Feb 20, 2005
My friend, Elisabeth Rucell, writes to tell me that the so-called Crocuses that had blossomed earlier this week were, in fact, Snowdrops. She, no doubt, was one of those who got sent to the Botanic Gardens by her parents as a kid. Me? I always thought crocuses were the first flowers to appear. You learn something new every day. Elisabeth, by the way, taught Earth Science at John Dewey High School for many years. Maybe that's whereby she knows the difference between a snow drop and a crocus. I stand corrected.
Yep, these are snowdrops, not crocuses. Sorry. (photo by Jim Mercer)
Here's Crocus, pushing their way through the snow. (not my photo).
Feb 19, 2005And so frigid winter weather has returned. It was 16 degrees last night. But Mother Nature had other ideas. The crocus shoots that poked through last week have, hard to believe, blossomed. I took this photo on February 17th, just a few days later. What will become of them now with these freezing temps?
Crocuses - go back down before you freeze!
Feb 18, 2005My daughter Dani and her husband, Erik, have a new house. They moved from Connecticut to Saratoga Springs, New York and bought a sweet little house there. While I was on Jury Duty in January, Stacey went there to help them move in. Now it was my turn to see the house so we drove up for a couple of days.They're actually outside of Saratoga in a town called Clifton Park. Saratoga is so very chichi and, thus, house prices are much higher there. Folks of more moderate incomes tend to live a bit removed from that famous old watering hole of the very well-to-do.Dani has done a very quick and lovely decorating job (she takes after her mom in that respect) and I was quite impressed.
Dani and Erik's new house -- with me in it.
We hung out for a while at home and then drove the few miles to Saratoga for a walk and a shop. Then the kids took us out for dinner at a lovely restaurant on Broadway, Wheat Fields, specializing in home-made pastas.
Stacey and Dani at the Saratoga Springs Gap.
On Broadway, Saratoga Springs.
Here's Dani and Erik's new house!
And here's Dani and Erik. And Brooklyn (left) and Annapolis (right).
The next day we enjoyed bagels, lox and whitefish salad (brought from Brooklyn, of course) and then walked a bit down their road to a pretty park and ball field. We headed into the snow-covered field and the dogs and the people cavorted. Besides cavorting we also threw snowballs at each other. Fun.
Out for a walk in Clifton Park.
Brooklyn catches a snowball. Dani chases Erik.
Having snow fun.
That afternoon we drove back to the city. Saratoga was a nice place to visit and we'll be back many times after this. Nicer still was seeing Dani and Erik and their new house.
Feb 17, 2005
Tuesday was a beautiful day - sunny and temperatures in the 50's. This, in February! The bikes were calling and Stacey suggested we ride to Central Park to see Christo and Jeanne-Claudes' orange gates. We hadn't been out riding for a long time. One thing or another, not to mention the weather, had gotten in the way. The one constraint was the need to be at JFK airport at 4 pm to pick up my aunt, returning from a vacation in Florida. So off we went at 10:30. We're living much closer to Manhattan now and a bike ride there to our usual destination, SOHO, is a scant five miles. It used to be 12! What a pleasure.Our first stop was a little coffee shop on DeKalb Avenue, just off the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue: Tillie's. We're discovering that Fort Greene, the neighborhood just north of ours, is very much to our liking. It has a very laid-back flavor, a nice mix of people, good restaurants and interesting shops. And then there are those brownstones - some of the most beautiful in Brooklyn.
Welcome to Tillie's on DeKalb Avenue.
Stacey looks out at Dekalb Avenue from Tillie's.
The window sign at Tillie's coffee shop.
The coffee shop was just a few minutes from the Manhattan Bridge - our entree into Manhattan. On-street bike paths are popping up all over the place - a sign that our DOT is paying more attention to walkers and bikers than ever before. The beauty part is that they are more and more connected, giving cyclists a real network of paths that can be used for commuting of just touring but with real destinations in mind. New Yorkers are now blessed with bike/ped paths on each of the East River crossings: the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges. The latest has been an additional path constructed on the north side of the Manhattan Bridge, exclusively for cyclists. The path on the south side, open for a number of years, is now exclusively for walkers. Nice.
The sign shows the way to the bike path to the Manhattan Bridge.
Stacey, that red spot in the distance, heads up the long, sloping approach to the new cyclists-only path on the Manhattan Bridge.
The only thing negative we can say about the DOT's approach to these new bridge paths is their insistence of lining them, and thus blocking the fabulous views, with ugly, prison-like chain link fence. They claim this prevents vandals from throwing objects off the bridge but offer no evidence that this has every been a problem (which it hasn't). The views from these bridges are breathtaking and riding or walking across them should be an intensely uplifting experience. Instead the fences are real downers, blocking one's view and making you feel like you've been locked-up instead of liberated. Fortunately, although plans exist, bike advocate organizations like Transportation Alternatives have stayed the DOT from erecting these monstrosities on the much-used, historic and beautiful Brooklyn Bridge path.
Riding the new bike path on the Manhattan Bridge. Note the chain link fence on the right, blocking the view to the river and the skyline.
View of the Brooklyn neighborhood, DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Oy!) from the Manhattan Bridge.
In Manhattan, we quickly made our way to SOHO and stopped at two of our favorite haunts: the Sullivan Street Bakery, with its fantastic artisanal breads. We bought a few to stock up for the week. Next, a quick lunch stop at Once Upon A Tart, also on Sullivan Street a block or so north of the bakery.
A quick stop at our favorite bakery: Sullivan Street at number 73.
Lunch at Once Upon A Tart on Sullivan Street in SOHO.
We had lunch outside at one of the little tables set up out front - it was that nice a day. But it was also getting late and we had a bit more to go before we reached Central Park at 59th Street. We headed through Greenwich Village up West 4th Street which meanders northward and westward, avoiding the heavier-trafficked avenue blocks. Because it doesn't follow the usual city grid of streets and avenues, West 4th is a cute little NYC anomaly. No other numbered street crosses over other numbered streets, since they're parallel to each other. And that's how puzzled you might be if I asked you to meet me at the corner of West 4th and West 12th streets. Huh??
You figure it out - the intersection of West 4th Street and West 12th Street??
West we continued to pedal until we crossed the former West Side Highway, now just West Street. The city has done a lovely job downtown, blending the highway, which used to be elevated and is now at street level, with a fabulous new riverside park and bike/ped path. The path is beloved by New Yorkers and heavily used. It's a great place to hang or walk, jog, ride or skate, admire the Hudson River or ride the length of the borough from tip to tip.
The much-used and lovely bike path along the Hudson River now runs the length of the island.
We rode until 59th Street and then headed back east to Central park and The Gates. I have mixed feelings about this whole Christo thing. To me, it's certainly not art. Yes, a fantastic media event that brings a lot of people out to see what all the hoopla is about. And, as our billionaire Mayor pointed out in yesterday's papers, a lot of money will be spent as well, perhaps $80 million. OK, but art? Let's agree to disagree. I don't care for the color of the so-called gates either. A garish orange, like the color of Jeanne-Claude's hair. The Gates looked more like highway warning signs. I think it would have been a little more impressive had they been a softer, billowing white rather than this atrocious neon. Just one man's opinion.
Every foot of Central Park's paths had been covered with the Gates and it was in that regard, aside from my previous comments, a very impressive sight. The day was lovely, the weather a respite from the cold. People were out strolling and gazing, sitting in the outdoor cafe at the Boathouse and just enjoing themsleves mightily.
Every inch of Central Park has been gated by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
Horses, bikes and gates ... oh my!
The Gates - Blowin' In The Wind. (This photo by Stacey.)
Another view of The Gates - looking south at the Essex House.
Me, camera, helmet and gates. (Photo by Stacey).
Looking to Central Park West from Turtle Pond.
It was late now, too late to bike back to Brooklyn and then make it on time for my aunt's arrival at JFK. So we cruised around the park a bit longer and then took the bikes on the subway and the quick trip back to Brooklyn. A splendid day in the Big Apple!
Feb 13, 2005Brooklyn really grows on me. The more I explore, the more I find, the more I like. We took a little bike ride today, cold weather notwithstanding. It was one of those crisp, clear mid-winter days, the temperature hovering under 40 degrees. But the wind of the past few days had subsided and it was lovely for just tooling around on the bikes.We headed north because I wanted to take a close look at the Fort Green Prison Ship Martyrs monument. It's said to be the world's tallest free-standing doric column and it has a very interesting history. Click on the link above if you want the full story. Briefly, this is the third incarnation of a monument to the victims of the British prison ships that were anchored in the harbor during the Revolutionary War. Many of the Americans, men, women and children POW's, who were kept on those ships died from terrible conditions to which the British subjected them.
Fort Greene Park in downtown Brooklyn.
For years following the war, the bones of the prisoners would wash up onto the shores of Brooklyn and Long Island. Following a great outcry and demands for a proper resting place honoring these martyrs, a memorial was built in the early 1800's near the site of the present Brooklyn Navy Yard. When that deteriorated a stone crypt was built in Washington Park (today's Fort Greene Park). and finally, by the end of the 19th century money was raised for a much grander memorial. It was unveiled in 1908 and was designed by the prestigious firm of McKim, Meade and White. It stands today, slightly faded, but still magnificent, 148 feet tall, overlooking downtown Brooklyn, the East River and the towers of Manhattan across the river.
The park itself is worth a visit by anyone interested in exploring old Brooklyn. It is up high and thus the park and the tower have a commanding view of the surrounding area. It lies a few blocks east of Flatbush Avenue, sandwiched between Myrtle and DeKalb Avenues. On the other side of DeKalb is Brooklyn Technical High School. DeKalb Avenue has come up (like most of downtown Brooklyn). It's a very sweet road that has some interesting stores and great restaurants. The blocks surrounding the park are lined with fabulous old brownstones whose value are now reaching astronomical heights. The entire area has a wonderful feel to it. Check it out. Take the Q or B to DeKalb Avenue (the first stop in Brooklyn after you cross the Manhattan Bridge). Get off and walk east down DeKalb until you reach the park on your left (just past Brooklyn Hospital). On your way home you can stop for a nosh of some of the world's greatest cheeskecake at Junior's restaurant on the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues.
The base of the tower is inscribed with this sign.
Stacey walks around the base of the column.
The monument is up high in the middle of Fort Greene Park.
The park is filled with fabulous, old London Plane and Gingko trees among others. A wonderful place to bring a picnic or a book and just hang out.
Feb 13, 2005Walking out yesterday for our morning coffe and bagel, we spied the early signs of spring in our neighborhood. Yes, for all of you in the borough of towers (Manhattan) and other places north, you might be interested to learn that the crocuses are raising their sleepy heads and poking their stiff little selves through the frigid February soil. Flowers will follow in a few weeks. Stay tuned.
Little, tender crocus shoots coming up in mid February.
We love our new-found coffee shop. Great coffee, wonderful bagels, friendly employees and Mary, the owner, is the nicest. Goodbye Starbucks. Hello, Prospect Perks on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Sterling Place, just 2 blocks from our house. Usually, we'll hit the gym a few times a week and then treat ourselves to coffee a bagel. You see, we have to put back the calories that we lost at the gym.
Our morning coffee and a bagel is here at Prospect Perks Cafe.
Mary's son owns a restaurant around the corner, a barbecue place, which we have yet to try: Biscuit. You can find it by spotting the pig out front beckoning customers in.
Say hello to Mr. Piggy at Biscuit on Flatbush Avenue.
Feb 9, 2005
Seems like we're back from the tropics forever, but it's not even a week. Looks like we played our cards right - we left and it was frigid and 12 degrees; came home to moderating temperatures and today it was downright warm. However, tomorrow we're expecting a "wintry mix," as the weatherpeople like to phrase it. That means "crap," as I like to phrase it: rain, sleet, snow and cold. Brrr.
We took our friends and upstairs neighbors for dinner on Friday last - this, as gratitude for catwatching. We were going to try Franny's, the great pizza place we discovered a few weeks ago (and have been to twice thus far) but it was mobbed with a 45-minute wait. Um, no thanks.
Instead we headed to Dekalb Avenue - whoever thought that Dekalb Avenue would become the hot and trendy place it is today? It's lined with cute shops, restaurants and cafes and has a nice low-rise feel to it - with "downtown," hi-rise Brooklyn at its western end.
New York magazine had written up a new restaurant on Dekalb that we had tried several times and really liked: Ici - which is French for "here." Apparently, the owner, Laurent, was featured in some recent reality show about running a restaurant. Pardon this un-TV-American for not knowing the actual name of the show. Ici is French but with (I think) American/Southern highlights. A bonus: they serve Sullivan Street Bakery bread (their crusty and crumby Pugliese) which we're crazy about and, in my book, that puts a restaurant in the "good" category before I even sample the cuisine.
As it turned out, the food is excellent so we decided to take our friends there to try it once again. Dishes include skate, an intense and flavorful beef stew and a braised pork shoulder which is, how do the French say?? - oh, oui! ev'-en-ly!
Diane, Rock and Stacey at Ici.
Another view of Ici - which is in the ground floor of an old brownstone on the corner of Dekalb and Vanderbilt Avenues.
On Saturday, we went for a long walk. Weather was nice again, so we walked all the way over to Brooklyn Heights. Our destination was Sahadi's the mideast market that we frequent. But it was so mobbed with Saturday shoppers that we decided to return during the week. Instead, we had some lunch at a disappointing Indian restaurant on Montague Street (Amin - you can skip it) and then walked most of the way back before we caught a city bus.
Atlantic Avenue is more and more interesting. It's been coming up for a long time. And there are many cute shops - antique stores, gift shops, restaurants (again). The buildings lining the street are two and three stories and old. Many have been renovated and painted in lovely colors and, with the exception of too much car and truck traffic, it's a nice place to stroll when you have nowhere in particular to go.
Antique stores on Atlantic Avenue.
An old church on our walk down Atlantic Avenue.
As we reached Brooklyn Heights, I found an old friend - a beat up Citroen 2CV. Back in the 60's my dad had bought me one of those cars and that one was replaced later by still another. He had one of the larger and more deluxe Citroens. But I loved my "Deux Chevaux" (two-horser) which looked like an upside down trash can with wheels. Not often seen in the states, there were mass demonstrations in Paris when the manufacturer discontinued making them in the 90's.
This has become a cult classic, much like the VW Beetle and other beloved cars. A quick Google search for "Citroen 2CV" will find dozens of sites, if you're interested.
A well-used Citroen 2CV sitting on State Street in Brooklyn Heights on Saturday.
The Citroen badge.
Walking back late in the day, the sun was dipping low in the sky and painting the buildings with its intense winter color. We caught a bus about half way back and took it to Washington Avenue. From there we walked the few blocks to our house, tired but energized by a great day out and about in Brooklyn.
Late day sun on a Brooklyn apartment house in Cobble Hill.
Sign seen on a city bus: "Keep arm in." Does that mean it's ok to stick your head out?? Weird.
Feb 3, 2005
I'm writing this Blog as I sit in row 19 of American Airlines flight number 1488. We're headed back to New York from Dominica, via San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's been a wonderful week - an escape from the frigid weather to a tropical wonderland. This was not your typical Caribbean resort as this island has not been developed like so many of the others. Like those, it remains desperately poor, the victim of globilization and a neo-colonial economy. But there's not even a touristy facade of glitz here. The cities or towns are poor and rundown with a minimum of services. Unemployment is severe and many people eke out what seems to be a subsistence living. Of course, there is a middle strata and some people live comfortably. A few are even very wealthy. And there are the white ex-patriates, many of whom own businesses and who are very comfortable.
On our last full day in Dominica, Rachel took us to Champagne beach. This was south of Roseau on the coast. We had passed it the other day on our way to Scotts Head, where the Caribbean and Atlantic met. One of the reasons for the lack of tourist development is the absence of sandy beaches. Champagne was no exception. So named because of sulfur bubbles that constantly rise from the sea bed at this location, it's a favorite place to snorkel and observe the marine life. As you float on the surface, bubbles rise all around you from the floor - you're swimming in bubbly!
Stacey checks about a piece of coral on Champagne beach.
We had to walk several hundred yards down a "beach" filled with rocks varying size from golf balls to basketballs - not an easy feat and very hard on the feet. Rachel had forgotten to tell us about the hard going and we were both wearing sandals, not ideal for scrambling, or stumbling, on this boulder-strewn shore. On our right, the ocean. On our left, sheer cliffs covered with dense vegetation.
"Why are we walking so far down the shoreline, I asked Rachel. "Because that's where the bubbles are", she replied. Well the walk was bad enough. Now we had to get into the water. Even harder. We, very slowly, made our way to the water's edge, sat down, leaned forward and inched our way into a floating position as soon as we could get deep enough to clear the submerged rocks. But it was worth it. Beautiful fish of various colors were playing amongst the air bubbles. The water was comfortably warm and calm.
Stacey and Rachel endeavoring to enter the water.
Mountain meets sea - Champagne Pool, Dominica.
We returned to Roseau at 3:30. We were to meet an acquaintence of Rachel's at a bar in town. She was delivering some soap that we liked which was made locally in Dominica. She never showed but while we were waiting, Oliver showed up and we finally met Rachel's dear friend (who she had been telling us about all week), Penny. While we were waiting, I ventured out to the street and noticed that next door was a restaurant that espoused its connection to our very own neighborhood in Brooklyn, which is home to many Caribbean immigrants.
The Brooklyn - Roseau connection.
The bar at Symes-Zee's restaurant.
Penny and Oliver.
We were planning to have dinner out for our last night in Dominica and we invited Penny to join us. Dinner was at the Fort Young Hotel in Rosseau.
The Fort Young Hotel was quite lovely. It's a hotel built around a historic fort. Part of the dining area is on an upper deck looking out to sea. It was a beautiful evening, perhaps 70 degrees with an aromatic and warm breeze wafting in from the water. The sound of the waves provided a very romantic backdrop to our dinner.
Dinner at the Fort Young Hotel.
Oliver, Penny, Rachel and Matt at dinner.
After dinner, Ollie wanted to check out a pre-Carnivale music show being held down the coast at a club. We drove down the road but a mile away from our destination, traffic had come to a standstill as hundreds of cars converged on the festivities.
Ollie dropped us off and we walked on. The place was mobbed with people pushing to get in. This was not my idea of pleasant night out. Paranoia set in and I announced my intention to avoid what appeared would be a crushing crowd inside. Oliver and Penny decided to tough it out. Stacey, Rachel and I drove home. Oliver appeared, not too much later and essentially validated my feelings. It was very, very crowded and not pleasant. Too bad we couldn't stay for next week and Carnivale with its street parades, bands and costumes. Maybe next year.
.....
This morning we woke early, finished packing and the four of us headed to our usual haunt, CocoRico Cafe for our last breakfast together. Rachel avoids going to the airport if possible - it's an hour or so away and then back again. So she went home and Oliver took us, kindly as he certainly is, once again on that crazy, twisty-turning, mountain road across the island to the Atlantic side and the airport in Marigot.
This was a wonderful adventure and very much different than the typical Caribbean trip that you might be familiar with. If you want to visit an unspoiled island of indescribable natural beauty, make Dominica your destination.
The twisty-turny road to the airport - through the mountains on a road barely wide enough for one car.
Stacey at the airport in Marigot, Dominica, waiting for our flight home.
Our airplane arrives late. A half hour later we were on our way to San Juan, Puerto Rico and then on to New York.
We arrived home at 11 pm (midnight, Dominica time), tired but happy. And ecstatic to see our Pumpkin cat who had been alone all week wondering what happened to us. Our beautiful upstairs neighbor, Diane, had been caring for Pumpy. On top of that, she greeted us and homemade a pizza for us. Now that's a neighbor that everyone should have. Oh, and one more thing: we can't believe that the snow is still on the ground. It's been 85 all week. Why doesn't it melt already??
Stacey and Diane, Anchovies, salami and onion: Voila! Pizza at midnight! And it was good by the way.
