs dating back to Henry III (who died in 1272) in the Abbey. Other famous people buried here include Charles Darwin, Sir Issac Newton, Aphra Behn, and Charles Dickens. Westminster Abbey costs £20 but you can visit for free if you go during a service. Just be quiet. On Saturdays, you can tour Parliament. Tickets booked in advance are £25.50; same-day tickets cost £28. Tours start at 9am, with the last tour of the day being at 4:30pm.

Eat in Borough Market – After that, hop on the tube from Westminster to London Bridge (or walk along the South Bank) and head to the famous Borough Market to grab a meal from one of the many vendors. It’s hugely popular with locals, especially around lunchtime.

Wander South London – After you’ve satiated your hunger, wander around South London. See the site of the original Globe Theater, visit the eerie Crossbones Cemetery that honors the working girls and lost souls of London, walk along the riverfront, marvel at Millennium Bridge, and pop into the Tate Modern for a few hours to take in some of the best modern art London has to offer (it’s free). Then head back toward Borough Market for a drink at the George Inn, one of London’s oldest pubs and where Charles Dickens used to drink (it’s also likely that William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe also drank here). The new Globe Theater is also here if you want to take in a Shakespearean play!

What to See and Do in London: Day 4

Hit up some more museums – London is museum city. It has some of the best in the world, so I suggest you visit a few more before you go:

Natural History Museum – There are over 80 million items in this comprehensive museum, including specimens collected by Charles Darwin. It also has a great collection of fossils, making it a fun and educational stop if you’re traveling with kids. Cromwell Road, +44 20 7942 5000, nhm.ac.uk. Open daily from 10am to 5:30pm.

Science Museum – Founded in 1857, this is actually one of the most popular museums in London, attracting over three million visitors each year. There are some really neat interactive galleries on flight and space, and the temporary exhibitions are usually pretty amazing (though those often cost extra). Exhibition Road, South Kensington, +44 20 7942 4000, sciencemuseum.org.uk. Open daily from 10am to 6pm.

Victoria and Albert Museum – Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, this museum is home to over 2,000 works of art covering over 3,000 years of human history. Cromwell Road, +44 20 7942 2000, vam.ac.uk. Open daily from 10am to 5:45pm (10pm on Fridays).

Eat on Brick Lane – Head east to the famous Brick Lane and eat your heart out — it has some amazing Jewish delis (Beigel Bake is the most famous — and delicious) and Indian cuisine. On the weekends, this street becomes a bustling flea market and a hub of activity when it fills with antique and flea market sellers, food vendors, and people eating and drinking their way down the street.

Take a Jack the Ripper tour – Every night, you’ll find tons of people in the East End learning about Jack the Ripper on a ridiculous number of similar tours. My favorite is the original Jack the Ripper Tour. Get Mick as your guide; he’s obsessed with Jack the Ripper (he even wrote a pretty decent book on the subject) and will fill you with arcane knowledge. Very animated too!

What to See and Do in London: Day 5

Visit these art galleries – Into art? Great! London is the perfect place to window-shop! Here are some galleries worth checking out:

Maureen Paley – 21 Herald Street, +44 20 7729 4112, maureenpaley.com

Jealous – Shoreditch and Crouch End, jealousgallery.com

Unit – 3 Hanover Square, +44 20 7494 2035, theunitldn.com

Marian Goodman Gallery – 5-8 Lower John Street, +44 20 7099 0088, mariangoodman.com

Explore the Tower of London and its crown jewels – Built in 1070 by William the Conqueror to defend his royal power, the tower was expanded many times over the years. Until the 1800s, weapons and armor were made here and all coins were made here until 1810. Now, it houses the famous crown jewels. The Tower of London’s changing of the guard (the Ceremony of the Keys) and takes place daily at 9:30pm. Tickets are free but book in advance because it fills up quickly. Tickets to the Tower are £22.70 for adults and £10.75 for children. Open Tues-Sat (9am-5:30pm), and Sun-Mon (10am-5:30pm).

Be sure to also head to nearby Tower Bridge, which opened in 1894 (and lot of people confuse with London Bridge). You can access the bridge deck to take in the view or check out the Tower Bridge Exhibition, where you can see the old Victorian engine rooms and get a sense of just how epic an engineering feat the bridge’s construction actually was. Open daily 10am-5:30pm and costs £8.70 for adults.

Take in a show – London is my second favorite theater spot after New York City. You can’t leave without seeing a show. Check out TKTS for discounted tickets for shows in the West End.

What to See and Do in London: Days 6 or 7

Take a day trip to Stonehenge – Stonehenge, located in Salisbury, is one of the oldest man-made structures in the world (it dates back to 2500 BCE). You can’t approach the stones anymore as they are now cordoned off, but it’s still quite a fascinating site to explore. The audio tour is a must so you can get some historical context.

Take a day trip to Bath – Bath is named after its famous mineral baths. It is home to an ancient Roman bath that is marvelously well preserved (the audio guide by Bill Bryson is a must). It’s pretty much the main attraction in town, though the church and river are also nice.

Take a day trip to Oxford – Oxford is one of the oldest universities in the world and exploring all the beautiful colleges here makes for a fun day trip. Most cost a few pounds sterling for a tour. You can even see the one where they filmed Harry Potter. In addition, you can visit the famous Bodleian Library, wander the town’s historic center, and enjoy some good food.

Visit the Dennis Severs House – Located in the East End in Shoreditch, this house is an immersive art experience (“still life drama”) set up to represent how a family of silk weavers would have lived from 1724 to the early 20th century. Honestly, I didn’t really get it: I mean, it was funky and arty, and there’s whispering going on from speakers in the walls, but I didn’t get why everyone loves it. Regardless, it’s one of the more unique things to do. If you are into immersive, participatory art, you’ll like this. 18 Folgate Street, +44 20 7247 4013, dennissevershouse.co.uk. Advance booking required. Prices start at £10 per person.

Take a paid walking tour – During my last visit to London I tried out over 25 different walking tours. There are amazing companies that have created some insightful, entertaining, and delicious walks for every type of interest. From Harry Potter walks to historic pub crawls, there will definitely be something for everyone. For some inspiration, here are some of my favorites!

***

London is one of the biggest cities in the world, with a ton of things to see and do (I didn’t even get to mentioning Camden, Notting Holl, and all the other neighborhoods!). It’s easy to get lost in every neighborhood. A week in London barely scratches the surface, but it is enough to get a good overview, dive into its smaller neighborhoods, and get a taste of local history and culture. Use this London itinerary as a guide for your next trip and get a feel for why I love this city so much now!

Book Your Trip to London: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight to London by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines. Start with Momondo.

Book Your Accommodation My favorite hostels in London are St. Christopher’s Inn, Clink78, and Astor Hyde Park Hostel. If you’re looking for a hostel in London, use Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates. (Here’s the proof.)

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I never ever go on a trip without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. You should too.

Need Some Gear? Check out our resource page for the best companies to use!

Want More Information on London? Be sure to visit our robust London destination guide on London for even more planning tips!

The post How to Spend a Week in London appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/london-itinerary/

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melissagarcia8 · 6 years ago

Text

How to Spend a Week in London

Published: 07/26/18 | July 26th, 2018

London. The Big Smoke. It’s a sprawling city, covering 607 square miles and home to over eight million people.

But now I’m head over heels for the city!

What to See and Do in London: Day 1

Relax in a park – After all that walking on the first day (trust me, it’s worth it), chill out in any one of the city’s many parks:

St. James’ Park (Westminster)

Green Park (Westminster/Central London)

Regent’s Park (Camden Town)

Kensington Gardens (Kensington)

Hyde Park (Central London)

Holland Park (Holland Park)

Battersea Park (Battersea)

Ceviche Soho – Great Peruvian food. 17 Frith Street

Flat Iron – Simple menu featuring steak and salad and a daily special. That’s it! At £10, it’s a steal. 9 Denmark Street and 17 Beak Street

La Bodega Negra – Amazing Mexican food. 16 Moor Street

Eat Tokyo – Delicious ramen. 16 Old Compton Street

The London Gin Club – The best gin London can offer! 22 Great Chapel Street

Three Greyhounds – A fun traditional pub. Fun story: I ended up drinking with Rami Malek from Mr. Robot! He was nice. 25 Greek Street

What to See and Do in London: Day 2

British Museum –

Note: All these museums are free!

What to See and Do in London: Day 3

If you’re visiting during the summer, Buckingham Palace is open to the public (in 2018, the dates are July 21 to September 30.). Booking in advance online is recommended. Tickets are £24.

What to See and Do in London: Day 4

Hit up some more museums – London is museum city. It has some of the best in the world, so I suggest you visit a few more before you go:

What to See and Do in London: Day 5

Visit these art galleries – Into art? Great! London is the perfect place to window-shop! Here are some galleries worth checking out:

Maureen Paley – 21 Herald Street, +44 20 7729 4112, maureenpaley.com

Jealous – Shoreditch and Crouch End, jealousgallery.com

Unit – 3 Hanover Square, +44 20 7494 2035, theunitldn.com

Marian Goodman Gallery – 5-8 Lower John Street, +44 20 7099 0088, mariangoodman.com

Take in a show – London is my second favorite theater spot after New York City. You can’t leave without seeing a show. Check out TKTS for discounted tickets for shows in the West End.

What to See and Do in London: Days 6 or 7

***

Book Your Trip to London: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight to London by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines. Start with Momondo.

Need Some Gear? Check out our resource page for the best companies to use!

Want More Information on London? Be sure to visit our robust London destination guide on London for even more planning tips!

The post How to Spend a Week in London appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/london-itinerary/

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shg11 · 7 years ago

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(CNN)It remains among America's most heinous nightmares: the lives of 20 little children -- dancers and swimmers, pianists and painters, budding readers, little sisters and big brothers -- extinguished in a flash of violence inside Sandy Hook Elementary.

Five years later, even those who have never set foot near Newtown, Connecticut, can conjure the scene painted by police of a first-grade classroom transformed into a killing field. Can see the faces of anguished parents desperate for proof of life, then later, tiny caskets overloaded with stuffed animals never to be named.

Since the 2012 massacre, a new school has been built for the students of a town known, now and for years to come, as a cradle of sorrow -- but also as the home of quiet resilience and untold love.

The 12 girls, eight boys and six women whose futures were stolen that day will be remembered, always. Here is a glimpse of what we learned about them in the days after they were lost:

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Charlotte was sweet, outgoing and full of energy, her grandmother told CNN affiliate WCCO in Minnesota.

"This is tough. This is surreal. You can't believe this could happen," Irene Hagen told the station. "The whole family is just devastated, and we're all trying to come to terms with it."

She said her granddaughter loved school and dresses. Her hair was a mass of beautiful red curls.

"It's horrible. It's really horrible," Hagen told WCCO. "It's hard to believe that someone would kill children, innocent children."

Daniel Barden, 7

Daniel earned his missing two front teeth, his family used to say. His "fearless" pursuit of happiness and life also earned him ripped jeans.

"Despite that, he was, as his mother said, 'Just So Good,'" his family wrote in a statement published in the New Haven Register.

Taking after his musician dad, he and his siblings -- brother James and sister Natalie -- formed a band. Daniel played drums.

He loved to ride waves at the beach and make s'mores around bonfires with his cousins.

"He embodied everything that is wholesome and innocent in the world," the family said.

Rachel D'Avino, 29

She probably didn't know it when she died, but her best friend was about to propose.

He had recently asked D'Avino's parents for their blessing, and he was planning to ask for her hand in marriage on Christmas Eve.

That and other details about D'Avino's life were described in an obituary posted on the website of Munson-Lovetere Funeral Homes of Connecticut.

"Her presence and tremendous smile brightened any room she entered," it read.

Born in Waterbury, D'Avino received her undergraduate degree from the University of Hartford and her master's from Post University. She was working toward her doctorate at the University of St. Joseph of Hartford.

D'Avino loved karate, cooking, animals, photography and her two younger siblings.

"Her passion, however, was her occupation as a behavioral therapist working with children within the autism spectrum," the obituary read.

Olivia Engel, 6

Her favorite stuffed animal was a lamb; pink and purple were her favorite colors.

Olivia's family posted a statement on Facebook with those and other details about their beloved daughter.

"She was insightful for her age and had a great sense of humor. She laughed a lot and always lit up a room including the people around her. She was very creative and was always drawing and designing things," her family said.

Olivia took art and dance lessons, played tennis, soccer and swam. She was involved in Girl Scouts and musical theater. She loved school and did well in math and reading.

Her family described her as a "grateful child ... never greedy." Each night, Olivia led grace at the dinner table.

Josephine Gay, 7

Josephine celebrated her seventh birthday just days before she died. In one picture, published in various news stories, she's smiling with glasses on the tip of her nose.

Josephine liked to ride her bike and sell lemonade in her neighborhood in the summer, The Wall Street Journal reported. The little girl loved the color purple.

Dylan Hockley, 6

Dylan and his family had moved from England to Connecticut two years before he died.

"We specifically chose Sandy Hook for the community and the elementary school. We do not and shall never regret this choice," Dylan's family said in a statement. "Our boys have flourished here, and our family's happiness has been limitless."

Dylan's family said he loved to cuddle and play tag with neighbors at the bus stop every morning.

"He was learning to read and was so proud when he read us a new book every day," the family said. "He adored his big brother Jake, his best friend and role model."

Dylan's parents also expressed gratitude to the educators who died with their son.

"We cannot speak highly enough of Dawn Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach, exceptional women who knew both our children," the family said. "Dylan's teacher, Vicki Soto, was warm and funny and Dylan loved her dearly. We take great comfort in knowing that Dylan was not alone when he died, but was wrapped in the arms of his amazing aide, Anne Marie Murphy. Dylan loved Mrs. Murphy so much and pointed at her picture on our refrigerator every day.

"Though our hearts break for Dylan, they are also filled with love for these and the other beautiful women who all selflessly died trying to save our children."

Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, 47

Hochsprung, who became Sandy Hook Elementary's principal two years before the shooting, was "really nice and very fun, but she was also very much a tough lady in the right sort of sense," friend Tom Prunty said.

And the students loved her. "Even little kids know when someone cares about them, and that was her," he said.

"I never saw her without a smile," said Aimee Seaver, the mother of a first-grader.

Hochsprung lived in Woodbury, Connecticut, with her husband, two daughters and three stepdaughters.

The career educator majored in special education for her bachelor's and master's degrees in the 1990s and had just entered the PhD program at Esteves School of Education at the Sage Colleges in New York. Hochsprung led a school district's strategic planning panel and was the recipient of a national school grant.

Her accomplishments included overseeing the installation of a new security system requiring every visitor to ring the front entrance's doorbell after the school doors locked at 9:30 a.m.

"My mom, Dawn Hochsprung, was taken tragically from me. But she went down in a blaze of glory that truly represents who she was," her daughter, Cristina Hassinger, tweeted.

Madeleine Hsu, 6

Sweet. Unique. Bright. Determined. Sparking.

Those are words Madeleine's family used to describe their little girl.

"She was an avid reader who loved running and dancing," they said. "She was a born leader."

Catherine Hubbard, 6

The little girl with bright red hair will be remembered for her smile and her love of animals.

Catherine is survived by her older brother, her parents, grandparents, great-grandmother, uncles, aunts and nine cousins.

"Her family prays that she, all the students of Sandy Hook Elementary, and all those affected by this brutal event find peace in their hearts," they wrote in her obituary.

A Facebook page honoring Catherine spoke of how she is now an angel.

"Such a beautiful little soul," the post read, saying the family's loss is heaven's gain.

Chase Kowalski, 7

What Chase really wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth.

"I saw him two days ago, and I asked him if he wanted to see Santa, and he told me that he wanted his teeth back, and it was really sweet," Chase's neighbor, Keeley Baumann, 13, told the News-Times newspaper.

At 6, Chase completed his first triathlon, but that was just one of his pursuits. He loved baseball. He was in the Cub Scouts. He looked forward to the kids' workshop at the local Home Depot.

"We are thankful to the Lord for giving us seven years with our beautiful loving son. It is with heavy hearts that we return him," the family said in an obituary.

Jesse Lewis, 6

Jesse loved math, riding horses and playing at his mom's farm, his father told the New York Post.

"He was just a happy boy," Neil Heslin said. "Everybody knew Jesse."

He told the newspaper that his son was planning to make gingerbread houses at school. Heslin was planning to help.

Instead, the last time he saw his son was when he dropped him off at school at 9 a.m.

"He was going to go places in life," Heslin told the Post.

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

"One, two, three, ready and go," Ana counts down in a homemade video provided to CNN affiliate WTIC.

The girl in pigtails stands in front of a piano as her brother plays. Her voice is clear, bigger than her size. Ana smiles and waves.

Her father, Jimmy Greene, is a jazz musician. His representative released a statement on Ana's death, describing the little girl as "beautiful and vibrant."

"The family has requested privacy at this time of heartbreaking loss," it read. They "have asked us to relay their sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support and sympathy locally, nationally and internationally."

James Mattioli, 6

As he was quick to remind everyone, James was 6 and ¾.

"He loved to wear shorts and T-shirts in any weather and grab the gel to spike his hair," his family said in a loving obituary. "He would often sing at the top of his lungs, and once asked, 'How old do I have to be to sing on a stage?'"

Indoors, he spent his time playing games on the iPad -- especially the lawn-mowing one. Outdoors, he loved to dive off the diving board, "swim like a fish" in his grandfather's pool and ride his bike -- without training wheels.

"I need to go outside, Mom. I need fresh air," he would often say.

He was born four weeks early -- because he was hungry, his family joked.

James had a voracious appetite. His favorites? His dad's egg omelets with bacon, and his mom's French toast.

He looked up to his older sister, wanting to do everything she could.

"They were the best of friends, going to school together, playing games together, and making endless drawings and crafts together."

The boy, whose family fondly called him "J," will be incredibly missed, they said.

Grace McDonnell, 7

Grace was the "light and love of our family," her mother told CNN.

She loved her brother, school, the beach and wanted to be a painter.

For her seventh birthday in November, Grace requested a purple cake with a turquoise peace sign and polka dots. And that's exactly what she got.

"She was all about peace and gentleness and kindness," Lynn McDonnell told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "Grace didn't have an ounce of hate in her, and so we have to live through Grace and realize that hate is not how our family is."

The family drew cupcakes, ice creams cones, lighthouses and seagulls -- all things Grace loved -- on her tiny white casket.

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

A hero. That's how a first responder reportedly described Murphy to her father.

He told Newsday that authorities told him her body was found in a classroom, covering young children killed in the shooting in an apparent attempt to shield them.

"She died doing what she loved. She was serving children and serving God," Murphy's mother, Alice McGowan, told the newspaper.

A married mother of four, Murphy was artistic and hardworking, her parents said.

"She was a happy soul," her mother told Newsday. "She was a very good daughter, a good mother, a good wife."

Emilie Parker, 6

She could "light up a room," Emilie's father said about his oldest daughter.

Robbie Parker described her as "bright, creative and very loving." Emilie was always willing to try new things, he said, except food. Her laugh was infectious.

"My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing up and giving her love and support to all of those victims, because that is the type of person she is," Parker said.

She was "an exceptional artist, and she always carried around her markers and pencils so she never missed an opportunity to draw a picture or make a card for someone," he said.

"This world is a better place because she has been in it," Parker said.

Emilie's aunt described her niece as the "sweetest little girl I've ever known."

The family is devastated that "someone so beautiful and perfect is no longer going to be in our lives and for no reason," said Jill Cottle Garrett.

Emilie's father, who works as a physician assistant in the newborn unit at the Danbury hospital, recalled his last conversation with his daughter was in Portuguese, a language he was teaching her.

"She said that she loved me, and I gave her a kiss, and I was out the door," he said.

Jack Pinto, 6

Jack was a first-grader, and his interests ran the gamut -- baseball, basketball, wrestling, snow skiing. But his first love was football, and his idol was Victor Cruz, then the New York Giants star receiver.

Cruz paid tribute to the team's young fan by scribbling "Jack Pinto. My Hero" on one of his cleats and "R.I.P. Jack Pinto" on the other for the team's game with the Atlanta Falcons the Sunday after the shooting. On his glove, Cruz wrote, "Jack Pinto. This one is 4 U!"

Jack participated in his first wrestling match not long before his death and won a medal, according to the president of the New Milford Wrestling Association.

"In life and in death, Jack will forever be remembered for the immeasurable joy he brought to all who had the pleasure of knowing him, a joy whose wide reach belied his six short years," Jack's family wrote in an obituary for the little boy.

Noah Pozner, 6

"He had a huge heart, and he was so much fun, a little bit rambunctious, lots of spirit," Noah's aunt told CNN. "He was really the light of the room."

Victoria Haller said her nephew loved playing with his cousins and siblings, especially his twin sister.

"He was a gorgeous, gorgeous boy, and he could really get what he wanted just by batting those long eyelashes and looking at you with those big blue eyes. You really couldn't say no to him," she said.

His siblings weren't told immediately how Noah passed away, Haller said.

"How do you tell them that's how their brother died?" she asked. "It's the unthinkable really."

Caroline Previdi, 6

"You were a sweet little girl and you will be missed."

That's the message that Caroline's aunt reportedly tweeted, saying good-bye to her niece, according to the online version of the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California.

"It hurts even more to see a familiar name on that list," the report said Paige Tremblay also tweeted.

A Facebook page called "RIP Caroline Previdi -- Sandy Hook Massacre Victim" contains dozens of messages. One reads: "Rest in Peace, sweetheart. I know for sure that God is with you and all the other sweet little angels. I feel so very sorry for all these families who lost their precious kids, my heart goes out to all of you."

Jessica Rekos, 6

Jessica loved everything about horses -- horse movies, horse books, drawing horses and writing stories about them.

She asked Santa this year for new cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat. Her family had promised she could get her own horse when she turned 10.

"She was a creative, beautiful little girl," her family said in a statement, describing Jessica as their "rock."

"She had an answer for everything, she didn't miss a trick, and she outsmarted us every time. We called her our little CEO for the way she carefully thought out and planned everything," they said. "We cannot imagine our life without her."

Jessica also loved orca whales and playing with her two little brothers.

"We are mourning her loss, sharing our beautiful memories we have of her, and trying to help her brother Travis understand why he can't play with his best friend," her family said.

Avielle Richman, 6

Avielle was happiest when she was on a horse.

Her trainer, Annette Sullivan, told the Connecticut Post that Avielle would "giggle when she trotted."

Like kids her age, her first loose tooth was a sign she was growing up.

"She showed me her wiggly tooth, she was so excited," Sullivan told the newspaper. "She was the most delightful little girl you ever met in your life."

Lauren Rousseau, 30

Rousseau, a permanent substitute teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, "wanted to be a teacher from before she even went to kindergarten," her mother said in a written statement. "We will miss her terribly and will take comfort knowing that she had achieved that dream," Teresa Rousseau said.

She grew up in Danbury, Connecticut, and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in elementary education from the University of Bridgeport.

Rousseau "worked as a substitute teacher in Danbury, New Milford and Newtown before she was hired in November as a permanent substitute teacher at Sandy Hook," her mother said.

Mary Sherlach, 56

Sherlach, Sandy Hook Elementary's school psychologist, was with Hochsprung when they heard a "pop, pop, pop" sound around 9:30 a.m., a parent who was with both women at the time told CNN. Sherlach was shot to death after heading into the hall to find out what was happening.

"I ... am always ready to assist in problem-solving, intervention and prevention," Sherlach wrote on her website.

Sherlach earned her undergraduate degree in psychology at SUNY Cortland and a master's degree at Southern Connecticut State University. She worked as a rehabilitation assistant at a group home for disabled adults and as a community mental health placement specialist before becoming a school psychologist.

She worked in three Connecticut school systems before moving to Sandy Hook Elementary in 1994. During her time in Newtown, Sherlach kept busy as a member of numerous groups, including the district conflict resolution committee, safe school climate committee, crisis intervention team and student instructional team.

Sherlach and her husband of more than three decades lived in Trumbull, Connecticut, and, together, they were "proud parents" of two daughters in their late 20s. Her website listed her interests as gardening, reading and going to the theater.

Victoria Soto, 27

Soto, a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, moved her students away from the classroom door when she heard gunfire, which students initially "thought were hammers falling," according to the father of one of her students.

"That's when the gunman burst in, did not say a word, no facial expressions, and proceeded to shoot their teacher," said Robert Licata, whose 6-year-old son, Aiden, escaped by running past the shooter.

Soto's mother said her daughter was selfless.

"She would not hesitate to think to save anyone else before herself, and especially children. She loved them more than life, and she would definitely put herself in front of them any day," Donna Soto told CNN.

Soto had wanted to be a teacher since she was 3 and talked about her students with "such fondness and caring," her mother said.

Soto's cousin, James Wiltsie, said Soto "instinctively went into action, when a monster came into her classroom, and tried to protect the kids that she loved so much."

"We just want the public to know that Vicki was a hero," he said.

Soto had a dog she loved. The black lab Roxie spent Saturday wandering around Soto's apartment, apparently looking for her, relatives said.

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Ben loved The Beatles, lighthouses and the No. 7 train to Sunnyside, Queens, his family said in a statement.

He and his older brother Nate "filled the house with the noise of four children."

"Ben Wheeler was an irrepressibly bright and spirited boy whose love of fun and excitement at the wonders of life and the world could rarely be contained. His rush to experience life was headlong, creative and immediate," his family said.

Ben loved soccer and swimming. Recently, he performed at a piano recital -- a major feat for a little boy who rarely sat still.

Friday morning before school, he told him mom: "I still want to be an architect, but I also want to be a paleontologist, because that's what Nate is going to be, and I want to do everything Nate does."

Ben, Nate, and their parents, Francine and David Wheeler, moved to Newtown in 2007. Francine Wheeler is a music teacher and performer. David Wheeler is an illustrator and designer.

Two days after the shooting, Francine Wheeler's band posted the following message on its Facebook page:

"With heavy hearts, we inform you of our saddest news: Francine Wheeler, a founding member of The Dream Jam Band, has lost her precious 6-year old son, Ben, to the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Our prayers and love go out to Francine, David and Ben's big brother, Nate."

Allison Wyatt, 6

Allison once offered her snacks to a stranger on plane. That's just the type of person she was.

Allison was a "sweet, creative, funny, intelligent little girl who had an amazing life ahead of her," her parents said.

They described their daughter as kind-hearted. She loved to draw and wanted to be an artist.

"She loved to laugh and was developing her own wonderful sense of humor that ranged from just being a silly 6-year-old to coming up with observations that more than once had us crying with laughter," her parents said.

"Allison made the world a better place for six, far too short years, and we now have to figure out how to move on without her ... We love and miss her so much."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/us/sandy-hook-newtown-shooting-victims-profiles/index.html

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trendingnewsb · 7 years ago

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5 years after Sandy Hook, the victims have not been forgotten

(CNN)It remains among America’s most heinous nightmares: the lives of 20 little children — dancers and swimmers, pianists and painters, budding readers, little sisters and big brothers — extinguished in a flash of violence inside Sandy Hook Elementary.

Since the 2012 massacre, a new school has been built for the students of a town known, now and for years to come, as a cradle of sorrow — but also as the home of quiet resilience and untold love.

The 12 girls, eight boys and six women whose futures were stolen that day will be remembered, always. Here is a glimpse of what we learned about them in the days after they were lost:

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Charlotte was sweet, outgoing and full of energy, her grandmother told CNN affiliate WCCO in Minnesota.

“This is tough. This is surreal. You can’t believe this could happen,” Irene Hagen told the station. “The whole family is just devastated, and we’re all trying to come to terms with it.”

She said her granddaughter loved school and dresses. Her hair was a mass of beautiful red curls.

“It’s horrible. It’s really horrible,” Hagen told WCCO. “It’s hard to believe that someone would kill children, innocent children.”

Daniel Barden, 7

Daniel earned his missing two front teeth, his family used to say. His “fearless” pursuit of happiness and life also earned him ripped jeans.

“Despite that, he was, as his mother said, ‘Just So Good,'” his family wrote in a statement published in the New Haven Register.

Taking after his musician dad, he and his siblings — brother James and sister Natalie — formed a band. Daniel played drums.

He loved to ride waves at the beach and make s’mores around bonfires with his cousins.

“He embodied everything that is wholesome and innocent in the world,” the family said.

Rachel D’Avino, 29

She probably didn’t know it when she died, but her best friend was about to propose.

He had recently asked D’Avino’s parents for their blessing, and he was planning to ask for her hand in marriage on Christmas Eve.

That and other details about D’Avino’s life were described in an obituary posted on the website of Munson-Lovetere Funeral Homes of Connecticut.

“Her presence and tremendous smile brightened any room she entered,” it read.

Born in Waterbury, D’Avino received her undergraduate degree from the University of Hartford and her master’s from Post University. She was working toward her doctorate at the University of St. Joseph of Hartford.

D’Avino loved karate, cooking, animals, photography and her two younger siblings.

“Her passion, however, was her occupation as a behavioral therapist working with children within the autism spectrum,” the obituary read.

Olivia Engel, 6

Her favorite stuffed animal was a lamb; pink and purple were her favorite colors.

Olivia’s family posted a statement on Facebook with those and other details about their beloved daughter.

“She was insightful for her age and had a great sense of humor. She laughed a lot and always lit up a room including the people around her. She was very creative and was always drawing and designing things,” her family said.

Olivia took art and dance lessons, played tennis, soccer and swam. She was involved in Girl Scouts and musical theater. She loved school and did well in math and reading.

Her family described her as a “grateful child … never greedy.” Each night, Olivia led grace at the dinner table.

Josephine Gay, 7

Josephine celebrated her seventh birthday just days before she died. In one picture, published in various news stories, she’s smiling with glasses on the tip of her nose.

Josephine liked to ride her bike and sell lemonade in her neighborhood in the summer, The Wall Street Journal reported. The little girl loved the color purple.

Dylan Hockley, 6

Dylan and his family had moved from England to Connecticut two years before he died.

“We specifically chose Sandy Hook for the community and the elementary school. We do not and shall never regret this choice,” Dylan’s family said in a statement. “Our boys have flourished here, and our family’s happiness has been limitless.”

Dylan’s family said he loved to cuddle and play tag with neighbors at the bus stop every morning.

“He was learning to read and was so proud when he read us a new book every day,” the family said. “He adored his big brother Jake, his best friend and role model.”

Dylan’s parents also expressed gratitude to the educators who died with their son.

“We cannot speak highly enough of Dawn Hochsprung and Mary Sherlach, exceptional women who knew both our children,” the family said. “Dylan’s teacher, Vicki Soto, was warm and funny and Dylan loved her dearly. We take great comfort in knowing that Dylan was not alone when he died, but was wrapped in the arms of his amazing aide, Anne Marie Murphy. Dylan loved Mrs. Murphy so much and pointed at her picture on our refrigerator every day.

“Though our hearts break for Dylan, they are also filled with love for these and the other beautiful women who all selflessly died trying to save our children.”

Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, 47

Hochsprung, who became Sandy Hook Elementary’s principal two years before the shooting, was “really nice and very fun, but she was also very much a tough lady in the right sort of sense,” friend Tom Prunty said.

And the students loved her. “Even little kids know when someone cares about them, and that was her,” he said.

“I never saw her without a smile,” said Aimee Seaver, the mother of a first-grader.

Hochsprung lived in Woodbury, Connecticut, with her husband, two daughters and three stepdaughters.

The career educator majored in special education for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the 1990s and had just entered the PhD program at Esteves School of Education at the Sage Colleges in New York. Hochsprung led a school district’s strategic planning panel and was the recipient of a national school grant.

Her accomplishments included overseeing the installation of a new security system requiring every visitor to ring the front entrance’s doorbell after the school doors locked at 9:30 a.m.

“My mom, Dawn Hochsprung, was taken tragically from me. But she went down in a blaze of glory that truly represents who she was,” her daughter, Cristina Hassinger, tweeted.

Madeleine Hsu, 6

Sweet. Unique. Bright. Determined. Sparking.

Those are words Madeleine’s family used to describe their little girl.

“She was an avid reader who loved running and dancing,” they said. “She was a born leader.”

Catherine Hubbard, 6

The little girl with bright red hair will be remembered for her smile and her love of animals.

Catherine is survived by her older brother, her parents, grandparents, great-grandmother, uncles, aunts and nine cousins.

“Her family prays that she, all the students of Sandy Hook Elementary, and all those affected by this brutal event find peace in their hearts,” they wrote in her obituary.

A Facebook page honoring Catherine spoke of how she is now an angel.

“Such a beautiful little soul,” the post read, saying the family’s loss is heaven’s gain.

Chase Kowalski, 7

What Chase really wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth.

“I saw him two days ago, and I asked him if he wanted to see Santa, and he told me that he wanted his teeth back, and it was really sweet,” Chase’s neighbor, Keeley Baumann, 13, told the News-Times newspaper.

At 6, Chase completed his first triathlon, but that was just one of his pursuits. He loved baseball. He was in the Cub Scouts. He looked forward to the kids’ workshop at the local Home Depot.

“We are thankful to the Lord for giving us seven years with our beautiful loving son. It is with heavy hearts that we return him,” the family said in an obituary.

Jesse Lewis, 6

Jesse loved math, riding horses and playing at his mom’s farm, his father told the New York Post.

“He was just a happy boy,” Neil Heslin said. “Everybody knew Jesse.”

He told the newspaper that his son was planning to make gingerbread houses at school. Heslin was planning to help.

Instead, the last time he saw his son was when he dropped him off at school at 9 a.m.

“He was going to go places in life,” Heslin told the Post.

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

“One, two, three, ready and go,” Ana counts down in a homemade video provided to CNN affiliate WTIC.

The girl in pigtails stands in front of a piano as her brother plays. Her voice is clear, bigger than her size. Ana smiles and waves.

Her father, Jimmy Greene, is a jazz musician. His representative released a statement on Ana’s death, describing the little girl as “beautiful and vibrant.”

“The family has requested privacy at this time of heartbreaking loss,” it read. They “have asked us to relay their sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support and sympathy locally, nationally and internationally.”

James Mattioli, 6

As he was quick to remind everyone, James was 6 and ¾.

“He loved to wear shorts and T-shirts in any weather and grab the gel to spike his hair,” his family said in a loving obituary. “He would often sing at the top of his lungs, and once asked, ‘How old do I have to be to sing on a stage?'”

Indoors, he spent his time playing games on the iPad — especially the lawn-mowing one. Outdoors, he loved to dive off the diving board, “swim like a fish” in his grandfather’s pool and ride his bike — without training wheels.

“I need to go outside, Mom. I need fresh air,” he would often say.

He was born four weeks early — because he was hungry, his family joked.

James had a voracious appetite. His favorites? His dad’s egg omelets with bacon, and his mom’s French toast.

He looked up to his older sister, wanting to do everything she could.

“They were the best of friends, going to school together, playing games together, and making endless drawings and crafts together.”

The boy, whose family fondly called him “J,” will be incredibly missed, they said.

Grace McDonnell, 7

Grace was the “light and love of our family,” her mother told CNN.

She loved her brother, school, the beach and wanted to be a painter.

For her seventh birthday in November, Grace requested a purple cake with a turquoise peace sign and polka dots. And that’s exactly what she got.

“She was all about peace and gentleness and kindness,” Lynn McDonnell told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “Grace didn’t have an ounce of hate in her, and so we have to live through Grace and realize that hate is not how our family is.”

The family drew cupcakes, ice creams cones, lighthouses and seagulls — all things Grace loved — on her tiny white casket.

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

A hero. That’s how a first responder reportedly described Murphy to her father.

He told Newsday that authorities told him her body was found in a classroom, covering young children killed in the shooting in an apparent attempt to shield them.

“She died doing what she loved. She was serving children and serving God,” Murphy’s mother, Alice McGowan, told the newspaper.

A married mother of four, Murphy was artistic and hardworking, her parents said.

“She was a happy soul,” her mother told Newsday. “She was a very good daughter, a good mother, a good wife.”

Emilie Parker, 6

She could “light up a room,” Emilie’s father said about his oldest daughter.

Robbie Parker described her as “bright, creative and very loving.” Emilie was always willing to try new things, he said, except food. Her laugh was infectious.

“My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing up and giving her love and support to all of those victims, because that is the type of person she is,” Parker said.

She was “an exceptional artist, and she always carried around her markers and pencils so she never missed an opportunity to draw a picture or make a card for someone,” he said.

“This world is a better place because she has been in it,” Parker said.

Emilie’s aunt described her niece as the “sweetest little girl I’ve ever known.”

The family is devastated that “someone so beautiful and perfect is no longer going to be in our lives and for no reason,” said Jill Cottle Garrett.

Emilie’s father, who works as a physician assistant in the newborn unit at the Danbury hospital, recalled his last conversation with his daughter was in Portuguese, a language he was teaching her.

“She said that she loved me, and I gave her a kiss, and I was out the door,” he said.

Jack Pinto, 6

Jack was a first-grader, and his interests ran the gamut — baseball, basketball, wrestling, snow skiing. But his first love was football, and his idol was Victor Cruz, then the New York Giants star receiver.

Cruz paid tribute to the team’s young fan by scribbling “Jack Pinto. My Hero” on one of his cleats and “R.I.P. Jack Pinto” on the other for the team’s game with the Atlanta Falcons the Sunday after the shooting. On his glove, Cruz wrote, “Jack Pinto. This one is 4 U!”

Jack participated in his first wrestling match not long before his death and won a medal, according to the president of the New Milford Wrestling Association.

“In life and in death, Jack will forever be remembered for the immeasurable joy he brought to all who had the pleasure of knowing him, a joy whose wide reach belied his six short years,” Jack’s family wrote in an obituary for the little boy.

Noah Pozner, 6

“He had a huge heart, and he was so much fun, a little bit rambunctious, lots of spirit,” Noah’s aunt told CNN. “He was really the light of the room.”

Victoria Haller said her nephew loved playing with his cousins and siblings, especially his twin sister.

“He was a gorgeous, gorgeous boy, and he could really get what he wanted just by batting those long eyelashes and looking at you with those big blue eyes. You really couldn’t say no to him,” she said.

His siblings weren’t told immediately how Noah passed away, Haller said.

“How do you tell them that’s how their brother died?” she asked. “It’s the unthinkable really.”

Caroline Previdi, 6

“You were a sweet little girl and you will be missed.”

That’s the message that Caroline’s aunt reportedly tweeted, saying good-bye to her niece, according to the online version of the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California.

“It hurts even more to see a familiar name on that list,” the report said Paige Tremblay also tweeted.

A Facebook page called “RIP Caroline Previdi — Sandy Hook Massacre Victim” contains dozens of messages. One reads: “Rest in Peace, sweetheart. I know for sure that God is with you and all the other sweet little angels. I feel so very sorry for all these families who lost their precious kids, my heart goes out to all of you.”

Jessica Rekos, 6

Jessica loved everything about horses — horse movies, horse books, drawing horses and writing stories about them.

She asked Santa this year for new cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat. Her family had promised she could get her own horse when she turned 10.

“She was a creative, beautiful little girl,” her family said in a statement, describing Jessica as their “rock.”

“She had an answer for everything, she didn’t miss a trick, and she outsmarted us every time. We called her our little CEO for the way she carefully thought out and planned everything,” they said. “We cannot imagine our life without her.”

Jessica also loved orca whales and playing with her two little brothers.

“We are mourning her loss, sharing our beautiful memories we have of her, and trying to help her brother Travis understand why he can’t play with his best friend,” her family said.

Avielle Richman, 6

Avielle was happiest when she was on a horse.

Her trainer, Annette Sullivan, told the Connecticut Post that Avielle would “giggle when she trotted.”

Like kids her age, her first loose tooth was a sign she was growing up.

“She showed me her wiggly tooth, she was so excited,” Sullivan told the newspaper. “She was the most delightful little girl you ever met in your life.”

Lauren Rousseau, 30

Rousseau, a permanent substitute teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, “wanted to be a teacher from before she even went to kindergarten,” her mother said in a written statement. “We will miss her terribly and will take comfort knowing that she had achieved that dream,” Teresa Rousseau said.

She grew up in Danbury, Connecticut, and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Bridgeport.

Rousseau “worked as a substitute teacher in Danbury, New Milford and Newtown before she was hired in November as a permanent substitute teacher at Sandy Hook,” her mother said.

Mary Sherlach, 56

Sherlach, Sandy Hook Elementary’s school psychologist, was with Hochsprung when they heard a “pop, pop, pop” sound around 9:30 a.m., a parent who was with both women at the time told CNN. Sherlach was shot to death after heading into the hall to find out what was happening.

“I … am always ready to assist in problem-solving, intervention and prevention,” Sherlach wrote on her website.

Sherlach earned her undergraduate degree in psychology at SUNY Cortland and a master’s degree at Southern Connecticut State University. She worked as a rehabilitation assistant at a group home for disabled adults and as a community mental health placement specialist before becoming a school psychologist.

Sherlach and her husband of more than three decades lived in Trumbull, Connecticut, and, together, they were “proud parents” of two daughters in their late 20s. Her website listed her interests as gardening, reading and going to the theater.

Victoria Soto, 27

Soto, a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, moved her students away from the classroom door when she heard gunfire, which students initially “thought were hammers falling,” according to the father of one of her students.

“That’s when the gunman burst in, did not say a word, no facial expressions, and proceeded to shoot their teacher,” said Robert Licata, whose 6-year-old son, Aiden, escaped by running past the shooter.

Soto’s mother said her daughter was selfless.

“She would not hesitate to think to save anyone else before herself, and especially children. She loved them more than life, and she would definitely put herself in front of them any day,” Donna Soto told CNN.

Soto had wanted to be a teacher since she was 3 and talked about her students with “such fondness and caring,” her mother said.

Soto’s cousin, James Wiltsie, said Soto “instinctively went into action, when a monster came into her classroom, and tried to protect the kids that she loved so much.”

“We just want the public to know that Vicki was a hero,” he said.

Soto had a dog she loved. The black lab Roxie spent Saturday wandering around Soto’s apartment, apparently looking for her, relatives said.

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Ben loved The Beatles, lighthouses and the No. 7 train to Sunnyside, Queens, his family said in a statement.

He and his older brother Nate “filled the house with the noise of four children.”

“Ben Wheeler was an irrepressibly bright and spirited boy whose love of fun and excitement at the wonders of life and the world could rarely be contained. His rush to experience life was headlong, creative and immediate,” his family said.

Ben loved soccer and swimming. Recently, he performed at a piano recital — a major feat for a little boy who rarely sat still.

Friday morning before school, he told him mom: “I still want to be an architect, but I also want to be a paleontologist, because that’s what Nate is going to be, and I want to do everything Nate does.”

Ben, Nate, and their parents, Francine and David Wheeler, moved to Newtown in 2007. Francine Wheeler is a music teacher and performer. David Wheeler is an illustrator and designer.

Two days after the shooting, Francine Wheeler’s band posted the following message on its Facebook page:

“With heavy hearts, we inform you of our saddest news: Francine Wheeler, a founding member of The Dream Jam Band, has lost her precious 6-year old son, Ben, to the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Our prayers and love go out to Francine, David and Ben’s big brother, Nate.”

Allison Wyatt, 6

Allison once offered her snacks to a stranger on plane. That’s just the type of person she was.

Allison was a “sweet, creative, funny, intelligent little girl who had an amazing life ahead of her,” her parents said.

They described their daughter as kind-hearted. She loved to draw and wanted to be an artist.

“She loved to laugh and was developing her own wonderful sense of humor that ranged from just being a silly 6-year-old to coming up with observations that more than once had us crying with laughter,” her parents said.

“Allison made the world a better place for six, far too short years, and we now have to figure out how to move on without her … We love and miss her so much.”

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kansascityhappenings · 7 years ago

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5 years after Sandy Hook, the victims have not been forgotten

It remains among America’s most heinous nightmares: the lives of 20 little children — dancers and swimmers, pianists and painters, budding readers, little sisters and big brothers — extinguished in a flash of violence inside Sandy Hook Elementary.

Taken with them on that chilly Friday in December — just 11 days before Christmas — were six adults felled by the same gunman as they refused to abandon their sacred trust to safeguard the smallest among them.

The 20 children and six adults killed five years ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut will be remembered, always. Here's a glimpse of what was lost. https://t.co/PHTWkka5u5 pic.twitter.com/MGsNImCKSq

— CNN (@CNN) December 14, 2017

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Since the 2012 massacre, a new school has been built for the students of a town known, now and for years to come, as a cradle of sorrow — but also as the home of quiet resilience and untold love.

The 12 girls, eight boys and six women whose futures were stolen that day will be remembered, always. Here is a glimpse of what we learned about them in the days after they were taken:

Charlotte Bacon, 6

Charlotte was sweet, outgoing and full of energy, her grandmother told CNN affiliate WCCO in Minnesota.

“This is tough. This is surreal. You can’t believe this could happen,” Irene Hagen told the station. “The whole family is just devastated, and we’re all trying to come to terms with it.”

She said her granddaughter loved school and dresses. Her hair was a mass of beautiful red curls.

“It’s horrible. It’s really horrible,” Hagen told WCCO. “It’s hard to believe that someone would kill children, innocent children.”

Daniel Barden, 7

Daniel earned his missing two front teeth, his family used to say. His “fearless” pursuit of happiness and life also earned him ripped jeans.

“Despite that, he was, as his mother said, ‘Just So Good,’” his family wrote in a statement published in the New Haven Register.