The Longest Layover Ever

L and I were traveling to the Dominican Republic on Christmas Day. We had a 23 hour layover in New York, which, because of the snow storm, turned into a 96 hour layover.

Much of our 96 hours were spent trying to get seats on any flight to Santo Domingo, and we had daily trips to Newark airport from B and J's house in River Edge, New Jersey. There was a lot of standing in line, eating Combos and drinking Dr. Peppers, and eavesdropping on other people's complaints.

In between standing in line and constant flight status monitoring on L's laptop, we managed to do a shopping trip to that mecca of shopping, Woodberry Commons. After a few years in Europe and many many years in Asia, I do have to admit that nothing beats shopping in America, especially after Christmas Day!

We also got to meet up with RR. The meeting place was the new Blue Ribbon Sushi and Grill in the Upper West. We used to go to the old one down in Soho and this new one did not disappoint. We had the Sushi Deluxe, Ise Ebi Sashimi, Fried Chicken "Blue Ribbon Style" and Oxtail Fried Rice:

After so much movement and anxiety, it was very comfortable hanging out with B and J and cute nephew LL, all of one month old but already hanging out with the grownups everywhere we went:

Four days and four pounds later, we finally found ourselves on a plane to Santo Domingo.

Happy New 2011!

In 2010 I blogged a total of 13 times, most entries of which were done towards the end of the year.

Well, fear not, my loyal cadre of four readers, I have realized that blogging is an important part of memory preservation. If neither pictures nor words were posted about an event, its as if it never happened. Such is the world we live in today.

So onward with the blogging!

Buenos Aires

As a finance lawyer you usually don't have many exciting trips. The usual trips are to contract negotiations in a big city, and you see only the four walls of your hotel room, the four walls of a meeting room, and if you're lucky, some of the space in between your hotel room and the meeting room (if you're really lucky this would entail more than just ducking your head into a taxi).

Two weeks ago I got to go somewhere really exciting: Buenos Aires! It was my first time in South America, and oddly enough, despite the work, I enjoyed it. I was there for nine days, and I had enough time to wander away from the hotel room and the meeting room. 

I was in Microcentro, the business district, and it didn't feel like any other financial center. There was a pervasive sort of pleasantness. There were these ubiquitous, very pretty, purple trees:

On the weekend, my nice colleagues took me to see a tango-ballet show, where I was enthralled, impressed, mesmerized. It was to the music of  Astor Piazolla, in an impressive theater unsurprisingly called De Colloseo. I would be very happy if I ever had the chance to see a tango-ballet show again.

I was also able to visit the neighborhood of San Telmo, alternating between walking around, escaping the heat in a cafe, watching the Tango performers and grinning.

On a Sunday afternoon a client invited me and my colleagues to watch a Polo match. It was my first time to see a Polo game played live, and I was quite amazed at how often the players have to change horses (every four minutes!).

Of course my Argentine trip would not have been complete without a trip to a Parilla - steak, Malbec, steak, Malbec, steak, Malbec - and we went almost every single night. And why wouldn't you?

I unfortunately wasn't able to take a lot of pictures, but I told L we should go back soon, and hopefully without work getting in the way!

Venice, Here we are again!

After my parents returned from their cruise, Auntie E decided to join all of us for a four day trip to Venice. My father remarked he had never been there before, and so of course, "Why not go to Venice?"

You've seen the pictures I posted about two years ago, and I apologize if I didn't pull my camera out enough on this trip. With photography, you sometimes  miss what you see as you angle for the perfect shot. This time I wanted to look. And now, though without pictures, I remember Venice well, beautiful yet so fragile, eerie and magnificent. L says it is his favorite place, and it is one of mine.

The Regatta on the Grand Canal

On the Rialto

Venetian rooftops

The quirky island of Burano, with the best risotto ever

Provence

My parents were in Europe at the height of the summer for a cruise around the Baltic, and we were fortunate enough to synchronize our schedules for mini-trips together both before and after their cruise. It was the first time in around 10 years that I actually travelled around with them (as opposed to them just visiting me in the different places I've lived since I left home),  and it was fun! I think we have to do this more often, Papa and Mom!

Two days after they arrived from Manila we flew to Marseilles, and from there, travelled around Provence. First stop was the elegant Aix-en Provence, with its tree-lined streets and yellow buildings.

From Aix, we took a bus to the ancient city of Arles, my favorite Provencal town. Not only was it pretty, but it was teeming with history.

We watched an actual bullfight in the Colosseum (Arles is one of the few places outside Spain where bull fights are still held - and allowed), and contrary to the "bloodless bull fights" trumpeted by the guide books, I SAW FOUR INNOCENT BULLS KILLED. It was primitive,  ghastly, but you can't stop watching.

We went on to Avignon, the grand city, dominated by the Palais des Papes, the world's largest Gothic palace. As you can tell from the name, the Pope stayed in Avignon sometime in the 1300s when he had to flee Rome.

Our last stop was sunny (very sunny) Marseilles, where we went to the Vieux Port and the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde

We ate well, of course, and L found out where I got my appetite.

Haute Provence

In July this year, L and I were invited by the Ds to their lovely hilltop summer home in Seillans. It was a very good weekend, experiencing how (some) French families spend their long summers. 

Before meeting with Mr. D early in the afternoon on a Saturday, L and I took a short trip from the Nice airport to the medieval town of Eze, with picture perfect, "Wow!" inducing views of the Cote d'Azur.

An hour from Nice was the D summer home. We had this view from the guest house, and olive trees and cicadas abounded.

The town of Seillans was charming as well. 

After two very restful days, L and I had to fly back via Nice. We took some time walking around there too.

Barcelona

(A card reader has been purchased, and I am back in business.)

Some photos from our trip to Barcelona in July of this year. L was there to speak at a conference, and I flew in for a long weekend. We were joined there by wonderful T and D, who shared many, bounteous, glorious meals with us.

La Rambla. Tricksters, Tourists and Tweeting Birds.

La Boqueria. Made me hungry, and probably one of the most fascinating markets I've ever seen.

La Sagrada Familia. An outside shot of the oldest part of the building.

Here's a shot of the inside. Gaudi wanted to recreate nature, and hence the tree-like columns. Hopefully I'll be able to see this when it's all done.

Park Guell. Gaudi's answer to the English garden.

We were there during the weekend of the World Cup Finals. On the Saturday before the match between Spain and Netherlands (yes, by coincidence, we had to be away from the Netherlands when it was playing the finals, and against Spain no less) there was a huge pro-Catalan, anti-Spain rally going on all over Barcelona:

and when Spain won the next day, the Catalans were all out on the streets again (because players from FC Barcelona won the game, as the people took pains to emphasize)

L and I being, naturally, L and myself, you can predict we were there primarily for the food. And yes, Spain is definitely becoming a rival to Italy over my (European) food heart.