Philadelphia and Picasso

Amtrak from Penn Station to Philadelphia is fast and easy but 4 times more expensive than the Metro North of a few days ago. Johanna picked me up at the station and we went off to breakfast at Sabrina’s to catch up. We worked together in Berkeley in the 80s and went to see a lot of music together. Sabrina’s [www.sabrinascafe.com] has several locations in Philadelphia; we went to the Callowhill café not far from the Museum. It’s a wonderful, funky style eatery reminiscent of so many East Bay cafes of the past. The food was exceptional and plentiful; what else need be said?
J pointed out that Philadelphia was originally laid out to mimic Paris and the grand boulevard from downtown to the Museum is a replica of the Place de la Concorde. The golden Greek revival museum buildings embrace a plaza at the top of the steps made famous in the first “Rocky” movie. There’s a statue of Stallone at the foot of the steps. Not a few of the visitors imitated the run to the top capped with the triumphant dance.
This is a world-class museum. I am ashamed that I have never visited it before. The Picasso exhibit covers his arrival in Paris at the turn of the century to about 1945. Most of the pieces “live” there permanently. Picasso’s work was the dominant feature but well represented were Leger, Braque, Miro, Gris, Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picabia, and numerous Americans and Russians. It is beautifully curated with photographs, books and sculptures interspersed with the paintings, drawings and prints. The rest of the Museum contains many John Singer Sargents, Monets, Orientalists, and a remarkable collection of Duchamp, Brancusi, Ellsworth Kelly and so many more. I was not familiar with Duchamp’s “famous” door but was told not to miss it. Oh, My!
We then headed down the boulevard to the Rodin Museum, which is a tiny temple in a garden. The Thinker greets you at the gate. At the top of the stairs protected on a covered “porch” is one of only three bronze casts of “The Gates of Hell.” This museum houses the largest collection of Rodin outside of Paris. It’s all there.
We then drove off to the “suburb” where J lives. Belmont Hills is an old neighborhood of varying style homes. The craftsmen and worked who built the palatial homes and municipal buildings settled there and created there much more modest but unique homes.
The commercial area is a small and charming strip of cafes, galleries and boutiques. One in particular is worth a look. “Jakes” sports one of the most creative “awnings I have ever seen. It is a pastiche of a cubist assemblage with bows to Picasso, Leger and Matisse.
We ended the day with Johanna’s family in their back yard until I had to catch my train back to NYC.

CDG

I took the Metro-North train into Grand Central Station at 8:30 and was at Chez Weis by 10. Public transportation is a good thing. Ron and I went dinner shopping at The Chelsea Market. The East Coast may not have the farmer’s markets and boutique veggies we have access to but the variety and volume of goods is inspiring. Seafood, of course, wins out hands down. There are fish markets all over the city and I am sure that the one we were in is at least as good as most. You can choose from prepared or unprepared. Branzino was a 12” whole filleted white fish [Italian Sea Bass] stuffed with black olives, herbs and garlic; the cooking instructions were posted on the case. Maya Shrimp were glazed with herbs and spices. Swordfish steaks were crusted with toasted black sesame. There were six different smoked salmons. We bought way too much! The bakery, a chain called Amy’s, had baked goods piled high everywhere. My quest was for a single baguette [actually a “Tuscan Log”] and I had to run a gauntlet of enticing creations. I succumbed to chocolate biscotti and semolina, golden raisin and fennel twists [their signature bread].
We were walking everywhere so I didn’t feel too guilty.
Tuesday AM Betsy and I took a walk on the High Line, a new elevated park that will eventually follow an old rail line from the Hudson to 30th St. The first revelation was a new view of the architecture; there were no trees or awnings obscuring the view. Local schools and businesses vie to provide their students and employees to maintain the gardens. Public art is installed around every turn. After a brisk 90-minute walk I was turned over to Ron for the gallery crawl. On one block of 22nd alone we visited 16 galleries. At the end of the block we entered Comme Des Garcons, the oh-so-chic couturier. A young man silently greeted us as we passed through the futuristic brushed steel tube into the glossy white cave. Dressed in slacks, skirt and jacket concocted from a dozen or so tweeds, worsteds, gabardines and serges, he was thinking “ oh, you poor man; you are way to large to find anything here.” I didn’t find anything. The CDG fashion statement de jour was a variety of sleeve caps sewn onto garments in mostly unexpected places. I strongly recommend a visit.

Las Vegas NE

My sisters have a passing affection for slot machines, the more complex the better. We drove out to the Mohegan Sun resort complex. Coincidently, when I worked at Kosman we did a lot of business with the Mohegan Sun Racing team…. Tina Charles [of the fantastic UCONN champions] was just acquired by them. This is an enormous casino operation. The Hotel building is worthy of any world-class modern skyline. The casino itself is as extravagant as anything I’ve seen in Nevada. The girls gravitated to the new Monopoly slots that feature an “extra” game that starts randomly and one watches as various bonus scenarios play out. The interior of the casino is glitzed-up Native American. There is an enormous Chihuly glass installation, a “Wall of Water” with an ever-changing surface and a giant alabaster mountain that houses restaurants and bars. The floor plan is deliberately circuitous and confusing. There are numerous “find-your-companion” announcement desks. Restaurants and bars are strewn throughout. The food is exceptionally good and plentiful. The requisite boutiques line a “retail wing.” The place was jammed when we left a couple of hours later.
We then drove along the coast and I was stirred by memories of swimming at Hammonassett, picking apples in Guilford and fishing on the Branford shoreline. I still can’t get over how this populous little state can be so wooded. Spring has moved onto the fast track due to a couple of 80-degree days this past week. Everything is twice as green and blooming as it was before I headed down Maine. Today looks promising.

Bridges

We took a Sunday drive yesterday [you can do that in Maine] out to Hancock County to the East. Our first stop was Searsport, an old shipping community with classic Captains’ Houses with towers, cupolas and Widow’s Walks. We then crossed the new suspension bridge at Bucksport. I love bridges. The Penobscot Narrows Bridge [its official name] utilized an unusual project program called 'owner facilitated design/build'. It coupled Maine DOT with FIGG as the designer and Cianbro/Reed & Reed as the contractor. The elevator system in the west tower delivers you to an observation room at the top. It is built along side the old bridge, which is in disrepair, but it is still a graceful beauty in rusting green. We headed south along the river to Castine at the far end of the peninsula where the Bagaduce River enters the Bay. It was always a very upscale community and the stately old homes [many Georgian and Federalist] are some of the loveliest I have seen here. Castine has a complicated history dating back to the early 1600s. It is now the home of The Maine Maritime Academy.
From Castine we drove north through Penobscot and then east to Blue Hill on the confluence of Morgan and Blue Hill Bays. We had lunch at a bird-watcher’s store/café.
On the way home we stopped at Young’s Lobster pound where I picked out a lobster, which they prepared that afternoon. Liza picked it up for my dinner few hours later. They supplied the butter, boiled potatoes and the critter was expertly cracked.

Big House, Little House, Back House Barn

T & I headed out to Brooks for breakfast at Ralph’s Café. We ran into the folks that are renting T&L’s old farm. They grow Garlic. Brooks is a blink in size but so-very-cute. We drove up the road to Jackson and the farm. There is a style of conglomerate architecture here that is described as “Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn.” The name says it all. We then drove to Monroe to meet up with their friend Gregory. G is a cabinetmaker and lives in a big old house that reminded me of the old hippy-houses we all lived in at one time or another. Old tablecloths for curtains, shells and rocks and pinecones shared the counter-tops and tables with teapots, jars of rice and potted plants. Friendly dogs and cats climbed on and off my lap as I warmed my back by the old cast Iron stove. It is so refreshing to meet a well-educated and creative back woods guy who is not concerned with who wants to take his assault weapons from him. Further down the road we passed through “Harvey-Town” where one could imagine arsenals of said assault weapons hidden in every unkempt barn and falling down doublewide. The lots were strewn with old cars, bathtubs, toilets and toys. “Prepare to Meet your God” signs reflected the presence of a huge Pentecostal church [the size of an airplane hanger] down the road. T says it is filled to overflowing on Sundays.
We stopped to fetch Liza and drove south through coastal villages along Penobscot Bay. Northport, Ducktrap, Lincolnville, Camden, Rockport, Glen Cove, Saint George, and Tenants Harbor lead the way to Port Clyde at the end of the peninsula. The ferry to Monhegan leaves from here. Port Clyde is a post card of lobster fishing society. Traps and buoys are everywhere. I mean everywhere. Driving through these tiny towns I had to ask, “does everyone here trap lobster? The answer was “pretty much.” The downside of this excursion was staring us in the face but we didn’t grasp it until we stopped for my lobster dinner. All the traps were out of the water. There were no lobsters. It was too early. The architecture of Knox and Waldo Counties is as charming as you could imagine. I fully get T&L’s desire to buy, restore/update, and sell here. Everywhere I looked I saw homes that needed some TLC. The sun came out late in the day and it warmed to about 70. We returned to Belfast in the early evening spent from a well-spent day.

Easter

Easter Sunday in Connecticut.
My sister Eileen and I get up about 4:30 AM and swallow a pot of coffee. Bill is up a few minutes later. Soon everyone is preparing for the feast. We drive through back roads lined with tall bare trees hiding homes on green hills. Rumors of spring are everywhere. The ubiquitous Forsythia explodes in Chinese yellow in every yard. Families are arriving at homes along the way. Young parents are out photographing their children. The kids are done up in the latest Easter attire. Family is big in Connecticut.
Food is very different. The old Italian treats are staples of the holidays. Pizza Gain or Pizzagaina is an egg-based concoction of diced ham, pepperoni and cheese. Rice pie is like a cheesecake made with rice. There was a ricotta-based bundt-shaped pineapple upside-down cake. Yes, it was decorated with maraschino cherries. And ambrosia with Easter pastel mini-marshmallows followed the meal. Chocolate eggs, purple peeps, jellybeans and Easter Reeses were in bowls everywhere. I contributed to the Italian theme by introducing everyone to the Cocktail Sorrento.
My sisters are way fun but I was also taken by their husbands whom I have had little contact with in the past. They are mostly foils for their wives sarcasm [the pride of the Coyle family] but at times they hold their own and transform the comedy fest to sidesplitting hilarity. I hesitate to admit that I think I may have caught the “family bug” on this adventure. Billy Junior came home from Nazareth College and actually engaged freely with the rest of us; he was a bit standoffish last visit perhaps embarrassed by the rampant silliness perpetrated by his mother and aunts. Nieces, Heather and Allison chimed in via phone and text. We got back to Cheshire in time to watch both women’s basketball games… and more rice pie. Great day

The Family Gathers

It's been over 4 years since I experienced the sarcasm and wit of my two youngest sisters. They are almost a stand-up comedy act switching from witty, often scathing repartee to side-splitting self deprecation. It does not stop. If one of the husbands or various other kin or friends joins in it becomes even more complex and hilarious. When we visited Aggie they decided to ransack her family archives and do running commentary of everything that she has saved in her 95 years. We went through hundreds of photographs dozens of old grammar and high school report cards, greeting cards [hand-made and otherwise], birth certificates, mementos, souvenirs and sundry records of immediate, extended family and beyond. Eileen and I spent quite a bit of time consolidating family history sending it out there on the Internets to see what it might yield. I got three different dog fixes... Tessie, a rambunctious beagle; Molly, a Pug puppy and Chester, a Chihuahua/Terrier mix. Driving through the woods between Cheshire and North Branford is so alien to me now. Houses are great distances apart with vast lawns that show no divisions or property lines. The weather was a balmy mid-seventies and everywhere we looked people were out sitting on their porches and sunning in their yards. All in all a delightful day.

East Coast Crawl

Home to STS to SFO to LAX
Left the house at 3:15AM. I was the only passenger for the Airport Express at STS. We picked up one at Days Inn, four more at Rohnert Park and a dozen or so at Petaluma. They do pretty well for that hour of the morning. We got to SFO by 5:30 and boarded pretty quickly. We took off a bit early and landed at LAX 18 minutes early. Virgin America planes are new and flash! Soft blue light greets you upon boarding. The seats are molded white plastic a la Star Wars with black leather and black detailing. A small tiltable video screen is attached to the back of the seat in front of you. It’s a myth that there is any more room on VA. I think the seat was a tad wider than the United seats I have been in most recently but they don’t tilt back more than 10-15 degrees and the video screen is never more that 12 inches from your face. I dozed off and banged my head on it several times. Even with the seat back I was leaning forward. The back cushion is pretty thick and with a long upper torso it thrusts you forward quite a bit. I will see if I can upgrade at all for the New York leg. I grabbed a sandwich, hash browns and soda at the Burger King. $9.09!!!!, that’s three times what you would pay anywhere else. We arrived at JFk almost a Half hour early but the bags took a long time. My sister Betsy and her hubby Gerry met me and we drove about 2 hours top Cheshire. The roads around JFK are as bad as our California Roads.