Amusing Signs around the Planet Photo credit: M. Ciavardini An eye-catching reminder on exiting the Ridgefield Playhouse: extra-terrestrials must be safely strapped in. —Lori Tripoli Like Connecticut? You might be interested in these posts: The Revolution Comes to Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield, Conn. Mapleshade Cemetery and Revolution in Ridgefield, CT Danbury: Revolution, Hats, and a…
La Crème de La Crémaillère
Contemplating all things France lately (or, mostly, Joan of Arc as I read Kathryn Harrison’s 2014 biography of the Maid of Orléans), I glide on the arm of the Brawny Sherpa into La Crémaillère in Bedford, N.Y. one gray, soggy evening wondering what medieval maidens ate. I am quickly transmogrified from the 1430s to the…
Bathroom Etiquette 101
An amusing and informative sign in a restroom in Peru
Convenience in Cusco
Our stay in room 114 at the San Agustin International is short and functional. In Peru to see Machu Picchu, we stay in Cusco a couple of nights after our great adventure on the mountain. After a couple of pisco sours at the El Arcangel restaurant—and a mysterious, yet tasty, green purée for dinner, when I’d…
Reason to Go to Yonkers: Vanilla Stout
Living in the far northern part of Westchester County, N.Y., I somehow don’t often breach what has been referred to as “the great 287 divide”—a phrase referring to the interstate highway that bisects the county. Those living north of it tend to stay north, those south, south. Invited to a networking event at Yonkers Brewing…
Christ of Many Colors
On this Palm Sunday, marvel at the varied images of Jesus depicted in churches and other places around the world. Sometimes he is a baby with the face of someone far more mature, sometimes he is an adult, sometimes with white skin, sometimes not. I am always surprised that societies try to remake him in…
Seeing the Sign: How Safe Is an Earthquake Safety Zone?
Not until I see a sign in Cusco, Peru alerting me to my presence in an earthquake safety zone—in the dining room of a small restaurant in my hotel—do I really think of temblors. Living in an earthquake-free zone, for the most part, I don’t have occasion to feel the earth rumble. There was one…
Margaritas, Straight, Salt: Southeast
If you seek the perfect margarita in the North Suburban vicinity, look no further than Las Mananitas restaurant in Brewster, in the town of Southeast. The food is pretty good, too; the fire in winter is warming, the patio in summer is serene. After your meal, order the special coffee made at your table. You’ll…
A Romantic Dinner in Cusco
By the last evening of our whirlwind adventure in Peru, the Brawny Sherpa and I are running short on time and energy—despite our new affection for coca tea and our hopes of entering a time warp to extend our brief stay here. Low on energy, we walk less than a block from our hotel where…
A Spiritual Altitude Adjustment at Machu Picchu
I am so concerned with the physical challenge of Machu Picchu—how much will the altitude affect me? will my head hurt? will I be able to breathe?—that I don’t spend as much time as I should contemplating the spirituality of the place. Were I walking the Inca Trail, and ascending all of the steps up…