Cynfull Living is traveling solo now. This is my first post since my divorce from Ray, the guy who took the photographs for the blog until now. I will now take on the challenge of learning how to upload my own photos onto my posts. How hard can it be, right?
I took a very restorative trip to Florida from Feb 6 to 13th. My almost 93 year old dad passed away in Delaware on Feb. 2nd. We were all with him in his final days and hours. Losing a loved one is always very tough and this was no different. We were all totally depleted after his passing, and I just happened to have planned a trip South to visit friends quite some time prior. Getting from my dads deathbed home to pack for Florida was completely exhausting, but out of sheer stubbornness and determination, I managed to get myself to the Miami airport on the afternoon of the 6th and did the drive to Key Largo and the Ocean Reef Club to visit my good friends, Terry and Patricia, who spend their Winter there.
But Oh My, I really needed that time in the warm and the sunshine to restore my body, mind, and spirit. It was very healing to be with my good friends and play golf, dine outdoors and sing songs
at the piano bar with my girlfriend. WE attended a play and a lecture at the Ocean Reef Cultural Center. It was all great! And did I mention the spa? That is always a major source of therapy for me.
After several days at the Inn at Ocean Reef, I took my rental car and drove up to Vero Beach to stay at the Costa d'Este Beach Hotel Resort...... a wonderful spot right on the beach. I was there to visit my other good friends , Alki and Shannon, who live in Fort Pierce, about 30 minutes due South.
We had dinner at the restaurant at the hotel which was really good. I would go here again !! Very nice place. We also visited The McKee Botanical Garden near Ft. Pierce and loved it!
I had dinner Sunday evening with other friends who Winter in Vero Beach. It's a nice town. Not too packed with snow birds and vacationers.........
I flew home on Tuesday, Feb 13th. Just in time to spend one day taking care of business in my hometown, then off to Delaware to be with my family for my father's memorial service. He had passed away on the 2nd at almost 93 yrs. May you rest in peace dad!
Then on the 21st, I took the AMTRAK Acela train to New York to stay at the PALACE HOTEL at Madison and 50th St. and meet my friends for theater. I had dinner that evening at TOSCANA 49 ..... at 143 E 49th Street. A very cozy neighborhood Italian place. I sat at the bar and watched the Olympics while I dined. Perfect.
Wednesday the 22nd was a double show day. I had a lovely lunch at COOKSHOP at 10th Ave and 20th St. It was a Springlike day in the 70s in NYC, and so good for a stroll in the Chelsea area.
We saw the play "Hangmen" by Martin McDonagh at the Atlantic Theater Company on W20th Street. It was absolutely riveting! This show came to NYC from London's West End. We are so lucky to have it. Very well staged, acted, and a gripping story.
That evening was "Farinelli and the King" at the Belasco Theater. It stars Mark Rylance as the king and was written by Claire Van Kampen, who happens to be Rylance's wife. A historical piece about King Phillipe V of Spain and takes place in the late 18th Century. I love Rylance in anything he does and he did not disappoint. Before the show we had a beautiful dinner at RESTAURANT GABRIEL KREUTHER. An elegant 3 course pre theater menu. I would go back there in a heartbeat.
Thursday morning, 2/22, I had breakfast at the hotel with my good friends, then went to the spa for the rest of the morning. My friend Janet joined me for a few more days of theater..... we did lunch that day at FRESCA BY SCOTTO at 34 E 52nd St............ Delicious. That evening, we saw a great play, "Dear Evan Hansen" at the Music Box Theater. This musical movingly explores universal themes of love, loneliness, grief, and the search for connection in a world of social media and isolation. A story about 2 struggling families and a misplaced letter became a wildly popular show. We really enjoyed it, and came out hungry. Dinner at a favorite theater standby, LA MASSERIA, was just perfect. By the way, I had a cold in NYC after all the running around I had been doing. My hotel had a lovely SPA which I used to help restore my health and the steam room was very key to cold recovery.
Friday Janet went to the Met for the David Hockney show and I rested up from all my life events and travels. I had lunch at FIG & OLIVE on E 52nd St. Delicious. And they sell their beautiful oil too.
Friday evening was "Come From Away" at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. This is a play put to music about the people in the town of Gander, Newfoundland who opened their homes and public buildings to thousands of passengers from planes diverted to their airport after the 9/11 attacks. The music
and some of the scenes were very lively, but I found it tedious and was not really a big fan. We were both disappointed because we thought we would love this one. Another lesson in managing expectations........ Oh, and dinner was pre show at a wonderful seafood restaurant called OCEANA
at 120 W. 49th. An actor friend joined us and it was great to see him.
Saturday, the 24th was another 2 show day..... I know. We are really overindulging on Theater.
Janet wanted to see "Farinelli and the King", so I went a second time to see it with her. I'm SO glad I did! We had seats in the 2nd row, and were so close to the stage, it felt like a different show!
I could hear every word this time, and see Mark Rylance up close! It was divine. And the Countertenor who sang Farinelli was superb!!!!
Dinner that evening was at a really fun place called THAI VILLA at 5 E 18th St. the place was full at 5:45 so we sat at the bar and got great service. I had tapioca dumplings and a cornish hen dish and Janet had a mango salad and Sea Bass in a coconut milk sauce. Both excellent!
The show that evening, our last one, was really more performance art than theater. "In and Of Itself"
at the Daryl Roth theater.... written and performed by Derek Delgaudio...... it was an amazing blend of magic, storytelling, and mind reading ( or something that felt like it). The house was full and people got their minds blown by what he could do. Very gifted guy. I recommend it.
We both traveled home on Sunday...... Just before boarding the Dartmouth Coach to come home, I stopped in a Starbucks. Liked the art on the board there.
very glad to be back in my nest! Love NYC but not for long
stays. This was perfect.
I took a very restorative trip to Florida from Feb 6 to 13th. My almost 93 year old dad passed away in Delaware on Feb. 2nd. We were all with him in his final days and hours. Losing a loved one is always very tough and this was no different. We were all totally depleted after his passing, and I just happened to have planned a trip South to visit friends quite some time prior. Getting from my dads deathbed home to pack for Florida was completely exhausting, but out of sheer stubbornness and determination, I managed to get myself to the Miami airport on the afternoon of the 6th and did the drive to Key Largo and the Ocean Reef Club to visit my good friends, Terry and Patricia, who spend their Winter there.
But Oh My, I really needed that time in the warm and the sunshine to restore my body, mind, and spirit. It was very healing to be with my good friends and play golf, dine outdoors and sing songs
at the piano bar with my girlfriend. WE attended a play and a lecture at the Ocean Reef Cultural Center. It was all great! And did I mention the spa? That is always a major source of therapy for me.
After several days at the Inn at Ocean Reef, I took my rental car and drove up to Vero Beach to stay at the Costa d'Este Beach Hotel Resort...... a wonderful spot right on the beach. I was there to visit my other good friends , Alki and Shannon, who live in Fort Pierce, about 30 minutes due South.
We had dinner at the restaurant at the hotel which was really good. I would go here again !! Very nice place. We also visited The McKee Botanical Garden near Ft. Pierce and loved it!
 |
| The Feature at the McKee Garden was life size sculptures of African birds and animals created by African artists. The shots here and below are just of few of the many animal sculptures around the park. We all really enjoyed it there. Its a great place to take kids! |
I had dinner Sunday evening with other friends who Winter in Vero Beach. It's a nice town. Not too packed with snow birds and vacationers.........
I flew home on Tuesday, Feb 13th. Just in time to spend one day taking care of business in my hometown, then off to Delaware to be with my family for my father's memorial service. He had passed away on the 2nd at almost 93 yrs. May you rest in peace dad!
Then on the 21st, I took the AMTRAK Acela train to New York to stay at the PALACE HOTEL at Madison and 50th St. and meet my friends for theater. I had dinner that evening at TOSCANA 49 ..... at 143 E 49th Street. A very cozy neighborhood Italian place. I sat at the bar and watched the Olympics while I dined. Perfect.
Wednesday the 22nd was a double show day. I had a lovely lunch at COOKSHOP at 10th Ave and 20th St. It was a Springlike day in the 70s in NYC, and so good for a stroll in the Chelsea area.
 |
| Cookshop in Chelsea |
 |
| Cookshop Bar......... my lunch spot. |
We saw the play "Hangmen" by Martin McDonagh at the Atlantic Theater Company on W20th Street. It was absolutely riveting! This show came to NYC from London's West End. We are so lucky to have it. Very well staged, acted, and a gripping story.
That evening was "Farinelli and the King" at the Belasco Theater. It stars Mark Rylance as the king and was written by Claire Van Kampen, who happens to be Rylance's wife. A historical piece about King Phillipe V of Spain and takes place in the late 18th Century. I love Rylance in anything he does and he did not disappoint. Before the show we had a beautiful dinner at RESTAURANT GABRIEL KREUTHER. An elegant 3 course pre theater menu. I would go back there in a heartbeat.
 |
| First course at Gabriel Kreuther |
 |
| Yummy dessert |
Thursday morning, 2/22, I had breakfast at the hotel with my good friends, then went to the spa for the rest of the morning. My friend Janet joined me for a few more days of theater..... we did lunch that day at FRESCA BY SCOTTO at 34 E 52nd St............ Delicious. That evening, we saw a great play, "Dear Evan Hansen" at the Music Box Theater. This musical movingly explores universal themes of love, loneliness, grief, and the search for connection in a world of social media and isolation. A story about 2 struggling families and a misplaced letter became a wildly popular show. We really enjoyed it, and came out hungry. Dinner at a favorite theater standby, LA MASSERIA, was just perfect. By the way, I had a cold in NYC after all the running around I had been doing. My hotel had a lovely SPA which I used to help restore my health and the steam room was very key to cold recovery.
Friday Janet went to the Met for the David Hockney show and I rested up from all my life events and travels. I had lunch at FIG & OLIVE on E 52nd St. Delicious. And they sell their beautiful oil too.
Friday evening was "Come From Away" at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. This is a play put to music about the people in the town of Gander, Newfoundland who opened their homes and public buildings to thousands of passengers from planes diverted to their airport after the 9/11 attacks. The music
and some of the scenes were very lively, but I found it tedious and was not really a big fan. We were both disappointed because we thought we would love this one. Another lesson in managing expectations........ Oh, and dinner was pre show at a wonderful seafood restaurant called OCEANA
at 120 W. 49th. An actor friend joined us and it was great to see him.
Saturday, the 24th was another 2 show day..... I know. We are really overindulging on Theater.
Janet wanted to see "Farinelli and the King", so I went a second time to see it with her. I'm SO glad I did! We had seats in the 2nd row, and were so close to the stage, it felt like a different show!
I could hear every word this time, and see Mark Rylance up close! It was divine. And the Countertenor who sang Farinelli was superb!!!!
Dinner that evening was at a really fun place called THAI VILLA at 5 E 18th St. the place was full at 5:45 so we sat at the bar and got great service. I had tapioca dumplings and a cornish hen dish and Janet had a mango salad and Sea Bass in a coconut milk sauce. Both excellent!
The show that evening, our last one, was really more performance art than theater. "In and Of Itself"
at the Daryl Roth theater.... written and performed by Derek Delgaudio...... it was an amazing blend of magic, storytelling, and mind reading ( or something that felt like it). The house was full and people got their minds blown by what he could do. Very gifted guy. I recommend it.
We both traveled home on Sunday...... Just before boarding the Dartmouth Coach to come home, I stopped in a Starbucks. Liked the art on the board there.
 |
| I had to kiss NYC goodbye in that Starbucks.... |
very glad to be back in my nest! Love NYC but not for long
stays. This was perfect.
