The first time I heard Canadian singer/songwriter Diana Krall, her voice made me think of someone from another generation not someone who was born in 1964. I loved her voice and phrasing — I was hooked. I bought her CDs as soon as they were released and played them over and over.
Ms. Krall has recorded about a dozen CDs. She’s had nine Grammy Award nominations and won three.
Take a listen to her performance of Wonderful, Marvelous and let me know what you think.
Enjoy!
Morning. Sunrise. The start of a new day filled with promise. A fresh opportunity to start over, to begin anew, to do better.
Morning. Everyone awakens after a night of rest to pick up where they left off. A few hours after I took this photo, there was hardly an empty spot on the boardwalk.
I was among the thousands who gathered on the Mall to witness the inauguration of President Obama. As we waited on that frigid morning, I couldn’t help noticing the sky and the dawning of the new day.
We’re told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I agree. When I have a good breakfast, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do.
Good Morning!
What to do when the temperature in hits 100 degrees?
Reach for cover and do these five things:
1. Wear light-colored, loose fitting clothes and limit strenuous outdoor activities.
2. Slather on the sunscreen. The highest rating is generally best but minimum SPF35.
3. Wear a floppy hat.
4. Drink lots of water. Add a twist of lemon or lime for flavor.
5. Carry a hand or mini electrical fan – perfect for times when you have to wait on a hot platform for the subway.
The warm weather doesn’t stick around very long so enjoy it as much as you can.
When the temperature turns warm, we reach for cooling foods. Sorbets and ice cream are delicious ways to help beat the heat.
I love the flavors of sorbet, especially mango, which reminds me of home. I love how light sorbet is, how it feels on my tongue, at the back of my mouth and how refreshing and clean-tasting it is.
I found this recipe of one of my favorites, Lemon Sorbet, on allrecipes.com. I’ve never made sorbet (or ice cream) but I think I might try to this summer.
Try it and let me know what you think.
Ingredients
1 lemon’s peel, finely diced
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup carbonated mineral water
6 strips of lemon zest, for garnish
Directions
In a saucepan, stir together the diced lemon peel, 1 cup of water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool.
In a pitcher or bowl, stir together the lemon syrup with peel, lemon juice and mineral water. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Garnish each serving with a twist of lemon peel.
If you do not have an ice cream maker, you may freeze it in a tall canister. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours. Remove and stir with a whisk. Return to the freezer
Enjoy!
Golden sunlight filled the room when I woke on my first morning in Paris but as soon as I opened my eyes, I began to sneeze. It had been an unseasonably warm and everything was in bloom, someone told me later. I didn’t let that stop me.
I had planned on being in Paris for only two days then head to Barcelona for a day before returning to London. But when I mentioned my plan to Karen, she said I was crazy, that I needed more time just to see Paris.
My goal for the day was the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. So I left the hotel shortly after breakfast, map ready.
Come with me as I walk from the metro towards the Avenue de General-Eisenhower.
I spent most of the morning strolling the expansive boulevards around the Champs Elysees, admiring the beautiful buildings that line the street.
Then I made my way to the Arc de Triomphe.
I was a little nervous as I walked into the terminal at the Gare du Nord. It was my first time in Paris and unlike my London trip, I was not prepared. I had not mapped my route from the terminal to my hotel. The most I’d done was an Internet search for hotels within a 15-minute radius of the terminal and booked the first one that looked acceptable. It was then that I realized that I’d missed a key part of the plan — I had no idea where the hotel was in relation to the terminal and the city map made absolutely no sense at that point.
I was scheduled to meet my friend, Karen, for dinner at 7:30 p.m. at Le Relais de l’Entrecôte. I had just about an hour to check in and freshen up so I joined the line at the taxi stand. My cabbie was young and Moroccan. We talked about his work, life in Paris and reggae music.
The desk clerk gave me a map of the metro and showed me how to get from Guy Môquet to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Finding Saint Germain was the easy part. It took me almost as long to find the restaurant. No one, not even the folks in a pizza restaurant, seemed to know where rue Saint Benoit was. I got so frustrated that I gave up and hailed a cab.
When I told him where I wanted to go, he tried to give me direction because it was close, he said. By then, I was so turned around, I didn’t trust myself to find it on my own. We’d just started getting into a discussion of Haitian politics (he was Haitian) when we arrived. He was right: the restaurant wasn’t even a 10 minute walk away!
Le Relais de l’Entrecôte was humming. All the tables, including the ones outside, were taken but the wait gave me time to begin my catch up with Karen, who I hadn’t seen in months despite her living just across the river in Brooklyn.
Finally, we got a table. It’s a simple setup at l’Entrecôte. On the menu? Steak. Steak and steak. Well done for me and it was delicious. There was nothing left on the plate by the time we finished.
Karen knew her way around Paris and after dinner, we decided to go for a stroll so I could enjoy my first Parisian night.
When we parted, it was close to midnight. By the time I returned to my hotel, it was a little after 1 a.m. My first Paris night turned out better than I had anticipated.
I fell asleep excited about what the next day would bring.
Train travel is definitely a lot more popular in Europe than it is in North America, where we tend to drive or fly more.
When I heard about the tunnel that was being built under the English Channel to connect Britain and France, I was fascinated. I marveled at the vision and the incredible feat of engineering it took to bring it to life and wondered what it was like for the people who worked on building it.
More than anything though, the idea of traveling in a capsule 250 feet under the English Channel sent my imagination wild. I was particularly curious to experience that part of the trip. How would it feel?
As soon as I booked my trip to London, I purchased a ticket to Paris on the Eurostar. For me, there was just no other way to go.
When the day arrived, I was excited. I couldn’t wait to get on the train. Once I made my way to King’s Cross, I followed the signs to St. Pancras International Station. Since I had purchased my ticket beforehand, all I needed to do was check-in. There were several Eurostar employees helping and directing us so the lines moved smoothly. Eurostar warned that check-in closes 30 minutes before departure but I got there about an hour before.
After going through immigration and baggage check, I found my car and assigned seat – unfortunately, it was not near the window. I read a little, especially during the 20 minute under the Channel. I didn’t know what to expect but I was disappointed by how normal it was!
Once we were above ground again, I kept my eyes peeled as the beautiful countryside rolled pass my window. Approximately 2 ½ hours later, I was in Paris.
Getting There —
Book your ticket online at eurostar.com up to the day of departure – provided there’s availability but be prepared to pay more. For the best prices, book well in advance, say a month prior, and stay away from peak times: weekends, holidays, mornings and afternoons.
There are three categories of tickets: Standard, Standard Premier and Business. Within Standard and Standard Premier, there are two options: Non-Flexible and Semi-Flexible. As the name implies, Non-Flexible offers no flexibility to change, exchange or refund your ticket once you’ve purchased it. Semi-Flexible tickets can be refunded or exchanged up to 2 months after purchase for a fixed fee of Twenty-two Pounds plus whatever the difference is in the ticket you wish to exchange for.
On board –
There are power plugs for electronics however, there’s no wifi. Free internet access is available at St. Pancras, paid at Gare du Nord in Paris.
Meals are served in Standard Premier or Business. If you’re traveling Standard, you can purchase snacks, sandwiches, drinks in the club car.
Visas —
If you require a visa, make sure to get one before you leave your home country. France is one of fifteen Schengen countries that are signatories to the Schengen Agreement which allows travel among the Schengen countries on one visa. The visa is issued by the country that you arrive at first, so if you’re going to France, you’ll need to visit the French Embassy for the visa. If you’re landing in Spain first, go to the Spanish Embassy, etc. To avoid delays, check the visa requirements carefully before you go.
For me, traveling by train in Europe brings on a nostalgia for a time when I wasn’t even born, that I see glimpses of in brochures and old movies. The Eurostar brings me a little closer to that time.
Have fun!
I saw Abbey Lincoln perform at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts years after I had become a fan. (The juxtaposition of the names Abbey Lincoln and the Lincoln Center caused me to question myself for a second.)
She was wiry and dynamic. I can still hear her voice, strong and smoky, as she came on stage. In my mind, I sang along to some of my favorites but soaked in every second of her nuanced performance.
Born Anna Marie Wooldridge in Chicago (1930), Abbey Lincoln was a songwriter, activist and actress. She was married to drummer, Max Roach. Abbey Lincoln was 80 years old when she died last year in New York.
Abbey Lincoln singing \”Throw it Away\” on YouTube
Enjoy!
What’s Manhattanhenge?
As you may know, the city of Manhattan is laid out in a grid pattern. Twice a year, when the sun sets, it aligns perfectly with the east-west grid of certain main streets: 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th Streets.
During Manhattanhenge, a viewer on one of these streets can watch the sun setting directly opposite in New Jersey.
Astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson of the American Museum of Natural History is credited with popularizing this phenomena.
This year, according to Dr. deGrasse Tyson, the remaining dates for Manhattanhenge July 11th and 12th (it was also possible to see it on May 30th and 31st). On July 11th, the full sun will be visible on the horizon, whereas on July 12th, only half will be seen.
So, if you’re in or around New York City in July, make sure to look out for Manhattanhenge.
But Manhattanhenge is not limited to Manhattan alone. According to Wikipedia, Chicagohenge will happen on September 25th, Torontohenge on October 25th, and Montrealhenge on July 12th.
I wasn’t sure I had photos for this week’s challenge but I know now not to dismiss the challenge before looking through my collection. Sure enough, I found several photos.
So here are my photos and my thoughts on numbers.
Numbers follow us everywhere we go. When we’re born, our birth announcements include the dates and times of birth and the number of pounds we weighed. Even our names can be reduced to a number. Mine’s 5. Do you know what yours is? If you don’t, you can find it here.
Most of have numbers in our street addresses, social security and telephone numbers. Some people have favorite numbers and numbers that they play. What’s your favorite number?
These are just a few examples of the impact and importance of numbers in our lives. We just can’t escape them!
Here’s my take on this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Numbers.
How do you numbers affect your life? Please share!
