View from the penthouse apartment at 38 L’Avenue de la Bourdenais.
Cafe Rembrandt, Amsterdam
Tried Dutch alcohol at this wonderful cafe overlooking the canal and Rembrandt’s house. They don’t have cocktails like we do so we had it their way, straight. They have jenever (like gin) and corenwign. The corenwign we were served was a really good brand. We liked it a lot. It was like high end tequila. The jenever was strong, not unpleasant but not that pleasant either, to us. We had the “young” version of each of these. Old is spicier in the case of jenever, and the spice is juniper berries.
28 (food) reasons to love Manhattan
Trip dates: 9/15 – 10/13/12
Pushkin Brasserie (near Museum of Modern Art),
Add to Pushkin Brasserie ambiance this and a spiked cappuccino and you’ll recover from exhausting museum going:
Share these from Crumbs Bake Shop:
(upper west side, 97th/Columbus.)
“Wine-dark in a shallow lemon sea, pelted with capers, the curl of octopus ($16) looked messy and primeval, as if just plucked from the deep. It is the dish that a Greek restaurant lives or dies by, simple yet exacting. Tenderness should be victory enough. But the octopus at Boukiés had gone a step beyond, the flesh undoing itself, achieving a texture, at its core, close to nectar.” Ligaya Mishan, New York Times 9/21/12
Looked scary, tasted heavenly:
For less money and a different though not lesser pleasure, a hot pretzel in Central Park: 
Do you love cheese? There’s a name for that.
A choice of Schmears (upper west side, Broadway):
Oyster bar in Grand Central Station:
Spinach and kasha knishes from Yonah Shimmel’s Knishery on East Houston Street (lower east side):
Pastrami and corned beef sandwiches at Katz’s Deli (near Yonah’s, lower east side):
Tiny cupcake:
Cappuccino in Tribeca:
Comfort food at The Eatery after a show (The Phantom of the Opera).
Elevation of a bagel:
Peruvian cuisine on the upper west side at Flor De Mayo (Broadway around 98th):
Simple repast at The Boathouse (Central Park):
5 favorite things from this ski vacation
1. Catching stepdaughter and her fiancé hugging. A few times.
2. Skiing with awesome husband:
3. Sharing this run today with a friend:
4. Having someone actually benefit from my skiing tips.
5. Learning the phrase, “How much you packing under foot?” (Refers to width of ski under the boot.)
Achilles… toe? 8th day skiing, Squaw Valley
Arrive at 11 AM, park in furthest lot from the lifts:
Temps cold enough to allow snow to act as sign board:
First run, trees on Red Dog. Pep talk to self: It’s okay to be afraid as long as you keep your hands forward.
Second run, Siberia. Must pause for photos.
Too cold! Head to Solitude. Ahhh…
Time for lunch! Greek salad plus tasty brown ale at Fireside Pizza:
Back to Solitude for final runs.
Take transport lift over terrain park. Observe fun being had.
Mountain Run, what the crowded parking lot looks like on the slopes:
Achilles’ weak point was his heal. For me, it’s my toe after too many days pounding bumps:
But, no complaints. Don’t want to flunk retirement.
5 ways to flunk retirement
- Sit on the couch all day.
- Sit on Facebook all day.
- Go back to work.
- Complain about your old bones (and other body parts).
- Complain about frickin anything. (You’re retired. Shut up.)
This morning, bright and early (9:45), we fought our way through morning rush hour
to get on the Funitel at Squaw Valley
and finally to work.
Of course, we have to have a lunch break. All employees are entitled to that. Excellent fish and chips, stew, and beer at The Auld Dubliner in Squaw Valley:
Looks sweet but bites: skiing Alpine Meadows today
Alpine Meadows, California. 9:30 AM, temp around 22 F, 7 inches fresh snow.
Skiing on these (love my lady Samurais):
Just enough snow to cover icy bumps and make The Face look tasty:
The trees in the D chutes under the chair really were tasty, no shark bumps:
Followed by lower 3 Sisters:
Bumps beneath on 3 Sisters were okay.
It was a tad chilly at the top in the morning:
The highly variable weather turned to this after lunch:
It turned so dark they had to turn on the lights!
The best part of the day: seeing the Alpine Meadows Adaptive Ski school in action:
Nicci Carrera 