IMGP2250.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

notes on NY

- the food was amazing with large portions and reasonable prices. We ate many meals at Cafe Champignon on 7th ave, around the corner from the Chelsea and Kashkaval , near the Hudson Hotel. Kashkaval had scrumptious cheese fondues of which I had twice!

-Speaking of Cheese.. there appears to be only one or two specialty cheese shops in all of NY. other than that- you have of course, Dean & Deluca and Balducci's for your one stop gourmet shop.

-there is no recycling evident. For a city of that stature, I was surprised to see metal waste bins brimming with plastic bags, bottles, paper and discarded newspapers. Surprised at the amount of packaging forced upon your purchases. 2 pieces of pizza wielded 2 paper plates, 2 pieces of tin foil, 2 paper bags, and an offer of a 3rd. Plastic bags were offered constantly. Even when I bought reusable bags at The Strand, I was offered a plastic bag for them. There were places that upon entering, offered a long plastic bag for your umbrella.

-alot of people own big dogs. Where do they put them? Thank goodness for the off leash dog runs in most parks. I couldn't believe the size of the dogs. Must be the equivalent of the phenomenon of the size of a personal vehicle equates to someones financial stature. If you have a large dog, therefore, you have a large apartment= $$. Alternatively, we also noticed the absence of cats. None in the quaint village streets, nor sitting in windows or bookshops.

- the city constantly has scaffolding and appears to be in a constant state of repair. While in town, Bloomberg announced a website where citizens could report a pot- hole to assist with the upkeep of NYC.

-people in NY all need a lesson in umbrella etiquette.

chelsea nights

Dreams do come true. Sometimes you have to pay for them though. But whatever..it's a dream. And mine was to sleep in the Chelsea Hotel. And if I could get a balcony room- that'd be swell. Throw in 12 foot ceilings, a kitchen and 2 beds and Michael and I are in heaven.

(Last 2 nights we stayed in the Hudson Hotel which was ridiculously expensive,painted entirely in the color of muddy grey, dimly lite and room was the size of a small shoebox. The bed was stiff as the starched sheets babysitting a sheet of feather duvet masquerading as a blanket.A bottle of water on the table that proudly announced it could be ours to quench for only $7.95 made us feel completely at home. The finishing delight was the hotel lost a gift bag that was left at the front desk for me!!)

But now, it is so much better. I'm in the Chelsea. Free to wander around and take photos. Free to talk to the residents. Free to linger in the lobby and soak up all the history, energy and secretly for 2 days, pretend that I too live at the Chelsea Hotel.

what to do on a Friday night in Brooklyn

Alex Itin: Reading Room, originally uploaded by alex itin.

Luckily, Michael and I will be in NY and really.. it's not like we have anything else to do but watch TV in the Chelsea Hotel!!

By the way.. a little background.. I "met" Alex Itin when he randomly commented on a photo I published to Flickr. A few comments exchanged and a few emails after that, it turned out that he was a friend of a good friend of mine. The randomness of it all is astounding.

not your everyday walk around the block

I got an email this morning.. my mother is out walking..

"Walked 23 K today. We stopped for coffee, lunch beside a lovely forest stream and then for a beer. The weather remains great, warm & sunny. Today our trail took us through a lot of country side and forest. Saw and smelled Eucalyptus trees, also saw lots of pine, oak, ferns, and vineyards everywhere. Saw a family harvesting the grapes today, standing on boxes in the field beside a wagon. There is also a lot of corn, sometimes in the front or back yard or anywhere there is an acre or two of land..

We have 43 K left to walk. The trail is quite well marked with signs - yellow scallop shells on posts with the kilometers or yellow arrows on posts, stone walls, the pavement, and wherever. We have to keep watch as we walk to avoid having to go back to the last sign. And everywhere there are shrines. The local people are very friendly and wave and smile and sometimes give us blessings. Sometimes older women lean out of their upstairs windows to greet us. The older women all wear dresses and aprons."

My mother is walking the El Camino De Santiago and she is officially renewed her membership as my personal hero.

top 10 things to do

1. embroider christmas gifts
2. publicly display my photographs for money
3. loose 30-40 lbs
4. accept the natural opportunities in life
5. pay someones rent
6. ride everyday for a week then a month
7. visit buenos aries
8. knit the slippers from the cashmere wool I bought 2 years ago..
9. tidy the tickle trunk
10. kill the gym member ship

walk in style

I was curious about Ked's new "shoe studio" and decided to play around. I picked a random photo I had of one of my favorite flowers, but the possibilities are endless.

And you know you are a "wild rose" and if you must, you can buy the shoe here.

after the rain

IMGP0475.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

dreams

It's not on my list of 100 things to do before I go, but it should be and it should be number one.

I've wanted to do this for years...

I've dreamed about this...

I've adored the idea of...

Staying in the Chelsea Hotel in NYC.

And I'm going to do it and it's costing a pretty penny but I'm going to do it. Vespa's can wait until next year. (Maybe)

chelsea, originally uploaded by jill y.