So, when I last left you, I was waiting for a taxi in Vancouver. However (and this is the rewind part), I owed you a picture from our last outing to Yokahama. It was a reprise of friends Deidre, Susan and myself. The last time we were there, we very much admired the Tappanyaki part of the restaurant, with the Japanese chef, the fancy knives and the flames, so we went back. Here, only slightly late, is the resulting picture....
I can't take credit for the picture - that was the sweet waitress Laura at the restaurant - all I can take credit for is figuring how to upload it from Deidre's e-mail.
Where was I? Oh, on the way to Palm Springs. Here is what winter looks like in Palm Springs....
Oh, have I mentioned that before?
Neighbor and friend Michael and friends Mariah and Mar picked me up from the airport. Our usual ritual at times like these is to stop for brunch at Sherman's Deli, but there was a half an hour wait, as there was at the next two places we tried. We had time constraints, as Mar and Mariah were leaving in a few hours, flying back to Seattle, so we ended up at Carrows, a chain. In any event, it wasn't the food but the company that mattered here, and we did have a good time, in the "it is more fun to dish something than to praise it" school of reality. We dropped Mar and Mariah at the airport, and I was well and truly back, in time for a welcome afternoon nap (remembering that I had been up all night the night before.)
And, on Monday, back to the Palm Springs routine - an hour and a half at the gym in the morning, rest, errands (if there are any - there often aren't - my life here is not all that complicated), brunch, and bridge in the afternoons. The first week in March was STaC week (Those of you who play duplicate know what it is, those of you who don't don't care), suffice it to say, Master Points were to be had, so I actually played bridge six times that week. Robin and I came in first in our section on Monday, and Nancy and I placed second on Tuesday and Friday, so points were indeed accumulated. Needless to say, there wasn't time for too much else, but Michael and I did manage to go out to dinner on Thursday. It was Michael's birthday, so we took each other out in honour of our respective birthdays (I am never here for mine, which is in July). Michael wanted to share a place he is fond of (and I had never heard of), The Europa.
As you can see from the pictures, it is very old Palm Springs (actually attached to an old, and still functioning inn of 32 rooms). It is the kind of place that Michael and I both like - as we like to say, an adult restaurant, with a dress code, no children, and old favourites like escargot, steak tartar, osso bucco, lamb shanks, etc. Both the food and service were exceptional, as were the martinis. Definitely, two (or in this case, 4) thumbs up.
By Saturday, I was all bridged out. In the morning, Art and Wally invited me to look at a place they are thinking of making an offer on, (They are moving from this park, which they love, in the interests of their future financial security). I am sorry to see them moving, but house hunting - especially when other people are buying, is always fun.
In the afternoon, I drove out to La Quinta, where friends Robin and Grant live, and where the annual art fair was taking place. It is, supposedly, the biggest art fair in the country. I don't know about that, but it was certainly big enough for me. I don't think we saw the half of it in the four hours we allotted to it.
However, the venue was lovely, and my "I'm not buying" line left everyone laughing ("You'll have to introduce me to someone who will support me in the style to which I would like to become accustomed to buy me the house that those should be in....." I did buy two things, a new hat (big surprise! However, this was considerably more expensive than my usual thrift store purchases) and I small piece of art.
So, all in all, a very successful day!!
And, Sunday, finally, a day of rest, with the New York Times, floating in the pool (and yet again, no pictures. If there is ever anyone else at the pool when I'm there, maybe I'll get a picture. No promises, mind!)
This week has been very much routine, gym and bridge, but for today, when in spite of (or perhaps because of) the heat, I went to the movies, to see the National Theater of London's filming of their production of the new David Hare play, Behind the Beautiful Beyond. I love the National Theater productions. They are uniformly well acted and well staged, and this was no different. But this was pretty dark. It took place in a slum behind the airport in Mubai, where a colony of rubbish sorters (and pickers and transporters and others) live their lives in constant fear of graft and police harassment and the fear of being bulldozed away. There were two suicides, one accidental death by setting oneself on fire, and numerous beatings. I know, I know, it doesn't hold a candle to the number of deaths in an opera, but the blood and screams are much more immediate in the movies. Anyway, I would definitely recommend it - there was a sore of reconciliation in the end - but with the reservation that it is not pretty.
What else? Still reading lots - I found a new biography of Wagner, and a book called Dealing with Darwin, which discusses how Darwin was received differently depending on the social mores and expectations where it was read. An interesting concept. Really, though, I must say, both books were a little beyond me. So, at this point, I am back to reading novels, starting with a Henry James I seem to have missed, The Bostonians. It is a strange book, but at least I can understand it!
More culture this week. I'll keep you posted!
I can't take credit for the picture - that was the sweet waitress Laura at the restaurant - all I can take credit for is figuring how to upload it from Deidre's e-mail.
Where was I? Oh, on the way to Palm Springs. Here is what winter looks like in Palm Springs....
Oh, have I mentioned that before?
Neighbor and friend Michael and friends Mariah and Mar picked me up from the airport. Our usual ritual at times like these is to stop for brunch at Sherman's Deli, but there was a half an hour wait, as there was at the next two places we tried. We had time constraints, as Mar and Mariah were leaving in a few hours, flying back to Seattle, so we ended up at Carrows, a chain. In any event, it wasn't the food but the company that mattered here, and we did have a good time, in the "it is more fun to dish something than to praise it" school of reality. We dropped Mar and Mariah at the airport, and I was well and truly back, in time for a welcome afternoon nap (remembering that I had been up all night the night before.)
And, on Monday, back to the Palm Springs routine - an hour and a half at the gym in the morning, rest, errands (if there are any - there often aren't - my life here is not all that complicated), brunch, and bridge in the afternoons. The first week in March was STaC week (Those of you who play duplicate know what it is, those of you who don't don't care), suffice it to say, Master Points were to be had, so I actually played bridge six times that week. Robin and I came in first in our section on Monday, and Nancy and I placed second on Tuesday and Friday, so points were indeed accumulated. Needless to say, there wasn't time for too much else, but Michael and I did manage to go out to dinner on Thursday. It was Michael's birthday, so we took each other out in honour of our respective birthdays (I am never here for mine, which is in July). Michael wanted to share a place he is fond of (and I had never heard of), The Europa.
As you can see from the pictures, it is very old Palm Springs (actually attached to an old, and still functioning inn of 32 rooms). It is the kind of place that Michael and I both like - as we like to say, an adult restaurant, with a dress code, no children, and old favourites like escargot, steak tartar, osso bucco, lamb shanks, etc. Both the food and service were exceptional, as were the martinis. Definitely, two (or in this case, 4) thumbs up.
By Saturday, I was all bridged out. In the morning, Art and Wally invited me to look at a place they are thinking of making an offer on, (They are moving from this park, which they love, in the interests of their future financial security). I am sorry to see them moving, but house hunting - especially when other people are buying, is always fun.
In the afternoon, I drove out to La Quinta, where friends Robin and Grant live, and where the annual art fair was taking place. It is, supposedly, the biggest art fair in the country. I don't know about that, but it was certainly big enough for me. I don't think we saw the half of it in the four hours we allotted to it.
However, the venue was lovely, and my "I'm not buying" line left everyone laughing ("You'll have to introduce me to someone who will support me in the style to which I would like to become accustomed to buy me the house that those should be in....." I did buy two things, a new hat (big surprise! However, this was considerably more expensive than my usual thrift store purchases) and I small piece of art.
So, all in all, a very successful day!!
And, Sunday, finally, a day of rest, with the New York Times, floating in the pool (and yet again, no pictures. If there is ever anyone else at the pool when I'm there, maybe I'll get a picture. No promises, mind!)
This week has been very much routine, gym and bridge, but for today, when in spite of (or perhaps because of) the heat, I went to the movies, to see the National Theater of London's filming of their production of the new David Hare play, Behind the Beautiful Beyond. I love the National Theater productions. They are uniformly well acted and well staged, and this was no different. But this was pretty dark. It took place in a slum behind the airport in Mubai, where a colony of rubbish sorters (and pickers and transporters and others) live their lives in constant fear of graft and police harassment and the fear of being bulldozed away. There were two suicides, one accidental death by setting oneself on fire, and numerous beatings. I know, I know, it doesn't hold a candle to the number of deaths in an opera, but the blood and screams are much more immediate in the movies. Anyway, I would definitely recommend it - there was a sore of reconciliation in the end - but with the reservation that it is not pretty.
What else? Still reading lots - I found a new biography of Wagner, and a book called Dealing with Darwin, which discusses how Darwin was received differently depending on the social mores and expectations where it was read. An interesting concept. Really, though, I must say, both books were a little beyond me. So, at this point, I am back to reading novels, starting with a Henry James I seem to have missed, The Bostonians. It is a strange book, but at least I can understand it!
More culture this week. I'll keep you posted!
No comments:
Post a Comment