Napa Day 1

The Wine Way Inn

"Forget mistakes.  Forget failures.  Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it.  Today is your lucky day."   Will Durant

Backyard of the Inn

    Easy, quick uneventful flight from Vegas got me to San Francisco with plenty of daylight for the drive to Calistoga which is at the northern end of Napa Valley.  God Bless the Genius who made portable GPS systems, they really make driving easier in unfamiliar places.  Got to my B&B, the Wine Way Inn just as the sun was setting.  I chose The Wine Way Inn (http://www.winewayinn.com)/  solely on the fact that my Daughter stayed here last June on her vacation up the coast of California and stayed here.  She said the breakfasts are amazing (absolutely true), and the owners are from England.  Sold.  It is lovely, charming, and a quick walk to “downtown”.

                     The Inn-Keeper, a Gent originally from the Bristol area of England, showed me to my very quaint room.  Definitely more my style than Vegas.  After unpacking, I walked to town for dinner at Jole (707) 942 5938, on Lincoln Ave) , on Nick’s recommendation.  An amazing experience, it is farm to table, and I treated myself to their four course tasting menu with wine pairings (remember, I said I was walking.)

                         Fully satisfied and satiated I meandered “home”.  Waking up Sunday morning to the smell of bacon and coffee was awesome.  Went down stairs and had my first cup of coffee on the porch chatting with a very nice couple from Colorado.  We ended up sharing breakfast with another young couple from the Bay area.  The beauty of B&B’s besides their charm is the feeling of camaraderie, even when traveling alone.

Downtown Calistoga

                Decided to poke around downtown for awhile and managed to help the economy a bit.  Great shops, galleries, consignment shops, etc…even shipped some gifts home (found wonderful things @ Calistoga Olive Oil Company) !  After a few hours I decided it was time to explore, venture out to some wineries.  Being alone and driving, I was limited, of course.  And, truth be told, this is something more fun shared…but off I went.

BCellars Patio

                Having read that the Silverado Trail is less congested than the main artery, Rt 29 through Napa, I chose that.  There are so many hundreds of vineyards and wineries, unless you’re “in the know” it’s a true toss of the dice (still have some Vegas mentality left..).  So, I chose one and pulled into BCellars, lovely, beautiful deck to sit on with a sweet young Lady to guide me through my tasting. 
 



Castello di Amorosa courtyard



Back on the road, I just started driving.  The countryside is beautiful.  I had read about a Gentleman who had built a Tuscan Castle, Castello di Amorosa Vineyard, which gives tours.  I decided what the h…, I adore that area of Italy, I’ll go see Disney in Napa (as I feel much of Napa thinks of it this way..).  But, you know what?  It was a very enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.  Damion, our Tour Guide was a hoot, very knowledgeable, and proud of the Castle (which was built with original stone by artisans from Tuscany and Umbria,) and loved his job.  The Owner’s story is great, a real rags to riches, labor of love.  Good for him!  (Back to Damion loving his job, I’m finding that not many people here in Napa don’t love their jobs?!)  I bought a bottle of their Pinot Bianco.

SolBar Patio

     I had read of an oh so foo-foo Spa that had an amazing Bar on which to watch the sunset.  I ended up at a different oh so foo-foo spa, Solange by mistake.  I stayed anyway, and had a great light dinner at their SolBar.  My young Waiter felt he hadn’t given me great service (I thought he was wonderful) and gave me my drinks gratis.  I tipped him well.   Enough fun for my first day in Napa.  Happily headed home to the Wine Way Inn.

Las Vegas 2012

      Las Vegas is the only place I know where money really talks--it says,"Goodbye."
                                                       FRANK SINATRA, The Joker Is Wild

                         Off to Las Vegas for the fourth time, third time to the Conference that my Bosses so generously have taken us to.  It will be my last time.  I truly have had a love/hate relationship with that city, now there’s not much love.  Just not my cup of tea.

Photo courtesy of Las Vegas' website

 

                That being said, I believe it is something to see.  (Patricia Schultz agrees in her book “1000 Things to See Before You Die”.)  The lights of the strip are amazingly, albeit man-made, beautiful at night.  And, the hotels that man has made are pretty incredible as well. 

However, those same hotels nickel and dime you at every turn, which drives me crazy.  For instance: $15 for internet connection per day; can’t bring you own water into the pools as you must pay $6-8 for theirs (your bottle will be taken away and your name put on it to pick up on your way out, bags are checked!); and don’t get me started on the cabanas at the pools ($750-1000 for a few hours! Although that does include food & drink…). 

Bellagio Fountain as seen from my balcony!

The Cosmopolitan @ night

Anyway, not to be Debbie Downer, there are great restaurants (This trip we ate at the hotel two nights:  DOCG, an Italian Bistro and The Henry, upscale comfort, food having great meals at both. Our last night we went back to the Peppermill , a real old time Vegas place, very retro and cool.   My single favorite thing about Las Vegas is the Bellagios’s Water Fountain. Amazingly beautiful. It plays to music and the water dances along. Day or especially at night, something to behold. This year my room at The Cosmopolitan Hotel had a balcony that directly overlooked the Fountain.  

Of course another great thing about Vegas are the shows.  This year, My Boys treated us to my first drag queen show.  Frank Marino's "Divas" show at the Imperial Palace, a real old-time hotel on the strip.  It was great fun!  He's been there for over 25 years and has a street named after him, so clearly doing something right.

I’m not a gambler.  I have fun quickly losing my $40 at the slots, and then usually that’s it.  This year my Boss very patiently tried to coach me on craps via a machine, not a clue..The good news for our group is that one Boss and a Co-Worker won some good $!  Not me.

Las Vegas does not bring out the best behavior in many grown-ups, hence the motto “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas..”.  Have heard that before..that was the motto of the Fighter Pilots I knew in a previous life...when they went TDY- temporary duty yonder- that was muttered all the time..

Chandelier Bar @ The Cosmopolitan

Another thing not to get me started on..children in Vegas..they don’t belong there.  What is wrong with people?  Especially walking the strip at night.  I know many years ago, Vegas supposedly  became family friendly.  It’s not.  The pools have been replicated in many places.  That’s why God, or Man, made Disney Worlds, etc., or Mother Nature gave us beautiful beaches everywhere. 

From Las Vegas I decided to travel to Napa and then up to Lake Tahoe to visit my Sister and her family for a couple of days.  For the first time I tried to use the travel benefits of free flight by using a different airline.  It worked!  The people and flight with Virgin America were friendly and easy!  Got a car rental using miles, so “free”.  And, plan on using miles to pay for at least part of my B&B in Napa Valley.  Leaves more money for eating, exploring wines, and obviously some shopping!

Winter in Manhattan Odyssey Weekend Six: Monday

                            "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."  Kate Hepburn

Monday morning got up, and relatively slowly made my way out the door.  As I was leaving, Roomie was ordering various forms of bagels for themselves, to be delivered.  Gotta love it, anything you want can be delivered!  One of K’s good friends describes this phenomenon as having lots of servants, of all nationalities, who will deliver any type of food you want, depending on your mood.  (Speaking of class, she in no way means that condescendingly, or with snobbery.  It’s just a wonderful fact!)  We can’t get Papa Gino’s to deliver to our house in Milton as we’re 1 mile past their zone….

from Muffy

Piece from the Exhibit, from the website

My destination was the Cooper Hewett Design Museum on 91^st and 5^th.  The Cooper Hewett is part of the Smithsonian and was hosting the largest exhibit ever of Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry.  OMG, what an exhibit it was!  I have never seen such magnificent, extraordinary jewelry in one place at one time, not to mention the beauty of the Museum Itself.

My view across Fifth Avenue outside the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

I then wandered toward home, looking for a place to grab a bite.  I found a cute little Italian place, Bella Cuciuna on Lex (Lexington) & 81^st.  An unpretentious Mom and Pop place, serving real “old school” Italian, although trying to be healthy, I had a delicious cup of minestrone, a nice piece of grilled Tilapia served with orzo in Marinara sauce, a glass of wine all for under $30.  The Owner, another distinguished older Gentleman, stopped by my table and chatted.  On the way out, I stopped by his “desk” at the front and explained I had thoroughly enjoyed my meal, thank you.  He apologized, and said he had gotten caught up doing paperwork, and had meant to buy me a drink.  I said, next time!  Am I now getting “hit on” by old men, or was he merely being polite?!! 

A young Lena Horne

  Off again, now to find Lena Horne’s Estate sale.  I found it sad, and depressing, that this Icon of the American Art World’s possessions had come to this.  Although I personally figured this out after the death of a Beloved Uncle a few years ago, that all of our stuff, is just that.  Stuff.  It may mean a lot to us, or not, but after we’re gone it’s stuff that to those left behind can sometimes just be a big PIA.  But, then, I thought, maybe Lena’s stuff may be bought by someone who truly was a fan, and they’d be thrilled to have a piece of American lore.  Anyway, I went to Doyles’ Auction House on East 87^th for a look.   Not only was some of Ms. Horne’s belongings up for view before the auction, but alot of other beautiful things.  Truth be told, it was an interesting way to spend an hour or so. 



Andre's

As I headed south again, I walked along 2^nd and saw Andre’s, a small Hungarian restaurant I had coffee and pastry in before, so I went in for dessert.  A decadent piece of chocolate-raspberry cake, and glass of dessert wine later, I then went home to get ready for a night of music with K and friends.

Mirror behind the bar @ Marie's Crisis from Curley B.

Originally I was heading home to Boston on Monday evening, but K had told me that she and some Friends had decided to make Monday evenings a night to go to Marie’s Crisis in the West Village (59 Grove Street between Bleeker and 7^th Ave), a piano bar in the Village.  I changed my flight to very early Monday morning, booked a car to pick me up, and a small Group  went down to the Village (love saying stuff like that!), to Marie’s Crisis.  I love this place, a nondescript gay bar in a basement, with a rotation of piano players who play show tunes surrounded by all these young singers-actors with the dream of Broadway in their hearts, eyes, and voices.

Winter in Manhattan Odyssey Weekend Six: Sunday

       "Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying

         'I will try again tomorrow.'"                                            Mary Ann Radmacher

Woke up Sunday to sun, and jumped on a bus up to 78^th for a massage at Eastside Massage, a birthday gift from K.  After a lovely hour of pampering, I decided to walk down to the Samuel J Friedman Theatre on 47^th  to try and get discount tickets for “Good People”.  A beautiful walk through the park, and was rewarded with a ticket! (Word to the wise: when using www.Broadwaybox.com.  discount codes, some, not all, theatres actually ask for a printout of the code.  I explained I had no access to a printer, and was given a break.).  Jumped on the train, and went home for a few hours before the show, and had a light bite to eat.

From the website

             Frances McDormand played the lead in “Good People” (and won the 2011 Best Actress Tony for her work).  The play was written by David Lindsay-Abaire, who won the Pulitzer in 2007 for “The Rabbit Hole”. He grew up in a housing project of South Boston, and was given a Boys and Girls Club scholarship to Milton Academy, an elite private school in my home town.  (Cynthia Nixon won the Tony for her portrayal of the lead in "Rabbit Hole" on Broadway, and it was then subsequently made into a movie with Nicole Kidman for which she was nominated for an Oscar.  He is great for woman actors, obviously!...Bostonians: "Good People" is on the agenda for The Huntington Theatre 2012-2013.)

           It was a wonderful couple of hours that sent me back to my eleven+ years working in Southie.  The theatre was in uproarious laughter, often, so I was not the only person to totally enjoy it.  I remember during those years, one of my best friend’s older brother was right out of medical school, practicing at the Health Center in South Boston, and he asked me how I liked working in Southie.  He said so many of his friends couldn’t understand how he could stand it, and my response was that Southie was awesome.  It was full of tough “thugs” who were basically “Good People”!  The review I just read on Theatremania, described the play as not about Race, but Class.  And, that conversation between myself and Dr all those years ago, was the same.  We truly are all products of environment, we can get stuck there, or change and grow..  Isn’t so much of life like that?!  (Full disclosure: Dr is now my Internal Medicine Doctor.  His Dad was my whole families’, including my Daughters’, Pediatrician.)

Back to “my” apartment, chatted and shared in some Chinese food delivered from a favorite neighborhood place.  Into the hay, as I wanted an earlier start to my Monday. (Love my long weekends in Manhattan!). 

Winter in Manhattan Odyssey Weekend Six: Saturday

    "If you're quiet, you're not living.  You've got to be noisy and colorful and lively."  Mel Brooks

K and I met at the Arch in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village at 2 pm. Saturday for a the“Edgar Allan Poe Literary Walking Tour” with Uncle Sam’s New York Tours.  Our guide for the two hours was Dennis, a real character who obviously loves his City.  It was excellent.  The only negative aspect was that I truly want to live in one of the small, gorgeous Georgian Revival townhouses with a hidden garden in a new and furious way! 

                It is truly amazing how much national and artistic history abounds in a relatively small area in one of the largest cities in the world.  I should be used to this having lived most of my life in Boston.  I must share some of the things I saw and learned on this wonderful afternoon.  First the Arch where we met was designed by Stanford White and was first built of wood, then recreated in marble and granite in 1895.  The two statues of George Washington were added later, one of Him dressed as a General in battle (1916), the other dressed for his Inauguration (1918).  Washington Square Park was at one time a burial ground, for German immigrants, and also a potter’s field, burial ground for the poor.  For a very short time it was used as a parade ground for the military, but that use was put to rest when the cannons started sinking into the graves.  (Most of the bodies buried here have since been moved, but some do remain.)             

One of the most famous members of the military on Washington Square was Edgar Allan Poe who lived on the Square and needed to supplement his income!  He did much of his writing while living here, including publishing “The Raven” .  (Another Bostonian who fell in love with New York City, alas in this lifetime I don’t think I’ll be living on the Square.)

from Gourmet G

Very close to Poe’s home is the Washington Square Hotel which was a hotbed, literally, of Bohemian life in the sixties.  Joan Baez lived in room 604? and for a while allowed a young man by the name of Robert Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan, to live with her as she saw his potential. 

Another musical tidbit that I found very fascinating was that Michelle and John Phillips, of the Mamas and the Papas, wrote much of “California Dreamin” while at the hotel, and the line “went into a church, and got down on my knees”, came from when they went into Judson Memorial Church which was also designed by Stanford White and is on the south side of Washington Square Park, within site of the hotel.

Oh, so much more!  Eleanor Roosevelt bought a home on the west side of the park which was to have been the home for herself and the President after he left office.  Unfortunately she lived there alone, as FDR died while in office.  A fascinating tidbit of that building was that it was handicap accessible already back in the 40’s when she bought it. 

Thank God Landmarks Preservation Society exists.  In 1965, after the demolition of the original Penn Station (also designed by Stanford White..He was busy and amazing professionally, but pretty notorious personally!), “people” decided it was crazy to be tearing down these architectural masterpieces, and putting up monstrosities in their place.  Many buildings in Greenwich Village and around other neighborhoods in New York City were protected and preserved.  (The New York City Post Office is presently being preserved and redesigned to be used as Penn Station.)

         I could go on and on, (about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the square where the gay rights movement exploded and the Dental Clinic that went bankrupt for refusing to treat an HIV patient, the sites where Edna St Vincent Millay and Aaron Bur lived…) but long story short, it was a great afternoon led by a great Guide with a nice group of Ladies.

                   Our tour ended in front of a little Ethiopian restaurant that K had been to before.  I haven’t had Ethiopian food since my older Daughter was in school in Montreal.  So, we had a great, relatively cheap dinner with wine at Mekerem at 124 MacDougal Street.  K then headed to the East Village to get a treat to bring up to Yale, and I headed to Times Square to see what tickets may be available for a show.

The Show I wanted to see was sold out, so I headed to Esca for dessert.  Enjoyed a couple of hours at the bar with some regulars, feeling like one myself.   I think I’ve mentioned how much I love that.   Headed home as I was truly beat, and walking up 59^th Street just along side the Queensboro Bridge (or 59^th Street Bridge as I was told real New Yorkers call it) was the most gorgeous huge full moon just sitting on top of the Bridge.  I walked to the end of the street where there’s a park above the East River for a better view.  Incredibly beautiful!

Winter in Manhattan Odyssey Weekend Six: Friday

                                 "An ounce of performance is worth a pound of promises."  Mae West

          Long week at work, bone weary, and sore, I got on the 9:30pm. Megabus Thursday night.  Free ticket, and had four seats around a table to myself!  Rested and caught up on a missed episode of Glee.  Climbed into bed at around 2 a.m. and woke up at 11:00 a.m., unheard of for me, and loved it!

From Yelp, now closed, unfortunately

            Made plans with K2 to meet at Persephone, a Greek restaurant with a great new young chef, on 60^th between Lexington and Madison.  I had a Blackboard Eats coupon, so we had 2 courses and a glass of dessert wine (port) for $20 each!  It was a lovely, long lunch.  I really could easily become a Lady who Lunches, often. (www.blackboardeats.com.  is similar to Groupon, but it's free and you get a code to use when you go to the restaurant). 

from their website

              K went off to work, and I decided to finally poke around Bloomies (Bloomingdales) since I live 3 blocks away. And poke is all I did, very $$. Headed home and decided to treat myself to another manicure, as I noticed my hands and nails do seem to be in better shape. I added on a small shoulder massage which was just okay. Home to relax for a short bit before heading out to Roomie's show with Everyone.

            Roomie's Cousin was at the theatre when we arrived.  (It feels really nice to know people when I go places in NYC!).  Roomie’s show was a production of The St. Jean’s Players at a Church auditorium on the UES, and was called “The Envelope Please”, a celebration of the Tony Awards.  It was very enjoyable with a true cast of characters ranging in ability and age from 9 to 70.

               After the show we sat up chatting til almost 2.  No wonder everything starts later in New York.  

Winter in Manhattan Odyssey Weekend Five: Sunday

  "Life's like a movie, write your own ending.  Keep believing.  Keep pretending."  Jim Henson

Lullemon, from their website

Sunday morning I awoke really refreshed, and finally made my way to the Lullemon store on 3^rd Avenue and 66^th Street, a ten minute walk!  At 10:00 a.m. on Sundays they offer a free yoga class.  I was a bit nervous as to whether it would be above my level, but was actually perfect (although all the sun-salutations into chatarongas that young instructors like..agh, that’s how I ended up in PT for three months last spring..I know now to modify ..).  It was my first class led by a guy, again a bit of trepidation.  It was fine.  And, not too crazy crowded!  Lullemon in Union Square also offers a free class on Saturday mornings.

                By the time I got home Everybody was up and about as Roomie’s dear Friend and her Daughter  were coming for a short visit.  Friend was, and is, a great friend who had been there for Roomie in tough times.  Her Husband’s job had taken them to Pittsburgh, but they had kept this apartment for his business in the city, and her times to play.  (How I wish…..).  Friend was amazed, and I think pleased, when after a short time she realized that I had melded into Roomie’s life as a friend, not a distant business partner roommate.  I assured Her that we were all feeling very fortunate at how things were working out.

Rosa Mexicano, from their website

             Roomie’s Partner treated us to another of her wonderful brunches.  Roomie went off to rehearsal for her show.  Daughter to the computer, Partner to shopping, and myself to relaxing, again, in my room.  A couple of hours before I needed to head to the bus, I went down the street to the Rosa Mexicano,  a tremendous restaurant on the corner of 1^st and 58^th.

            So, now I have officially eaten at every little restaurant on my block in the five weekends thus far, Mexican, Italian, French, Asian, and Organic Coffee with music on weekends.  And, why do people question why and how I love New York City?

                I got a compliment? By the nice young High School senior sitting next to me on the Megabus home.  I was typing some of my thoughts, and she asked me if I was a writer.  I stuttered, stammered, and said, “ In my dreams!”  (A patient later told me, after hearing this story, to forever more say, yes, I am a writer!  This Patient actually has defended her dissertation on a Union of Ladies of the Night, and is now trying to get a book contract!)

                A quick note on the sweet High School Senior.  She had been to Manhattan to visit her Brother who’s working in the financial world, living in a tiny apartment around 42^nd Street on the East side, and who had given his little Sister tickets to Wicked for Christmas.  Halfway home, Senior in High School Girl connected with a friend on her phone.  She was told all about the weekend she had missed, including apparently some major “drama”.  Apparently some Girl had gotten high, then drunk on Baileys and coffee.  I had to laugh out loud when my Busmate asked, “How old is she?  Isn’t that what people in their twenties drink?”  OMG, the irony, heartache, and yes, drama of the High School Years.  Thank you, God, I am done….