Things I'm Grateful For

1. Family, given and chosen
   
2. Generous neighbors
   
3. Good health
   
4. Peaceful home
   
5. Freedom
   
6. Diversity of life
   
7. Art and technology
8. Laughter and irreverence
   
9. A sense of awe
   
10. Dreamlife adventures
    
11. Creative spirits I've connected with this year

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Eating My Way Around Tokyo

Greetings from Tokyo!

Each time I return I vow to explore more and have more variety in my adventures...yet I can't help but be lured by the endless varieties of top-notch food available here. When presented with the opportunity of an unforgettable culinary experience, all else seems to fall by the wayside as I follow the next red lantern or aromas of yakitori.

I'm just starting to catch up on blogging, but you can view posts on my travels on my Tokyo blog, here.

Autumn in Central Park, New York

It was a bit early for real fall color, but last week Manhattan was stunning nonetheless. Still warm, with hints of the full autumnal splendor to burst forth in the coming weeks after the city undergoes her seasonal costume change. Volumes have been written about the diverse wonders of New York City, so I'll devote this post to a short and sweet homage to Central Park.

We only had three days to explore, so that limited our meanderings in the park to the south end. This was enough to get a taste of what a rare refuge this park is. It is a sanctuary of lush gardens, serene water, graceful bridges and inviting pathways, as well as the occasional quirky attraction to surprise you, such as an ancient obelisk or charming children's zoo...all to be found in the middle of a thriving (and sometimes overwhelming) metropolis.

According to the Central Park website, the park has never been more beautiful or so well maintained as it is now. In its more than hundred-year history, the park has experienced cycles of neglect and misuse. The 1990's brought about the beginning of positive changes thanks to the Central Park Conservancy's efforts to restore the park to its former grandeur. I love the old-world feel to it, as this is hard to come by in the States, and especially in California.

Wandering through the meticulously kept grounds last week, I couldn't get over how deeply peaceful and rejuvenating it was, and how much there was to discover. I could see vestiges of time in every corner, yet the energy was fresh and vibrant. It's a refuge for everyone, so makes excellent people-watching: the solitary reader, picnicking schoolkids, the artist, the jogger, the musician, the overworked financier, the elderly couple on their regular walk, the newlyweds and their photographer, the dogs and their proud owners, the many visitors from afar.

I think the park sustains the soul of the city. Manhattan would be a lesser place without this man-made historic landmark hewn from rock and swamp, shaped by history. It is also a good reminder of how vital greenery is to our well-being.

I'll let the photos above convey the rest. Also, check out the Central Park website, it's filled with interesting information.

Colors of Comfort

Our summer has been overshadowed by the after-effects of a small house fire that we experienced in mid-June. Our dryer caught fire in the middle of the night, filling the house with smoke and triggering smoke alarms that jolted us from a deep sleep. Thanks to the alarms, the fire extinguishers we keep on hand, Thomas' quick thinking and our good fortune, we caught the fire just in time. Our entire house and outdoor bar area are made of wood, so it's a miracle that the house itself did not start burning, because that dryer was a charred hunk of metal, melting the linoleum floor beneath it.

Anyway, this small fire caused a surprising amount of mayhem. It took weeks for a cleaning team to take care of smoke and fire extinguisher dust damage, to have most rooms repainted and the linoleum flooring replaced. It was too much chaos in our home, making me realize the utmost priority (for me) is order, peace and lack of clutter in the home.

Well, in addition to the many lessons learned (less carelessness; more appreciation and caution), we did score new washer/dryer and new interior paint out of the stressful ordeal. I was happy with our old paint, but we had no choice but to redo most rooms because smoke apparently clings to flat paint. We had to make quick decisions on which colors we wanted for six rooms, and this in itself provided a whole new meaning to the word pressure. For days we deliberated, pondered, argued, perused paint sites and stores. I bought a couple of dozen paint samples for our bedroom alone. I wanted something fresh and uplifting. One day we were certain, then the next morning, waking and seeing the swatches I'd painted on the walls the day before, we would balk and wonder what the hell we were thinking.

This experience led to some interesting observations on color and the effect it has on our moods and states of mind--not just the actual hues themselves, but the names we give them, and the identities or ideas that we associate with them as a result. The various home interior industries have cleverly concocted evocative names in order to present even their most ho-hum colors in a more enticing manner. Of course this manipulation isn't lost on any of us, and for me has actually always been a source of fascination. The thing that surprised me was how influenced I was by those names, almost beyond reason.

For example, take our master bedroom. A very important room for obvious reasons, a space that is meant to be restful and sacred to our life together. A room of comfort, where we want to retire and be enclosed in the warmth of the perfect shade of pale amber or golden sand. The original paint was a neutral, very pale celery color--nothing exciting, but inoffensive, and soothing in its predictable sort of way. In other words, a color you never really noticed.

We wanted to warm things up and add some character. During the whole after-fire ordeal, I found myself continuously drawn to pinks. Anybody who knows me knows I am not a lover of pink; I never wear it and you'll find none of it in my home. But I kept thinking: aah, pale coral, soft peony, a hint of warm clay or fading sunset. I picked paint samples at Home Depot with names that imparted a deep sense of comfort or exotic escape: delicious names such as Guava Jam, Coral Serenade, or Florida Mango. It had to be just the right balance of coral-sand-shell-mango, closer to an earthy terra cotta (but pale), not too bright, not too rose, not too gaudy or girly or cheesy.

I have to admit, I was repeatedly more drawn to certain colors over others because of their names. The image conjured by Autumn Mist, for example, was so much more appealing than High Plateau. And as hard as I tried, I couldn't get myself to even sample something as pollyana in tone as Rosy Outlook or as little-old-lady as Antique Cameo. I tried not to be swayed by the names but couldn't help myself. I wanted to be able to say, "my room was done in Lush Melon." Was it my writer's ear that made me react so strongly to these names? My self-conscious blogger's voice? My overactive imagination? Or the fact I was under duress, desperate for a getaway, and needed to create more soothing surroundings? Probably all of the above.

And in the end, all of these colors were nothing more than pink to my husband's eyes. No matter how much I tried to skew his influence by calling a color Sahara Sun, to him it was pink. He just didn't want a pink bedroom.

So for the bedroom, we chose the same neutral yellow-tan that we painted the living room and dining room: Ripe Wheat (yellow is uplifting yet comforting to us both, it seems), and at the very last moment had an accent wall done in Chai Spice - which turned out to be a very appetizing burnt orangey, pumpkin pie color. (And, I love the name.)

By the way, if you are in the midst of having to make similar excruciating decisions about interior paint, I highly recommend checking out Behr.com for inspiration. Their excellent site lets you shop for colors and redesign virtual rooms with various color combos. Onscreen colors aren't the same as actual, but fun to play around with and get ideas. Just don't get too caught up on what the colors are called...

Indulging Your Inner Princess in Vienna

Scene on the Graben

Blue Bar at Hotel Sacher

Horse-drawn carriage

People-watching at Café Oper Wien

Cake display at Demel

Hotel Pertschy

The nice thing about repeat visits to a travel destination is you feel less obligated to do all the touristy things like attend the symphony or visit museums. You've done most of it already, so you can move at a more leisurely place and get a better feel for living and lounging like a local.

In April I took my fourth trip to see in-laws in Vienna. I enjoy Vienna's charms more with each visit. I'm not sure if it's the type of city you appreciate more as you age, or if the city itself has become more tourist-friendly and ravishing to look at, or a combination. I did, however, find myself wandering the streets and sitting at cafés for hours in a sort of dreamy glow. I finally figured out it's because Vienna, for a tourist like myself, is like living in a fairytale. It's the kind of place you imagine existed long ago and far away in a charmed kingdom where horse-drawn carriages clip-clop down cobblestone streets and there is no end to the marzipan delights. Vienna has been voted one of the world's best places to live, and it's obvious why.

Again, this is my simple viewpoint as a Californian who didn't grow up among palazzos and towns boasting a proud history going back hundreds of years. So, for an Americana, Vienna is the place to go to indulge your inner princess. I spent a week sipping champagne in plush rooms lit by chandelier, nibbling whipped-cream covered concoctions in stately cafés, people watching at cozy coffeehouses and admiring beautiful things at every turn. It seemed like every other shop in the city center offered chocolates, gourmet treats, shoes or lingerie. And, Vienna loves dogs, so your precious pup is welcome almost anywhere, even restaurants. But if you become oversatiated by all this opulence and indulgence, there are countless intellectual inticements in this city of high culture: just choose your preference of gallery hopping, book browsing, museum gazing or opera.

We stayed at the Hotel Pertschy, an elegant, inviting bed and breakfast converted from an old baroque palace. It's located in the center of town, tucked away on a peaceful side street, just a stroll from Stephansplatz. Through your window, you could hear the horses clopping along the street below. I loved waking in that room each morning to see the pink ceiling overhead, the chandelier catching the light, feeling like royalty, wondering if it would be too gauche to have cake for breakfast.

There was no need to go out for breakfast because the surprisingly reasonable price of the room came with a delectable buffet that had me rising at uncharacteristically early hours. I've never had bread, cake and other baked treats like I've enjoyed in Vienna. Fresh rolls, grainy brown bread, fresh-baked semmeln, chewy pretzels, strudels and tortes, cake like we can only dream about here. Nobody does cake like they do in Vienna. We had a few memorable dessert moments, but our experience at the renown Demel was the pinnacle. An absolute must for cake lovers.

Other musts:

• Brezel-Gwolb for casual traditional dining in a quirky, gemütlich wine cellar (Rick Steves describes it as Tolkienesque)
  
• The Stadtpark (City Park) for afternoon strolling with the locals
• Historic Hotel Sacher's Blue Bar for cocktails and top-notch service in an all-blue salon
• Do & Co's Onyx Bar for drinks in a hip lounge with a stunning view of the awe-inspiring Stephansdom
• Dorotheum auction house for art and antique shopping (or to just browse)
• The Secession to view Klimt's magnificent Beethoven Frieze, with the Naschmarkt just a block over for fresh produce, ethnic foods, or a relaxed lunch
  
• Café Hawelka for coffee with the bohemian crowd
• Kunst Haus Wien to ogle Hundertwasser's eye-popping, ecologically-minded creations (there was also a fabulous Picasso exhibit when I visited)
  
• The Prater for old-fashioned amusement park fun, where you can ride the Ferris wheel made famous by The Third Man, visit the haunted house, or picnic on green meadows
  
• Julis Meinl for high-end gourmet gifts like designer water, 400 cheeses, fruit-shaped marzipan or imported sardines
• American Bar designed by Adolf Loos for martinis in moody surroundings done in luxe marble and onyx
  
• and pretty much any sausage stand for a quick beer and taste of local street food.

Whatever you do, don't forget your walking shoes. The best way to get the feel for any European city is to spend time roaming and getting lost.

Leonard Cohen and His Tower of Song

It was 1987 and I was 21, living in Tokyo, when a black and white music video came on TV. A sonorous rumble of a voice started singing, a voice I'd never heard before, rolling like thunder through my tiny apartment. I was smitten, riveted to the screen, like I'd been struck by lightning. The song was "First We Take Manhattan" and the voice belonged to Leonard Cohen. The next day I went out in search of this song, and paid a lot of yen for "I'm Your Man" on cassette. I played that tape till it started warbling with overuse.

I finally got to see Leonard Cohen perform this song live, last night at Oakland's Paramount Theatre. Watching him sing with no less passion than he had twenty years ago took me immediately back to my own past, living as a girl lost in the big city. It was definitely a high point in my existence, last night sitting in that historic art deco theatre, watching this living legend perform before an adoring and grateful audience.

The glowing, spectacularly ornate Paramount, shimmering like a gilded temple for dreams lost and found, was a strangely ideal setting for this spiritual poet/singer to channel his visions on life, death, love, longing, and searchings of the heart. Cohen's songs are like stories that lure you in, and he sings with such humble wisdom about humanity in all its wonder and fragility that you feel lifted and understood, and yes, it's okay to be where we are because all is as it should be, and nothing lasts forever anyway. You walk away with a bit more compassion after hearing this man and his words, at turns heartbreaking and humorous, self-effacing and provocative, dark and light.

We were treated to three encores, and many words of thanks and bows from Cohen going out to his band, to the angelic vocalists, the audience, the crew, even the "lady who takes care of our hats." His energy lingered with me throughout my sleep and when I woke the first thing I did was go online in search of the music video I saw way back in the 80's. That's when I learned (from user comments) that Leonard Cohen is on the currently released Watchmen soundtrack, allowing another generation to discover his music. Hallelujah!

Mendocino

A glass of Edelzwicker in the vineyard

Picnic in Navarro Vineyards

The beautiful sea

Deck with ocean view

The MacCallum House Inn

Breakfast at the MacCallum House

Driftwood covered beach at the headlands

Bloody Mary's at Dick's

Shops on Main Street, Mendocino

The Moose Cafe

Driftwood on Big River Beach

We've been visiting Mendocino for years, our favorite nearby getaway that's become a place of many wonderful memories. It's still astonishing that driving just three hours north of San Francisco takes us to a place that is so peaceful with a faraway feel, and has much to offer in terms of natural beauty, comfortable lodging and excellent dining. Each time we go back we're thrilled to find much of the little town and surrounding areas relatively unchanged.

Driving along 128 through the beautiful Anderson Valley, we always stop at Navarro Vineyards. We love this place so much we once thought (years ago) about holding our wedding there, until we decided the logistics of gathering everyone would have been difficult. After tasting almost everything on their list including fruity-crisp Chenin Blanc and luscious late harvest Riesling, we purchased their fabulous Pinot to take back, and a bottle of their delightful Edelzwicker for our picnic on their grounds.

Most of our previous Mendocino visits took us to our standby homey cabins at Fools Rush Inn, which were located in Little River, about a mile south from the town of Mendocino. This is where we stayed on our very first trip together, many moons ago. Our beloved Fools Rush Inn was recently sold, however, and after renovation has become a more updated property called Cottages at Little River. We decided to try someplace new, so at our friend Vijay's recommendation we stayed at the historic MacCallum House in town. The main house is a beautiful Victorian overlooking the sea, but there are a variety of cottages and rentals that are a part of the estate.

We stayed in the charming renovated barn house, just across the lawn from the main house. Our room had a plush bed with huge fireplace, and a deck with ocean view. Our bed came with a wonderful breakfast which we enjoyed with cheery service each morning on the main house's expansive sunlit porch. We also had dinner one night in the cozy and romantic MacCallum House Restaurant, where I had meltingly delicious seared kona kampachi and oysters with a Bloody Mary granita. Again, wonderful service, friendly staff. Considering we also received a two-nights-for-one deal through internet booking, the entire weekend was a worthy experience.

We started off our mini-vacation with massages at Mendocino Massage, just a couple of blocks from our lodgings. Couples can book simultaneous massages, and we experienced our fifty minutes of soothing bliss in their lovely garden gazebo.

In town, a variety of shops offer books, decorative items for the home, new age knickknacks, handmade candy. One shop I enjoy looking in just to see beautiful things for the home is Golden Goose on Main Street. I recommend it if you feel like blowing some cash on one-of-a-kind glassware or imported linens.

Our second night found us dining at the Moose Cafe, where you can always count on a well-prepared seasonal, affordable menu in their warm wood-floor dining room. The cafe was almost packed and we were lucky to get a table without reservations. I had a wonderful white bean soup that I could go for right now.

Two other places we have to visit are Dick's Place, a colorful local's hangout featuring awesome Bloody Mary's and the only neon sign for miles, and Patterson's Pub, which is an atmospheric Irish-style pub that feels lived-in but is a relatively new establishment (we remember when it used to be a video rental shop). Patterson's is good for a pint and comforting pub fare with a game of dominoes or dice, if you can ignore the six plasma TV's (on mute, though).

I haven't even gone into the many beaches and other natural splendors that abound in Mendocino. You're just surrounded by spectacular vistas at every turn. There's really something for everyone: tidepooling, kayaking, hiking, whale watching, botanical gardens, beaches covered by driftwood or sea glass. We always vow to stay longer next time, there is so much to see and enjoy.