Friday Fireworks

It's tradition in this little coastal town to set off fireworks for Independence Day, although they aren't always scheduled on the actual holiday. Apparently, this is a much bigger local event that I thought. I have seen the fireworks here before, but that was at my great-uncle's house which had the perfect view from the glass-fronted covered deck next to the living room. All the viewing pleasure without having to go out in the cold. And with the TV on and family laughing and joking, we could easily ignore any traffic going by the house.

This time, we were outside on the deck (wrapped up in warm clothing and a blanket) in a house that faces the only access road to the fireworks' ground zero. We had a great view from the house and didn't need to drive anywhere--and good thing too. Apparently, people want to be as close to the fireworks as possible because cars were driving by the house all day. I can only imagine what kind of creative parking people were doing to fit their car in so they could watch the show. I assume that there was much parking on grass and at angles only a protractor could replicate (that is my poor effort at a math joke). To give you an idea of how many people there were, the line of cars after the fireworks stretched all the way to the other side of of the harbor past where we could see (a couple of miles at least). There were still cars going by after 11pm, more than a hour after the show ended. So yeah, it's a popular show in this area.

We also got to enjoy another American summer tradition: smores. Nothing like a good smore washed down with a glass of milk for a little pre-show treat. For those who don't know what a smore is (I do get some international readers apparently), it's made by sandwiching a roasted marshmallow--it needs to be gooey for full effect--and a piece of chocolate between two graham crackers. It's really sweet, but still really good.

There is always a risk that the fog will come in and cause the fireworks show to be canceled. Luckily, that didn't happen last night. The sky remained clear and I could see still see stars when we went back inside. I looked outside this morning and there is a healthy cover of fog over the water. Good thing the fireworks weren't scheduled for today. And I think my sunbathing may be over. The heat wave has broken.

July Travels

I spoke to my mom yesterday. She's dealing with some minor medical issues, and to speed her recovery and keep them from becoming major medical issues she has adopted a personal mantra of keeping things stress-free. Thanks, Mom for the inspiration because at least for this weekend I am doing the same.

Scooter and I have escaped to the coast, back to my aunt and uncle's summer home in the coastal village I love so much. The uncomfortable heat at home means that for the first time ever (at least since I started bringing Scooter up here), the weather is warm enough to spend time enjoying the deck. Last night, after getting into town late, we sat out on the deck for quite awhile, enjoying the quiet and looking at the stars in a clear night sky that should have been shrouded in fog. We relaxed and talked and just were. A drastic change in my chaotic routine, and one I have desperately needed. Stress-free, just like the mantra says.

This morning, we cooked a simple breakfast and ate while sitting in the deck chairs with a chorus of morning bird calls and the harbor's foghorn. I hear the gulls off in the distance at one of the wharfs calling out for food. The sky is a perfect color of blue, although there seems to be a fog bank out in the direction of the ocean that is fighting with the sun and losing. I can see boats coming into the harbor right up the Channel, turning the calm water into white froth. Turkey vultures are soaring through the sky, using the wind to lift them without a single flap of their wings. The warm wood of the deck is soothing on my bare feet and the slight breeze that's making the tree branches gently sway feels delightful. It's really the perfect, idyllic morning and I'm sorry it's taken a few years of coming up here to finally win the weather lottery.

The rest of the day will likely be more of the same. I brought up some of my old art supplies, something I've been wanting to take up again after having been away from sketching and drawing for years. This place inspires me, and I want and hope to somehow capture the kinship I feel with this place. I still think this town would be the perfect setting for a fantasy novel, for it possesses a quiet mystique if you only know how to see it.

Yep, definitely a stress-free day.

Weekend Adventures

I honestly don't know when it was that I first fell in love with the small coastal town that Scooter and I frequent at least a few times a year. My grandmother lived there when I was growing up, so perhaps it's the memories that have turned my like into love over the years. Whatever it is, it's the place that I dream of living in one day. In a perfect world, I would be able to live there, and cook, garden, and read to my heart's content, and I would work part-time at the county library system.

The town, which is home to less than 1,000 people, is nestled along the coastal highway that travels up and down the coast of California. The highway winds right through the middle of town, bringing tourists in on the weekends throughout the year; the local economy seems to rely on fishing and tourism. And despite the rowdy crowd from the city (of which I don't consider myself one), the town is positively charming. For the weekend tourist, there are several gift shops to choose from, salt water taffy and seafood, and some gorgeous scenery. Bumper stickers for his or her car describe the town as "a quiet little drinking village with a fishing problem" to get a laugh out of friends once the tourist returns home. For the less transient resident--which I file myself under because even though I'm not always there in body, my heart is there year-round--there is a slower, quieter life that you can't always see if you're only there for the weekend. The fog rolls in during the early to mid-morning, cloaking the harbor in a grey mist that obscures the view of the water; the sun burns it off by the afternoon to reveal the marinas, the water, and the shoreline. Gulls call to each other in the hopes of finding food to scavenge, and the seals bark across the harbor. The fog horn bellows every 10-15 seconds, day or night, rain or shine; it keeps boats from crashing on the rocks around the headland that forms part of the entry into the harbor. Ocean winds on the headland guarantee decent kite flying almost all the time. The moisture and salt in the air plays havoc with the metal of vehicles. Winter storms are much more thrilling there than they are in the middle of the suburbs. There is no traffic, not by city standards, and in fact there are no street lights in town. It's an accepted fact that for anything other than regular groceries, one is expected to drive to the next town over to the larger chain stores and supermarkets. It's a different life, and one I hope to someday make mine.

But in the meantime, Scooter and I spend time up there when we can and dream about what it would be like to live there full-time. We stay at my aunt and uncle's summer home, which has a perfect view of the channel used by the boats to sail out of the harbor. This last weekend was also the annual Fisherman's Festival, so we got to enjoy the festivities as well. Here are some pictures from last weekend's adventures:

My favorite beach, just north of the town

The beach has a freshwater creek that runs from the hills on the other side of the road.

Some picturesque houses along the coast

The countryside around the town is home to many farms. You can see cows, sheep, horses, and goats all within a few minutes' drive.

We started the morning of the festival off with a yummy breakfast of homemade crab eggs Benedict. *drool*

Llamas are a regular at the festival. The owner (on the right) brought them out for a walk around to greet people.

Llama close-up!

Local rescue crews used this helicopter to demonstrate a water rescue in the harbor near the festival (a demo they continue to do every year).

On the last day of the festival, the boats in the harbor sail out to the bay, then are blessed by a priest as they come back in. The Blessing of the Fleet is done to protect the boats in the coming year.

That's the sum of my adventures. My aunt and I have already talked about when Scooter and I will be able to go up again. It won't be for a few months, at the least. Not soon enough for me!

The End

A piece of real meteorite at the pillar for the Asteroid Belt

Today was much warmer than it has been the rest of the time I've been here. And for whatever reason, I thought it would the perfect day to walk to the Sciencenter (as they spell it). The plan was to walk the path of the solar system from the Commons. The solar system is marked by stone pillars for each planet, the Sun, and Asteroid Belt for a total of 11 pillars that are spaced according to their actual relative differences in our solar system.

We started off okay, and got all the way to Uranus. Then things started going awry. The pillars have arrows pointing to the next pillar traveling inward and outward. However, the arrows are rather vague and point in a general direction. So after Uranus, we took a wrong turn and walked...and walked...and walked without seeing the next pillar. In short, we lost the path. Not good on a hot day when we didn't think to bring water. And my phone proved that it is living up to the name Worthless Piece of Crap because the map app I have refused to work (despite having a full signal and full web access). We finally backtracked and found the Sciencenter. Sadly, it wasn't like what I thought it was. I was expecting a Lawrence Hall of Science-type museum; it was more like Dora the Explorer meets Mr. Wizard--definitely for a much younger audience. So we walked back to the car, but it was much easier to get back.

The Ithaca Wegmans store

We made a stop at Wegmans for some stuff for dinner--we were going to make Italian: risotto with asparagus and veal scalloppini with Marsala. And because that wasn't enough, BD pulled out a can of real fois gras. He even made us toast points. Mom, you would have been so proud of our spread.

Now, I'm just relaxing after such a fine meal and listening to NPR. I've had so much fun on this trip, but I will be glad to get home to Scooter, my family, and my kitties. This will be my last post from my trip. Ithaca has certainly gained a place in my heart, and I hope not to have to wait too long before returning. If you have been following this one of my adventures, I hope you've had as much fun reading as I have had writing about it. Regular blog topics will resume next week.

Wining and Dining

Once again, I was too tired to post anything last night about yesterday's adventure. I think all the wine yesterday put me to sleep. And no Mom, I was not driving drunk, or even buzzed--I would never put Brother Dear or myself in that kind of danger (that was my disclaimer).

Yesterday was Chinese Buffet for lunch. It was very good, I have to say, and there was quite a selection. It's good to know that there is tasty Chinese to be had here. BD says that other than Swedish and Mexican, you can get any other kind of food here and it will be good. The only Swedish to be had is Glogg wine (already spiced), the cracker bread that comes in large rounds (I don't know how to spell the Swedish term), cheese, and only a couple of canned and jarred fish things that I would classify as "fake Swedish." Poor BD; I know he likes the Swedish stuff. I told him I would send him a care package. If I were to actually move here, I would have to ask my parents to do the same for me.

The tasting room at Americana Winery

After lunch, we headed out of town for wine tasting on what is known as the Cayuga Wine Trail. There are quite a few wineries along the Cayuga Lake, one of the finger lakes in this area (BD says there are about 5 finger lakes all together). BD and one of the people at a winery we went to said that the specialty of the area are white wines and sweet wines, and BD says they are well-known for both. Unfortunately, everything is about Napa Valley when it comes to wines back home, so I haven't had the pleasure of sampling wines from this region yet. Well, prior to yesterday anyway.

It was quite a different experience from Napa. In Napa, there are fields upon fields of vinyards as far as the eye can see and there is no question that you're in wine country. To make it even more apparent, the wineries have sometimes very lavish entrances with granite stones, fountains, flowers, and really big signs proclaiming that they are there. They're also all on the main highways. Here, you sometimes forget you're actually in wine country. There are some fields of vinyards you can see from the road, but they are interrupted by large swaths of forested areas, and they are smaller in size than their Napa counterparts. A lot of the vinyards are away from the roads and you don't even see them. Also, some of the vinyards aren't even visible from the main road and the only thing to guide you is a small sign that can be easy to miss if you're not watching for it. It's like you have to be in the super-secret cool kids' club to know where all the good spots are, or at least know a local.

The first winery we went to was the Americana Winery. It is one of those not visible from the road, and we almost missed it. When we turned off the main road, we actually passed some private homes before getting to it (how cool to live next to a winery!). It was very cute and charming, and there were a couple of dogs (possibly chocolate labs) running around. Inside, we were greeted by a very warm lady who assisted us with some wine tasting. (By the way, every place we went to only charged $2-$3 for anywhere from 5-8 wines. Not bad at all!) I got to taste some wonderful wines of the region and ended up leaving with 2 bottles.

Buttonwood Grove Winery 

The other three wineries we stopped at seemed to follow suit. We tasted some excellent table wines, and there were a couple that were so sweet and had so much residual sugar that you couldn't taste the alcohol at all. I told BD that he may have to go back to some of them and get a bottle of those and ship it to me. I had to keep remembering that I have to take everything I buy back home--otherwise I would have gotten quite a few more bottles. The third winery we stopped at, Buttonwood Grove, was set back from the road towards the edge of a large field. There was a pond with an arbor across the field from the tasting room, and an enclosure on the other side of the drive with two goats and a Scottish highland cow (I think that's her species) named Melody. You can buy food in the tasting room to feed them, which we did. It was a beautiful spot with lots of birds chirping and fluttering around. It also had a beautiful view of the lake, and would be a perfect place for a picnic lunch.

The goat that came to eat the treats we had at Buttonwood Grove.

Melody, the Scottish highland cow

The front of the Antlers restaurant

We finally got back to Ithaca when the afternoon was almost over. We spent some time relaxing at the apartment before going to a place called Antlers for dinner. Thursday is Lobster Night, where they have a good deal on Maine lobster--a whole lobster for $16. It was soooooo good. Lobster is actually not that unhealthy, it's the butter that goes with it that adds about a million calories and tons of fat. Oh well, it was really good. I finished the meal with some creme brulee. When we left, we could hear crickets and frogs in the trees surrounding the restaurant parking lot. I was ready to call it a night.

Today, my last day here, will be fairly low-key. We'll be hopefully going to the Science Center and cooking dinner at home. I leave bright and early tomorrow.

So...high...up...

Today I went hiking and it was a grueling hike. But before that, we went to the Waffle Frolic. It's a cafe-type place in the area of downtown Ithaca known as The Commons. It's one place that Brother Dear hadn't been to before. Prior to it opening, the location had been a Mexican burrito place that was rather sub-par according to BD (Brother Dear). Much to his dismay, there has been no good Mexican place to be had in Ithaca. I guess that's one benefit of living in California, something I really take for granted. But Waffle Frolic, the place there now is quite good. The waffles are huge and very tasty, and there's quite the selection of toppings to go on them. Needless to say, it was a really good brunch.

After we ate, and as we walked back to the car, BD pointed out some stone pillars in the courtyard area of The Commons. The one he pointed out is the one pictured here: Mercury. It gives some information on the planet, including a description and some basic stats. BD explained that it was part of a model of the solar system built to scale. The pillar representing the Sun was nearby, as were the other "inner" planets. Jupiter was several blocks away, and Pluto--now stripped of its planetary status--is located at the Science Center (which we may go see on Friday). It was a cool thing for the city to have and a testament to the value the community seems to place on education.

Finally we drove out to Buttermilk Falls. The falls are part of a local state park (how cool is that to have a state park practically outside your back door) that also has a campground area. The falls themselves are not a single waterfall, but a long series of falls along a creek just south of Ithaca. To see them all, you have to hike up and along one side of the gorge the creek runs through. There are many, many, many stairs to climb and I had to catch my breath many times. Despite the walking I've done so far this week, I'm far from being fit.  So this climb up Buttermilk Falls was a real test of my willpower to stay upright as I huffed and puffed my way up the gorge.

The base of the falls

The falls cut through the rock lining the gorge.

The falls cascade down the incline and are broken by pools of water.

We're getting near the top of the falls here.

Despite my mild grousing, it was well worth it. Every turn of the trail led to new discoveries of beautiful waterfalls, pools of water, and rock (which BD said might be shale). There was so much water in the surrounding ground that parts of the trail were wet because of the excess water dripping down tree roots, moss, and exposed rock. I was so hot from the climb and the water in the creek looked so inviting that only the danger of the rushing water kept me from getting my feet wet.

On the way back, we took a different trail that ran parallel to the creek on the other side, but further in so we were surrounded by trees. I was able to hear bird calls and the rustling of woodland creatures much better away from most of the loud roar of the waterfalls that was a constant companion on the way up. We saw a doe browsing in the trees, as well as several birds, and even a milipede making its slow way across the path. The path down was quite steep in places, which is easy on the lungs but hard on the legs and ankles. I was glad to see the car when we made it back to the parking lot.

Dinner was at Uncle Joe's, a bar that also serves some food. It's the only place I've been to where I was able to get a truly rare burger. They buy high-quality beef so they can make burgers with lots of red in the middle--and it was delicious and juicy and flavorful. I like my meat to moo, even better if it tries to jump off the plate. Uncle Joe's officially has the best burgers.

So just a list of wildlife I've been able to positively identify so far on my trip:
Deer
Eastern Cottontail
Chipmunk
Common Grackle
Blue Jay (a bird only in the Eastern US; Western US species jay that is similar is the Scrub Jay)
Centipede
Millipede
Slate-colored Junco
Cedar Waxwing
Mourning Dove

I wish I knew birdcalls better than I do. I hear so many of them when I'm out and can never figure out what bird is making them.

Tomorrow BD and I are going wine tasting and possibly star-gazing. The sky at night out where there are no lights is supposedly amazing.

Braving the Falls

Yesterday I walked to Canada. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? What if I was at Niagara Falls when I did it? Not as impressive. With everything my brother and I did, I was too tired to post last night. I ended up going to bed early. So as I get ready for another day, I'm posting now to make sure I don't forget anything.

We got an early start so we could get there at a reasonable time. From Ithaca, the drive is about three and a half hours. I was enchanted by the scenery and wished I wasn't driving so I could enjoy it more. The countryside in upstate New York is absolutely beautiful. So many green fields and open skies. Even the houses were pretty. I could tell we were driving through Amish country, especially when we saw a horse and buggy with a gentleman and his daughter in the front seat. But we were past them too quickly for me to see more than a glance.

One of the things that I don't know if I could get used to would be the toll roads. To be allowed to drive on one of the highways we had to take, we needed to pay a toll. We got a little card that showed where we got on the freeway and we paid where we got off. It ended up being about $9 for the round trip. Oh, and the bridge was an additional dollar in each direction--which is still cheaper than bridge toll at home.
We finally got to Niagra Falls shortly before 11:30. We could see the rushing rapids leading to the sharp drop-off as we drove to find parking. My brother and I ate the lunch we brought--a sandwich we got at Wegmans yesterday for the trip--at the top of the falls where we could see the water flowing over the edge. The water was loud!

Public access area at the bottom of the eastern (?) side of the falls.

Niagara Falls observation tower

We took the Maid of the Mist tour which took us around the river at the base of the falls. But before we got on the boat, we went up to the observation deck to see the falls. And it took my breath away.

Have you ever seen something so beautiful that you almost want to cry? Niagara Falls was like that for me. Every view of the falls just filled me with this sense of wonder and awe. To be able to live in a world where such a place exists, it's almost easy to believe that the world is inherently good. It was almost a religious experience.

And then we got on the Maid of the Mist and it got even better. As we approached the falls, the thunderous sound of the cascading water drowned out the boat's PA system that was trying to tell us about the falls. I wouldn't have been able to pay attention anyway because the falls had so completely arrested my attention. I must have taken dozens of of pictures of the falls; I'm only showing a small fraction of them here. The cliffs and the rocks between the two sides of the falls were covered with birds; there were literally thousands of them there and flying around in the air. I think they were nesting there.

The sun came out as we were exploring the public area at the bottom of the falls.

The Canada side skyline

After the boat ride, my brother and I walked around the public areas near the base of one side of the falls, then headed to Canada. One of his roommates told us the view is much better on the Canadian side, so I wanted to get some pictures at the very least. Canada's Customs was very lax. We were asked who we were and why we were there and if we had any firearms. And that was it. When we came back into the US, we had to stand behind a locked door until we were called, and were asked several questions while they examined our passports. Oh, and get this. We had to pay 50 cents each to leave Canada. My brother was outraged by the concept.

Niagara Falls view from Canada

The drive back to Ithaca was long, but we stopped by a service area that had a Starbucks so I could get something to perk me up for the rest of the drive. We finally made it back home, and I was feeling tired but elated.

Dinner that night was barbeque. A chipmunk came by to say hello but quickly scurried off when there was no food to be found, at least for him. My brother grilled some hot dogs that we ate outside right at the barbeque pit as the last rays of the sun were streaming through the trees, creating a green halo of light. It was a perfect end to an already spectacular day.

Today will be breakfast out and hiking south of Ithaca to buttermilk falls.

A (Somewhat) Quiet Day

Today has been a somewhat quiet day. We got a bit of a late start and so skipped breakfast in order to be able to do justice to our planned lunch, which was fine with me. We finally headed out around 11:30.

My brother is definitely one smart cookie. He knew that I wanted to walk through the Cornell campus to see the university, so he planned for us to walk through the campus to get to our lunch spot. It was a perfect way to achieve both objectives, and the walk (about 4 miles) definitely did me some good. Plus, I think the best way to see anything is to take your time about it; rushing through a place won't let you appreciate all that it has to offer. So as the clock tower in the middle of campus struck the time, we were strolling through the Arts Quad heading towards the clock tower itself. On either side of the quad stand two statues, one of Ezra Cornell and one of Andrew Dickson White, both founders of the university. Legend has it that if a virgin crosses the Quad at midnight as the clock tower chimes the hour, these statues will come alive, walk to the center of the quad, and shake hands "on the chastity of the university." Of course, there are no accounts of this happening but it is a fun tale to tell.

After we passed through the Quad, we came to the two main university libraries, Olin Library and Uris library. I couldn't help taking this picture of Uris Library. The brickwork on the building and the style struck me as art in itself. Many of the buildings--most of which I suspect were built not long after the university was founded--are made of brick with colors and styles to really make the buildings beautiful. We would never be able to have such things on the West Coast because the unsettled earth (earthquakes) would cause such buildings to crumble and collapse. There are much more modern buildings--including the Physical Sciences building that was just completed last year--but I find the quiet dignity of the old ivied buildings to be so much more suited to the university. It's almost like they're made of knowledge, not bricks.

I poked my head into each of the libraries to see what they were like. It's been awhile since I've been in a large university library. I noticed some things that I probably would not have thought about if I wasn't in a Master's program, like how the space is organized, electronic versus print resources, and pathfinder materials. On our way out of Olin library, my brother took me up a set of stairs that led up one side of the building near the front door. At the top is a wide tiled walkway. He asked me to kick one of the rocks we saw scattered around on the tiles. I was a little confused at his request, but did anyway. As the stone hit the tiles, the tiles rang almost like music! You can see and hear what it was like in the video. 

Finally we made it to lunch, a Japanese restaurant where we got a boatload of sushi--literally. We had spicy tuna rolls, two other rolls I couldn't exactly identify but were very yummy, nagiri, and sashimi. By the time we finished, I was stuffed. My brother was getting through his faster than I can keep up. But it was sooooo good. Other than Scooter, I don't have anyone else I can go have sushi with. My family and friends back home are not the biggest fans. So yay for sushi!

Then we made our way back home on foot to grab the car and go to Wegmans. Boy is that store impressive. It puts every Lucky's and Safeway I've been to to shame. It seems like it gets just as much traffic as many of the Costco stores back home. Their produce section is larger than some grocery stores, and the meat and cheese section is just as big. So much of the food is locally grown or made, including Wegmans' own fresh-squeezed orange juice. I ended up getting a few spontaneous buys, including a gourmet soda, some special cheeses, fruit for the Niagra Falls day trip, and porsciutto. I would get very spoiled by all the good things I could buy if I lived here.

Remember when I said that Ithaca is earth and water? Well I saw that even more clearly today. Until now, even when it did rain I didn't really need an umbrella much. Mostly it's been a light mist, with maybe an actual light rain off and on. Up until Wegmans, we had barely gotten mist, although I did see a more substantial rain while we were pigging out on sushi. When we came out of Wegman's, it was raining cats and dogs, the kind of rain we only see during a good winter storm back home. And the bad thing was, we didn't bring the umbrella and the car was not parked close. My brother and I grabbed our shopping bags and left the shopping cart "because it would slow us down" as my brother explained. We sprinted to the car, quickly shoved the groceries into the trunk, and used our ninja speed to get in the car and out of the sudden downpour as quickly as possible. The heavy rain stayed with us most of the ride back to the apartment. We were a bit soggy around the edges when we finally made it back inside.

The rest of the afternoon was mellow, and I'm glad for the slower day. Tomorrow is Niagra Falls and I can't wait to get some pictures of it. But for now it's away to bed so I can get up in the morning.

Ithaca Close-up

There were a few things that I didn't get to mention in my last post about what I've seen and experienced in Ithaca prior to today. Here they are:
1) Rumor has it that the cooks at the pizza place we went to the first night like to do some recreational smoking; that's why they are so laid back with filling orders. My brother said that you can often place an order and get it an hour later--so not a good place to go when you are chomping at the bit for food.
2) The people dancing the reel dance at the festival ranged in age from barely teenage to 60s. It was so wonderful to see such a wide range of ages enjoying and carrying on old-fashioned dances.
3) The restaurant we went to last night brews their own beer--including a raspberry jalapeño one that supposedly (according to others) has a very interesting flavor. My dad would love that place.
I think that's all I wanted to mention. Now on to today.

Breakfast was at the Ithaca Bakery, a place that seems to specialize not only in the usual baked goods one would find (breads, pastries, and so on) but on anything that one could even imagine having for breakfast. Breakfast sandwiches; jams; cheeses; every mocha-, frappa-, or coffee-type beverage you could want; and a hot food bar with special yummy breakfast foods that you can get like quiche, breakfast burritos or strudels, sausage, and apple crisp (it counts as a breakfast food in my world). The available menu stretches down the entire wall behind the counter, which itself stretches along the entire solid wall space. This is a place that is serious about breakfast, and the locals know it--and love it.

After breakfast, we went to the Farmer's Market. I had my Ithaca Bakery coffee cup in hand, which according to my brother is a very Ithaca thing to do. Showing support for local business by having something with their logo is "in."The Ithaca Farmer's Market is so well-established and has been around for so long that it's under cover in a wooden pavilion complete with booths that are also made of wood with solid counters. The local vendors have their own booths where they sell their wares weekend after weekend. Flowers, fresh organic vegetables, some crafts and artwork, and ready-to-eat foods can be purchased. There were a bunch of people there, but my brother told me that it was usually much more crowded. However, the regular FM was competing with the last day of the Summer Festival, so many people who would normally be at the FM were likely frequenting the festival before it ended.

It was at the Farmer's Market where I found the first thing I've seen this trip that I felt I had to have. You can see it here: an ocarina. And not just any ocarina, a Zelda ocarina. Those of you who know video games would know where that comes from. For those of you who do not, look up The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It's one of the best games in the Zelda series, and one I have replayed many times. So I could not pass up the chance to own this little bit of Zelda paraphernalia (and the songbook that shows me how to play the different song in the game!). It's my first little souvenir to remember this awesome trip by, aside from the pictures and these blog posts.

So after a quick stop at the apartment to drop off the few items we purchased and the car, we took to Ithaca on foot. And I got to see firsthand the true and alluring beauty of this place. Not two minutes after we started walking, I saw a small group of waxwings (a type of bird). Back home, this was a bird I saw one or two times a year as it passed through the area during its migration north or south. Here, it seems to be a year-round native. An auspicious beginning to what proved to be an awesome (in the traditional sense) view of this place.

If elements were ascribed to Ithaca, it would be represented by earth and water. So much green and wet all over. Ithaca has many gorges with water running through them, making this a place with a wealth of waterfalls. Big, small, hidden, obvious, they are many. My brother took me hiking down the trail leading to the bottom of one of the gorges where I got to see the nameless creek that rushes through the bottom over large slabs of rock (slate?) that can be seen scattered in and around the water. Some of the trees along the trail sported evidence of the wildlife in the area. Several had woodpecker holes and a couple even looked like they had been scratched and marked by a large animal (are there bears around here?). Later, we went and walked to Ithaca Falls, an impressive and beautiful waterfall on the same creek we had already explored.

While we were exploring the creek, we came across a table that has been made by stacking some of the large slabs of rock we saw in the area. The large top slab had a sizable chunk that had cracked and was lying askew on one side. I jokingly dubbed it Aslan's Table. Located in an isolated clearing as it was, it wasn't hard for me to imagine that it could have some mystic or sacred properties. But it was probably just  a gathering area that someone had constructed that had succumbed to what weather and time does to everything. It was a fun thing to discover.

Dinner was at a nice steak place and I splurged and had wine with my meal. Now we're back at the apartment where my brother and his roommate are making cheesecake and I'm enjoying the jovial conversation. Tomorrow is Wegman's (we didn't get a chance to go today), the sushi place, walking around the campus, and BBQ for dinner (with cheesecake!). 

On the road again

We are deviating from your normal Cooking Librarian content for about a week. I'm currently on a trip visiting my brother and wanted to document it, and figured this was the best way. I will be making daily posts with my travel experiences, so if you wish to skip all that then check back after June 9th. Otherwise, if you're interested, read on. I do have my brother's permission to mention where he lives.

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I had a rather tedious and frustrating time getting to Ithaca. Things started out just peachy. My red-eye flight to my first layover was on time. However, I was very nervous flying out for some reason. I'm a well-traveled person and have traveled by plane many a time, but the last time was almost 4 years ago--perhaps part of the reason for my nervousness. I actually started to feel claustrophobic as I got on the plane and filed down to my seat. Not good. It was better after I got in the air. I think I may watch too much news.

My first layover was short, barely long enough for me to grab breakfast and run to the restroom so I could avoid using the one on the plane. Breakfast was a nod to a trip I took with my best friend K in 2008. We stopped at a Dunkin Doughnuts at the same airport as my first layover and got Bavarian cream donuts--my first time having them. They were just as good this time as I remember them. Everything continued to go swimmingly until my second layover. There I hit a bit of a snafu. My third and last flight was canceled due to maintenance issues on the plane that were not fixed quickly. So I had to rebook for another flight. Lo and behold, the next flight was already booked and the best I could get was a seat request. Great. Long story short, I barely managed to make it on the flight and only did because someone did not show up. They paged him several times, and he never came so lucky me I got his seat.

So I get to Ithaca and find out that my luggage didn't make it with me--which I kind of figured would happen since I was let on the plane only as they were shutting the door behind me. Not a lot of notice for the baggage crew. I'm told at Ithaca that a flight later that night would be bringing in and a claim for the bag was made. They said I should get a call around 7 or 8 in the morning to arrange a delivery time. I picked up my rental car with no hassles and head to my brother's apartment. Next morning, no call. I wait 2 extra hours and call them. Guess what? The luggage didn't come in last night, but they're not sure why. I was assured that it would very likely come in on the afternoon flight. So once again I wait (note I'm still wearing the clothes I flew out in at this point) hoping to get it within a few more hours. At 2pm I call again only to find out that it had supposedly been delivered, with a mysterious note to "leave it in the garage." My brother's apartment has no garage to leave the luggage in and not once did I ever say the word garage when speaking with anyone at the terminal; I'm still scratching my head over this. A couple of minutes after I got off the phone with the gentleman assisting me, my brother's phone rings with a call from the delivery guy who is waiting outside. So in the end, I did get my luggage--and a hot shower with my toiletries and a change of clothes. I finally felt human.

Regardless of the rocky start to my trip, I have to say that I'm having a lot of fun. I'm falling under Ithaca's spell. This place is beautiful. It's almost as if the people who settled here decided to build their homes in the middle of the forest without clearing the trees. For a girl that's grown up in the suburbs, it's so different from what I'm used to, but I love the melding of nature and civilization. My brother truly has the best view from his bedroom windows. They both look out into lush green trees, and a glorious chorus of birdsong fills the air as soon as the suggestion of the rising sun can be seen. I don't get to hear anything like it at home.

My first meal here was an early dinner; after not getting much sleep for 24 hours prior to my arrival, I didn't have the stamina for much more than that. My brother called in a pizza at a local pizza place and we went and picked it up. Apparently the kitchen is on the floor above the dining area. Our order came down on a dumb waiter--now that's character! An early bedtime followed some truly excellent deep-dish pizza.

Today was spent at the Summer Festival. Ithaca only has about 30,000 people and they must have all been at the festival with their friends from the surrounding areas. The festival itself spanned several blocks in every direction and every craft, food, and entertainment you can think of was there. The crush of people was unbelievable. Everybody who's anybody must have been there. These are people that like to have a good time. Even in my hometown, which boasts a population twice that size can't turn out even half as many people to our festival in the fall. It was amazing. There was a booth of beautiful hand-made embroidered linens and the woman who ran the booth does all the work herself. She had a piece there she was working on. I saw booths with jewelry made of crystal, bone, and silver. I saw pottery with animal tracks, wooden carvings of every shape and size, glassworks for your garden, and white oak hand-crafted garden furniture. As for entertainment, there were magicians, hula hoopers, and a group dancing a reel dance to live music. There was so much to see, and my eyes drank it all in.

Dinner tonite was late. I was Belgian for a night and ate around 10pm. My brother took me to this restaurant that has a different menu every day. The food was really good and the cuisine combined some really interesting and tantalizing flavors together. We shared an appetizer of coconut and panko-crusted shrimp with orange marmalade dip. My entree was a cardamom-and-something chicken with a creamy tomato sauce. It was so good, there were no leftovers. Desserts looked equally as fantastic, but we opted to have some of the fudge we bought at the festival instead.

So now I'm finishing this first post of the trip and it's super-late and I can't wait for tomorrow. Ithaca Bakery for breakfast (yes, he's taking me there sis!) with more fun things to do. I don't think we're going to make it to New York City while I'm here because we have too much planned to do around Ithaca. But that's ok. I'm very much looking forward to getting to know more about this charming and enchanting place.