hunnypie

A warning, though, to those over 18 years of age: be prepared to feel old when you’re standing in line for any thrill rides: the place is swarming with teens & pre-teens.

I just heard of this: what a fascinating natural formation! Apparently, “pamukkale” means “cotton castle” in Turkish. The Wikipedia entry about these limestone-encrusted hotsprings is here.

but i did see this hot dog dude and a guy called “Googie” (rhymes with Doogie), both of which struck me as very Chicago.

I’ve never been, but i always thought i’d enjoy visiting Chicago. Looks like i’ll be there next month, and i’m really looking forward to the art and the architecture. . . . not to mention, seeing the Cubbies play ;)

Okay, 43Chicagoans, suggest some can’t-miss restaurants!

Maybe yes, maybe no.

I went to the Barcelona exhibit Sunday. There were some incredible pieces, but i would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if it hadn’t been so darned crowded. I wasn’t able to enjoy it in the way that i usually like to drink in art galleries: slowly, quietly, sitting & contemplating.

Plus, unless i’m mistaken, there were no other exhibits, which is pretty astonishing for a museum in a city of this size. I think, though, that renovations of the museum are just now being completed, so perhaps it will be better by my next visit.

I went yesterday & thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved looking at the clothes that various artists had actually worn: a shirt & jacket of Muddy Waters, several stage outfits of David Bowie, a black suit (down to the shoes!) that Johnny Cash had worn . . . and gazoodles more!

One of the most awesome things (one of a few that literally gave me chills) was a piano that had belonged to John Lennon. He sat at that keyboard composing (Apparently he composed much of the Double Fantasy album there.), and wax from candles that were burning as he sat there & played & sang with friends remained on the box. Wow.

I was also struck by how beautiful Jimi Hendrix’s handwriting was (odd, i know): the museum has quite a few pages of his compositional jottings.

And the opportunity to just listen to the groundbreaking music! There is a listening station with the 500 (i think) most significant songs in R & R history. I think the museum was wise not to put chairs in that area: i, for one, could have stayed all day in just that section, had my body not gotten tired of standing in one place.

Amazing!

Another inspiration from The World’s “Geo Quiz”: One of the quizzes this week featured Tasmania, with an extensive discussion about Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey by a beekeeper (and author) from Connecticut, who traveled to Tasmania solely for the honey. Yum!

And the diverse flora & fauna don’t harm the appeal of the island, either!

Dunhuang was featured on the Geo Quiz on NPR/BBC News’s The World. Below is a quote from the show:

a Chinese town at the eastern end of the ancient Silk Road. It marks the spot where East meets West. Where Buddhism entered China 1,500 years ago. Today, the town is most famous for its cave complex carved into a mile-long stretch of rock.

Its subterranean temples are chock full of treasure: ancient paintings, sculptures, and scriptures. Most of the artifacts date back to the 5th century, but they weren’t discovered until the late 1800’s. Some were taken away to be exhibited in museums around the world. Those that remain are considered national treasures of China. Today, it’s tourists, not traders who flock to this ancient rest stop on the Silk Road.

But i remember the Mission as being quite beautiful. I’d love to go back someday for the return of the swallows.

It just strikes me as a good “fit” for me: the cuisine, the arts, the terrain, the history . . . . I’d love to just go spend a week or two getting to know the place.