September 21, 2014 · 9:28 pm

Ah Roma! Trastevere, casa di Santa Francesca Romana and other great finds

The ancient but hip Rome neighborhood of Trastevere is just what I hoped it would be, full of narrow streets paved with small square black stones, lined by gorgeous brick, stone and stuccoed buildings decorated with the old frieze or fresco or mosaic, with vines spilling over with flowers. The streets inevitably lead to wide open piazzas that have a stunning church (Santa Maria De Trestevere) or imposing building.

We ate very well just happening upon local places, a great deli called Giselda (on the main frag (52 viale di trastevere) where we just went up to various counters and pointed to what we wanted (fresh ricotta, sliced ham, a slice of pizza, some eggplant parm, beer); tonight we had pasta (bucatini with bacon and tomato sauce) and pizza with cheese and anchovies at a lovely little outdoor table around the block at Sette Oche in Altalena (via dei salumi 36). We finished with drinks across the street (alley really) from our hotel. It’s a tiny well place with quirky decorations called Niji.Our hotel is perfect and remarkably affordable 129 euro (about 150$) and full of character (it is a former convent that still has lots of catholic decor. it’s called Casa di Santa Francesca Romano — also great location on a relatively quiet street in this happening neighborhood.

IMG_0907.JPG

IMG_0908.JPG

IMG_0906.JPG

2 Comments

Filed under Italy

Tagged as ,

September 20, 2014 · 10:02 pm

There is a Charlotte Rome flight

It seemed unlikely when I first stumbled upon it but as we sit in the bustling Charlotte airport awaiting our flight to Rome, I can confirm that the flight, on us air, does indeed exist. So far so good. We left Des Moines on time, despite threatening skies, and arrived here 1.5 hours later. Now awaiting an overpriced pulled pork sandwich at Carolina beer co., a restaurant/pub that shares space with a bagel store. Italy and Italian food here we come!

IMG_0904-0.JPG

Leave a comment

Filed under Italy

Tagged as , ,

September 15, 2014 · 10:58 pm

Halston, Warhol, pillbox hat together again – thx to Des Moines Art Center

All kinds of fun sounding events this month in conjunction with the Des Moines Art Center’s exhibit exploring/celebrating the friendship/collaboration of Halston and Warhol! I hope to make it to some!

An exhibition preview party will be held at the Art Center on Thursday,
September 18 from 6 – 8 pm (5 – 6 member hour) to celebrate the opening
of the exhibitions. Live music by DJ 8|10 and cash bar. Admission $5;
members FREE. The Art Center restaurant Baru at the Art Center will also
be open for dinner, offering a special menu; reservations recommended.

DES MOINES, IA (August 2014) – On September 18, the Des Moines Art Center
will open an exhibition organized by The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh: Halston
and Warhol: Silver and Suede, which runs September 18, 2014 – January 18, 2015
in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery. After premiering at The Andy Warhol Museum this
past May, the exhibition will embark on a national tour, beginning with the
Des Moines Art Center. The same evening, the Art Center will open a companion
exhibition, 15 Minutes in Des Moines: The Art Center Collects Andy Warhol, on view
in Blank One Gallery.

Silver and Suede will examine the dynamic friendship between legendary
American fashion designer, Roy Halston Frowick (b. 1932, Des Moines), and artist
Andy Warhol (b. 1928, Pittsburgh) through art, fashion, photography, video, and personal memorabilia. Born within four years of each other, they had similar
beginnings to their careers, both starting out as window dressers for department
stores before relocating to New York City where they each found success in their
chosen fields.

An exhibition preview party will be held at the Art Center on Thursday,
September 18 from 6 – 8 pm (5 – 6 member hour) to celebrate the opening
of the exhibitions. Live music by DJ 8|10 and cash bar. Admission $5;
members FREE. The Art Center restaurant Baru at the Art Center will also
be open for dinner, offering a special menu; reservations recommended.
DES MOINES, IA (August 2014) – On September 18, the Des Moines Art Center
will open an exhibition organized by The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh: Halston
and Warhol: Silver and Suede, which runs September 18, 2014 – January 18, 2015
in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery. After premiering at The Andy Warhol Museum this
past May, the exhibition will embark on a national tour, beginning with the
Des Moines Art Center. The same evening, the Art Center will open a companion
exhibition, 15 Minutes in Des Moines: The Art Center Collects Andy Warhol, on view
in Blank One Gallery.
Silver and Suede will examine the dynamic friendship between legendary
American fashion designer, Roy Halston Frowick (b. 1932, Des Moines), and artist
Andy Warhol (b. 1928, Pittsburgh) through art, fashion, photography, video, and personal memorabilia. Born within four years of each other, they had similar
beginnings to their careers, both starting out as window dressers for department
stores before relocating to New York City where they each found success in their
chosen fields.
Halston became the defining American fashion designer of the 1970s
through his effortlessly chic

Leave a comment

Filed under Des Moines, museum exhibit

Tagged as , , , ,

September 12, 2014 · 5:34 pm

Canoe options in Iowa – for future reference

Good canoeing options offered today by the DM Register – for future reference:20140831-194829.jpg

 

The Iowa River meanders through the central and eastern parts of Iowa, protected by the Iowa River Greenbelt, an effort started in the 1980s to connect Iowans to this river with hundreds of adjacent acres of recreational and protected lands.

It means there are plenty of trees carpeting the deep river valley, where a rocky stream that isn’t much wider than 75 feet bustles through.

I recently checked out a segment, a short 6-mile trip from Steamboat Rock to Eldora.

“It has bluffs, a rocky bottom and a nice drop (or gradient). It’s a nice stretch of river,” said Sandra Morlan of Rock-n-Row Adventures in Eldora.

If you go

Here are other recommendations of paddling trips with good fall colors from Central Iowa Paddlers and Todd Robertson, the DNR’s River Programs Outreach Coordinator.

• Red Rock Water Trail at Lake Red Rock: This 36-mile trail is a great back-up plan if stream levels are too low. The trail includes rocky cliffs and a sea cave at Elk Rock State Park and a paddle-in campsite at Hickory Ridge. Eagles’ nests and migratory birds make for great wildlife viewing and fall colors are in blaze, especially around Hickory Ridge. Use caution on windy days that create big waves on the lake. As the days get colder a wetsuit may be needed.

• Middle/South Raccoon Water Trail near Adel and Redfield: The Middle Raccoon’s high bluffs and the South’s unspoiled, remote woods make these great rivers in Central Iowa for fall colors. They are also good fishing streams for catfish, smallmouth bass and walleye.

• Middle River Water Trail near Winterset: A nice trip is from Roseman Covered Bridge to Pammel State Park. The river is tight, usually only 50 feet wide, which makes for a nice tree-lined trip. The river may be swift in higher waters, but watch out for low water in fall. The covered bridges of Madison County are famous for love, of course, so bring a honey on this one.

• Upper Iowa River near Decorah: If you want to take a longer drive, it may be worth it. Although it’s not yet an official state trail, this National Wild and Scenic River is nothing short of a gem and has long topped the lists of paddlers statewide. The water is spring-fed and clear, and the rocky bottom leaves fun riffles to paddle through, all along breathtaking bluffs that rise up to 60 feet. Fall paddlers love this one, of course, because of the surrounding blanket of trees and forests and the selection of numerous outfitters to drop you off.

DETAILS:

DNR maps and brochures of Iowa water trails:www.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/WaterTrails/WaterTrailMapsBrochures.aspx.

For nearby outfitters to rent canoes or kayaks, go towww.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/PaddlerResources.aspx.

2 Comments

Filed under Adventure travel, Iowa

Tagged as , ,

September 10, 2014 · 1:55 pm

Iowa cabins in the woods to remember: for future use!

We stayed near a 150-year-old cabin in the woods (see pix below) at Fern Hollow in Decorah earlier this month. (We were in the newer house, in a lovely room made of wood so it felt like a cabin.)

But I was also trying to remember the name of some other options when the DM Register came to the rescue so for future reference here they are:

The Natural Gait http://www.thenaturalgait.com near Marquette, along the good-for-canoeing Yellow River. (I’d heard of this one!) It’s a wildflower farm withe horse stables and a bunch of cabines.

Whiterock Conservancy near Boone – this is the old Garst place which we stayed (in the more gentile Hollyhock Cottage, not the River Cabin) at with our kids (and wrote about for the NYTimes travel section.)image

Pinicon ridge Park near Central City, north of Cedar Rapids, – four cabins along a river with one of my favorite names – the Wapsipinicon. Three have heat and AC. The River Otter Cabin is more rustic.

Leave a comment

Filed under Agritourism, Iowa

Tagged as , , , ,

September 1, 2014 · 1:15 am

Trout Run Trail, Magpie, sugar Bowl ice cream,– Decorah

Dunn's Spring

Dunn’s Spring

Trout run trail, Decorah

Trout run trail, Decorah

Along trout run trail

Along trout run trail

We have been on a lot of bike trails in Iowa but Decorah’s new Trout Run Trail is the most consistently gorgeous. It is only an 11 mile loop but what an 11 miles.We rode along the rushing waters of the Upper Iowa, past high stone bluffs furry with trees, past picture postcard farmsteads, (the white farmhouse, red wood and stone barn, the black and white grazing cattle), through dazzling fields of tall corn and soybeans and almost psychedelic-green grass.  We stopped at the top of a high hill and looked out for miles across the rolling fields. Later we stopped at a large trout hatchery with pools full of jumping rainbow trout soon to be in Iowa steams.

For breakfast we got lucky at Magpie, a coffee house with excellent French toast and scrambled egg wraps and surprisingly swift service,  given the crowd that arrived. We also enjoyed Agora Arts,  a terrific crafts gallery; the Oneota Community Co-Op, Dunn’s Springs (the closest to Ithaca’s falls I’ve seen in Iowa), Seed Savers, and the Sugar Bowl ice cream shoppe (sitting on the second floor balcony watching the action on water street, the main drag).

sugarbowlphoto (90)

Leave a comment

Filed under bike trails, Iowa

Tagged as , , , , ,

September 1, 2014 · 12:56 am

canoeing on the upper Iowa, fern hollow, rubiyat: Decorah Iowa!

image image

Fern hollow, Decorah

Fern hollow, Decorah

It is very dark and very quiet, except for the pulsing sound of crickets outside our screen windows in this charming back-to-basics, almost -off-the grid room of blond wood, ceramics, antiques and crafts. we are staying in the room for rent (via air b&b) of a family’s handmade wooden house deep in a wooded hollow (hence the name: fern hollow).

It always impresses me when I visit a place like this, that a family has made a place so uniquely theirs, making such a commitment to creating the life they want, living with the courage of their convictions. In this case, there is a strong sustainable living and ag vibe here (we peed in a toilet filled with sawdust. Reminded me of kitty litter — apparently to save on water…which is better than the option for the family staying deeper in the hollow in a restored 150-year old cabin built by the owners’ Norwegian ancestors. They have to walk in the dark to an outhouse). I feel a bit sheepish typing on this iPad but I won’t be able to post. No wifi, no cell phone calls. Which is refreshing. A ceramic bowl full of red and gold raspberries from the bount20140831-194829.jpgiful garden here was waiting for us in our room.

We had a nice easy float on the upper Iowa river on a spectacular day. It finally stopped raining so everything is very green and the sky was finally bright and blue with huge puffy white clouds above green but yellowing fields of tall corn. We hired a canoe for two hours at one of our usual spots – chimney rock. All good except for some obnoxious rowdy fellow canoeists – but hey it’s Labor Day weekend. Paddling past the high stone bluffs and grassy banks, we saw an eagle soaring high above us and blue egrets flapping and little goldfinches darting here and there. Lovely.

Dinner in Decorah at rubiyat was excellent. Such a pretty town full of beautiful old homes, a very well kept downtown with brick storefronts almost all filled with small independent businesses, some mom and pop types that have been here for years, plus good galleries, a food co-op, a diverse smattering of restaurants including my favorite name for a soft serve ice cream stand : the whippy dip!
Now if you will excuse me, I have to leaf through a photo book about tree houses that I found on our book shelves.

Leave a comment

Filed under Iowa

Tagged as , , , ,

August 29, 2014 · 7:20 pm

Okoboji in the NYTimes travel section

Good travel story on Okoboji and the Iowa Great Lakes in the NYTimes (which unforunately I didn’t write – but could have if I wasn’t so busy riding my bike through northwest Iowa on RAGBRAI last June!)

see: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/travel/in-iowa-an-oasis-of-family-vacations-past.html?ref=travel

 

IF YOU GO

Where to Stay

Fillenwarth Beach (87 Lakeshore Drive, Arnolds Park, Iowa; fillenwarthbeach.com; from $160 in summer).

Crescent Beach Lodge (1619 Lakeshore Drive, Milford, Iowa; crescentbeachlodge.com; from $370 in summer).

Where to Eat and Drink

West O Beer (503 Terrace Park Boulevard, West Okoboji, Iowa; westobeer.com). Microbrewery and taproom.

Restaurant 1856 (Central Emporium, 144 Lakeshore Drive, Arnolds Park, Iowa;restaurant1856.com). Modern American cuisine, sunset views.

The O’Farrell Sisters Restaurant (1109 Lake Shore Drive, Okoboji; parksmarina.com) has been turning out breakfasts and lunches for nearly 70 years.

What to Do

Arnolds Park Amusement Park (37 Lake Street, Arnolds Park; arnoldspark.com). The Legend roller coaster is $8 a ride. Some attractions, like the Tipsy House, are free.

University of Okoboji merchandise is available at the Three Sons (902 10th Street, Milford; thethreesons.com).

A version of this article appears in print on August 31, 2014, on page TR9 of the New Yor

2 Comments

Filed under Iowa

Tagged as ,

August 25, 2014 · 5:15 pm

A little corned beef to pass the time at Midway Airport (Manny’s Deli in Chicago)

imageI was not pleased to learn that my 2.5 hour wait at Chicago’s Midway airport for a connecting flight  last week had grown to 3.5 hours (due to weather delays) but I was delighted to find an outpost of Manny’s – the famous Chicago deli that I have meant to visit, after strong recommendations from my son and stepdaughter – right by the Southwest gates at the airport. I had a fantastic corned beef sandwich on rye for a late dinner!

Leave a comment

Filed under Chicago

Tagged as , ,

August 22, 2014 · 1:41 am

Finding my way around a place I used to live: Stamford

Stew's

Stew’s

New England scene, Trumbull

New England scene, Trumbull

I easily found the house I lived in some 28 years ago, although it has clearly been restored to its former glory (before five 20-somethings, including me, rented it). There it was, all tarted up on Interlaken Road, just off High ridge Road and exit 35 of the Merritt Parkway. But I was soon lost in downtown Stamford, whose skyline has radically changed since my days as a reporter there. I never did find the Stamford Advocate. I am pretty sure it is not where it once was. Oh well. I moved onto to SoNo (south Norwalk) and it took me awhile to get my gap bearings there too although I finally remembered Washington street was the old heart of the renovated area! which has now spread beyond to several other blocks.

Fortunately Stew Leonard’s, the mega supermarket/ kids funhouse is much the same and the place still makes me smile with its kitschy Chuckie Cheese-like figures dotting the food displays. fortunately the food looks as good as ever and my suitcase is full of bagels, bialys and a Cronut or two (part croissant, part donut). oh and two cans of bumblebee tuna, which I can’t seem to find anymore in Iowa. Myra and I had a good lunch at Valencia lucheria, a taqueria  in Norwalk…I had an arepa with pork (sort of a deep I ate is called. it’s Venezuelan.

Ye olde house...Stamford

Ye olde house…Stamford

Leave a comment

Filed under Connecticut

Tagged as , , , , , ,