Pondering the world

Bottger Mansion of Old Town

Victorian bed & breakfast in historic Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico
110 San Felipe Street NW, Albuquerque, NM   87104
(800) 758-3639
www.bottger.com
 

accessible public art in Philadelphia

Art is everywhere in Philadelphia, from statues in public parks to the portrait gallery in the Second National Bank Building.  Large bare walls on the sides of buildings become a huge canvas for murals.  Apparently there are a lot of them in Philadelphia, because there's even a special guided tour just to see the murals.  We saw a few on our own as we were walking around.

Most murals are painted on the sides of buildings.  I can't even begin to think of what it takes to paint something that size and keep it at the correct scale and proportions.  Imagine our amazement when we saw this on the side of the building.  At first it appeared to be a painted mural, but when we got closer we realized it was actually a mural done in tiny mosiac tiles, millions of them.  The building was several stories tall and probably 100 feet deep.  The second photo is a close-up of the mural, that section at the lower right under the young man's hand.

Not everyone has the opportunity to visit all of the galleries and museums, so this art is outside in their own neighborhood, for everyone to share.

Cuba Libre--great Cuban food in Philadelphia

Cuban food?  What is that?  With all of the ethnic food that we have eaten and love, we'd never had the opportunity to try Cuban. 

On our first night in Philadelphia, Steve had suggested several places for dinner, and we decided to return to Cuba Libre where he had enjoyed dinner after a meeting in September.  The interior of the restaurant was fabulous, designed to look like a courtyard in Havana (or at least what I think one would look like), with a two-story atrium, large potted palms, balconies looking over the dining area...  it's hard to describe.  The attention to decor reminded me of the "world" restaurants in Epcot Center, only better.  If you've ever been there, you know what I mean.  I wanted to take a picture but realized it probably would not come out very well.

Everything on the menu sounded so delicious that I couldn't decide what to try, and the waiter suggested their special--"15 tastes of Cuba."  It was on a separate card, with 5 appetizers, 4 entrees, 3 side dishes, and 3 desserts.  I had seen menus like it before, where you select one dish from each category.  Didn't I say it was 15 tastes?  Yes, the meal included all 15 items on the menu!  The waiter assured me that it was just a bite-sized sample of each item.  Steve ordered a lovely salad, and we shared the 15 tastes.  (I'll list the menu at the bottom of this post.)

It was heavenly!  Each course was exquisitely plated and "accessorized," if you can say that about food. 

We made it all the way through and pretty much finished off every dish.  It's not often that I order a meal like that, but it was a special treat.  And if you're not in Philadelphia, they also have locations in Orlando and Atlantic City, and another location will be opening in Washington D.C. in the spring of 2010.

Cuba Libre

10 South Second Street

Philadelphia, PA   19106

(215) 627-0666

15 Tastes of Cuba menu

Appetizers:  pressed Cuban bread and mango butter, Havana Ceviche Misto (A chilled cocktail of shrimp and Baja bay scallops, fresh tomato cocktail salsita, saltine-coconut salad), mariquitas Latin America (black bean hummus, avocado salsa paired with house-made crispy plantain and yuca chips), empanada (chicken, corn and Jack cheese, baby spinach salad, tomatillo relish, goat cheese ranch dressing), guava BBQ rib (Cuba Libre's award-winning pork rib slow cooked and glazed with guava BBQ sauce, jicama-Sambal salad)

Entrees:  Churrasco a la Cubana (grilled skirt steak, parsley, lemon and onion sauce, rosemary mushroom escabeche salad), Camarones con Caña (pan-seared sugarcane-skewered jumbo shrimp, mango BBQ glaze, guacamole Cubano), Suntanned salmon (filet of Chilean salmon bronzed with honey-mango glaze, star anise tomato sauce), all accompanied by their signature watercress salad

Side dishes:  Moros y Cristianos (black beans and rice), Verdura en Enchilado (young mustard greens and tomatoes), maduros (fried ripened plaintains)

Desserts:  Tocino del Cielo (A traditional Cuban flan, salad of seasonal berries), Arroz con Leche (Mami Totty’s recipe for classic Cuban rice pudding, Alfajor de membrillo), Torta de Chocolate y Dulce de Leche (Fallen chocolate soufflé tart layered with dulce de leche, golden pineapple)

Tartes--walk up to the window in Philadelphia for delicious cakes and pastries

We found Tartes on our first evening in Philadelphia, as we did what we always do--dropped off the suitcases and went exploring.  We had some time until dinner, so we just decided to walk around for a bit and wander wherever, which turned out to be Arch Street near the Betsy Ross house.

The neighborhood is a bit mixed, as a lot of Philadelphia is now.  Colonial houses and buildings are mixed with modern buildings as well as many from the 1800's, parking lots and banks, restaurants and churches.  I found the mix delightful, since sometimes there were lovely row houses in unexpected places.

Tartes is in a tiny building tucked between parking lots.  See that room inside the window?  That's all it is, and there is no "inside."  It's just a walk-up window, but it's so great to watch them making the delicious goodies right there.  The display window shows you what they offer, much of which is just enough for one or two people. 

We bought a pumpkin spice cake and intended to share it for dessert after dinner.  However, it turned out that we dined at a terrific Cuban restaurant called Cuba Libre (more on that later) and ordered a special that came with dessert.  We ate the pumpkin spice cake for breakfast the next morning.  I was afraid that after sitting all night in its little box, it might be a bit stale, but it was moist and delicious, perfect with our morning coffee.

If you're ever in downtown Philadelphia and need to satisfy a craving for something sweet, drop by the window at Tartes.  Bring cash because they don't take credit cards.

Tartes Fine Cakes and Pastries

212 Arch St.

Philadelphia, PA   19106

(215) 625-2510

Weems International Artfest 2009

Do you want to see and perhaps purchase some great art and meet the artists?  The Weems International Artfest is the best place I know to see art of all kinds in one place.  Paintings, pottery, jewelry, hand-turned wooden bowls, sculpture, hand-woven shawls and hand-painted scarves, you name it--they've got it.  The booths are manned by the artists themselves, who are delighted to talk about their art, techniques and the artistic process.  It's a great place to buy great Christmas gifts for those special people in your life.

Janet Napolitano, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, is this year's honoree at the awards ceremony on Friday night, November 13th, at 7:00 p.m.  She'll be introduced by New Mexico's former long-time Senator Pete Domenici.  Past honorees include author Tony Hillerman, photographer Kim Jew, and New Mexico Symphony conductor Guillermo Figueroa.  Ms. Napolitano has been a great supporter of the Weems International Artfest.

You may even be the highest bidder on a great piece of art at the silent auction held during the Artfest.  There are twelve works in the auction this year, and the auction proceeds go to benefit three charities.

When:  Nov. 13-15:  Friday 10-9, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

Where:  at Expo New Mexico, Manuel Lujan Building, 300 San Pedro NE (near Central Avenue and Louisiana Blvd.)

Cost:  $5.00 admission ($4.00 for seniors 65+, free for children under 12), plus $4.00 parking

Personal story:  About four years ago, we were fortunate to have a very good friend give us tickets to the preview on Thursday night, which included a reception for the awards honorees.  I noticed Tony Hillerman looking at me from across the room several times.  I soon realized that I was dressed in red from head to toe, and black was definitely the color of the evening, so I stood out like a fully-decorated Christmas tree among the live trees in a U-Cut lot!

locked in the subway--caught in the SEPTA strike

Our transportation went fairly smoothly at first--the plane to Philadelphia airport, then the train from the airport to downtown.  The last leg was a subway ride from the train stop over to the next stop on the subway and a short walk to the hotel.

The train station was in East Market Mall.  I have to admit that very little is clearly marked in Philadelphia, where one would expect to see signs when you get off the train saying, "subway--> this way," and continue with the signs until you get there.  Nope.  Fortunately, Steve had recently been there and knew his way around.  However, when we came to the entrance to the subway station, the gates were closed.  Strange, we thought.  We could find no other way to get in.  No problem--he knew that there were entrances to the subway on the street.  We went out and crossed over to the street entrance at 12th street and went down, and down, and around.  We noticed that we only saw one other person the whole way along. 

We finally reached the turnstile area to get onto the subway, but the gates were closed there, too.  One lone attendant told us that the SEPTA strike had started and the station was closed--we would have to go back out the way we came.  On the way out, we decided that we would just walk the distance to the hotel.

Imagine our surprise and concern when we went up the steps to the street level to find the exit gate closed--we had been locked in.  There was no one around to unlock the gate, so we went back down to try to find another exit.  This time we went down the tunnel where we had seen that one other person.  We ended up on the other side of the tracks with another gate across the turnstiles.  At least there was another attendant there.  When we told her what had happened, she said we must have entered during that short window of time between when they went on strike and when they locked the gates.  She was kind enough to take us up to an exit gate at street level and let us out.

We always seem to have adventures when we travel--getting caught in thousands of motorcycles on their way to Sturgis, having to fly to northern Japan via Korea because an earthquake had disrupted all train traffic, driving hundreds of miles out of our way to avoid massive flooding...  seems like there's always something.

When did the SEPTA strike end?  Just as we were in Philadelphia airport flying out, of course.

Morris House Hotel in Philadelphia

While in Philadelphia, we stayed for several nights at the Morris House Hotel, a lovely colonial-era B&Bin the heart of Philadelphia.  The house has been restored to its original splendor, with modern conveniences added, of course.  Our room was quite lovely, and in addition to being a historic home full of character, the location is fabulous.

The Morris House Hotel is on St. James Street, just off 8th Street (called "Jewelers' Row" because of the concentration of jewelry stores) only a few blocks from Market Street.  Its location between the Old City historic district to the east and downtown to the west makes it a perfect spot for visiting much of Philadelphia on foot. 

And visit on foot I did!  I'm thankful that I had just bought a new pair of Dr. Scholl's sneakers, because I covered most of the city close in over two days--from Front Street and Elfreth's Alley all the way over to the Reading Terminal Market on Arch and 12th. 

I'll post more about all of the things we saw later.  As always, we seem to have adventures on our trips.  The next post is called "getting locked in on the Philadelphia subway."

Church of Beethoven--sign me up as a member!

This morning I finally had the opportunity to attend the Church of Beethoven, which convenes every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. 

I was intrigued by their description posted on an Albuquerque calendar of events:  "weekly chamber music and spoken word performances by professional musicians and poets.  Concise and varied programs washed down with great espresso drinks." 

And the slogan on their website:  "church minus the religion."

It's in a former warehouse/industrial building on Fifth Street just south of I-40, and the space is now called The Kosmos.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it's a nice performance space that has been cleaned and painted, with a small stage at one end and rows of folding chairs.  It's at the end of the building and the roof starts to slope down, so with the exposed beams and the shape, it reminds me of the "ark" type roof adopted by many Lutheran churches, including the past two of which we have been members.  They also have a translucent "stained glass" fabric over the windows, so it takes little imagination to envision it as a church.

The program was absolutely delightful and lasted for about an hour.  It began with an operatic performance of "A Hand of Bridge," Op. 35 composed by Samuel Barber is 1959.  The performers were Thomas Munro, Matt Amend, Nilam Brown and Essence Johnson of the UNM Opera Theatre, accompanied by Ivan Koska on piano.  I had never heard this piece before.  Four people are playing a hand of bridge, and the lyrics are the thoughts of each of the players as they sit at the table.  While Barber composed some fabulous "serious" music, it's nice to know he had such an interesting sense of humor.

That was followed by a reading by Anthony Hunt of selected American poems, so I heard "A Certain Slant of Light" by Emily Dickinson, Section 6 of "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman, and a work of T.S. Eliot (I didn't catch the title).  It made me want to go read more works by those poets.  Isn't that the point of exposure to culture and art?

A celebration of silence lasted for two minutes, which seemed to be a nod to the "church" part of the program.

A delightful string quartet performed the Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 by Antonin Dvorak.  ("Hey--I know this piece!"  I know and appreciate fine classical music--I've just never been able to remember titles or composers.)  The four movements were "allegro ma non troppo" (quickly but not too much), "lento" (slowly), "molto vivace" (very lively), and "vivace ma non troppo (lively but not too much).  I looked those up in an online Italian-English dictionary.  It was performed by David Felberg and Roberta Arruda on violins, Ikoku Kanda on viola, and James Holland on cello.  It was as fine a performance as any chamber music concert I've ever attended.

There is one more thing that happened which added to my extreme delight in the morning.  Soon after the performance began, a black pug trotted out of the audience seating area and through a door into a back room.  Ah--the "job dog" as our family calls them.  He obviously belongs to someone who works there or operates the place and has the run of the building.  I didn't see him for a while.  Then, during the "lento" section of the Dvorak piece (remember, this is the "slow" and "solemn" movement), the pug came wandering through the audience between people's legs and under chairs, surreptitiously sampling any drinks or food from the dishes people had set on the floor.  He finished the last dregs of the espresso of the lady sitting next to me, then lapped up water from the glass of the woman in the row in front of me.  I was trying to be quiet, but I was laughing so hard my shoulders were shaking and my eyes were watering!

There was more entertainment involved and just about as much serenity as in any church service I've ever attended.  I could tell that a lot of the people attending (it was packed) were regulars, and, just like after a real church service, they lingered to talk and have coffee after the performance was over.

Sign me up as a member of the Church of Beethoven!

Where:  1715 Fifth Street NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico

When:  Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Cost:  $15 per person

Extra:  frequent attender passes available, volunteers wanted, and a jar is designated for "offerings to the Kosmos."

queen of the tool geeks

Last week we were at Lowe's picking up some repair supplies, as always.  Near the cash registers was a display rack of those cool hats with the LED lights built into the brim.

"I need one of those so I can find things in the storage building," I said.  Our storage building is about 20x23 and has no power, so finding things in the back can be a challenge and requires a flashlight, which I almost never have with me.

"I've been thinking about getting one myself," Steve replied.  "There are times when I need to have a light but be working with both hands."

So we each got one.  His is hanging on a hook in the office so he'll know where it is.   Mine hangs on a hook just inside the storage building door, so it will be right where I need it when I go in.

How geeky is that?  But I'm all about tools, and you can't do the job right if you don't have the right tools in the right place.  And it really works--there are three settings for brightness, so I can put my hat on and see all the way to the boxes on the upper shelves in the far back corner.

There's a reason my nickname at one of my past jobs was "The Tool Queen."

another cute dog costume

Jarrod Quon--I knew him "when!"

Today we had the pleasure of watching Jarrod Quon in an episode of NBC's "Trauma."  Jarrod was a good friend of our daughter in high school, and, between marching band, concert band and high school musicals, his family and ours spent way more time at the high school than anywhere else.

It was the Halloween episode of the series, so I'm sure everyone had a great time filming it.  Jarrod's part was brief, so I'm going to have to watch it again.  It's the first time I've ever seen "Trauma," and I enjoyed it.  It had all the hallmarks of a good show for me--drama, humor, and interesting and sensitive treatment of the episode's subject.

Pretty exciting to see someone on network TV whom I've known since he was in eighth grade, huh?