TravelswithCharie

It’s always fun to be at the Ferry Building Marketplace  in San Francisco especially to meet old friends for lunch or dinner. I met up recently with long-time friends from Honolulu who were in the City for a few hours layover. Their cruise ship was docked right behind the Ferry Building so the Market Bar was the perfect venue for our get-together.   It was not easy to decide which of the appetizing entrées to choose from and I narrowed my choices to three: 1) Local Halibut a la plancha with Asparagus, artichokes, leeks, citrus butter , 2) Wild Shrimp Linguine with olive oil, chile flakes, arugula , 3) Asparagus & Wild Salmon Risotto with fava leaves. Really loved my risotto! It was quite tasty and the kitchen didn’t skimp on the chunks of salmon. We were a large group and arrived at various times but the staff was accommodating and attentive. 1 Ferry Building # 36 San Francisco , CA 94111-4230 (415) 434-1100 http://www.marketbar.com/ *  *  * Image by Charie

I recently finished reading "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. It's the first book of his that I've read and I was hooked. Now I'm reading his other novel, The Pilgrimage . The Alchemist inspires. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." It reveals a secret: "The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times." It explains why we can't follow our dreams: "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." And how do we deal with heartaches?: "If I am really a part of your dream, you'll come back one day." There's more. You have to read the book to find out. Mr. Coelho also has a super blog where you can find out more about his works. Here's the link: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/ .  *  *  *

Lorca's house in the outskirts of Granada Today I gave a travel presentation at work about Spain and I included this sonnet from one of Spain's greatest poets/playwrights, Federico Garcia Lorca. It's full of visual imagery which not only gives the reader the ability to see what he's written but it also leads the mind of the reader in search of meaning. Sonnet of Sweet Complaint Never let me lose the marvel of your statue-like eyes, or the accent the solitary rose your breath places on my cheek at night. I am afraid of being, on this shore, a branchless trunk, and what I most regret is having no flower, pulp, or clay for the worm of my despair. If you are my hidden treasure, if you are my cross, my dampened pain, if I am a dog, and you alone my master, never let me lose what I have gained, and adorn the branches of your river with leaves of my estranged Autumn. The original Spanish version below is from http://www.poesia-inter.net/fglso107.htm Soneto

Lime Green Icicle Tower I finally had the chance to enter the Chihuly Gallery at City Center in Las Vegas recently and marveled at the beautiful pieces that were on display. I was riveted to the Lime Green Icicle Tower  which is almost floor to ceiling in height. It was mesmerizing to stare down at the reflection of the Tower on its mirror base and to check out the individual "icicles" up close. I love the cubicle idea where there's a niche for the smaller artworks. The colors are amazing!  Here's one of the pieces up close. I believe this one belongs to his Persians series. Below is a better picture (than the one I previously posted) of his Cobalt Reeds and Spears . The Gallery also features paintings by Dale Chihuly. Hours are from 10am - 11pm Sundays through Thursday and 10am - 12am on Fridays and Saturdays. *  *  * Images by Charie

The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas consistently produces one of the best floral displays. This spring, the botanical garden is awash with tulips. What a sight to behold amidst the slot machine jungle! This carousel sits in a field of blooms - violet colored mums, yellow tulips. The Bellagio Hotel changes its floral theme every season. It's always fun to see what each season yields. The inspiration of this floral arrangement comes from a landscape painting by David Hockney which is currently on exhibit at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. The exhibition entitled "A Sense of Place: From Monet to Hockney" continues through January 9, 2012. There are a lot of whimsical touches such as shown above. Entrance to the botanical gardens is free. What a relaxing way to spend with family and friends admiring the happy colors of Easter. And I love these parasols hanging from the dome of the Via Bellagio shops. It's just so spring-y! Happy Easter everyone. *  *  * Ima

And one or more things about Buenos Aires: Where to stay : I really liked my room at the Dazzler Hotel on Maipu 850, right in the center of town. The room was spacious and clean with laminated wood floor and breakfast was included. The hotel is a short walk to Calle Florida and Galerias Pacifico. My only complaint about the room was the noise from the street below as Maipu is a bus route. So ask for a room away from the street. Parks : Buenos Aires has many beautiful parks, perfect for weary feet. Do go to a park where there are a lot of people so you're safe and be aware of what's going on around you. The plazoleta below is on Calle Arroyo and Avenida de 9 de Julio. I also liked the Plaza de las Naciones where you have a great view of the Florialis Generica from under bright yellow outdoor umbrellas. Another little square on Calle Arroyo was on the former site of the Israeli Embassy which was bombed in 1992. Today it is a quiet place for reflection

One of the lessons I learned from this article is that the best photos are taken at dawn or before/shortly after sunset. Which explains why this image (above) I took with my simple iPhone camera while walking at the salt marsh at sunset is a good example of taking photographs during "the golden hours".  For more info on how to take the best photos, check the link below. Travel Photography 101 Travel News from Fodor's Travel Guides . Life Magazine, the purveyor of some of the most memorable photos we've seen, has tips on how to take great travel shots with images to match. http://www.life.com/gallery/41422/image/72868208#index/0 . Advice noted, all I need now is a good camera that can take my photos to the next level. My point and shoot fails me when I use the zoom feature or if I take photos in low light. *  *  * Image by Charie

Shopping in Buenos Aires can be sublime. At the Galerias Pacifico on Calle Florida, the frescoes in the central dome could be the destination more so than the expensive boutiques inside the mall. The frescoes depict the history of mankind and was painted by five well known Argentine artists in 1945. For a leisurely view of the frescoes, sit and order a drink at one of the cafés under the dome.   Calle Florida is packed full of shoppers and walking along this pedestrian only street is a slow crawl as there are so many things to check out and perhaps buy from the vendors on the street. There are toys, handbags and wallets, costume jewelry, clothes, socks, flowers, and an incredible assortment of goods.  There is free entertainment from musicians and tango dancers. If you take a picture with the tango dancers, you will have to pay for this privilege. There's something for everyone. In the posh Retiro district, food shops like the one above in the glass ceilinged Patio Bul

Of wall the many attractions in Buenos Aires, I found the neighborhood of La Boca to be the most fun and interesting of the bunch. Though the  conventillos (tenements) here are restored and freshly painted, this neighborhood is still one of  the oldest, the home for many Italian immigrants in the 1940's. Colorful buildings shown above line the streets of La Boca. It is said that past residents of this barrio used remaining paint they found in the docks to coat their wood and corrugated zinc dwellings. This explosion of colors adds a festive air to the neighborhood. Narrow alleys like this separate the conventillos in La Boca. Living in such close quarters, there's not much privacy in these tenements. The courtyards became the living room of residents and this is where the celebrated tango was performed by the immigrants who were said to have introduced the tango to these shores. A whimsical mural in the Antiguo Mercado de La Boca reminds visitors that thi

Only 30 minutes from central Buenos Aires, the Tigre River is the jump off point for trips around the  Paraná Delta. State of the art boats ferry passengers through thousands of miles of waterways for a glimpse of life on the delta. Summer homes, some elegant, others simple and basic, peek through lush flora on the banks of the river. There are about 3000 residents in the delta, more so during the summer months. It's beautiful and peaceful out here and there are many activities to indulge in or none at all, depending on your mood. This grocery boat traverses the river bringing necessary food and supplies to delta residents. Garbage pick-up barges also ply the river. There is a chapel, a gas station, a restaurant (or two) on these waterways.  It's as if you're living on dry land. Beach goers enjoy swimming in the brown waters of the delta. The existence of silt in the waterways explains why it is brown. To keep waters flowing, the delta is constantly

There are many organizations collecting donations for Japanese quake/tsunami victims. But check carefully to whom you entrust your donations. Yahoo has a list of organizations working in relief and recovery activities in Japan. Check this link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_newsroom/20110311/wl_yblog_newsroom/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-how-to-help For U.S. residents, I found the fastest way to donate is by texting REDCROSS to 90999 and $10.00 is charged to your mobile phone bill. The American Red Cross has already contributed $10 million to the Japanese Red Cross for medical and relief efforts. It plans to make further contributions as recovery work continues. For more information check out their website at http://www.redcross.org/ .  You may also donate to UNICEF which helps with the special needs of children, particularly in Japan at this time. They have a "Text-to-Give" campaign and you may text JAPAN to 864233. $10.00 will be charged to your phone bill.  For more o

Gadling reports that a chartered Boeing 737 -700 flight full of passengers was delayed 24 hours because the assistant captain and skipper were drunk, having partied for 7 hours before the scheduled flight. What a chilling thought to be in the hands of this crew! http://www.gadling.com/2011/03/19/drunken-pilots-delay-flight/

The memory of Eva Perón (Evita) is certainly in the minds of many travelers to Buenos Aires.  The former First Lady of Argentina had as many detractors as followers in her own country during her time but today, her international cult is flourishing, due in part to the financial and critical success of the Broadway musical and later a film version simply called, Evita. Perhaps the best place to start following in Evita's footsteps is to take a guided tour of the Casa Rosada which is across from the Plaza de Mayo. It's a free tour (on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) which leads visitors inside various rooms in the palace including the Scientists' Room where Evita's gold framed photo is prominently displayed on a desk, right beside the famous balcony from where she made public appearances from time to time, most notably in 1951 when crowds gathered outside the  palace waiting for her to accept the Vice Presidential nomination. The Palm Tree Patio is an oasis

Medialuna To start the day with a medialuna is very nice indeed. My favorite is the buttered medialuna (half moon) which I found tasty though probably packed with calories, but who's counting? Vegetarian  Burger My "healthy" restaurant chain of choice in Buenos Aires is the Green & Co. where for about 40 Argentine pesos, I could get a combo plate with vegies, shrimps or salmon, and sprinkling of rice. They also have vegetarian burgers, tartas, ensaladas and wraps. There's a branch at the famous Galerias Pacifico (shopping mall) on San Martin and Calle Florida. For  afternoon breaks, I indulged on empanadas . I like the chicken empanadas best. It goes well with a nice glass of white Argentine wine. Here's a link to the recipe for this favorite Argentine snack. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-empanadas-recipe/index.html Empanada There are empanadas with fruit fillings instead of meat. I find these at Mexican