Archive for the ‘Travels’ Category

When my friend, Jayne, suggested an impromptu visit to Eastern Market, I jumped at the chance. It’s a seven-days-a-week market in the Capitol Hill area of Washington DC. On weekdays, the South Market (indoor) offers produce, meat, poultry, cheese, dairy products, vegan items and flowers.  On the weekends, local farmers and local artists/crafters come out to play.

We got there early (about 8:30am) and snagged a great parking spot just off the market area but many of the vendors were a little late setting up. Can’t blame them since it was freezing cold! We popped into Le Pain de Quotidien for tea and to warm up a bit. Great dog watching too ~ lots of folks out with their beautiful puppies.

Here are a couple of my “finds” for the day:
Vintage Purse Logan

Eastern Market Vintage Purse

A vintage purse with a painted shoe ~ got it for my daughter

Coffee Table

Coffee table close up

Coffee table and couch

A coffee table made of yardsticks ~ what’s not to love. It’s completely covered with the yardsticks, every inch. It’s very sturdy and the writings on the yardsticks are funny such as: “Report suspicious activity to Sherriff Larry R. Mincks, Sr.”

DC Scream

I love this painting inspired by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”. The artist, Zachary Sasim had several paintings I wanted to purchase but, in the end, I couldn’t resist this one. I relate to it ~ don’t we all feel the anxiety when I think of DC politics.

Mirror

Couldn’t resist this old window pane with mirrors ~ goes perfectly over the mantel.

I feel like my house décor will be going in a different direction and I’ll call it “local artist chic”

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Went to my first professional Hockey Game last night and had a fabulous time. I can only imagine what fun the true die-hard hockey fans feel like, especially when the puck goes in the net which it did FOUR times! The Capitals beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-2!
Hockey Game III
View from the nosebleed section. We had plenty of company up there.

We hopped on Metro’s yellow line at Huntington in Northern Virginia and it took us about 20 minutes to get to Gallery Place/Verizon Center. Too easy! We went half a block down to Clyde’s for a quick bite. It was packed with Capital fans and we started to walk out thinking it was too busy when the maître de stopped us and said he’d check for a table for four. He led us to a booth in the bar area and we ended up having a great meal (burgers/Portobello sandwich/salmon ~ all good). The question is how much should we have tipped for such special attention. Haven’t had that happen to us before ~ usually they let us walk out the door. Service at Clyde’s was fantastic ~ our server was so efficient and I marveled at her friendly, unflappable attitude amongst the crush of people. I highly recommend Clyde’s if you’re going to a show/game at the Verizon center.

Game time was 7pm and it started off with beautiful renditions of “O, Canada” and “The Star Spangled Banner” ~ loved that the announcer encouraged the audience to sing along! As I looked around from our nosebleed seats, I could only see red ~ everyone (except us) seemed to be wearing a Capitals jersey. It was a relatively youthful crowd and I’m guessing more than a few were on “dates” ~ I love to people-watch especially people on first dates. So romantic.

Secretary of State John Kerry was there to drop the ceremonial puck and to honor eight players going to the Sochi Winter Olympics.  When the US team members, John Carlson (Capitals) and Blake Wheeler (Jets) were announced, the “U.S.A” chant began. Left me feeling rather patriotic. Other Washington Capital team members going to the Olympics are: Alex Ovechkin (crowd favorite) for  Russia, Nicklas Backstrom for Sweden and Martin Erat for the Czech Republic. From the Winnipeg Jets: Michael Frolik and Ondrej Pavelec will play for the Czech Republic, and Olli Jokinen for Finland.

Hockey Secretary on the ice
Not the best photo but that’s John Kerry and the Olympic-bound players.

The game was very exciting with non-stop, back and forth skating. I was exhausted just watching. The Capitals not only won last night but gained four new hockey fans!

If you want to attend a game, click here for tickets.

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After living so close to NYC in the late 70’s and visiting over the years, I had never visited the Statue of Liberty or been to Ellis Island. Don’t know of any of my ancestors who traveled through Ellis Island but we did find John’s great-grandfather on a 1906 registry. I stood in the registry room reading some of the accounts from immigrants and tried to imagine their anxiety, anxiousness and most of all relief to be off the boat after what would have been a long, arduous journey across the seas. If you want to check your family members who may have come through Ellis Island, click here.

The Statue, a gift from the French, was completed in 1876 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of our Independence. The pedestal was erected with monies raised from US citizens.  What surprised me most about the statue is it’s so thin ~ only the width of about 2 pennies.

Despite the fact I thought I might get frostbite while waiting in line for the ferry (30 minutes in sub-zero temps), it was well worth the pain and shivers. We picked up our tickets at the suggested 30 minutes prior to the launch which was a good thing because we were in the front of a VERY long line and were able to get a seat on the boat. They fill the boat to capacity.

If you’re planning a visit to the Statue of Liberty, here are the details:

  • Book early ~ we booked our tickets for the tour of Liberty Island, Ellis Island and the Crown two months prior to our trip and there was only one time still available for visiting the Crown on Sunday ~ 9am. So much for sleeping in.  You won’t be able to buy tickets for the Crown once you’re on Liberty Island.
  • The boat departed from Battery Park and, since we were staying in Brooklyn, we took the R Train to Whitehall Station.
  • There are 354 very narrow steps up the spiral staircase to the Crown. You’ll be required to store your backpacks or large purses in a locker ~ it’s definitely necessary as it’s a tight fit. The crown itself is a small area with only 5-6 people allowed to squeeze in at a time.
  • Our cost for the tour (including the crown) was $108  for 4 people and can be booked through Statue Circle Line.

View of Statue and Liberty Tower
Manhattan Skyline, Statue of Liberty and Freedom Tower

View of city from the Crown Statue of Liberty
View from the Statue of Liberty Crown

NYC Statue of Liberty hand
Statue of Liberty Hand

NYC sign at the statue of liberty
Corner Stone at the Statue of Liberty

NYC cast of the Statue of Liberty toes
Cast of Statue of Liberty Foot

NYC Spiral staircase inside the statue of liberty
Spiral Staircase up to the Crown

Original Torch replaced in 1986
Original Torch taken down in 1986

Ellis Island
Ellis Island

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It’s been six years since our last visit to NYC so we took the 3.5 hour train from DC for a quick visit. The reason for making our journey was to celebrate Logan’s birthday and to show our Bangladeshi exchange student the city. We tried to cram as much as we could into our short 48 hour visit. Despite the cold freezing temperatures, we spent a lot of time outdoors enjoying Time Square, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, etc.

NYC Blog View of City
View from the ferry boat ~ looking back to Manhattan

NYC Blog View from the crown of Statue
View from the Crown of the Statue of Liberty

NYC Blog Times square
Times Square

NYC Blog Times Square at Night
Times Square at Dusk

NYC Blog Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty

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My Christmas Gift Made My Mother-in-Law Cry…

…in a good way. The backstory begins with artist Ray Ferrer’s blog. I came across his blog about a year ago and I love his spray-painted art pieces. Over the last year, I’ve wanted to commission a painting but could never decide on the subject.

Recently Ray offered discounted custom prints so I immediately started going through photos to see which one would make a perfect addition to our home.  His work has an edge to it and I found several photos I would love to see on our walls.  But as I went through my photos, I kept thinking how wonderful a spray-painted portrait of my brother-in-law Frankie, who died tragically in a motorcycle accident this past September, would look in my in-law’s home. Frankie was an edgy guy with a great sense of humor and Ray captured him on canvas. As stated on his blog:  “The work is raw, it’s stripped back, it’s honest”.

Frankie

Raw and honest is a good was to describe how I felt when I saw the final work. And so I’m told I made my mother-in-law cry when she saw it too.

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Cleveland is not at the top of my favorite places to visit but that’s where my husband’s family lives so over the years I’ve come to know the area more than I ever thought I would. Would I suggest it as a vacation destination, NO. But if you find yourself in the area, there’s lots to do and there are beautiful parts of the city/countryside.   You just have to dig a little…

Here are some photos of our recent trip to downtown Cleveland:

The Higbee Building
Town City Hall, Cleveland, Ohio

Looking up II
Looking up

Looking out
Looking Out

Cleveland Winter Festival
Winterfest in Cleveland. Notice the “Leg” in lights on the building. A nod to “A Christmas Story” no doubt.

Cleveland view

Cleveland Stadiums
“How ’bout them Browns” or whatever the saying is…

Cleveland Soldier and Sailor Memorial Statue (2)
Inside the Soldier and Sailors Civil War Memorial (Cleveland)

Cleveland Soldier and Sailor memorial statue
Another Statue inside the Civil War Memorial

Cleveland Soldier and Sailor Memorial stained glass window
Stained Glass in the Civil War Memorial

Cleveland Shadows
Shadows in Cleveland

Cleveland Science Museum and the R&R hall of fame
Science Museum and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Buildings

Cleveland Old Stone Church
Old Stone Church

Cleveland church
Old Stone Church from Above

Cleveland Key Building
The Key Building

Cleveland Christmas Festival
Scene from The Nutcracker at the Arcade

Cleveland Polka Festival
Lucky Us ~ we were just in time for the Polka Festival

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In 2003, we visited London and rode the London Eye. Logan didn’t remember much of it since she was only five years old so she requested we go again before leaving London.

London The Eye

Lucky for us it was a somewhat clear day and we were afforded spectacular views of the city. At 135 meters (or 443 feet for us Americans), the London Eye, located on the South Bank, is the 5th tallest structure in London (after the Shard, BT Tower, Tower 42 and One Canada Square at Canary Wharf). The ride is about 30 minutes. If you’ve got a special occasion (maybe a marriage proposal?) you can rent out a private pod for £350.

A few photos looking at the London Eye from different locations in the city:
London Eye
From Westminster

NZH London Eye and Shard
From the top of the New Zealand Building

London Eye and Horse Statue
From the Horse Guard Parade (Whitehall)

And photos from within the the “EYE POD”:
7-2003, London, UK, London Eye, Logan091
Logan in 2003

7-2003, London, UK, London Eye, Patti & Logan089
Again in 2003

Logan and Patti on the London Eye
What a difference 10 years make

Views from the London Eye:
London Big Ben
Big Ben

London Eye from the inside
Looking straight up…

London Eye View

London Buses (2)
Love seeing all the bright red buses

Although I wasn’t keen on spending £29.50 on the ride, I’m glad we ended up going again. It was worth it!

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Our year in London came to an end much too quickly! I felt like I was just hitting my stride as an expat in London but the real world caught up with us and it was back to the Washington DC area in August.

The last few weeks were truly a whirlwind and I still have many updates to share about our time there. We enjoyed all London had to offer up to the last possible moment. My choice for our family’s “last days in London” to do list was to see the newly erected Hahn/Cock on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. It’s a fun piece of artwork and I’m thrilled I got to see it in person. I love the bold blue color against all the gray buildings in the square.

The plaque on the fourth plinth states:

Hahn/Cock 2013 by Katharina Fitcsh b.1956 in Essen, Germany
Hahn/Cock is a sculpture of a familiar domestic cockerel in ultramarine blue, made from glass fibre reinforced polyester resin and fixed on a stainless-steel supporting structure. It is 4.7 metres high and weighs over 800 kg.

Blue Cock II

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Dover is an easy day trip from London and well worth the train ride. We caught the 10:10 train from St Pancras and made it to the Dover Priory station by 11:15. The taxi from the train station to the White Cliffs of Dover Visitors Center cost £7 and took 15 minutes. We ate lunch then headed out for a hike around the area. The visitors brochure listed the Top Five Things to Do while in Dover:

  1. Watch the hustle and bustle of the World’s busiest passenger port  ~ check
  2. Enjoy a gentle stroll along the famous White Cliffs of Dover   ~  check
  3. Catch a glimpse of France on a clear day ~ sadly, despite the warm temps and sunshine it was too misty to see France across the channel
  4. Experience a wonder of Victorian engineering at the South Foreland Lighthouse  ~  check
  5. Discover the rare plants and insects that make the cliff top their home   ~ don’t think they’re rare, but I loved the poppy fields

Dover Cliffs

White Cliffs of Dover

Dover beach view

The cliffs are gorgeous and we lucked out with a sunny and warm day to enjoy a two mile hike to the South Foreland Lighthouse.

Dover foot Path Sign

The pathways are marked with the purple or pink trail signs. We had no problem finding our way but I can imagine on a heavily misty day, it might be difficult to know where you’re going.

Dover Light House

The South Foreland Lighthouse was built in 1843 and guided boats safely around the dangerous Goodwin Sands. It also claims to be the first lighthouse to use electric light.

Dover view from lighthouse
View from the lighthouse

Dover Poppy Fields
Poppy Fields

Dover looking over the edge

Looking over the White Cliffs of Dover

Dover Gull nesting
Seagull nesting

Dover Gull and Rocks
Along the rocky coastline

Dover Ladder to beach
Climbing down the ladder to the beach area

Dover ladder to the beach
Logan on the ladder to the beach

Dover Lighthouse desk
Desk items at the Lighthouse

As always, we love exploring the English countryside…

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 I can get you tickets to any tournament in the world EXCEPT Wimbledon”  Nick Bollettieri, Tennis Coach

The above quote was made during a conversation I had with Nick Bollettieri in the early 1990s. It made an impression on me because Wimbledon has been on my list of things to do for years but his comment made it more of a challenge and I knew if I ever had the opportunity, I would have to jump at it.

Everyone in my family liked to play tennis so I started when I was young. I think my Dad had visions of the next Chris Evert but that wasn’t meant to be. I’m thankful he got me out on the court though because to this day it’s my favorite form of exercise. Just need to play more often.

As a child, I remember watching the big tournaments on TV with my mom and dad so actually going to Wimbledon has been on my “must do” list for years. One of the first things I did when I moved to London was enter the lottery for tickets to Wimbledon. Sadly, no response from them. BUT we were lucky enough to get tickets through a friend for the Men’s Quarter finals on Centre Court! And, yes I’m bruised from pinching myself to make sure it’s real!

Wimbledon My Golden Ticket

My Golden Ticket. I know how Charlie felt going into the Chocolate Factory! Instead of Candy ~ I got to see fabulous tennis.

Wimbledon view of Centre Court

Wimbledon Centre Court line up

View from our seats ~ my big fear was getting caught on camera blowing my nose or something like that.

Wimbledon medical call

Literally, less than four minutes into the 1st match Del Potro was down with a knee problem. He rallied to come back and win. I was cheering for Ferrer,the Spanish player.

Wimbledon Fernando Verdasco

The second match of the day was Fernando Verdasco against Andy Murray. Verdasco is an incredible tennis player (One of his serves was calculated at 139 mph) and he gave Andy a run for it by winning the first two sets. Andy Murray is lucky the crowd was so encouraging and cheering for him because I don’t think he would have won otherwise ~ he seemed to feed off of the crowd. Hopefully he’ll go on to win his first Wimbledon trophy this weekend and be the first Brit to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. It’s going to be party-time in the UK come Sunday if he wins!

Wimbledon Andy Murray warming up

Wimbledon Andy Murray Backhand

I only took photos during the warm up session. Someone took a photo at eye level right when Andy Murray was serving a crucial point and the flash went off. Oh, my ~ if looks could kill.

Wimbledon Cameraman

Wimbledon Media Coverage

Of course there was media everywhere!

The grounds at Wimbledon are beautiful:
Wimbledon Centre Court

Wimbledon Restaurant area

Wimbledon Linesmen

Wimbledon Club

Wimbleton Flowers

Wimbledon is definitely going down as a top highlight of our time here in London! Now on to the rest of our must do list…only a few weeks to go before we move back to the states.

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