OLD WOMAN
I am learning what an old woman I am becoming. I have to rest up a day in between trips or big occasions. I returned to Amanda's in Louisville yesterday and intended to do some running around in this town today since I haven't yet on this vacation. I was going to visit a few of my favorite shops here. When it was time to get up and take Amanda to work so that I could have the car it just seemed like a better idea to go back to sleep so that I did until about 10 a.m. What a luxury.
The weekend in the big city was wonderful in every way but that translates to fatigue after making the drive back yesterday. We returned a different route than we had gone and the way we returned had a lot more traffic especially of the semi truck kind. I drove all the way in from Chicago so that my friend, Dorothy, would be fresh for her leg of the trip on to her house which is about 2 hours away. She isn't as seasoned a driver as I.
While in Chicago on Friday afternoon we went to the Cubs game--playing their arch rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals--and the game was a slug fest for the Cards. We tucked our tails and left near the end of the 7th inning having had fun, brats, crackerjack, and the usual ballgame stuff. One thing that was exciting and unexpected were all of the freebies being handed out at the gates. They were giving out breakfast cereal, rolaids, kleenex wet wipes, nutty snacks, ice cream bars on a stick, coupons, and I don't know what else, and then you had to have your bags checked at the gate before going in. What fun!
We took the El train architectural tour of the loop on Saturday which was an enlightening and interesting experience as well as free. I love riding the trains so that made it even better for me plus we rode the train into the loop to take the tour. We ate a late brunch at Frontera, the restaurat of Rick Bayless of PBS Mexican cooking fame. It was a superb meal and dining experience. It is a store front restaurant in the central business district of downtown, unassuming but wonderful and very busy. Saturday night Natalie and Jerry made us pizza over a wood fired grill from Bayless's cookbook. It spoils the way one thinks about pizza. The dough was homemade, of course, and there was no traditional red sauce--only olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, cheeses and basil. The crust was thin and crispy with a slightly smoky taste. Goodbye Pizza Hut.
Sunday morning Dorothy and I went to an Episcopal Church in Lincoln Park, a couple of hoods away from Natalies, but I can't remember the name of it. I will try to go there again when I return. It was a very old church and had wonderfully enthusiastic singing of the traditional old hymns. I liked that.
Sunday afternoon, after a wonderful brunch prepred by our hosts featuring Belgian waffles as well as traditional breakfast fare including thick sliced bacon--eat your hearts out cholesterol watchers--we girls took a short tour through the Garfield Park Conservatory. Their special exhibit for the summer was a victorian garden theme but I would have to say was rather a disappointment having once had a victorian garden myself. I thought that the plant assortment lacked variety and was pretty common. But as a whole, it was, as always, a delightful experience. I especially enjoy the fern room and the palm room. They are pretty victorian in and of themselves. It is one of those places that I could take a book and sit all day soaking up the sounds and beauty. I hope someday to get to do that. The best part is that it is another of those wonderful Chicago freebies.
Sunday night Jerry and Natalie scurried around the kitchen for what seems like hours preparing a delicious meal of chicken diablo--devil's chicken--sauteed fresh green beans, and a pecan topped salad of luscious greens. The chicken was stuffed under the skin with olive oil, herbs and spices and then roasted over a wood fire in the grill. These two really know how to prepare and serve a good meal and spare no time or expense doing it. I am so glad to be the recipient of something so lovingly and specially prepared.
So with full tummies and hearts we said our goodbyes and retired for the evening. After a restful night we got on the road about 9:30 a.m. and if I must say so myself, I navigated us out of the city with great ease. Chicago has nothing on Tampa for traffic except more of it.
The weekend in the big city was wonderful in every way but that translates to fatigue after making the drive back yesterday. We returned a different route than we had gone and the way we returned had a lot more traffic especially of the semi truck kind. I drove all the way in from Chicago so that my friend, Dorothy, would be fresh for her leg of the trip on to her house which is about 2 hours away. She isn't as seasoned a driver as I.
While in Chicago on Friday afternoon we went to the Cubs game--playing their arch rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals--and the game was a slug fest for the Cards. We tucked our tails and left near the end of the 7th inning having had fun, brats, crackerjack, and the usual ballgame stuff. One thing that was exciting and unexpected were all of the freebies being handed out at the gates. They were giving out breakfast cereal, rolaids, kleenex wet wipes, nutty snacks, ice cream bars on a stick, coupons, and I don't know what else, and then you had to have your bags checked at the gate before going in. What fun!
We took the El train architectural tour of the loop on Saturday which was an enlightening and interesting experience as well as free. I love riding the trains so that made it even better for me plus we rode the train into the loop to take the tour. We ate a late brunch at Frontera, the restaurat of Rick Bayless of PBS Mexican cooking fame. It was a superb meal and dining experience. It is a store front restaurant in the central business district of downtown, unassuming but wonderful and very busy. Saturday night Natalie and Jerry made us pizza over a wood fired grill from Bayless's cookbook. It spoils the way one thinks about pizza. The dough was homemade, of course, and there was no traditional red sauce--only olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, cheeses and basil. The crust was thin and crispy with a slightly smoky taste. Goodbye Pizza Hut.
Sunday morning Dorothy and I went to an Episcopal Church in Lincoln Park, a couple of hoods away from Natalies, but I can't remember the name of it. I will try to go there again when I return. It was a very old church and had wonderfully enthusiastic singing of the traditional old hymns. I liked that.
Sunday afternoon, after a wonderful brunch prepred by our hosts featuring Belgian waffles as well as traditional breakfast fare including thick sliced bacon--eat your hearts out cholesterol watchers--we girls took a short tour through the Garfield Park Conservatory. Their special exhibit for the summer was a victorian garden theme but I would have to say was rather a disappointment having once had a victorian garden myself. I thought that the plant assortment lacked variety and was pretty common. But as a whole, it was, as always, a delightful experience. I especially enjoy the fern room and the palm room. They are pretty victorian in and of themselves. It is one of those places that I could take a book and sit all day soaking up the sounds and beauty. I hope someday to get to do that. The best part is that it is another of those wonderful Chicago freebies.
Sunday night Jerry and Natalie scurried around the kitchen for what seems like hours preparing a delicious meal of chicken diablo--devil's chicken--sauteed fresh green beans, and a pecan topped salad of luscious greens. The chicken was stuffed under the skin with olive oil, herbs and spices and then roasted over a wood fire in the grill. These two really know how to prepare and serve a good meal and spare no time or expense doing it. I am so glad to be the recipient of something so lovingly and specially prepared.
So with full tummies and hearts we said our goodbyes and retired for the evening. After a restful night we got on the road about 9:30 a.m. and if I must say so myself, I navigated us out of the city with great ease. Chicago has nothing on Tampa for traffic except more of it.
posted by dddonna @ 8/22/2006 10:28:00 AM
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