san telmo market

today we ventured to the San Telmo market by Subte (subway)

we arrived shortly after 10:30 but it was already crowded.  I am not sure why.  it does have some fairly good street performers. 

and there is a small amount of original tourist art

but the place is filled with junk, and not much looks like it is being sold.

we were to meet CBGB at noon to decide how much longer to stay (or not) and we actually ran into them a bit earlier.  it was so hot in the sun we all decided to head to the Telmo Bar for drinks and some lunch.  and I was reminded of the last time we came here with Dick & Ali and the day was also very hot and we all had limited tolerance for the crowds.

no one seemed interested in spending more time there, so after lunch we came back to the hotel and took care of some laundry and arranged for transport to the airport tomorrow for our Mendoza flight.  it turns out the domestic terminal is no longer located conveniently to the city but is run out of EZE 45 minutes away.  this is truly a tragedy as the old domestic terminal was so close by. 

I went to the pool to go swimming but it is closed until the summer- LOL- it is 86* here (30* centigrade) and personally I call that summer. 

I ran into CBGB in the lobby and they were heading out to find some higher end shopping.  We have earlier dinner plans tonight because CBGB are headed to a tango show.  since we did this the last time we were here, we decided not to repeat the experience.  not that there's anything wrong with that....LOL

relaxed & easy

our day went well - still having beautiful warm to hot sunny weather.  we walked from the hotel to Recoleta for lunch at El Sanjuanino, an empanada place we knew from our last visit.  it's still great- we had a selection of empanadas - each picking a favorite after tasting more than a dozen.  GA and I liked the Napolitana (tomatoes, queso and rucola) and the boys favored the meat stuff ones... although the queso y cepolla ones also were in the running (cheese and onions)

after lunch we walked for a while and then decided to head towards the Palermo neighborhood.  we were dropped off near the zoo and CBGB wanted to visit the Evita Museum which was cool with us - we sat at a cafe nearby called Josefina.  we had drinks and ice cream and later CBGB came to join us.  GA ordered the flan she had been wanting for a couple of days and said it was fabulous. 

the afternoon was already getting away from us when we headed toward the Japanese Garden but it turned out to not take up too much of our time - it was limited in space and not particularly Japanese other than the red bridge in the center and the koi in the small lake.

we took a cab home to our hotel and relaxed before dinner.  we had reserved at Tomo I and found it to be a lovely meal.  we ordered the all inclusive menu.  we all chose similarly, starting with the shrimp and avocado napoleon, following with a lovely trout with almonds in a light lemon sauce with spinach for three of us and Phil had the pork shoulder.  we all had the chocolate dessert. 

the place was lovely and the service perfectly unobtrusive yet attentive.  Tomo I was well worth the slightly steep price. 

we made a plan to meet in the morning.  we intend to try using the subway to get to the Sunday market in San Telmo.  I will report on that adventure later LOL.

new territory

yesterday we took the fast ferry to a new country for all of us- Uruguay!  the check in process was quite streamlined and we did the passport control and immigration for both countries before you get on the boat and then when you disembark you just leave the boat.  after we arrived we rented a golf cart to get around the area of Colonia del Sacramento.  it is a UNESCO world heritage site and only an hour across the Rio Plato from BA.

we first drove to the end of the area along the beaches and stopped at a Sheraton to ask for a recommendation for a lunch place along the beach.  while there we saw another holiday card opportunity for CBGB (Chuck & Georgia) so we took a few photos

then we stopped at an abandoned and crumbling bull ring which was once part of a vast resort entertainment complex with a casino.

on to lunch!  where we all tried chivitos the national dish of Uruguay.which we enjoyed with some white wine from Uruguay.

then we headed into the old town (centro historico) to see the sites

amazingly beautiful jacarandas are in bloom right now and also the bougainvillea.

we saw lots of old cars which have become a sort of symbol for the town.   we toured the town, stopped for a drink in the shade to relax and found a bar with some Beatles memorabilia on the wall inside.

after that - more touring until we decided to dine very leisurely and then head back to the ferry a bit early. 

it was a long day and CBGB took the opportunity to nap on the hour long trip back to BA

we all agreed we were happy to have done the trip but none of us thought we would ever make it back to Uruguay again.

a quick note

busy day of city sight seeing.  so will make this a quick entry.  we did a city tour this morning and got the feel for where everything was.  among the stops was LaBoca - home of the Boca Juniors! 

there we did so pre-work for the Bavol holiday card

later we visited Recoleta home of world renown dog walkers 

and then we had a scrumptious lunch at Lola in Recoleta - with a table outside where we had lunch with wine and beverages and three courses for $25 each!

then back to hotel and planned for dinner much later at our favorite place in BA Cabanas Las Lilas.  thanks Johnny Apple! it is the home of big meat!

see you tomorrow! in URUGUAY!



we have arrived

so after the usual delays we arrived later than expected but got ourselves here- met GA & Chuck at 1 PM to get some lunch at Filo- fabulous pizza and some good inexpensive wine.  my husband, Phil, crashed during lunch having failed to sleep on the plane, so we went back to the hotel for a nap.  we later met Chuck & GA for dinner and went to a lovely seafood place called Dora

along the way we ran into some pirates (I must be a magnet for them- LOL) and here is a photo of GA with some of the Pirates- and then Phil, Chuck & GA in front of the restaurant Dora.

we had a wonderful meal of shrimp and jambon for starters and several amazing grilled fish dishes.  we dug in so quickly and were so convivial that I forgot until the end of the meal to take a photo.

the place was charming- hams drying from the ceiling and wine bottles lining the room-

we had a superb san felicien wine and later the waiter served us a lovely digestiva after the meal, which we liked so much we want to take a photo, to save the name for later. 

a stop on the way home at a bodega for water and we were back and ready to plan for tomorrow morning. 

we are taking a city tour for a half day to get oriented.  so lots more as we continue- we are already having a wonderful time catching up with our long time friends who live far enough away that we don't get to see them as frequently as we would like. 

by the way in Chuck's honor I had a shrimp dish serve with salsa de golf- LOL- since he won't get any golf in on this trip, we are trying to assuage his disappointment.  LOL

we are celebrating GA's birthday week and here is the loving couple from lunch-

short days

just this morning I got the sense we are about to start the hibernating season.  the yard is looking quite a bit less lush than it was just a few weeks back.  the trees in front of the houses on either side of us completely dropped their leaves in the last three days. 

seasons change and one of the things I like to do is to note where the yard has been over the last few months

here is a photo of the day I finished installing some river rock in a bed the squirrels dug up so regularly I had to find a better way of protecting the soil than the plain mulch they destroyed each day.

 and then I planted pots for the patio and I was quite happy with my handiwork for about six weeks but alas - with things that grow they are never static and the pots got to look a bit sorry and overspent. 

the hydrangea were late late late to the party- I didn't get a single bloom on my "Everlasting Summer" variety until August and even then they were not abundant.

but over all I was pleased with the way things looked-

we use the deck and patio quite a bit and I wanted them to be welcoming to our friends.  we had a number of good parties in the yard this summer.  a dozen of our work friends came for an afternoon and evening in July and we had the wine group for Memorial Day and out of town friends for Labor Day along with a couple of get-togethers for no particular reason. 

this is why we stay home in the summer- it is the best time of  the year to be in Chicago.

november is not one of our best months usually - although until a day ago it was wonderful- but that is why we are headed south for some sun- Buenos Aires here we come!

streaming thoughts

led from my husband commenting last night that if I wanted to attract people to Paris I should pick more enticing photos than the ones I posted.  LOL- I was thinking from there about that photo I posted of the head in hand.  I think it is sort of a modern day "thinker" but it could just be a heavy day for the head and he had to hold himself in place with the hand... I guess the interpretations could go on and on - that's art after all... in the eye of the beholder (oh wait, that was beauty- wasn't it? -LOL)

anyway I started thinking about how the location is a lovely park on top of horrible dumpy dark mall underground where Les Halles (the main market in Paris) once stood.  what a loss to move a market to build a mall.   that took me to thinking how this is not an unique structure - we also saw the same thing- unattractive underground mall (well actually IMHO there is no such thing as an attractive mall underground or other wise, but I digress) in Moscow.

we had been staying at Le Meridien right across from Red Square and when we walked over we found there was a hidden mall under a quite lovely green space.  I don't have any photos of either of the malls, but I did capture a shot of some of the local "mall rats" in Moscow - probably not all that different from our own.

that led me to thinking that it is actually quite a nice thing to hide the malls someplace - especially in urban areas of some historic note.  last time we were in Paris and were walking home to our hotel in the 6th from the area of Les Halles where the head and hand sculpture is located, we came across this establishment which made me think of the Maltese Falcon or such.

and while I wouldn't quite consider it representative of Paris - it did have appeal for someone who read every Nancy Drew in grade school and then moved on to Marlowe and Spade and others of the hard boiled genre.

BTW- the smoked meat quest was quite successful and while we were at it we located some macarons that were amazingly French in style although the presentation was not quite as pictured below (from the last Paris trip in March)

we enjoyed them so much we will no doubt return for more in December as we are expecting guests from Europe and these would be a superb to serve with tea of coffee.

smoked meat for lunch

my husband is a HUGE fan of Montreal smoked meat.  he just LOVES it.  recently we read that there is a place in Chicago, where we live, that has smoked meat so today we are heading there for lunch to check it out.  the market where the stall is located is also supposed to have real Belgian frites as well.  being a pasty white woman (much to my chagrin) I of course LOVE potatoes. LOL

so here are a couple of photos to memorialize our quest- first the best smoked meat place in all of Montreal and then the frite from Belgium.... got you thinking about lunch maybe????

and then of course I came across the moules in Brussels and Belgian chocolate- so go get something to eat already!

got to thinking

this morning about why I love to travel and I think the answer is somewhat encapsulated in a gift our friends Chuck & Georgia gave us last summer.  it is a lovely collage work with a saying written around the side of it in calligraphy.  it reads: "the world is a book.  if you do not travel... you read only a page."

this morning I have been working on organizing photos and came across a short video which is a perfect example of this concept.  a group of musicians and singers came to entertain us when we had an evening dinner cruise on the Perfume River in Hue Vietnam last year.  here is a short dark clip from the evening of music performed just for my husband and me.

sorry if the clip isn't here - it shows on my computer but doesn't seem to come through- having some technical issues- apparently it takes a while to load so if you wait it should come up- if not then try refreshing the link -  that worked for me-

and then when browsing around I also came across a photo of another one of my all time favorite experiences in travel - this one is older- from 2002.  we were in Chengdu China and visiting the Panda Preserve and Breeding Facility and I had been told by a friend that for a donation (of a decent amount) you could hold a panda cub.  I was thrilled to have this four month old to hug and see up close. 

these are the kind of things you would never get to do if you never leave your own country.

so off we go next week for our second trip to Argentina... and I hope to be able to post a few times from there except I will only do so if it doesn't interfere with my BEING there.

a friend sent

me a slide show of folks on the street that were dressed atrociously.  some deliberately so and others apparently inadvertently - but who can really tell sometimes.  it got me thinking about New Orleans because one of the included photos was very obviously taken someplace in the French Quarter.  it was in that vicinity that I happened upon some pirates one day while out walking around taking photos.  they gladly stopped for a photo, the smallest one brandishing his sword.

then, around the corner I came upon a Lucky Dog cart.  I admit I have never actually had a Lucky Dog so I cannot attest to their gourmet qualities but I can say I do always look for Ignatius Riley when I see the carts.  Alas I have yet to find him except between the pages of the wonderful "A Confederacy of Dunces" - a worthy read for anyone who has missed it. 

when I first started traveling my number one destination was SFO but NOLA was definitely number two.  I am not sure you could find anything else in the US as akin to a foreign country.  the other thing that somewhat qualifies is Key West which is only a US island on the map, it is definitely outside the jurisdiction otherwise. more than a dozen trips to NOLA and at least ten to Key West and they still hold charm- what more can one ask for from a get-away destination?

the days get away

and before you know it a decade has passed.  I was thinking of this because last night we went with friends Sheila & Mary to a wine dinner at one of our favorite places - Cafe Matou.  it is closing after 13 years and for us ten years of good food and friends.  Virgil, James, Lydia, all names of folks who have moved on but the current cast of characters Steven and Becca are also of the same mold of convivial, comfortable, welcoming neighborhood folks. 

the chef, Charlie Socher has been well loved by more than just our circle of friends and now he is moving on.  where will we go for that wonderful tarragon chicken prepared in the traditional French way?  last night a salmon prepared in a Merlot sauced based on salmon bone stock showed Charlie's amazing talent once again. 

it has been, for the last six months or so, a time of loss, my sister passed away in June.  she was 54 (and 17 months younger than I.)  now, no one will ever understand why fig newtons cut in half with toothpicks would make a perfect appetizer- she would have. things we shared between just us two sisters will remain one sided.  I do not wish to dwell here but I will say it is a loss that will never be replaced - never ever. ever.

it is the fall of the year and this year at least the season seems to be about changing - we said our goodbye to May Street Market a week ago when dining with friends Laure & Arno.  another favorite, Mado has also closed without a chance to say farewell.  this Sunday is Cafe Matou's last night.

I know well enough that one door closes and another opens but wonder what the future holds for us.

today's photo is one from Japan.  in this Kyoto garden the stones are placed such that all but one is visible from any given vantage point.  this is in recognition that, here on earth, we cannot see the whole but only have different views from the different places where we may be standing- this seems to be a perfect photo right this minute. 

up early

so I am watching the 6 AM flights take off as the sun rises.  for years - more than a decade I traveled more than 100,000 miles a year, sometimes over 125,000.  many times I was on those flights getting to or from someplace.  as a result of that travel and the mileage accrued, I have been to forty nine states (missing Alaska at this point) and more than 55 countries.  traveling these days is different - and unfortunately more horrible than ever, due to the terrorists having won the battle for control of our airports.  last week I went through my first full body scan, took off  my shoes, put my liquids and gels in their quart bag on the belt along with my laptop - and wondered why anyone bothers to fly anymore.  but of course I know why they fly. because once you actually get through security and on the plane and off the plane you are absolutely elsewhere. for whatever reason you want to be there. 

and for travelers that is the key.  I have been sort of following this blog of a retired swede in Paris and thoroughly enjoying it, as Paris has been "absolutely elsewhere" to me nearly a dozen times in the last fifteen years or so.  in the US when we want to get away (already being dyed-in-the-wool city dwellers) we go to New York City but if we want a European get-away for a long weekend or a short week, I always choose Paris.

last time we were in Paris (earlier this year) we were able to visit with friends on two of the six days we were there.  one friend had come in from Nice and the other from Burgundy.  and this was possible for them because the trains in France actually get people all over the country in amazingly short times- but I swore when I started this entry it would not turn into a rant about our travel infrastructure in America.  so onward...

you can find the link to Peter's Paris on the side of this blog.  I recommend it to everyone but especially if you know the city fairly well as he has some lovely entries for visiting vicariously.

so this obviously calls for a Paris photo - but which to choose from- he has these cool collages of photos on his blog but I don't know how to do that yet so I will see what I can come up with for you.

that one is certainly iconic-

and this one not so much- we pass this sculpture frequently as it is near les Halles and sometimes it looks like this and sometimes it is cleaned of the graffiti. 

and by the way, as I searched for the right picture, the sun has just popped over the horizon and is now creating a silhouette of the steeple of the church to the east of us. 

got to get to my packing list today and I would also like to see if I can figure out how to link to a travel journal on this- maybe you can read up on our last trip to Argentina while we are on this one...just in case I don't get a chance until later to add entries for the blog.

in case you hadn't noticed

there is a mini slide show along the left hand side of the posts in this blog.  right now it has a limited number of photos but it is enough that maybe it will give you the idea to go to the shutterfly link and look at the thousands of photos there from my travel.   today I had lots of work to take care of but tomorrow I hope to be able to get my Argentina things in order and make up a packing list.  it is only next week that we leave and the weather looks fabulous! mid 70s in BA and mid 80s in Mendoza.  A nice respite before our weather (which is actually wonderful this week- mid 60s) turns toward winter. 

meanwhile I loaded some new photo software that might make it easier to find those pictures I know are hiding somewhere.  so today I am going to see if I can get a video uploaded.  this is a video of a wedding we went to in Delhi India (no, it was not Katy Perry and Russell Brand- LOL) it does give a bit of a feel for the event - an evening party at the compound of some ambassador.  very big and very fancy. 

so let's try it-

I don't really know if this will work but we will see- like I said - maybe I need a Dummies book LOL

HA! I think it might be there- keep your fingers crossed for me!