Christmas in Pennsylvania

We returned late last night after spending a snowy Christmas with my family in West Chester, Pennsylvania!
We left around 3:30 on Thursday and took a new route north, heading up along Highway 29 through North Carolina and Virginia, then continuing north on Highway 15 through northern Virginia and 30 east through Pennsylvania.  We spent Thursday night in Leesburg, Virginia, which we both loved!  Loudoun County, where Leesburg is located, is a bucolic haven of gently rolling farmland and Leesburg has a a historic 17th-century downtown area.  We also visited the premium outlets in Leesburg and did a little pre-Christmas damage. :)
I have been visiting my grandparents, aunt & uncle, and cousins in West Chester since they moved there in the late 80s and Roberto has been there several times for work and for family functions with me.  The Brandywine Valley area of the country was also settled in the 1800s, and there are plenty of historic landmarks to visit there.  I love all of the old stone structures and rolling countryside, although there are a lot more people there now than there were when my family first moved there.  The family has expanded in recent years, too, with my cousins' spouses and four great-granddaughters!  It was great to see everyone.  We did have to cut our trip a little short due to the enormous blizzard that worked its way up the East Coast yesterday.  We headed home early to beat the storm - and on our way back we missed it entirely thanks to our more western route - only to find the most snow we had seen when we returned to Greensboro!  Probably about 6 inches in places.
From now on, that's the route we'll take up to PA.  There were a lot of beautiful things to see along the way.  I already mentioned Leesburg, but we also drove straight through Amish Country and were amazed by the Amish riding in horse-drawn carriages along the roads.  We also stopped at the Bavarian Chef - just north of Charlottesville, VA - which I have ALWAYS wondered about when we drive past.  This authentic German restaurant serves some of the best Bavarian-style food in the northern VA/DC area, and we LOVED it!  We enjoyed roasted red pepper soup with lump crabmeat, an appetizer of three different kinds of wurst on top of sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, and jaeger schnitzel as a main dish.
It was a memorable Christmas, over too soon as usual, but it makes it even more special when we get to visit everyone again. 

Thanksgiving in Miami

Where I grew up on eastern Long Island, New York, there was a chill in the air around Thanksgiving.  We may even have gotten some snow by this time!  Not in Miami.

Roberto and I arrived here on Thanksgiving day to temperatures in the high 80's, bright blue skies, and perfect beach weather!  We ate our Thanksgiving dinner al fresco with the family... American-style turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows... mmm.  We might be sitting underneath palm trees, but there is no mistaking those classic Thanksgiving dishes.

Roberto, Alberto and I got to see Alejandro's new place in Brickell... it is beautiful!  Floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the water.  Alex cooked us a delicious dinner on Friday night: stone crabs, pan-seared tuna tataki, escargot, and racks of lamb with asparagus.  I loved everything, but that was my first taste of stone crabs and it won't be my last.

We spent most of Saturday at Miami Beach with Abi's friends Alejandro and Missy.  It was a gorgeous day, a little overcast so the sun wasn't overbearing, but perfect beach weather.  Then after an afternoon of sun and sand we visited La Sandwicherie, just off the beach.  I had an amazing prosciutto and fresh mozzarella sandwich with cornichons on the side.

This is beginning to sound more like a food blog than a travel blog, but hey, we ate well in Miami!  (Always do!) On Sunday we visited Los Perros with Dulma for traditional Colombian fare: I had a sweet cheese arrepa with jugo de mora (blackberry juice, which I fell in love with in Costa Rica) and a delicious mixed appetizer made up of french fries, hard boiled quail eggs, fried potatoes, and pork belly. 

In between eating, Maria Elena, Alberto Francisco and I explored the beautiful, historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables while the boys played golf there.  The four-star resort dates from 1926 and boasts impeccably-maintained grounds, an 18-hole Donald Ross-designed golf course, an open-air courtyard and fountain, and a 23,000 square foot pool.  The hotel's centerpiece is its 93-foot tower, which is modeled after the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain.  For all of the hotel's beauty, my favorite things about it were the two giant bird cages in the lobby, filled with rainbow-colored finches.  We had mojitos poolside while we waited for the boys to finish playing golf, under palm fronds and stars. 

To me, Miami is a magical place with a very exotic feel to it.  I always hate to leave, but it makes it that much more exciting each time we get to go back.

Baltimore and Eastern Long Island

Just back from a long weekend jaunt to Baltimore and Long Island's East End!

I spent Thursday and Friday at the International Economic Development Council's Marketing Training conference at the Baltimore Sheraton City Center... a really informative, helpful event!  I also really enjoy spending time in Baltimore.  This was my second time visiting, the first time was two Christmases ago when Roberto and I stopped there for about an hour on the drive up to Pennsylvania.  Needless to say, there was a lot more action around the Inner Harbor this time around than there was on Christmas Eve 2008!  People were walking everywhere, the shops were full, and I really got the full effect of this gritty, historic city.  Baltimore was founded in 1729 and its Inner Harbor was once the second leading entry point for immigrants to the United States (after Ellis Island).  This was once a major manufacturing center, and although its economy is now geared more toward the service industry I could still feel its working class roots as I walked through the crowded streets.  I'm not sure everyone would agree, but it reminded me somewhat of a smaller New York.  Certain neighborhoods in New York.

After the conference, I made the easy flight up to Long Island's MacArthur Airport to spend the weekend with my parents.  Although it was chilly (the high on Saturday was 45-degrees and windy, when I'm used to the 70's in NC at this time of year), it was a perfect weekend to visit, I just missed the pumpkin picker traffic!  However, the winery tours are still in full swing.  I don't think there is ever a time of year anymore that there isn't traffic on Long Island, except maybe mid-winter!

We went for a walk along the dunes through my parents' neighborhood and the next neighborhood over.  I always forget how gorgeous Eastern Long Island is and it takes my breath away when I go back to visit. 

All in all, it was a relaxing weekend!  Lots of time spent reading by the fire with my little Bean curled up nearby (or walking around crying loudly... she is 16 years old and definitely in her twilight years, unfortunately).  Over too soon, but it was great to see my parents and Bean.

Charleston by Horse and Carriage

Although we originally intended to take a high-speed boat ride through Charleston's harbor yesterday, we were so charmed by the dozens of horse-and-carriages traversing the historic downtown area that we decided to do that instead.  Normally I'm not one to fall for the tourist-trap attractions - I have never been on a gondola in Venice, spent New Year's Eve in Times Square, or visited Las Vegas by choice - but this was really fun!  Our tour guide and our draft horse, Benjamin, took us around all of the old churches in town - including the beautiful Catholic cathedral - and through all of the narrow historic streets. 

We just wandered for the rest of the day, shopping at the market, re-tracing our carriage ride around King and Queen Streets, and picking up a caramel-covered rice krispie treat on-a-stick at Kilwin's to save for dessert.  Dinner was at Hank's Seafood Restaurant... I had an incredible bouillabaisse.  I can't believe I didn't have one of these when we were near Marseille in May, that's where bouillabaisse originated!

 It's good to know that Charleston is only about a 5 hour drive away... we'll be back! 

Charleston, SC: Historic and Hip!

Homes along the Battery

 Roberto and I arrived in Charleston, SC last night around 10 p.m. and headed straight to Pearlz Oyster Bar for a late-night snack and a few beers to celebrate our mini-vacation.  At first blush, Charleston is a college town, albeit a historic one, with tons of high-end restaurants and happening little bars peppered around East Bay Street, one of the main thoroughfares.

The albino gator never moved a muscle...

Today we walked across the entire city, and I realized what a truly unique jewel exists just 5 hours south of where we live in Greensboro, NC.  Many of the gorgeous historic homes were built in the mid-1700s and are still kept up to this day, some as bed-and-breakfasts, many as private residences.  As we wove our way on foot through the cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages full of tourists, strolling through the Spanish moss-draped live oaks in the park on the Battery and dipping our toes in several of the many fountains we encountered, we slowly fell in love with the rich Southern culture here.  The South Carolina Aquarium was incredible as well... loved the albino alligator!

We finished up our day with a leisurely dinner at Magnolia's... fried chicken livers and two seafood dishes topped off with a scrumptious creme brulee.  My fave!  After walking off our dinner for a couple of blocks we're falling asleep.  Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings here!

Dinner at Magnolia's... yum!

Evening in Raleigh

If we take a weekend trip it's typically to the beach or the mountains, but now that Carlton and Mary (and little Emme) are living in the Raleigh area we have a wonderful excuse for another place to visit! 

Mary, Kelly and I had a fun girls' night out while the boys stayed home with the baby.  We started the night out with tapas and ended up at Hibernian Pub.  Believe it or not, although we live only an hour away this is only the second or third time I've been to downtown Raleigh at night.  Fun town with lots to do, and good friends here now to boot!  We'll be back soon.

El Salvador 2010

We spent last weekend (much too quick!) in San Salvador, El Salvador, for Roberto's cousin Rodrigo's wedding!  What a beautiful country... and pretty much untouched by tourists.

We haven't been back since we visited over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2008... here are some pictures of that trip, at La Libertad beach and Lago de Coatepeque.  La Libertad is a surfer's paradise with laid-back seafood restaurants and very small, idyllic resorts tucked along its main winding street.  Lago de Coatepeque is one of the largest lakes in El Salvador, created by a massive volcanic eruption between 72,000 and 52,000 years ago.  Roberto says this crater lake is so deep that NASA has been unable to find the bottom, even with sonar submarines.  The water was freezing cold and refreshing when we swam in it that November, and the scenery is just breathtaking... imposing green peaks covered in tropical foliage rise around the caldera, and luxury homes are nestled along the lakeside.

Since we only had Monday to Sunday for this trip, much of which was eaten up by travel, we had much less time to explore.  However, we were lucky enough to get to see another of El Salvador's gorgeous beaches, El Sunzal.  Roberto's brother Alejandro's girlfriend, Francesca, has a house there and we spent all day Saturday lounging in the pool, relaxing in hammocks, and stepping right off her property onto an expanse of spectacular, glittering black sand beach.  It's funny how close Sunzal is to La Libertad, but the beaches are completely different.  La Libertad is very rocky.  In both places the undertow is no joke, though.  You have to be very careful even if you're wading close to the shore.  The quick tides and sharp undertow are two factors that aid in the creation of huge waves, though, so surfers love both locations.  I loved Sunzal... we had the privacy of Francesca's backyard under tall coconut palms, but if we peeked over the brick fence, local jewelry makers came walking up to sell their wares, and two guys on horses kept trotting up to see if we wanted to go for a ride.  I bought two bracelets, but didn't go riding this time.

Rodrigo and Patricia's wedding was fantastic... we had a great time!  Salvadorean weddings - at least the two that I've been to - are a good party, with live Latin music and lots of guests.  Roberto loved being able to see everyone he hasn't seen in a long time.  And of course at midnight there was a Carnival celebration with hats, noisemakers, leis, and the traditional tequila truck!!  Carnival is a mainstay at every Salvadoran wedding.  The wedding was at the Hilton Princess in San Salvador, which was convenient, because that is where we stay when we visit.
I'd like to make a conscious effort to visit El Salvador more often.  It's always nice to be surrounded by family and friends in such a lush, beautiful country.