We are taking a week to visit friends and family in the Northeast. We drove up through the center of Pennsylvania, taking a chance to find a luncheon spot on the Susquehanna River east of York. We left the main road and headed to the small towns along the river. Our goal was Columbia, PA, on the east side. It's a town of antique stores, but for us the most interesting piece of architecture was the bridge, built about 1930, that spans the Susquehanna. It's a road bridge, not rail, and is a perfect example of how interesting bridge architecture can be. We don't build art-deco bridges like this anymore. We didn't find lunch there, but got both soup and sandwich at Cafe di Vetro. Very stark and modern, but very good staff and fine soup.
Our overnight was Allentown, PA where Ben's cousins live. We had a grand time with them, much conversation, good bourbons and good wines. Dined at Carmel, a local restaurant; enjoyed their muammara very much with their pita bread. Lots of conversation about the election. We hope we convinced a somewhat Trumpist to change.
From there to Rhode Island where we are visiting with our friends John and Jon on Tiverton harbor. Lovely to spend time with them. Ben has done lot a lot of walking with John and pilates with Jon with Jon, while John has read almost two books. We dined at the Boat House overlooking Mt Hope Bay on Monday night--excellent fish and chips for John, exquisitely fresh scallops for Ben. Both of us started with littlenecks in a turmeric spiced sauce with hunks of fresh sourdough to sop up the sauce. An excellent Gruner Veltliner made for a lovely evening. Even though the skies threatened massive thunderstorms in the distance we merely had a slight spritz and put up the umbrella over the the table.
Yesterday we drove into Massachusetts to Arlington to visit with our grandchildren, daughter and son-in-law. All are doing well, the boys are growing quickly. Lunched at Common Grounds in Arlington, excellent paninni caprese with Ten Commandments beer, a dark Belgian brew that John did not care for.
Today it's off to visit friends, a lunch of English pork pies from nearby Hartleys in Fall River and dinner at home on the verandah overlooking the harbor.
July 5, 2016
We spent a lovely fourth with friend Richard, Andres and Michael in Sacramento. Poached salmon, a selection of salads, and fine hors d'oeuvres. Stayed at the Citizen Hotel in downtown Sacramento with a view of City Hall. Flight home was painless except for a long wait (more than 30 minutes) for bags after midnight at BWI. Looking forward to next year.
We leave after breakfast, and will miss wonderland. Ashland has been a grand experience this year, capped off last night with a meal at a new restaurant, open a month, Scarpetta. It's so new John was the first to review on Trip Advisor! With his of love mushrooms, he munched through local morrels and local hen of the woods as part of dinner--all from the hills (mountains) around here. Fine local Rogue Valley wines: Folin Cellars Tempranillo 2012 for the red and Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris 2014 for the white. Ben thoroughly enjoyed a local Pacific fish, Oregon rock fish, which is like red snapper rather than sea bass. Locavore cooking here is superb. Looking forward to our visit next year.
"Twelfth Night" as a 1930s musical comedy set in Hollywood--and a farce to boot! What a fabulous way to bring Shakespeare to life. We laughed so hard at some of the heavy comedy that the seats almost came off their bolts. The play is truly a masterpiece, but this version played on how much farce there is in it as well as the depth of soul searching and self identification. It was a blast. The tap dance number at the end just sent this show over the top.
Dinner last night was lovely, in the garden of the Peerless Hotel, our second time there. Kumamoto oysters from Humboldt Bay in California; a cocktail made with rhubarb juice and vodka; pinot gris and cabernet franc from the Rogue River valley, seared lamb chops, lovely salad with local goat cheese, spanakopita, and panecotta for dessert. Then an evening under the stars with drinks at the hotel. It's amazing the number of stars you see when there are few city lights.
Today we hooted at a hillbilly hootenanny version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Yeoman of the Guard." It's amazing how interesting the patter songs can be when sung with the accompaniment of a banjo or accordion, or danced in country music costume. John is sure that Sir Arthur, his great-grandfather John Sharp's drinking partner in Leeds, would have been totally enamored of the production.
Tonight we head out to dinner at a new restaurant, Scarpetto (John thinks) on Main Street. We leave before the huge Fourth of July parade starts for Sacramento in the morning.
Five days with friends brings on a variety of experiences. First the plays: We saw "Winters Tale" on Thursday night, then Dickens' "Great Expectations" yesterday afternoon. It began slowly, but built to its dramatic end with the the fall of Pip and death of Magwitch, his transportee-benefactor. Love, anger and deceit in it, of course. Then last night a magic realism play, "River Bride" about a dolphin in the Amazon who has three days to be turned into a man to find true love and spend the rest of his life with her. A sad play where he doesn't find true love and is forced back into the water. Much like the work of Gabriel Garcia-Marques.
The meals: Dinner last night at Harvey's Place. Ben had scallops, John a fine meat loaf--this, of course, was after lunch at the Stone Standing Brewery of cobb and caesar salads and local pale ale. We had dined the previous night at Amuse, a long-time favorite in their garden. The wines last night were Irvine, a local Rogue Valley chardonnay, and Rex Hill pinot noir from the Willamette Valley
We spent yesterday morning at the National Wildlife and Fisheries Service Forensic Labs, the only one of its kind in the world. We learned about various endangered species and the development of evidence to stop trade in it. The lab works with countries all over the world to stop the trade. We handled pieces of ivory, horn and wood, and even bottles of DNA used to identify species. Fascinating stuff. The DNA Ben is holding is a huge amount even though it is a tiny test tube. We got the invitation to go to this center that does not offer tours by serendipity. Our host, Peter, sat next to the director on his flight to Medford (nearest airport) from San Francisco.
Lastly, we had lunch with the wig-maker for the OSF,Cherrell Guyton. A delightful woman who, after a career in banking, moved here three years ago from the bosom of her South Carolina family to this city where there is significant racism and no support mechanisms for African-Americans. We are going to a conference on the issue this morning.
So, we aren't stopping to smell the roses, they seem to be coming our way. Today we see "Twelfth Night" and a technical rehearsal of "Richard II," with OSF executive director, Bill Rauch. It opens after we leave.
We are taking a week to visit friends and family in the Northeast. We drove up through the center of Pennsylvania, taking a chance to find a luncheon spot on the Susquehanna River east of York. We left the main road and headed to the small towns along the river. Our goal was Columbia, PA, on the east side. It's a town of antique stores, but for us the most interesting piece of architecture was the bridge, built about 1930, that spans the Susquehanna. It's a road bridge, not rail, and is a perfect example of how interesting bridge architecture can be. We don't build art-deco bridges like this anymore. We didn't find lunch there, but got both soup and sandwich at Cafe di Vetro. Very stark and modern, but very good staff and fine soup. 
From there to Rhode Island where we are visiting with our friends John and Jon on Tiverton harbor. Lovely to spend time with them. Ben has done lot a lot of walking with John and pilates with Jon with Jon, while John has read almost two books. We dined at the Boat House overlooking Mt Hope Bay on Monday night--excellent fish and chips for John, exquisitely fresh scallops for Ben. Both of us started with littlenecks in a turmeric spiced sauce with hunks of fresh sourdough to sop up the sauce. An excellent Gruner Veltliner made for a lovely evening. Even though the skies threatened massive thunderstorms in the distance we merely had a slight spritz and put up the umbrella over the the table.
