The Road to Muskoka

 

              My family visits Toronto Canada at least once a year.  My sister and her family lives there.  Generally, when we visit, we hang out in and around the house, with few trips to the downtown area.  We get lazy, we lose track of time.  Whatever our reasons, we don’t do a lot.  Also, when we visit, we drive. The drive feels like a necessary evil and we try to complete it with very few stops.  This year was different.  I managed to convince the other people in the car that we should savor the journey and make the best of it.  My friend had mentioned that Ellicottville NY, directly on our way, was a charming town, so that’s where we stopped.  At the Griffis Sculpture Park.  This place is literally in the middle of nowhere, but someone had a remarkable vision to scatter over 250 large sculptures along trails on 450 acres of forestland.  A sculpture candy store of sorts.  Admission is on an honor system, with a specified donation amount.  You’re instructed to place the cash in a metal box.  Oh, and that the location is under camera surveillance.  Hmm. What do you do if you’re missing a dollar or if you only have large bills, but there is no one to give you change? What is the ethical thing to do?  Just wondering. I’ve also never quite understood the concept of asking for a donation but specifying the amount.  Seems like a contradiction, but I diverge.  Anyways, the park is serenely beautiful.  The ideal place for the art enthusiast to commune with nature with minimal interruptions.  It was also a stark contrast from the crazy Toronto traffic that we dealt with shortly after we left. 

This year’s visit with my sister’s family was also different.  We got out of the house.  We rented a cottage in Severn Bridge, Muskoka – just under 2 hours and a world of difference from Toronto.  Cottage country, they call it.  Muskoka is apparently where Torontonians escape to during the summers.  The cottage, or “the lodge”, as my 6-year old niece insisted on calling it, had “a view to die for” – also her words.  It was right on the water and had every amenity that we could ask for.  We hung out, we grilled, we hung out some more, but we did break away to visit the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst and the Centennial Park Beach in Barrie.  The kids had fun.  We all had fun.  And I think there was a general consensus that this should become a family tradition.  Now for the long drive back to central Pennsylvania.  Thankfully, we’ve decided to stop at Niagara Falls on the way.

World's Largest Muskoka Chair

The cabin

View form the pier

View from back porch of Cabin

Griffis Sculpture Park

Griffis Sculpture Park

Griffis Sculpture Park

Griffis Sculpture Park

Griffis Sculpture Park

Griffis Sculpture Park

Niagara Falls, Canada

Flashback Fridays -

360 Restaurant - CN Tower, Toronto

May 2011

I had the pleasure of dining at the 360 Restaurant at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto.  This is one of those things that you do more for the experience than the food.  Don't get me wrong - the food was good, but it is nothing compared to rotating on the top of an 1800 ft tower, as the day transitions to night.  This is just about as close to a sunset as you can get, while still being connected to solid ground. 

Most photos were taken from our dinner table.

CN Tower at night

Glass-bottomed elevator.  Not for the acrophobic.

2 days in Dubrovnik, Croatia

I visit at least one new place every year and this year, it is Dubrovnik, Croatia – Jewel of the Adriatic.  From London, Sangs and I got tickets on one of the discount airlines for just about $160 round trip!  We rented an adorable little 4^th floor apartment in Old Town, with a pastry shop right downstairs.  Whenever I have a choice, I go for vacation rentals or bed and breakfasts over traditional hotels any day and would eagerly give up the concierge and room service for more space and a more homely feel.

Outside the city wall - Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is like a postcard.  Really.  You could point your camera in just about any direction and get a shot that is postcard appropriate.  Sangs and I used this as an opportunity to engage in impromptu mini photo shoots all over town.  Celebrities, in our own minds, and maybe that of the elderly tourists that seem to make up about 90% of all the people we ran into. That would explain why there were random people from Turkey following me around to have their photos taken with me.  Either that or they’ve never seen a 5’10” brown skin girl before.  I’d like to think it’s the former. 

Day 1: Old Town is fairly small.  In the morning, we hiked the wall that surrounds the city.  Ok, maybe hiking is a bit of an exaggeration, but the leisurely walk did take us several hours, again, mainly because we stopped at every corner to take photos.  Then it was time for lunch.  Now, there are stairs everywhere in Dubrovnik.  Seriously, everywhere!  We climbed several hundreds or something like that, just to get to lunch!  It was worth it.  Lady Pi Pi had great food, great views and was by far the best food that we had in Dubrovnik.  Most other places had the same uninspiring Italian food.  Then came the moment we had been waiting for – gelato!  Since we got in the night before, that was all we talked about. But we thought it would taste even better if we delayed the pleasure.  It was good, but definitely not as good as the gelato that we had the following day.  My choice – extra dark chocolate and Whiskey cream.  Divine. For days after, I talked about Whiskey cream.  Maybe because it reminded me of Rum and Raisin ice cream that is so popular in the part of the world that I come from?  After lunch, we explored Old Town, stopping in spectacular corners to just sit and take it all in.  We hung out on the beach and watched the sunbathers.  That evening, we sat on the steps of a church to listen to the most beautiful music that came seeped through the cracks of the door.  It was a classical music performance that we were too cheap to pay the cover charge for, but later realized that it would have been well worth it. 

Day 2 – We left the apartment as early as we possibly could, which worked out to be around 10 a.m. We ate and headed to the harbor to catch the ferry to Lokrum.  We did not know what to expect.  One of the online reviews spoke of a place with a rundown monastery and a poor excuse for a botanical garden.  What we saw instead, was an island paradise inhabited by peacocks, surrounded by crystal clear water and very few other people in sight.   We wandered around aimlessly.  “Wandered aimlessly” because we had no maps and the island had many forks in the road, but no signs. We even wandered unto the nudist beach without realizing that non-nudes were not allowed. In this case, there was a sign, we took a photo of the sign, but fail to absorb what it was communicating to us. It worked out, since we left before anyone could demand that we strip.  We stumbled on to Mrtvo More (Dead Sea) Lake and got lost in its beauty.  Only the growling of our stomachs jarred us back to reality, sending us on a quest for food.  Why were we not as organized as those suntanned 20-something year old boys who had to foresight to pack a picnic lunch?  We found sustenance at the island’s main restaurant and ate in almost complete silence as we were way too hungry to attempt to formulate a sensible conversation.  Then, once we were recharged, we were good to go!  1-hour photo shoot at the old monastery.  For a second, guilt set in as we realized that we were reveling in one of the 7 deadly sins at a former place of holiness.  That feeling was fleeting.  After all, I’m not sure that anyone appreciated the beauty of the place as much as we did.  We were willing to climb over rubble to explore rooms that I am sure were out of bounds to snoopers. 

After the monastery, we walked and walked and eventually found our way to the fort at the very top of the island.  Breathtaking views.  Well worth trudging through rocks in our inappropriate footwear.  After Lokrum, we made our way back to Dubrovnik, had more ice cream, took the cable car to the most stunning vistas, basked in a sunset at the incredible Buza Cafe, and had dinner at an awful restaurant with bad food and a “cover charge”.  By this time, it was late, we hung out for a bit, then headed back to the apartment to get some rest before our early flight the next day.

Dead Sea Lake

At Lokrum Monastary

Buza Cafe nestled on the rocks

Red Roofs

Old Town from above

Banje Beach

climbing the rocks at Dead Sea Lake

peacock on Lokrum

lonely boat

Flashback Friday

AMSTERDAM FLOWER MARKET

Aug. 2011 - Amsterdam

This was the view from an outdoor cafe at the Amsterdam Flower Market.  Simple breakfast of glazed croissant and fresh squeezed orange juice. Beautiful flowers everywhere, more bulbs than I had ever seen in my life and people-watching perfection.

London's Second Chance - The Aftermath

London as dusk

            I gave London a second chance and I’m glad I did. In many ways she was everything that I expected.  She was inhospitable – shutting out the sunlight and enveloping those who dare thread her streets with wind and cold. She sent unwelcomed rain, damaging my favorite leather boots and saddling me with a dripping wet umbrella for hours on end.  Perhaps the biggest affront is her complete disregard for protocol; it is not supposed to be this frigid in May. Furthermore, I should not have to borrow a winter jacket in May!  But hey, I firmly believe in making the most of my well-earned vacation, so I clad myself as best as I could and resolved to use the power of my mind to look past her obvious hostilities.  I figured, the millions of people who call this city home must find some pleasure here, and so, I will search for her redeeming qualities.  Actually, my dear friend Sangs already had about 7 months of insights into the London scene, so I mainly followed her lead.  That, and with a bit of research, we reached beyond her bitter rind to juicier interiors. 

            That is where the surprises began.  As we explored, she began to reveal her secrets.  London is a treasure trove of markets.  Markets of all kinds.  Vintage markets, flower markets, food markets, artisan markets. Take Alfie’s Antique Market – officially our first stop.  Unassuming exterior.  Bland actually, and not exactly in the most central of areas.  But you enter the doors and enter another world.  This place can and will keep you fascinated for countless hours with antique bling of all kinds, one of a kind furniture, retro dresses.  You imagine it, and it’s probably here somewhere, in one of the many stores. And when you need to refuel, the rooftop café is a welcomed oasis.  Unfortunately, by the time we pried ourselves from all the eye candy, the café was closing for the day! 

Columbia Street Flower Market

Market hoping continued throughout my almost 2-week stay.  Both Sangs and I, guided by mutual love for shopping (or window shopping), seemed to always end up at a market.  There was Camden Market, the Disney World of all markets, and Brick Lane, a culinary delight for anyone with an appreciation for ethnic foods.  Then, Columbia Road Flower Market, Portobello Market and Spitalfields (Spitalfields is special, because that’s where I got my new red leather oxfords!).  At some point during these market tours, it struck me – I did not feel the sting of the cold while meandering through the crowds.  Maybe it wasn’t just me.  Maybe we, all covered by shared grey skies, were all gathered here with a mutual goal.  The goal of pooling our body heat to combat the elements.  There, you forget what a shitty day it is, as you absorb the sights, the sounds, the smells.  But most importantly, you forget because of the shared body heat.

Tower Bridge (look, blue in the sky!)

            When not at markets, other places to get some high quality collective body heat, are the ancient watering holes.  You actually get more ‘bang for your buck’, since there are crowds, alcohol + poor ventilation.  I say poor ventilation, because some of those places are hundreds of years old.  The older the better. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and Gordon’s Wine Bar were absolute favorites, as they offer both a drink, and a historical experience.  Think about it, a drink is not just a drink when it is being drunk in a place where people have gotten drunk for hundreds of years!

            London surprised me.  Yes, the weather still leaves a lot to be desired.  Winter weather in May? Not my cup of tea.  BUT.  With an umbrella, multiple layers of clothing, and enough courage to venture out, London will charm the heck out of you.  And the fish and chips ain’t too bad either! 

Tea at the Victoria and Albert Museum cafe

Innovation

Ye Old Cheshire Cheese

Underground, at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

Gordon's Wine Bar - As ancient as it looks

Efficient Vacation Packing for the Fashion Conscious

Here is a challenge: packing light for vacation, but packing enough so that you look great on your trip.  For more than 5 years, I have managed to take trips to various parts of the world, for at least 2 weeks, with nothing more than my trusted carry-on luggage and a handbag.  Why worry about packing light, you ask?  Well, for one, efficient packing is a trademark of any travel aficionado.   People who travel know that there is nothing more elegant than stepping right off the plane and out of the airport (baggage claim is for the birds).  Second, airline travel is unpredictable; sometimes opportunities come up to get more direct flights at the last minute and it's easier on everyone if you have no checked bags.  And finally, it looks ridiculous to log a massive piece of luggage through subways, cobblestoned streets and up flights of stairs.  Now, if you're the type of girl who travels with an entourage and gets picked up by private car services, then this article is not for you.  Otherwise, hopefully you can find my experiences helpful.

I just got back from a 2-week trip to London and Dubrovnik, Croatia.  The main challenge here is to pack for 2 distinct climates - the cold and wet of London and the sunny gorgeousness of Dubrovnik.  Cold weather packing eats up valuable real estate in carry on luggage, but I believe that the solution is layering.  

Here is my packing list:

• 2 cardigans 
• 2 dresses 
• 2 pairs of slacks 
• 4 pairs of jeans 
• 12 tops 
• 3 pairs of leggings 
• 3 pairs of shoes 
• 2 pairs of sandals 
• 1 leather biker jacket 
• 1 trench coat 
• 2 handbags
• tons of accessories (plus as a nice surprise, my girlfriend had tons more waiting for me from her latest trip to India)!   

Most airlines allow 1 carryon and 1 personal item.  As my personal item, I use an oversized leather handbag.  This comes in handy on day trips, but is also great if I do buy anything on my trip that I need to bring back to the US with me.  When it comes to strategic packing, it's important to have a selection of basics that you can wear at least twice.  For example, you can completely change the look of black skinny jeans by using either casual or dressy tops and by changing the shoes. The cardigans came in really handy in London, since I layered them under my jackets. The Chuck Taylors were my London rainy day shoes, while the ballet flats changed up the look on the few days that the sun peeked out.  In Croatia, the tan sandals were all I needed.  And the leather boots were a staple as they're both comfortable and cute.  As for the black wedge sandals, I wore them once, and really could have edited them out of my packing.  They were completely impractical (hey, you live and learn).  I brought tons of tops and accessories, as those are easy to pack and can really spice up an outfit.  In terms of getting everything to fit, I try to roll pieces up as tightly as possible, stuff what I can into shoes and hats, and make sure that I fill up all the little corners of the luggage.

Overall, the best advice for packing efficiently is to remember that there is a limit to how much you can wear on your vacation, so don't try to travel with your entire wardrobe.  Plus, if you do forget something, that may be a great opportunity to experience the local shopping.

London and Second Chances

Photo: Edyta Pawlowska/Shutterstock

I've been to London and did not like it.  The weather sucked, the tube workers striked, and I incessantly compared everything to Paris.  Paris, oh Paris. I imagined that I was instead in Paris.  I had visited Paris a year before, and fell in love.  Love.  Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Paris.  Then and now.  Enchanting.

Time passes.  Time passed.  And now, I'm ready to give London a second chance.  Actually, I'm going to London because one of my favorite people in the world, moved there with her husband for a year.  So this trip is a must.  I would never pass up on free European lodging, especially if I also get a nearly free trip with my American Airlines skymiles.  Plus, most importantly, I get to hang out with cool people.  I travel in just over a week.

Before I travel, I must...write a paper, collect data for co-authors, finish statistics assignment, take statistics final, jump in the car right after aforementioned exam, drive 3 hours to the airport, get on a connecting flight, land, wait 3 hours, then catch an overnight flight to London.

Overwhelmed.

But the time will go by quickly.  It often does when there is too much to do in not enough time.  I cope by imagining my future self, relaxing at a London cafe, grubbing on fish n chips, chatting with my friends.  I will be the non-tourist tourist.  I want to feel what this city is all about.  Feel it the way that the natives do.  I will leave the flat without a plan and get lost.  Hopefully, discover the unexpected.  My friend is excited to show me her discoveries and I am excited to see them.  I. am. excited.