Paris in Spring

I have been to Paris many times and my best memories of Paris are of the times that I visited in the spring. I always felt there was a special feeling of gaiety and happiness in the air. Maybe it is because people are happy that the cold and dark winter has finally come to an end, the promise of sunny days and leisurely strolls along the Seine, a coffee on the sidewalk at a little cafe. Paris is one of those cities that have "street life". You will notice, that with the first rays of sunshine, the outside terraces appear and they immediately fill up with people for lunch and an after work drink, whether it is a Monday, Tuesday or a Friday.


My favorite way of exploring Paris is on foot. I have taken several friends to Paris over the years and nearly killed some of them by making them walk all over the city. The good thing about walking is that you don't have to worry about all the delicious French food you will be eating: according to Mireille Guiliano's "why French women don't get fat" walking is part of that secret.

I will take you on a tour around Paris in the spring, visiting my favorite places, sipping cappuccino on one of the many sidewalk cafes, having a fresh croissant from the patisserie on the corner and eating in some of my favorite restaurants. We start our first day at the left bank as that is where I prefer to stay, my regular hotel being the Meridien Montparnasse, next to Montparnasse station. We start the day at the famous "Le Deux Magots" with either a coffee or a glass of champagne. They also have great omelets and foie gras if you are hungry.


Les Deux Magots is a Parisian landmark; famous people like Jean-Paul Sartre,  Simone de Beauvoir and Picasso used to come here, write, drink their coffees and meet up with friends. From the restaurant we cross Place Saint Germain de Pres and walk thru the narrow cobbled stoned streets towards Boulevard St Michel and the Quartier Latin, the student quarters. We stop to look at some of the windows of the little stores and boutiques. We leave the Quartier and cross Quai St Michel and lean over the wall to watch the bateaux mouches on the Seine.

On the other side of the Seine on the Ile the Cite, the little island in the middle of the river, you can see the Notre Dame. We cross the bridge and walk towards the grand old lady. It's a tradition for me to go in and light candles for my grandma and my dad. After leaving the Notre Dame, we walk towards to tip of the Ile the Cite. Here you will find one of the oldest bridges in Paris, the Pont Neuf, linking Rive gauche and Rive droite, the left bank with the right bank. We walk over the bridge towards the right bank, where our next stop is the Louvre. If you have a lot of time in Paris, definitely worth a visit; today we won't go in, we just walk around the outside before walking to the inside courtyards, admiring the architecture and trying to envision what it would have been like to live in a place like this centuries ago.

Thru the Tuileries garden, first designed by Catherine de Medici in the 16th century, we cross the Place de la Concorde and enter the famous Champs Elysee, the 5th avenue of Paris, or according to the French "the most beautiful street in the world". Time for a coffee at the terrace of the famous "Le Fouquet", or one of the many other restaurants that are lined up along the Champs Elysee, and do some people watching; it's easy to separate the tourists from the elegant and well-dressed Parisian people.  

After having recharged our battery with a cafe creme, we stroll along the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triumph at the far end, on the Place Charles de Gaulle.

You can walk underneath the Place Charles de Gaulle to the center. The Arc the Triumph is built as a monument for all the soldiers that fought and died for France and it has the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI. There is an eternal flame burning in memory of all those unknown soldiers. If it is not too crowded it is worth going up to the top to look over Paris from there. We decide that we have walked enough for 1 day and we take the metro back to Boulevard Montparnasse, where we have a glass of my favorite Belgian beer at Cafe Leffe

Time to go back to the hotel and change. Tonight we have reservations at one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, Brasserie Lipp. Brasserie Lipp is an institution. Established in 1870, it's known to be frequented by politicians, writers, journalist and other famous people. Therefor I decide to dress up for tonight as I don't want to feel under-dressed compared to the chic French women, who always seem to have that natural elegance you cannot buy. Our reservation is at 7.30. The maître d' sees us to our table. As in most brasseries, the tables are so close together that he has to move the table so one of us can slide onto the bench before moving the table back. Only a couple of tables are occupied, but it is still early for Paris. The waiter, an impressive grey haired gentleman in black, hands us the menus welcoming us with a “Bonsoir M’sieur, M’dame, voulez vous un aperitif?" Here you won't find the 18 year college student serving you. In this restaurant you will only find yourself helped by older and very experienced waiters, who are proud of their job and hired because they have years of experience and reputation. the maître d' is supposed to be one of the best in Paris.














While sipping our Kir, we scan the menu. As always I am tempted to try something new, but as always I end up ordering the same as I have so many times before: fish soup for my starter and steak tartare for my main course. Before our starters arrive the waiter arrives at our table to prepare my steak tartare, adding spices and a raw egg to the raw ground beef before setting it apart until he will serve it. If you are not used to real French food, you will ask me, like several of my dinner companions before: "they will cook the meat before they serve it, right?". And I will smile and answer "No, I will eat it raw, just like that".


The fish soup is served. Pureed and thick, served on the side with little pieces of bread, a spicy rouille and grated gruyère. I put the rouille on the bread, put it in the soup and sprinkle it with gruyère and take my first spoonful. We enjoy this delicious dish while finishing up our Kir and while the waiter pours us a glass of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape that we had ordered earlier and he had already opened so it could breath. My main course is served with frites and my must-have side of mayonnaise. I sit back in my chair, look around, enjoying the food, the wine and the buzz in the restaurant, that by now is almost full. Conversations are animated, people are enjoying the company, the food, the wine. This is Paris, eating is a feast. Although we are tempted to order the profiteroles for dessert, we are good tonight and only order coffee. There are still 2 more days of eating and drinking ahead of us.

Day 2 of exploring Paris. How else to start the day, then with fresh coffee and a croissant, the way they only make them in France: flaky, buttery and still warm. So we walk to one of the patisseries on Rue de Rennes, close to our hotel. Sipping our coffee and nibbling our croissant, we discuss what we want to do today.

We decide to go first to the famous cemetery Pere Lachaise, where Jim Morrison is buried. So after finishing our breakfast, we walk down into the metro station and buy our tickets. We change trains at one of the major stations, Chatelet-les-Halles, and from there take a direct train to the famous Pere Lachaise. The metro can look intimidating at first but once you have the hang of it and understand the system, its a great way of getting around the city. Just don't go in at night close to closing time, you might get stuck and have to jump the gate in order to get out, I had to do that once, not a fun experience.


The cemetery is big so get a map if you want to know who is buried where (it’s a bit like the Hollywood star map with all the residences of famous people, although here they are dead.) Besides Jim Morrison there are a lot of famous people buried in Pere Lachaise and although I am not a big fan of cemeteries, this one feels special and even a bit romantic. Thru the long lanes surrounded by blossoming trees, we walk past graves of French writers, politicians and poets. We see the graves of Chopin, Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, several members of the Rothschild family and Oscar Wilde. Jim Morrison's grave is small and unimpressive. I always feel sorry for the people buried next to him as fans stump all over their graves to pay respects to their hero.

After having walked among the dead all morning, we feel the need to be among the living and what better place than a visit to the lively Montmartre. The train drops us at the bottom of the stairs that lead us to the Sacre Coeur. We climb what feels like a hundred or more stairs to reach one of my favorite churches.

It is a clear and sunny day and turning our backs to the Basilica, and with Montmartre being the highest point in Paris, we have a view of almost all of Paris. We can see the Eiffel Tower and all the way towards the Montparnasse Tower next to our hotel. We walk around the church and afterwards walk to the Place du Tertre, the main square where a number of famous painters like Salvador Dali, Monet, Picasso and Vincent van Gogh used to live or work. I know its one of the most touristy places in the city, but I can't help myself, there is something about this place and the atmosphere that makes me come back here every time I am in Paris. We walk around the little square, looking at the artists trying to sell their stuff. Some of it is good, some definitely is not. It's lunch time and we are getting hungry. I know a little restaurant on the corner of the square that has the best Croque Monsieur so that's where we are going. 10 minutes after we give the waiter our order, our plates arrive. Croque monsieur might not sound interesting if you read the description on the menu: ham and cheese sandwich, but this is not just a ham and cheese sandwich, this is the best ham and cheese sandwich in the world: baked cheese on the top, black forest ham, gruyère and béchamel sauce inside, this is a piece of art. Over lunch we discuss what we should do that afternoon and we decide to do some shopping at the famous department store Gallerie Lafayette on the Blvd Hausmann, across from the Opera house.

Before we go into Gallerie Lafayette, we take a quick stroll around the Opera. It is a magnificent building and was actually the inspiration for "The Phantom of the Opera". We cross the street to enter les Galleries Lafayette. Not only is it a great department store, it is a beautiful building from an architectural point, with the inside area completely open with a beautifully painted ceiling. After happily browsing the different floors, we leave with a handful of shopping bags. I am content as I have stored up on my favorite french cosmetics from Caudalie. Via Rue de la Paix we walk to the Place Vendome, home of the Ritz and some of the most famous design and jewelery stores in the world. We walk around the place, window shopping at my favorite store, Cartier. We decide its time for a glass of champagne and where better then in the Ritz. They are picky here and security is tight, and depending on what famous guests are staying, they might not even let you get into the door. Today we are lucky, they let us into the front door but immediately a liveried doorman approaches us asking us for our room key. We tell him we are not guests, but we would like to have a drink and he escorts us to the bar, making sure we cannot access any other part of the hotel. I guess the price of the rooms here are not just for the room, but also for the guests privacy. We are seated and order our glass of champagne at 20 euro each. This is the price you pay for being at the hotel where Lady D used to stay. We linger over our champagne, relaxing, people watching and making up stories about them. We decide to leave the Ritz in style and take a taxi back to our hotel.

Dinner tonight is at another one of my favorite restaurants, Chez Andre on Rue Marbeuf. Compared to Lipp, Chez Andre feels warmer, less intimidating. The restaurant has a great name but the atmosphere, even though the service is impeccable, seems less formal and the clientele more low key. It is more like having dinner at your neighborhood restaurant among the locals.

After ordering our aperitif, we browse the menu. I don't have to think very long.  It's day 2 in Paris; I have to have foie gras today. For my main course another classic: moules frites. With that we order a nice bottle of Alsace Riesling. The foie gras melts on my tongue and is served with pieces of warm toast. I am in food heaven. After that my mussels arrive. A big steaming pot is put on the table, full of big black mussels in a sauce of white wine and cream. I dip a piece of bread in the sauce and taste it. It is delicious. With it come real french fries: thin, crisp, with just enough salt and of course my side of mayonnaise. Tonight we decide to sin as it is Saturday night and we are in Paris. I order cheese for dessert and have a glass of red wine with it. I convince you to try the mousse au chocolate. Of course we share. Feeling guilty after all this food, we decide to walk from the restaurant to the Seine, to look at the Eiffel Tower. Its a short walk to the Pont Alexandre. This is another bridge connecting the Rive gauche with the Rive Droite and leads directly to Les Invalides, the resting place of Napoleon. To me this is the most beautiful bridge in Paris with its ornate lamp posts and cherubs.

 

From the bridge you have a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower and at night there is a light show every 15 minutes. We watch the show and afterwards stroll along the Seine to have a closer look at the famous monument. It's a beautiful night, the sky is clear and the air is warm. We sit on one of the benches along the Seine and watch the boats float by. We decide to end the night with a  night cap at Le Ciel du Paris on top of the Montparnasse Tower.

Its our last day and we debate whether we should go to Invalides or the Musee D'Orsay this morning. We decide to let Napoleon rest, he has been there so many years, he will still be there next time. Instead we head to the Musee D'Orsay; housed in an old railway station, it is famous for its sculptures and impressionist paintings. The building itself is worth a visit even if you are not into museums but as far as museums go, I prefer it over the Louvre.

We wander around the various floors, admiring the Monets, Renoirs, Cezannes and van Goghs and afterwards visit the museum store. From the museum we walk to Blvd St Germain and window shop in all the designer stores. It's time for a coffee so we stop at a sidewalk cafe and sit outside drinking a cappuccino, watching the hustle and the bustle of the left bank. From St Germain we decide to take the metro to the Marais, one of the quartiers that in the last couple of decades has transformed from a neglected and poor neighborhood into one of the hipper quartiers, with a lot of art galleries, smaller and funkier shops, cafes and night clubs. One of the most famous places in the Marais is the Place des Vosges. It dates back to 1600 and used to be a Royal Palace. Today it houses the Victor Hugo museum, as he used to live there. We walk around the square, underneath the arches. The former palace now houses art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Our target is Ma Bourgogne, in one of the corners of the square, where we have planned to have lunch. 









We are lucky and find a table outside, under the arches. It is another glorious spring day so it is nice to sit outside, but when you eat at Ma Bourgogne you definitely have to go inside as the interior is worth seeing as it is very old and authentic. I can't resist and order foie gras again. It is after all only when I am in France that I can eat it. They have wonderful salads and steaks as well. We order half a bottle of Chablis with it. Life in France is good, although it's good we don't do this year round. After lunch we walk around the narrow cobble stoned streets of the Marais, browsing thru some of the little stores and art galleries, enjoying another coffee before returning to our hotel.

Tonight we are going to do something different. After all the wonderful but rich French food, tonight we are going to the Blue Elephant. There are Blue Elephant restaurants all over the world and I have been to the ones in London, Brussels and Paris and enjoyed every visit. We take a taxi to the heart of Bastille, where the restaurant is located. When we walk in it feels like we enter a different world. Statues, elaborate flower arrangements, Thai decorations and little waterfalls, make it easy to pretend you are in a Thai garden. And it is all very elegant and sophisticated with an eye for details. The decor and atmosphere is definitely one of the main attractions for me, but I always really enjoy the food as well.

We order several dishes: spring rolls, chicken sateh's, beef penang, fried jumbo shrimp and the jasmine rice, which I love. With that we have a refreshing bottle of Pouilly Fume to add a little bit of a French touch to the dinner, we are after all in Paris.  

And for the second night in a row I cannot resist dessert when I see the fried banana with ice cream on the menu. I almost lick my plate. Although not a very "French" last night to close out our Paris trip, it is definitely another great restaurant and a great meal.
  

This tour has only given you a glimpse of Paris and you have only had a taste of some of the food. There are so many great restaurants that I have been to in Paris, to name a few: Montparnasse 1900, Alsace, La Marine, La Fermette Marbeuf and new ones arrive all the time.

City of food, city of wine, oh Paris, je t'aime.......

 

A Taste of Las Vegas

When thinking about Las Vegas, most people will say: gambling, drinking and sex. But Sin City has changed over the years and has a lot more to offer now. Of course the casinos and gentlemen's clubs are still there, but beyond those, you'll find great hotels, worldclass shows and amazingly good restaurants. During my first visit to Las Vegas in the nineties, restaurants was the "all-you-can-eat" buffets for $4.99 or $ 6.99 and Marie Callenders for breakfast, but these days, top chefs from all over the world have found their way to Las Vegas.


I am not a gambler, but for the past several years I have truely enjoyed my trips to Las Vegas and I have had some of the best meals and nights out there. During my last trip to Las Vegas I found a real gem. A small French restaurant just of the far end of the strip across the street from the Sahara Hotel, in a little strip mall next door to a tattoo parlor. Walking passed the tattoo parlor wondering if we had the wrong address, we all of a sudden spotted the sign "Pamplemousse". We hesitated before entering the little building with the pink neon sign. "is this a nightclub or a restaurant" we wondered. But once inside we were happily surprised: cozy and initmate are the best words to describe Pamplemousse. The restaurant is small, only about 10-15 tables, low ceilings, mirrors and pictures on the walls and nice crips white table linen.

The Maitre D escorted us to our table and our waiter came over immediately asking us if we had dined with them before. We told him we were first timers. and that walking up to the restaurant, looking at the tattoo parlor next door, we had had our doubts. He smiled and told us that they had been on this same location since the owner had founded it 35 years before and the owner was still there and the same chef he had hired and trained a couple of years after he started.

On the website it had mentioned a fix price 3 course menu of $ 38 with several choices of appetizers, entrees and desserts. Because we were there during a convention, they did not have the fix price menu, only a la carte. We browsed the menu and I realized I only had one problem: I wished I could order everything on the menu as it all sounded wonderful. My problem became even bigger when our waiter came back to inform us about the specials. After a long debate with myself and with some help from the waiter I decided on one of the specials for my appetizer and the duck for the main course. And I was not disappointed.

But first came a basket with vegetables for the table with a vinaigrette dipping sauce and french bread. And when I say french bread I mean real french bread: thin, warm, crisp on the outside and soft and fresh on the inside. Then came the appetizers. Mine was a seafood medley in a lobster sause over a piece of puff pastry. Sinfully rich, but delicious. A good thing that the portion was not too big or I would not have been able to eat the rest of the dinner. My main course of duck came with a duck leg in addition to the thin slices of duck breast. The breast was prepared perfectly pink and served in a raspberry sauce. We had ordered vegetables and "frites" for the table and shared a bottle of shyraz with it.

Some of us couldn't resist dessert and ordered the profiterolles. I like profiterolles and had to at least have a bite. Although I prefer them with cream instead of icecream, they were very nice, the chocolate rich, dark and warm. I love food, specially French food and I have to say that Pamplemousse is a great little find and I am still debating whether I should recommend it and promote it or keep it my own little secret.

2010 - A Good Year

And it was, a good year, no it was a great year. I did so many things I wanted to do and traveled to great places with great friends. I have lived this past year as if every day can be the last. Maybe it started when I found out that the wife of one of my colleagues had a premature baby at the end of January and then was hospitalized in February with stage 4 cancer. She was only 38 years old and although I had only met her once, this moved me beyond belief. Sowmya died in June and that is when I started my bucket list and my blog.  

It was a year of travel: I went to Hawaii in March and had a great time with my friends there. I flew to New York in spring time to meet friends from the Netherlands, spending a great Easter weekend in one of my favorite cities in the world. For 4th of July I spent a relaxing 4 days in Tahoe with my “American family” Mark, Virginia and Sophie

 

One of the travel highlights of last year was my trip to Italy in August. First Andrea & Tony’s wonderful wedding in Spoleto and after that a couple of days in Rome. Rome had been on my list for a long time and it is one of those cities that I fell in love with instantly. To recover from all my trips I went back to Hawaii in September for a long weekend of sun, sand and relaxation. In October Sally and I flew to Scottsdale Arizona for a girl’s weekend and we had a great time at the Westin Kierland resort. We spent Thanksgiving in Tahoe again with Virginia’s family. It was beautiful, a winter wonderland as the first snow of the season arrived early this year. And finally in December another trip to New York with Genie: Christmas shopping and to getting into the Christmas spirit. New York is great; New York around Christmas time is the greatest city in the world.

It was a year of music. First there was the Elton John and Billy Joel concert in February and a week later Bon Jovi. Virginia and I went to see Daughtry and Sandhya and I went to Lady Gaga for my birthday. The music highlight of the year was definitely the Bon Jovi concert in July in Chicago. Virginia and I flew to Chicago just to see the last US concert. We had seats in the circle, row 3 and it was unforgettable. Since then we have probably created the youngest Bon Jovi fan in the world. Sophie started recognizing my ring tone and started singing “It’s my life”. After she watched the DVD of the concert in Madison Square Garden on my iTouch for the first time this summer, she must have seen it since more times than anybody and she sings along with Living on a Prayer, Raise your hands, Hallelujah and Born to be my baby. She will look at the pictures on my phone and say “I like Jon Jovi auntie Ril”. The next generation Bon Jovi fans have arrived.

It was also a year of health. I had told myself as part of my new year’s resolutions that I would finally be better at working out regularly. In March I started running; yes imagine: me, running. I have never been a runner, I always hated running. And here I am: it’s December 2010 and I am still running. I am running 2-3 times a week. And I love it. I did my first half marathon in October and I proudly own my Tiffany necklace that says “I run to be, NWM 2010”. And because I am running, I am living healthier, eating healthier and I have never felt so energized. This allowed me to indulge every now and then in my other hobby: cooking and eating. I shared many nights with good friends, good food and good wine this year. Goody and I had a couple of very fun cooking classes at the Professional Culinary Institute. (The most important lesson I learned is that I will never make croissants myself again).

 

Yes 2010 was a great year and now I can’t wait to start a new decade. I have so much to be grateful for, I am healthy, I have a job, I travel to great places. I have my family back home and my American family in California. I have wonderful friends all over the world. Roll on 2011; I am looking forward to new beginnings, spending time with old friends and new ones, visiting new places and old ones. Life is a journey and I am enjoying the trip as much as I can.

The Greatest City in the World

If you ask me what is your favorite city, New York is definitely one of them. There is something about that city that just makes my heart sing and puts a smile on my face. I catch myself walking the streets saying out loud “I love, love, love New York” every time I am there. And although I love it no matter what time of year and every season has its own attraction, during Christmas time New York City is my absolute favorite and to me without a doubt the most beautiful city in the world. So when earlier this year a friend told me she would love to go Christmas shopping in New York, I didn’t hesitate too long. So tickets booked, hotel reserved and in the middle of December off we were for three days of fun, food and shopping.


An uneventful flight from SFO put us in Newark at 5 and by 6 we were in Manhattan. After checking into the hotel, we decided to walk to 5th Avenue to have a first look at the Christmas tree on Rockefeller Plaza, figuring that would get us into the Christmas spirit. It was a real winter evening, no snow but cold and clear. Rockefeller Plaza was crowded, but the decorations were as always stunningly beautiful and worth battling the crowds.

Walking out in the cold night and standing at Rockefeller Plaza watching the people ice skating under the tree, we realized that we were not prepared for the New York winter and our first stop after Rockefeller Plaza was the Esprit store on 5th avenue to buy gloves, scarves and hats. Bundled up and warm now, we walked down 5th avenue, admiring the beautifully decorated shops and windows. Our plan was to have dinner in the Campbell apartments in Grand Central Station. I had been there during one of my previous trip in New York with my friend Bina and I thought the cozy atmosphere with the wooden panels and comfy couches would be the perfect place for our first night in the city. Unfortunately, when we got there, they had a private function so we had to come up with a backup plan. We had walked by a tapas restaurant called La Fonda del Sol just before we got to the Campbell Apartments and as it was already 8 and we were hungry, we decided not to look any further so tapas it was. It was a Thursday night and the place was buzzing but we were lucky and they had a table and could seat us immediately. We ordered drinks and studied the tapas menu. It all looked really good and we ordered several small plates: the queso croquetas, braised lamb sliders and the empanadas. Our stomachs filled with food and warmed up by our drinks, we decided to brave the cold and walk back to our hotel.

Early Friday morning I walked from the hotel the 10 blocks to my business appointment. My purchases from the previous night proved to be money well spent as the temperature had dropped to 24 degrees. Dressed in my business suit, wool coat with my new scarf, gloves (no hat as it would ruin my hair) and my red purse over my shoulder, walking on 8th avenue I felt like a real New Yorker. That afternoon after I got back from my meetings, we checked out of our hotel as we were staying at the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Station the next 2 nights. After checking in the hotel and dropping off our bags, we decided to walk to Central Park and on our way take some more pictures of the Christmas decorations on 5th avenue.

I had tried to get reservations at Balthazar for that night, but they were booked and browsing the internet earlier in the week, I had come across another French bistro, Artisanal (http://www.artisanalbistro.com/). It had really good reviews and it was close to our hotel, so that was the plan for dinner on Friday night. And we didn’t regret our choice, we had a great night. After we got seated at our table we looked around the busy restaurant and agreed you could easily imagine yourself to be in a brasserie in Paris.


The food was excellent. I had the Foi Gras Rilettes as a starter, my friend had the salade frisee with bacon and poached egg; both to die for. For my main course I ordered the steak tartare with frites. I normally don’t order steak tartare unless I am in France but I have to say that although my favorite is still at Brasserie Lipp on the Blvd St. Germain, this was a great steak tartare. And the French fries were exactly the way they are supposed to be. Too full and satisfied to walk back, we took a taxi back to our hotel where we had a night cap in the new hotel bar to wake up the next morning ready for a day of shopping.


We started our day at the Starbucks on Park Avenue on our way to Macys on 34th street. After a joyful morning shopping on 34th street we were drawn back to 5th avenue. That proved to be a mistake. We could barely move among the masses that were out. We managed to see the windows at Saks and admire Trump tower, drop into Tiffanies and do some shopping before we decided to leave 5th avenue and walk down the relatively quiet Madison Avenue back to the hotel. Saturday night dinner was booked at Mr. Chow in Tribeca (http://www.mrchow.com/main.html).  another restaurant introduced to me by my friend Bina. We had planned to taking the train down to Tribeca. From our hotel we walked into Grand Central Station and took the shuttle to Times Square where we got out so we could look around and take pictures.

We got back on the train towards Brooklyn. I felt even more like a real New Yorker when a family on the train asked me for directions. We got out at Chambers Street and walked the couple of blocks to Mr. Chow on Hudson Street. After we got seated the waiter brought us our menus and to my surprise he recognized me and said “you were here a couple of months ago and sat at that table over there.” Pointing at the round table in the corner and then when I tried to order the chicken curry appetizers, he shook his head and told us “no, you tried to order those last time and I told you no, it’s still no.” I have to say that I was impressed. We ordered the duck pot stickers, the scallion pancakes and the glazed prawns with walnuts as appetizers and the duck with fried rice for the main course. As the last time it was all excellent and the service was impeccable.


Sunday morning we had planned to start the day shopping in SoHo and then go to Eataly. But overnight the rain had arrived. We decided to take our umbrella and brave the weather, so we took line 6 down to Spring Street. But after we got out and started walking and were blown away by the wind and felt miserable in the rain, we decided this was no fun and that we would go for breakfast and then take the train back up, skip SoHo and go to Eataly instead. We found a nice restaurant called Delicatessen on Prince Street and we both had the eggs benedict. Our next stop was Eataly, the new Italian indoor market in the Village on 23rd and 5th created by Oscar Farinetti, Mario Batalo, Joe Bastianich and Lydia Matticchio Bastianich . I was a bit skeptical when I had read about it a couple of months before, but it is a very nice set up. Various food areas with tables so people can sit and eat and try Italian food and wines, alternated with areas with groceries, fresh pasta, Italian kitchen accessories and even a fresh bakery, meat and fish section. We happily browsed for a couple of hours regretting the fact that we had just had breakfast so we were too full to sample any of the food.


After some more shopping at the mall on Columbus circle, regretfully it was time to leave and fly back to California after a wonderful couple of days in New York City.


If you ever want to get into the Christmas feeling, go to New York in December, I can ensure you, you will have an absolute blast.

The closest you can get to Paradise

One of my first bucket list projects several years ago was to buy a place in Hawai’i. Actually, at that time, it wasn’t even a bucket list yet, it was part of my New Years resolutions. Every year sometime around the first of January I would sit down and look back at the year, think about the things I did and didn’t do, compare it with the things I had told myself the year before I should achieve and set my new goals for the year. So although not a real bucket list, the intentions were kind of the same. And one year a condo on Hawaii was 1 of my goals.

This one all started with my first vacation to Hawaii in September 1998, 2 years after I moved to California. I had not been to Hawai’i, but friends were talking about going and so I decided I might as well. My expectations were low; Hawaii to me sounded as a cliché. I had only heard of Honolulu and thought it would be a commercialized destination, like Benidorm and other tourist traps, but a couple of days of sun and beach were just what I needed. I am ashamed to admit to my ignorance and never really having made an effort to read about Hawaii. And what happened on that first trip: I fell in love with Hawaii, the people, the food, the smell, the flowers, the language and the lifestyle. My first trip was to Maui. I finally settled on Kauai’i.

It took me 2 years between deciding that I wanted to buy a place in Kaua’i and before finally buying my condo in Kahalani. I had been looking mainly at Poipu and Princeville, but on one of my trips cruising the island with the real estate guy, he said he wanted to show me 1 other resort. We were on our way back from Princeville and he pulled into a road just outside Kapa’a and there, nestled in between Lydgate state park and the Wailua golf course right on a white sandy beach, was Kahalani.



At that time nothing was for sale but 4 or 5 months later he called me to let me know that 1 unit was going to be up for sale and if I was interested I had to decide quickly. I had already lost 1 opportunity in Poipu a year before. By the time I had made my reservations to go over to check it out, it was sold. I asked him to send me the details and pictures. After receiving them, I slept on it for 1 more night and the next day I called him back and told him to send me the paperwork so I could sign it. I remember I was nervous as hell. I bought a place that I had not even seen.

But I have never regretted it. After more then 5 years of returning to Kahalani as often as I can (not as often as I want to), this is still as close to paradise as I can imagine it can get and I feel fortunate that I have this place to come back to.. So what do I do while on Kaua’i…..not much but that is a lot. I just read this book, “A Month of Sundays” by Ira and Barbara Spector and in their foreword they talk about the difference between how Americans vacation versus the French. Americans try to do and see as much as possible in as little possible time, while the French try to do as little as possible in the longest amount of time possible….different mind set. They call it farniente, which translates literally to “doing nothing”. That’s what I do on Kaua’i, farniente. I don’t plan much, I don’t book anything, I go with the flow. Some trips I will not make it any further then the beach in front of Kahalani, the pool and my lanai, some trips I will do a little more, but not much, never much.

Like this last trip. I arrived on Thursday evening. My friend Sue, who got to the island a couple of days earlier, had already emailed me that they would have dinner ready so I didn’t have to worry about groceries and food. I landed in Lihue at 4.30, picked up my car at Hertz and drove the 10 minutes to Kahalani. I dropped my bags, put some stuff I brought with me in the fridge, put on my flip flops and walked over to my friends place. I gave Sue, her husband Dave and his brother Fred a hug, accepted a glass of wine and I settled into island rhythm. After a wonderful dinner, they told me they had booked a t-time for the next morning so if I wanted to, I could play but I didn’t have to if I didn’t feel like it. Farniente had started. After dinner over which we caught up on the last 6 months, I said goodnight and went back to my own place, where I sat down on the lanai, reading my book while enjoying the warm air and scents of the island.



The next morning we played a relaxing round of golf at our local Wailua course next door. On the second hole I looked over the golf course to the white beach and the blue ocean and took a deep breath thinking how happy I was to be back.



After golf I spent a leisurely afternoon reading by the pool. After that I drove to Safeway as I was in the mood for fresh Ahi Poki, one of my Hawaiian favorites and had dinner out on the lanai, relaxing and enjoying the view and sounds of the ocean with a glass of wine. I had not hiked the Kalalau trail on the northshore for years and when I mentioned it yesterday we decided if the weather was good we would do the hike on Saturday. I woke up around 6.30 when the sun was just getting up over the Pacific and at 7.45 (15 minutes behind schedule, but who cares) we were on our way to Hanalei. The plan was to hike to Hanakapeau beach, also referred to as dead beach as so many people have died due to strong currents and waves.



From there we would hike on to what Fred refers to as Space Rock, another 1.8 miles further along the coast. It’s one of my favorite hikes, with spectacular views of the Napali coast, where so many famous movies were filmed, to name a few: Indiana Jones – Raiders of the lost ark, Six days, seven nights, Jurassic park.






I stopped several times to take pictures and we reached the beach about 1 ½ hour after we started.
When we got to the beginning of the second part of the trail from the beach onwards, we noticed to our disappointment that it was closed. We debated for about 3 minutes before sneaking past the fence. Rules are meant to be broken, we were meant to go up to Space Rock today to have our P&J sandwiches for lunch.




So after another 45 minutes we were sitting on a rock below Space Rock looking down on the Pacific Ocean and the Napali coast. In the far distance we could see Ke’e beach at the end of the road from Hanalei.





















We made it back out without being shot or arrested and after a refreshing swim at Ke’e beach, we had a late lunch at the Hanalei Gourmet. If you ever go there, order the Gorgonzola and mushroom burger and add avocado, it is so good. Back home I had a long relaxing bath and spent the rest of the night on my lanai, writing and reading.

Sunday was a day of true farniente. After an easy 3.5 mile run I spent a couple of hours at the beach finishing one book before retiring to the pool for the rest of the afternoon starting another one. God created Sunday to rest and so I did.




Monday was another stressful day: golf again in the morning and to my chagrin I played bad just stressing about having to leave that night to go back to work the next day. After golf I walked to Lydgate park, just down the road from Kahalani for a swim in the tide pool. Beautiful clear water, the waves kept out by rocks, plenty of fish, perfect for swimming;



another hour by the pool and then it was time to pack and change. We had decided to have drinks and dinner at the Barefoot bar in the Marriott at Kalapaki Beach. This is one of my favorite places on the island to have a drink and watch the sunset while the surfers try to catch the final waves for the day in Nawiliwili Bay. I will not leave Kaua’i without coming here. My favorites are the crab and macadamia nut wontons, the ahi sashimi and the fish tacos.






Kaua’i weather forecast


Sitting on my lanai on Friday night, a friend sent me a txt asking me if I was partying it up in Hawaii and my answer was “sort of……..I am sitting on my lanai with a glass of wine, watching the flames of the torches around the pool and listening to the sound of the waves rolling in from the ocean, that’s my idea of a party” and I was thinking “Life doesn’t get much better then this….”

Rome and an Italian Wedding

When my dad died unexpected 4 years ago I realized that I had spent too much time working too hard, missing out on the more important things in life. I had missed too many important occasions: time with family, friend’s weddings, birthdays and baby showers; all because I was working and couldn’t miss a meeting or I was on one of my many business trips. Shortly after his death I changed jobs and promised myself to have a better work life balance. So over the past 3 years I slowly started to make changes to my life: making an effort to spend more time with the people I care for and on things that matter in life.

And so when my friend Andrea told me last year to mark my calendar for August 27, 2010 for her wedding in Spoleto, Umbria, I didn’t have to think twice. I would be there. Earlier this year I started planning my trip to Italy. I had never been to Rome. I took Latin in high school and had always been fascinated by the stories of the old Roman Empire. Also as a recovering catholic, I felt I had to see the Vatican at least once in my life. So I decided that after the wedding I would stay in Rome for a couple days. Another thing I would be able to check of my bucket list.

I arrived in Spoleto on Wednesday before the wedding. We stayed in Hotel Clitunno in the old town and from the first evening I fell in love with the beautiful little town.


























Still relatively unspoiled, it feels like time has been standing still here and life is still slower and less complicated. Shops still close for siesta in the afternoon; instead of our efficient supermarkets you still find people buy their groceries at the local butcher, cheese shop and bakery. It was August so holiday season but most people, except for the Irish crowd that had descended on the town for the wedding, were Italian. The day before the wedding I enjoyed walking around the town, sitting down at one of the squares for a cappuccino or a slushy and watching the people in town, the way they were living every day life in a little town in Italy.





I walked over the famous old bridge, the Ponto della Torre.




It was the perfect wedding. And it was not just a wedding, it was a three day celebration. It started with the family dinner the night before in a beautiful setting outside with wonderful food. The official ceremony was in the Duomo del Pietro in Assisi.



We didn’t have time to look around the town of Assisi, and I will have to go back some day as from what I have seen it is a beautiful old town. And thanks to Unesco it will be kept like this as it is a world heritage site.

The reception and dinner was in an old mill a couple of miles outside Spoleto. They always say it’s all about location, and for this occasion, the location couldn’t have been more idyllic.

Anti pasti and Prosecco in the front of the mill, were followed by a dinner in the back of the mill to the sounds of the river, calmly floating on both sides of the garden and the light of tens of paper lanterns hanging from the trees.


After dinner we danced till late in the warm Italian night first to music played by the Italian band and later to the playlist from Tony’s ipod. The celebration ended with a 3 hour lunch on Saturday, the after day the wedding, after which I went back to the hotel and lazed away the rest of the afternoon outside in the hotel courtyard, not being able to eat another thing.

Hotel Clitunno is a gem of a hotel. While offering all the comfort of a modern hotel (including air conditioning) they have managed to keep its traditional Italian atmosphere with beautiful furniture and decorations. The outside sitting area they have created offers a nice place to waste away a warm afternoon with a book or have a night cap (or two) before going to bed.




Next was Roma. You can find my detailed Rome explorations at http://marielspostcards.blogspot.com/.

After walking Rome for 3 days, I realized that my Rome is not the famous attractions like the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps. Of course when in Rome, you have to see them, but my Rome is the tucked away piazza’s you find by surprise when turning a corner, the narrow cobblestone streets, sipping a cappuccino outside in a local café on a little street corner, watching the people go by.

Strolling around a local market on Tuesday on another nameless piazza or simply sitting on a bench in the Gardens of Villa Borghese with the sun on my face, letting the world go by for an hour or so; eating a straciatella gelato from a corner store, drinking a glass of Pinot Grigio in the afternoon at Sloppy Sam's on the Piazza Campo Dei Fiore;

having dinner outside at 9.30 at night at Piazza Farnese with only Italians surrounding us; Prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella, home made gnocchi with walnuts and gorgonzola. For 3 days I was drinking in Roma. I smiled at the people, loved the looks while walking the streets and the "ciao bella”. Rome is alive, Rome is warm.

Italy and Roma: I will be back, you can count on that.