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mrcurrygoestospain · 3 years ago

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Camino De Santiago - Round 5

Spain travel log, 2021…

Day One:

September 20 - Depart Seattle for Madrid, by way of London. There were plenty of issues just getting to this point. In addition to the ongoing concerns over COVID-19, or perhaps because of them, I had some serious concerns about whether I could and whether I should do this trip at all. In the end, I think I simply realized that it was totally appropriate for me to go on this trip: I’ve been “responsible” and taken the full round of vaccinations, generally avoided social contacts with people and been diligent about the masks. So I made my reservations and thought everything was fine. About 2 weeks before takeoff, I got an email from Iberia that one of my flights had been changed. When I looked into it, I found that it was the connecting flight from London to Madrid and the schedule had been bumped up by about 6 hours taking me from having a 2 hour layover in Heathrow to needing to be on a plane for Madrid 4 hours before I actually landed in London and would be able to board it… It took attempts at phone calls over several days to get this corrected. Finally, I tried while I was at top work one morning around 5:00 am. I finally got through and a nice lady helped rebook my connecting flight. She found the only available flight on that day that would work; now I have a seven hour layover.

I prepped for my trip, checklists and routes planned. I arrived at the airport 3 hours early, just in case. Although I booked with Iberia, it was a British flight. So standing in line at the BA counter in SeaTac, I saw the sign: “All passengers must show proof of a negative COVID test.” What? I’d already checked multiple times; I only need proof of vaccination to get into Spain. I check the internet. Sure enough, if you’re on a layover in England, you need a negative test…A quick Google search helped me find a testing center at SeaTac airport, so I rushed down to baggage claim number nine to see if I could get a test in time. In all honesty, I really thought I wasn’t going to make it and I’d have to try to contact the airline again to find a way to reschedule my flight. I stood in the line for what seemed like forever, but finally had the privilege of paying $250 for a rapid COVID test. T- minus 2 hours 30 minutes to departure and they promised results in 1-1.5 hours. The test itself was relatively painless. After all of the horror stories I’d heard about the nasal swabs, I was a bit worried. But it didn’t hurt, it just tickled a little bit. I waited, and waited…it seemed like they would never have my results. While I waited, I heard stories from other travelers who had missed flights or rebooking because of these ridiculous COVID-related requirements. One young Canadian lady I spoke to shared that she’d spent over $1000 on COVID tests in the last month due to traveling. I guess my $250 wasn’t so much.

I finally got my negative test results and rushed back to the check in counter, filled out the required government forms and headed through security. The flight was delayed.

After a nine hour flight to London, I had seven or eight hours to kill in Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, before boarding my flight to Madrid. I shopped, I ate, I listened to podcasts. I took a few naps and generally cursed British Airways for changing my original flight. Some Italian guy made quite a scene at the boarding gate for the flight to Madrid. The gate agent handled it quite well and passive-aggressively punished him for his demeanor.

I arrived in Madrid after an easy flight on Iberia, made my way to the metro and on to my Hostel. It was a nice enough place. After 28 hours of travel, I was ready for a shower and bed.

Day 2:

On my one day in Madrid, I walked from my hostel/hotel to the Museo Nacional del Prado. It’s Spain’s greatest art museum. This was my second time there and I spent a lot more of it. There are so many amazing pieces and, for someone who used to truly despise art, it was amazing. I highly recommend it. I haven’t been to a whole lot of art museums, but it is, by far, my favorite. I followed that with a walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens. I’m sure they’re great when all of the flowers are blooming, but in early fall, it’s just a lot of green. Either way, it was still peaceful. I visited another nearby park, walked around and viewed the statues, and then made my way back towards the hotel and passed it to go to the Cathedral opposite the royal palace. It’s a much more modern cathedral than the ones I’ll see on the Camino, but still impressive.

Day 3:

On the morning of the third day, I got up early and got packed. Took the metro to the train station and purchased a ticket to Leon. After two hours on the train, I took a 20 minute walk to the hotel and dropped off my bag, and then spent the next few hours wandering the city. I found a barber and got a haircut for 9 Euro, quite a bargain. Stopped at the “Taste of America” shop to get a bottle of hot sauce (Cholula, of course), and just meandered around the city until I could get checked in at the hotel. It was a pretty uneventful day, which is just what I needed. I was still very tired from all of the traveling and trying to swap schedules.

Day 4:

I got up late, around 8:00 AM and started walking the city. I stopped for a cafe con leche and met a Scottish couple who had been walking the Camino for the last few weeks. While we waited out the rain under cover, the shared with me some of their other walking adventures, including tales of walking through the Swiss Alps on the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route to Rome. I may have to look into that for a future trip. I also shared with them my plans/considerations of taking a walk on the “Great Glen Way” in Scotland. The wife had already done this and highly recommended it, along with the West Highland Way. Both are approximately 5-day walks through some of the wild country of Scotland. When the rain let up, we parted ways and I went to tour the Cathedral, toured the Basilica of Saint Isidore and wandered around town, shopping and eating. Inside the Saint Isidore museum and basilica, i had the opportunity to see what is referred to as the “Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Art” as well as a gold and silver cup that some historians claim is the “holy grail.”

Day 5:

Didn’t sleep much…I forgot how much they like to party in Spain. It was LOUD all night long. Anyway, started my walk. Today was about 27 km and it rained through about 50% of the day. It was a mix of roads and dirt tracks. I only saw one other pilgrim, a Spaniard who doesn’t speak any English. I got ahead of him and had stopped for a rest at a picnics table on top of a mountain. He showed up a few minutes behind me and I tried to chat for a minute, but the language barrier��. I offered him half of my tangerine and then he took off again. I passed him up later. I had been slightly worried about where to stay for the night as the municipal albergue in this province/state are currently closed due to the ‘Rona, but when I got to town I found a pension with rooms available. The lovely lady named Susana showed me to a room and also worked tirelessly to make me a reservation for the following night. I hadn’t eaten much for the day, so I ordered big: hot dog and patatas oil bravas. Patatas bravas is a traditional dish in Spain which is made of fried potatoe cubes that are covered in a (typically) spicy tomato sauce. Potatoes Ali Oli are the same fried potatoes but with a garlic cream sauce instead of the spicy sauce. This one combined both sauces. It was nice. The inside of the restaurant/bar/cafe was very loud with a bunch of men playing a card game I’m not familiar with, so I went outside to have a beer. An older Spaniard, named Hilario, came out and started trying to talk to me. I explained that I am American and I don’t speak much Spanish, but he disagreed. So he went inside and got another man, a Hungarian who had been in Spain for the last 25 years, named Fernanco(?) who was extremely drunk, to come out and talk to me. He was so drunk, he introduced himself as “muy borracho” or “very drunk” and the proceeded to tell me that he used to be a muy Thai fighter and a coal miner and now he was just a fat drunk who collected money from the government because he got hit in the head too many times. At least I THINK that’s what they were saying…. I went to bed early to get a good rest and let my aching feet and hips recover before a long day tomorrow….from La Robla to Poladura, should be about 25km or so with some very intense climbs. We’ll see.

I’m currently on the Camino San Salvador, which is a route from Leon to Oviedo. They say “whoever goes to Santiago without visiting Oviedo, goes to the servant but not to the Lord.” This is because Oviedo is famous for having a specific relic. While most people are aware of the Shroud of Turin, which is the burial cloth of Jesus, many don’t know (including me, until recently) that traditional Jewish burial included placing a cloth over the face of the deceased immediately after death and until the body was prepared for burial. This cloth would then be removed and the full-body cloth would be applied. So anyway, this Cathedral boasts possession of the face covering that was placed over Jesus’ head, likely immediately after the spear pearled his side and before he was brought down off of the cross. Once I complete the Camino San Salvador (about 5 days, I hope), I will continue on to the Camino Primitivo, one of the many Camino’s de Santiago. So the Camino San Salvador goes to the relics of Christ and the Camino Santiago (Santiago = Saint James) goes to the resting place and remains of Saint James (the major), also known as “Santiago Matamoros” or “Saint James the Moor Slayer”, the patron saint of Spain.

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erinelezabeth920 · 5 years ago

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Love in the Time Of

Nostalgia. Do you remember the last trip you went on? Maybe it was a road trip, or a flight above patchwork plains? Or maybe a visit to family, the old and familiar grating with the growth of life? Do you remember that feeling of just... moving? The passing trees, the stirring as the landscape shuffles and re-arranges itself into your own soul puzzle. It’s a wanderlust- inherent, vital and deep. I remember wind on the mountains- Wyoming maybe or wildflowers in a spring breeze in Colorado. I remember a trumpet in New Orleans in the rain, walking the streets in a whisky daze, taking in melodies that wedged their way into my body like the droplets that fell from the sky. Last night I drank rose and watched an episode of Ken Burns’ documentary on country music. They were at the beginnings, origins until 1930s or so. The sound of the banjo, harmonica, fiddle, mandolin all merging from different areas of the word- the banjo out of Africa and the Caribbean into the horrors of slavery, used to uplift out of a deep and lasting persecution until even the whispered legacy was taken and mangled for white gain. The mandolin from Italy and continental Europe, and the fiddle from the English ballads, Scottish Highlands all merging for something completely new. As I watched, and the melodies faded in and out, I remembered nights in the mountains trying to strum my little guitar under a desert moon. I remembered Indiana, driving through rain listening to bluegrass. I remembered stories my mother and aunts told me of my grandfather, who died when I was in high school. He used to sit on the porch through summer nights and strum his guitar, singing all the old country ballads out of the hills and radio of the 1930s, occasionally throwing in a yodel to the fireflies dotting the upstate New York corn fields. Add that to the Irish and Scottish heritage that runs through my veins, and I’m drawn to the fiddle and picking like a moth to light. I had been listening to an episode of ‘Dolly Parton’s America’ while I cooked dinner; pasta and vegetables while the rain pounded outside. From my headphones, Jad Abumrad had been describing Dolly’s ‘Tennessee Mountain Home’ and the essence of nostalgia in country music. A longing for simpler times. ‘Country music,’ he had said as I strained the pasta into the sink, “is immigrant music.” He went into it a bit. Country music, at its core, is about a longing for something that is gone. A home that once was. A front porch. The sound of a river, or the whistle of a train to unknown places. A sense of home that can’t even be expressed except through a melody that you somehow feel you’ve known your whole life. Once the podcast ended, I sat with my glass of wine out of a can and pasta in front of the TV. Andy was hosting a DnD sesion in the bedroom. I scrolled until I found the PBS episode. I drank my wine and slurped pasta as we went deep into black and white photos and voiced-over stories as Ken Burns does. The origins of those old folk songs we know well, (think “O Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack), one song taken from the other until they’re blended into our conscious and unconscious history. “Music,” Jad had said, “is the soundtrack to our lives. Wherever we go, its with us. And that’s how we mixed.” Jimmie Rodgers circa 1929 travelled around “catching songs.” He’d drive sometimes 90 miles into the hills to listen to someone singing in their kitchen, gather it up in a flutter of shifting memories and dust, and put it down to record. When “Mule Skinner Blues’ began playing over some old photos, I yelped, “Holy crap that’s Dolly’s song!” I knew it was an old folk tune, but I didn’t realize it was Jimmie Rodgers, the OG of country according to most. Dolly took the original lick and turned up the volume to 10. “That song,” Jad had said at one point, “is fire.” Twenty or so minutes later, as the episode credits rolled, lo and behold Dolly’s version began playing. I let the credits roll until finished. Then I turned off the TV and sank into the couch. Silence.

“Okay Google,” I called to the kitchen, “...play ‘Mule Skinner Blues’ by Dolly Parton.”

Jad’s right. That song is fire.

When it finished, too lazy to bother, the Spotify algorithm marched on with the next song. It was Dolly’s voice, but she was singing ‘The Story.’ “Isn’t this Brandi’s song?” Andy asked from the computer where he was now playing video games.

“I think so?” I googled it. Brandi Carlisle, 2007. Dolly Parton cover. “Damn,” I said, “Dolly’s covering Brandi? That’s epic.” “Okay Google, play ‘The Story’ by Brandi Carlisle.” Dolly’s version was fine, but Brandi is the new queen. I laid on the couch and listened. As her gritty, smooth voice washed over me, I remembered Chattanooga, Tennessee in early September. I remembered sitting in a lawn of a big park, festival lights strung through the heavy leaves, a wide river, humid skies, a big moon. The day had been sweltering, but by the time Brandi came out for her headliner it had cooled to an ease. The grass was full of people, standing, sitting, or somewhere in between. The air dripped and hummed and turned indigo as she sang her first note. Google then moved on to Joni Mitchell. Good job algorithm, because I happened to remember that Tennessee night in September, Brandi telling us that Joni was her idol. She was going to have a chance in a month or so to play the album ‘Blue’ all the way through for Joni herself. ‘I’m going to royally fuck up,” she told us. “I need to practice on you.” So she did. I closed my eyes. The moon reflected in scintillations on the river. I thought she sounded like warm honey. I went to get up, to turn off the music and go to bed. It was late and I had to work in the morning. As I walked over toward the kitchen the little white screen on the counter tucked behind the coffee maker, as if in a small act of defiance, struck up some solemn piano chords. The beginning of ‘I And Love And You’ by the Avett Brothers. I sighed softly, cursed the Spotify algorithm for being too damn good, and slowly walked back to the couch. I laid down and closed my eyes.

Immediately I saw in my mind the wide Columbia River at sunset, the sweeping rocks and plains of Eastern Washington. The music filled the gorge like a bowl, rising up as if from the river itself. I’ve seen the Avett Brothers twice live, both times at the Gorge Amphitheater sitting next to friends as the sky lit on fire. The clouds turned orange to dark blue, and the lights of the stage looked like heaven twinkling. I could feel the blanket beneath me, the cold grass, the gentle swaying of the bodies of my friends beside me. “Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in... are you aware the shape I’m in. My hands they shake my head it spins. Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.” The mighty Columbia flowed dark and wide in the space beyond.

(The Gorge, August 2019) Back in the apartment, eyes still closed as the notes lingered, trying to hold on to the wisps of memories, Google moved on to “The Joke”. Back to Brandi. If you know that song, I don’t need to explain. The music swelled. She basically shattered her emotions through the ceiling in a soaring arc of notes. I thought of her, young and unknown busking at Pike Place, the folk ringing through her voice surrounded by the grunge of the 90s in back bars and alleys. You can hear it in her songs, the moody gray sky, ocean and deep misty mountains, chunky guitar and angst. They try to put us in boxes, slap on labels but the joke’s on them. It’s ‘the rub’, as Ken Burns called it. Seattle and folk, Tennessee and jazz. Slavery and persecution, reconstruction and high rises. The rub of people and place, the mixing and sighing of ideas like notes mingling in the night air. “Imagine a ship,” says Jad. “Nineteenth century, whaling ship maybe in the Indian Ocean. Full of people from different cultures, places. What did they have with them? Likely instruments. And a lot of free time.” Do you remember the last trip you took? The sounds, the sights, the smells passing you by like dandelion seeds drifting in the wind. They latch onto your coarse sweaters, stick to your old shoes. Maybe they’re discarded, or they take root, slowly growing into something more. You know that scene at the end of Lord of the Rings, where Sam and Frodo are on the side of Mt. Doom and Frodo says, “No Sam, I can’t recall The Shire, nor the taste of strawberries?” Sometimos, especially recently, I feel like that. I know it’s dramatic, but it’s also true. The hug of a friend, a seething mass of bodies at a concert, the electricity of a new city, or moonlight floating on a river as Joni Mitchell is practiced to the Tennessee sky. It’s the rub, brushing up against life, re-inventing ourselves over and over, growing like the dandelion into our veins, a little newer each time. I miss it. I told Google to turn off the music. The rain outside had stopped. I got up off the couch. Andy sat at the computer, headphones on. I brushed my teeth and went to bed, the silence of the apartment heavy as a blanket. And somewhere in the space between sleep and dreams, a fiddle flickered a tune, fading into the ether like moonlight falling on the dark water below.

#country music #live music #quarantine #creative writing #mental health #seattle #music #travel

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little-murmaider · 6 years ago

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Tagged by @calliopinot on my main but I’m answering over here because I feel like it!!!!!! 1) Height: 5″2 but it says 5″3 on my license heheheheheheh. 2) Last thing I googled: "best hudson county waterfront brunch spots” I’m helping plan my friend’s bachelorette. 3) Favorite musicians: I go through different phases but some of my Standards are Beyonce, Mitski, Regina Spektor, Lorde, Frank Ocean, Bruce Springsteen and of course Carly Rae Jepsen who I’m seeing in two weeks aaaahhhhhh!!!!! 4) Song stuck in my head: The entire soundtrack from the “Co-Op the Musical” episode of Documentary Now!, but in particular “I Gotta Go.” 5) Followers: 735 (175 on my main eheheh) 6) Following: 689 7) Do you get asks: Sometimes! Usually when I solicit them, I don’t get too many random asks and I don’t really do requests anymore. (Mostly cause I’m embarrassed of the unaddressed requests I’ve accumulated over the last few years I’m SORRY.) But I love to chat! Feel free to send me a message or DM! 8) Amount of sleep: Like, 4-6 hours a night? Maybe? I wake up every couple of hours. My sleep schedule is a mess and driving 24 hours in the last three days won’t help! 9) Lucky number: 3 and 22. 10) What are you wearing: My volleyball uniform cause it’s Adult Recreational Volleyball League night, baybee!!! This season we’re purple! 11) Dream Job: My current job is pretty wonderful, and I fully intend on staying here as long as I can. But even before finding it I didn’t really have a “dream job.” I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be paid to write for most of my career. Mostly I’d like to be independently wealthy, live in a lighthouse down the shore, write fiction, and throw conch shells at children to cultivate rumors I’m a sea witch. 12) Instruments: I played clarinet in 4th grade and fucking hated it. I took guitar lessons freshman year of high school but quit cause it was interfering with track. I bought a bass freshman year of college and never touched it. 13) Languages: English, Cool Teen™ 14) Favorite Song: Christmas Tips from Co-Op the Musical (Actual Answer: 4th of July Asbury Park (Sandy) by Bruce Springsteen is my forever Summer Song. I want to play it at my wedding but I’m pretty sure if I do I’ll just lie down in the middle of the dance floor and cry.) 15) Random Fact: I’ve seen Bill Hader twice, but never officially met him. The first time was on a flight from Seattle to Newark in 2008. VERY exciting because my brothers and I had seen Tropic Thunder days before and spotted him immediately. The second time I was working at a bookstore in New York and was so starstruck I ran into the stacks and watched him through the books until he left. Bill if you’re reading this......I love you.......and I’m sorry I’m so weird....... 16) Aesthetic: I’m kind of in a style transition right now but I aspire to: Beach Witch. Friendly Jock. Cool Older Sister in a 90s Clothing Catalogue. Well-Read Gremlin. Florals.......for Spring?......Groundbreaking....... @incendavery @mordland @atmilliways @aboutthatmelancholystorm @hollywood-rose @picklespunchedme @walkwithursus if you want!!!!

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yessadirichards · 5 years ago

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Facebook cancels developer conference as tech companies respond to virus

[BENGALURU] Facebook Inc said on Thursday it would cancel its annual developer conference due to fears over the coronavirus, as growing concerns about the economic impact of the global outbreak drove Wall Street to tumble for a sixth straight day.

Facebook's F8 conference, which attracted 5,000 people from around the world last year, was scheduled to be held May 5 and 6 in San Jose, California.

Microsoft Corp on Thursday said it still plans to hold its own developer conference in Seattle later in May but withdrew from a gaming conference scheduled for next month in San Francisco, joining a host of multinationals in calling off corporate events and grounding employees from travel as a result of the outbreak.

Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, Facebook's director of platform partnerships, said that instead of the F8 event the company would organise "a combo of locally hosted events, videos and live streamed content."

A Facebook spokesman told Reuters the company has imposed temporary restrictions on business travel for its employees to mainland China, South Korea and Italy, where a significant number of cases have been reported.

Smaller companies are taking action too.

Santa Monica, California-based skin care products seller Beautycounter said on Thursday it cancelled a three-day leadership development conference scheduled for San Francisco's convention center next week and will instead hold a one-day online gathering.

Microsoft likewise plans to hold a digital-only event from March 16-18 in place of the Game Developers Conference. Facebook earlier pulled out of the gaming conference and called off its 4,000-participant global marketing conference, also a San Francisco-based event.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported a coronavirus case of unknown origin in northern California, where some of the world's biggest tech companies are based. It is potentially the first incident of the virus spreading within US communities.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Thursday that the state is monitoring more than 8,400 people for coronavirus symptoms after arrival on commercial flights, but California lacks test kits and is being held back by federal testing rules.

EXHIBITOR EXODUS

The South by Southwest Music and tech festival, set to be held in Austin, Texas, in March, said in a statement that it has seen "a handful" of cancellations related to the virus, but the event will proceed as planned.

Earlier this month, The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the annual telecoms industry gathering in Barcelona, was called off after a mass exodus by exhibitors due to fears over the coronavirus.

AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc and International Business Machines Corp earlier withdrew from the RSA cyber security conference, taking place this week in San Francisco, citing coronavirus concerns.

Job search engine Indeed, which is based in Austin but has offices worldwide, told Reuters on Thursday that it had restricted some international travel, temporarily closed some offices and recommended some people work from home as part of its response to the coronavirus.

"While for the most part it remains business as usual, we're continually evaluating the crisis and adjusting tactics based on evolving information to keep our workforce safe," an Indeed spokeswoman said.

Alphabet Inc's Google said its developer conference is still planned for May 12 to 14, but both Google and Microsoft said they are monitoring coronavirus developments.

Microsoft on Wednesday said it was unlikely to meet its fiscal third-quarter guidance for its Windows and Surface hardware business unit because of hits to the electronics supply chain, echoing similar statements from Apple Inc and HP.

Facebook said earlier this month that it was expecting the outbreak to have some impact on production of its Oculus virtual reality headsets, which are produced in China.

Apple typically holds its developer conference in June, but has not yet made any announcements about dates or the venue. It did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The company last week said it would miss revenue targets for the quarter ending in March because of the virus, but chief executive officer Tim Cook sounded an optimistic note on Thursday.

"It feels to me that China is getting the coronavirus under control," Mr Cook said in an excerpt of an interview released by Fox Business Network Thursday, adding that iPhone components come from the United States as well as China.

Mr Cook told the network that iPhone factories in China have re-opened and are in "phase three of the ramp mode" of returning to normal operations.

Chipmaker Intel Corp said this week that it is banning business-related to travel to or through mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Italy.

The company also said it is requiring workers returning from those countries to avoid working in its facilities for two weeks after they return, and asked workers who experience coronavirus-like symptoms to seek medical attention and not return to its facilities until they are well.

#yessadirichards

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emilyemcnabb · 7 years ago

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Our Trip to New York City {with teens in tow}

Check out Our Trip to New York City and find out how we did it our way, with two teens in tow.

We finally did it – we traveled to New York City for a 5 day trip that wasn’t business related, and I am certifiably hooked on the city life! Here’s what I’ve come to realize about my self: I don’t care much for tropical getaways or theme park destinations, but I love traveling to new cities and diving into the culture.

This trip came about because we were planning to travel to Seattle for a family wedding, but after pricing flights for a family of four it became apparent that we’d get more for our money by staying on the East coast instead. Now that the kids are teenagers, NYC seemed like a great place for all of us to get inspired. My daughter has a very ‘alternative’ style so she was able to see things from a more diverse setting; my son is a chip off the old block and is fascinated by city life; and the hubs and I are suckers for food, culture, nightlife, and people watching.

We traveled in late June and got lucky with the weather. It was perfectly warm, sunny, and lacked humidity for most of the week. We didn’t follow a typical “tourist” agenda; instead we explored things more freely and asked the locals where were the good places to go. Here’s a list of the things we did, and where we went. There were surprises along the way, and so much inspiration around every turn.

Our Trip to New York City

Where we stayed: We booked a flight + hotel package through one of the travel sites, choosing The Lucerne for our stay. We chose it for it’s location, and for it’s good reviews. It’s in the Upper West Side two blocks from Central Park and the Museum of Natural History. After doing our research of the different areas/neighborhoods in Manhattan, we knew we wanted to be in a more residential zone as opposed to a highly-trafficked tourist area. This turned out to be a VERY good decision.

MONDAY

We arrived at the hotel mid-afternoon, dropped our bags, and headed outside to explore our neighborhood. Just three blocks west is a park along the Hudson River, with the Boat Basin Cafe overlooking the marina. We sat outside and enjoyed a snack, cocktails, and the gorgeous weather and view. One of the unexpected highlights of that outing was stumbling across this original Banksy art piece, “Hammer Boy.” We’ve been fans of the artist’s work for a few years but never imagined we’d see one in person…much less on the same block as our hotel!

The rest of the day was spent strolling along (we found the cutest used book store!), relaxing, and having dinner outside at a sidewalk cafe. Afterwards, we got fresh baked cookies from Insomnia Cookies and they were the BEST cookies I’ve ever bought. Crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside…perfection! It’s located right across the street from our hotel so it became a daily stop.

TUESDAY

Tuesday was jam-packed and definitely our most “touristy” day. After sleeping in, we got ready and headed off to the Met…but not before stopping for some street vendor food! When in New York you have to get street food, right! We all got something different and shared. From hot dogs, to meat on a stick, to gyros, it was all delicious!

A lovely stroll through Central Park took us straight to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we spent hours perusing the halls of ancient Egyptian artifacts, Greek & Roman statues, and art by Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, Rockwell, and more. We also saw a specialty exhibit by a Japanese fashion artist, that was so interesting!

After the museum we were rushing to get ready for our night out. We had gotten Broadway tickets the day before, to see….wait for it….Cats! I know, so retro, right. We met with the concierge who just happened to be a former Broadway dancer, and she gave us the scoop on the theaters and seating available at various shows. Sure we would have loved to have seen The Lion King, Wicked, or Dear Evan Hanson, but the tickets available were pricey with bad views. So we went with the next best family-friendly show available, and that was Cats. We actually enjoyed it immensely and the kids REALLY loved it.

A trip to New York City wouldn’t be complete without a walk through Times Square. It made perfect sense to check it out after the show. To see the place lit up like that at night was iconic. We didn’t spend much time there because we were starving! On to a local pub for dinner at 11pm!

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was our day to chill out and not have a schedule, however we ended up with some of the most memorable experiences. We slept in all week (except the hubs who was up early walking the streets, testing out coffee shops & bagel shops) so didn’t get started each day until close to lunch time. On this particular day we happened upon AG Kitchen for lunch and a cocktail, which inspired my sparkling mojito recipe. The food was terrific with kind of a Cuban-Brazilian mashup.

After lunch we hopped on the subway down to discover Chelsea Piers and hang out at the Waterside Park. Surprising to me, it was the end of June and children were just getting out of school for summer break; there were several end-of-year parties taking place.

Our son was on a mission to visit Midtown Comics Store (he’s a big comic book enthusiast) so we made our way back up to 40th Street to find it. Lucky for us, Jack’s Restaurant & Bar was across the street so the hubs and I went inside for some happy hour cocktails while our son was at the comics shop…for over an hour! Jack’s was small and very quaint inside, and a charming place to catch our breath after all that walking.

As dinner time approached, we ate at what I would describe as the quintessential “hidden gem” of a restaurant, that only the locals know about. Coppola’s Italian restaurant was right across the street from our hotel but we never gave it much thought because the sign was very inconspicuous; it just says “osteria & pizzeria” but it is OH-SO-MUCH-MORE! As you go down some stairs to enter this dark, cozy, restaurant lined with old brick walls, you immediately feel like you’ve just joined a secret club. This is not just a “pizzeria,” it’s classic & authentic Italian cuisine, and the wall to wall crowd inside is a testament to that. One of our favorite finds!

One of the nice things about traveling with teenagers is that we adults can have a night out without worries of a babysitter. As darkness fell, we asked about seeing some live jazz music and were directed to Cleopatra’s Needle, a 13 block walk from the hotel. It was open mic night but as with everything else in NYC, it was next level! Their version of open mic is not your typical version of open mic. These were obvious professionals who seem to get together for jam sessions and to sing/play for each other. WOW, were they good!

THURSDAY

We were back to structure and schedules on Thursday as we set out for the Museum of Natural History for a few hours before meeting up with an old friend for dinner and a night out. I have to say that the history museum was my least favorite part of the trip. Unlike an art museum where you see one of a kind pieces wherever you go, I feel like most history museums are pretty much the same. We’ve been to the Smithsonian before so this was kind of like that on repeat. I wish we had gone to the MoMa instead.

Dinner was at the hotel restaurant, Nice Matin, which serves up delicious French cuisine. We met up with one of my oldest girlfriends (25 years and counting) and her new beau as we had a belated celebration of my birthday.

Afterwards, the kids went back up to the room while we headed out for the night. I was dead set on finding a rooftop bar so once again we asked for a recommendation. We ended up at The Empire Hotel rooftop bar where I finally got a view of the city, from some place other than street level. The bar is set up where the center is indoors and there are two rooftop terraces flanking it. A very beautiful place to be. From there we made our way back down to Midtown and ended the night in a local joint with inexpensive drinks, then a slice of New York style pizza!

FRIDAY

Although we had most of the day in the city, it was travel day so we did a little bit of local shopping before heading to the airport.

After this trip to New York City, I wish we were independently wealthy so we could afford to live there or at least visit often. It IS pricey but it was worth it. My top takeaways, advice, and to-do’s are:

Don’t visit like a tourist, live like a local and experience the best of the city. Ask the residents for places to go instead of going to all the ‘most popular’ places. Duck inside off the wall shops or eateries. You’ll probably find a hidden treasure.

I highly recommend staying in the Upper West Side, and The Lucerne Hotel. It was so nice being in an area that wasn’t wall to wall people like Time’s Square or even Midtown. In the mornings we saw nannies with strollers and people going to the gym instead of tourists or business people.

Take advantage of the night life. Whether you’re 25 or 65, there’s got to be something you’ll love to do after dark. Wine bars, jazz lounges, comedy clubs, or neighborhood pubs – it’s vacation after all!

Don’t schedule every minute of every day. There’s SO much to see and do but I don’t regret one bit that I didn’t go to the Empire State Building or shop at pricey department stores, or see the World Trade Center Memorial. I know those things are iconic but at the end of the day that’s not what feeds my soul. I’m much more inspired by the art I saw, the amazing food I ate, and the moments of relaxation in the park by the river, or at the jazz club.

The things I do wish for next time are: visit the Museum of Modern Art, walk along The High Line, spend more time in Central Park, and of course eat and drink my way through the city.

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The post Our Trip to New York City {with teens in tow} appeared first on Celebrations at Home.

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damescapades-parttwo · 8 years ago

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It's been a little over a week, and I don't miss ice as much as I thought I would. It only took four trips out of the country for longer periods of time for this acceptance to take root. How have you bettered yourself this year?

This blogging adventure will be a bit different than the past as WordPress has decided to turn my beautiful blog into a horrible modge-podge of broken photo links. I'm currently debating on trying to switch all of my photos to tumblr, but also... that's a lot of work! If you're new to my blog, go check out the past writing! (and whatever photos are left.) I arrived on April Fool's Day to Sweden with, potentially, the best long haul flight experience of my life. A few glasses of wine and a forensic scientist to chat with while drinking said wine, followed by a entire row of airplane seats to myself, a sweet, new Norwegian airplane, and a completely edible in-flight breakfast maybe set the mood. While here, I'll be working within the Center for the Future of Places at KTH Royal Institute of Technology on the beginnings of my thesis for concurrent Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Urban Design & Planning degrees I'm set to complete this December. (almost eight years of post secondary education coming to culmination is exciting and unnerving.) I'm super psyched to be here and working around/with the talented researchers, PhD students, and professors at KTH and specifically within the CFP! EVERYONE wants to know what I'm researching and writing about... as do I. :) Psych, I kinda know. I’m exploring the concept of multifunctionality in relation to public space planning and design; specifically, how can public space be planned and designed with both the environment and social aspects as imperative? What can be learned from Stockholm’s historical approach to planning/designing its park system, but also is the future better addressing this discourse? Multifunctionality, in this sense, is alluded to with a sustainable design model of planning and development, but still, is not prioritized over economic aspects of public space. Spaces that have been deemed multifunctional (environmentally and socially) have not been as successful. I plan to analyze (hopefully two!) at least one project current project, the Royal Seaport. I am also looking at a few of the older developments, such as Hammarby Sjőstad. Hopefully, by analyzing Stockholm as a case study to the concept of embedding multifunctionality within the planning and design processes, more research can be established to further the sustainability and resilience (buzzwords, I know,) of urban spaces.

I have a feeling this will continually morph while I am here in Stockholm as I meet and speak with more and more people at KTH and across the city. I also have a whole proposal and powerpoint if you want to see either :) My first 10 days have been pretty uneventful for me personally, while the city of Stockholm has been affected by an act of terrorism. For those of you who do not follow the news, a beer truck was hijacked while unloading on Drottninggatan, one of the most populated and central shopping streets in the city, killing and injuring many before crashing into Åhléns, a large department store, adjacent to T-Centraalen (central station.) The incident happened Friday around 3pm, and completely shut down all public transportation for five or six (?) hours. It was quite shocking, as Stockholm is known for being very safe and welcoming. I unexpectedly walked by the memorials at Sergels Torg/Åhléns on Sunday while roaming; it was uplifting to see how many people seemed to be coming from all over via the tunnelbana with flowers to be placed on the steps and on police vehicles. I have one (lousy) photo; I didn’t feel very comfortable taking any (even though *everyone* was,) combined with the fact that there was a huge mass of people wanting to pay their respects.

On my end, I have walked quite a bit - my phone is telling me I’m hitting ~12,000 steps a day. I was taking the tunnelbana more the first few days, but the sunshine is so nice!!!! (Seattle-deprived ftw.) Safe to say jaywalking is a thing here, and pedestrians are truly put first. I’m usually a walker, but I have been much more aimless this time around as time is rarely an issue. Perhaps that is a highlight of my past week: I have not had this much free time, mostly light on the obligations, to enjoy a city like this; since, well, pretty much forever, I have stayed busy with LOTS of obligations. I’m enjoying walking around, mostly to different parks, and people watching, a favorite hobby of mine. I’ve made it my mission to explore one new park (sometimes public space, but not as imperative,) a day, and I’ve definitely experienced at least one a day thus far. (more on that below!)

For entertainment, most of you might have already heard via Facebook, but I have had the privilege of attending my first yoga class… taught in Swedish. It was a true wtf the moment as the class started and the instructor started moving and then speaking in Swedish; by that point, it was too late to run out, and, honestly, I think my brain was a little slow on the uptake that I would not be able to follow the movements without looking up constantly. I struggled, but am now signed up for (at least) weekly English yoga classes.

I haven’t had any grand stories at the supermarket either (which in the past has been a common occurrence.) I’ve stuck to whole foods, not processed or really any junk food. There are many supermarkets to choose from nearby where I am staying, of which are on the smaller side (normal.) This makes it easier when choosing items; I have less options to stare at for long periods of time trying to find English on the labels at all, consequently attempting to decipher Swedish (failing) all the while converting the price in my head to USD until giving up to go with a choice based on little real objectivity. It’s fun; I’ll keep you updated with more riveting stories.

Lastly, for another anecdote, I really enjoy running in parks: mostly because I love using running as a way to experience cities, but also because I really love croissants. I happen to be staying very close to a part of the Royal National City Park (above this post).

This is what I believe every city in the world must have: a park system! Of course, Stockholm has the first! (and largest? unclear thus far.) It’s on my list to bike it before I depart, but more about the system later. Anyways, running here is a DREAM. It’s the first time since living in Colorado, even compared to running to and along Santa Monica’s beach, that I have felt a weight lifted off my shoulders upon entering for a run. While living in south central Colorado, I could easily run at the base of mountains in the cleanest air imaginable. (The altitude was was also higher than anywhere else I have lived, and I was, therefore, in the best shape of my life.) Finding out part of the National City Park was so close was incredible! Not only that, but while running, I ended up starting in the middle, which caused me to immediately stop and just take a 360 degree turn to see the vastness I would be running through.

I don’t know how else to describe it other than

“****, this is awesome; I cannot believe I’m in Stockholm still //

just looking at any corner to run to makes me feel out of shape //

I should not have started in the middle //

Google lied or this was not to scale on the map //

OMG USABLE PUBLIC SPACE.”

It’s not like Central Park, with a mix of specifically-designed programming/space typologies, even though there are pockets of trees, playgrounds, etc along the borders; the small piece of this giant park system I am speaking to is a enormous open space covered in a combination of formal paths, informal paths, and grass. I’ve only ran a few times in the last week, but I guessing I will continue solely so I can run all of the paths! I’m also not a runner with my phone, so no photos yet. Can’t wait to talk about this so much no one reads my blog...

Shout out to the ScanDesign Foundation and Valle Scholarship for granting me this opportunity! I'm extremely grateful to work at KTH and truly immerse myself into life in Stockholm!

I hope to write more about a background on Stockholm, as I acquire more knowledge. If you have any questions or suggestions on places to check out, do let me know!

#stockholm #first post #sweden #valle #scholarship #europe #study #thesis

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yessadirichards · 5 years ago

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Facebook cancels developer conference as tech companies respond to virus SAN FRANCISCO

Facebook Inc will cancel its annual developer conference due to fears over the coronavirus over growing concerns about the economic impact of the global outbreak.

Facebook's F8 conference, which attracted 5,000 people from around the world last year, was scheduled to be held May 5 and 6 in San Jose, California.

Microsoft Corp said it still plans to hold its own developer conference in Seattle later in May but withdrew from a gaming conference scheduled for next month in San Francisco, joining a host of multinationals in calling off corporate events and grounding employees from travel as a result of the outbreak.

Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, Facebook's director of platform partnerships, said that instead of the F8 event, the company would organize "a combo of locally hosted events, videos and live streamed content."

Facebook said earlier this month that it was expecting the outbreak to have some impact on production of its Oculus virtual reality headsets, which are produced in China.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported a coronavirus case of unknown origin in northern California, where some of the world's biggest tech companies are based. It is potentially the first incident of the virus spreading within U.S. communities.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the state is monitoring more than 8,400 people for coronavirus symptoms after arrival on commercial flights, but California lacks test kits and is being held back by federal testing rules.

Earlier this month, The Mobile World Congress (MWC), the annual telecoms industry gathering in Barcelona, was called off after a mass exodus by exhibitors due to fears over the coronavirus.

Alphabet Inc's Google said its developer conference is still planned for May 12 to 14 and it is monitoring coronavirus developments.

Microsoft plans to hold its annual developer conference, Build, in downtown Seattle from May 19-21, but said in a statement that the "safety of our employees is a top priority and we will evaluate the situation and adjust plans as necessary."

Apple typically holds its developer conference in June, but has not yet made any announcements about dates or the venue. It did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The company last week said it would miss revenue targets for the quarter ending in March because of the virus, but Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook sounded an optimistic note on Thursday.

"It feels to me that China is getting the coronavirus under control," Cook said in an excerpt of an interview released by Fox Business Network Thursday, adding that iPhone components come from the United States as well as China.

Cook told the network that iPhone factories in China have re-opened and are in "phase three of the ramp mode" of returning to normal operations.

Chipmaker Intel Corp said this week that it is banning business-related to travel to or through mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Italy.

#yessadirichards

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