FEB 2018 ..... SOUTH FLORIDA and NEW YORK THEATER TRIP

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!

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.

September 2017 ITALY TRAVELS......... CIAO BELLA!!!!!

 ITALY IN SEPTEMBER........  "The Eternal City"   ....... ROME

We flew from Boston to Rome on the night of Sept 10, arriving in time for a late lunch.

Our hotel is Baglioni Hotel Regina on Via Veneto, near the Borghese Gardens and Harry's Bar Roma.
Oh, and the Hard Rock Cafe is around the corner.

First lunch was at Peppone, a few blocks away. Ray had pasta and I had a roasted salmon with herbs and veggies. Very tasty! We took a stroll in the Borghese gardens. We walked along the 3rd Century Aurelian Wall that surrounds the  "centro  storico"  and looked at statues after lunch.
Then a brief nap.....

Dinner was at a local and very fun Japanese place called SHINTO..... we sat at the bar and watched them prepare the hot dishes. Sushi was back in the kitchen..... a novel approach. All the food was yummy. Hand rolls and Black cod in a tempura like sauce.

Tuesday we walked down to the Pantheon area to meet our chef Violante at the Campo di Fiori food market. We went to her apartment at Palazzo Taverna  nearby. She lives on the top floor with an amazing terrace. Breathtaking views of the whole city. She is really situated right in the center of Rome. We made zucchini flans, Fish quenelles, green beans, and Tiramisu for dessert. I have the recipes and will repeat all of this back home. Can't wait to try it all in our kitchen! She was a good coach and lovely person to be with.

On the 7th Floor of Palazzo Taverna. One corner of the patio.

The viewing area at the top of the building. Possibly the best vista in the city! We'll let you know after we have seen them all!

Rome from Violante's patio

Another section of town...... The huge dome is the Vatican Cathedral.

Ray and Violante in the kitchen. Her kitchen has been retrofitted into the attic of the building. They are prepping the molds for the flan. Ray really stepped up and did a lot of the cooking.

The Zucchini flan with toasted pine nuts. It was yummy!!

Mario, our server, with the quenelles on a platter

Our lunch!

All plated and ready to enjoy!

Wednesday morning  Ray found a pool and went swimming. I had a massage at the hotel spa.
You just have to break down and do these things to keep body and soul together.

Then we lunched at Harrys Bar, and took a cab over to Castello St Angelo, on the banks of the Tiber River.

An institution. Apparently a popular spot for Romans. We lunched at a table outside by the Via Veneto. Lots of people watching to be done there.

Tiber River Bridges.

The bridge leading to Castel St Angelo is lined with these angels carved by the great master Bernini.

Castel St Angelo. There is a private walkway between the vatican and this tower. In case the Pope needs to escape the Vatican. This started out as a mausoleum for the remains of Emperor Hadrian and his family. It late became a fort, prison, and then a storage place for documents and artifacts from the Vatican, and a second residence for some of the popes.

Thursday evening we had dinner at a traditional Roman place called L'Archangelo, north of the Vatican. I just had a salad with fish and shrimps. Ray had the pigeon, served in a glass case with a
burning, smoking rosemary. A unique presentation. And the meat was delish and tender.

Friday was our all day tour of Castel Gandolfo and the Summer residence and gardens of the Pope.

                 The town of Castel Gandolfo is small, and entirely depends on the Popes Residence. Here it is...... the Church acquired it from a wealthy old family who could no longer pay their taxes.

                                        Looking over the volcanic lake below the town.

                                                         A grand hallway inside the palace

     My favorite part was the gardens. They are massive and truly a great  place to nourish your spirit and contemplate.

                                Another view of the gardens. they were only recently made available for the public to visit. Our current Pope Francis has made this possible.

                                       The farmhouse where they grow produce and raise animals to feed folks at the Vatican. We were pleased to be served a simple but adequate lunch here after our tour.

                   As we returned to Rome, our guide let us off the bus outside of San Giovanni in Lanterno Cathedral. Built in 312 ad, this is the worlds most ancient church. We walked around inside and were
so happy we did. This is a very special place for Christians everywhere.


Dinner Friday night was at La Pergola, an elegant Michelin starred restaurant in the hills outside of town.

So no photos of the restaurant itself, which was beautiful. But Ray did shoot a few of our dishes.
This was my main course..... pigeon with a dreamy sauce and a great plate!

One of our first courses. I'd love to know who makes these plates!

Ray's main course at Pergola.

This was a unique presentation. Little after dinner treats served in the drawers of this silver box......

On our last day in Rome we were scheduled to take a private tour of the vatican with a small group of 15. I took an Italian cold relief formula that morning and it knocked me out for the whole day. I never got out of bed. So Ray went to the Vatican alone........ This beautiful marble statue was there, plus the following shots of the ceiling of the famous Sistine Chapel,
all shot by Ray on the tour.

Michelangelo's "The Creation" ....... Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel 

Adam and Eve .... Sistine Chapel

He must have laid down on the floor to get this amazing shot of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling....

June 2017 EUROPE CRUISE

Lovely Lisbon!

 Hola!!

We are about to embark on a 2 week cruise on Silver Seas with our son Dave, daughter Julie, and Dave's wife Kaitlyn. Our ship departs from Lisbon but FIRST..........

Our adventure began on June 10th with a departure from Newark Airport to BARCELONA, Spain,
The Capitol of Catalonia.......
Ray and I spent the weekend at the Majestic Hotel right on the main drag, Passage de Gracia.
We had a suite on the 9th floor with a balcony overlooking the city and sea beyond. There was rooftop terrace above our room, with  delightful sounds and smells and the chatter of happy people.

We arrived on Sunday evening and did nothing but have a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Monday morning after breakfast we met our guide, Josep, and driver Manuel for a 5 hour city tour.
Our first stop was the city food market. This was the beginning of a walking tour that took us all around the oldest sections of the city.

The EGG lady at the market.  

Quite an extensive market with everything you could possibly desire, and more!
After the market, we wandered through the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, just before 10 am when the shops were beginning to open. 

At the Beach.... this is a big fish sculpture by Frank Geary. The big ball is the eye of the fish.
From a distance it all comes together.

View from the top of Montjuic Hill..... on Montjuic we have the Miro Museum, the Olympic Stadium from 1992,
and the National Art Museum.

Ray's photo of one side of the famous UNESCO site..... La Sagrada Familia.
Designed by Antonio Gaudi..... Very famous architect from Barcelona. This church of the Sacred Family is still to this day under construction, and Gaudi worked on it for 40 years before he died in 1926. An amazing site. Definitely the days highlight!

Outrageous columns of Sagrada Familia from the inside.

It's now September, 2017, and I'm sad to tell you that I made a computer error and deleted the entire blog about our Cruise with the kids. It was a great one, and I had put a LOT of work into it.
I will try to recreate it now, but this time it will have to be a lot more concise! so sorry!!

Ray and I arrived in Lisbon on the 13th of June to join Dave, Kait and Julie the evening before our Cruise departed. We had a great evening visiting their penthouse apartment in the city and going out to dinner.

The view from Lisbon Apartment

On the balcony

I like this shot of Rays as we walked around town. The pavement is in motion!

Next morning, we boarded our cruise ship, THE SILVER SPIRIT,  and departed Lisbon.

Our cruise took us to Porto, Portugal, then La Caruna, Bilbao, St. Jean de Luz, Le Verdun, La Palace, Belle Ile,
St. Malo, Guernsey, and finally Rouen.

Ray and I spent an afternoon in Porto .... the kids we across the river at a great restaurant..... the Yachtsman, and they tasted some Port!

Our next destination was La Coruna. From here, Ray and I took a bus to Pamplona, Spain. This town is famous for its bullfighting and the annual "Running of the Bulls" event.

                             Ray shot a poster in town showing the Bulls as they run toward the arena.                            
                                                  The object is to run faster than the bulls!!

Beautiful Spanish Countryside outside Pamplona

Rays photo of Frank Geary's famous Art museum in Bilbao

Julie strikes a pose overlooking Bilbao. She and Ray had a beautiful afternoon together.

Lovely Port at St Jean de Luz

From St Jean de Luz, Ray and I  tok the day long bus tour to Santiago de Compostela. this is a famous Catholic Pilgrimage site. People walk sometimes hundreds of miles to get to this town.

A section of the town with one of the minor Cathedrals. The big one was so large , we couldn't fit it in a photo.

Main Cathedral alter. Quite beautiful!