Search Results for: 48 hours

09/01/2021

48 Hours in Newport, Rhode Island

There’s a sadness that comes with the end of the summer, which can lead to borderline anxiety when Starbucks begins peddling pumpkin spice lattes and you are yet to let go of your lemonade. For some, leveraging summer’s end can become a ritual to crystalize memories and help ease into the autumn transition. And if there’s one place that gets summer, it’s Newport, Rhode Island, where locals wear foul weather sailing gear even on nice days and you can salivate over inventive lobster dishes on chic restaurant menus.

The lobby at the Wayfinder Hotel reinforces its modern retro style.

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08/11/2016

Travel – 48 Hours in Ogunquit, Maine

When you are over 40, lived on the East Coast for most of your life, and have not traveled to an entire vacation territory on your own coast the prospects of a new discovery excite. Ogunquit, Maine, was the chosen destination.

A typical August Ogunquit beach day.

A typical August Ogunquit beach day.

Maine is the most eastern point of the East Coast, which is why I have neglected it for so long. Seasoned Maine vacationers reminded that just over the state border, a four hour drive from NYC metro area Connecticut, are fantastic coastal towns to rival touristy Cape Cod or the sleekness of the Hamptons.

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Local color seen when passing through Ogunquit.

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Ogunquit is just before Wells and Kennebunkport, the tony enclave of Bush family notoriety, and has as much to offer. It is laid back, caters to family SUVs loaded with floats and coolers but refined. Refined meaning this is a friendly community that promotes flying kites, playing outdoors till dinner is served and going to town for a block of fudge or hand-crafted ice cream.

Double chocolate ice cream, a traditional choice over Rococo's artisan offerings like rhubarb sage and sweet avocado cayenne.

Double dark chocolate ice cream, a traditional choice over Rococo’s artisan offerings like rhubarb sage and sweet avocado cayenne.

The state mascot, I will safely assume, is lobster. The bright red crustacean is seen on license plates, games, kid’s hats and definitely on the brain. In fact once we arrived we forewent showers for a lobster dinner. This does not involve research, just hit the main road and everywhere serves it. Even the local McDonald’s advertised their $8.99 lobster meal.

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Choosing a lobster restaurant was simple, our hunger trumped waiting an hour for waterviews and dinghy art.

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Waterside restaurant with a long waiting time but loads of touristy charm.

We chose Capt’n Hooks, which has it down with its seasoned summer employees who helped us choose our own lobster, offer a thoughtful recommendation of the house root beer and hastily interrupted our order so he could holler at a kid standing on the lobster game. For less than $30 Bill and I enjoyed a meal that he inhaled while I was too busy snapping photos. The lobster was tender, perfectly steamed, while the picked-that-day corn and potato sides was the ideal accompaniment.

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Simple lobster meal: inexpensive and delicious.

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A vast selection of fresh choices.

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Lobster American Style.

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Easy takeout for stomachs on the go.

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More lobster kitsch.

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Ogunquit is crowded but understandably so. In fact it’s good to compete for beach space with fellow visitors who appreciate a classic summer.

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09/05/2018

24 Hours of Rural Sophistication in the Berkshires

Getting away is more than a pause from everyday life, it’s a needed restart from everyday existence. I live in a town where home upgrades and trading in cars happen in the same cycle as an annual checkup. Life becomes a constant rotation of contractors and car dealers. This is why traveling to the Berkshires for nature, history, and a slower-paced existence keeps you connected to simpler values. Even taking Route 7 north to the region is less manic than those urban edged-highways with billboards telling you to buy everything from a swimming pool to the best pizza in the county. The scenery offers gratuitous visions of historic structures and bucolic settings that take you back to vacation drives when you used Mad Libs to pass the time. 

View from The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Lenox home that is a repose from the everyday.

 

The Berkshires have long been known as an artistic retreat for urbanites. It was the home of Norman Rockwell and Edith Wharton for a decade before she settled in Europe. It’s also the summer stomping ground of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where they entertain music enthusiasts at Tanglewood from July through August. This attracts visitors who have a keen interest in cultural activities in a quiet seasonal setting. There is also an abundance of churches, hiking trails and quaint shops to explore.

Scene from No. Six Depot that has an urban sensibility in a rustic locale.

On route we stopped at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe in West Stockbridge, an innovative eatery that roasts and produces their own coffee. On Mondays you may even see employees packaging the beans in the back. Though the delicacies are not exclusive to coffee. The updated railroad station, the oldest in the Berkshires, features an art gallery and farm-to-table menu helmed by South American Flavio Lichententhal. Lichententhal moved from Manhattan to the Berkshire’s with his wife, Lisa Landry, who oversees the tea and gallery. The No. Six Depot experience goes hand in hand with the Berkshires as a sensual escape.

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11/01/2019

10 Steps to a Low-Stress Thanksgiving

There’s a lot of emotion associated with a bird that’s considered the misfit of the poultry family. Sure, the turkey is enormous and pulling out the giblets is a bit too literal for the occasional cook, but treating the holiday meal with the attitude of a special family dinner alleviates unnecessary holiday pageantry. Memories are built around the gathering, playing, watching and indulging in leftovers.

A simple table setting equates to low-stress planning.

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08/23/2019

Slow Movement Travel – A Quick Reset in Litchfield, Connecticut

With so much talk of “Slow Movement”, some clarification may be needed for those who thought it meant a meditative walk at a holistic spa. Slow Movement is applicable to all facets of living, such as slow food, which is derived from an organic origin, to making genuine human contact by being less plugged in to our devices. It’s about conducting life at a thoughtful speed over frantically checking items off a mental To Do list while gulping down liquid caffeine. Considering that Slow Movement offenders abound, sometimes you need to physically remove yourself from the everyday. When making such a selection, choose a Slow Movement environ like Litchfield, Connecticut. This colonial town is less than three hours from the fast, electric hub of New York City yet its connection to the outdoors, history and pastoral setting make it the ideal destination.

A view from across Litchfield’s town center, a locale that preserves its heritage.

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10/27/2018

How to Stay Calm During Airport Travel

We have come to an understanding that a flight’s arrival time is more like an estimated time. Airports are synonymous with the DMV, antiseptic structures filled with cranky attendants in an endless stream of uncontrollable hiccups. In the bygone era of elegant voyaging passengers dressed for a flight and luggage was sturdy enough to moonlight as a dorm room table. The staff were attentive and polished, leading to the speculation that stewardesses have a degree from an airline school where they learn such things as putting on their origami shaped hats and wielding warm towels from a tong. Now the chasm brought from modern advancements has shifted travel culture. Kiosks cough up tickets or phones become your life device. Travelers drag wheeled luggage with wires sprouting from their ears, foam pillows cuffing their necks.

If your day involves an airport you must mentally prepare for the events ahead. Security is a series of undressing, discarding everything from shaving cream to peanut butter, and performing athletic poses in your closet experience to what it’s like to be scanned. There’s the forced smiles to the inspector as a plea to avoid a potential body search that would have #MeToo fanatics in an uproar. The frugal pack empty water bottles in their allotted one free bag. Others will pay $15 for a wilted iceberg lettuce salad in the terminal. Pulses race when reviewing the flight status screens. On time, delayed or the dreaded canceled. [Read more…]

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12/14/2017

Holiday Helper – Reusable Gift Wrap

Wrapping paper, scissors, gift wrap, tape and a sea of unwrapped presents, to some and the sight has the same reaction as surgical tools on a dental tray. Take the angst out of holiday wrapping by using reusable gift wrap options, such as fabric coverings or leftover boxes and decorative ribbon. You’ll save countless hours, no paper cuts, it’s good for the environment and this holiday changer is as simple as inserting a gift into a bag and tying a bow.

An eco-friendly, stress-free approach to presents with reusable coverings.

The Japanese, who are masters in transforming lifestyle rituals into a simple model of efficiency, have been on to wrapping gifts in fabric long before it was ecologically savvy. In the same decorative, creative manner as dressing in a kimono, the art of Furoshiki bundles up presents in folds of fabric.

Following the Japanese custom of Furoshiki, which uses fabric to conceal gifts.

Stock up on reusable gift wrap in an assortment of festive styles and sizes to use every year. It just may thrust paper holiday wrapping into the same novelty category as canned snow and colored blinking lights.

Resources:

 

Colorful reusable bags: VZ Wraps

Classic reusable bags: Enfold

 

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09/06/2017

How to Grill Lobster and Shellfish

The most difficult thing about grilling shellfish is to not play with the lobsters before you cook them. The technique is as simple as throwing them onto the grill. Our recommendation: buy lobster tails instead of the live crustaceans.

A grilled shellfish dinner packs in a lot of flavor with minimum effort.

Ingredients for 2-3:

4 lobster tails

10 clams

10 mussels

1/2 pound new potatoes

2 ears of corn

Fresh seasonal vegetables

Seasoning such as paprika, dried mustard and pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Quartered lemon to serve

Directions:

  1. Soak the fish for 3-4 hours.
  2. Season with lemon, a  sprinkling of olive oil and your favorite seasoning or make your own with paprika, dry mustard, ginger, salt and pepper.
  3. Warm up grill to 350 degrees.
  4. Drizzle corn and fresh picked vegetables with olive oil, add seasoning and wrap in foil.
  5. Cook all food for five to ten minutes. Once the shells of the mussels and clams open they are ready.
  6. Serve with lemon.

What looks like an involved table setting could not be easier.

Resources:

Plates: Homer Laughlin

Grill: Weber

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07/03/2017

Ultimate Guide to Paris with Kids

“L’essential est invisible pour les yeux. On ne voit bien qu’ avec le couer.” Translation: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

– The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A present day Parisian chocolate shop, selling every imaginable confection.

It seems appropriate, albeit a bit deliberate, that I read The Little Prince to my seven-year-old son and his cousins during his first visit to Paris. It is the story of a lonely young prince who explores the galaxy and inevitably lands on earth. Along the way he connects with a diverse cast of characters who mainly lead him to the realization that grownups see the world in measured experiences rather than live with their heart.

My guess is he is not calorie counting.

Morning chocolat chaud that goes perfectly with bakery croissants.

Paris is for the nostalgic, romantic, and those who are whole-heartedly connected to the bewilderment and untainted vision seen through a child’s lens. They do not jabber on endlessly about work, will eat an ice cream before lunch and look better than us all, and manage to take in a moment rather than check in with their thrice connected devices on an appropriate time to relax.

It has always been known that Paris is a city for new lovers who linger in cafes over strong coffee. Though, after this trip, I’d have to counter this assumption. The city fosters daydreaming, a sophisticated escape from the everyday, and who better to experience such mental travel than with kids. Seal your young explorers global citizenship by introducing them to a city punctuated with puppet shows in the park, street jugglers, and bakeries on every corner.

Luc taking in the street music at Sacré-Cœur.

Paris is a place where children can easily break from their pixel world into a real, enchanted one with walks across bridges and engaging with children of all nationalities at a park. It has an enchanted feel with a menu of options that will delight children. They experience culture without realizing it’s good for them, like blending kale in a yogurt smoothie.

Outside the Louvre, which is plotted within the Tuillieries Gardens, a constant rotation of prime character observation, carousel and a trampoline park.

We found our rental home in the Marais district from Commendable Rentals. It was a very Parisian, cave like dwelling rich with tapestries, heavy linens and a laundry that took nine hours per small load. Even with our party of eight we managed quite nicely. The en suite bathrooms are a plus as well as the adjoining private garden.

The typically French garden on the grounds of where we stayed in Marais.

Our method in travel is to experience cities as locals, not tourists. There are no maps, guides, and the constant punch into the phone in lieu of a compass. It begins without the rattle of an alarm. We wake at our leisure, have a breakfast of jam, croissants and hot chocolate, while composing a semblance of a plan. Once we pinpoint our geographical placement within the city, I pack the trusted book Paris with Children and dress Luc and I in good walking shoes with a hint of stye. This is Paris.

Day 1: Eiffel Tower/Notre Dame/Sainte-Chapelle

The only tickets we purchased prior to the trip were for the Eiffel Tower, €17 for for adults and €14.5 for children, which is recommended since they do sell fast and helps to avoid lines.

Even cars take a photo opp outside the Eiffel Tower.

What is as fun as exploring the interior of the tower are the grounds below, consisting of parks, carousel and fountains, which on this particular day was especially inviting since the temperatures climbed into the 90s. Children stripped down and splashed about. (This may not be allowed but not enforced.)

Notre Dame on the left bank is closer to our apartment in Marais. We wandered the perimeter, sat in the back garden but avoided the line. A few blocks away we took in our dose of stain glass and spiritual beauty at Sainte-Chapelle in Palais de la Cité, which is less of a destination, thus manageable lines, and has its own sparkle as a supreme vision of gothic architecture.

Day 2: Shopping/L’Arc de triomphe

Window shopping in Marais.

We are in what has become designated spots around the farmhouse table. Adeline, the younger of my nieces, looks like something from a children’s story about Colonial girls with a streak of tomboy. I ask her how she slept. Always in a giggle, she says it was very hot but fine, more giggles. I love this about Addie. Even inconveniences amuse her.

Addie in a successful shopping moment.

Luc is more interested in spending time with his cousins than seeing another mansard roof. The girls are at the age where no emoji can convey how cool it is to shop in Paris. Their mission is to return to the states with some new clothes worthy of inquisitions from their friends on where they scored such pieces. Paris.

Working our way through the cobbled, medieval streets of Marais, where fashionable boutiques hold reign.

While I am more of an online shopper, I work in deadlines, wandering the curvy roads of the Marais district is reminiscent of Manhattan’s Soho. The children look in the windows with the awe of a Christmas display. They are beautifully styled and always with a robust injection of color. We work around the narrow roads, remnants of medieval times, where wearing a harlequin mask would not seem out of place.

They found many stylish workhorse pieces to add to their wardrobe at Karl Marc John, from the fashion powerhouse triumvirate of Lagerfeld, Jacobs and Galliano. Though the Marais shop would not call in needed sizes from another location, our day’s travels extended to the Saint Germain store. The French do know how to create a chase.

An edited selection of colorful pieces at Karl Marc John that has both girl’s and women’s clothes.

We had lunch at a cafe, where our two youngest diners found their hamburger sliders to be inedible due to a smearing of hollandaise sauce. Their order was returned to the waiter, then given back to our table with an explanation that there was no hollandaise sauce. (The grownups sampled, it tasted of hollandaise sauce, which is a subtle reminder that we are not in America and to ask about any added sauces). The day ended at the Arc de Triomphe with the kids making trendy poses that apparently signify something.

Day 3: Musée D’Orsay/Tuileries Gardens/Trampoline Park

A fauvre painting or armless statue does not hold the interest of the Musée D’Orsay to a child, having the distinction of being housed in a former train station. The museum features primarily French works of art from 1848 to 1914.

The children start their tour of the Musée D’Orsay in the main hall.

Young art enthusiasts can view important masterpieces by Renoir, Manet, Tissot and Van Gogh. It also helps to keep them enlightened with a headset guide.

Posing for Degas.

Across the river to the Right Bank is the Tuileries Gardens, which is between the Louvre, Place de Carrousel and Place de la Concorde. We have lunch within the grounds at La Terrasee de Pomone, a creperie and ice cream bistro with a varied menu.

The carousel near the trampolines–if asking for directions, this is not to be mistaken with the Carrousel du Louvre, a private shopping mall beneath the Louvre.

Lunch at La Terrase du Pmone.

The children get out their kicks, or more specifically jumps, at the trampolines (€2.50 for five minutes). This ends a day composed of a formidable blend of culture and amusement.

Day 4: Monmartre/Sacré-Cœur

This was the morning when Luc discovered a wiggly tooth and that the French do not have a tooth fairy but La Petit Sourie (the little mouse). He rationalizes that it is natural for a food obsessed city to have a mouse collect baby teeth the way they would delicious crumbs.

Considering art for sale at Monmartre.

Our day’s plan is to to venture up to Monmartre and Sacré-Cœur for a very French, heavily touristed destination. While we have either walked or taken the bus so we can see the city, for this attraction we ride the metro due to the distance and efficiency. At our stop we wander up, essentially going up will take you there, until the cobble stones narrow and become more colorful with street artists and vendors. We begin with lunch, negotiate with artists, buy some souvenirs and have a glacé (ice cream) before taking the Funiculaire tram for the same cost as a metro ticket. What feels and looks like a large ski gondola, the Funiculaier tugs up and down the steep section of the hill to save tired legs from buckling.

Day 5: Batobus/Basque Festival

Today we go with the whimsy of the river Batobus, purchasing the day passes (€8 for child/ €17 for an adult), which circles around Paris and allows you to pop on and off stops at your leisure. While the boat moves at a site seeing pace, it is a good option for day five when we are in a slower mode.

A view of Notre Dame from the Batobus.

My sister spotted posters for a “Basque Festival” that evening, which we enjoyed from experiencing a local event. The children competed in games of tug and war, admired wares of handmade jewelry and souvenirs peddled by Basque vendors, before we ventured out for more glacé.

Day 6: Centre Pompidou/The Latin Quarter

Today is our catch all day, the plan is to have no plans. After walking past the Centre Pompidou each day, Luc would like to ride up its escalators with the intrigue of exploring the inside of a machine. A late start and desire for lunch prevents us from going in the museum, where I find myself promising a return trip to Paris so he can view the modern art and activities for kids.

The colorful trademark pipes on the exterior of Centre Pompidou.

Along the Seine in the Latin Quarter are many cafes. We choose one a few blocks from the bustle and sample everyone’s meals of croque monsieur, frites, sausage, salads and cheese plates.

We walk, ogle at the shops, and the ones with a sweet scent prod us inside.

Getting inspiration from a boulangerie window.

It always ends with glacé.

Mango sorbet goes over well.

Day 7: Le Jardin du Luxembourg

On our last day we choose Le Jardin du Luxembourg for its combination of history, local amusement and classic childhood experience.

Luc stepping into another era at Le Garden du Luxembourg.

The gardens were designed for Marie de Medici in 1612, who was Queen of France through her marriage to King Henry IV. Less inclined to live in the Louvre, she created a more Italianate version of royal life with Le Jardin du Luxembourg. Ah, the life of a French royal.

Cheering on Team U.S.

The gardens fill a day with the charms of childhood from vintage boating and private playgrounds accessible with a small entry fee.

French and Parisian children mix together in the universal language of play.

Sweet options are always close by.

Zipline at the park.

Children play freely, while grownups view from the side as the park requires a small entrance fee.

Exploring the grounds.

A girl with Parisian style.

Luc lost his tooth while playing on the zip line. (The likely reason why he fell as you cannot tug a tooth and clinch onto a line simultaneously). On his last night he will be paid a visit from La Petit Sourie for a surprise of French candy and euros.

On Luc’s last morning he finds candy and coins left by La Petit Sourie in exchange for his tooth.

We are now back to the customs of our American life. Days spent driving to lessons, beaches and cookouts with platters of catered food eaten from disposable plates and plastic forks made to look like silver. I asked Luc what his favorite memory was in Paris. Walks, art, carousels… Without hesitation he said the ice cream they made to look like a flower. Grownups. We have a tendency to over complicate things but Paris is the remedy for reacquainting to the wonderment of youth. “All grown-ups were once children . . . but only few of them remember it.” – The Little Prince.

A cone of gelato from Amarino. (Not shown: the macaron on top that was swiftly eaten).

Resources:

Chocolatier: http://www.lecomptoirdemathilde.com/fr/

Berthillon Ice Cream: http://www.berthillon.fr

Gelato: http://www.amorino.com/fr/boutique/paris-l-ile-saint-louis.1.html

Paris with Children: littlebookroom.com

Violet candy: https://www.saveurdujour.com/old-fashion-candy-violet-p-2801.html

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Posted By
03/17/2017

Hello Tokyo: The Ultimate Bento Box Guide

Tokyo has the energy and sense of humor of a child who collects all things Pokemon or Hello Kitty. It is loud, bright and doesn’t take itself too seriously, where it’s okay to dress in colorful rain slickers or style your hair in Minnie Mouse buns. Dining also has that pop art appeal, even eating a bento meal makes you feel like you are part of a graphic novel. In Hello Tokyo author Ebony Bizys features crafts and ideas to animate your home in this quirky style. Here, she shares her tips on how to on create a bento box like a native.

A bento box is a fun craft that will get a lot of play.

Bento Tip 1

FIVES

You might be aware of the “five color rule” that says each bento (lunch box) should contain at least five colors; however, you may not know that the ideal bento should be constructed according to five sets of five rules. These are:

+ Five colors: aka (red), kiiro (yellow), midori (green), kuro (black), shiro (white)

+ Five cooking methods: niru (simmer), musu (steam), yaku (grill), ageru (fry), tsukuru (create).

+ Five flavors: shiokarai (salty), suppai (sour), amai (sweet), nigai (bitter), karai (spicy)

+ Five senses: miru (see), kiku (hear), kyukaku (smell), ajiwau (taste), fureru (touch)

+ Five viewpoints or outlooks (gokan no mon): a set of Buddhist principles on the appropriate state of mind when consuming food I have a little “bento” drawer in my mini Shimokitazawa apartment. It’s full of cute accessories that inspire me to make bento boxes: bento dividers, bento belts, bento patties, sauce containers, and onigiri (rice ball) wrappers.

Follow the five color and idea rule to a successful bento.

There is another entire cupboard dedicated to furoshiki (wrapping cloth) used for bento wrapping. I also have a collection of bento lunch bags and bento freezer packs. When you buy refrigerated goods from fancier supermarkets in Tokyo, you often receive little refrigerator packs taped onto the cold goods. These reusable packs are great for keeping your bento fresh. You can also buy cute versions of these, such as heart shaped cold packs with sparkle dust inside and so on.

A bento is composed with a thoughtful assemblage of accessories.

Many Japanese stores, such as Daiso, sell a large range of bento accessories and essentials, such as seaweed punches, picks for small vegetables, and other obento items.

Look for Bento pieces online or make a trip to Japan where they are plentiful.

Bento Tip 2

BENTO DIVIDERS

Separate items in your bento with colorful dividers. Colored faux grass? So cute! This little fake lettuce divider has small perforations, allowing you to fit the divider perfectly to your bento box. For a more eco-friendly version, pick up silicone dividers such as the lilac doily option shown below.

Bento dividers are a colorful way to keep foods separated.

Bento Tip 3

ONIGIRI WRAPPERS

There is nothing more pleasurable than biting into an onigiri with crunchy seaweed. In order to keep the seaweed crunchy, you’ll need to pack your onigiri in one of these wrappers, which keep the rice and seaweed apart. Imagine this cheery little face waiting to greet you at lunch!

Even a bento box can benefit from styled accessories, like this onigiri wrapper that keeps rice fresh.

Bento Tip 4

BENTO PATTIES

Bento patties are a fantastic and colorful way to keep your obento ingredients separated and fresh until you are ready to enjoy your obento.

Divide each little osozai (side dish) with a bento patty. Try mixing a variety of colors and patterns. I’ve found some in sweet patterns such as gingham, stripes, and polka dots. If you have a green osozai, such as spinach or lettuce, try using a contrasting patty for aesthetic effect. You can also find silicone versions of bento patties, which can be reused without any reheating issues.

Bento patties act as miniature plates and are can be reused.

Bento Tip 5

BENTO PICKS

Bento picks can help to arrange little items—such as a cube of cheese, a small roll of ham, a mini tomato, or a pickled vegetable—and keep them in place in your bento. They also make eating these items a lot easier. The variety of bento picks available in Tokyo is enormous, but you may also be able to find some at your local Japanese market.

Stylish picks for smaller items jam in more color without taking up space.

Bento Tip 6

SUPERMARKET OBENTO

A delicious and convenient obento is never too far away in Tokyo. Most supermarkets and convenience stores sell colorful and inexpensive obento at all hours of the day. Many department stores have a basement food level where you can find delicious obento. These are called depachika obento: depa is short for “department store,” and chika means “basement.”

It’s ridiculous just how tasty, cheap, colorful, and presumably healthy(ish) these obento are!

An obento fix can easily be granted in Tokyo, where supermarkets and convenience stores offer them at all hours.

Bento Tip 7

OBENTO FUROSHIKI

Furoshiki are cloths used to wrap many objects, particularly obento. They are such a pretty way to transport your lunch, and provide a lovely little impromptu tablecloth, too. There are many types of furoshiki and various ways of wrapping them. In true Japanese style, there is an entire art to furoshiki wrapping, and you can find many tutorials on the Internet.

Furoshiki wrapping cloths is another accessory to add more style and function to your meal.

Hello Tokyo is officially available on March 28.

Hello Tokyo is your guide to this spirited lifestyle.

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