Week Five: A day at the opera

Sorry for the hiatus... weekends are blog updating time, and I have been busy busy busy... but here I am catching you up on what I'm doing!

Hingham's Loring Hall Theater is featuring "Opera in Cinema." This series of films include high quality recordings of operas at Europe's grand opera houses.

Loring Hall is an old social hall in Hingham, used for shows and dances until it was converted into a movie theater. While the seats and screen are small, there is a pleasant quaintness to this theater.

As soon as the usher handed me my playbill I climbed up to the balcony, since I've always wanted to have balcony seats at the opera.



My view wasn't obstructed as this image would lead you to believe. I didn't want to be obnoxious snapping pictures in a movie theater.



This is the very end of the first act. Again, the image on the screen was not blurry, but I was trying hard not to cause any sort of disturbance. I had the balcony all to myself, but didn't want to disturb viewers below. I really enjoyed having my own private "box" at the opera :D

The opera was subtitled, which is good because my Italian is a bit rusty, though I was pleasantly surprised at how much I understood.




After the show I treated myself to a tea at Brewed Awakenings, a coffee shop a few doors down from the theater in downtown Hingham. The shop is recently updated, and a very pleasant place to enjoy a post-cinema beverage.

These operas are showing all summer in Hingham, and also at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline. Tickets at Loring are $20, and on a rainy summer Sunday it is a welcome way to get a little bit of culture.

Week Four: Fenway Park

My uncle generously took me (and 15 other members of the family) to a Red Sox game last week. So the ticket was technically "free." But even if it weren't free, it was a standing room only ticket, which I highly recommend. Standing room areas are scattered throughout the ballpark, and their prices range from $20-30. Initially I didn't think I would enjoy the not having a seat, but I'll be honest, it's great, you're not penned into a seat and you can wander around the park. If you're not too intent on paying careful attention to the game, they are the way to go!


The walk up Landsdown Street is part of the excitement. Red Sox Nation pours out into the streets before the games. Again, if you don't have tickets, I recommend watching the game from a Fenway area bar, you get the "Red Sox Nation" atmosphere without the cost of a ticket. You can even go to Bleacher Bar where you can see right through the outfield wall, but from what I hear, you have to get there early.


Fenway Park gives me goosebumps every time!


The view from the First Base Standing Room area. It's not too bad. You have to get there early to get a spot along the standing bar. If you don't it's OK, you can still see the game on the flat screen TV.


This has to be the biggest ice cream I have ever had in my life. It was only $5 and came in a souvenir Red Sox cap cup. While the ice cream wasn't anything to write home about, I still feel like it was one of the best values in the ballpark. And my little cup is now decorating my room.


Nothing beats singing Sweet Caroline with Red Sox Nation.

Going to Fenway Park is a real treat for me. I had so much fun wandering around the ballpark with my dad. I have to admit, it was a lot of fun to get up close and personal with professional baseball after a long hiatus. I really recommend the standing room only seats, they are a really affordable way to enjoy the game!

Week Three: Coastal New Hampshire

This is the view from my friend's porch in Hampton, NH. I usually visit her two or three times each summer, and I love gazing up at the summer sky from her porch with the sound of the crashing waves in the background. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for this trip. We were able to walk along the seawall in the evening, but it was not a good trip for sitting on the beach watching the surfers. Nothing feels like being far from home more than sitting on the beach watching surfers (even though I can sit on the beach and watch surfers less than 10 minutes from home, it always feels exotic).

Because of the rain later in the evening, we stayed in and played Wii video games and chatted instead of heading down to the main beach area to wander around the arcade. I have to admit, we had a great time hanging out, and sometimes travel is more about spending time with friends than about seeing anything new.

Typically, I go for a run along the sea wall in the morning when I stay up at the beach, but I was dissuaded because of my still healing foot (I broke it in the middle of the winter), and I didn't go for a walk because of the rain (yep, I might melt). It's a great spot for a run, the terrain is really flat (which is very different from the hills I usually run at home), and there are beautiful views of the ocean. If you find yourself up there, I recommend going for a scenic run.

Despite the rain, we made it to Jb's Bagel Co, which was just a short walk away. Jb's is just a block from the beach and serves a great assortment of coffees, teas, chai (iced and hot), and delicious breakfast sandwiches. It's a great local spot where the surfers go before they hit the waves. We just got coffees and a chai tea to go and spent a relaxing morning hanging out (which really is the point of getting out of town with friends, right?)

Later in the day we headed to Portsmouth for brunch. Portsmouth is a great city for walking around aimlessly. There are lots of great restaurants and shops. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain. So we headed straight for The Friendly Toast. This restaurant features a very kitchy decor and an amazing menu. There are a lot of vegetarian friendly options, and the servings are ridiculously large.

I went for the pumpkin pancakes (pictured below) which taste just like pumpkin pie. I ordered two pancakes, but in the future, I would only order one, the pancake was easily the size of a dinner plate.

Friendly Toast also features tea from the Portsmouth Tea Company (www.portsmouthtea.com). I tried the Peppermint Pattea. I couldn't believe how good it smelled and tasted. I wanted to buy some, but didn't have time to make it to their store, then I tried to order some on the internet, but the flavor I want is sold out.



Anyway, after breakfast, we wandered around despite the rain, checking out an very comprehensive kitchen boutique called LeRoux Kitchen. As I've discussed earlier on the blog, cooking is one of the ways I travel from home, so I was interested in browsing their Le Crusset cookware among other things, but I did not buy anything since I'm trying to save money.

A few stores later, we headed back to Boston. Once again, I felt like I used my weekend to "travel" even if I didn't go far from home. I really took the time to experience the places I went, I delighted in a delicious flavor of tea that I couldn't find anywhere else, I enjoyed historic architecture, and I spent quality time with friends.

My stay was too short, and I missed a few favorite spots in Portsmouth, but I plan to go back again in a few weeks, and I will do an updated post with better pictures and more information and suggestions.

Mid-week Excursion: Lunch!

Today my mum and I were driving through Scituate while running an errand. We were thinking about going to a local tea house for lunch, but as we approached Scituate Harbor, genius struck... MARIA'S SUB SHOP!

This place is a Scituate Harbor fixture, and arguably makes the best subs ever. I ordered an "All Cheese Sub" and mum got a tuna sub, then we headed to Scituate Light to enjoy them.

Even though we ate our subs while we were sitting in the car, the experience really couldn't be rivaled. I found that I was both savoring my cheese sub with all the toppings... hots please! and the environment. There are some places that I could visit over and over again, and they will never get old, Scituate Light is one of them.

Week Two: Scituate Harbor

In the interest of full disclosure, I have always loved Scituate Harbor. It's the perfect New England downtown right on the water. It's a great downtown because it has a lot to do: movies, bowling, restaurants, and shopping all in a very small area. It has that great feeling of getting away to an island, but without leaving the mainland.

I went to Scituate on Saturday evening with a friend to get a drink on the outdoor harborfront patio at T.K.O. Malley's. But I forgot my camera, so I wasn't able to document anything for my blog. Sunday morning, I went back down to the Harbor with my mum and grandmother to take some pictures, and I ended up having a second VERY pleasant experience in a short period of time. So, today I will write to you about Sunday morning in Scituate Harbor instead of Saturday night.



First stop... The Quarterdeck.



This is best described as a curiosity shop in a teeny-tiny shack right over the water. They sell everything from jewelry (all of my jewelry for most of jr. high, high school, and early college came from there), to vintage post cards, and neat antiques.

This store just has a very eclectic collection (as this photo of the side of the building would indicate), and an amazing view. I could poke through the stuff in that store for days.



Next, I stumbled quite by accident upon the Front Street Book Shop (http://www.frontstreetbookshop.com/). As I was walking away from the Quarterdeck, I noticed a shop across the street had the door open, and had inviting yellow chairs in the front yard, so I walked over and right in. I think I might have gone in before they opened (after reading their website, they didn't open until 11), but the woman working in the store was very friendly and allowed me to shop anyway.

This bookshop is one of those great local bookstores that are disappearing (the one in my hometown disappeared about 3 years ago). And it's perfect because it's almost right across the street from the water, AND, it has seating right in the garden on the lawn so you can check out your new reads right away!



I went back to find my mum and grandmother enjoying one of the benches along the harbor (which I will attest are perfect for enjoying ice cream and cups of tea depending on the weather). So we sat and enjoyed the sun and some conversation before returning to our otherwise busy days.

I have every intention of spending another Sunday morning in Scituate Harbor soon. When I come back I will probably hit up the Quarterdeck to pick up odds and ends for different people, and finally head over to the Front Street Book Shop to pick up a new book, then pick up a cup of tea either at Coffee Corner or Dunkin' Donuts, then over to a bench along the harbor to read for a little while before going home. If I had more time, I might go for a walk down to the Lighthouse (but I'll save that for another blog entry).

The perfect thing about going to Scituate Harbor is that it is just far enough away to feel special, but close enough to be an easy diversion from reality. It's funny how quickly I sank into vacation mode while I was there, and as you know, I just lov ethat feeling and want to evoke it as often as possible.

Happy travels!

Traveling from your house: Cooking

Frying up some onions!

Two of my favorite things about travel are savoring food and socializing with friends. These two things can be achieved easily at home by cooking.

I have found that cooking leads me to appreciate what I am eating. I have more control over the freshness of the ingredients, and I also have a stronger emotional connection to the food.

Some of my fondest memories from my study abroad experience are shopping at the city's farmers' market, bringing fresh vegetables and bread home, and preparing simple fresh meals. In an effort to keep these memories alive, I seek out fresh vegetables at my town's farmers' market and the local produce stores, and try to encourage either family members or friends to join me in the kitchen and help me prepare a meal.

The experience of savoring food need not take place abroad, it can take place right in your home. Taking pride in the food you prepare, and your dining environment can evoke feelings of travel. For example, my mother decorated our dining room table with a colorful blanket she purchased in Mexico, and I often slice cheese with the cheese knife my housemate in Sweden gave me as a Christmas present. Both of these little additions to the kitchen/dining areas in our home bring our happy memories of travel home when we cannot afford the time or the money to travel far from home.

Week One: Falmouth

Falmouth is about an hour and fifteen minutes from home, so it's a really easy day trip. Obviously it would be nicer to stay overnight, but my budget being what it is, I had to do this as a day trip.

First we ate lunch at Laureen's at 170 Main St, Falmouth. I ordered a grilled eggplant sandwich, which was absolutely delicious. I'm vegetarian, and I loved the menu. But the Mediterranean plate was served without enough bread. Having said that, I would still go back in a minute.

But the whole reason for the trip was to get a cupcake!!!



Cupcakes of Falmouth at 155 Main Street, Falmouth. www.cupcakesfalmouth.com



Look at how beautiful these cupcakes are!?! I enjoyed a chocolate chip cupcake with chocolate frosting. The first time I ate one, I was with my mum, she noted that it looked like I was tearing up because they were so good (she was right).

They treat the cupcakes (and therefore, the customer) with real respect. When you select your cupcake, they put it on a platter for you to inspect. We opted to have them there, and they put them on a nice plate, and gave us a little fork. The sales associate showed us how to open the little cup that the cake was in, and we went to work on our cupcakes. Delicious as usual.



Then we wandered over to Woods Hole (alright, we drove). We had a great time wandering around, checking out the water, and then the bridge went up!



So check out the view! I like being stopped for traffic, when the traffic going by is a beautiful sail boat. I didn't mind the 10 minute wait (actually it was probably less than that), because I could just sit and enjoy the surroundings.



And how cool is this? The guy actually has to operate the traffic gate.

All told, this was basically a trip taken just for the purpose of getting cupcakes. But I will be honest, I took the time to enjoy my food and my surroundings, and I think that is what travel is all about.

Well, hi there!

Hey there!

I've decided to start a new project for summer 2009 (and ideally beyond that). Because of the downturn in the economy, I find myself as an unemployed attorney actively looking for a job, which means two things: (1) I can't afford to travel the way I would usually like to, and (2) I have time to blog again.

So, I live in the Boston area, and I figured I would chronicle great places to go that are either an easy drive from home or a reasonable drive with a reasonable cost to stay over. I cannot wait to return to world travel, but until then, I've got to maximize my local travel and really learn to love it.

I hope you enjoy my blog, and please let me know what you think!

Happy travels, even if they are close to home,

Nini


Just to prove I love international travel... this is a shot of me in Iceland earlier this year.