catattack

The fall leaves, the maple syrup, the people. The History. I’ve never been to New England, but it’s an area I’ve always wanted to go.

I haven’t made it to Chez Panisse yet, but I did go to Bay Wolf with my sweetie and a friend the other night. Heavenly. Wonderful, interesting menu. I was attracted by the fish, and several of the small plates, but went with the bouguignone. Really sweet, really tender. And a nice glass of zinfandel to go with it.

That’s about all there is to say.

We went to Kusadasi, amazingly. And, amazingly, it turned out to be one of the big highlights of the trip! We found the people engaging and very friendly. We bought some treasures, and had to work for that (in both time and effort). Fascinating! I would still like to visit Istanbul.

In the last week I’ve gone to Santorini, Piraeus, Mycenae, and Corinth. Oh, and Rhodes and Mykonos.

Santorini is quite picturesque, really marvelous. I found Rhodes quite charming. Mykonos, unfortunately, is far too commercial at this point, filled with Beverly Hills-type boutiques. But the old ruins of Corinth and Mycenae were well worth traveling to.

The beautiful plaza, the gorgeous restaurants….. And we were there a scant two weeks after the horse race last summer, when the caterpillars were still flying their flags. And the locals still had their chests puffed out so proudly.

No, it’s not to sit at the Cheers bar. It’s to walk along the same streets as our forefathers three hundred years ago. And, while I’m there, to see some Boston Red Sox baseball at Fenway.

And, yes, there ARE rats down there! And a lot of other things, like skulls piled high and deep…very interesting. But not for everybody.

of the Scandinavian capitals, but that seems an impossible claim, as I liked almost everything I saw in Norway, Denmark, Finland. But in Helsinki, the open market, the friendly cafes, the town itself that’s built for walking….it all seemed so welcoming.

But it’s an incredible city. I’m sorry I couldn’t get out and just wander the streets (my lack of visa notwithstanding). Grand buildings, smiling people (at least in the summer), wonderful photo op.