London/Paris Sept. '24

First stop was Chelsea and lunch at the original Ottolenghi Bakery, where his empire all began.

We had just landed in London, but surprisingly we had the energy to accompany my niece Victoria and her daughter Alexis to Chelsea where we stopped at Ottolenghi's original location and picked out some salads and their fabulous brownies. Too bad the salads weren't equally fabulous. Because it looked like rain, we scored a table outside on this busy Saturday and sat down to eat and watch the passersby in this posh district.

Notice my Teva's, the only shoes I could wear after breaking my pinky toe before the trip

We woke up late to a warm, drizzly Sunday. We headed for the Chiswick Farmer's Market by bus, not far from Victoria's house in Chiswick, London. Luckily she and her family keep lots of umbrellas on hand. This is England, after all!

Weekly Sunday Market

The annual  Chiswick dog show was going on in the park so we stopped and watched the judges award the best costume to this smart fellow. The costumes were based on the show So You Think You Can Dance with Mel Giedroyc introducing all the Doggy contestants. I recognized her voice from her role in The Great British Baking Show. She's a faithful supporter of this event

People and dog watching at the show was a blast

Chiswick house and Gardens (pronounced Chizick)

Here's Victoria leaving the Sunday market with chard for our dinner. Baggy jeans are fashionable in London now. That style hasn't caught on in the US yet, or maybe never. After the market and dog events we wandered around the lovely neighborhood and I had a SIM card installed in my phone so we could access the internet while on the go. We didn't realize how important that would be! At our ages we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately Londoners couldn't have been more helpful when our Google maps failed, which was often.

           Monday morning we felt well rested and ready for some serious Museum-going

First, the Tate Modern which was  featuring a major exhibition on the Expressionist painters centered around Wassily Kandinsky in Munich and Bavaria in the early 20th century just before the First World War. There were  paintings by Kandinsky and his partner Gabriele Münter, as well as Paul Klee, Franz Marc and many others. We loved it and felt so lucky to visit during those dates. Also worth mentioning: most museums in London are free.

After finding the museum with some difficulty, our first stop was lunch at the café looking out at St Pauls across the river. All the museum cafés in London were surprisingly good, serving fresh, healthy options as you can see above.

From our table we could see St Paul's Cathedral across the Thames. It survived the bombings of London during WWII and became a symbol of resilience for the British during those dark years

        

                                     On to some favorite paintings from the exhibition

Tiger in the Jungle by Franz Marc

Lady in Moscow by Wassily Kandinsky

I didn't take note of the artist, but I love the painting

Milliner's Shop by August Macke

Kandinsky's painting of his dining room.  The thick application of paint was striking

Kandinsky sitting at the Kitchen Table by Gabriele Mûnter

                                       Back to reality and home to our Turnham Green Tube Stop.

The next day was clear and cool so we took the bus past Shepard's Bush to Portobello Road and Notting Hill, about a half hour's ride on the upper deck, of course.

We wandered around Notting Hill for a while and then stopped for lunch at a typical english pub which turned out to have an excellent chef.

Lunch at The Duke of Wellington on Portobello Road 

Somerset House, home to the Courtauld Gallery

The Cortauld Gallery with its excellent collection of impressionist paintings was on my list of museums

to visit. Somerset House is imposing and stony but the galleries within are modern and welcoming. For an informative and humorous overview of the museum, google the actor Bill Nighey's video on the Courtauld, one of his favorite museums in London where he lives. I wasn't able to import the video here but it's easy to find on Google.

      Three of my favorites by Paul Cézanne viewed in the Courtauld Impressionist Wing

Man with a Pipe by Cézanne

Pot of Flowers and Fruit

Lac d'Annecy

Exiting the massive building was so complicated that again we had to ask directions to the nearest tube stop from a guard outside. As a lifelong Londoner he couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. We had actually exited from the wrong side of Somerset House, so he accompanied us to the back of the building and sent us on our way to a stop on the Victoria Line.

We were so bushed from tromping around all day that we made a joint decision to skip our evening at The Old Vic where we had tickets for Tom Stoppard's play The Real Thing. Instead, we had a relaxing evening at home with my relatives and never regretted our decision.

To be continued...

Passover '24 on the Nob

 

Ricki's table setting

Ricki's cake made with meringue and chocolate layers with mocha-whipped cream filling

Winter Wineland 2024

                               This year the Sonoma County Winter Wineland is finally back to normal. 

Starting at DeLoach in 2022 and 2024

 The Wineroad's event is always held on a weekend near my January 17th birthday and we've been going on Sunday for many years. But for the last 3 years because of Covid there were irregularities. In '21 it was cancelled altogether because all the wineries were closed during the lockdown. Then in '22 and '23  the wineries required reservations in hourly time slots, which was a drag. SO We didn't go at all in '23, but this year we could register for the Winter Wineland event and go to any participating Sonoma County winery whenever we wanted between 11 and 4.

All the wineries had wine tasting but only a few offered food pairings. Here at Sunce, just up the road from De Loach, they had a Mamadios food truck offering Philadelphia porchetta sliders with brocolli raab and red peppers. The chef, who proudly hailed from an Italian family in Philly was very friendly and filled us in on Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and Italian bitter greens. I went back for seconds and  planned to reproduce the delicacy at home. They were delicious!

Dean sporting his visor on this Sunny Sunday at Mazzocco

Then on to Mazzocco near Healdsburg which makes many excellent zinfandels. Lots of delicious zins but no food. The setting was so beautiful on this perfect winter Sunday we didn't mind.  

Above is a video which shows the surrounding landscape in all it's green glory, punctuated with the loud croaking of frogs, happy for all the recent rains. We were happy as well. Don't forget to turn on the sound and click far right icon for full screen.

A cold January day at Mazzocco, with my modest Zin purchase. Many left with cases of wine

Farther North, we visited the Francis Ford Coppolla winery promising pasta Bolognese and more wines.

The wines they served were very good and the small cups of pasta Bolognese prepared in their kitchen were excellent. They too were generous with seconds and thirds. This luxurious winery is one of the only venues with its own kitchen. Most others that offered food pairings had to hire caterers in food trucks.

Inspired by the Coppola Bolognese, I made Marcella's version at home

After our fourth winery, we headed back home, intoxicated by the picturesque scenery and, of course, the wines

On Jan. 17th 2021 the weather was unseasonably warm and sunny as you can tell from my outfit

Here I am at DeLoach again on my birthday in 2021. All the Sonoma County wineries were closed due to the Covid lockdown, so we created our own event. We drove around the scenic country roads looking for a place to picnic and finally decided to sneak into De Loach, which had an open gate and picnic tables. We brought cheese and fresh baguettes from the Cheese Board in Berkeley, which was open Sundays during that period. They served customers from a doorway in their store, and though the lines were long it was worth the wait.

Rainbows for the New Year

              Rainbows are the universal symbol of hope, love, acceptance and happiness 

This is the last chance this year to present photos of our October 2023 Kauai holiday. We watched from our lanai as this perfect rainbow developed one morning after a stormy night. I'm hoping it symbolizes good things for 2024.

Bali Hai sunrise from our Lanai

              

   Endless pleasure gazing at the ocean from our lanai while hearing the waves crash. We couldn't stop taking photos of our beautiful surroundings. Guests from other units were doing the same farther up the lawn.

The remodel of the St Regis is a marvel of taste and design; its new name is 1 Hotel. Above is the dining room where we enjoyed brunch one morning. It was only a short walk from our condo so we spent quite a bit of time walking down to their beach and exploring all the new spaces in the multi-story hotel. It was a fun activity on the few days that it rained 

Closeup of the dining room

We saw people working out on this ingenious outdoor weight room on the sand near the impressive swimming pool and hot tub at 1 Hotel. We were already very familiar with this beach since it was down a long path connecting it to the Hanalei Bay Resort where we stayed many times over the years

                           

                 Here I am in 2010 when it was the St Regis. Same beach, same tree

Cocktail menu at Avalon

One evening we splurged on dinner at Avalon Gastropub in Kilauea, but NOT ON COCKTAILS!

Dean wearing his "new" vintage Tommy Bahama shirt

Another great salad with island mixed greens. The local produce was exceptional (and less expensive than the drinks!)

 On our last day Dean captured the strong wind blowing through the trees on the island. Click on full     screen icon in the video for full effect

                                  One of many spectacular sunsets to end our memorable vacation

New York and Connecticut Visit

 

Lucia's backyard garden in August

COLEBROOK, CONNECTICUT

We finally made it! For four years I have been trying to visit my sister's garden and house in this tiny town about a three hour drive from Manhattan's West side. I cancelled numerous trips due to covid surges, but this year I was determined. The plan was to spend a week in New York and CT before flying to Italy, and it turned out to be a great plan.

I loved everything about Colebrook. I basked in the historical reminders of the town's history. Relics of the Revolutionary War were everywhere. The Colebrook Store pictured above was founded in 1812 and is the oldest continuously running store in CT.  Now they serve good coffee and bake excellent custard filled eclairs.

This is one side of the sign that greets you as you enter town

Late summer hydrangeas lined the road next to the Colebrook Store

Everything was so lush and green, in contrast to California's dry summer terrain. Unusually heavy rains on the East Coast have made the plants especially lush for August.

Near my sister's house there is a pond with a bridge that has a perfect reflection of itself in the water when the light is right, as it was on our first afternoon in town..

late summer garden

 

Lucia prefers her garden in June, but I couldn't imagine a more beautiful display of flowers than these August blooms. She's designed a beautiful garden and does all the upkeep herself, including digging, planting, weeding and mowing (and composting)!

ESPALIER PROJECT

   

My sister had planned a few projects for Dean when he was visiting, and he was happy to oblige, The first was to espalier her apple tree. Since there are no stores in her town except for the historical Colebrook Store which is actually a lunch spot and coffee shop, we drove to the hardware store in Winsted for stakes, tools and garden tape. The large, modern supermarket is also there.

                       Lucia and Dean worked together to accomplish the task while I shot photos

The finished espaliered apple tree

                                                        Back to Manhattan

We took the train back to New York City- a beautiful ride with views of the countryside and wealthy New York suburbs- and with only a day and a half until our flight to Italy, I had an agenda: First, I wanted to show Dean  the Highline which I had visited and loved ten years ago. Lucia was kind enough to accompany us via the subway, like real New  Yorkers, and we got an early start to beat the other tourists. It was more impressive than ever. What a miracle!

Dean examines Mckenzie's water hemlock growing on the side of the walkway

Glimpses of art abound

New York streets taken from above on the highline

In the afternoon we planned to go across Central Park to visit the Metropolitan Museum. When we arrived, the lines to get in were prohibitively long, even for residents. Having so little time we left the museum, had a cool drink at a cafe in the park and again took the cross town bus back to the Upper West Side and got out at the Museum of Natural History. Since it was now late afternoon, the lines had dispersed and they allowed us to enter for free. All the new exhibits like the Van Gogh Cypresses and the Butterfly room required special tickets which we didn't have. However, we could get near enough to see the large space which encloses the exhibit through the  large indoor windows and observe and hear all the ticketed patrons interacting with the butterflies as seen in the video we took below. It was almost as good as being inside.

That evening we ate at an outside table at Taralluci e Vino which my sister had recommended. It was a short walk from her apartment and is a popular neighborhood spot with excellent food and wine.

Bruschetta with arugula pesto and burrata

A refreshing watermelon salad sprinkled with herbs

Wednesday afternoon we took a cab to Kennedy Airport and had a celebratory drink in the lounge before departing for Florence via Amsterdam. We toasted Lucia who  made our East coast visit so much fun. I can't wait to return and see the garden in June.