Hi all — I’m off to London tonight but just wanted to wish everyone a happy passover. I am being the worst Jew ever this year — not even trying to keep kosher for Passover. I did get to taste some delicious Matzoh Brei (more details on Gothamist later) and am planning to cook a seder with Rob while I’m away. An appropriate clip from the Onion: Passover Seder Half-Assed. Sort of like when we put a Cadbury Creme Egg on our family seder plate.
[UPDATE — here’s the Gothamist post. Cheerio!]
to D.C. for the annual pro bono extravaganza and some socializing — mostly work related, but I’m sure I’ll manage to squeak in some non-work fun as well between the conference, the business dinners, and the Justice Ginsburg reception. On a side note, after seeing Jim White tonight courtesy of Ryan (thanks, Ryan!), I met up with Jimmy for a drink at Gottino. We really enjoyed the surroundings, the wine, and the menu — I’ll definitely be back! And to help you enjoy the week, a little fun from our friends at the Onion: 60% of the Federal Budget is Wasted on Eating Out (at least I’m not the only one).
I came across this article yesterday about markets as travel destinations, which mentioned several markets I have visited during the course of my travels, including Barcelona’s Boqueria (from which I have a picture above my stove) and London’s Borough Market. After what happened surrounding my most recent visit to Borough Market, not only did I feel strangely vindicated, but I had to fight off the urge to send the article to my ex (I didn’t send it).
Off to Maine via Boston after work today — have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving, all!
Well, I had high hopes for a trip summary by now, but no such luck, I’m afraid. Instead of making you wait to see the pictures until the summary is ready, they’re up now, with captions in case you’d like to know what you’re seeing. Full report to come at some point this weekend. You can find the pictures here.
Things I miss about Italy now that I’m back:
– proper coffee
– the big wooden dining table and the fireplace in our villa
– waking up to see a view of the Italian countryside out of the bedroom window
– constant company
– seeing and experiencing new things every day
Things I missed while I was away:
– solitude
– the ability to get places independently
– non-Italian food
– friends and family who weren’t with me
– my bed, which I am convinced is the most comfortable bed ever (the bed from which I am writing this post, as a matter of fact)
Yep, that’s me — the walking dichotomy. And now, back to work. And fall.
Made it home safe and sound last night. Still a little off kilter due to jetlag and a week of general overindulgence, but I should be relatively back in gear by tomorrow. Many, many more pictures to come, but for now, just a shot of something I’ll be avoiding for at least the near future (although this dish, prepared by John and Matt in our Umbrian villa, was quite tasty). Hi to the gang — hope you all made it back to your respective homes without incident and thanks again for an outstanding week in the Italian countryside.
Off to work and then to Umbria for a week. I’ll be offline, most likely, so will be sure to unplug and relax with great friends, food and wine while exploring the countryside. Ciao!
Heading to DC today for a luncheon, then turning around and heading home. Good times.
Over the course of four days, we ate lobster rolls once, fried clams twice, and whole lobsters twice. We also made some kick-ass grilled salmon with corn salsa and shrimp tacos with grilled onions, guacamole, and chipotle crema. To balance it out, I swam across the lake and back once (1/2 mile), went on two runs, and finished up the last day with a swim/run combo (getting ready for the tri). Got to catch up with the family and some family friends a bit as well. In addition to cooking and eating, we spent a great deal of time reading, sleeping, and throwing either a ball or a stick into the lake so that Lucy (the dog), could jump in and fetch it. As a gesture of thanks for our entertaining her for hours on end, she ate our cheese plate while we weren’t looking. The pictures from the weekend are here.
And don’t forget monorails, buses, and every broken escalator in the greater NY area. Finally made it back from Maine. Recap and photos shortly. Thanks to Jenn R., Jimmy, and The Lovely Miss Katie for good times, belly laughs, and all around excellent company, and thanks to the Maine branch of the family for letting us use a portion of the the compound.
