Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
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Remember a couple of months ago, when I wrote that my girlfriend and I were heading off to Sri Lanka and Burma?
Well, as often happens with the best laid plans, a major travel hiccup arose in the form of low water levels on the Irrwadaddy River that runs through Burma ( Myanmar).
As a goodly portion of our itinerary had been cruising through the country by boat, we were, needless to say, thrown for a loop.
Notice of the cancelation came close to the last minute so I won’t mention the company we were ‘sailing’ with. Supposedly, this was only the second time they’d been forced to cancel a trip, so we’ll just say Mother Nature has her reasons, and leave it at that. They did offer us the option of using the boat as a ‘floating hotel’ but that didn’t really appeal to us. After a day or two of frantic emailing and batting back & forth every possible option, we decided it just wasn’t our year to explore Burma.
Instead, we began to see the silver lining in the cancellation, an opportunity to spend a few more days in Sri Lanka, which we were loving and then visit the Maldive Islands instead.
Not exactly a booby prize. As we had been tearing through Sri Lanka at a break-neck speed up to that point, we reveled in the slowing of our pace and I must say, it was bliss.
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Flying over and landing in the Maldives is a surreal experience.
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This is how one arrives in The Maldives
The pilot was barefoot.
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Look at the colour of water as you head closer to land- the photos do not even begin to capture how stunning it is.
‘It can’t be real, it can’t be real’ is the constant refrain in your head
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a multitude of blue hues everywhere you cast your eye
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The restaurant and lounge “Blu”
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One of my favourite things about the resort was that you get your own bike (complete with your initials in wooden “Scrabble” tiles on the basket, to tool around the island on.
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From villa to spa, from spa to beach side, from morning to night… it’s a glorious mode of transportation
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Rising with the sun for a little solitude and meditating on the beach before yoga.
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I had company.
Luckily, my contemplative friend was also in a meditative frame of mind.
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Yoga every morning in a pavilion perched over azure seas is one namastelicious way to start the day.
and the spa- that’s another post.
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World class snorkeling is definitely one of the many spectacular attractions of The Maldives
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There are multiple restaurant options; 4 to be exact, plus 3 lounges,
including the Shisha Bar below
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This photo is from the Four Seasons website as for some reason, my photos from the Shisha bar didn’t turn out.
Could it have something to do with the hookah pipe that night?
Every girl has got to be a hookah smokin’ caterpillar once in her life. 
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The food was wonderful.
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Here, a fabulously fresh carpaccio of raw fish
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Comfortable places to enjoy a cocktail or simply relax and read abound
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We carried on our Sri Lankan daily ritual of ‘ Fresh from the tree’ King Coconut water with every meal.
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and don’t even get me started on the sunsets…
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The allee of palms leading up to the central pavilion of Landaa Giraavaru
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The Maldives are located in the Indian Ocean and are comprised of 26 atolls made up of 1,192 islands.
With the highest point of land being only 8′ft above sea level, some scientists believe the Maldives could potentially be submerged by rising ocean levels in 20-50 years.
From NY it’s a 13 hour flight to Qatar then a 5 hour flight to Maldives International airport, which is it’s own island, and a sea plane from there to whichever resort you may be staying.
The weather is hot, the hotel staff charming and I felt very safe on the island.
For more information about The Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru resort click here
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Like this:
A bientôt New York
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We bid adieu to New York!
Above, a few mementos of our week.
I’m a scrapbook keeper from way back, so I’m like a little squirrel wherever I go.
I finished reading “Shopping, Seduction & Mr. Selfridge” the biography of the American tycoon Harry Selfridge who created one of the largest, successful department stores in the UK and probably the world. Interesting man, very interesting life, but sadly, I found the book a little dry. I’ve heard a film is in the works and I imagine his story could definitely make a great movie.
Next, I’m going to read “A Summer of Hummingbirds” ” Love, Art, and Scandal in the intersecting world of Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe & Martin Johnson Heade” which I picked up in my new favourite bookshop on the upper East side “Archivia Books“
I’ll let you know if it’s good. Anything to do with Mark Twain, I’m in. Now that was a life and a film begging to be made.
Also in the photo, business cards from a few of the shops I had fun visiting, including “R by 45rpm” (great casual clothes, I love their indigo) and “Nicholas Brawer” ( Campaign furniture, sporting antiques, vintage bar accessories and great chat. I was thrilled to find in him a fellow Charles Baker devotee’ )
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Read my post about cocktails and Charles Baker Jr. Here
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Speaking of cocktails, I had a positively SUBLIME “Whiskey Smash” in Bemelman’s Bar at The Carlyle Hotel.
OMG. I don’t even like whiskey.
It’s not on the menu, so you have to ask for it-a friend told me I must try one.
She’s an even Bester friend now
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Tommy Rowles, the Irish bartender who has been crafting cocktails behind the bar at Bemelmans since 1958!
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and lest you be concerned that was my only cocktail (I know you worry) fear not Dear Reader.
We attended a delightful soiree in the home of fellow proud parents from my son’s graduating class (one of those fab. NY apartments with so much charm, not to mention one of the best examples of vintage red & white stripes used in a cool way, but I can’t pull my camera out all the time, as much as I’d love to)
I also went to The Kips Bay 40th Annual Decorator Show House cocktail party with my friend Heather Clawson from Habitually Chic. We had lots of fun and I enjoyed meeting Nicole from the blog So Haute (who gave me an instant “Instagram” lesson) and Stefan from Architect Design . It’s always nice to put a face to blogs you read.
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Todd Alexander Romano’s dining room at Kips Bay
This year’s show house (actually two large apartments in a new high-rise building on the upper West side) was filled with shiny, reflective surfaces, including the walls & ceiling treatments and “Green” was definitely the flavour of the moment, in more ways than one. The apartment boasted an outdoor pool-can you imagine? A pool in the heavens but, alas, no hot tub for cold NY nights. The party was in full swing, so impossible for me to snap any pics, but if you’re interested in seeing it all beautifully shot, check out Habitually Chic where Heather has several posts and extensive photos from her visit earlier in the week as well as the complete ‘low down’.
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Thom Filicia’s entrance/foyer at Kips Bay
Both photos via Habitually Chic
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.For the most part, the weather co-operated and I maintained my 10,000+ steps a day walk around the city..
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I found more colourful Prada windows,
although I didn’t get a great shot of this one commemorating the Schiaparelli exhibit at the Met (which sadly I didn’t see)
and Caution;
Thighs in reflection will look bigger than they actually are (or so I tell myself)
Or,
Does this window make me look fat?
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Words of wisdom in the windows at Bergdorf’s
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and of love on the stairs of “Opening Ceremony” downtown
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you DO remember the song, right?! (start at the top)
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My alter ego “The Barktorialist” was charmed by a new model in town
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Meet My Gal “Friday” (just coming from her eyelash extensions appointment on the upper East Side)
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I managed to keep breakfasts down to a moderately subdued level.
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I’m not saying there weren’t a few of these consumed this week…
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But I was good in the afternoons
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usually ordering salads.
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Our absolute favourite meal was at “Eleven Madison Park”
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Trust me on this one.
Jump through whatever hoops you must to secure a reservation.
The extended tasting menu was
one of the best and most fun dinners we’ve experienced in a long time.
The menu below doesn’t even include the “amuse bouche(s)” (which I don’t want to spoil for you, but are truly ‘amusing’) or the insanely delicious dessert we enjoyed in the kitchen, where I (insert red face) when asked to ‘crack’ open with our spoons the dry ice prepared-rhubarb mound of wonderfulness floating in a divine liquer, cracked the actual glass cup instead.
Cringe. They promised me I wasn’t the first.
Some sort of mob boss was also too heavy handed.
Oh… red face encore just reliving the moment.
You have to believe me when I say I’m one of those people who never breaks anything!
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No spoilers, but the apple tea, the “lollipops”, the clams (served 3 ways), the lobster and the “Egg Cream” were my favourites.
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Definitely one of the most handsome locations in Manhattan
Photos by Francesco Tonelli
The staff couldn’t possibly have been more charming in helping us to celebrate our Graduate with such a memorable feast.
“11 Madison Park: The Cookbook” video here
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Good night Manhattan & Manhattanites!
Until next time…
I have to go unpack.
I hope I don’t break anything.
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Like this:
Postcard From NYC
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“A Tree Grows in The Upper East Side”
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I’m checking in from NYC where we’re attending our older son’s graduation from college. (Tear pops out of eye) I’ve got the extra strength tissues at the ready.
I know many of you have been through this emotional experience before, while others are casting loving glances at your little ones and thinking you can’t even imagine the day potty training will be finished, much less discussing cap & gown pick up.
I hope I don’t embarrass myself.
I really hate crying in public. Seriously. I have tricks I’ve almost perfected at sad movies and plays and can no longer watch anything to do with animals.
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It’s a beautiful time to be here. Springtime in NY…
It gives Springtime in Paris a run for it’s Euros.
The weekend weather was perfection. We walked and walked – one of the things about living in NY that I miss the most.
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Slim Paley photo of Prada’s windows
Although today it clouded over and rained, just as predicted, I still walked over 6 miles (of course I have my trusty pedometer with me)
As my shoes were totally flat with leather soles, my feet are burning with the heat of a thousand suns and my toes are cramping up like little crippled Cheetos.
Drinking $8 bottles of water doesn’t seem to be helping.
How so many woman in Manhattan walk all these city blocks in teetering heels never ceases to amaze (and slightly irritate) me.
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The ‘heel-less’ sky high platform, first seen at Alexander McQueen, is still around.
Not surprising given the obvious practicality, not to mention never having to worry about getting your heel stuck in the hem of your pants or a side-walk grate.
Genius, really.
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Loved this display in Prada of the paparazzi, I assume perhaps a nod to the Met Ball last week?
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and the Barney’s windows- a tribute to 10 years of Alber Elbaz at Lanvin
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The Ralph Lauren windows, while at the other end of the spectrum, are always delicious.
Can I be Ricky Lauren when I grow up? (but still be married to my husband, though I don’t know quite how that would work)
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#1 Son and I walked for hours downtown too.
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I snapped this photo only because I felt it incapsulated a little bit of everything downtown- a lot of beauty, a little garbage, promotion of the Arts and graffiti.
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Such GREAT people watching too. Probably the best in the country in NY, don’t you think?
Bloody hell, there are a lot of gorgeous woman downtown.
As my mom would say, “Every Dog has it’s Day”
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And speaking of’; my moonlighting job as “The Barktorialist” also kept me busy.
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Meet “Martin”. She likes to sing when having her photo taken. (and yes, “Martin” is a girl. It’s NY, after all…)
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Unfortunately, because I have a mild aversion to getting arrested, one of my favorite NY moments had to go without photo documentation today.
3 New York City policemen locked out of their squad car on 5th Ave. and trying to jimmy the window open with one of those coat hanger/window shimmier thingies.
Hilarious.
You can’t imagine how hard it was not to grab my camera (or ask if they needed me to call the police )
More than a couple of 5th Avenue doormen were having quite a chuckle at the NYPD’s expense.
And what’s with President Obama coming to NY every time I’m here?!
Coincidence???
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Finally, I treated myself to updating my make-up collection with a late afternoon visit to Barney’s. God I love the guys that work in cosmetics down there- they’re the best!
Im such a sucker for getting caught up in the moment when I finally succumb to the cosmetics department- are you?
I usually sprint through, just to save my credit cards the burn, but once I sit down for an application …it’s all over.
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Naturally, I’m firmly convinced I’m going to look like this tomorrow morning
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After all, a girl can dream.
Especially in New York.
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Wishing you a wonderful week and please, one last reminder that the “Circle of Mom’s” Top 25 Design Bloggers” contest closes at 4 pm tomorrow.
If you’d like to help me win this year , just click HERE to place your 1 click vote. It couldn’t be easier.
Thanks to all of you who are voting and voting daily!- xoxo
PS. please excuse any spelling or grammatical errorz on this post- It’s been a long day and I’ve still got a lot of make-up to remove
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Like this:
Happy Mother’s Day!
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Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there!!!!!
Have a beautiful day and give yourself a big pat on the back from me.
xoxo
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Like this:
That 70′s Post
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Me at 14 or 15 yrs. old
I was working in an art gallery/tea house on Sundays and I’m going to say this was taken at the end of a really long day.
(btw, why were all our photos so badly cropped in the 70′s? just wondering…)
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Today I’m taking a stroll, or rather a drive, back to the 70′s
to celebrate the release of my dear friend Rita Wilson’s brand new CD
” Rita Wilson AM/FM“
The album is a fab collection of Rita covering some of her favourite songs from the 60′s & 70′s.
You must get it- it’s fantastic!
and I’m SO not saying that because she’s my friend!
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Now we all know Rita as a super talented actor and producer, but I bet it might surprise you to learn she is also a really great singer.
I know, right? (but I’ll let you in on a little secret- she bites her thumbnails. Quite a lot.)
Don’t we all feel a little better now?!
Just check her version of “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues” out here;
Link:
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Photo Steven Sebring
..Rita’s song choices will resonate with anyone who grew up, or shall we say ‘passed through’ this era and I can guarantee you’ll be singing along with every song.
This is a definite ‘Embarrass Yourself in the Car’ CD.
Bring it on. Hell, hang some Pukka shells from your dashboard.
Will you ever see those people driving beside you again? Chances are slim.
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I love the premise of the album;
The 60′s “AM” songs are the ones you listened to from the back of the car while your parents were driving;
songs filled with an innocence about what the future held in store for you.
As the 70′s arrived, you’ve shifted to the front seat. You’re driving and controlling the FM station now-and did we work those dials, ladies, or what??!
The songs become more poignant, the message that love doesn’t always work out begins to resonate because, damn it, HE still hasn’t called…
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Me and my friends in the 70′s. Names will be omitted to spare the not-so-innocent
I’m on the far left. I always stuck my tongue out to cover my big bottom lip & overbite.
Man, I loved that long denim jeans skirt.
While we’re on the subject of the 70′s and driving …
I”ll share the story of my mom picking my friends and I up from school and us begging, as usual, to be driven past the house where several of the Cute Older Boys we swooned over all lived together. The regular drill of course, for any of the ‘Normal’ parents was to drive slowly BY the house, usually throbbing with the bass of Led Zepplin or Pink Floyd, in hopes we might catch a glimpse of a truck being worked on in the drive, perhaps some corkscrew curls haloed in the blue glow of a TV through a open window…
No ‘Normal’ for my mom.
She pulled INTO the driveway and started honking the horn.
Honestly, we were so traumatised that to this day I don’t remember exactly what happened after that.
Funny Mom.
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Watch Rita talking about her first album
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and then we’ll drive a little farther, shall we?
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Did you steal splashes from your Mom’s “Jean Nate’”?
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Did you cry because you were too puny to wear “Big Boy Lees” with the leather patch & have to suffer the humiliation of VINYL patch “Little Boy Lees” like me?
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Did you imagine you would look just like Christie Brinkley after a summer weekend of using
“Lemon Go Lightly”
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only to go back to school on Monday with hair the actual COLOUR of a lemon??
Snap.
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Did you swoon over your first pot of Yardley’s “Pot O’ Gloss” and can’t you recall that delicious scent even now?
How many pots did you leave in your cut-offs and find melted to the pockets
and how in the hell did we forget so many incriminating things in our cut-offs when the actual pockets hung down longer than the shorts?!)
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Remember what appears now (at least to me) the wildly inappropriate ”Love’s Baby Soft” ad.
Was that girl 9 or 19?? But we LOVED our “Love’s Baby Soft”!
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And may we have just a moment
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or two,
or three, for our Robert Plant posters??
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Gosh..
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My favourite models were Lena Kansbod
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And Lisa Taylor
How iconic this photo became. She just looked so…wonderfully American.
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Just like Rita!
Photo Steven Sebring
I think this song might be my favourite.
Seriously, how can lyrics about a telephone repair man be this romantic and beautiful??!
“And I need you more than want you…and I want you for all time…” sigh.
Jimmy Webb, the composer of the song is playing the piano on this track-just gorgeous.
Link:
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Well, I certainly had fun putting this post together. I could have gone on and on.
Do you remember the 70′s as fondly as I do?
I might have to go for a ‘Part II’ in the near future…I mean we didn’t even touch on Disco!
Find “Rita Wilson AM/FM” on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and lots of other places.
It would make a great little Mother’s Day gift- have I ever steered you wrong?
and please, don’t forget I’m still in the damn contest so VOTE people! It’s ONE click HERE
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Peace Out
xx
Like this:
Napa Valley Weekend
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I‘m baaack!
Were you worried??!
I know… I should have called…
Things have been a little hectic around here, and as usual, the best laid plans will go awry when you least expect it.
The good news was that my husband and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary by going to Napa Valley over the weekend.
Other than a couple of very quick (well, as quickly as you can dine at The French Laundry!) evening trips over the years, we hadn’t visited the valley since before we had our children.
Now, we have two graduations this month, one from college, the other from high school.
HOW did that happen??
It was, indeed, time to drink some wine!
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It was a perfect couple of days, with turquoise skies and gloriously sultry weather.
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Salmon tartare at Bouchon
We began with a scrumptious lunch at Bouchon As long time readers know, one of my favourite things about traveling or just dining out in general is getting to be a butterfly (so much nicer than a fly ) on the wall and ease dropping catching the odd word here & there from neighbouring tables. If that’s not possible, usually not the case given my supersonic hearing, I’m compelled to strike up conversations just to garner more info. What can I say? I’m a curious person, or rather, I’m a person who is curious. In Bouchon we sat beside a lovely elderly lady who had been lunching at Bouchon every week since the original restaurant opened. She always orders red vermouth and was enjoying delicious looking breaded escargot. Her companion offered for us to try some, which was very kind but my husband declined. Whatupwiththat?
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I fell in love with a million places, including this big barn house, which had the most beautifully patina-ed metal roof, though it doesn’t show up well in the photo.
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Sweet oysters at Bouchon.
Used to hate them now I love them.
Just like martinis; never give up- you have to keep working at it.
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a delicious light white to go with lunch.
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The roses and the trees in the Napa Valley are BEYOND. B E Y O N D I tell you.
My particular favourites were the magnificent Deodar Cedars and the deciduous oaks which we do not really see here in Santa Barbara, though I do spot them in Ojai.
As it happens, I am planting a new Deodar next week.
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There were endless charming houses like this to stop and photograph but traffic was very busy, being Cinqo De Mayo weekend, and there’s only so many times you ask your husband to stop for a photo op. so most of these were taken from a slow moving car.
You think it’s easy being Mr. Slim Paley?!
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We had dinner one night at “Bottega” which was very good, in particular, the giant potato dough gnocchi stuffed with spinach, ricotta, black truffles and lastly, a poached egg hidden within that bursts to perfection when you cut the gnocchi open.
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Tra Vigne
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A wonderful old “Wonderful Drug Store” embedded in the sidewalk just off the main street in St. Helena’s
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and I don’t know if this slightly irked peacock coloured bird made one too many visits to the “Wonderful Drug Store” or I’ve become ‘The Bird Whisperer’ but I think I could have sat on him and he wouldn’t have moved. I suppose he could have also been to a tasting.
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We returned to The Hess Collection where I was thrilled to see “Homage”, the fiery typewriter by artist Leopoldo Maler, still there after all these years.
The typewriter is an homage to the artist’s uncle, a well known journalist killed for the inflammatory content of his political essays, I assume in Argentina (Maler was born there in 1937). But of course the beauty of art is that it’s subjective and open to personal interpretation and this piece really resonates with me. It’s such a literal yet ephemeral symbol of the power of words, the struggle of writers and the sheer ‘fire of creativity’.
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I was also very taken with “Surface Tension” (1991). This floor to ceiling installation by artist Andy Goldsworthy is made entirely of leaf stalks from a Horse Chestnut tree, wetted, then pinned together with Hawthorn thorns. The thorns hold the entire piece to the wall, ceiling and floor- no glue or hardware is used!
Patience, much??!
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The white wisteria arbor at The Hess winery, Napa Valley.
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Oh, yes, they do make nice wine there too
Our Tasting Steward Anthony helped us make some selections to take home.
To be honest, neither of us are exactly wine connoisseurs.
OK, that’s putting it mildly.
My husband barely drinks and my wine tasting vocabulary goes a little something like this;
“I like this one”
“This one’s good too“
“Mmmm, smells delicious and tastes even better”
“Why does his glass have more in it?”
“Hello, come to Mama”
and
“Can I get a flask for the car?? My husband is driving”
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Learning about wine will be something I do when I really grow up.
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We made the trek to “Artesia” vineyards & winery designed by architect Domingo Triay. The building is beautiful and from the outside melds almost seamlessly into the mountaintop, allowing spectacular views of the valley below while maintaining a discreet, unassuming profile. Unfortunately, I was unimpressed with the interior, as well as the ambience, although to be fair it was extremely busy, but I felt like I was in a World’s Fair pavilion rather than a winery.
Of course that didn’t stop me from buying some wine, but that might have been because Daniel, our “pourer” was adorable,
plus he had that broken pupil thing in one eye like David Bowie.
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We stayed at the Calistoga Ranch, well tucked away and rustically gorgeous-just like being in a tree house.
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Lastly, to really celebrate our 24 (!) years of life, love, kids, friends, family and food together
We revisited “The French Laundry”
Never have the words “laundry” and “pleasure” been so closely related.
We arrived suitably starved with excited anticipation at precisely 8:15pm
We rolled out at 1:00am.
May I add there was a table of about 10 people there when we arrived, who were still present (and sitting upright) when we left.
no joke.
In homage to the night and Thomas Keller, I left my camera in my bag, but trust me when I say it’s always a pleasure…
and the lump on my husband’s shin for daring to suggest we skip the last course has begun to subside.
Here’s to year 25!
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PS. A small favour; If you would like to help me win “Circle of Mom’s” Best Design Blog contest this year (I came in 3rd last year)
it couldn’t be more simple;
It takes two seconds and ONE CLICK!
No email addresses, no registering, nada. Simply click HERE and hit the orange button beside my name (I’m currently in 3rd place)
You may vote once, every 24 hours, until May 14th.
Exciting, right?!
I really appreciate your support and votes, thank you!
xx
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