Atlanta Botanical Gardens… orchids

April 24, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Atlanta Tags: Atlanta, Botanical gardens, High museum, orchids 22 Comments

The first week of April and we spent an afternoon in shorts and flip flops walking around the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Now that we are in our coats and barely out of our winter boots again, it’s like a dream I look back on Waaaa…

Soon Hamburg, soon.

I loved the gardens and look forward to more time in them next trip. It was only our second day and we were still a bit tired. The gardens were also followed by a morning visiting the Picasso to Warhol exhibit at the High Museum. I loved this outdoor installation despite not being able to walk up to it and touch it.

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Sausage from Scratch, Buttermilk Biscuits & how I went from a size 4 to 8 in one day.

April 21, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Atlanta, breakfast, Brunch Tags: buttermilk biscuits, gravy, Sara Foster, sausage, Southern cooking 29 Comments

I wonder sometimes how other food bloggers are coming up with ideas of what they want to make. Is it lined out on a chalkboard? On the ‘plan your blog’ app? Or is it a day to day decision? I wonder sometimes what I might create and share next… for about 3 minutes… because frankly, I’m under the impression that there are not enough hours, days, months or years to complete all the thoughts I have about food. So really, it’s a matter of focus, organization and lots of real time little notebooks and computer stickies. How do you decide?

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Stuffed French Toast… NYC & Hamburg

March 10, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in breakfast, Brunch, NYC Tags: apricots, brunch, NYC, Purl, stuffed french toast 19 Comments

My last day in NYC started with brunch at Serenity T in Soho with my son and niece. The place gave mixed messages with it’s atmosphere and servers. An interesting menu, way laid back servers and a little chaotic looking in the dining room. But the food was great. My niece, remember who juiced me a montage of vitamins, had the spa brunch choice and tea. They offered a cool tea service… hence the name Serenity T … Made me want to return my coffee in a glass mug. Pretty but cools too fast.

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New York City snapshots- Brooklyn to Upper East Side

March 7, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Culture, NYC Tags: Brooklyn, Central Park, New York, Pratt, shoes, Travel 15 Comments

I loved my four days in NYC. Both great quality time and fun do nothing time with my son and plenty of plodding around the city on my own. Each of my five of my senses, often simultaneously stimulated, could give you a recount of how we spent the days. Here is a visual recap with some support from the others.

I had a fun morning in Brooklyn visiting with my niece who pushed about eight pounds of fruits and vegetables through a juicer to produce two large gorgeous glasses of fresh juice. Sweet from the apple, with a bite from the kale, plus a hint of lemon, a reprieve from my days of indulgence. This deserved a photo but I was to wrapped up in the moment. So nice to have a few quiet moments face to face to catch up a little. Before wandering from her apartment we watched a NYPD traffic van illegally back up and rear end another car. Ouch. Also wrapped up in that moment, the cars were clearing as I thought to get my camera. Auditory… check.

From her apartment I wandered down Myrtle Ave, past Fort Greene Park in the direction of Pratt. As I mentioned, my grandparents met at Pratt Institute in 1924, fell in love and produced my father. Tragically, my grandfather, out for a spin on a buddy’s new motorcycle, died in an accident on that spur of the moment trip around the block. He left behind a small toddler and a woman who I believe lost her true love. But all events lead us to today and here I am, grateful. Willie Thomas, my father, jazz musician and a legend in his own mind, also spent many years in this same neighborhood as a doorman by day and a fierce horn blower by night. I snapped shots of interest as I walked.

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new york city the first day

March 2, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in dinner, NYC, Travel Tags: cupcakes, Dean&Deluca, Gramercy Tavern, new york city, Travel 17 Comments

I arrived into JFK in pretty good shape. I stay hydrated with water and emergen-C’s and put lotion on my hands and face about every hour to combat the plane air sucking the life and elasticity out of my skin. Our section was so open it really lent itself to a relaxed flight. People= energy. Few people=calm. I’m sure the flight crew enjoyed the break too. My only complaint was I didn’t start Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy early enough to be finished before the “entertainment portion of our flight” switched off. Damn you flight attendant lady. This is a very confusing movie. Not one to be watched on a 5×5 screen with poor sound quality. And missing the last fifteen? minutes didn’t help. It’s on the rental que!

A long rainy traffic filled hour later I arrived at my big kid’s apt. We ordered in and relaxed. Talked about life and the next few days. I enjoyed the fact that these days ahead were going to unfold. No big agenda’s or script to follow.

I woke up my first full day here imagining what it would be like to wake up in this city everyday. Such an array of so many really different people with such vast cultural and economic diversity. So many thoughts traveling through so many minds every morning before millions of feet hit the floor.

My thoughts started about 4.30am. I actually try to stay on an early track for these short trips to ease the transition back. I walked out the door about 10am and started at the bottom of Broadway (downtown) and made my way to Madison Square Garden. The day went a little something like this…

We all know how many hundreds/thousands of food stands are on the streets here. I love them all.

But this cupcake one deserved a snap shot

These got me thinking, “I would like to have something sweet now”… O’s line following a meal. So I just happened to pass this great specialty food store you might have heard of and got myself a chocolate chip crumb cake with a fantastic proportion of crumb to cake. Like a lot of crumb. Good crumb I might add.

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On the move- New York City

March 2, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in NYC, Travel Tags: airports, Heathrow Airport, new york city, Travel, WHSmith 15 Comments

I gave Chloe a big goodbye squeeze and kiss just yesterday morning before we left the house to drop her off at school and take me to the airport. Definitely no PDA at school… or within twenty feet of school. Or anywhere there might be peers. Although I did get a hug once in the mall with a circle of nearby friends. I smiled and she said, “yeah you owe me”.

Gave another big squeeze and big kiss to O at the Hamburg airport. I thank them both for giving me the freedom to take this trip. I love you O! I headed through security for my first strip down. I had the good fortune to be flying out at the same time as a very close friend, Teri. I had oodles of time so we had coffee and window shopped. We chatted about the differences between the states and Germany. I have to remember to appreciate the qualities of each in the moment and not yearn for one when I’m in the other. High on the German list is healthcare. It’s really unbelievable.

I arrived in London in a short ninety minutes. Walking around I enjoyed the freedom of thought, comprehension and communication in the old mother tongue. I stopped at WH Smith….

and devoured the English magazines…

I skimmed the gossip mags I hate to buy… the Brits love their Hello as seen by the magazine ravaging.

and bought Elle (for Tina Fey interview…oh fine… and the fantasy of getting really stylish), Photography for Beginners and UK Delicious.

Bags and bags of candy….I passed on these. Although I love twix.

but had to search hard for some good dark chocolate… which i did… and found…

At lunch I stopped at EAT, I realized my down vest had been on backwards since the last security…

Turkey breast and cranberry sandwhich, carrot mango lime juice and a millionaire’s shortbread.

pretty fresh for the airport…

I love airports. I think I observe more of the people and environment when I’m on my own. I even understood the guy next to me talking with his mouth full. gross. And then on the phone smacking his gums and chatting. wow.

A second security check and five wisecracks later I sat waiting to board for the long haul. I love the HSBC ads all over Heathrow…

On the plane I was almost excited to be there for eight straight hours. A couple movies, nap and reading…. and a row of four seats to myself! SWEET. I love these new milk sticks… clever.

Ok… tomorrow a little look into NYC… wt

Last of Spain

January 14, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Culture, Spain, Travel 1 Comment

So I’ve reached the final post for Spain. Wie schade (German), quel dommage (French), qué lástima (Spanish), what a pity (English). Although we missed friends and family over the holidays, it was a wonderful experience, and the memories will last a lifetime.

The first pics are of our last day trying to make our way to the Macarena barrio. As I mentioned previously, I didn’t quite hit the desired target but the route we did take, amused us immensely. We found several craft markets as it was days before Three Kings Day, Dia de los Reyes Magos, which falls on January 6. The epiphany is as celebrated if not more that Christmas and New Year’s and you see many of these guys dangling from balconies. Combined with the crafts were always food. Great, right?

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Seville part 3 – tapas & streetlife

January 9, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Culture, Spain, Travel, Visit Seville Tags: cerveza, culture, food, Seville, Spain, Travel 2 Comments

The atmosphere and vibrancy of Seville, influenced I’m sure by the sun and warmth, is something to behold. It’s one of those places I plan to return. Someday, I’ll spend a month reading, writing, walking and eating….. and blogging.

Click to enlarge

People enjoy being outside day and night. Who wouldn’t when the sun shines and the air is cool. I’ll remind you I did grow up in Florida, and too much of anything, including sun, has its downside. But my life with sun was like 2+ decades ago. So at this point sun everyday sounds dreamy.

And how about a little street music?

Or iceskating?

And they are still out at night…..

Honestly, I couldn’t get enough of the fresh oj and coffee. I like my coffee strong with a little milk and pretty sweet. The sugar packets in this country were fat with about 3tsp of sugar/pkt.

One morning we bought churros for a euro at a little mini booth, took them next door, sugared them up and ate with… you guessed, sweet coffee. Once again, a photo after being half eaten. I just can’t get the camera out before I start chowing.

And lastly, as I’m all jazzed up about this video option… a parade clip.

Seville Pt. 2 New Years Eve

January 7, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Culture, holiday, Spain, Travel, Visit Seville Tags: culture, grapes, New Years, Seville, Spain, Travel 3 Comments

After our paella, we were out the door to Plaza Santa Cruz, about an 8 minute walk from our apartment, to watch a flamenco performance in a little place called Tablao Flamenco Los Gallos. A first for all in our party, I myself, had no idea I would love it so much. I’m ready to plan a trip entirely devoted to flamenco. I’m dying to look up love stories between dancers, callers and guitar players. Inspired, I even wrote ideas of love stories down in my little notebook after the show. I’m sure completely original.

“Flamenco, Andalucia’s soul-stirring gift to the world of music” (from Lonely Planet guide to Andalucia)

“Between 800 and 900 A.D., a large exodus of people occurred from the Punjabi region of India. These people are believed to be members of the Untouchables, a group within the Indian caste system comprised of animal traders and trainers, acrobats, dancers, musicians, palmists and metalworkers. These nomadic groups, generally referred to as Roman and/or gypsies, divided into two major migratory routes, the most traceable moving west across Asia and the European continent, including Spain. The first recorded account of Spanish Gitanos “Beticos” dates from 1447 in Barcelona.”

Seville Pt 1

January 6, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Culture, holiday, Spain, Travel, Visit Seville Tags: culture, food, Seville, Spain, Travel Leave a comment

We arrived in Seville without problems, dropped the car rental off at the airport and taxied into the Santa Cruz barrio near the cathedral. Again in awe of the unknown we stared out the car windows grasping the newness of another city. Traveling with 5 now, required us to take two taxis and they clung to each other, front bumper to back, straight for 20 minutes through streets so small you could spit from one side to the other.

Our apartment, actually divided into 2 separate places, spewed charm and authenticity with a small central courtyard up through the 3 stories. The kids in one and O and I in the other. Plenty of privacy but we could check up on when they went to sleep at night through the random glass tiles in the floor. We enjoyed a rooftop terrace where the sun beat down in the day. Two straight, heavenly weeks of sun. Feel like I’m charging up a trunk load of D size batteries with sun to take back to hamburg.
Our days in Seville have been mixed with sightseeing, loads of walking and hours of reading. This is a place I’d like to return. I love the bells every morning at nine that chime long enough to wake the dead. They start at 9am and like a puntual snooze button again at 9.10 9.20 and finally at 9.30. The city wakes up.

The Alçazar palace on New Years Day was a highlight, but for me just walking, absorbing the vibrancy of this city, standing at a bar in the morning for cafe con leche and churros, standing at a bar at night for cerveza and tapas….brilliant. Our barrio (neighborhood) is probably the most popular for tourists, but I don’t mind. We did walk about 2 hours one morning north near the Macarena neighborhood, wandering the streets seeing a little more real daily life.

The Alçazar, originally a Moorish fort and now a Unesco World Heritage site is a royal palace that still serves the royal family in the upper quarters. I tried to imagine little children here. I could not. But I could see them in the beautiful garden chasing the peacock.

I preferred the Alçazar over the Alhambra partly because it was easier to take in and partly because we took it upon ourselves to tour and learn, instead of a guided tour. Wouldn’t you have liked to be the one to come up with the hand held guide in 13 different languages?

brains exploding with information

Varieties of jamon. I want to put one in my suitcase.

Following our tour of the Alçazar, our next stop was the grocery store for New Year’s Eve dinner. With the kids and costs, we weren’t particularly interested in the set menu options offered by restaurants. All I can say is wow. I love visiting food stores in foreign countries. Highlights were legs of jamon, an entire aisle of jarred olives, peppers and asparagus that you didn’t have to take out a second mortgage to afford, loads of crazy fish options, and enough tuna and anchovies to feed a pescatarian platoon. Love it.

New Year’s dinner was a simple paella with shrimp and chicken, then we headed out for the evening. I know I’m not winning any awards here with the pics but the tiled table was pretty.