London & Paris: Where We Stayed

This is the second of my posts about our trip of a lifetime. You can read the first post here!

Where did we stay? Well, for those that don't know me that well, let me tell you that I am a researcher. (It's the librarian in me. 😏). So, we considered many sources when determining where to stay- advice from family/friends, TripAdvisor ratings, and recommendations from Fodor's & Frommer's travel guides. I may be the only person left that takes hard copy travel guides out of the library & reads them pretty much front to back! 

At one point I sent this photo to my stepson (for the sole purpose of sharing the Two Chicks drink) and his response? "How many travel books did you get?" 😂

London:

• Thistle Trafalgar Square- For the first two nights in London (before we left for Paris), we stayed here. It was very convenient- maybe a three-five-minute walk from the Trafalgar Square Underground station. (I found that most hotels were close to Underground stops- there are so many.) It was on a side street (almost an alley) off of Trafalgar Square itself and because of this, I found it to be quiet. If we headed out of our door and took a right, we'd be headed toward Piccadilly Circus. If we headed out of our door and took a left, we'd be in Trafalgar Square. Another small perk was being directly across from a convenience store where we could grab bottled water and snacks. The hotel and the room itself were not fancy by any means but were clean, in a good location, and the staff was pleasant. If you're looking for a "no frills" place that's reasonable, I'd recommend it!

• Resident Hotel Soho- When we came back to London after Paris, we stayed here. We were slated to spend four nights until we departed, but due to stupid COVID, ended up staying another four nights. This hotel was also centrally located near Soho and Chinatown. It was down a small side street, as well, although I'd call it an alley. The room we had for the first four nights was very spacious with a king bed. The hotel also offered a free glass of wine in the evening to residents (although we didn't end up taking advantage as we were out and about.) I really liked this hotel- I felt like it had a similar vibe to the Thistle but was a step up in terms of frills.

They were also VERY gracious and accommodating when we realized we'd be there for a second stay and need to quarantine. We did have to change rooms, however, and let's just say that this one was a tiny bit (tiny the operative word) smaller.

 

 

Yup- that's the shoebox with the FULL-sized bed that we spent four long nights in. They dropped off towels and sheets outside of our door and would ask how we were doing regularly. 

• Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3- This was an unexpected stay! We decided that it was going to be a nightmare getting up super early and getting to Heathrow for our plane home considering we still weren't feeling great. John suggested we stay at the airport so we could easily get to our terminal. Luckily, we could walk to our terminal from this hotel. (BEWARE- there is more than one Hilton Garden Inn at Heathrow, however, and we went to the wrong one first...) The hotel was clean, staff was pleasant, and compare to the shoebox above, our room was a palace! If you need to stay at the airport, highly recommend this hotel.

Paris:

• Hotel Bradford Elysees- This was a GEM! This was highly rated on TripAdvisor AND in Fodor's Paris guide, so I felt that this was a good choice and boy was it! It's in the 8th Arrondissement (neighborhood), a quick walk from the Champs d'Elysees (aka the Rodeo Drive of Paris). It had very funky common rooms on the main level - a sitting room, a breakfast room, and a lounge. This is the lounge:

It seems as though Lady Bradford, the hotel's namesake, was a big fan of birds, as you can see the birdcage light covers. There were fake birds/birdcages throughout the hotel. One might think it was tacky, but I felt like it fit right in. We were supposed to have a regular old room but ended up getting upgraded to a room with a terrace. It was really lovely. They even put rose petals on the bed and left us macarons.

Here's a panoramic shot from the terrace. It was such a cute neighborhood.

And then...the piece de la resistance. The hotel clerk took us up to our room (in the elevator from 1800 something, which he assured us was inspected regularly!) and was proud to tell us we'd been upgraded and wasn't this a lovely room? But, wait...there's more. He said, "How do you say in America? The show must go on!" He then proceeded to open the door to the terrace/balcony and proudly pointed out the "view" of the Eiffel Tower. John and I both looked at each other and thought, "Really?" We stepped out onto the terrace and we could see a teeny tiny point far off in the distance. 😆 We both said "merci" multiple times and said how grateful we were for the upgrade and the view. Once the clerk left we both smirked at each other. View of the Eiffel Tower? Sure! (It was SUCH a great view that I took zero pictures of it. John recreated the view:)

Honestly, though, if you're looking for a quaint, boutique-type hotel in a quiet area, I'd recommend it. It wasn't right next door to a Metro station, but a quick walk in multiple directions brought us to one. I didn't want something that screamed "American hotel chain" but rather something that quietly said, "You're in Paris." Hotel Bradford definitely did that.

Next up- what we ate in London & Paris!

London & Paris: Planes, Trains, Automobiles & Feet!

This will be the first of four planned blog posts on our trip to London & Paris. This one will cover the modes of transportation we used. The second will cover the places we stayed. The third and fourth will go over what we did in each city.

NOTE: This post turned out to be longer than I thought...

Planes:

• We flew on Delta, direct from Boston to London. We had enough points on American Express for basically one ticket free, so that was the driving factor in choosing that airline. We sat in the main cabin, which was OK on the way there, but on the way back, it seemed a lot smaller (could've been the fact that we were coming out of COVID and just wanted to get home!) John is over 6 feet tall, so if we could afford it, next time I'd look into the next class up/more space.

• Funny story- I had been saying for a few days before leaving that I was going to have wine on the plane (to me this is a luxury!). Even if I had to pay for it, I was getting it! The flight attendant came by and I boldly said, "I'll have a Chardonnay." She jokingly said, "We have white and red. Oh, and it's your lucky day, the white is Chardonnay!" She then asked if I wanted small, medium or large. I'm so naive. I thought she was serious! I said, "How about medium?" She said, "How about large?" 😉

So, I accepted my large wine and was happily enjoying it. As was bound to happen, John had to go to the bathroom. I got up, juggling my glasses, my Kindle, my wine, my fleece. I'm guessing you see where this is going. Yup. Wino in row 47. Spilled it on my shirt and pants. ::sigh:: So, I headed back to the bathroom to try to mop it up. After my sorry effort, I came out of the bathroom and saw the flight attendant that had served me the wine. I said, "Thanks for the large wine!" She said, "Oh, we have a fix for that." She grabbed a pad (I don't mean paper, I mean a sanitary napkin), peeled the label off the sticky part, stuck it on my hand, dipped it in soda water and said "Blot away!" Hilarious! (It worked to some degree but I still was damp.)

Trains (we took lots of them!):

• The first train we took was the Heathrow Express, which took us directly from the airport (Heathrow) to central London (Paddington Station). While it wasn't the cheapest option, it was the quickest. There were ticket sellers walking around, so one can easily purchase the tickets. I'd say if you don't want to deal with your suitcases and the Underground (see subsequent bullet point...lol), this is the next best option. 

• After getting off the Heathrow Express in Paddington, we had to make our way to our hotel using the London Underground (or Tube). We found the Tube easy to use- the lines and stops are clear and if you have Apple Pay on your phone, you can simply tap it on the readers at the turnstiles. What was not easy about the Tube? Accessibility. Very few stations have elevators or even escalators. We got to Trafalgar Square (where our hotel was) and realized we had to take our (large) suitcases up two (long) flights of stairs. I could only get mine up a few steps before having to stop. So, John ended up carrying his suitcase up to the top, I'd walk up and stand guard by it and he'd then carry mine up. Not sustainable. It really shocked us that most of the stations we were at during our time in London didn't have elevators. How do wheelchair users get around? The other issue- "minding the gap." John had heard the phrase multiple times when listening Ricky Gervais, but he didn't know the true meaning of it until we actually got onto our first subway train at Paddington. Not only is there an actual gap between the train and the platform, but in many cases, the train is higher than the platform. I thought for sure I'd be the first to trip. Nope- while trying to pull a suitcase onto the train at Paddington, John fell straight into the subway car. Ugh! Lesson learned- mind the gap (both ways!)

• To get from London to Paris, we took a Eurostar train. This was super easy! Arrive at St. Pancras Station (which we got to by taxi after learning our lesson with the suitcases at Trafalgar Square) 90 minutes early, go through Customs (which was fairly smooth), board the train and a few hours later, you're in Paris! I would highly recommend this. I think it's a lot less hassle than dealing with the airport. 
• SIDE NOTE: We were concerned about our luggage and thinking we'd have to stow it above our seats on the train, we knew we couldn't lift them that high. So, at the last minute, I found Left Luggage where we were able to store one suitcase and only bring one large one to Paris. Using Left Luggage was easy. I booked it online. We went to the counter, checked it and then picked it up on our way back.

• The equivalent of the Tube in Paris is the Metro. We found this system more complicated than the Tube. Even buying tickets was complicated! No tapping our phones to use Apple Pay. We stood at the ticket machine and were thoroughly confused. We ended up going to the counter and buying 10 round trip tickets each. A theme we saw play out in Paris was no air conditioning and the Metro trains were no difference. They had windows open in the train cars, but it was HOT. 

Automobiles:

• As noted, we ended up taking a taxi to St. Pancras Station in London for the Eurostar after struggling with our suitcases. We took one coming back from Paris, from St. Pancras to our hotel and from our hotel to Heathrow (that story will follow in the next post.) London taxis were clean, efficient, and had machines to use Apple Pay or credit card. I'd recommend if you're not up to taking the Tube.

• Not knowing how accessible the Metro would be in Paris, we ended up taking a taxi from Gare du Nord (train station where Eurostar goes) to our hotel. While we were in the queue waiting for one, we were chatting with two couples behind us. I asked if they knew if Parisian taxis took cards. One of the gentleman said, "I'm sure they do." Huh. We got into the taxi and the first thing we said was "Do you take cards?" Drive said, "Cash?" We said we only had cards (which we did) and he just asked us for the address and drove. I was thinking- is he going to drive us to an ATM machine? Turned out he took cards but preferred cash. So, don't be fooled into thinking you can't use a card in a Parisian taxi!

Feet:

• We walked A LOT. Anywhere between 20-30K steps per day. Both London & Paris are great walking cities. Wear comfortable shoes/sneakers and just be prepared to blow up the step counter on your phone...lol.

Taking My Own Advice

 

In my last blog post, I talked about how a group of citizens in Washington state are trying to get their library shut down due to the fact that they feel that inappropriate material is available to children/patrons. (Inappropriate according to them.) I tried to express in my writing that just because they feel that there's one issue with the library doesn't mean that the whole thing should be abolished/shut down (i.e., throwing the baby out with the bath water.)

I find myself currently in a situation where I need to take my own advice. John & I recently went on our "trip of a lifetime" to London and Paris for our 20th anniversary. I say "trip of a lifetime" because we haven't traveled a lot (I've never been to Europe and John had been once) and we spent so much time planning it (OK- I spent a lot of time obsessing over restaurants...lol). And you know what? It was a trip of a lifetime. Well, at least up until the day before we were scheduled to come home.

We were walking between 20-30K steps per day in both cities, which is way above our normal step count, so it was natural that toward the end of the trip, legs were sore. But then, it was more than legs being sore. Ugh. 

We were supposed to leave London to fly home on September 21st. The day before, John tested positive for COVID. We're not talking a faint line, either. We're talking lit up like a Christmas tree. Double ugh.

(SIDE NOTE: We were both lucky to have avoided COVID until this point.)

We weren't sure what to do. There are no formal regulations saying you can't fly but how could we sit on a plane for 5+ hours (masked)? After deliberating and consulting with a doctor close to John, we decided we'd need to stay in London and isolate for five days. 

It's a good thing we did. That night, John's temperature spiked to 102 and it was not a pretty scene. There's no way we could've gotten up to get on an early morning flight the next day. I ended up testing positive a day or two later. However, I won't bore you with the details of our isolation- that will come in a later post! 😂

Now that we've both tested negative twice within 48 hours and we feel 90% back to normal, I can start to reflect back on the trip and smile. Up until now, I have to admit- the memory was blemished by stupid COVID. I didn't even really want to think about the trip because that would lead me to thinking about testing positive, our symptoms, being sick in a foreign country, and isolating in a hotel room the size of a shoebox. (Sorry! I said I'd hold those details for another post. 😎)

I've been trying to remind myself that our trip was the "baby" and COVID was the "bath water." The "baby" doesn't need to be "thrown out"/blocked from my mind just because of (stupid) COVID. I know it will take some time and I've already made progress (changing my Facebook profile and cover photos to trip photos) and will continue to (drafting blog posts about the trip in my head!). 

I am here to say- don't let a negative completely cancel out a positive. It may take some time and you should give yourself some grace to move past the negative. Keep the bigger picture in mind. This photo is indicative of my bigger picture.

I got to sit on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower with the love of my life eating French pastries. 

Does it get much better?

Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water

If you throw the baby out with the bath water, you lose the good parts of something as well as the bad parts, because you reject it as a whole instead of removing what is bad.

Collins Dictionary

I spend some time each week reading library industry articles for my work. It helps me to keep apprised of trends in the industry and how they might affect my work/the work of my company. Last week I saw a link to a Seattle Times article. I read it and was flabbergasted (for lack of a better word.)

In a nutshell, a small group of citizens are trying to get the public library in Dayton, WA closed due to placement of materials dealing with gender, sexuality or race. Jessica Ruffcorn, who is leading this charge, says the library is, "...targeting kids with sexualized content." The library compromised and moved the materials in question to the adult section of the library. Ruffcorn said, "We do not trust their motives to move the books." 

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I'm sorry...WHAT? (That quote just blew me away. I'm still picking myself up after that.) As a librarian, I find that statement insulting. But wait...it gets even better.

In the voters' guide, the proponents of shutting the library down say, "The public library is an irretrievably compromised entity, and it needs to be removed from our midst."

This is where a double mic drop would come in handy.

I'm blown away. Flummoxed. Angered. Saddened.

I used the phrase "throwing the baby out with the bath water" because it's all I could think of to describe this situation.

These citizens want the library shut down because of what they consider to be the "bad" parts, completely ignoring the good parts. 

Libraries are not just a brick & mortar building to house books. Libraries provide programming (storytime, language classes, author talks, etc. etc.) for the enrichment of their patrons. Libraries provide food for those struggling with food insecurity (see article here). These are just a few of the services that public libraries provide to their community.

All of these things will go away if the library closes. (NOTE: This library serves the entire Columbia County, so not only will the 2500 residents of Dayton be out of luck, the additional 1500 residents of the other towns in the county are also out of luck.)

I liken it to this- let's say I was against makeup for young women/girls (I'm not, but for the sake of this discussion, we'll go with it.) I went into Macy's and was horrified by all of the makeup counters and how easily accessible the makeup samples were to anyone of any age. I then decide because of this Macy's needs to be shut down and I go on a campaign to do so.

Hold the phone. 

    A) I am not the only person that shops at Macy's, so what gives me the right to prevent others from shopping there if I am able to shut it down?  

    B) Macy's doesn't just sell makeup. What about the clothes? What about wedding registries? 

Throwing the baby out with the bath water. 

I respect other citizens' right to their own beliefs. However, I do not accept it when others' beliefs infringe on mine and others. I hope the citizens of Dayton that respect and value the library (from the mother bringing her kids to the children's room to the 85-year-old using the computer) stand tall in November and let their voices be heard. 

Closing a public library is an extremely dangerous precedent and one that I as a library professional will not standby and allow to go unnoticed.

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Best Foot Forward

It's tough getting old. At age 51, I am paying dearly for all of the "cute" shoes I wore when I was younger- especially those that were a half size too small. 🙄 (Yes, I'm talking to you purple "velvet" flats with tassels from Fayva.)

I have a bunion on my right foot that over the past five or so years has gradually caused more pain and discomfort and severely limited the shoes I can wear for more than a block without crying. I finally went to a podiatrist a year or so ago and she gave me a list of sneaker/shoe brands that she recommended.

I started with Allbirds, specifically the Tree Runner. I really liked that I could take the soles and laces out and wash them. (I had a pale pink pair that got pretty dirty.) While they're good for my bunion, the material is very pliable and doesn't rub against it, the arch support is not great. (My podiatrist even mentioned that most people need inserts when wearing the Allbirds. When I had my appointment, I had just gotten them, so of course I was like- "Nope- don't need inserts.) 

Murray the Golden then met my Allbirds up close & personal. ::sigh:: I ended up getting a new pair- this time a darker gray color called "mist."

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In light of vacations being planned that will involve a lot of walking, I decided to take the plunge and go for Hoka's. A local independent shoe store (Red's Shoe Barn) was having their spring sale with $10/$15/$20 off (depending on how much spent). I figured I couldn't do much better than that discount, so I went for it and got the Hoka Bondi 8 in the "Summer Song" color/design.

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I wear a size 8 regular width, but decided to try on the wide width. OH.MY.GOD. It was like walking on a pillow. The extra room really helps with my bunion- I don't feel the material rubbing up against it all and I have less pain after wearing them.

So, there you have it. A post about feet. A post about what sneakers are best for an old person with a bunion 🤣

Do you wear Allbirds? Hoka? 

Do you have another brand you'd recommend?

2023 New to Us Restaurant #2 of 5: Grove at Briar Barn Inn

Last month, John & I paid a visit to The Grove at Briar Barn Inn or simply "The Grove" in Rowley, Massachusetts, a few towns over from where we currently live.

This is restaurant #2 of 5 of part of my New Year's "Resolution" to visit new restaurants. (You can see my first review here.) 

Let me set the scene. You know when you drive through a neighborhood of ranch-style houses and then smack in the middle is this random McMansion? That's how I view the Grove. We used to live in Rowley and it's a lovely little quintessential New England town. Not flashy and not metropolitan, so this fancy restaurant is somewhat unexpected. It's part of an inn (obviously, based on the name...), so I think it aims to attract visitors from afar that want a unique New England getaway.

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The building on the left is the Grove restaurant and the building on the right is the inn. It has a very small/tight parking lot. Luckily, we had early reservations and didn't have trouble parking, but I've heard from others that they haven't been able to find a space, called the restaurant, and the person that answered asked if the customer could park their car on the town square and walk. While it isn't a long walk, it's not a hop, skip & jump. Another oddity (think McMansion among the ranch houses) was that they were offering valet parking the evening we went. Again, teeny parking lot with half cordoned off for valet parking- strange. And the parking is pretty much right where the photographer of the above picture is likely standing. That IS a hop, skip & jump.

I've noted a few oddities here, but honestly, once we entered the restaurant (barn), I was captivated.

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It's a gorgeous restaurant. You can't really tell from this photo but up in the rafters are all sorts of antiques to gaze at. It's very open and airy with the tables not close together at all. They did a really great job with the decor that lends itself to an upscale, but not pretentious atmosphere.

We started out with our "usual" drinks- a Cosmo for me and red sangria for John.

They were a great start to the experience- delicious!

We rarely get both an appetizer and a dessert, but we went all out here! To start we got the fried pickle appetizer. I'd have to say that while this wasn't bad, per se, it was average and I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to get it again.

They came with an "everything" sauce (which was similar to a Big Mac sauce) and were tasty.

Our entrees were AMAZING. Remember in my last review when I mentioned John said his Bolognese was the best he's ever had. He may have retracted that statement. 😜 He now tells me that they are equally good but different.

I had a really hard time choosing what to get and was torn between the pork chop and a fish special they had (I can't even remember what it was at this point- possibly salmon.) I generally get fish when I go out, so decided to try the pork chop- a little outside of my comfort zone. I am so glad I did! The sauce on the chop made it so moist and tender. The fingerling potatoes and veggies were a perfect complement.

Lastly...the piece de resistance. CINNAMON BREAD PUDDING. Oh.my.god.

To say we scarfed this down in no time flat. I'd say this was one of the best desserts I've ever had.

I realize that at the beginning of my review, it may have seemed like I was taking a negative slant, but between the food and the atmosphere in the barn, I'd give this an A-!

March & April: You Take the Good, You Take the Bad

I can't believe it's already the last day of April! I had planned to write this post in March, but that month flew by, too!

March and April are bittersweet. So many positive anniversaries & milestones, but also a sad one.

March

My maternal grandfather would've been 100 on March 26th! He accomplished so much in his life and I honestly don't think I was able to appreciate it all until I was an adult. 

A son, a brother, a husband, a father (to my mom & her two siblings) and a Papa (to my cousin & me). And so much more! He was an accountant by trade but to me the most impressive part was his service in WWII. 

The town that he lived in/my mom grew up in did a yearly project in which junior high and high school students interviewed town residents and told their stories. The title of his report was, "“Marauder Bombardier – Navigator World War Two." He was proud of his service and throughout the years went to many reunions of his squadron. He was the marshal of the Memorial Day parade in town.

My mom has been living back in Massachusetts for a year as of March! 

This photo was taken on March 11, 2022 after we'd packed up her condo in Florida. We still had miles to go before she was officially a resident of Massachusetts, literally and figuratively. We drove her car from Florida to Massachusetts through some sketchy weather, which as we know, Southerners do not know how to deal with...lol. She flew up and stayed with us briefly before the moving truck arrived with her possessions. Soon enough she was all moved in and has really made the condo her home. (She's really good at that- she was HGTV before there was HGTV!)

I am extremely thankful to have her close by, as John and I both enjoy spending time with her. I haven't done the math, but I'm guessing I've seen her more in the past year than I had in the 30+ years since I left for college!

April

On April 9th, 2022, a funny, cute, fresh Golden Retriever came to our house and stole our hearts. Over the past year, he's settled into his role in our family and established daily routines with us. He's a good boy and we are so lucky to have him in our lives. Even though he's currently in desperate need of a bath and smells like Fritos, he brings so much joy to us. He makes us smile, laugh, and yes, sometimes shake our heads. 

(Yes, I was shaking my head in the above one.... but also laughing hysterically)

Sadly, April is also the month I last saw my dad. It's hard to believe two years have gone by. When John & I drove back to Massachusetts in early April 2021, I fully expected he'd be there when we returned six weeks or so later. I look back at my FB messages with him and I think I was willing him to hang on until we got back. 

For all intents and purposes, this is the last photo I have of him. (I took one a few days later, before we left, but it doesn't look like him/how I want to remember him.) The two most influential men in my life. So different in many ways, but so similar, too. (Both use/d laughter as a tool and are/were very good at it, sometimes to my dismay 😵) 

Even though my dad felt like crap, he still got out when he could and walked as far as he could. I can't thank John enough for his support during my dad's sickness. Not only did he emotionally support me, but he supported my dad and my mom and I am forever thankful for having a rock during that time.

It's somewhat fitting that I post this on the day of the Bruins' game seven in round one of the playoffs. Best regular season and can't close out the first round in less than seven. My dad would have SO MUCH to say about this. (During game six I could clearly see him vehemently shaking his head in disgust.) He hated pressure moments in sports, so part of me thinks he would keep an eye on the game from afar and only tune in if they had it in the bag. 

Let's go B's! 

Pilates Twice Per Week? Oh My!

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I've posted in the past about going to a Pilates mat class once per week. I've been doing that for (eek!), close to five years. (Time flies when you're sweating.)

Last fall, I found a dance class for Grace that I wanted her to try and of course, it overlapped with my Pilates class. I talked to my instructor and she noted there was an opening in the Reformer/equipment class on Thursday night. 

SIDE NOTE: I could've sworn I'd previously posted on this blog about my one time in the Reformer/equipment class and how dizzy I was and that I'd never do it again. Can't find reference to that, but it happened.

Since that was experience was a few years ago, I decided to give it another go, as I didn't want to lose out on my once per week exercise. (When doctors ask if I exercise, I say, "well, I do Pilates." [I just tend to leave out the once per week part....]) I joined on a Thursday night and while I can say I didn't get dizzy (I made sure to leave my glasses on, which oddly was part of the problem, I think), I DEFINTELY had a more intense workout than mat class.

But I soldiered on and kept going. Unfortunately (for Grace), the dance class she was in ended up with dwindling attendance and it was canceled after the holidays. So, I'm back to having my Monday nights free. What to do?

At 50 years of age, I committed to two days of exercise. What the what? Yes, I'm now going to mat class on Monday night and Reformer/equipment on Thursday night. And you know what? I like it. I mean, it's taken five decades for me, but better late than never! (And yes, I realize that two days is ludicrous to some people who work out on the regular, but I have never been an exercise lover. So sue me.) 👊😅

2023 New to Us Restaurant #1 of 5: Buono Bistro

 As a sort of New Year's resolution, I vowed to visit (at least) five "new to us" restaurants this year. What better time to start than my birthday?

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Buono Bistro- North Andover, MA

Italian cuisine is generally not my first choice when choosing a restaurant. I like it but don't love it as much as I love Thai, Chinese, Tapas, etc... However, for my birthday, I wanted my mom to come to dinner and she'd recently had dental surgery, so I was looking for places that had softer food, such as risotto. I asked in my local Facebook group, "Merrimack Valley Eats" for places that had the best risotto. Buono Bistro's name came up many times. I narrowed my choice down to three restaurants, a "safe" choice (one we'd been to before), and two other "new to us" restaurants. In the end, I am SO GLAD I chose Buono Bistro- it was amazing! (My mom didn't end up coming with us, but we'll definitely bring her there in the future!)

Interestingly enough, the website where the photo above comes from is a restaurant review blog and the first sentence of the Buono Bistro review is, "It was a bit confusing trying to find the entrance to Buono Bistro in North Andover." YES- exactly! It's in an unassuming industrial/strip mall type building (you can kind of tell from the photo above.) We went at night, so it was unclear where to turn in and where exactly in the building the restaurant was. When we saw the type of building it was in, I think both John and I said to ourselves- "what will this place look like inside?"

Amazing. It looked amazing inside! The lighting was perfect- dark but not too dark. It had a nicely lit bar and a very large dining area with both tables and booths. We had a table, but I think next time I make a reservation, I'll ask for a booth, as all of the booths are cozily tucked against a wall.

We started with a Blueberry Limoncello martini (for me) and Italian red sangria (for John).

Both were very good! I am a big fan of blueberry lemon drop martinis, so I thought this would be similar. It was and the Prosecco added a little "something." 

We were pretty hungry, so we decided that an appetizer would be a good idea. We chose the Margherita flatbread. 

It was good, but not the "star of the show." Also, bread is served, so this was a double dose of carbs! Funny story about the bread. As soon as we sat down, we were served water and then bread with a balsamic vinegar/oil mixture. We were both dipping in it and going on our merry way eating when all of a sudden, balsamic caught me the wrong way and I basically couldn't speak. I was coughing, gasping, wheezing. Of course, right at that moment, our server came to take our drink order. I'm trying to mime to John what I want and trying to grab the drink menu to point it out. Finally, I was able to whisper my order. Awkward!

There were a handful of specials that our server shared with us (I don't remember them- only the one that I ended up getting.) John chose Pappardelle a la Bolognese (beef and veal with sweet Italian sausage in a fresh white wine tomato sauce and mozzarella.) I was originally planning on getting Butternut Squash ravioli, but once I heard that swordfish was a special, I knew that was the winner!

John said the Bolognese was the best he's ever had and the pasta was very fresh. The swordfish was very tasty. It came with a crab risotto, broccolini, and a corn salad type topping (for lack of a better description.) It was amazing! (No pics of the Bolognese- I let John eat in peace.)

We had looked at the dessert menu online prior to going and weren't wowed by anything in particular, but since it was my birthday, we decided to look one more time in person. Turns out it was a different dessert menu than online. We ended up with tiramisu and it was great! (Can't go wrong with tiramisu.)

All in all, the atmosphere, service, and food scored an A in my book. We'll definitely be back!

Riding the Wave of Grief

Last week I was driving home from some errands and started thinking about my dad. I don't even remember what prompted me to think of him, but I caught myself smiling.

I started to reflect on how far the wave of grief has taken me since his passing on May 11, 2021.

I vividly remember the morning of May 11, 2021. John and I were on our way to Florida, as my dad went into hospice the day before and we knew it wouldn't be long before he passed away. My Mom called me while we were in the airport and told me that hospice had called her and told her to come right away. In hindsight, her telling me this was likely her way of preparing me from the inevitable. We boarded our flight, and I cried off and on during the two-hour journey. 

As the flight landed and started taxiing toward the gate, I turned on my phone. Almost instantaneously, it rang. It was my mom telling me that my dad had passed away. 

At that moment, I remember a distinct feeling of time stopping- but just for me. Passengers on the plane were chatting and looking out the windows. They were carrying on with their lives. Performing normal acts of "being." I thought to myself- how can they do this? Don't they know that a great man is no longer on this Earth? I kept looking around expecting everything and everyone to stop, pause, and acknowledge this unimaginable loss, but it didn't happen. It seemed like I was somewhere between being underwater and having an out of body experience. 

That feeling was SO deep. And it lasted for a day or so. It was so strange. I've never experienced anything like it.

Now, almost two years later, I can look around and see people going about their business and living life and not be resentful or angry. I'm still angry it happened to him. I'm still sad. I still miss him. But I can now smile when I think of him and if you know him, you'd know that's what he'd want me to do. 

Also, I don't want to be the jinx, but I think it's the Bruins' year and I really wish he was here to see it.

Don't Try a New Recipe on a Holiday

Leading up to Christmas, some friends/co-workers and I were talking about what we would serve/eat on the big holiday. One of them related that her husband felt she shouldn't try a new recipe on a holiday. 

I started thinking about that, as I was planning on breaking that "rule." 

I'd been craving stuffed mushrooms and as John doesn't care for mushrooms, I thought I'd make them when I had a wider audience. I started searching for recipes in Pinterest, with the key qualifier, "easy." 

Let's stop here for a moment, shall we?

Apparently, I have lived 50 years (gasp!) only knowing one kind of stuffed mushroom. A mushroom with bread crumb stuffing. Plain and simple.

Pinterest was giving me recipes for mushrooms with cream cheese stuffing (not for me!), sausage stuffing (maybe?), and seafood stuffing (possibly?). I was overwhelmed and slightly annoyed that I couldn't find a "regular" stuffed mushroom recipe.

Then, all of sudden and randomly, I came across this one.

Stuffed mushroom recipe from a Chinese food blog? YES!

I was a bit reticent at first, but this was the simplest, most straightforward recipe I could find for what I wanted.

Prep was easy/straightforward. If you've never made them, do pay attention to the "do not soak the mushrooms" instruction. (My mother reinforced this while I was wiping mine off.)

I will say that I ended up with a fair amount of extra stuffing, so depending on whether you have extra mushrooms to stuff or not, you may want to cut back on that.

I only got a pre-cooked photo, but you can see they are stuffed generously.

They came out GREAT! Cooking time/temperature was just right. Texture/flavor was great. 

They were a crowd pleaser (even John had one!) and I would definitely make them again. Even on a holiday. 😀 I guess I proved that adage wrong!

Thank you Woks of Life blog for coming through!

Consumer Report: January 2023

Hello and Happy New Year! I'm trying to start the year off right by blogging within the first week (it's a Christmas/New Year's miracle!)

Here are some items that I've tried for the first time recently (well, recently as in "within the last six months.") 😉 and my opinions on them.

First up, Cinnamon Crunch Pop Corners:

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I absolutely love Pop Corners. Spicy Queso and White Cheddar are two of my favorites. They're "never fried," so in my mind, I'm eating a healthy snack! (I'm sure they are healthy, but my mind might think they're healthier than they actually are...lol.) I was in BJ's (New England's local version of Costco) and saw a gigundo bag of the Cinnamon Crunch Pop Corners and thought I'd give them a try.

My verdict- they are good! It's rare (for me at least) to find a crunchy snack that satisfies a sweet craving, which this does for me. Not enough to buy a gigundo bag (which I ended up throwing out probably 1/2 of because they got stale). If you can find a normal sized bag, give them a try. However, if you're looking for another opinion, here's what John had to say- "they still taste like cardboard." 🤣 (They're definitely no Doritos or potato chips!)

Continuing the purple item theme (not on purpose!), next up is Tostitos Restaurant Style Salsa.

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I have never been able to find a jarred salsa that isn't chunky. I don't like chunky salsa (neither does John). I like thin (is that the right word?) non-chunky salsa. I saw this in the grocery store but didn't try it until mid-last year. It's several steps in the right direction towards Mexican restaurant salsa. It's not quite there, but honestly, I'll take it. (It prevents me from thinking about blenderizing chunky jarred salsa- no extra step!)

Moving along to other colors of the rainbow...

Next up are some very tasty, canned spirits.

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Cranberry Island Cocktail and Blueshine Lemonade by Maine Craft Distilling.

I absolutely positively love both of these! If I was held at gunpoint and asked which was my favorite, I'd have to say the Blueshine Lemonade (but only by a hair.) They're both refreshing, light and not overly syrupy sweet. These are perfect for the summer, but honestly, they're great year-round. 

Continuing the boozy theme...

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Blake's Triple Jam Hard Cider. This was a bit of a random find for me. Since I live in Massachusetts, I saw the Maine Distilling drinks in liquor stores in Mass and grocery stores in NH, so they were familiar to me. I was looking for another fruity hard cider and started doing some Googling. I stumbled upon this, but once I saw it was brewed in Michigan, I thought I wouldn't be able to find it nearby. Wrong! I found it less than 2 miles from my house, ran out, and scooped it up. LOVE it. Probably love it slightly more than the Maine Distilling drinks. I was really worried this would be overly sweet and heavy, having three fruity flavors. Wrong again! Sweet, but not too sweet. Tasty and refreshing. If you like fruity hard cider, you must try this! (Plus, the can illustration is fabulous!)

I really thought there was one other thing I wanted to review, but at my advanced age, it's not surprising that I've forgotten it. 

Have you tried any of these? Thoughts?

Happy eating and drinking!