Year: 2011

(Belated) Happy Easter Sunday!

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I’m not sure when it happened. I can’t pinpoint the exact time, but I haven’t been to church in quite a while. I’m so clueless that I didn’t realize this would be Easter weekend, yesterday Easter Sunday.

When I was growing up, I knew the liturgical calendar. I knew when it was Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Had I been going to church, I would have known.

I’ve always loved Easter. It’s flush with hope and full of renewal. It’s always been special. Almost everyone pauses to observe the season. We prepare special foods and, of course, got new clothes to go to church on Easter Sunday.

Besides Christmas, Easter Sunday is the one other time when anyone who hadn’t gone to church in a while, makes an appearance (and vows to themselves to continue attending).

I didn’t attend Easter service yesterday but I did go to church — at Bath Abbey. And I promised myself to return.

Interior, Bath Abbey
Bath's stained glass window

Happy (Belated) Easter Sunday!


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Soulful Sundays: Charles Aznavour

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Aznavour at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
Image via Wikipedia

I discovered Charles Aznavour when I was at university and have loved listening to him ever since.

Aznavour’s songs are profoundly romantic, his voice passionate and seductive. He sets a certain mood that’s perfect for a Sunday afternoon (or anytime!).

This song, Mourir d’Aimer is one of my favorites.

Enjoy!

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Tasty Thursdays: Steak and Fries

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had steak. Once when I saw Ella Fitzgerald in concert in Toronto, and the other at Le Relais de l’Entrecôte in Paris.

I wouldn’t have known about Le Relais de l’Entrecôte but for my friend, Karen, who’d been working in Paris for a few months before I arrived. Karen and I had tried to meet for dinner in New York but couldn’t seem to synchronize our schedules. Then we found out we were going to be in Paris at the same time, we knew we had to meet.

When Karen mentioned Le Relais, admittedly, I was hesitant. Steak is never my first choice for a meal and the idea of having steak in a country that is known for its delectable cuisine seemed, well, pedestrian. But she sold me and since I’m always ready to try something different – who wouldn’t want to try steak and fries in Paris? – I relented.

At Le Relais de l’Entrecôte, steak and fries are the only things on the menu. I guess the only difference in each order is how the steak is prepared – rare, medium or done.

Steak & Fries from Le Relais de l'Entrecôte
Steak and Fries

We decided on 7 p.m., an early dinner, by Parisian standards, and there was still a short wait for a table.

Each plate arrived with steak doused in a lovely greenish gravy backed up by a side of fries. I wish I had the recipe to share but believe me when I tell you, it was good. When I finished, the only thing left was the plate. Yes, and the flatware. Neither Karen nor I even looked at dessert.

Our server was pleasant and efficient. Although I speak enough French, it was great to know that our server spoke some English.  There was constant turnover during the time we were there and a line outside when we left.

Although I’m a steak novice, I’d give the steak and fries at Le Relais de l’Entrecôte a thumbs up.

If you ever make it to Paris, be sure to check them out. You’ll not be disappointed.

Le Relais de l’Entrecôte
20 Bis Rue Saint-Benoît
Paris
Metro:  Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Do You Still Buy and Send Travel Postcards?

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Some of my postcards

My blogging buddy, Ozias Sanchez who blogs as First Year of Freedom has me thinking about travel postcards. Ozias, or Mozes as he’s also known, collects them – new.

I’m old enough to remember a time before digital cameras and Facebook, when travel postcards were the primary way people who went on vacation shared their memories of what they saw with their family and friends (though the vacationer typically returned home before the postcards were received!).

I’ve kept most of the postcards I’ve received over the years – from Jamaica, the Ivory Coast, the UK, France, Spain, Gabon and several other countries – in a special album that allows me to see the message on the reverse. Each describes a particular moment in time. Sometimes the sender was pensive, boastful or curt (she was on vacation after all!). But more than anything else, when I look at them now, I remember the exact moment that I received each one and what was happening in my life.

It’s been quite sometime since I received or sent a postcard but whenever I go on vacation, I still buy a few. I tell myself I’m going to send them but I never do. I’m so busy squeezing every minute out of my vacation, I never allow myself time to write or find the post office to send them.

A few days ago, I asked my sister whether she still buys postcards. I was surprised to hear her say she did – but not for the reason I anticipated. She buys postcards that capture a particular scene she wasn’t able to do justice to with her photography skills.

My guess is that most people do.

Based on the number and variety of postcards on sale at souvenir shops, it’s difficult to estimate what effect technology (in particular, digital cameras and email) has had on postcard sales.

Why do you still buy or send travel postcards?

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What do you want to accomplish with your blog?

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Treasure Beach boats

What do I want to accomplish with my blog?

This is a pretty simple and straightforward question but one to which I’m finding the answer to be a bit more difficult to pin down than I thought.

When I first started, the idea was to write about Jamaica, the place where I was born, the place I’m discovering with adult eyes and after several years of not living there.

I wanted to share the Jamaica I yearn for when I’m homesick, the Jamaica beyond the well-known stereotypes – reggae, jerk, ganja (marijuana). I wanted to show readers who have never been (and even some who have) that Jamaica, the one that’s rarely seen by those who don’t venture beyond the carefully circumscribed environment of the all-inclusive resorts.

While that is the main purpose of this blog, my travel interests are much broader. And I realized quickly that I couldn’t write about Jamaica and not include all the other fabulous places I visit.

But the thrust is the same: to go beyond the usual tourist traps and get an appreciation for what a country is about.

If I’m able to do that, then I’ll consider that a major accomplishment of this blog.

Let me know what you think.

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Soulful Sundays: Sade

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Sade - Hang On To Your Love US
Image via Wikipedia

I’ve never seen Sade in concert but a good friend of mine has. From what I hear, she never disappoints.

More than her music, I like Sade as a woman and as a performer. Her smoky voice oozes romance. If you’re in love, you want to be more in love and if you’re not, you sure want to be.

She’s on tour this year. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch her in concert in the New York area.

Sade has so many songs I like, it was difficult to pick one.

Take a listen to The Sweetest Taboo.

 

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Enjoy!

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Four Days Without a Phone

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

For the last four days, I’ve been without my cell phone.

Phone

I had envisioned a different week. One where I’d be able to contact friends, remain in touch with family and friends at home and check my email on the fly. I haven’t been able to do any of it.

The first day, Tuesday, was the most challenging. I’ve been so ‘connected’ and always ‘on’ that being without my phone felt like I had lost a vital body part.

At first, I did everything in my power to get re-connected. But nothing I tried worked. Plus, I couldn’t focus on fixing my phone when I had other more important matters to deal with.

So I realized that I had to chill. Being stressed about something I couldn’t change wasn’t doing me much good so I shifted my focus to what I could control.

Once I did that, I began to relax and remember now what life was like way back when I didn’t have a cell phone or a laptop. I survived then and I will now. Besides, it’s only temporary.

I hope to get my phone sorted out tomorrow but if I don’t, I know I will be fine.