Que tal che?...and the rest of 2010

So I started this post back in February upon my return from Argentina and Uruguay, my first sojourn to South America. I had the title. That was it. And apparently 2010 has FLOWN by and I've been remiss to share the numerous adventures I had. South America, the Pacific Northwest, the farthest tip of Long Island, mansion hopping in Newport, revisiting history and art in Philadelphia....all without a peep. As I told a good friend, my goal was to recount the highlights before the end of the year...so here it goes. (Possibly in fragments).

Argentina & Uruguay
In February I had the amazing luck to meet my parents in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They were finishing a month long sail down the eastern cost of South America and it culminated with a week spent in BA. We had rented a flat in the Recoleta area of BA - upscale homes, boutiques, 5 star hotels and Michelin restaurants populate the charming neighborhood. It is also adjacent to El Cementerio de la Recoleta where Eva Peron's body is entombed. I'm getting ahead of myself though.....we arrived to amazingly humid weather. Regardless of the frizzy hairdo's we sported it was a brilliant reprieve from my first NYC winter! A friend had put us in touch with a wonderful guide, Cielo Subiza, who is a native Portena and had lived in La Jolla many years ago. She toured us all around the city and provided invaluable tips for things to do on our own.

On our first day, we hit the highlights with a tour around the Plaza de Mayo, La Casa Rosada (Argentine equivalent of the White House), and the famous Cafe Tortoni where many a highly recognized poet, author and artist would gather to share musings and entertain. We drove through the infamous La Boca area of BA and would have walked about but the unusual yet persistent rain deluge we experienced throughout the trip eliminated that option. Aptly named as it sits at the mouth (boca) of the Riachuelo, La Boca is predominantly constructed with materials from former boats and other maritime ships. It is quite colorful and inviting.

Our outing was finished off with a grand tour of the Cemeterio, an approximately 6 square block elite cemetery that houses some of the most influential and important Argentines in history, including Eva Peron. The tombs ranged in size, ornamentation and architectural style and the cultural melting pot that has become Buenos Aires over the years (particularly post WWII) was clearly evident in the last names and religious symbols on the tombs.

That evening we were driven to Puerto Madero, a newly revitalized waterfront area of BA. It reminded me of downtown San Diego with the plethora of newly constructed condominiums and adaptive reuse of old warehouses turned retail and restaurants all on the marina and waterfront. Our destination was the Faena Hotel and their "Rojo Tango" show. The design of the hotel is quite striking and unfortunately they don't allow photography so you'll have to visit the website to see for yourself. We enjoyed a pre-show cocktail in their chic bar and then were escorted to the Cabaret Room for dinner and the show. It was quite an experience! Some of the published shows in BA are quite large and "touristy" but this was very authentic and extremely entertaining.

We ventured outside of BA for a day trip to visit La Pampa - specifically San Antonio de Areco where we enjoyed the afternoon at the Estancia El Ombu de Areco. The Estancia offers beautiful accommodations, horse rides in the campo with the gauchos, amazing carne a la parilla & vino de la casa (literally made onsite). It was such a beautiful day (after all the rain) and we enjoyed a nice poolside relaxation time post lunch. My dad even showed off his baseball skills to the ranch hands playing "sapo", a game of toss where you try to toss the gold coins into the mouth of the sapo (frog).

One cannot discuss a trip to Argentina without consideration for the cuisine! Cielo will forever be in my debt for instructing us to eat Empanadas at El Sanjuanino. RICO RICO! We went back twice....quite possibly the best thing I ate the whole trip and there was competition for that accolade. Obviously the food at the Estancia was fabulous as well as the steak dinner we had in Recoleta as well. But let's NOT forget the amazing Argentine specialty, the Alfajor. I've taken my stab at making them in the past but they are so much better when prepared by the experts! In addition to the alfajor, we also indulged in several amazing deserts topped with dulce de leche, the "glue" of the alfajor. Let's just say no morsel was left unaccounted for.

Uruguay is only an hour boat ride across the Rio Plata. As we were so close, we decided to capitalize on that fact and visit Colonia del Sacrament, a UNESCO heritage city in Uruguay. The term river was not appropriate for the body of water we crossed that day....it was 10 foot waves and tossing all around the "speed boat" we were in. They handed out barf bags about 10 minutes in....they were greatly appreciated. Let's leave it at that. The rest of the trip was quite charming - definitely worth the trip for a half day visit. The city is still enclosed by a stone wall and has some great old architecture, colorfully painted buildings and artisan shops worth visiting.

As this is written in retrospect, I know I'm missing a lot of details....from the fantastic variety of wines (we sadly didn't have time for a trip to Mendoza for wine tasting...a future trip) to the amazing boutiques (we got some singular pieces of jewelry and clothing), the Sunday antiques market, and obviously just the experience of being in such a dynamic city was fabulous. Upon arrival I felt like I had been transported back to my days living in Madrid, Spain with the similar architecture and "essence" of the people. It certainly felt more European and cosmopolitan than I had anticipated.

Spring 2010
The spring held a variety of adventures. A quick trip up to the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY - think the scene of Dirty Dancing but with snow....adventures in snowshoeing, cross country skiing and just relaxing lake side (in our snow suits). Scavenger Hunts in Manhattan...snow storms in the city followed by snow balls in Central Park...and the first flowers of Spring peaking out through the brown leaves and muddy bushes!

A friend of mine suggested we visit the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia so we made a weekend of it. I took the train down (she drove up from D.C.) and we headed directly to the Barnes Foundation for our early morning appointment. For anyone who even has a small appreciation for art, this is a MUST see. For anyone who really loves art and can appreciate being part of a collector's unique vision and composition, you MUST visit the Barnes Foundation - and hopefully prior to it's sad move from the property. My words can't do justice to the unique vision Dr. Barnes had in creating the composition of pieces he did along with the fixtures and furniture that were part and parcel to his grand picture of the room. He even had a nude Van Gogh something I wasn't even aware existed (I'm a big fan of Van Gogh). Again, words won't do it justice so just go visit.

Post Barnes, we enjoyed a stroll through the boutiques of the Old City followed by dinner at Tinto in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. We did a nice walk through the historical part of town the following morning including stops at the local farmer's market and front row seats for the Gay Pride Parade. Having not been to Phillie since my college tour fifteen years ago, it was nice to get a new introduction to such an accessible and charming city. I'll be back.

Enough for one post....I'll be back to continue my 2010 Look Back.

A Return to San Diego...

In my 30 years, I have only once spent Christmas in the snow. Even when we lived in Minnesota, we would fly out to Palm Springs every holiday break and spend a few weeks in the sun rejuvenating our depleted Vitamin D stores. This year didn't deviate from the norm; however, having moved to New York in June, this trip back to California was the first since the big move!

The most frequently asked question is "Why did you leave California for New York?!" The first 150 times I was asked this, I answered with true sincerity...I had reached a point in my life where I needed a change, wanted the larger than life experience in Manhattan, etc. Apparently that didn't suffice so now my response is more satirical: "Why do you choose to live in New York?" Next topic.

This holiday visit to San Diego was filled with reunions with my favorite people - loads of laughs and quality time catching up, quiet time relaxing at home with my parents, a few movies, and lots of driving! It hadn't been six months since I was last behind the wheel of a car, but I forgot how dependent on cars we are in California. They are great because you can go wherever you want whenever you want and whichever route you prefer (scenic, direct, with a stop at CVS, etc.) You can choose to interact with or avoid as many people as you want. Singular to my current mode of transportation (foot, bus or subway).

My trip included tailgating before the Poinsettia Bowl with great friends - it was about 56 degrees and people were prepared for a snow storm! I'd arrived the night before from 18 inches of fresh snow, 21 degree weather with a wind chill factor of 12. I was loving it!

Twelve weeks without doing my hair was rewarded with a fun and fabulous trip to see Irene and Lisa. We swapped stories on life in NYC vs SD and my hair was fantastically coiffed for a fraction of what I am forced to pay in NY. It was worth the wait for so many reasons!

My typical 500 square foot abode was converted into a week of 4,500 square foot magnificence in my parent's home. Ahh...to sleep in a king size bed in a room practically the size of my apartment with a rain shower, oh the luxury! Breakfast with a view of the ocean, a glass of wine while gazing at the sunset, Christmas dinner with my family and "2nd" family, and coffee at the beach with good friends...moments that encapsulate "home".

That being said, my trip "home" made me realize I now have a new "home". Although my time in New York has been relatively brief in the grand scheme, it is the place where I feel most happy and alive. While I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my family and friends, the warmer weather, the beautiful ocean, etc., I missed the things that make me smile in New York.

Driving in a car is convenient, comfortable, fast (with me driving) and fun (sun roof open, favorite radio station blaring...) However, you miss the forced interaction of the street or the subway or the bus. Whether I leave for work from home or from the gym, I walk or take the subway and see a whole different cross section of the population. In a city as diverse as NYC, it's a small glimpse at the world. Amazingly not every one is a blond and buff Adonis as they'd have you believe in Southern California.

Maybe it is partly because I am still relatively new to New York, but I really missed walking around and having so many options of "things to do" that I could leave my house at 7 am and not return until the evening, filling the day events like: swim at the gym, visit to the architectural museum, quick trip out to Jersey City to see friends, ice skating in Bryant Park, cheap dumplings in China Town, Saturday night football with friends and great beers and a tired stumble home to bed. And that was just one day last weekend!

San Diego offers things I can't get here of course - the beach, the persistent sun (and no sub zero days!), the mountains, great hiking, etc. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely appreciate those things and I'm thankful that I can go there to visit whenever I want. But I kind of like walking down the street horrified at how tremendously freezing it is! It makes the warmer days SO much warmer and enjoyable...even if only 10 degrees warmer! And I can ride my bike to the eastern seaboard or to the NY State parks that have great hiking...it's just a different setting. A new "home". My home.

Here's to a fabulous New Year surrounded by great friends, family and good fortune!

PS For Christmas a very close friend gave me an amazing gift...a new "grown up" camera with a second lens. I've been experimenting with it and love the results! Can't wait to use it on my trip to Buenos Aires next month! These pics are a few samples...

It's almost like traveling....

....when you walk about New York City, you are transported. It might be to China or Ethiopia or even just middle America; it might last a minute or feel like hours that you have been in this alternative location but it's part of the day to day of hustling through this enormous city.

I met one of my friends at Penn Station the other day and commented to him how entertained I am at watching all the people crossing paths in the city. There are some blatant stereotypes about people from the Tri-State area and some amazing specimens to back them up. From the big hair, track suits and gold chains to the stately suits and waspy coiffures, from traditional saris to stone washed canadian tuxedos, you get to witness it all. And its amazing.

This afternoon I had to run an errand at Bloomingdale's, which is only 5 blocks from my office. In the half an hour that it took me to go there and back apparently the local high school was released. I'm not sure if the school is an art school or some sort of alternative high school or if I'm just getting old, but I crossed 57th street and was overtaken by an onslaught of pierced beings in retro 80's ska gear, overzealous make up jobs (boys and girls) and all sorts of hair colors. Girls were comparing their lip piercings while the boys were pulling up their super skinny jeans to slightly cover their behinds. Everyone had their cell phones and were texting or facebooking...probably to their friends walking next to them. I remember being 12 and 15 and wanting to be singular but part of the crowd. I remember wanting to use blue jello to dye my hair. Thank GOD my mom put a quick stop to that particular whim. But oh how the trends have changed...I appreciate individuality and am a huge proponent of it; I'm not sure when you look like every one else (a la Marilyn Manson) that you're acheiving it but that's part of being an adolescent.

That being said, New York is a city where anything goes. You might not appreciate it all, but people put all sorts of "costumes" on and walk around town. From jumpers that look suited for a baby to lime green high tops paired with striped tights, leg warmers and a fur skirt to a man dressed as an armadillo (for fun) with his matching dog, it's all here. They may be trying to make a statement or it may just be their state of being; regardless, it's a priceless part of my commute. Love it.

New frontier....New York City (and beyond)

Three months after moving to Manhattan I am still just as enthralled as the day I arrived. OK, the day after I arrived since I arrived late at night with a horrid cold and admittedly a little overwhelmed and emotional. But once that was out of my system, my adventures in the City began!

I write this looking out my office window at rain blowing sideways with a probability of 100% wetness when I have to venture home later this afternoon. And I love it. I don't love the rain but I do love the intensity with which it falls here in New York. Same as the intense heat and humidity we experienced during the summer. Being sweaty and looking like a drowned rat is probably my LEAST favorite state of being but it was part of an east coast summer and with all the distractions of the city, it only really got to me when stuck underground waiting for a subway in the stagnant air of the B train tunnel. And secretly, I still loved that.

Swoon: to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy. A word I've used infrequently, if ever, but which is totally a pro pos in describing my elation at living in New York. Every day I can go to work a different way, whether it is walking through Central Park (pictured at left) or walking to Midtown and past all the high end shops on 5th Avenue & Madison. On the weekends, I have ridden my road bike to Staten Island, Greenwich (CT), Long Island (we almost made it to Montauk save for Huricane Danny), Bear Mountain and Nyack. I've met some great new friends as well as reconnected with old ones. We've taken weekend trips to Nantucket and to Montauk and have set my sights on trips back to Boston to visit my good friend and her newly arriving baby and down to Annapolis for the arrival of baby Farrar.

<---that's my apartment building...we are on the top floor.

The culinary experience is absolutely intense...if you eat poorly in New York, it's your own fault. It's like throwing a target at an elephant...the probability of a miss is miniscule. From the grilled corn cuban cafe on the corner to the upper crust likes of Convivio and Per Se, food is an event...and so are the libations that accompany it. Whenever my best friend would come home to San Diego and ask where we were eating and if it was any good, I just thought maybe she was picky or being snobish, but now, I get it. My family and friends are visiting over the course of the next few months and I can't wait to introduce them to some of the fantastic eateries the city has to offer.

Daily someone asks how I could have left San Diego and moved to New York. I just did and I have never looked back. San Diego offers beautiful beaches, my parents (and their lovely home where they graciously let me live for 8 months), my best friends (Jim, Saba, Erin), gorgeous and challenging mountain ranges, and the laidback lifestyle of Southern California. I don't take that for granted, but it's not appealing to me at this point in my life. I know I will always go back to visit but am not sure I'll end up there.

Riding the subway or just walking down the streets forcibly establishes the diversity of the world that surrounds us. As a blonde, I am unique in this city (love that). I bring my current book or New York Mag on the train with me but find myself more intrigued by people watching than the text in front of me. It reminds me of my year in Madrid where I found every one stared and now I'm that creepy person! It makes me smile. The streets are filled with the aromas and languages of so many different ethnicities and the retail stores and restaurants are representative of the same. A silly smile constantly creeps up on my face as I wander around doing errands, running to the gym or to work or simply strolling slowly home.

Last weekend was an intense bike riding weekend...my great friend from college has introduced me to many of her cycling friends and they conjured up a pretty challenging ride on Saturday. It was 75 miles with over 6,000 feet of elevation, 85 degrees and humid and really freaking hard. We rode from Manhattan through New Jersey to Bear Mountain (that's us at the top...VERY happy to have made it) with three huge climbs in the middle and a ride through Harriman State Park (beautiful). We made it to the end...possibly because I was focused on the "prize" in Cold Springs: Dogfish Head beers! And then took the Metro North train back to Grand Central. What a fun adventure! We rode again on Monday and did River Road (Lance Armstrong has been known to do repeats on this hill) and if I hadn't done the Saturday ride, I would have thought it was very challenging (shows you how HARD Saturday was) and ended up in Piermont. The East Coast towns are so cute and charming...great little coffee shops and stores to explore. We stopped for great muffins and coffee before heading back to the city.

This week we went to the US Open and were fortunate to see Serena Williams and Rafa Nadal play...the Nadal match from last night was suspended due to rain and given the view out our window, I doubt they'll resume play until tomorrow at the earliest. Regardless, it was a phenomenal experience and so much fun. Donald Trump, Nicole Kidman/Keith Urban, Michael Phelps, Tony Bennett, etc. were in attendance (although sitting very far away in superior seats).

My parents come next weekend, which will be fun - can't wait to introduce them to my life in the city and take them to a few fun restaurants for dinner and show them my petite apartment. My bed is a spectacle in itself...I have my rack raisers from college and my bed is lifted literally 5 feet in the air. To get in I have to hoist myself up from my nightstand! A small family could live under my bed and I could put some really tall/skinny family on the shelving above my bed...ah, New York City living....

Tonight I'm off to evening cocktails at the W in Union Square and tomorrow will be a bike ride (or gym if this sideways downpour continues) and then Brooklyn Bowl with a group of friends in the evening....the adventures continue.

Till the next one.....JEG.