A Year in Cambridge

See You in San Diego!

2008-03-10T18:58:00.005Z

The boxes have been packed and shipped...

and the kitty is in the travel carrier.

Yep, we've moved! Come visit us in San Diego—touted as America's Finest City—and at our new blog site: sdamyandmatt.blogspot.com.

We did consider calling it latocambridgetorockvilletolosangelestorockvilletosandiego.blogspot.com, but Matt thought it might be a bit hard to remember.

Great Falls, Maryland

2008-03-01T18:48:00.001Z

Potomac River at Great Falls
Potomac River at Great Falls
Potomac River at Great Falls

We were able to fit in a visit to Great Falls before leaving Maryland. We set out when the weather was an unseasonable 60° and sunny: it dropped to a seasonal high 40° and cloudy/rainy by the time we left. I've visited Great Falls a few times before; I remember as a child watching volunteers dressed in turn of the century (1900 not 2000) vestments leading a mule which was pulling a barge through the locks—recreating the commercial heyday of the C&O Canal.

A pair of Canadian Geese in front of one of the old locks.

A great blue heron was one the only other bird we observed with clarity.

There were no such presentations to watch, just dramatic scenery to absorb and nice walking paths to explore. M* wasn't impressed with the first set of falls we saw—commenting on their not-so greatness. I did remind him that there are no mountains to speak of in the area which would create a staggering drop.

One of the lesser falls that did not impress M*.

Lesser falls detail.

However, after we crossed over a walking bridge, heading towards the Virginia side of Great Falls, M* spied the Potomac River falls and was somewhat appeased. However, I do think that he might remember the National Park more for its array of lichen than for the water.

Lichen covered rocks that M* finds thoroughly fascinating and lovely.

There are areas at Great Falls where offshoots of the Potomac are calm.

I Finally Come to the Aid of a Harp Seal

2008-02-07T19:32:00.000Z

One-year-old harp seal at Cape Henlopen State Park

When I was in third grade I had to keep a journal for school. I wrote a series of entries on the abuses inflicted upon young harp seals. I must have seen a nature program about how the pups were hunted for their white fur, because I described in detail how they were clubbed to death—I'm a little surprised that my mom didn't get a call from the teacher about the entries.

This past Sunday, M* and I were at my dad's shore house in Delaware when my dad received a call from a neighbor regarding a one-year-old pup that had beached itself at Cape Henlopen State Park. My dad's neighbor volunteers for many marine causes along the Delaware shore, and she was contacted to help guard the seal before it returned to the ocean after a bit of a rest. M* and I convinced my dad to take us over, and we were very thrilled that he humored us. I had no idea that harp seals traveled so far south and that they were solitary animals for most of their lives. When I was eight, I imagined myself having to trek to the Arctic to encounter these fetching animals.

I was a bit worried about the fate of the creature as there were burnt sienna colored marks on the seal's neck and the wildlife specialist, who was present with us at Cape Henlopen, noted that the seal wasn't as hefty (i.e., cigar-shaped) as she'd like. However, a Google search conducted two days later informed me that it had returned to the sea. I also learned that such beachings are not uncommon throughout February.

M*, my dad (trying to exit the shot) and marine wildlife volunteers stay beyond the taped-off safe zone.

And did this experience fulfill my childhood wish to rescue harp seals? Well, I did warn a couple who was heading over to the cordoned off area, set-up to protect the seal, to leash their dog. If a dog did approach or bark at the seal, the seal could experience undue stress or even attack the dog if it felt threatened. Not exactly the dramatic rescue my young mind imagined, but it's more than I thought I'd do when I reexamined this dream during my pragmatic and, too often, cynical adult years.

One-Year-Old Harp Seal at Cape Henlopen

More Converts to the Cult of Settlers

2008-02-01T04:44:00.000Z

A winning Settlers board.

M* and I have successfully turned his family into Settlers of Catan fans. I brought the game with us on our visit, thinking, mistakenly, that I had included the expansion edition to use with my long term gaming group in Los Angeles. However, we were able to convince M*'s youngest sister, Lindsey, and her fiance, Jason, to try a game—even though Jason was skeptical due to his less than enthralling experiences with traditional American games. When we started discussing the strategy involved in Settlers—the bartering, the amassing of resources, the building of settlements and cities—he quickly became excited to play.

Lindsey and Jason picked-up the rules of Settlers faster than any first-time player I've encountered. There was no eyes-glazing-over moment as I explained, for example, that you can trade four of any one resource for one of another kind on your turn but if you have a settlement or city on a marine port you can do three or two for one. The four of us had a challenging match—a great end to our time in Phoenix over New Year's.

M*, as the one in last place, was relegated to the role of photographer after the game.

Buoyed by this successful Settler's conversion, we turned to our next challenge: M*'s parents. They were willing newbies, but I almost lost them as I went over the rules. At one point, M*'s dad even exclaimed, "What pervert invented this game?!" (Sorry Klaus Tuber.) Luckily they were willing, albeit baffled, to try a practice game with M* and I giving advice throughout. While I sensed that M*'s mom was being a bit too nice to her son during some trades, we enjoyed watching her become competitive as she and M* vied to be the first to reach 10 points. M* did pull ahead and win, and I had my worst showing to date.

M* and his mom reconcile after a hard-fought battle for first place.

M*'s dad eventually came to truly enjoy the game—he was very impressed with how entertaining and challenging the playing of each turn could be. A few days later when I told him that I had extended my stay in Los Angeles, he relayed that the first thing that crossed his mind was, "We'll have time for another game of Settlers!" And we did.

No More Blurry Photos!

2008-01-31T04:38:00.000Z

This is an overstatement, but M* found this great how-to video for a "$1 Image Stabilizer" that fits in your pocket—much handier than lugging around a tripod.

$1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod - For more amazing video clips, click here

First Post-Fire Hike in Griffith Park

2008-01-23T21:25:00.000Z

Charred trees on the hillside by the newly restored Griffith Park Observatory.

Last weekend, M* and I joined Tyler and Nico for a short hike through parts of the newly reopened Griffith Park in Los Angeles. We'd hiked in GP many times when we lived in the area, and the hike that we undertook most regularly, which started a walkable distance from Nico's place, is still closed since the May 2007 fires which reduced over 800 acres of the park to ashes.

The hydromulching has brought green back to some hillsides.

We were surprised by how verdant parts of the hillsides were during the hike up the Mount Hollywood Trail. The new plant growth was bright green—a dramatic contrast to the charred tree remains. We were singularly impressed with nature's ability to regenerate. While some plants do need occasional fire for germination, I just learned from the Griffith Park blog that the level of growth we observed was due to carefully planned hydromulching efforts of 479 park acres.

Checking their blog today, I read that heavy rains bombarding the LA Basin this past week have caused some of the recently reopened areas to be shut again. The "mild to moderate debris flows and flooding" the park is experiencing are surely exacerbated by the destabilizing effects of the fires.

Griffith Park
(click photos for larger image)
*Tyler looks tough, but the polarized, sport sunglasses and the straw hat keep M from being badass.**	I love the dramatic twists of this chard tree.
Somehow the palms at the top of the hill survived.	The area around the Hollywood Sign was unscathed.
Without reseeding work, the burnt areas would still look as brown as the hill in the background.	Without the new growth, all these burnt trees would be a bit sad.

He May Not Be Tool Belt Handy But...

2008-01-23T20:56:00.000Z

M* certainly can improve the quality of a wireless connection. While visiting his parents my connection to the router was weak, so my techie-sweatheart went online to find the instructions for this signal booster called the Windsurfer. He strengthened the power of the wireless router by constructing a parabolic reflector from cardboard (recycled from a cereal box) and aluminum foil. Jewels shmools, ensuring that I have a fast internet connection is a definite way to keep me happy.

By rotating the Windsurfer, I've even been able to get a strong signal outside.

Things in Tyler's Apartment

2008-01-19T21:15:00.000Z

A creation by Tyler's friend Vanessa. We call it Fishnu.

This gnome, standing on a table Tyler made, keeps Tyler company at night.

Tyler made this table from layers of pressed plywood. The legs are special ordered from a fellow in Ohio. Chairs are IKEA. Look close and you can spot the games on the table.

A chandelier that Tyler bought from me at my pre-Cambridge yard sale. He brought back the chrome's luster with aluminum foil.

The Buddha box, which Tyler got in Beijing, plays music and puts on quite a light show.

Tyler (far left), Shawn, me, Nico and Abe (front)

A Surprise Welcome in Phoenix

2008-01-08T04:16:00.000Z

The red petals on the white bedspread were lovely.

When M* and I arrived in Phoenix a few days before New Year's Eve, we expected his sister and her fiance, Lindsey and Jason, to take us back to their place after getting us at the airport. However, when they pulled up to the Ritz, I should have suspected something. Instead, I thought that Lindsey wanted to show us where she worked. When they parked the car and popped open the trunk, I finally realized that our Christmas present from them was to stay at the Ritz.

Delicious, decadent and gluten-free.

Now, our two night stay would have been gift enough, but Lindsey went a few steps further. When we opened the door to our room, we were greeted by the version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" that I had written about on this blog, gluten-free chocolate cake and a bottle of wine, rose petals leading to and covering the bed, framed photos of M* and me and our cats, and a personalized note from the hotel management. We were also given access to the club level (breakfast, tea, cordials, etc) during our stay. The bar was certainly upped for M* in terms of planning a surprise getaway.

M* and I arrive at the Ritz, and a framed photo of us on our four year anniversary.

Grandma's Mii

2007-12-28T02:10:00.000Z

Grandma B.'s Mii

M* taught my 90-year-old grandma how to play the Nintendo Wii on Christmas. She even beat him in golf—she's a very competitive player. My brother-in-law created her Mii (above). Besides the ponytails, which the family insisted on, it's a strong likeness. She was really pleased with the result.

M* teaching Grandma Wii golf.

First Picture With My New Camera

2007-12-27T22:32:00.000Z

Ok, so not a very exciting composition (but certainly my favorite subject to photograph).

I'm thrilled with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 that M* surprised me with for Christmas. It's my pre-SLR camera; I'm taking photographic baby steps.

I also like these two first-day shots–once again, the subjects make the photos.

Fletcher's first Christmas with the McGavocks.

The new camera better captures Titchou's and Brea's beauty.

Cousins' Christmas

2007-12-26T16:31:00.000Z

Every year my mom's family gathers in New York around the holidays, and we call it Cousins' Christmas. My mom's family isn't large—three brothers, one who succumbed to cancer many years ago, a sister and their offspring (the cousins)—but the group expands every year or so as one of the cousins marries or has a child. We only have four or five hours together, so the conversations are often quick and consist of a brief rundown of the year's activities. But the time together is valued by all, and everyone appreciates the effort made by those who travel long distances. My mom's sister and brother-in-law live in Canada, and they can't often make it to the gathering (their daughter lives in Canada as well, but she's been able to attend a bit more). This year they had their plane tickets and were excited for the visit, but a last minute health issue prevented them from attending. We missed them very much, as they are just lovely people, but were just very happy that they are feeling better.

The Welling Family 2007

Since this was the first time that M* and I had been present as a married couple, my mom arranged for champagne to be passed around so that she could make a toast. I suspected that she'd make such a gesture, and it was very nice to receive so many well wishes. Of course, everyone was interested to know what we'll be doing next, and we let them know that we're just as excited to find out ourselves. Wherever we end up, I hope that we'll still be able to make this annual gathering.

The Wellings
Christmas angels	Peppermint elf.
A Kennedy lady takes to the keys.	Uncle Paul leads us in song.
The Matt Welling family.	Rudolph showing his gang affiliation.
Uncle Paul imparting wisdom to the newest Welling.	Santa's reindeer.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T22:16:00.000Z

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!

2007-12-19T02:22:00.000Z

My grandmother recently turned 90. Doesn't she look fabulous? We went to church in the morning and celebrated over dinner at Kincaid's Restaurant in Washington, DC. She was glowing the entire night. M* and I were so happy to have the time to be a part of this special day.

The Bastian family gathers at Kincaid's.

Leiden

2007-12-14T21:52:00.000Z

Before last year, I don't think I would have come-up with Leiden if someone asked me to name cities in the Netherlands. As we had friends in M*'s program that were from there and we visited it during our post-Cambridge travels, we are now familiar with this Dutch town.

A first experienced in Leiden was trying a mild, creamy textured and colored cheese flavored with cumin seeds. M* and I loved it, and we asked our friends what the cheese was called. They didn't know it by a specific name—it was just a regularly available cheese. M* and I weren't hopeful of finding the cheese in the States. However, when we visited Eastern Market a few weeks ago, my sister took us to the cheese vendor so that she could buy cheeses for Thanksgiving. One cheese that she wanted to get was Leiden cheese. When she said that, I didn't make the connection. Instead I described to her the tasty, cumin-seeded cheese that we had in Leiden. She looked at me and said, "It's called Leiden cheese." M* and I immediately bought some for ourselves—and it was delicious. It's definitely one of my favorite cheese at the moment—I love the depth and pungency of the the cumin seeds coupled with the creamy, yet firm texture of the cheese.

Me with my Leiden cheese at Eastern Market

Another thing about Leiden that surprised us is the fact that the Mayflower Pilgrims spent a dozen years in Leiden after fleeing England and before leaving on the Mayflower (from England) to America. I recently came across a brochure from Plimouth Plantation ("Plymouth as it was in the 17th century"), which I visited as a young'un, and even it doesn't mention a stay in The Netherlands.

"In the autumn of 1620, a small band of immigrants left England aboard the ship Mayflower, seeking economic opportunity and religious freedom in the New World."

Our time abroad was an edifying and humbling experience—we didn't realize how much we didn't know.

Seriously, What a Deal

2007-12-12T22:36:00.000Z

I totally scored on this 'Free Stuff' find in Southeast DC

Wiiiii

2007-12-10T01:36:00.000Z

My Mii kicked M*'s Mii-butt in bowling.

My sister and her husband have the Nintendo Wii, and M* and I have enjoyed playing when we're over at their house. You can make your own Mii, an avatar used to play Wii games, and my sister and brother-in-law had created one of me for fun, without my input, and named it Stinky. Stinky is not a very happy Mii. M* was allowed to create his own. A cool thing about the Miis is that you can choose and adjust the facial features. A friend of ours described how his nephews created a Mii called Goat Boy—they created horns by rotating the eyebrows until they were vertical and then moving them to the top of the Mii's head. Brilliant.

Lately, M* has had more Wii time than me because Carolyn and Adam recently purchased Super Mario Galaxy. I'm happy with the bowling and tennis, never having been a video gamer. I just lose interest when I have to figure out where hidden powers are stashed and the like—especially when someone, like M*, is levels ahead of me and whose turns last hours (while I die in 30 seconds).

I perfect my bowling form, while Carolyn demonstrates chair bowling.

The Wii was even a family activity on Thanksgiving, with my brother-in-law giving a demonstration to my uncle Peter, mom and grandmother.

Adam explains the controls to Peter, while my mom eyes the Wii suspiciously. Peter scores a strike.

Walking Past the White House

2007-12-09T02:18:00.000Z

Last weekend we went into D.C. to the National Building Museum to see a Marcel Breuer exhibit. After the museum and a filling dinner, we decided to skip the closest Metro stop and walk a bit in the chilly evening. Our two mile diversion took us past the White House, where we stopped and took the requisite tourist photos.

My Favorite Wintertime Song...

2007-12-05T17:29:00.000Z

is Baby It's Cold Outside. (The first snowfall of the season is making me feel very festive today, including listening to Christmas tunes). This is hugely influenced by the scene in the movie "Elf" where Zooey Deschanel is singing the song in the shower and Will Farrell secretly accompanies her. I bought the soundtrack hoping their duet would be included. However, it features a version where Zooey sings the song with Leon Redbone—a nice version but I'm still hoping they release the Will Farrell version.

Spa Day

2007-12-04T17:50:00.000Z

Forgot to post these photos of M* enjoying a Still Waters Run Deep foot treatment at The Still Point—a wellness spa that a friend of mine recently opened in Takoma Park, Maryland. Even though it was a foot treatment, they started us (I got one as well) off with a warm neck wrap and eye mask while our feet were soaking.

M* enjoying his warm neck wrap and calming tea.

M* in full-on relaxation mode.

Our New Home

2007-11-29T20:44:00.000Z

In need of a little love on Route 178 in Belle Haven, Virginia.

Although we often feel this is all we could afford in any area we desire to live, this is actually a house we passed last weekend when we went on a studio tour of local artists around my sister's shore house in Wachapreague, Virginia. While the roof was caving in, windows were broken and plants had overtaken the interior, the green paint was still in good condition and helped catch our attention as we drove passed. Upon request, my sister turned around so that I could get a photo.

She also entertained me by driving past Liars Corner on the way out of Wachapreague (not that there are many roads in a town with a population of less than 300). This is where, from what I understand, a group of grumpy old men spend their days. Don't know if they weren't around because it was Sunday or the weather was a bit chilly.

Liars Corner

The weather was a bit chilly that weekend, but at least we had lovely sunshine. Sunset in this marshy area is especially beautiful.

The Bastian Ladies at sunset.

More Eastern Shore Gems
Onancock's wreaths acknowledge its dependence on the water.	The puffy coat crew.
Amy & Carolyn outside an artist's studio.	Me and M*
Dinner at North Street Market.	Happy after wine and cheese.
*Me toasting the fact that M enjoys hanging out with the Bastian ladies.**

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T13:51:00.000Z

Homemade apple pie—gluten-free and delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I must say, although being semi-homeless is not ideal, it's quite nice to have time to really enjoy the holidays. My mom pre-cooked one of the turkeys, made Moroccan spiced carrots and baked a stuffing yesterday. I made the cornbread and sauteed the onions and celery in copious amounts of butter for a cornbread stuffing, which I'll be baking this afternoon. As my uncle from Florida, who is arriving this morning, and my grandmother will be joining my mom for the ride over to my sister's, we realized that M* and I and all the food will not fit in the car. As the food can't find its way to my sister's on its own, we have to take the Metro over.

To further the holiday spirit, I was going to put on some holiday songs. However, the high today will be 70°, so it just doesn't seem appropriate. I don't have to wait long though, it will be going down to freezing late tonight.

Mom enjoys documenting our time spent with her.

Falling Water

2007-11-20T02:13:00.000Z

Although it looks like I Photoshopped us in, M* and I really did go to Falling Water.

Last Tuesday M* and I took the two-hour, extended tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water (1935). We also stopped by another Wright house, Kentuck Knob—a deluxe Usonian completed in 1956. Both houses are nestled in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania and fall within the boundaries of Ohiopyle State Park (well, if not in, then very near). M* and I were as impressed with Falling Water as we'd hoped. Since others know much more about FLW and FW than I, please follow the links above to find out more about the homes. However, I will share four not so known facts:

1) The original owners of FW, Edgar Sr. and Liliane Kaufmann, who commissioned FLW were first cousins.
2) The toilets in FW were extremely low to the ground as Edgar Sr. believed this was good for the colon.
3) A Falling Water map was created for Half-Life 2 (one of M*'s favorite computer games). It is almost an exact copy including some furniture and artwork.
4) The new owner of Kentuck Knob is an English Lord—Lord Peter Polumbo. There are photos of his family all over the house (I'm sure FLW would have hated this as he hated clutter), some of which are of him and Princess Diana.

Here are some photos. Just click on the picture to enlarge.

Falling Water
Falling Water	A little closer now.
Seamless mitered windows.	Tiffany vase.
Kitchen (hated by the cook)	FLW designed furniture.
Me on one of the porches.	Herb garden.
Steps leading down from the living room.	View from the living room.
Another Tiffany gem.	Swinging cauldron.
I really like this statue by a Mexican artist (?? name).	View of the inviting guesthouse.
Unheated, spring pool.	FLW was passionate about Japanese art.
Window joints lined up with the floors.	Postcard view.

Kentuck Knob
FLW began marking his buildings later in his career.	Front of Kentuck Knob.
Porch made from beautiful tidewater red cypress.	FLW designed driveway light.
Me and M*

Confluence, Pennsylvania

2007-11-17T03:11:00.000Z

When M* and I went up to visit Falling Water, we stayed the night before the tour at a bed and breakfast, Paddler's Lane, in Confluence, PA. The establishment was about seven, mountainous miles away from the Frank Lloyd Wright house. As the sun had recently set when we approached PL and the winding roads were unlit, we decided to drive on straight to PL before finding something to eat. Our urban minds did not entertain the thought that there might not be anywhere to eat–not even as we drove through the dark town square.

Paddler's Lane B&B in the Laurel Highlands borders the Youghiogheny River.

There was no one at the b&b when we found our way down the gravel road between the railroad tracks and a river–just an unlocked door and a note to go on in. When the manager of the b&b returned from his other job at an outdoor store, he had no suggestions of where we could eat unless we wanted to go back down those intimidating roads. He offered us the kitchen if we wanted to cook something ourselves, so we went to find our dinner at the local super market.

Occasionally I've wondered what happened to Steak-umms–frozen, paper-thin 'steak' that we frequently had in our freezer while I was growing up. I must say that I loved the taste and the 60 second cooking time fit into a teenagers schedule. I figured that Steak-umms were a food that had lost their appeal and were no longer available. However, if I was going to find them anywhere, I'm not surprised that I found them in Confluence.

The Steak-umm Company is based in Pennsylvania–so it's local food.

I quickly realized that finding anything gluten-free was out of the questions, so I paired my gluten-free pretzels that I'd brought with us with yogurt, an apple and a can of Progresso soup. M* had a bit squarer of a meal with spinach tortellini, frozen vegetables and red sauce.

Our Confluence dinner.

We returned to the still unlocked b&b (we were told that there was no key for the house, just our rooms), and I perused the selection of movies while M* cooked up his pasta. There were too many Deliverance, Blair Witch Project type movies for my comfort level, and as we were the only guests, we decided to lock all the main doors and just get up early to let the manager in to make us breakfast. As we could see the meager food supplies in the fridge, we were prepared for a limited selection the next morning. I was just happy that we made it safely to that meal.

Frederick, Maryland

2007-11-15T16:56:00.000Z

M* and I stopped by Frederick, Maryland on our way up to Falling Water. Having been there once before, I thought walking around the quaint, historic downtown and peeking in a few antique stores would be a nice way to spend a couple of hours. Maybe it was M*'s company or because Frederick has blossomed that I found the town more charming than on my last visit. Since M* and I have spent some time in abroad recently, we noticed the European influences. We confirmed our suspicions at the visitors' center where we learned that Germans were the main group founding the town (German was the dominant language in the area in its early days).

“(German immigrants) used art; it was not some esoteric thing apart from them. . . you worked in a colorful barn, lived in a stone house built for the ages with a motto carved under the eaves, ate pie out of an etched pie dish, and other foods cooked in a stove which had artistic original design, kept your linens in a museum-piece chest, dipped sugar out of a museum-piece sugar bowl, skimmed milk from lovely red-ware made on the potter's wheel, walked on rainbow-like rag rugs, slept under artistic bedspreads of original design, drank wine from museum-piece . . . .glass or spatter-ware, had a birth and marriage certificate of hand-illumined fractur [hand decorated manuscripts], sang out of hymn books illumined with fractur and worshipped with bibles similarly illumined. You rode in wagons gaily colored, watched the wind sway originally designed weather-vanes atop the barn, and saw even the barnyard made resplendent by peacocks." - Excerpted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cookery, J.George Frederick, 1936

Amy becomes one with the public art.

Colorful German style homes.

We also found a European ideal in the redevelopment of the downtown area–public space along the canal (that's what M* and I liked to call it as an ode to the Netherlands), mixed with businesses and residential housing. There is even a community bridge mural with an award-winning trompe l'oeil (I'm pictured above with a replica of "The Woman of Samaria").

The Baby Waker.

Frederick's "canal."

We also enjoyed imbibing a bit of American history–things we had both learned before, we're sure, at some point but could not recall or remember with clarity. One item on display is the Great Baby Waker—the cannon that signaled the end of the Revolutionary War. The front of the barrel is what remains after it exploded due to improper loading in 1844. The cannon is next to the Hessian barracks which were a prison for the Hessian soldiers captured during the war (M* and I both thought the Hessians fought on the side of the Americans—oops!). I've just read that the barracks, now a museum that is open on a limited basis to the public, "represents the finest of colonial military architecture in North America." Also, the limestone structure was the largest masonry structure in use by the military at that time. Who knew?!

Hessian barracks/prison.

M @ Tasting Room.

M*'s dessert: cranberry and blueberry bread pudding.

Another reason we liked this town so much was the interesting shops. We actually didn't even make it into the antique stores—though we passed many. We were distracted by the independent clothing and home stores and numerous eating establishments. A friend had recommended the Tasting Room, and we enjoyed a meal there before getting back on the road. The restaurant describes themselves, in the guide handed out at the visitors' center, as "combining the essence of historic Frederick and the modern styles of New York City." Sounds a bit much, but I think it's hard to describe oneself whether a person or business. My polenta with portabella mushrooms and an Italian cheese (can't remember the name) was both delicate and hearty. My glass of Viognier was quite good, although a tad too sweet. M* was please with his rockfish special and loved the high, original ceiling. In general, we found it a very relaxing spot. As they advertise their extensive martini list, I'm guessing it can be a quite a bit busier in the evenings.

As we headed out of town, I searched the visitors' guide to see if there would be a Christmas market in the area this season—Germans are know for their Christmas markets and Frederick was founded by Germans. There is: Maryland Christmas Snow is being held the two weekends after Thanksgiving. We're planning on attending (my mom might take M*'s place on that trip).

Broadkill Beach

2007-11-08T04:03:00.000Z

An abandoned beach front property along the Delaware Bay in Broadkill Beach–even though the area was once a favorite with squatters, this shack belongs to the lots' legal owner.

M* and I escaped our hectic lifestyle with another trip to the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia for those not in the know). We went down to Broadkill Beach where my dad and stepmother have a shore home—a modern shore home outfitted with satellite TV, gourmet kitchen and wi-fi. Broadkill was originally Broad Kiln meaning wide river or wide creek–kiln is a Dutch word, I believe. The area was first settled, after the Native Americans of course, by the Dutch and Swedes.

Fishing is the favorite pastime with the locals.

A relic of the WWII Delaware Bay defense system (not really sure what it's purpose was)

My dad had lured us down there with promises of witnessing the migration of snow geese to their winter resting spot at the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, which just happens to border my dad's backyard. However, the snow geese must have been too busy at Pumpkin Chunkin or looked for shelter away from the remnants of a hurricane that moved through on Friday night. Instead we visited Nassau Valley Winery.

Lena, a Great Dane that thinks she's a lap dog, keeps M* company as he performs a very American activity–relaxing on the couch, watching sports and eating potato chips.

The winery touts its status as Delaware's first and only award winning winery–my dad joked that it's because its the state's only winery. I'm sorry to say that after sampling five of the wines, I had to agree with him. I also agreed with his statement that one feels compelled to buy a bottle of wine at each vineyard that is visited–now in California or France this is something that I'm happy to do. We did try a peach dessert wine that we found to be passable, and my dad, without tasting it first, bought two bottles of chardonnay. Luckily the spicy kabobs he made that night vastly improved the taste of the wine.

M* carried this piece of driftwood quite a ways back to the house. Here, he gladly pauses to take a photo.

The rest of the weekend was spent trawling the aisles of the local grocery store–my dad's favorite pastime, watching TV (sports and the horrible CSI: Miami–my dad's favorite show) and walking on the beach–Sunday was sunny and beautiful. This type of beach living is far more relaxing, I find, than the crowded, traffic clogged Santa Monica area beaches. Granted, one can enjoy warmer temperatures for sunbathing in California, but I prefer to stay white and pasty anyway.

Bethesda Trolley Trail

2007-11-03T20:04:00.000Z

Start of the Bethesda Trolley Trail (aka North Bethesda Trail) off of Tuckerman Road.

Friday night M* and I walked five miles from Rockville into Bethesda via the Bethesda Trolley Trail (a flat path that is really a connection of a number of shorter trails through neighborhoods and over two freeways). We first did this walk by accident the previous Sunday—when we realized that we had already completed half of the walk and it would be the same distance to get into Bethesda as to turn around and return to my mom's place, we continued on knowing that we could take Metro back and hoping that my mom might be in the area to give us a ride.

View of the 270 freeway from the pedestrian bridge near the start of the trail.

On Friday, we were without a car, but invigorated by our walking/ cycling experience in Cambridge, we decided to walk to a recently well-reviewed restaurant in Bethesda. While taking Metro was an option, returning to a car dominated lifestyle has been making us feel a bit lumpish, so we were quite happy to get the exercise. As we got started a bit later than planned, instead of most of our walk being before sunset, the sun only made an appearance for the first 15 minutes of our excursion. Even without a flashlight M* and I managed to find our way along the path—it's a bit hard to escape the glow of suburbia along the trail.

Our destination—Nark Kara

We were quite hungry when we arrived at Nark Kara—a reasonably-priced, well-reviewed Thai restaurant. M* and I sensed something was wrong upon entering—there were empty tables but no one seated us or another couple for a while, diners were waiting without menus or water, exasperated glances followed servers as they frantically moved from the kitchen to the dining room. It turns out that getting seated was much faster than any other part of the dinner—water, menus, ordering, drinks (didn't come out until after our appetizer which took about 40 minutes while), food. However, the staff was so nice (we got free mango ice cream for dessert) and apologetic (our server did explain that something was wrong, but neither M* nor I could fully understand) and M* and I were in no hurry (we've gotten a bit used to the lengthier European dinner). Some people walked out, some demanded to speak to a manager, some complained loudly, some were just passive aggressive. Those who did stay long enough to receive their meal were mostly very pleased with the result. My Prik Khing was excellent—the green beans were bright green with a good crunch and the dish had a nice spice level—although it took two tries as the first was missing the kaffir lime leaves.

After over two hours in the restaurant, we walked over to the Bethesda Metro and trained it home. As it was after 10pm and it was hat/scarf/mittens weather out, we didn't even consider taking the Bethesda Trolley Trail back. I must say, getting around without a car made us feel healthier and a bit nostalgic for Cambridge.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T13:50:00.000Z

Inspired by the pumpkin festival at Schloss Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart, Germany, I went with animal themed pumpkins this year. I only wish that I could have entered the creations into my friend Eric's annual pumpkin carving contest. As it is in LA, I didn't think that the monkey, fish and mouse would fare well on the trip.

Me and my monkey.

The German made monkey that was my inspiration.

Our three animal pumpkins: mouse, fish and monkey.

The mouse and fish from Ludwigsburg. I just realized yesterday that the mouse was not a cat. Maybe it could go both ways.

Me and M* arranging my creations.

Since I thought this was originally a cat, I thought the girls wouldn't mind its presence. From their reaction, I should have realized that it was a mouse pumpkin.

Cedar Island, Virginia

2007-10-14T05:06:00.000+01:00

We took two trips to Cedar Island, a barrier island bordering the Atlantic Ocean, when we were in Wachapreague last weekend. Carolyn and Adam took us out on Saturday in their 19 foot Carolina Skiff, and then we made a stop during our Captain Rick ecology tour on Sunday.

Carolyn showing off her very large welk shell.

A mature sea turtle finds its final resting spot.

M* had fun chasing ghost crabs back into their holes.

Hermit crabs can be found in the waters on the bay side of the island.

Unfortunately, we found many balloons on the beach. They can be fatal to certain sea creatures.

Skipper Adam, me in full iritis gear (blue blocker shades and cap) and Carolyn.

M* got a lovely Flock of Seagulls hairdo while riding on the bow.

Birds of Wachapreague

2007-10-13T16:58:00.000+01:00

Here are some of my brother-in-law's photos from our nature boat tour around Wachapreague Inlet and Cedar Island—his zoom was far superior to mine in capturing the birds that Captain Rick, our guide, pointed out. I saw a few of these species last year when my sister and I explored a different area of the Virginia Shore with Captain Rick, but it's going to take a bit of training before I can identify a bird that doesn't have unique plumage and isn't sitting close enough for me to carry out a thorough inspection.

Double breasted cormorant sunning itself by the Wachapreague Marina.

The red-billed royal and caspian terns.

The marbled godwit walks amongst the oyster shells.

The peregrine falcon perched by its nest—the plastic abode was provided by a local authority.

A group of unidentified shore birds.

The whimbrel has a bill curved at 58°—the perfect angle to raid fiddler crab holes.

And finally, the oyster catcher—the favorite amongst our group.

The Other Cambridge

2007-10-09T14:22:00.000+01:00

A lot more fast food and traffic lights and far fewer cows in this Cambridge.

Driving to my sister's shore place in Wachapreague, Virginia (population 235), we passed Cambridge, Maryland. After our time in England and our travels around Europe, we realized how many towns and cities in the U.S. were named after places settlers had emigrated from. Out a sense of nostalgia or our need to use the bathroom or a mixture of the two, we stopped at the McDonald's in Maryland's Cambridge. M* went all native and got the Egg McMuffin Breakfast Meal.

M* enjoying his Egg McMuffin.

AC/DC Without A Hint of Hipster Irony

2007-10-06T02:02:00.000+01:00

You know you're back in Maryland when...

you are at the bank, and the mobile phone of a tank-top and shorts wearing fella indicates a call with AC/DC's Back in Black. I just can't imagine such a thing happening in the UK (even though the band is Australian), and in L.A. it would be more of a hipster statement of retro, average joe coolness (like drinking Pabst beer, listening to Journey and sporting trucker hats—thank God that trend has past except for the few who still embrace that tired brand of Von Dutch) than a declaration of a longtime fan.

Kitties!

2007-10-06T01:48:00.000+01:00

Luckily Titchou and Brea have forgiven us for abandoning them for the year at "Grandma's."

Titchou is mesmerized by the camera.

Brea is such a glamour girl.

Goodbye 29 Owlstone Road!

2007-10-05T20:45:00.000+01:00

Copenhagen—President and Protest

2007-10-04T17:57:00.000+01:00

We were walking through Copenhagen's City Center, when we saw a queue of people. Following it to its start, we learned that people were waiting to meet Bill Clinton and have him sign his new book. Since he was set to arrive in a few minutes, we waited around to see him and his Secret Service agents alight from their vehicles. I decided to do join the locals thrusting their hands forward for a shake (the rest of my family has met him, so I figured it was my turn), and M* got a video of Bill (unfortunately, I did not make it into the clip).

As we continued our tour of the city, we were passed by a group of white coated cyclists chanting in Danish. A few minutes later we came across this poster advertising a demonstration. We still haven't figured out what it was about.

Copenhagen—Red Life District and Graffiti

2007-10-03T11:06:00.000+01:00

The reviews of our hotel did not mention that the hotel is located right on the edge of the red light district. M* found this out during his interview, when a potential future boss asked him where we were staying. I also had picked up clues such as the Bunny Club strip joint on the same street as the hotel.

Shop right around the corner from our hotel.

The area is actually in the process of gentrifying, and we didn't see much more than a few sex shops and strip clubs. We were also told that Copenhagen is an extremely safe city. With hotel prices around $300/ night in this area, I expected a slightly different neighborhood ambiance. Still, with the train station four blocks away, the hotel was very convenient.

American graffiti in Copenhagen.

The other surprise of our trip was the graffiti—the presence of it in most neighborhoods and the amount of it that was in English. As we were told that the Danes are some of the happiest people (according to some study), I was a bit surprised by the large quantity and the anger displayed by it. Perhaps I've just lost my edge after spending a year in the pastoral setting of Cambridge.

New take on 'Make love, not war'?

At first I thought this meant a call to rise up against gay people, but I checked, and it refers to the struggle by gay Muslims for acceptance.

Copenhagen--First Impression

2007-10-01T14:52:00.000+01:00

Not the New Yorker that I'm used to.

While waiting for M* to return from his interview, I walked from our hotel to the Strøget, which is a series of streets known for good shopping. Well, I should have expected globalization to have left its mark on Copenhagen, and I, unfortunately, saw mainly stores that one can find in most large cities: Zara, Urban Outfitters, Ecco, H&M.

The Strøget begins with a 7-11 on one corner and a Burger King on the other.

I had read or heard that Copenhagen was a lot like Amsterdam, and I can see it a bit in the architecture of the older buildings. However, it's Amsterdam with fewer canals, more advertisements and neon signs, and a 7-11 or American fast food establishment (McDonalds, Burger King, KFC) in every block. I'm expecting that once we explore more of the city, we'll discover a more authentic Copenhagen.

Ads like these that cover soulless office buildings in Los Angeles--that I can handle. It's such a shame that these lovely, historic buildings are used to hock mobile phones, airlines and financial services.

On another note, our hotel (AXEL Hotel Guldsmeden) is conveniently located by the central train station and Tivoli Gardens. However, the famous gardens are closed until 12 October when they reopen completely decorated for Halloween.

Tivoli Gardens decorated for Halloween. Getting past the gate will have to wait for another visit.

Off to Scandinavia

2007-09-30T15:22:00.000+01:00

Polse, a Danish hotdog, is quite popular in Copenhagen.

M* and I thought we'd have almost a week in Cambridge to relax, visit with friends and sightsee, but tomorrow and Tuesday we will be in Copenhagen. It's all for a good reason—M* has a job interview that could relocate us to Denmark or North Carolina. Neither of us has been to Copenhagen, so instead of him flying back to the UK directly after the Monday interview, I'm flying with him in the morning and we'll stay until late Tuesday. I hope to get a feel for the place, and determine how easy it is to get around speaking English.

I'm glad that Copenhagen is often described as a vibrant, dynamic, energetic or exciting, as the weather is often described as wet and rainy. M* and I already had a hard time coping with the wet, cold English summer. If Copenhagen is where we end up, we certainly will be making frequent weekend trips to warmer destinations in Europe. I just hope that easyJet expands their service from Copenhagen airport.

Back in the UK

2007-09-29T12:28:00.000+01:00

We're back!

We actually feel quite lucky to have arrived back in the UK yesterday, as a severe storm blew over the Dubrovnik area Thursday night. Howling winds kept me from any form of sleep, and our 5:30am ferry from the island of Sipan was canceled (we later found out this only happens two or three times a year). We were able to hire a private boat to take us across the Kolocepski Channel to the small port of Slano, and there the hotel had arranged for a car to take us to the airport. The 44 kilometers was the most harrowing auto journey that I've ever experienced—we had to travel through the storm bombarding Dubrovnik. The two lane road snakes along the coastal cliffs high above the seaside towns, and it can be an adventure in the best of weather. On Friday, rain and mud were pouring down the mountain side onto the road—stranding some cars and requiring mini bulldozers to clear the route of stones washed onto the road. Since a portion of the mountains around Dubrovni were devoid of vegetation due to recent fires, fears of being pushed over the cliffs by a mudslide certainly crossed my mind. Our 22-year-old driver commented that he's never seen such weather before, but that didn't stop him from talking on his mobile. Still, he got us to the airport in one piece, and I tipped him heartily for it.

Anyway, here's a picture of M* and me high above the Old City of Dubrovnik taken by our taxi driver on the day we arrived. The weather was much better that day.

Amsterdam—Around Town

2007-09-11T23:37:00.001+01:00

Today was our first full day in Amsterdam, but the morning was spent sleeping in. Although we didn't have jet lag to recover from, we did have post-moving exhaustion.

Me outside of Van Gogh Museum (guidebooks said we would have to wait in line for tickets, but we got right in).

As we are staying in the museum district, we walked over to the Van Gogh Museum and spent the afternoon there. Before meeting up with our Los Angeles friends, Abe and Frank, for dinner, we walked through Vondelpark, one of Amsterdam's main parks, and Oud Zuid, a very nice, residential area of the town where our accommodation is located.

We saw a few herons in Vondelpark. They did not seem bothered by people or dogs.

After being in Cambridge, we are used to seeing people on bicycles. However, Amsterdam is a much larger city and, though old, it's younger than Cambridge, which allows more of its streets to have room for cycle lanes. We do see more people cycling while on mobile phones and with friends and children catching a ride sitting 'side saddle' on a back rack.

Cycle commuters in Vondelpark.

Large, lovely buildings in Oud Zuid

While residential, Oud Zuid has a number of fancy shops—like this bakery.

Frank and Abe have been to Amsterdam a few times, and they made a reservation at Tempo Doeloe, the best Indonesian restaurant in the city (yes, there are quite a few). It was a fantastic meal filled with spice, heat, coconut, anise, coriander, meats, vegetable, and general deliciousness. Since it's been over a year since we've seen Abe and Frank, the meal was that much more special.

Abe in front of our newly served dinner—spiciest dishes on left, mildest on right.

Abe and me outside Tempo Doeloe.

We did pass on desert, in favor of touring the red light district. It's one of those things you just have to do. Still, it's a little disturbing to hear people negotiating with a woman in the window and then have the black curtain drawn. At least the women are unionized with access to medical care.

Amsterdam—We Arrive

2007-09-10T23:24:00.000+01:00

The photographer never gets in the photos—sigh. Good thing M* photographs well and is a willing subject (usually).

M* really likes the tile outside of our accommodation.

Lovely, wooden canal boats by our accommodation.

M* outside the Rijksmuseum—it's as close as we got, as the museum had just closed.

We bypassed the restaurants in touristy Leidseplein, and, luckily, stumbled upon Casa Peru.

Bags are Packed

2007-09-10T04:00:00.001+01:00

It's 4am, and we have 15 minutes before we leave 29 Owlstone Road the last time as tenants. We will return at the end of the month to stay as guests of the new tenants, our friends James and Manuela. We're too exhausted at the moment to be too emotional, and we know that we have a bit more time to spend with the cows and walk along the Cam. Plus we're really excited to see friends and family in the Netherlands, Germany and Croatia. Life is good.

Sad day. My bike returns to its original home—University Cycles.

Skinny Mirrors Rule!

2007-09-09T13:11:00.000+01:00

Me and Dom outside of Camera Obscura World of Illusions Castlehill, Edinburgh

Uchi

2007-09-09T12:41:00.000+01:00

One of the errands on my to-do list yesterday was buying "congratulations you had a baby" and "congratulations you're pregnant" gifts. By far the best store in Cambridge for such gifts is Ark. As is usual, while choosing the baby gifts, I found myself ogling something I had not planned on buying. The need not to buy anything was hard to resist, as I had just been at the post office shipping items that would not fit in our luggage. However, the stylish design of Uchi products, which Ark just began carrying, convinced me that there would be room in my luggage for one or two additional small items.

At first I thought I had found a great new black purse for myself, then I realized it was part of their Mister Uchi Line (a shaver bag). Not to be deterred, I decided that a slightly larger, carry-all version (top left image) would make a great dopp kit for M*. Knowing that my sister would love Uchi, I couldn't leave without buying her something. So I opted for the 'medium utility' from the Uchi Utility line (left) for her, and I threw in the 'mini utility' (right) for me. Ark carried some of the range of patterns available, and I eventually chose the 'super dot.'

M* is not one to spend money on himself, but he was thrilled with the dopp kit. He assured me it was the coolest one he'd seen. I was going to wait and give my sister her Uchi bag for Christmas, but I couldn't resist telling her about it later that afternoon. She was intrigued enough to go right to their web site—much oohing and aahing ensued. She pointed out the super-cuteness of the Uchicuchi Backpack Baby Bag (right in party dot ruby pattern). While my sister and I can't troll the physical aisles of a store together, at least we can cybershop together with broadband and Skype.

Shout It Out

2007-09-07T23:26:00.000+01:00

M* and I found the Scots noticeably nicer than the Brits. Then we saw this sign posted in Meadow Park. Maybe a yearly gathering filled with shouting, protests, workshops, speakers and music keeps the Edinburgh-ians happy the rest of the year.

Pictures from Edinburgh

2007-09-07T22:51:00.001+01:00

Just kidding. I had three emails from my uncle Peter when we returned from our Edinburgh trip last night. Each email had multiple photos from different dives (all Florida I think). His constant dives and upgrading of his photography equipment yield streams of impressive images.

I love how the orange coral picks up the orange in the fish's cheek (if fishes have cheeks).

Waters must be warming—first time I've noticed a jellyfish in Peter's photos.

Off to Edinburgh

2007-09-02T22:01:00.000+01:00

Last Pub Night—Cambridge MBA 06/07

2007-09-02T11:57:00.000+01:00

Stephen, Michael and M*

£1,000 pounds. That was the amount left over for the Cambridge MBA's social budget. I'm happy to report that a small, albeit thirsty, percentage of the 112 person class gathered at The Anchor on Friday night and whittled down, libation by libation, the funds until none were left.

Terry, M* and Bing

Although not an official part of the class, I did my part with hard cider, Jack and gingers and even a few tequila shots. It's just another way that I've supported M* this year.

Manuela and M*

Me and the graduate

SPACED

2007-09-01T13:16:00.000+01:00

Two weeks ago I got the following email from my friend, Shawn.

Subject: Have you watched SPACED?

OMG, this show is freaking hysterical. It's Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

With no television set, I was glad to have a program to watch on YouTube. Each episode of SPACED was split into three segments, and I immediately watched Episode 1, Part 1. I am amused to a minimal degree by even the worst British comedies—I believe that this is because there are certain commonalities (which I am not coherent or focused enough at the moment to attempt to identify and explain) which exist among them. I, at first viewing, mistakenly categorized SPACED in the minimally to moderately funny group. Luckily I felt a bit under the weather one day this week and needed something to watch as I lay curled up, fetal position, on the couch. Having tapped out the resources of www.tv-links.co.uk, I revisited SPACED. "OMG" is right. The series (two seasons, 14 28-minute episodes in total) hit its stride by the second episode and consistently delivered. So much so that I had watched the entire series by the next day. In my defense, the weather was also really crappy.

The premise is simple: a guy (Tim) and a girl (Daisy) meet in a coffee shop in London and realize that they are both looking for a place to live. They pose as a "professional couple" to secure an apartment. Thrown into the mix are a lonely, quasi-alcoholic landlady; a tortured, unsuccessful artist in the basement apartment; Tim's best friend, Mike, who was kicked out of the Territorial Army because he commandeered a tank to invade Paris; and Daisy's best friend, Twist, who is "in fashion" (an embellished description of her job at a dry cleaners). The cast is great, the characters endearing and identifiable (if one has ever been a bit unfocused at a point in ones life). I think my favorite episode is #3. Here's the description:

Tim has been up all night playing Resident Evil and is still feeling the effects of some speed that he bought. Daisy has an interview at a new women's magazine publisher. Brian's ex-partner of performing art, Vulva, invites him to a showing of his newest performance piece. Daisy and Tim join him. Tim freaks out and starts seeing everyone as Zombies because of the mix of booze, speed, Twiglets (which make him violent) and the lack of sleep he's had. When Vuvla acts rudely towards Brian, Tim comes to the rescue with his hallucinations. (IMDB)

Gluten-free "Oatmeal" Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-08-31T13:08:00.000+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Gluten-free "Oatmeal" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Father's Day

2007-08-31T11:28:00.001+01:00

Libations

For our friend James' birthday last month, we gave him an IOU for an Indian dinner. I looked online for a birthday IOU image, but the closest I could find was a Happy Father's Day one. So, James received such an IOU, with Father's crossed out and Birth written in (above).

Last night James traded in his voucher for some pakora (cauliflower, broccoli and peppers) with mint chutney, followed by tofu in garam masala and coconut milk sauce. Desert was quite American: fresh baked gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free peach cobbler.

As it was also a celebration of M*'s last day at his internship, finishing-up his final paper and receiving a job offer, I stopped in at Oddbins and bought a highly recommended (beat Dom Perignon in recent taste test, produced by family-owned vineyard, H. Blin & Co., committed to fair-pricing). James and Manuela added to our celebrating by bringing over some Stella and red wine. By the time we headed to the Granta pub, our food and drink appetites were quite sated.

Somehow, we ended-up in Glamour Shots' poses. James, me, M* (above).
James, me and Manuela (below).

First Day, Last Day

2007-08-31T11:12:00.000+01:00

M* first day, 18 Sep 2006 (left). Today, M* goes to turn in his final paper

Up Close and Bovine

2007-08-30T10:54:00.000+01:00

An Irish classmate of M*'s was surprised that I would take pictures of cows. He grew up seeing our bovine friends, and, as is often the case, does not feel inclined to photograph aspects of his normal surroundings.

I think that I'll always find sharing a sidewalk with a cow quite a special experience. I passed this lovely lady yesterday on Sheep's Green.

Reason to Stay in Europe

2007-08-29T13:41:00.000+01:00

I'm not surprised, but a U.S. Census report released yesterday reporting a record number of Americans without health insurance underscores one of the 'Pros' of staying in Europe: universal health care. As a relative recently said to me, "If I have to wait four months to see a specialist, why not have socialized health care."

This recent news reminded me about an article entitled "The Risk Pool," which Malcolm Gladwell wrote for the New Yorker (Aug. 28, 2006), covering America's history of employer-paid health care and pensions: While employers are now dropping or decreasing such benefits, around the middle of last century a number of large, influential employers chose offering pension and health coverage over universal coverage. They saw attempts "to spread the costs and risks of benefits over the biggest and most diverse group possible"as a "threat to the free market and to the autonomy of business owners." Funny, from my personal experience, lack of universal health coverage actually hurts the free market. One of the reasons my last job was so attractive was the free, excellent health care coverage—it was a major factor that kept me from finding a position that was a better fit for my skills. The market is not optimized when resources (my skills) do not flow freely in the market due to impediments (lack of health care).

As for other Europe 'Pros,' shorter work weeks and 25+ vacation days are tempting, along with the generally more cyclist friendly attitude in Europe. I'd really miss not having a bike.

Walk While One Can

2007-08-27T21:53:00.000+01:00

The sun appeared and temperatures hit 80° this weekend. Perfect time to eschew the bike in favor of my pedes.

Paths by the River Cam are quite overgrown from all the rain.

I've taken quite a few photos from this vantage. Just really like it.

Little black bits on the grass are sheep.

Lombardy poplars are common on Sheep's Green

"Macbeth": Closing Night of Cambridge Shakespeare Festival

2007-08-26T22:06:00.000+01:00

Not surprisingly, the last performance of the 2007 Cambridge Shakespeare Festival was packed. I'm sure attendance suffered during the festival's twelve week run with the rainy, cold weather. Saturday evening was beautiful, 70° and clear, and all the seats were taken by the time we arrived. Luckily they pushed back "the stage"—the line of demarkation running from an array of candles, above, to a supply of bowls, used alternately to mix the witches' brew, wash a traveler's face and scrub the blood from the Macbeths' hands—to allow more people to sit on the grass. We arrived late enough to get a place right in front. Having foreseen this issue, we were armed with a blanket (and wine of course).

Oh, yes the play. Good, but not the best of the series. Perhaps Shakespeare's comedies just work better for outdoor, summer theater. "Romeo and Juliet" and "Macbeth" were our least favorites, while "Taming of the Shrew", "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Much Ado About Nothing" were very impressive.

Berries, Bulmers and Brume

2007-08-25T15:23:00.001+01:00

A portion of the path from Newnham through Grantchester
Meadows is overgrown with blackberry vines.

M* finds us some prime samples.

Bulmers hard cider, center and right, is the closest I can get to gluten-free
beer at a pub. It's also the only pub-offered cider that doesn't have a
stomach turning fungi-esque smell.

Matt being disappears into the encroaching brume (a great synonym for mist or fog).

As night falls, the moon and mist cast a beautiful eeriness to Grantchester Meadows.

So Much Rain

2007-08-24T22:47:00.001+01:00

Summer in England: rain pants, sweaters and long hot showers.

What Was I Thinking?

2007-08-24T22:12:00.000+01:00

Today, tearing out pages in a journal—out of desire to recycle not destroy—that I had used to take notes during cheese class and write shopping lists. When I got to this page, I paused and wondered how someone had snuck the journal away and added such things. Still haven't figured it out. Guess the other option is that I'm the culprit.

Spinach, Potato and Chick Pea Curry

2007-08-23T14:57:00.001+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Spinach, Potato and Chick Pea Curry

Pictures Come Off the Fridge

2007-08-23T13:16:00.001+01:00

With only 2 1/2 weeks left in our flat (gulp), it's time to take the photos off the fridge.

Post-Lease, Pre-USA Trip

2007-08-22T12:54:00.000+01:00

10 Sep: dep. Cambridge, arr. Amsterdam
12 Sep: dep. Amsterdam, arr. Rotterdam
15 Sep: dep. Rotterdam, arr. Stuttgart (+1 day, 16 Sep)
23 Sep: dep. Stuttgart, arr. Dubrovnik
25 Sep: dep. Dubrovnik, arr. Sepan
28 Sep: dep. Sepan, arr. Dubrovnik
28 Sep: dep. Dubrovnik, arr. Cambridge

....then we leave the UK on 1 Oct for Washington, D.C. How long will we be there? Will we return to Europe? West Coast/ East Coast? Let you know as soon as we do.

Sad Happy

2007-08-21T12:06:00.000+01:00

I've been packing-up our flat: It's sad. Happy moments do present themselves, however. I came across some photos that I had shoved in a book when we were leaving for Cambridge. They are from February 2000, when my sister and our friend Gary came to visit me in Los Angeles. That was such a fun long-weekend, despite the torrential downpours that required us to roll-up our trousers to our knees to get to the car. It was also an important weekend, as that is when I got Brea and Titchou. I've finally done the smart thing and scanned the images.

Gary and Carolyn, martinis in hand, at Boardners in Hollywood
Carolyn and me at Griffith Observatory

Our mutual friend Dom, Gary, Carolyn and me at The Bounty in Koreatown
Rockstar Fluffy—costume design by Carolyn and Gary

A Summer Punch, but No Summer

2007-08-18T14:25:00.001+01:00

Click on image for larger view.

I cut this punch recipe out of a magazine that my sister left—some Martha Stewart publication. We have a basil plant and a bottle of rum, and I thought it would be great for a hot summer afternoon. But we haven't really had one yet. Maybe someone else could make it and report back.

Rice Boat

2007-08-18T14:21:00.000+01:00

Red dots mark the stand-out items.

Yes, a photo of the two of us from our anniversary dinner at Rice Boat would have been nice, but instead all I have is a scan of our bill. There is good reason for this though. The meal was so good that I want to remember the dishes we ordered. Hopefully I will be able to replicate them in our kitchen. Rice Boat features Kerala Cuisine from India, and some of the dishes, especially the thoren, appam and rice "breads", I haven't found in other Indian restaurants. I think the beans thoren was our favorite—chopped green beans sauteed with shallots, mustard seed and coconut.

Just the Two of Us

2007-08-18T14:08:00.000+01:00

Some photos from our anniversary day at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

Gluten-free Banana Banana Nut Muffins

2007-08-17T14:02:00.000+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Gluten-free Banana Banana Nut Muffins.

I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With

2007-08-16T11:11:00.001+01:00

The title alone is enough to get me to see this movie. Throw in Sarah Silverman and Amy Sedaris, and I am soo there.

This Is Not Photoshopped

2007-08-16T10:29:00.000+01:00

The daily crossword from dictionary.com is usually quite chaste, and I was quite shocked the other day when I was left with no choice but to put a 'B' in as the first letter of 15 across. I immediately looked up dictionary.com's definition of boner—perhaps it meant something that I wasn't aware of.

The following definitions were given. After some thought, the last one still works the best. Pull in not the verb typically used with errors, blunders or mistakes. It is, however, common enough with 15 across.

1) a person or thing that bones.
2) a foolish and obvious blunder; stupid mistake.
3) a blunder or an error.
4) an erection of the penis.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2007-08-15T17:12:00.000+01:00

M* remembers that Dahlias were in my bouquet.

Flowers surrounded by cards from friends and family across the pond.
M* never just gets me one bouquet. I like that.

London: New River and Hamstead Heath

2007-08-13T13:37:00.000+01:00

New River, Islington

Walking over to Upper Street in Islington on Wednesday morning for brunch, Thea formulated our route to pass by the New River—another body of water that I didn't know existed in London. As I learned, the water is neither new or a river. It is an out-of-use, man-made waterway opened in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water. The water is slow moving, hence the algal bloom.

One of the many striking trees on Hampstead Heath.

After brunch, Thea took me to Hampstead Heath, in the Hampstead area of north London, which sports the highest point in London. The area is 791 acres of grasses, trees, ponds and recreation areas. The weather was lovely for our tour around Parliament Hill and the surrounding areas.

The knees are the only giveaway.

I read later that Parliament Hill is also known as Kite Hill because it is so popular with kite flyers. I did see a boy with a kite, but he wasn't successful at getting it airborne. The top of this hill offers vistas of London, which mean a bit more if you know what buildings you are gazing down upon.

This man-made enclosure must be quite spooky at night.

London: Regent's Canal, Bicycle Commuters and Gay Bars

2007-08-13T13:07:00.000+01:00

Last Tuesday I traveled down to London to visit my friend Thea, who I met on my first day of work at KCRW in 1998. Thea's been living in Miami for a few years, but she has the good fortune to have a sister who has a place in the Hackney area of London. We spent a good deal of time walking around Shoreditch, Brick Lane (very good Indian lunch), Spitalfields, Angel, Hackney and Islington.

Regent's Canal, London

Maybe it's because Thea bikes around London or maybe it's because the area around Hackney is more amenable to biking, but I noticed so many people cycling in the city. When Thea took me to Regent's Canal, I was amazed at 1) the existence of the canal and 2) that the canal is used as a commuting route for cyclists. We walked west on the canal path, and everyone on cycles was heading east out of the city.

A fish with a saddle? Never seen that before—on or off a riverboat.

After hours of walking, we had just enough time back at Thea's for a refreshing glass of Provencal Rosé before heading out to Hoxton Square (which she warned me was awful on weekends (packed with puking partiers) but would be mellow on a Tuesday). Two of Thea's Swedish friends had a friend playing at a bar there, but we got there too late. So we settled for a round of drinks before heading off to the gay bars.

Thea and me, Hoxton Square

As far as I know, Cambridge has no gay bars, and I must say it's lovely to be around gay men again. I know that Cambridge must have a gay population, but they don't seem to congregate en masse. London certainly has diversity—amazing that it hasn't been completely priced out of the market by now.

Penis faucets. I definitely wasn't in Cambridge anymore.

Chester (1998-2007)

2007-08-12T14:23:00.000+01:00

After being a loving companion to my sister and brother-in-law for nine years, Chester past away on Friday. He was a great dog/ friend/ Wacha-piglet/ pupparoni. He will be missed.

Me and Chester in 2003.

Daisy and Chester relaxing by the pool (2006).

Chester and his toy (2007).

Chester goes for his final swim on Friday.

BBC Breaking News

2007-08-09T12:54:00.000+01:00

Funny. I thought indulgence in all those things led to a long life.

Three Things I Like

2007-08-07T10:04:00.001+01:00

1) The neighbors cat. I still don't know its name, but we are quite good friends. The kitty is often lying on the sidewalk in front of its owner's house, and whenever I walk past the area, I always look for it. As the cat is so calm and amenable to petting, I gather it's not young. We've had a bit of sun recently, I've found it dozing in a patch of light quite frequently. Sometimes I let the kitty sleep, and other times I can't resist scratching behind the ears, on the neck and under the chin. Since it will roll on its back and give me its belly, I think the cat likes me. Such activities help temporarily assuage the longing for our cats.

2) Sancerre Rosé 2006 Les Baronnes, Henri Bourgeois. "This refreshing, very fruity rosé will seduce you with its bouquet of ripe red fruits. It's easy to drink, fresh and particularly well-balanced in structure and aromas."

I'm so happy that a trip to Provence last summer brought on a rosé epiphany—these lovely, tasty wines are perfect for summer and bare no resemblance to U.S., boxed wines of the 1980s.

3) Rome—HBO/BBC
Thanks to a friend, we were able to watch the complete first and second (also the final) season of Rome, a joint HBO and BBC production. Having not had a television since last August, we couldn't stop ourselves from plowing through the 22 episodes in two weeks. Season one just blew us away, and we were a bit disappointed to find season two put less emphasis on historical and political issues and more on soap opera style intrigue. Still, the entire series is captivating viewing. It also came in handy to temporarily distract us from the facts that we now have less than a month in Cambridge and we still don't know our future plans. After back-to-back episode viewing, M* and I would withdraw to our laptops and Google characters, battles and trivia that had just been presented to learn what was fact, fiction or a blend of the two. It's nice that we can geek-out together over such things.

Shakespeare in the Gardens

2007-08-06T11:55:00.000+01:00

Trinity College Gardens
Trinity College Gardens

This summer, one of the unique Cambridge experiences we've taken advantage of is the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival. For eight weeks in July and August, Monday-Saturday one can see The Bard's plays performed by professional actors in some of the loveliest college gardens. "Taming of the Shrew" (St John's College), "Much Ado About Nothing" (King's College), "Romeo and Juliet" (Robinson College), and "Hamlet" (Girton College) were presented for the first four weeks, and we managed to see all but "Hamlet." The comedies were without a doubt our favorite—"Taming of the Shrew" was the best of the lot, but our favorite actor appeared as Benedick in "Much Ado."

Beginning of "Much Ado About Nothing"—Signor Leonato, Beatrice and Hero

The second set of four plays began last week, and M* and I went with some friends to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Trinity College Gardens, and this play has turned out to be the most impressive and hilarious performance yet (our favorite actor reappears as Lysander). I wish they had let us take photos during the ceremonies so I could show the creative costuming devised for the fairies.

Curtain call for "A Midsummer's Night Dream"

We still have three more plays to see:"The Tempest" (Downing College), "Macbeth" (Girton College), and "Twelfth Night" (Robinson College). Since "Romeo and Juliet" was our least favorite, I'm wondering if the Cambridge summer nights lend themselves as a better backdrop for a comedy than to a tragedy.

M* and me before "Much Ado"

Our friend Francis, who has accompanied us to all of the shows, noted that he would have liked and appreciated Shakespeare much better if he had seen it in performances such as these. I completely agree. As a teenager and even in college, I don't remember being taught that these plays were often performed for and had to appeal to the common man and that Shakespeare was a businessman. Then, even the comedies that I saw performed seemed to be imbued with the weight of "this is a Shakespeare play." Those young folks who get to see the plays at the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival are quite lucky.

M*, Monique and Francis at "A Midsummer's Night Dream"

Captive Audience

2007-08-03T11:22:00.000+01:00

There are three TVs at the gym M* and I joined for our last two months in Cambridge. The TVs are positioned in a row in front of the cardio machines, and I was looking forward to catching up on programs that I'd missed this year, as we don't have a TV. Unlike gyms I've belonged to in the past, you cannot change these channels. The set on left is set to a video channel, B4, the middle one is all-news BBC 24 and the one on the right is another video channel, The Hits.

Since I've only had cable for a total of two years, I am not very familiar with music videos, and I am blown-away by the pornification of the modern video. There have always been sexy women, much less often men, in music videos, but there were also cutting edge, artier videos to balance them out. It's not just male groups/ singers have a room of bikini-clad women all vying for the chance to seduce them (although there is plenty of that), it's the female singers writhing on the floor, slithering through the legs of Amazons in short skirts and glancing longingly at the camera. What's worse is that the two video channels often repeat the same videos. How does a 24 hour news channel reviewing the endorphin-killing issues of the day get any attention when surrounded by barely covered large breasts, jiggling bums and stunning, pouty-lipped visages? I've contemplated asking the gym to change one of the channels to an all-sports station. I'd so prefer to work-out to a cricket match.

I do have to say that occasionally The Hits plays music videos on a theme, which can be a fun trip down memory lane. Last Sunday it was Best of the Electronic 80s—Michael Jackson, Culture Club, Band Aid, Wham—I didn't turn my iPod on once. Even the super cheesy video for the super cheesy song "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off (To Have a Good Time)" was more palatable than Beyoncé's tortuous new Green Light video

Thai Fish Cakes With Thai Dipping Sauce

2007-07-31T23:03:00.000+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Thai Fish Cakes With Thai Dipping Sauce

Che Chuoi—Banana, Coconut and Tapioca Pudding

2007-07-31T23:01:00.000+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Che Chuoi—Banana, Coconut and Tapioca Pudding

Belated Birthday to Me!

2007-07-29T22:07:00.000+01:00

M* has a knack for making excellent bouquets

My birthday was in mid-March, but my birthday dinner just kept finding a way to get postponed (M* had just pulled an all-nighter and couldn't stay awake, the preferred restaurant was closed for a month, torrential downpours prohibited cycling in a dress, M*'s being preoccupied with his intense schedule...).

I like when M* gives me flowers

Last week we decided that Friday would be the night. M* surprised me with bunches of dahlias, gladiolas and some orange, purple and yellow (lady's mantle?) that I cannot name. The dahlias were extra special as they were the flowers in my bouquet. Unfortunately we didn't make it to Haka for dinner, as my bike had issues and the restaurant is too far to reach on foot, but we had a great meal at Rice Boat, which serves cuisine from the state of Kerala in the southwest of India. We followed it up by a very romantic movie—The Simpsons—where we were chaperoned by our good friend James.

The only non-blurry photo of both of us

No Gluten-Free Goodness

2007-07-29T21:49:00.000+01:00

I like making M* stove-top porridge—it's easy and just looks so good topped with cinnamon, brown sugar and bananas. I found gluten-free porridge made with rice and millet flakes, so I gave it a go. Sorry to report that it just wasn't a viable substitute—the consistency was there but it was too bland without hearty oaty goodness.

Not a keeper, unfortunately

Now an item that should be gluten-free but isn't due to someone's bright idea to add wheat maltodextrin—nut milk drinks. Almond milk is hard to come by in the UK, and the one store that I know carries it requires a long cycle ride. As I like mixing it with protein powder for breakfast, I was excited to find almond and hazelnut milk drinks in a nearby store. I read the labels to compare the amounts of protein and discovered that wheat maltodextrin is in both. I've since discovered that maltodextrin is usually made from corn, but is now beginning to be made from wheat. Maybe the maltodextrin people haven't noticed the growth in the gluten-free market.

Wheat—it's where you least expect it

Best Weather Forecast in Months

2007-07-28T12:13:00.000+01:00

East Anglia, the region of England where Cambridge is located, has not been hit by the recent, destructive flooding plaguing certain western and southern areas of the UK. Still, there has not been a 5-Day forecast since early May that did not include a prediction of some rain—until today.

Three More Down

2007-07-27T10:54:00.000+01:00

I'm (kinda) furiously trying to get through books that I bought while here or brought with me from the States, as I'm trying to lighten our ridiculously large load of clothes, school books, games, and bits and bobs (love this English expression) for a move to our new mystery location.

"The Classical World: An Epic History of Greece and Rome" by Robin Lane Fox
This is the last of the tomes that I bought this year. Fox is a professor at Oxford, and the book reads like it was written by an academic. Esoteric details wrapped in parenthetical asides engendered many a head-scratching, reread. Perhaps it's because we recently visited Rome that details of Roman history are easier for me to recall than those of ancient Greece. Or maybe it's just that the salacious stories of the Roman emperors were so shocking that one cannot easily forget them. The result: I do have a greater understanding about Greek settlements in the Middle East and Egypt, the issues surrounding the rise and fall of democracy in Athens and other parts of Greece, and how Rome took over the role as ruler of the Classical World after the collapse of the Greek empire after the death of Alexander the Great, who extended the Greece's control as far east as India.

"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion
I had wanted to follow-up the above book with something light, and while choosing a book with at least eighty percent less text, "The Year of Magical Thinking" deals with the issue of grief and loss following the unexpected death of the author's husband during dinner. I am familiar with Didion, having read "Salvador" in college and "Where I Was From," and her skill in non-fiction writing is the key to the success of this book. This work is a poignant study in how the mind deals with grief—from unknowingly writing an address from 20 years ago on her request form for her husband's autopsy report (resulting in a six months delay in receiving the paperwork) to finding a large number of mistakes while editing her first writing assignment after her husband's death. The fact that their only child is, for a large portion of the work, in a coma or rehab after a bought of the flu, which freakishly morphed into pneumonia then into sepsis, adds to the sympathy her writing evokes in the reader. In addition, being aware that her daughter died nine-months after the book was finished, I had a sense that I was witnessing someone recovering from a significant blow, knowing, yet unable to warn her, that she would soon be flattened by another attack on her mental and emotional faculties.

"The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
I found this book at a Cambridge shop called the Haunted Bookshop. My goal upon entering the shop was to find a collection of ghost stories for a friend, but I soon realized that Haunted had nothing to do with the type of works they had available (I'm guessing the building, not the books, gave rise to the shop's moniker). In a £1 bargain bin, I spied "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," which I instantly remembered reading as a young girl (When I told my sister about my find, she replied, "You loved that book."). While I recollected reading the book, I could not recall the story. I thought that reading the first few pages would bring back a rush of memories, but I quickly read the engaging story as though it was the first time I'd encountered it. I am happy to report that Speare's tale, set in 1687, of a 16 year-old, English girl raised in Barbados who moves to Connecticut to live with her Puritan relatives, is still relevant almost 50 years after it was first published.

Applesauce—Like Mom Makes

2007-07-27T10:50:00.000+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Applesauce—Like Mom Makes

I Can Bite You

2007-07-25T23:32:00.000+01:00

Museum gift shops are usually worth a look, and while I wasn't overly impressed with the Tate Modern's (yes they had plenty of art books, but the rest was ho-hum), I did make a complete find: greeting cards by a London artist, Rachel Ortas. The creature (above) in most of her cards is Ai Ai. I found her web site, and I was hoping that on it there would be t-shirts for sale, but no such luck. I did email her to ask about other merchandise, and she was kind enough to send me a story book about Ai Ai.
Since I feel that I truly need a shirt with Ai Ai saying, "I Can Bite You" and one with the little girl (above) saying, "You Are The Monster," I may resort to creating my own.

Her cards also remind me of Brendan Monroe's Sour work, which I saw when it was part of a group show at GR2 in Los Angeles in 2004. This series includes paintings, sculptures, books/zines (I have two) and vinyl dolls. "The actual SOUR comes from the idea of a fruit or a pod coming alive and creating havoc and trouble," describes Monroe. Ai Ai seems to be creating havoc and trouble galore. Maybe Ai Ai can join the Orange Sour, "the most controversial and wild of the species," on some of its adventures, which are documented at Sour Sighting.

All card designs by Rachel Ortas

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Agave Nectar

2007-07-24T01:05:00.000+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Agave Nectar

LDN: Borough Market, Spamalot, Tate Modern

2007-07-22T17:02:00.000+01:00

Taking advantage of M*'s classwork-free weekends now that he is just a working man—for the moment, I'm going to pretend that the final 12,000 word paper doesn't exist—we headed down for a full-day in London on Saturday. We considered splurging on a hotel (yeah! he's getting paid real money for his internship), but decided to spend the money on tickets to see Monty Python's "Spamalot." I'm not a fan of musicals, but M* is a serious fan of Monty Python. Luckily Francis, a classmate who shares M*'s encyclopedic knowledge of MP episodes, was able to meet up with us for the matinee. What did we think? Well, even though it was done in self-aware, mocking tones, the diva numbers were overkill and boring to both of us. Did I mention that I'm not a fan of musicals? We did enjoy the experience, and Act II was more of what we expected versus the first one.

M* humoring me with this shot
Bad shot of "Spamalot" audience members who arrived in costume

Before the matinee, we headed down to the Borough Market, which I've been wanting to visit since December. Fresh fish, a stall that only sells butter, multiple cheese, sausage, bakery and desert stalls, a plethora of freshly dried herbs, wines, coffee, and fresh parma ham and buffalo mozzarella from Italy—it was a feast for the eyes and appetite and wallet. Since we weren't heading back to Cambridge until late in the evening and, since we eschew the tube and walk whenever possible, we could only carry so much, we limited our purchases to a few, easily transportable items (sausage, salami, olive oil, and a brownie and gluten-free cookies for intermission). Luckily the rain didn't start until after we ate our lunch on the grounds of Southwark Cathedral, which adjoins the market and has housed a church on its grounds for over 1,000 years.

It pained me not to be able to bring home this delicate, melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella di bufalo.

The butter stall
M* eyeing-up the fish display
One of many sweets stalls
Sadly, none of these quiches were gluten-free, but ...
Notice the Wheat Free Option (hold the pita, serve with spork) from Damas Falafel, where we bought lunch
I was hoping this self-portrait would show the cathedral, but only a glimpse of the stone appears

After the matinee, we retraced our steps from the Palace Theatre in the West End back to the South Bank to visit the Tate Modern. M* had never been and I only had a vague memory from my first, illness-plagued trip to LDN. While we were interested in the ticketed Dali exhibit, we decided to do the museum on the cheap and stick to permanent collection. We weren't disappointed, and we would have been too tired to see all the exhibits in one day. We were both pleased with the Global Cities free exhibit, dealing with present and future issues in 10 urban centers, but there was quite a lot of text to contend with. We wouldn't mind getting back there for the Dali and the Hélio Oiticica exhibits. I had never heard of Hélio, a 20th century Brazilian artist, before, but I was captivated by the warm, rich colors showcased in the exhibition catalogue.

Norwich

2007-07-20T22:40:00.000+01:00

When my sister was in town, we took a three day tour of Norfolk, which started in Norwich. While larger than Cambridge, Norwich's shops and markets follow the same hours—everything closes around 5:30pm. So after visiting the Norwich Cathedral, buying shoes, eating lunch, taking Carolyn through Habitat and walking the ancient cobblestone streets, stores were locking their doors and we were ready to head off to our charming B&B in Thorpe St. Andrew, The Old Rectory.

Cloisters and spire of Norwich Cathedral

Carolyn takes advantage of the space left by the destruction of statues during English Civil War.

A door knocker just begs to be knocked—even on a church

and a keyhole just begs to be peeped through.

Waiting on the steps of The Old Rectory before dinner

There are a number of dramatic, old trees on the property

Rivergarden Pub is conveniently located across the street from The Old Rectory and borders the River Wensum

Along with the ducks and swans, this Egyptian Goose came looking for a handout

Bright-eyed Carolyn in The Old Rectory's breakfast room

Rollo, The Old Rectory

Millie, The Old Rectory

Another Visitor, Another Trip to The Orchard

2007-07-19T15:48:00.000+01:00

My sister did leave over a week ago, but we did so many things that it has taken a while to go through all of the photographs. I had close to 700, and I whittled the group of keepers down to 230.

On her first full-day in Cambridge, the weather was promising enough for us to venture the walk across Grantchester Meadows to The Orchard at Grantchester. Although we were sprinkled with a light rain occasionally, the weather, while we were relaxing at The Orchard, was lovely. The daily rain and cloud cover, which we've experienced since May, makes one appreciate the hours or minutes of sunshine.

Carolyn thought the Newnham chemist shop was very quaint

Even on a gray day the Cam and the meadows are lovely.

Carolyn opted for Diet Coke instead of the traditional tea.

A friendly chaffinch

This chaffinch really liked my gluten-free almond cake

The Orchard's apples just beginning to ripen

Sisters surrounded by hollyhocks

Gluten-free, Sugar-free Blueberry Scones

2007-07-16T23:56:00.000+01:00

Link to cooking blog: Gluten-free, Sugar-free Blueberry Scones

Best Bagels in Britian

2007-07-16T21:41:00.000+01:00

No, they aren't gluten-free, but I was still thrilled to find fresh, American style bagels at our local store, Derby Stores. They are delivered only once a week, on Thursday afternoons, and both M* and Carolyn attested to their quality.

We're quite lucky that the Derby (pronounced Darby) Stores has such a wide variety of foods (fresh gluten-free bread, fresh baguettes daily, Lebanese and Israeli hummus, a cheese counter, fresh produce, delicious dark chocolate dipped macaroons, etc.), a magazine selection that includes the New Yorker, and, as is common in England, a post office.

Gluten-free Beer—Getting Better

2007-07-16T14:25:00.001+01:00

M* picked up two Green's gluten-free beers at Waitrose. I've only tasted one other g.f. beer, last September, and, while not gross-bad, it was too-sweet-bad. Our English friend James was over, and we invited him to take part in our tasting. We discovered that Green's is an English company, which surprised James, as pioneer and pilgrim, another of Green's beers, even for the English, is associated with America.

Our favorite? Discovery. Pioneer, a lager, was fine, but a little too apple-y. The three of us found Discovery quite satisfying. Having a beer loving Englishman's approval meant a lot. All I need now is a purse that doubles as a cooler, so I can finally drink beer in a pub.

Curious as to the ingredients of the beers, I went to the Green's web site, but I only found a list of what is not in their beers: Gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soya beans, Milk, Lactose, Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame seeds, Sulphur dioxide and Sulphites.

Imperial War Museum Duxford—Flying Legends Air Show

2007-07-16T12:52:00.000+01:00

I was surprised when my sister responded enthusiastically to an outing at the Imperial War Museum Duxford–Europe's premier aviation museum. What caught Carolyn's interest was the Flying Legends Air Show—showcasing 'warbirds': classic American and European piston-engine combat aircraft.

Memphis Belle B-17 Bomber

P51 Mustang Big Beautiful Doll

I knew M* would be up for a visit, as he's expressed interest since we learned the museum was only seven miles away—a very bikeable distance. Since attending the air show, he's discovered that the museum offers flights to the general public in spitfires and a biplanes—for a fee of course. As soon as he can arrange it, he'll be taking advantage of the opportunity.

Guinot Wing Walking Display Team (air acrobats)
Mustangs take flight

While not knowing much about planes (the above information was pilfered from the museum's web site and Wikipedia—surprise!), I found the 3 1/2 hour show completely engrossing. There were so many planes that one could never get bored. I actually filled up a good portion of my camera's memory card (260 photos and five videos) and drained its battery—unfortunately moments before the group flyover finale.

Me and Carolyn in front of a PBY Catalina
Spitfire returns to the ground

A bonus to the day was discovering wooden children's toys by Orange Tree Toys in the museum gift shop. My favorite was this airplane height chart.

List of participants:

TFC: P51D Mustang G-CBNM
TFC: P-51-TF Mustang N251RJ
SHF: P51D Mustang N-167F
RAC: P51D Mustang G-CDHI
OFMC:P51D Mustang G-BTCD
Rob Davies: P51D Mustang G-HAEC
TFC: Spitfire V G-LFVB
TFC: Spitfire XIV G-SPIT
Kennet: Seafire G-KASX
HAC: Spitfire V G-MKVB
Corsair Warbird: Spitfire F-AZJS
Cliff Spink: Spitfire XVI G-OXVI
Cliff Spink: Spitfire V G-LFVC
ARC: Spitfire XVIII G-BUOS
ARC: Spitfire IX
HAC: Hurricane G-HURY
Hurricane G-HURR
TFC: Corsair G-FGID
Corsair Warbird: Corsair F-AZVJ
ME109 G-BWUE
Fw 190
TFC: Bearcat G-RUMM
TFC: Hellcat G-BTCC
TFC: P-40 G-CDWH
TFC: P-39 G-CEJU
TFC: Wildcat G-RUMW
TFC: Staggerwing
TFC: Hawk 75
D Koblet: M/Salunier HB-RCF
Kennet: AD4 Skyraider G-RADR
I-15 Bis: Polikarpov 2089K
RNHF: Sea Fury WB-930
Lufthansa: Ju52 D-CDLH
Salis: Ju52
Saab B-17
Tumelissa
TFC: Nimrod G-BWWK
HAC: Nimrod
S'Worth: Gladiator G-AMRK
S'Worth: Lysander
S'Worth: Hind
DOBAF: B25 Mitchell N-320-SQ
Dakota Norway: DC3 LN-WND
A Walker: Jungman
Capel: Yak11 -static
Mew Gull
Arrow Active
Guinot

Carolyn Arrives

2007-07-06T17:16:00.000+01:00

Carolyn arrived yesterday, and, after a quick nap, she set out to familiarize herself with Cambridge. This is not a hard task, even on foot, as our town is just not that big. Here are a few photos from our walk, which Matt accompanied us on, to The Orchard at Grantchester.

Carolyn in front of our quaint, Newnham chemist shop

Carolyn bucking tradition by having a Diet Coke instead of tea.

Robin searching for food Carolyn had tossed into the grass.

This chaffinch really like my gluten-free almond cake.

Apples coming into season at The Orchard.

Amy, Carolyn and hollyhocks.

Fox Walking

2007-07-06T12:12:00.000+01:00

Came across an article on Digg.com about 'Fox Walking'—the way man used to walk pre-shoe. M* and I have been practicing this around the flat. We don't have a TV, so we have to find new ways of entertaining ourselves. I've attempted the walk out amongst people, but, since it's been raining and I've been wearing heavier, waterproof boots, I have been having a hard time making my heel hit the ground last. I've also noticed myself paying attention to how other people walk—but no one has accommodated my mental wish that they would walk in slow motion, so I can be certain if it's the outside ball of their foot that touches the ground first.

M* practicing his fox walking.

Silly Signs—Stuttgart, Germany

2007-07-03T23:43:00.001+01:00

M* and I are totally not above nudging each other and pointing to signs, images or, in this case, teas that would make a 12-year-old giggle. We're also not above taking photos of them. I like that.

It seems like such a nice, quiet place.

On this trip we learned 'schmuck' originated in Germany and still means jewelry or jewel. That's certainly not the meaning in the States. I like the guy peeking out in the window above the sign.

Wow--you need a prescription to buy this in the States.

Not as titillating, but, especially with the Salsa dancer image, amusing nonetheless.

New Friends

2007-07-03T21:38:00.000+01:00

Perhaps we were transmitting some type of signal last night lying in bed, talking about our future plans and how so many of our friends that we've made this year have already left Cambridge. M* arose at one point, exclaiming, "Oh my God—come here," as he rounded the end of our bed. I hesitated, making him give me some clue as to what to expect. "Slimy" and "shell" were the two words he offered. "Snail" correctly came to mind, and I certainly was more amused than grossed out to find a snail crawling across our bedroom rug.

Tracing the snails route, we moved the curtain back from the open, second storey window to find five more of its buddies making their way into our room. Did word get out that we had new room in our social calendar?

We gathered them all on the window sill for a group photo before closing the window for the night. Writing this reminds me that our window is open again—think I should go find out if they've stopped by again tonight.
The most adventurous of the group navigating the dual obstacles of the lamp cord and my ever shedding hair.

Can you spot the four snails?

"I made it inside!"

These two couldn't decide In or Out.

Prettiest shell.

Group photo

What??

2007-06-22T20:00:00.001+01:00

Was shopping for children's books for our nephew in Galloway and Porter on Sydney Street when I saw this book. I was so horrified that I couldn't ask the staff about it.

Queens' College May Ball & King's College Formal Hall

2007-06-22T19:17:00.000+01:00

Before we run out the door to the pirate themed Wolfson "May Ball", here are a few photos from Queens' College May Ball, on 19 June, and last night's King's College Formal Hall, one of the best dinners we've had in Cambridge.

Queens' College May Ball

It's not often M* sees my name written as "Amy Budny"

Steven, Susie, M*, me and Karen

Karen, M*, me and Kevin show off our absinthe

Mr X and me

Klaxons

Fireworks and rain

M*, Karen and Francis kill some time at the snail races.

King's College Formal Hall

M* and Mark, our host

Susie, Maria and me

Karen and M*

Me and my hard working man

Maria, Christiano, me and M*

Lake District—Pt 1

2007-06-22T12:44:00.000+01:00

Since M* and I returned from the Lake District on Tuesday night, we've been quite busy: Queens' College May Ball, formal dinner at King's College, M* finishing papers, Wolfson May Ball (tonight) and getting ready to leave for Germany (8 am flight tomorrow—ouch!).

Here are a few pictures of the area around Lake Windermere, Cumbria. More details and photos of us in our "black tie" wear will follow.