Recent weekend in NYC (June 17/18)

Recently I went to NYC for a friend's bday---David (during his bday month). I took the Chinatown shuttle down ($30 RT--a great deal--your choice of Lucky Star or Fung Wah.) you sure cannot beat that and you can take the bus from South Station bus stop. I remember just a few years ago, the way to find where to board always changed every time I took it to NYC. Now it is good they are more legit and in one place instead of the "cloak and dagger" approach to find where to board the bus.

I took the 7am bus on Saturday morning. For the first time, I got to NYC Chinatown in record time of 3.5 hours! I chatted with the person sitting with me. She was going to NYC to see her older sister and it was good to have a conversation. We even grabbed a pastry together and then parted ways. I had a big agenda of things I wanted to accomplish while in the CITY.

I was expecting to be in NYC by noon, but the extra time was well spent by me! I got the one day fun pass $7 (since it is $2 each time you board the subway or bus) I got it but it lasts til 3am (not 24 hours as in EUROPE which I find a GREAT DEAL!). I make my way to the MET and spend a great 2.5 hours there. I LOVE the MET! I have seen many a great exhibit here!

I love the Costume Institute and the most recent exhibit did not fail either. AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion Through September 4, 2006 which had great pieces and I loved the gowns, hunting outfits and the punk outfits too. John Galliano , Vivienne Westwood, Burberry are only a few names of the designers works on display.

I enjoyed Hatshepsut: From Queen to PharaohMarch 28, 2006–July 9, 2006 and another special exhibit Girodet: Romantic Rebel May 24, 2006–August 27, 2006.

Explaination about Hatshepsut exhibit--from MET website:

"Hatshepsut, the great female pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, ruled for two decades—first as regent for, then as co-ruler with, her nephew Thutmose III (ca. 1479–1458 B.C.). During her reign, at the beginning of the New Kingdom, trade relations were being reestablished with western Asia to the east and were extended to the land of Punt far to the south as well as to the Aegean Islands in the north. The prosperity of this time was reflected in the art, which is marked by innovations in sculpture, decorative arts, and such architectural marvels as Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri. In this exhibition, the Metropolitan’s own extensive holdings of objects excavated by the Museum’s Egyptian Expedition in the 1920s and 1930s are supplemented by loans from other American and European museums, as well as by select loans from Cairo."

Afterwards, on this gloomy day I head to have afternoon tea. This habit I got from my time at Smith and I love it! I enjoyed having tea time in the UK when I was there during my fall trip to Europe. I did some research to check out some places to have tea in NYC. I wanted to go to the St. Regis Hotel but I was afraid I could not get in due to no reservation.

I take the subway to 59th street to window shop at ZARA (I love their clothes but sadly they are not for me right now--we NEED one in BOSTON) and H & M as well as BR (though the item I wanted was not there). I escaped without buying anything. I loved walking down 57th Street, it has been a long time. I saw many new businesses.

En route to Takashimaya (to try their East West Tea you do not need a rsvp) I saw the St Regis Hotel (The St. Regis Hotel, New York -Two East 55th Street,New York, NY 10022 Tel: 212.753.4500 Fax: 212.787.3447 www.STREGIS.COM/NEWYORK) around the corner. I decide to try my luck to see if I could get in (it was almost 3pm). I lucked out, I got a table. I had a great conversation with the tea sommelier Elizaeth Knight (she is very knowledge and fun to chat with as I relayed my afternoon tea experiences abroad in Japan, China and Europe) there. She also later allowed me to check out her new book on Afternoon TEA in the City. I made sure to take copious notes.

I was told that the day before, the Astor Court was filled. But today, the tea service time was not as full. I was able to have a nice corner table. A great view of the Astor Court and I enjoyed listening to the live guitar music. The service was excellent and the food great with wonderful ambience. Everything is fresh and made---from the devonshire cream, lemon curd, blue berry jam and orange jam to the still warm scones! I enjoyed my creme brulee, mini petit fours, great finger sandwiches with generous portions. My water was frequently replenished, I got another plate of finger sandwiches (which was lovely) with cucumber, shrimp salad, curry chicken salad as well as smoked salmon. The tea set me back $43 before tax and tip but it was well worth it! My big splurge of the day was at the St. Regis and well worth it. A purely decadent lap of luxury experience dining on exquisite Tiffany Limoge plates and very nice silveware. The service was superior and I relaxed for 2 hours enjoying every moment there.

From there I had to go to UPPER WEST SIDE to the Boat Basin Club to hang out with David and Elizabeth (BDAY people honored) for drinks overlooking the Hudson and views of New Jersey. It is my first time there and the gloomy skies have made way to have a lovely sunset to look at. After a few aggravating switches on the subway (due to construction) I make it there. We have a relaxing time of a few drinks and I get a bratwurst (I cannot manage anymore food after the great afternoon tea). The service was not great and people do not come to this place for the service. We felt pressure to finish our food quickly (so they could have others take our table) also we could not be seated til our full party got there.

I did have a good time meeting David and his friends though. Before I knew it, it was almost 7:35 and I needed to get to Forest Hills. After taking the express "E" train to 71st and Metropolitan, I get there by 8:45pm. I met up with a good friend and her lovely family I had not seen in a long time.

I finally met her beautiful new daughter Meaghan (now 7 months old) and the eldest Caitlyn (now almost 3) the last time I saw her she could not talk to me. I got to catch up with her and her husband who is someone I consider my "big brother" . He has been a good friend and I always appreciated his help and advice whilst in college. Though now at different paths in life, I feel the bonds of friendships you make in your life are important.

Sunday arrives and Father Day, I have a nice light snack with my Smithie friend, mom and her girls. I am sent off and head to meet up with David. We nosh at Tartine (253 W. 11th St., New York, NY 10014 at 4th St. 212-229-2611 ) a cute small corner spot cafe in the Village for brunch. They have a prefix brunch set price $14 and it is a deal. You get Coffee/tea, OJ and a choice of a few breakfast items. I get the omelette with everything. It hit the spot!

David then takes me to the Pier nearby (a first) and many people are out on Father's day sunning themselves. We take a shaded area and chitchat until I have to take the train to catch the bus back to Boston. (I learn I can take the "D" to get off right near the departure points for Fung Wah and Lucky Star by getting off at "GRAND STREET").

I spend a nice weekend in the CITY . I love the fact Boston is not too far from NYC.

ITALY continued....ROMA (May 2006)

It has been a while since I went to Italy. But it is hard to find time to constantly blog. I had a great time overall.

Rome was where my spring allergies hit me full force. I was an unhappy camper in regards to it. I wish I had brought some allergy medication with me. I neglected to bring some with me (hoping I was not allergic to the particular pollen in Italy). OOPS on my part. In fact by the third day, I was so miserable I had to sleep. Well, for those of you who know me, I keep an ambitious schedule when I travel. I had to relax and recoop on day three in Rome. It was much needed but weird to do for myself.

Day ONE in ROME (saturday May 20)--we decide to head out and just wander the city. First things first, we had to get money from the lovelyATM. We did have an ATM password incident that would later affect our usage of hard "euro". Thanks to my sister's awesome boyfriend Chris, she had some euros to start us off on our trip. Plus with the situation of the credit card machine not working at the place we were calling home in ROME did not help. To my sister's chagrin, she disliked the low daily allowance she was allowed to withdraw. Then we went to the supermarket CONAD in the station. (This would be our place to visit every day there after). I discovered a grain salad I enjoy, we would get our fave Mueller's yogurt, some of their prepared pastas and of course water.

We head to a tourist office to purchase some museum and transport pass at 18 euro a person for three days.

We take the bus around (pick pocket attempt number one to my brother) outside ROMA TERMINI. My sister said it was two young gals and she heard the rattling of my brother's keys in his front pocket. Their hands were very swift and this was when we were waiting for the bus to start (we were parked waiting for the bus driver).

Our first destination is a rare museum that shows punishment and torture over the years (mainly Italian descriptions with some English) right in the Police Station. It took us a bit of time to find and it closed at 1pm (we find it at 12pm). I liked the various descriptions of the Italian crimes. One cool thing was the luggage that a man stowed away in ---a spy who got prosecuted in Israel.

Then we check out a few Piazzas, Pantheon, Napoleon's Museum as well. Since we have the pass we add in the city of Rome museum. We are disappointed as the second floor is closed (the area with the cool city map). So it leaves the museum with less stuff to look at for us.

We head to the Trevi Fountain (as popular lore has it if you stand in front of with your back behind the fountain then toss a coin over your shoulder) this gesture will ensure a repeat visit to Rome. I hope so as I did not get to see the Borghese Gallery! Then I am on the hunt to maintain my a gelato once a day promise.

I had done some prior research and knew that San Crispino was a gelato location to check out. It was a 10 minute walk away from the Trevi Fountain (tour maps were not very helpful). The fruit gelato I got was delicious! The stuff was home made and I loved the chunks and bits of fruit I encountered while devouring my portion. AHHHH but the wait was a bit frustrating but well worth it! You have to pull a number while in line (akin to the deli lines at supermarkets here in the USA).

My sis decides she needs another shirt. We tried to be minimalists in terms of what we brought as a whole to the trip. She got a cute blue Italy short sleeved shirt.

Then we headed to the Spanish Steps and I wanted to walk on Via Condotti (practically adjacent to the steps. Think of Rodeo Drive, Miracle Mile, 5th Avenue, and Newbury Street and that is what you have----or akin to that with more EXPENSIVE stores on Via Condotti. I usually do not enter the LV, Hermes, Prada, Gucci, Emporio Armani, D & G stores in this world. But after a discussion with a trusted and good pal, she gave a good point. While in Italy, make an investment to get something for yourself. It will pay back itself to get a good quality item.

I got a nice wallet at Gucci. I did not like the styles at LV and Prada. Plus the best service I received was at Gucci. I even could choose EURO or DOLLARS (saved on the 3% conversion fee) and I plan to get my VAT back. I figured the wallet is an investment. The only stuff I own more expensive than this accessory is NOTHING! I have paid more money than this wallet numerous time but they were for TRAVEL ie plane tickets. My big expenditures are traveling and eating. (ie trips to Asia, Europe and Morimoto, L'Espalier-nice restaurant in Boston).

I had read in a recent article on dressing for success especially for woman having nice shoes, make up on, hair, manicures, handbag, wallet, watch and hair style as well as clothes aid in the image you want to be perceived to be successful. (I think men have it SOOO much easier!).

We head back to our place. My sis and I want to drop off our bro who is very tired (5pm). We want to see the Coloseum. So we head out at 5:30pm that it closes at 7:15pm. Well little did we know the cut off for entry is a good hour before it closes!!! So we were locked out and relegated to just taking exterior shots. We did see a cat wandering about.

My sister loves cats! Turns out she informs me that many cats in Rome reside in many of the ancient ruin sites all over the city. In fact, at one time to raise money to care for these cats, a photo calendar was created! Throughout our time in Rome, I make sure to notice the cats I see.

It gets dark by 8:30ish so email time for us. Back to Roma Termini and we check email. I have to confirm with my buddy Wayne about meeting up in London. I also discover I really cannot go to Borghese Gallery (prior RSVPS are mandatory). Drat it!

We get back at 11pm and eat some sandwiches for dinner. Places close too early. At least we have sandwiches! We foot our outstanding tab.

DAY 2---I try to incorporate my bro's interest of the EUR (area that Mussolini) wanted to have as a jewel to promote Rome to the world. It ended up not being used for that purposes. There is a nice park there (we decided to eat our lunch by the water and caught a dragon boat team paddling!!!!) It being a Sunday, we see many families together picnicing. Then we get lost but using three different map sources find the Roman Civilization Museum----had many plastic/plaster replicas ie model of Ancient Rome and the Forum for Pompeii. (It did take us a bit of time to find this museum and to reach there before the closing time of 1:30PM based on our travel books). We got there at 12. Turns out the museum opened to a bit later, so we were relieved not having rush through.

We get back to Rome by 3pm. I want to check out the Capitoline Museum, Forum and Coloseum (which we do visit). First and only attempt to my sister of pick pocketing is done by an older gentleman on the subway trying to open her pant's pocket on her right thigh. She felt a barely felt pat and tug on her zipper. She later told us she flashed the culprit a "knowing glare".

It gets late and we are tired we grab dinner at a restaurant sitting outside. We have pasta of course but I still can't get over how expensive it is to have to drink water over alcohol. Thus far i have not had too much wine as my siblings are not fans of wine. Plus our experience with the apertif Campari was not great either in Siena.

Day 3 --final full day in Roma! I wake up and feel like crap. This was supposed to be the day to see the Vatican. I desperately needed rest and sleep. The combination of feeling a cold coming on and a bad case of allergies along with an aggressive travel schedule has finally caught up with me. I wake up at 8am only to decide to sleep in. We depart our digs at 11am. We get some food and take the subway to the Vatican. The lines are snaking many blocks away from the official entrance. With the hot sun pounding down on us, we just go to St Peter's Basilica. It is dark but with many beautiful art. One good thing, it is free to visit! Then we head over to the Vatican post office. I was told that it is more efficient than the usual Italian Post. Unfortunately I do not have my postcards to send out with me.

We take it easy the rest of the day, we even take a break and do email. I am able to write to my friend "Leewa" (who we plan to meet up with in London). My brother wants to relax and catch a flick. We get tickets to see the 6:30pm showing of "The Da Vinci Code". My sister does not want to watch it. To be truthful, we bought the wrong movie tickets, we originally wanted MI3 but did not check our tickets carefully. We grab dinner nearby. We do have good pasta. The host is very cordial and he mentions his wife is from Taiwan. We swap a few words in Mandarin.

I have not read the book, but the movie was ok. Overall, the movie was not a winner with me but enjoyable enough not to run to tell my friends they MUST see this flick.

The theater we went to was WARNER BROTHERS VILLAGE not far from Roma Termini. For a Monday night, we thought we were at a club coming out of our film. Tons of people were dressed up mingling with danceable beats pumping out of the stereo system as my brother and I made our way out of the movie theater.

We are headed to Southern Italy next-----Naples (Napoli), Capri, and Positano (in the Amalfi Coast).

Italy continued....(a long day of travel on the train) #3

(QT Luong---gleaned from web search) Pic of IL Campo in Sienna

Italy the second time around was amazing. The weather was wonderful just warm, sunny and pleasant. Plus this time I had my siblings (people to share my experiences) plus I got to try more food, have more private space and someone to watch my luggage when I needed to do errands (buy tickets, make calls, ask for directions etc) and use the loo to name a few.

After that lovely time in Venice (Venezia), the next day we got early. Our goal for the day (long day of train traveling) was depart Pordenone at 7:30am head to Pisa by 1pm (to see the Leaning Tower) then take the train to Sienna (by 3pm) and then hang out a few hours to take the late train (around 8pm) and arrive into Rome (Roma Termini by midnight).

Well after checking with the ticket guy in the station at Pordenone, we were told we did not need to do anything extra for the travels were doing that day. We got on the train headed towards Florence (Firenze S.M.) we were promptly told we had to cough up 55 euro (RSVP fee and surcharge of 8 euro a person). Plus we had to follow the conductor to the rear of the train (to the last car #9) for seats after telling us he ran out. Very frustrating but we survived. We did not have time to have breakfast. We feasted on whoppers and a Japanese rice snack mix (I love wasabi flavored snacks) and bottled water. Bottled water is definitely our friend but the mineral taste does take some getting used to.

As my sibs rested I just did some research and wrote in my journal. I love writing in a travel journal, a must I say! I make the time to write all my feelings and thoughts. I wish I could type it out as I type faster, but it is nice to have. Plus I take meticulous notes on rsvps, lodging, transport, lists of contacts, and expenditures etc. It is the all purpose journal filled with useful information whenever I travel.

We arrive into Florence and rush to find out the next train to Pisa. We only have 15 minutes to get on and rush to the appropriate platform (binari). We are tired and hungry. We decide to get 2 euro sandwiches in the machines on the platform. Tons of mayo and crustless, but the stave our hungry (as we have no other alternative) I chose the ham and cheese, my sister the tuna and our brother got the prosciutto and cheese. After taking the train, we arrive into Pisa almost an hour later. Unfortunately, we find out there is a public transport strike. (echoes of the Venice water bus strike---I did not think it was Nationwide for public transport). We are told if we want to get to the Leaning Tower it is a good 50 minute walk away (we are carrying all our stuff on our back, we are not amused). We see the train station, step out and look around. We notice the next train to Sienna (Siena) via Emboli is within 30 minutes. *We are very frustrated. We end up buying some postcards.

As we trek back to Emboli (we bypassed it to get to Pisa) we are attentive to the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany (Tuscano) which is beautifully. I loved all the green colors, farms, wineries and rustic buildings with the red tile roofs. As one old colleague told me, the only time he truly relaxed and felt at peace in his life was in Tuscany. I can totally understand. The feeling of tranquility and not having to be rush rush was nice.

We used the public facilities in Emboli which were surprisingly spic and span and no charge either to use! We were excited! I was so hot and still on my crusade to have gelato everyday. So I got some in Emboli to fulfill my self imposed gelato quota for the day. We were also in search of an ATM to no avail. Oh well. We tried but feared venturing too far from the train station. We had a good 40 minute window before heading to Sienna (Siena).

Using the public phones in Italy are not too bad and calling land lines are not too bad. Either use coins (have to find the slot on top of the phone) or use the Italia Telecom phone cards. As I found in my research, do NOT follow the instructions on the pay phone to use your credit card to call abroad (you will be overcharged to the hilt). Better to get from the tabacchi (stand that sells metro/bus tickets as well as post cards, books etc) an international phone card which is a more affordable alternative. Calling from Emboli back to Pordenone (a few hours from train) only cost me 50 euro cent to talk for a few minutes. My hostess was trying to get rsvps for me to visit the Borghese Galleries in Rome for me. (RSVPS are mandatory to visit). (In the end, I am unable to get a rsvp and I had to miss out. It will be on my list to visit whenever I visit Rome again).

Add another hour we are in Sienna finally it is almost 3pm and we buy the bus fare to get to the center of town (it is not closeby). After talking to some people and meeting a fellow traveler Robert (from South Africa) he is an educator on a few weeks holiday (people do not use "vacation") wandering Tuscany. He then informs us the buses are on strike (we were informed in Pisa that their transport strike was not relevant to Sienna--I guess we got bad information). As we are deciding to cabbing it into to town, Robert offers to take us to the town center.

It took us a good 40 minutes to walk up a hill (treacherous when you are tired, have a big heavy load) to get to the town center. A couple from Canada came up with us and then we parted ways once we got near to the Town Center. He kindly gives us a quick break. My sister loves the outdoor water fountains. I am a bit tentative using one. But after her big thumbs up sign, I found the water crisp, refreshing and refilled my water bottle as a result. Ahhhhhh!

Robert took us to a great place---CONAD a supermarket in town. We went nuts and bought enough rations for supper and snacks for later. He then takes us to the converted Nunnery he is staying out for 50 euro a night, no tv but safe and accessible to the sites. After dropping off our packs (big ones) we head out to the Il Campo (Piazza Del Campo) the center of activity in the town. We have to climb a little to it (not as bad as the initial walk to the town center).

It is almost 4 and we have one hour to take in the Museo Civico (based on our guide books something we should check out). Some great art works, paintings were seen and at the top there was a beautiful sight to take photos from a high point of the town. Outside the museum on the Piazza del Campo, there were some interesting snake designs. From my readings, I found out the local emblems of the nearby towns used animals. So we found many a post card with many animals on them.

Then we went to the Duomo which was under construction. (I noticed that on all my trips to Europe there always seems to be tons of construction). We sit outside and eat our food from our grocery shopping trip. We feast on grape tomatoes on the vine (glorious and they all burst with wonderful flavor never found in our tasteless tomatoes that are non organic), juicy and sweet strawberries, we make some sandwiches buying some bread, cheese and luncheon meat. I adore Mueller yogurt (from my travels in Germany). I think we scared Rob as he mentioned we ate a lot. We had to tell him that we were ravenous and since it was almost 6pm we had not really had a real meal all day.

We noticed the sun came down later than it did back in the US. (Later on I find out from Ben living in London --in the summer it gets fully dark by 10pm but the winters are horrid with it being pitch black at 3pm). We noticed a lot of birds flying around. My sibs and I joked it akin to the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.

We head back to the nunnery to get our gear and walk down to the train station using a less scenic route back to it but more efficient route. Robert kindly escorts us back to the train station and carries my day bag. He proclaims was I carrying a body in it? I joked and told him I actually took out some stuff out of it.

We had 20 minutes to spare before taking the train to Rome. He said we should have a drink together. We decide to be adventurous and have campari.

(from www.azcentral.com)
Campari was created after extensive recipe testing by maitre-licoriste (master drink maker) Gaspare Campari for his cafe in Milan, Italy. House recipes were common practice, but word spread of the liquor's distinctive flavor and soon many cafes in Italy were ordering the vibrant bitter for their own bars. Davide Campari, Gaspare's son, shifted Campari from a national brand to an international success, possibly because of a woman.According to the Campari Group, Davide Campari fell in love with the famous opera singer Lina Cavalieri. As she moved around the world to perform, Davide followed her, each time telling his family that he was opening a new export market. And so his product showed up in Nice, then Russia, then the United States.Campari can be used just like other bitters, such as Angostura and Cynar, but the flavor is complex enough to let it be the star of a drink. As a cooling summer drink, try Campari with soda or freshly squeezed orange juice. Before dinner, the classic Americano and Negroni are palate-opening drinks. Both are made with Campari and sweet vermouth; the Negroni also includes gin.
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We had the campari and soda his treat. We had a toast and the bitter taste grew on me. My sister kept cringing but it will be something I will never forget tasting. Heck, I grew up drinking bitter melon soup or eating stir fried. Not my fave melon but it is not something I do not mind having for its medicinal qualities per my mom. She says it is good for cleansing your digestive system.

We got on our train and Robert takes a few photos with us and his batter dies on his digital camera. We got on the train and it is a bit stuffy. We open our windows. My sister and brother stick their heads out of the window enjoying the breeze. Later on a dour faced guy comes on and has us close the window. It becomes very stuffy as he proceeds to close every window in the train.

During this day, we saw our fair share of interesting trains varying in design, seats and color (intercity, interregional, Eurostar etc) all day. A big contrast to other trains I have traveled in ie Japan. But I wish that we used more trains in the US but we are a big car society (except where I live in the Northeast). I have yet to own a car thus far. With gas prices at $3.50 a gallon of premium gas right now (topping prices from last year) it is a surprise SMART cars in europe have not come over to the US. *Yowza! I walk or rely on the "T" (the name of our public transport).

Luckily Trenitalia (the national train company did not have a strike). Our hostess Karen relayed a story that when a surprise train strike occurred her folks missed their flight back to the US as a result. But if you dig around, you can find out in advance about strikes because they do become posted. As for the strike in Sienna, the times for the buses not to work did not disrupt the daily lives of the kids in the town. The strike started 10-12pm then started back up at 3pm and afterwards. The times in between allowed children to get back to school and home again.

We get into Rome almost midnight. I booked a private room triple bed with shared facilities at a hostel/hotel a 10 minute walk away from Roma Termini. It was easy to find (good directions from the website). (A must as I found during my back packing trip places to stay near the train stations helpful and more imperative was the directions to the lodgings). Based on all guidebooks, the train stations are cesspools of crime and to beware of all gypsies. Other sources for travelers warn to be on guard of your belongings, anyone could be a pickpocket, violent crime is not prevalent. These people just want to relieve you of your valuables. So we hightailed out of the train station as soon as we could (especially at such a late hour---I usually avoid arriving late at night to a destination if I can).

As we entered the hostel, two gals were frustrated. Their rsvp was not honored by the lodgings they thought they had an rsvp for . So they were traipsing around the city around midnight in hopes of finding lodging. My heart went out to them, we checked in. Found out that the credit card machine was not working. Expecting to pay by credit card, we can only pay for two nights lodging upfront and pay the rest the next day. I have learned that always be prepared to have cash handy over credit cards. The room is simple and clean. So the bathroom is fine and adequate. We like the fact we have a sink in our room. (we find out later on it leaks which is a pain).

Finally in Rome, we are tired and get some rest by 1:30am.

Surprise Boston Harbor Cruise on Odssey --Sunday night

(photos from website: www.odysseycruises.com )

On Sunday, I got a surprise. I was planning to meet up with my friend Christine L. We hadn't seen each other since our brunch outing during the winter. I was pretty excited.

We had not set a time but we had tentative plans. Well it turned outo be a fun night and very cool indeed.

We went on the ODYSSEY Boat right for three hours she got the birthday package. She originally was supposed to go with her handsome husband as his bday just passed, but he suddenly got ill. But if she did not go on the cruise, she would not get her money back. I was the lucky friend to go with her.

As usual, we had a great time! The day was cloudy and rainy in Boston (temps in 50) a change from the sunny muggy days from the previous week. The boat was nice and our server was Brian. He was very attentive and eager. He started out giving us our complimentary white sangria. I think the combination of moving boat, alcohol (on an empty stomach) definitely not a good combo. The weather cleared up and we had a nice cruise around the Boston Harbor. Even got to hear the USS Constitution shoot some cannons too!

The live band did a good job entertaining the guests all night with music classics (you would hear in the elevator or call "oldies but goodies".

We started with this appetizer (only choice other than the $15 upgrade for Seafood Martini which we bypassed) in favor of the Tasting Trio Red Tomato Crisp filled with Nova Lox Mousse and Mujj'ol Caviar Striped European Cucumber topped with Whipped Basil Feta Cheese Spicy Black Bean Tostada with Santa-Fe Smoked Chicken Salad . The flavors were simple but nice. Very cute presentation and we had a lovely view (we were facing out to the water from the rear of the boat. The boat was not full of people but there were enough to fill out the all the areas with windows. Various groups were celebrating for various reasons---bdays, graduations and anniversaries to name a few.
Then we headed into choosing these are our two first course selections--
Roasted Duck Confit Slow Cooked Duck with Natural Juices and Aged Tawny Port served atop a Double Ripe Plantain Torte and relished with Dried Island Fruits and Candied Walnuts and I got the Corn Chowder Gulf Coast Blue Crab and Tender Sweet Corn simmered with Yukon-Gold Potatoes and Chipotle Pepper Cream . Both were very good. I thought the fruit and walnuts coupled with the Duck Confit a very interesting combination. I enjoyed the Corn Chowder but I cannot say I could make out the chipotle pepper cream but the flavors were nice.

My friend got the Braised Short Ribs served Boneless with White Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Garlic . She decided not to get the tiny pot of bleu cheese (cheese is not a fave of hers). I got the Spinach and a Seafood Ravioli Gratinee Ravioli Pasta stuffed with Shrimp, Scallops and Crab finished au gratin with Reggiano Parmigiano Cheese and Spicy Tomato Puree. It was good lot of cheese and a very healthy portion for both of us. So big that my friend could only finish half of her food. I took my time but savored the seafood and pasta ravioli. I guess the seafood and pasta drew my eyes after coming back from Southern Italy.

We were served a cute bday cake. It was nice simple frosting decorated with blueberries and raspberries. We had two slices and had to pack up the rest. But we could not resist ordering the Chocolate bread pudding---vanilla bean ice cream, banana chips, chocolate bread pudding with anglaise sauce.

It was a belated celebration for our bdays (happened in March) and I got a lovely necklace from her. I was told to dress up. So we both wore dresses and heels for the cruise. I found a new dress and new shoes to wear (I spent a lot of time sitting down as I am trying to break in the new shoes.).

After we got off the boat, we liked our pic that was taken before we got on and we were offered strawberries dipped in chocolate as a final farewell.

Everyone from the ticket counter to bus boy were great and attentative to us.

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Also on Sunday, I saw at the MFA an encore presentation from the past Jewish Film Festival a Hungarian film called FATELESS. It was a strong movie about a young man's experience in the concentration camps during WWII. Well done and heart wrenching as well as gripping the film clocked over 2 hours and 20 minutes. Daniel Craig (the new James Bond) does a cameo at the end. This movie is based on a true story. There are more showings of this film left--go to http://www.mfa.org/ and then look for the Film Calendar. It is a must see! Not an easy movie to watch but superbly well done.

---------product review below from http://www.amazon.com/ (photo from Amazon too)

Product DescriptionDon’t miss this unforgettable story of a child who had the courage to come home.
Set in 1944, as Hitler’s Final Solution becomes policy throughout Europe, Fateless is the semi-autobiographical tale of a 14 year-old Jewish boy from Budapest, who finds himself swept up by cataclysmic events beyond his comprehension. A perfectly normal metropolitan teen who has never felt particularly connected to his religion, he is suddenly separated from his family as part of the rushed and random deportation of his city’s large Jewish population. Brought to a concentration camp, his existence becomes a surreal adventure in adversity and adaptation, and he is never quite sure if he is the victim of his captors, or of an absurd destiny that metes out salvation and suffering arbitrarily. When he returns home after the liberation, he missed the sense of community he experienced in the camps, feeling alienated from both his Christian neighbors who turned a blind eye to his fate, and the Jewish family friends who avoided deportation and who now want to put the war behind them.

Italy continued...VENEZIA for a day

Day two in Italy (Thursday May18), our great hostess Karen (my old roomie's lovely wife) dropped us off at Pordenone train stop (20 minutes away from her home). I decide to activate our rail pass. (I must admit a very disappointing two pages on thin paper with the first page you must write down all the travelers names and pass port numbers. On page two, you need a validation stamp and write down all the dates you plan to use the pass.) It was a great value considering the three of us were planning to do a lot of train travel while in Italy.



We hop on the train bound to Venice (Venezia) and arrive by 10am. First things first, we get cash from the ATM. (Thank goodness for them with better exchange and at $1.35USD to 1 euro the exchange rots for us and my sis gets a good rate everytime she withdraws from an ATM). I stand in line to get info about Venice from the TI (tourist information at the train station). We notice a sign saying on Friday, May 19 there will be a strike for all public transport in Italian. YOWZA! Thank goodness we are in Venice today! We have a packed agenda and to do it all we NEED the public transport. The last time I was in Venice, I was with my great hosts and we walked to San Marco's square (Piazza San Marco) and I went into the Palazzo Ducale, or Doge's Palace and was able to take the self guided tour and walk over the Bridge of Sighs as well last fall. Also I visited the Museo Correr, also known as "The Museum of the City and Civilization of Venice". Based on the lovely Blue Guide book from Karen we should get the ALL DAY transport pass good for the public boats called vaporetti and motoscafi which only costs 12 euro a person. You figure it is 5 euro (one way) just to ride down the Grand Canal or 2-3 euro (one way otherwise).

My sister and I reminisce that we had a gondola ride in Vegas last winter. Our gondolier was an Italian (a cutie patootie who sang to us) we lucked out as the other gondoliers were not Italian. But we knew the prices in Venice were astronomical so going around the vaporetti was fine for us.

We headed out to Murano to see the Murano Glass Museum (a bit far out on a separate island and entrance is 5.50 euro) and it took us a good hour to get there. The museum is small but we saw some fabulous pieces of work. There is a small garden and some information about the historical prominence of the Venetian Murano Glass makers within Europe. At one point, to keep all the tradesmen on Murano there were threats of death to those who wanted to leave the island. Now that is what I call a MONOPOLY but not a good way. The different styles, designs, etchings as well as colors are nice. You do NOT get to see a glass blowing demo. ( I did see one at the Tacoma Museum of Glass this past March which was great). I heard there are many glass factories that like to get tourists to come for free to Murano and see the glass demos and buy glass too.

The whole time in the museum took us less than an hour. We were famished by noon as the last meal was at Karen's place and we ate cereal. We went to a small sandwich shop nearby the glass museum. Got some sandwiches with ham and cheese panini (2 .50 euro each) and a glass of prosecco (1.50 euro each for myself and my sis) and my brother got the roasted veggie panini (3 euro) and still water (they love their MINERAL WATER there and you have to specify with gas or no gas ) which cost 2.50 euro. It was a great snack and once our hunger was satisfied we took the vaporetti back to the main area by San Marco's square (Piazza San Marco). I show the Bridge of Sighs to my siblings and we took some pics. Prisoners going to court would cross over and sigh as that was there only chance to see the outside via the window. Then we did get some pics of the Palazzo Ducale, or Doge's Palace.

I wanted to head to the Peggy Guggenheim collection (one of the top tourist sights according to some tourist sources I read). After getting back on the vaporetti (this time it is very crowded as we are on the Grand Canal now). I love our all day transport card, it is wonderful. No dealing with coins and validating our tickets. (If you do not have a valid ticket you are subject to heavy fines. This only occurs if the inspectors decide to ask you to cough up your ticked.) After getting off at the Accademia stop. We find that it is closed due to a meeting and reopening at 2:30. Our watches show 2pm. Since the Guggenheim collection is nearby we decide to go to it. After many bad turns we find it. One thing you learn from all the tour books, you WILL GET LOST guaranteed. The maps do not always outline or specify all the street names. It is the nature of visiting Venice (Venezia).

We finally found the Peggy Guggenheim museum which was 10 euro entrance a person. We were able to stow our bags in free lockers or you could check your bags. I always find I carry a lot in my day bag when I travel. I adore bags with TONS of pockets. I find I feel more organized for the wipes, anti bacterial gels, pens, travel journal, journal to jot down expenses, guide book, bottle of water, snacks, gum etc... There is a small sculpture garden with a few interesting pieces and we get inside the museum. I love how it is arranged (you will see photos of Peggy's home in NYC throughout the museum and actually see her furniture and the rooms designed to be replicas of her apartment (with more art of course). The small balcony overlooking the Grand Canal are Murano Glass bead necklace (a huge one). There is a bit nice hodgepodge of art there. My sister liked she got to see some photos of famous artists such as Picasso and Dali.

At the museum store, we wanted to get some momentos. Both of us settled upon purchasing a pouch with three separate pockets and zippers. This little bag ended up being very versatile and a great organizer (I put all my receipts, business cards, momentos, ticket stubs, transportation stubs etc in it). The little versatile pouch only cost is 5 euro each a bargain. Or better yet as Bostonians would say, "a BAW gahn". (I find you will never hear the letter "r" enunciated).

Then we went to the Accademia (another big spot to visit) according to the guide book there are some great Italian artist works here (not as plentiful as in Florence) but there are Canaletto, Titians... to name a few. This museum is sizable and there are helpful English translations in the helpful laminated sheets provided near the entrance or exit of each room. Without them, I know my Italian is not great (even with my guessing skills from knowing Spanish).

We cross over the wooden Accademia bridge to the other side. I want to go into a small museum that seems to have some contemporary works such as Andy Warhol's Mao etc. My sister and brother decide to wait outside for me. The name of the museum escapes me right now but it is lovely. It costs 9 euro to get in and I am in and out of there within half and hour. I guess contemporary art is not my strong interest. The building a former Palazzo is beautiful. You will find a lot of Palazzos that are converted into Hotels around the Grand Canal.

Now we just wander around it is almost 5pm and we are getting hungry. Since we are far from San Marco's square we figure the markup for our meal is not going to be too bad. Luckily I can speak a handful of phrases of Italian (which prove to be helpful throughout our travels in Italy). We find a small sandwich place with seats outside and we got attracted to their specials of the day. We got the risotto with mushrooms, spaghetti carbonara (eggs, bacon and cream) and spaghetti with tomatoes, chili, olive oil and of course a big bottle of mineral water without gas. (All our dishes costs 9 euro a piece and were very good). We enjoyed the fresh pasta, simple sauces and preparation. Just soaking in the sunset , great food, atmosphere of being away from Boston (which when we left was having flooding issues all over) and relaxing our poor tired tootsies.

Then we just wander around a bit more towards San Marco's Square to see the shops around the area and then decide to go on the Grand Canal and take the #1 (uberbusy) vaporetti back to the train station. We are aiming to take the 7:55pm back to Pordenone by 9:15pm. Luckily we have the day transport pass, after a few miscalculations we get back to the train station. Karen's Blue Guide does save the day. We never got a transport map but her guide book listed all the routes and where they went and all the stops. The blue book was a LIFESAVER! I did get to see the Rialto bridge (which I missed on my last Venice visit).

With 30 minutes til departure time, we walk around the streets near the train station checking out the souvenirs and end up getting some gelato. I am keeping my promise to myself to have gelato every day while in Italy. (I was able to keep that promise to myself throughout this trip).

I have had a lot of opinions on Venice. One close friends despises Venice while other friends thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it helped for me that both times it was not too packed, nor high tide season (certain times of the year you need TALL rain boots just to walk around). Plus I heard the smells emanating from water during very hot weather is not fun. Overall, I did enjoy Venice. I had a great time with my hosts last Fall and with my siblings.

We got back 15 minutes late (not unheard of with Trenitalia not being punctual). It worked out Karen was a little late too. We did end up going for gelato again as her favorite place was open (closed on our first night). We got some good stuff. YUM!

I repack my stuff and do some research and sleep by 2am. My brother and sister went to bed long before I did. I really want to go to the Borghese Gallery. But somehow my gut tells me it is not mean to be for me to go to (it is in Rome).

We did have a little incident where my brother could not find the keys to the separate guest house. We spent a good 15 minutes looking for it. Karen said she gave it back to him in the morning when he tried to give it to her. He said he doesn't have it as all keys he carries always go on his key chain. I get involved and make him check every pocket and look what happens---he find the key in his shirt pocket (after calming down).

Later on, I do spend an hour calming my brother down. We get into some misunderstandings as he is upset with me. My brother (he is a lovely person) has an aura of innocence and absent mindedness about him. I told him that he needs to look a bit more savvy since we are heading more south in Italy (which we heard was notorious for pickpocketing). I heard from Italians and met other travelers who have gotten stuff stolen (friends and two gals from Belarus on the train ride to Warsaw while I was backpacking).

(photos from Punch--a friend I made at the wedding I attended in Positano)