We are winding down as our return to California looms tomorrow evening. We have been having a relaxing time here in New York, which may sound like an oxymoron to those of you who have been to New York. Since we are staying away from the hustle and bustle of Times Square, life is less hectic and more mellow. We have seen three excellent shows and have reconnected with family and friends who live here.
On Wednesday afternoon we saw "On The Twentieth Century", a good old fashioned musical starring Kristin Chenoweth. On our way in to the show the ticket takers told us Ms. Chenoweth would not be performing and that we had the option of exchanging our tickets, a nonviable option for us, so we saw her understudy who gave a wonderful performance. The story is silly, old fashioned, and absolutely delightful. High marks to this show. Wednesday night we dined with our cousin Brian Stevens and his husband Micheal at a very nice casual restaurant called The Trestle On Tenth and had a very good meal and enjoyed our visit with a really wonderful couple with whom we love to connect every time we visit New York.
Yesterday was baby day for us. In the morning, we had breakfast with Kristy Cates-Frankfort, whom we have known since she was performing with Pinole Young Actors and swimming for the Pinole Seals, her husband Patrick, and their beautiful little daughter Gracie who just melts your heart with her smile. What a beautiful family they are and we are so thankful they made time to see us. We had lunch at Columbus Circle with Cara Beseda and her daughter Isla, another beautiful heart melter. Cara is married to Brendan Beseda, whom we have known since he was about three or four years of age. She is a delightful young woman who teaches kindergarten. It is easy to tell she loves children and is the perfect person to teach in kinder.
Last night we saw a truly amazing play, "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time". If you watched The Tony Awards show, you will recognize this play as the winner of Best Play. It actually immerses you in the mind of a young autistic boy. The story is totally absorbing and the staging and lighting let the audience into his mind. It is difficult to describe the play adequately. It really needs to be seen and experienced. It is a must see, if you come to New York and can get tickets to it.
Today, our friends Gerard Calvo and Frank Vanacore are picking us up and we will spend the day with them. We know our day will be one to remember as they are the perfect hosts and friends.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
From The (Occasionally Rainy) Big Apple
Greetings to all from New York City. Our train trip from Greenwich to Grand Central was uneventful. To tell the truth, there is not really a lot to see on this route. We caught on off peak express, so the trip took only 43 minutes. Arriving in Grand Central was rather jarring, lots of people spilling out of trains and being disgorged from Grand Central onto the streets of Manhattan. Getting a cab was easy, getting to our hotel, not quite so easy thanks to NYC traffic congestion and multiple construction projects and street closures. We were pleased when we got to the Loews Regency to discover our room was ready, so we got in and settled, had some lunch, and took a little stroll two blocks to Central Park and to get our bearings. Monday night we were picked by our good friends Gerald Calvin and his partner Frank Vanacore and we all dined at a restaurant on Lexington Avenue called Le Relais de Venise where the menu consists of salad, steak frites, and a variety of tempting desserts. The steak is tender and absolutely delicious in a mustard sauce. Our meal was wonderful and the company delightful.
Yesterday we made our way to a Barnes And Noble store (for those of you who don't remember, Barnes And Noble is a bookstore [Google "bookstore" if that word is unfamiliar to you]) as we had a couple of items we wanted to pick up, then took a cab to Columbus Circle where we ended up taking an electronic bike pedicab tour through Central Park as all good tourists to New York City do, and met Gerard for lunch. During lunch, the rains came, so we headed back to our hotel for a bit of R&R before heading off to dinner and Finding Neverland. We had a dinner reservation close to our theatre and when we got our cab at 5:15 were fairly certain we'd make our 5:45 reservation. Mother Nature, midtown rush hour traffic, and torn up streets all conspired against us to foil our plans, so we cancelled our dinner reservation, shortened our cab ride (which by this time was 45 minutes and counting and still probably about 15 minutes from our original dinner destination), and had a delicious dinner at a little Italian restaurant on 46th St about a block and a half from the theater.
Finding Neverland was a wonderful show. Glee fans will recognize Matthew Morrison as J M Barrie, and Cheers and Frazier fans will recognize Kelsey Grammer as Charles Frohman/Captain James Hook.
We really loved this show and recommend it to anyone headed to New York. There are some very magical elements to it. Today we move to our final hotel so our times of semi unpacking and repacking are waning (hallelujah) and see On The 20th Century this afternoon. Tonight we dine with our cousin Brian Stevens and his husband Michael. We are trying to low key Manhattan since we have been here on numerous occasions and have seen the sights before.
More later.
Yesterday we made our way to a Barnes And Noble store (for those of you who don't remember, Barnes And Noble is a bookstore [Google "bookstore" if that word is unfamiliar to you]) as we had a couple of items we wanted to pick up, then took a cab to Columbus Circle where we ended up taking an electronic bike pedicab tour through Central Park as all good tourists to New York City do, and met Gerard for lunch. During lunch, the rains came, so we headed back to our hotel for a bit of R&R before heading off to dinner and Finding Neverland. We had a dinner reservation close to our theatre and when we got our cab at 5:15 were fairly certain we'd make our 5:45 reservation. Mother Nature, midtown rush hour traffic, and torn up streets all conspired against us to foil our plans, so we cancelled our dinner reservation, shortened our cab ride (which by this time was 45 minutes and counting and still probably about 15 minutes from our original dinner destination), and had a delicious dinner at a little Italian restaurant on 46th St about a block and a half from the theater.
Finding Neverland was a wonderful show. Glee fans will recognize Matthew Morrison as J M Barrie, and Cheers and Frazier fans will recognize Kelsey Grammer as Charles Frohman/Captain James Hook.
We really loved this show and recommend it to anyone headed to New York. There are some very magical elements to it. Today we move to our final hotel so our times of semi unpacking and repacking are waning (hallelujah) and see On The 20th Century this afternoon. Tonight we dine with our cousin Brian Stevens and his husband Michael. We are trying to low key Manhattan since we have been here on numerous occasions and have seen the sights before.
More later.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
An Unexpected Pleasure
Today we experienced one of those unexpected pleasures of travel. We attended 10:30 Mass at St. Mary church. On our way in we met a nice young priest, Fr. Gomez, who welcomed us to the liturgy. On our way out, Fr. Gomez asked us how we liked the liturgy and when we asked what was worth seeing in Greenwich, he suggested driving down to the harbour area. No sooner had we arrived there than another car pulled up and we struck up a conversation with the driver, Jack, and his companion Rob, a man who is physically handicapped. We asked Jack where we could get out and walk around near the water and he suggested Hobb Point in Old Greenwich and gave us directions to get there. As I was talking to Siri, Jack rolled down the window and told us they were going there and they would lead us. We followed and were treated to a tour we would never have experienced had we not met Jack. To get to the public beach area requires a payment. When Jack pulled up to the pay gate he told the lady we were from California and were out here celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. She asked him if we were with and told him to say "yes" which he did and she waved us through. We saw some beautiful homes and the Long Island Sound. We ended our time with Jack and Rob at the Sweet Pea Bakery in town where we treated them to cheesecake and coffee as a small gesture of thanks for their kindness to us. We found out that Jack has been a caregiver and companion for Rob for about half a year and gets him to the gym and out walking 4 days per week. To understand Rob when he speaks takes some effort, but we did find out he is a Mets fan while Jack is a Yankee fan. In spite of that divide, it was obvious to us that they are good friends and that their friendship can withstand their opposing tastes in baseball. It was very rewarding to see a man in our age bracket being of service to Rob. When we parted, we thanked them both for our unexpected pleasure and gave them both a big God Bless.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
From Greenwich
We have arrived in Greenwich, CT after a drive that took us a bit longer than our dueling GPS systems said it should take because of congestion on I 95 within 20 miles of our destination. We are at the Homestead Inn and have a lovely room with a veranda that looks out over the property. On our way here, we saw some beautiful homes that are just begging to be photographed that are walking distance from us. We may take a walk after dinner when it should be cooler. Tonight we eat at Thomas Henkelmann restaurant right here at the inn and if the food lives up to the reputation we are in for a wonderful meal.
The lodgings Jasmine and Ryan Folden-Diaz have booked for us all along the way have been superb. In Provincetown we stayed at the Crowne Point Historic Inn which was a real treat. This is a restored Captain's home that includes other buildings that were quarters for some of the whalers between voyages that could last two years or more. Our room was in building 3 up a flight of stairs. Our room was very comfortable with a king bed, very nice decorations, and a large bathroom. The Crowne Point has an ideal location just one block from Commercial St. and is an easy walk to just about any place in Provincetown.
In Woods Hole we stayed at the Woods Hole Inn, another completely renovated hotel that is absolutely delightful. We had another wonderful room with a king bed, a view of the harbour, and another large bathroom. There are antiques (I am not referring to me and Dianne) all over the hotel. The wallpaper on the walls as you go up the stairs consists of old registration forms showing rates such as $2.50 all the way up to $7.00. Breakfast made from scratch is included and all three breakfasts we had were superb. All the staff are friendly and extremely helpful and added to the enjoyment we experienced at the Woods Hole Inn.
Tomorrow we will explore Greenwich and just relax and go where the spirit leads us.
For those of you familiar with drive on 5 from Norcal to SoCal, you will be glad to know 5's distant relative 95 is a much more agreeable ride. Instead of seeing hundreds of miles of nothing, you see hundreds of mile of densely wooded landscape, and as you drive through Rhode Island and Connecticut you see granite rocks added to the mix of dense woodlands. (I hope the woodlands are not offended by bring referred to as dense by me).
That's it for this go round.
The lodgings Jasmine and Ryan Folden-Diaz have booked for us all along the way have been superb. In Provincetown we stayed at the Crowne Point Historic Inn which was a real treat. This is a restored Captain's home that includes other buildings that were quarters for some of the whalers between voyages that could last two years or more. Our room was in building 3 up a flight of stairs. Our room was very comfortable with a king bed, very nice decorations, and a large bathroom. The Crowne Point has an ideal location just one block from Commercial St. and is an easy walk to just about any place in Provincetown.
In Woods Hole we stayed at the Woods Hole Inn, another completely renovated hotel that is absolutely delightful. We had another wonderful room with a king bed, a view of the harbour, and another large bathroom. There are antiques (I am not referring to me and Dianne) all over the hotel. The wallpaper on the walls as you go up the stairs consists of old registration forms showing rates such as $2.50 all the way up to $7.00. Breakfast made from scratch is included and all three breakfasts we had were superb. All the staff are friendly and extremely helpful and added to the enjoyment we experienced at the Woods Hole Inn.
Tomorrow we will explore Greenwich and just relax and go where the spirit leads us.
For those of you familiar with drive on 5 from Norcal to SoCal, you will be glad to know 5's distant relative 95 is a much more agreeable ride. Instead of seeing hundreds of miles of nothing, you see hundreds of mile of densely wooded landscape, and as you drive through Rhode Island and Connecticut you see granite rocks added to the mix of dense woodlands. (I hope the woodlands are not offended by bring referred to as dense by me).
That's it for this go round.
Friday, June 12, 2015
A Low Key Day
Today was a very low key day for us around Woods Hole and Falmouth. After breakfast Dianne made arrangements for us to have massages in Falmouth at 1:00 so we used the morning to walk a bit and read a bit and just be. Woods Hole is a perfect place to just be. It is not large and life is very laid back at this time of year. Apparently things pick up during July and August when ferry traffic really increases as people head for Martha's Vineyard. We are glad we are here before the season starts since we are not big on crowds, which may make you ask, "So why are you ending your trip in New York City?" We have friends and family who live there and whom we will visit, and we love to see musicals and plays on Broadway. It is a great place to visit. Speaking of musicals, we are so pleased we saw the Woods Hole community theatre's production of "Godspell" last night. The cast was very strong and had great energy and got a well earned standing ovation. It is a pleasure to see passionate amateurs who give their audiences a professional quality show because they love to perform. One of the cast stayed with her mom at the Woods Hole Inn and we thanked her and the rest of the cast for such a wonderful night of entertainment when we saw her at breakfast.
Tomorrow we drive to Greenwich, CT, where we will spend Saturday and Sunday nights before taking the train into New York City on Monday. Our impressions of Cape Cod are very favorable and we are glad to have been able to experience the rustic beauty of the Cape. We left everything as far as planning goes in the very capable hands of Ryan and Jasmine and thank them for making this trip so memorable and enjoyable. Their attention to detail and going beyond our expectations is a gift for which we are so thankful.
The next post will come to you from Greenwich.
Tomorrow we drive to Greenwich, CT, where we will spend Saturday and Sunday nights before taking the train into New York City on Monday. Our impressions of Cape Cod are very favorable and we are glad to have been able to experience the rustic beauty of the Cape. We left everything as far as planning goes in the very capable hands of Ryan and Jasmine and thank them for making this trip so memorable and enjoyable. Their attention to detail and going beyond our expectations is a gift for which we are so thankful.
The next post will come to you from Greenwich.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Martha's Vineyard
Today we took the ferry from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard. The ferry is large and the ride smooth. If you go to Martha's Vineyard expecting to go on a wine tasting tour, you will need to bring your wine with you or buy some wine at a liquor store because there are no wineries on Martha's Vineyard. The island got its name from an early English settler whose daughter Martha died in infancy in England. The story goes that when he arrived in America and made his way to the island, he found it full of wild grapes, and so he named the island Martha's Vineyard in honour of his daughter. Most of Martha's Vineyard is rustic and is covered with trees with the exception of Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Vineyard Haven. There are a number of farms on the island and permanent residents number about 16,000. There is an active lobster industry at Menemsha. Every summer President Obama and his family vacation on Martha's Vineyard. The architecture is very New England. In Oaks Bluff there is an entire colony of small gingerbread houses in Methodist Camp. Martha's Vineyard attracts thousands of tourists every summer who either own and/or rent houses. Rents start around $1,000 a week for small cottages to around $5-$10k per week the larger you go and the closer to the water you get. For those of you who want to buy, $450k will get you a small fixer upper while several million dollars will get you a large home with great water views. We took the advice of our desk clerk here at The Woods Hole Inn and hired a private tour driver. Jack our driver was very knowledgeable because grew up on Martha's Vineyard in the summers when he was a kid and has been doing tours for years. He lived year round for five years, but since winters here are brutal, he now goes to Florida each winter where he tends bar at a country club and gets to golf for free. His aunt and cousin still live here and run a b and b that has been in the family for years.
We are really enjoying the relaxed pace of life here in Woods Hole. Woods Hole is located in the southwest portion of the Cape. If you picture an arm flexing its muscles, Woods Hole is the triceps. Our drive here yesterday was very pleasant and we saw so much greenery, something we Californians are not used to seeing at this time of the year. We have Never Lost GPS with our Hertz car as well as Siri navigation on my phone and have not missed a turn yet, although the two female voices sometimes tell us different turns, but get us to the right destination. I just hope they do not start fighting with each other as we make our way from here to Greenwich, CT two days hence or I may have to shut one of them up. Tonight we are supporting local community theatre. As we were strolling through town on our way to the Woods Hole Aquarium, we passed the Community Center just a block from our hotel and noticed that Godspell opens tonight, so we got tickets. Tomorrow we may go to the museum where there is a Titanic exhibit including, I believe, the submersible that first explored the wreck. We are trying to maintain a schedule of having no schedule so we can just enjoy our surroundings and being with each other which is the best part about this trip.
We are really enjoying the relaxed pace of life here in Woods Hole. Woods Hole is located in the southwest portion of the Cape. If you picture an arm flexing its muscles, Woods Hole is the triceps. Our drive here yesterday was very pleasant and we saw so much greenery, something we Californians are not used to seeing at this time of the year. We have Never Lost GPS with our Hertz car as well as Siri navigation on my phone and have not missed a turn yet, although the two female voices sometimes tell us different turns, but get us to the right destination. I just hope they do not start fighting with each other as we make our way from here to Greenwich, CT two days hence or I may have to shut one of them up. Tonight we are supporting local community theatre. As we were strolling through town on our way to the Woods Hole Aquarium, we passed the Community Center just a block from our hotel and noticed that Godspell opens tonight, so we got tickets. Tomorrow we may go to the museum where there is a Titanic exhibit including, I believe, the submersible that first explored the wreck. We are trying to maintain a schedule of having no schedule so we can just enjoy our surroundings and being with each other which is the best part about this trip.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Correction
Since my reputation as a reputable blogger might suffer if I do not correct errors, I need to let you know that the main street in Provincetown is Commercial St., not Commerce St.
Tomorrow we are off to Woods Hole. That is all.
I am writing this from Woods Hole, and I must say whoever is responsible for editing this blog prior to publication should be fired because another error has been detected by my keen eagle eyes. In Provincetown, we ate at the Front Street Restaurant, not the Front Room. When I find the incompetent person who is supposedly editing this blog, I shall put them on display in the town square in stocks so that he may receive the ridicule he so richly deserves from the worthy citizens of Woods Hole.
The incompetence of this blog's so called editor is becoming infuriating. The sentence in the above paragraph, "When I find the incompetent person who is supposedly editing this blog, I will put THEM........citizens of Woods Hole" has a fatal grammatical error: "them" should be "him". I have remedied this intolerable situation by ordering a copy of "Voyages In English". It is coming next day air and the cost of the book and the express shipping will be deducted from the editor's meager salary. The editor will not be allowed to eat or go to bed until the exercises on antecedent agreement have been completed with no errors. One more error and the editor will be summarily fired and will need to hitch hike back to California.
Tomorrow we are off to Woods Hole. That is all.
I am writing this from Woods Hole, and I must say whoever is responsible for editing this blog prior to publication should be fired because another error has been detected by my keen eagle eyes. In Provincetown, we ate at the Front Street Restaurant, not the Front Room. When I find the incompetent person who is supposedly editing this blog, I shall put them on display in the town square in stocks so that he may receive the ridicule he so richly deserves from the worthy citizens of Woods Hole.
The incompetence of this blog's so called editor is becoming infuriating. The sentence in the above paragraph, "When I find the incompetent person who is supposedly editing this blog, I will put THEM........citizens of Woods Hole" has a fatal grammatical error: "them" should be "him". I have remedied this intolerable situation by ordering a copy of "Voyages In English". It is coming next day air and the cost of the book and the express shipping will be deducted from the editor's meager salary. The editor will not be allowed to eat or go to bed until the exercises on antecedent agreement have been completed with no errors. One more error and the editor will be summarily fired and will need to hitch hike back to California.
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