A Lovely Relaxed Sunday Morning with a Grand Wedding Anniversary Barbecue Party in Brampton

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Toronto, Canada

A Lovely Relaxed Sunday Morning with a Grand Wedding Anniversary Barbecue Party in Brampton

We had a most interesting first day in Toronto (or more properly, in Woodbridge and later Brampton)—and indeed every single day after would be just as much fun.

Sunday Mass in Woodbridge:

We awoke in Sylvia’s home in Woodbridge after a very good night’s sleep. I had carried my granola with me and I had that for breakfast with yogurt while Llew chose to eat toast with preserves. There was decaff coffee for both of us—so we had a very good breakfast indeed while making plans to go for the 10.30 am Mass.

Sylvia’s son, Ryan, who lives about ten minutes’ drive away, arrived to drop us off to the 10.30 am Mass at church. The venue was her new parish, St. Catherine of Assisi Church, a modern construction (as most churches in Canada are). Mass went off well and with Ryan at the wheel, after it ended, Sylvia needed to run some errands, mostly by way of buying provisions and groceries for the week.

Weekly Provisions Shopping:

Our first stop was Vicci Bakery which Sylvia told us bakes some fine artisanal bread. She picked up a loaf of her favorite and, with me surveying the wonderful cases filled with Italian pastries, cakes, cookies and other goodies, you can just imagine that our appetite was whetted for some enticing Italian gelato. And so as we ate cups just overflowing with creamy gelato, we sat ourselves down right there in Vicci and enjoyed the treat. It gave us a chance to do some people-watching too as most Italians have the lovely custom of going to church and then heading to their favorite place right after for brunch. The place was packed as families tucked into all manner of plates as they whiled away a Sunday morning. The weather outside was also just lovely—it was warm and bright with no humidity at all.

Out next stop was Longo’s Supermarket—another really large food market where there was everything enticing that one could imagine. We made our rounds of the space and while Sylvia put things into her cart, there was enough bought to satisfying our foodie cravings for the next ten days.

Those errands done, Ryan dropped us at Sylvia’s and made his way home. We would meet him again, later in the evening, at a huge family do.

We sat ourselves down for a light lunch, tasted the new loaf of bread that Sylvia had purchased, spread it with some interesting spreads, humus, cream cheese, etc. as we took care of hunger pangs. Then it was time for some relaxing naps and showers as we had a busy evening ahead of us.

A Huge Family Gathering in Brampton:

Our evening was consumed by a long (almost 1 hour) drive to Brampton for a family celebration. Sylvia’s sister Lorraine and her husband, Ronnie, were celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary with a massive family barbecue at their home. Of course, since we were Sylvia’s house guests and because we happen to know Lorraine and Ronnie too, we were the only non-family invitees. It was a really fun evening with all the noise and chatter you can imagine when several families, comprising multiple generations get together. Also, there were at least six gregarious teenagers present and when those kids get together, they have the best time. There was also two little twin girls present and they kept everyone fully occupied and amused as the evening marched on.

There were drinks and food galore to keep us happily sipping and munching throughout while the couple’s son, Roland and his dad, Ronnie, got on with the barbecue. We were oblivious to their efforts as we were busy laughing, joking, eating, drinking. When dinner was announced, you can imagine our shock when I approached the table and found it groaning with Barbecue offerings and accompaniments fit for the gods—all beautifully organized and laid out for our grazing pleasure. There was Barbecue chicken (Western Style), Tandoori Chicken, massive Beef Cutlets (Patties—to be placed in hamburger buns), huge frankfurter sausages (for making hot dogs), gently grilled fish—and as if this were not enough, a delicious Caesar Salad, a grand tub of coleslaw and another of potato salad plus all the fixin’s such as raw onion rings, tomato slices, lettuce leaves plus condiments galore. I mean what was not to love? I had half a hot dog and half a hamburger and with the salads, my plate and my tummy were full. Then, the icing on the cake was the desserts that were brought out: a wonderful pecan pie from Vicci (I love pecan pie!), Rice Krispie Treats (which the teenagers devoured), a magnificent apple struedel. It was hard to decide what to taste and what to pass up. Truly, this trip was all about food and all about eating and I will pay a very heavy price for all this over-indulgence, I am fully aware, when I get back to my normal life again.

But no complaints!!! What is life if not the counting of these blessings and the rejoicing in them? We said long goodbyes and a hundred thank-yous to the tireless chefs who had worked at the coals, all afternoon long, while we were shooting the breeze.

It was a lovely, long, companionable late-night drive back as Ryan dropped us off to Sylvia’s and without any ado, we went straight down to our basement apartment for another night’s rest—giving thanks for the gift of old friends and genuine friendships.

Until tomorrow, cheerio.

Our First Day in Toronto (On This Trip).

Saturday, August 31, 2024

Fairfield, Connecticut-New York City-Toronto, Canada

Our First Day in Toronto (On This Trip).

Today, we were on the road again—or more correctly, in the air! We left the US behind us to launch into Phase Four of our Great North American Travels—this time in Canada.

Flight to Canada:

We left Sturbridge Lane very early in the morning and drove to New York City to take our Delta flight departing at 1.45pm for Toronto, Canada. This meant that we’d need to be at JFK airport at 10.45 am which meant leaving from Fairfield no later than 9.00 am as we needed to return our rental car to Budget as well as make one stop en route at White Plains, Westchester, as I had left my hoodie at my friend Anita’s home, two nights ago. She was herself on a trip and since the home was empty, she left it for me on her deck.

And that was what we did. We stopped at White Plains, I picked up my hoodie and we were off. We reached the airport in time, had no trouble dropping off our car, taking the Air Train to the Delta Terminal and making it in good time for our flight. All we had was a small backpack each as that was all that our tickets permitted us no carry—no check-in bags allowed.

We had a very pleasant flight as we were upgraded to First Class. Not that this makes any difference anymore as US airlines do not even serve you a meal on their flights. Knowing this, we did pick up food from the airport and ate it at our gate while waiting for boarding to be announced. Soon enough, we were airborne into very hazy skies which did not allow me to get a single good picture of New York City. We were offered drinks (alcoholic or otherwise) on the flight and with just that bit of sustenance, we were en route.

Thankfully, Toronto was bathed by golden sunlight when we approached the city on Lake Ontario. I managed to get some lovely video footage of the downtown area while landing as I had a window seat. The iconic CN Tower and the Sky Dome, home of the Toronto Blue Jays was clearly visible. A few days later, we’d be down there ourselves, exploring the Harbor Front area—so it was good to see what the very snazzy area looked like from above. But those few skyscrapers apart, the rest of Toronto and its suburbs are all very flat as the suburbs came into view.

A little later, after we’d landed and cleared Immigration, we were outside the airport and followed signs to get to the Uber parking as we’d be taking an Uber to get to our friend Sylvia’s home in Woodbridge. All that went off very smoothly, the Uber came along, we called and told Sylvia we were on our way and we sat back and enjoyed the ride—about 40 minutes.

Reunion and Dinner with our Friend, Sylvia:

Entering Sylvia’s home was a bitter-sweet experience, to say the very least. On the one hand, we were so looking forward to our stay with her as we had not seen her in a very long time and had made lots of lovely plans for our time together. On the other hand, all of us had a terrible and very sad shock when we received the news that her husband, Tony (a super guy and a very dear friend of ours) had passed away, not even three weeks previously, while we were in Yellowstone National Park. He had been so looking forward to our stay and had lined up a number of things for us to do together. It would be a very surreal experience for us to stay in his home without him around. And thirdly, as they had only moved into this home six months previously, the house was completely new to us as we had never stayed with them in this place. We ourselves had to get used to a new environment. We were placed downstairs in the self-contained apartment that had been newly-finished and furnished and offered us all the comfort and privacy we desired.

After we had a nice reunion, we met the company who were spending the evening with Sylvia—her sister, Dolly and friends, Bryan and Avril. After relaxing for a while, we were plied with drinks and nibbles before we adjourned to the eat-in kitchen for a lovely dinner. Sylvia offered us Shrimp every which way you can imagine—from Shrimp Curry and Shrimp Masala to Shrimp Biryani. Needless to say, everything was delectable and we had a really grand time just stuffing our faces and shooting the breeze with some really good company around the table. We liked Sylvia’s new home, a down-sized version of the home she had lived in with Tony in Markham, for decades. But his presence pervaded every book and cranny of the home and we spent a great deal of time talking and thinking fondly about Tony for the duration of our stay. We were very glad that we were able to offer some company to Sylvia at a time when she missed Tony profoundly and when our presence could be the distraction she so badly needed after the long stress of the previous months.

By the end of the meal, both of us were quite ready to call it a day. We bid goodbye to our new friends and made our way downstairs for some much-needed sleep.

Until tomorrow…cheerio.

Our Last Day in Fairfield, Connecticut: Our Kind of Terrific Day at New Haven.

Friday, August 30, 2024

Our Last Day in Fairfield, Connecticut: Our Kind of Terrific Day at New Haven.

We had a dream day together—at least we had a dream morning—just Llew and me—as we made the absolute most of our last day in Fairfield, Connecticut. Tomorrow, we fly to Canada, for the start of Phase Four of our Great North American Adventure.

Breakfast at IHOP in Orange, Connecticut:

We left Mary-Lauren’s place early, after I looked up Google and found out that IHOP in Orange, Connecticut, is still open. It took us about a half hour to get there, but get there we did, when it was still fairly empty. I absolutely LOVE eating breakfast at IHOP as I believe they offer the best breakfasts in the world at the most reasonable prices.

We sat ourselves down and scanned the menu when I had my first disappointment. The Rooty-Tooty Fresh and Fruity Pancakes that I used to adore at this place are no longer on the menu. A quick word with the waitress confirmed that they have taken all items containing nuts off their menu! To me this is plain, NUTS!!! The reason I loved those pancakes so much was because they were so superbly nutty-flavored as they were studded with chopped nuts that brought amazing flavor and texture. Anyway, I had to settle for waffles with strawberry compote and pecan-flavored syrup. The waitress was good enough to try to appease my disappointment by bringing me extra hefty servings of the strawberry compost, fresh strawberries, whipped cream and syrup and I have to tell you, I had a real party going on my plate! It was tremendous and the perfect last breakfast in the USA for me. Llew had his usual: two eggs with sausage, bacon, pancakes and hash browns and his serving was enormous and delicious too. We had a lovely companionable breakfast as we thought and talked about the years that we have been coming to this place for breakfast with various friends and guests and the many times we have really and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves here.

Off to New Haven for a Touch of Anglophilia:

One of my other favorite things to do in Fairfield County is to walk in the university town of New Haven, home of Yale University, I love it for many reasons: the architecture, first of all, is just wonderfully reminiscent for me of the English university towns of Oxford and Cambridge—so I get my Neo-Gothic fix when I am here. The second reason is that it has the most glorious book shops and as Llew and I never pass a book shop without going inside, well, we have loads of browsing opportunities when in this town. Thirdly, I love the gentle, youthful ambience of this town which is always full of students and the intellectual air they bring to the place.

So, we began with parking our car on the main road (at Church Street) just outside Atticus Bookshop and the two museums. And then our walk began as we strolled under the Bridge of Sighs and went on towards Harkness Tower. My camera worked overtime as I kept clicking all the beautiful architectural masterpieces of the college before we entered the Green and took in the different architectural styles of the many buildings around the periphery. We also passed by the famous Sterling Library, entered the Grey Matter Book store to browse in there, then made a lovely loop and returned to our car. I am just delighted that we managed to squeeze in a visit to Yale as the new academic year had just begun, ‘Welcome to Yale’ signs were everywhere and you could sense the enthusiasm of the freshers who were still making friends and getting to know each other as they moved between classes. It took me back to my own years as a university grad student and then to the many decades I spent teaching these young folks as a university professor. While I had loved every second of it all, I have to admit that I do not miss it one bit and am really happy to be retired and free to simply enjoy every moment that life now presents me.

A Visit to Yale University Art Gallery:

Our first stop, once we crossed the street, was the Yale Center for British Art…but, to our disappointment, it was closed. This is always my first place of call and, as a result, I always end up spending a lot of time here and tiring myself out. This time, since it was closed for renovation, we had no choice but to enter the Yale University Art Gallery, just across the road, which turned out to be a real revelation for me. We began by looking at a section of the Ishtaar Gates, originally in Babylon, the entire Processional Way of which is now in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, where I had seen it. Here, a small section, featuring an embossed lion, is astounding enough, in terms of the achievement in ceramic art in that Ancient period. For the next two hours, we went minutely through a collection of Old Masters and contemporary masterpieces that simply took our breath away. From the extensive Medieval Collection to the Modern, we saw works by Botticelli, Constable, Degas, Georgia O’Keefe and Picasso—to name just a few. Each one was better than the other and representative of the most distinctive work of these artists. I could easily have spent another whole hour here, but we had a lunch appointment, back in Fairfield, with our friend, Mary-Lauren (who had the day off), for which we did not want to be late. So, very reluctantly, we left the museum (with me vowing to return there again on my next visit to Fairfield). It was such a well-spent morning.

Lunch with Mary-Lauren at Molto Pizzeria:

It was our friend and hostess, Mary-Lauren, who picked Molto Pizzeria for the casual lunch to which we wanted to treat her as she had been on a business trip throughout our stay at her home. After we dropped our car in her driveway, she took us for a spin in her snazzy vintage, convertible BMW which she has only recently purchased. With the top down on a glorious summer’s day, I sat beside her and tried to channel my inner Isadora Duncan, wearing my scarf around my head and neck! Thankfully, there were no historical accidents repeating themselves!

Lunch was wonderful, overstuffed sandwiches with each of us choosing something from their Lunch Special Menu that suited our fancy. We had ciabatta Sandwiches stuffed with tuna or deli meats (according to our taste) and served with small side salads. Everything was just terrific. Best of all, we actually had the opportunity to spend some quality time with our dear friend who has been so helpful to me, through the last year or two and is so generous in every way you can imagine. I feel so blessed to count her as one of my dearest friends in Fairfield.

Tea with More Friends at Maplethorpe:

No sooner did we finish lunch with Mary-Lauren than we had to say Bye to her and make our way to our next appointment: don’t even ask how I managed to squeeze all these different meetings with different friends, simply because I wanted to make sure that I could see them all during our brief 10-day stay in Connecticut.

The next port of call was the Maplethorpe Assisted Living Community to see our friend Jane who has been resident there for a couple of years. We had heard from her and others that she had a recent fall from which she was still recovering. And so, we were delighted to find her ready to greet us at the entrance, once we arrived there. We were also thrilled to find that our other friends, Virginia and Cheryl, would also be joining us shortly. We were all members of the Meet The Author Committee at the Pequot Library in Southport, Connecticut, which is where I became really friendly with these lovely, inspiring women.

Well, Jane looked wonderful, even if she has slowed down just a little bit. Once up in her room, we found that she had laid out a nice Tea for us with a platter of cookies and fresh lemonade—which we nibbled and sipped. Of course, there is so much for us all to talk about when all of us get together and the chatter simply did not stop. It is always a great pleasure for me to be in Jane’s presence, to enjoy conversation with someone whose vital mind and varied interests coalesce so beautifully with my own and to admire her amazing personal art collection—she has found the space to accommodate all her art work in her tiny space. I was also delighted to find that she had held on to my own book, ‘The Year The World Was Mine’ and that it is in her bookcase (I also saw the same book in Mary-Lauren’s bookcase). I cannot tell you how thrilling it is for a writer to find that friends have supported her efforts by buying her book and holding on to it. All too soon, it was time for us to leave our lovely friends and to think about our next appointment.

But first, we stopped back at our place to finish up our packing for tomorrow and to keep our backpacks ready for our flight to Canada as we’d be traveling with just one small carry-on bag each. This chore done, we could go on to our dinner appointment with full peace of mind.

b>Dinner at our Friend Diana’s Home in Fairfield:

And so, at the appointed hour (7.30 pm), we were ringing the doorbell to the home of our friend Diana who had invited us for a light and casual supper (although her husband Jonathan was on one of his sailing regattas). We were sorry that he would not be with us, but being with Diana is always fun and very heartwarming and she always goes out of her way to give us a good time.

so she did, on this occasion too. She plied us with drinks of our choice and then led us to her table where she had laid out her Spag Bal (what the British call Spaghetti Bolognese)—a large bowl of spaghetti to be topped with her terrific homemade meat-tomato sauce, further topped with lots of fresh, grated parmesan cheese. To go with this, she had a colorful side salad that was also grand. And for dessert, she had a most unusual dessert: a kind of pina colada in a bowl! She had slices of fresh pineapple that she topped with coconut ice-cream over which she poured a dram of rum! Now how creative is that? Well, needless to say, it was so tasty and a perfect ending to a simple, home cooked meal. Diana gave us a lot of family news and we gave her much of ours. It is always a pleasure to hear about her clever sons and their doings.

But, in a couple of hours, it was time for us to leave, as we had an early morning start for our flight to Canada. We thanked Diana profusely for organizing this evening with us, at such short notice, and hugging her goodbye, we returned to Sturbridge Lane to say Goodbye and Thanks to Mary-Lauren and Brett as we’d have a very early start tomorrow.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Another Doctor’s Appointment, Lunch at Shanghai Gourmet, Drinks in Brett’s Sunroom and Thai Dinner with Fairfield’s Indian Friends

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Fairfield, Connecticut

Another Doctor’s Appointment, Lunch at Shanghai Gourmet, Drinks in Brett’s Sunroom and Thai Dinner with Fairfield’s Indian Friends

Today was another day that was fairly unexciting although we did end it by meeting some of our closest friends in Fairfield. It’s funny how, as the years go by, you develop or create little gangs of friends that represent different aspects of your background, history and life. Well, these friends are first-generation immigrants from India who made their home in Fairfield County and with whom we connected, decades ago, so that our friendship has stood the test of time.

But to begin at the begin at the beginning: I drove alone to Trumbull to have my ultra-sound done and to get the opinion of my radiologist, Dr. Neil Specht, who gave me a clean bill of health (Thank you, Lord). That done, I picked Llew up from our lodgings at Sturbridge Lane. He had spent quite a bit of time, during my absence, doing his packing as we will be leaving the USA in two days and flying off to Canada with just a small backpack each. The bulk of our baggage will be left behind in the garage of our friends here in Sturbridge Lane. There is much organizing to do.

Lunch was going to be just the two of us and since we are making sure we have at least one meal in each of our favorite paces, we decided to eat at ‘Shanghai Gourmet’, a really modest Chinese eatery on the Southport-Westport border from where we have been ordering take-out food for years. This time, of course, we ate inside at the little table by the window. We both chose the Hot and Sour Soup that comes with the meal—but decided to simply take it home as it would be too much for us. For our main meal, I chose Shrimp in Hot Garlic Sauce, while Llew picked the Chicken in Mango Sauce—two of our favorite dishes. Both were served over brown rice and as we shared the dishes, we were able to enjoy both.

Lunch done, we returned to Sturbridge Lane for a short rest from packing and other worrying issues. When we surfaced, to face the evening, we realized that Brett had returned from work. As we had barely spent any time with him, it was great to chill on his deck while he fixed us drinks of our choice: a beer for him, red wine for Llew and a perfect margarita for me. With cheese and a few chips for nibbles, we had a very companionable evening while spending some quality time with Brett. His wife, Mary-Lauren, would return from her business trip tomorrow—an opportunity for us to spend some quality time with her.

It was time then for us to get ready for our dinner appointment—an evening out with our Indian friends. We had our showers, got dressed and drove to the Fairfield home of our friends, Dhiru and Kirti. It was Kirti who had initiated this evening’s gathering and I was very grateful to her for rallying the troops around to meet us. It was she too who suggested that we meet at a Bridgeport restaurant called ‘The King and I’ which was reputed for its excellent Thai food. Both Llew and I were delighted at the choice as we do really love the cuisine of Thailand.

As we were running a bit late, they were all set and ready for us and we left as soon as we arrived and parked our car in their driveway. Driving to the restaurant, provided us with the opportunity to catch up before the rest of the gang joined us. Kirti presented me with copies of two of her books (one of which has a blurb by me on the back jacket).

Within a short time, we arrived at The King and I, only to find that our friends had beaten us to it. It was great to meet Yvor and Angie and Delyse and Marcus. We had a wonderful reunion with all of them before we sat down to the serious business of studying the extensive menu and ordering. Finally, it was decided that we we’d get a selection of dishes and eat them family-style. A huge number of dishes were ordered for the table, each more delicious than the next. It was with very full tummies that we eventually ended our meal.

And on that happy note, our dinner and our day came to an end. Kirti and Dhiru drove us back to their home and from their driveway, we picked up our own car and drove ourselves back to Sturbridge Lane.

It had been another memorable day and we were grateful for the opportunity to spend it as fruitfully as we had done.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

A Walk in Southport Village, Lunch with a Friend at L.C. Chen, An Evening in my Brother’s Home, Dinner at the Home of Fairfield Friends

Wednesday, August 28, 2024 Southport and Fairfield, Connecticut A Walk in Southport Village, Lunch with a Friend at L.C. Chen, An Evening in my Brother’s Home, Dinner at the Home of Fairfield Friends

Today was far more relaxing than it’s been in a long time.

My day began with a lovely long walk alone in the village of Southport, an opportunity to admire the glorious gardens of my former neighbors with their lush summer blooms and buzzing bees. Inevitably, I am pulled towards the Carousel Thrift Shop at the Congregation Church—a place from which I have picked up amazing finds over the decades. Today, I was particularly lucky to be able to get first dibs at a variety of vintage jewelry and I left with a nice haul.

Llew then had an appointment with his nephrologist, Dr. Weinstein and I accompanied him there. That done, we were just in time for lunch with our lawyer friend, Mimi, who was working from home today and managed to take time off to meet us at L.C. Chen’s, a pan-Asian place in Fairfield where we were delighted to see her again. She had been extremely helpful to us during our move from the US to India and I will never forget how energetically she worked to make our estate sale a success. We enjoyed Thai Coconut Curry, Shrimp with Cashews and Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, all served over white, steamed rice. Indeed we’ve been eating an overdose of shrimp on this trip as it is always our first choice from any menu.

After Lunch, Llew and I left Mimi to drive to Dairy Queen for Chocolate Cherry Blizzards—alas, no one can make them for us like our friend, Beth-Anne does. Sadly, she has been transferred to the Dairy Queen in Monroe—too far away for us to enjoy this favorite frozen treat.

In the evening, we drove to the home of my brother. We spent a lot of time with him, his wife and his daughter, Anaya as his son, Arav had left for university this morning. We had a lovely time with them over tea and cake and other goodies, but although they invited us to do so, we did not stay for dinner as we had already committed the evening to other friends of ours.

Dinner followed at the home of our friends, Swapna and Rasik, in their spacious new home about which they were so excited. As always, they were the epitome of warm hospitality as they plied us with drinks and nibbles and then got dinner organized. Here too, the star attraction was Swapna’s homemade Shrimp Curry which she served over streamed rice, as well as Sauteed Shrimp with chappatis, bread rolls, and a big salad. Dessert was Malai Kulfi. As always, we felt delighted at the prospect of meeting their young high school son, Parth, and spending time with them as a family. It is also an opportunity for us to see our dining room furniture which they had purchased from us when we were leaving Southport. Now that they have a separate dining room, the entire set is reunited again!

After a really lovely day spent with our nearest and dearest family members and friends, it was time to go back home to Sturbridge Lane and call it a night.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Medical Appointments, Visit to Pequot Library, Lunch at Duchess, Celebrating our Wedding Anniversary at Quatro Pazzi in Fairfield, Connecticut

Tuesday, August 27, 2024:

Fairfield, Connecticut

Medical Appointments, Visit to Pequot Library, Lunch at Duchess, Celebrating our Wedding Anniversary at Quatro Pazzi in Fairfield, Connecticut

Nothing much happened today, but the day turned exciting at the end as Today is a Red Letter Day for Llew and Me—it’s our wedding anniversary!

Appointment with an Endocrinologist:

After eating a hasty breakfast at Brett and Mary-Lauren’s (my own granola with yogurt for Llew and me), we left for our doctor’s appointments. We had a bunch of them today. My first one was at Trumbull at the office of my endocrinologist, Dr. Glenn Rich. He did a thorough examination today (as he always does) and, good news this, I got a clean bill of health as my osteoporosis seems to have declined and I am no longer thought to have it. Always an annual concern, this. He also monitored my meds, having taken a look at my bone density analysis (which was also fine) and told me to see him again after a year.

Off to the Pequot Library:

With some time to kill in-between medical appointments, we decided to make another trip to the Pequot Library. This time, we were far more successful. Not only did we meet the Director, our good friend, Stephanie Coakley, but we also met some of the staff who know us so well: Christine (who organized the talks I have given—in person and on zoom) and, for the first time, I met Charlie, who had been the host of my last zoom talk there. He joined the Library staff after Llew and I left Southport—hence, we had only made acquaintance with him, long-distance. It was great fun to go back into the stacks and meet our friend, Sandy, and to find a few new faces. New volunteers are always joining the Library’s cohort (as we had done nearly 40 years ago). I took pictures with all of them (to immortalize these moments).

Off to the Dentist:

Then, it was time for my annual dental appointment with Fairfield Dental Arts. Llew decided to accompany me so that we could have lunch right after I was done. It is always a pleasure to meet the staff at this dental practice as I have been with them for more than twenty years. I was lucky to get Dr. Jessalyn Fiorella herself, on this occasion, as one of her staff members was absent and she was filling in. She did my annual X-rays and then was excited to introduce me to a brand-new cleaning system that they have installed which uses hi-technology power-jets to produce deep cleaning through high-jet sprays. The manual cleaning of each tooth is now no longer required. I must say that I was really impressed with the new system and also with the thorough diagnostic report that I was given at the end. What’s more, as I discussed my acute dental sensitivity with her, she suggested she coat my teeth with a fluoride layer that will last for a year and will provide protection against some of the sensitivity I have been experiencing. I was really delighted to have such wonderful treatments so easily available when I have my annual check-ups. I was frank enough to tell the dentist that I would probably not have the time to do follow-up work in the US and would have to do it in India. She was very understanding, but despite not needing to do it herself, gave me a full and extensive report which I will only need to take to my dentist in India to get the work done. I am truly fortunate in the medical personnel who work with and for me.

Lunch at Duchess:

As we were really close to Duchess, one of my favorite fast-food chains, at Fairfield Circle, we decided to go there for their over-stuffed sandwiches which we both love. We had Chicken Parmesan & Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches which we shared. I must say that both Llew and I are having grave sticker shock at the prices of every item in the US today. There is no doubt at all that inflation has hit very hard and is reflected in the price of everything we buy—whether they are groceries, provisions or ready meals in restaurants. I am guessing that this will be a major factor in the coming US elections.

Rest and Relaxation After Lunch:

With nothing on the agenda this afternoon, we were able to get back home to Sturbridge Lane to Mary-Lauren’s. We had told Brett and Sage that we’d be taking them out to dinner as it was our wedding anniversary. Accordingly, we showered and had a chance to get some rest before it was time for us to keep our reservation appointment at Quatro Pazzi which was their choice for a nice Italian dinner.

Champagne Toast at Home and Dinner at Quatro Pazzi:

When Brett got back from work, in the evening, we opened a bottle of champagne (from the stock that we had actually left behind in their home). Sage was also present and we had a lovely toast during which we thanked them for hosting us and for a very comfortable stay.

Just a little later, we drove to Fairfield Center and found lovely seats at Quatro Pazzi where the portions are huge and the food simply delicious. We had Buratta with Pesto, Prosciutto and Roasted Red Peppers for a shared appetizer. Our Mains were: Capellini with Peas and Prosciutto (Sage), Rigatoni Burrata (Brett), Farfalle with Shrimp (Llew) and Linguine Pescatore (Rochelle). What a superly scrumptious meal it was! However, as expected, our pasta portions were humongous and Llew and I ended up taking half of our plates home in doggie bags.

Not to leave Dessert out, we then made our way to the Dairy Queen kiosk on the Post Road and ended up having wonderful Blizzards (my favorite type of ice-cream). These brought the curtain down on a very special wedding anniversary for us.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Leaving Westchester, Mammograph at Fairfield, Lunch at Bonnie’s, Outlet Shopping at Clinton Crossings, Evening at my Brother’s, Dinner at Shake Shack

Monday, August 26, 2024

Fairfield, Connecticut

Leaving Westchester, Mammograph at Fairfield, Lunch at Bonnie’s, Outlet Shopping at Clinton Crossings, Evening at my Brother’s, Dinner at Shake Shack

Keeping a Medical Appointment:

Today was super crazy!

We awoke in our friends’, Allan and Anita’s place, in White Plains, Westchester, and since they had an early start and had already left for the day, we left as soon as we could, taking our things with us (only I left my black hoodie behind by mistake). We drove through quiet back streets using our Waze App and made our way straight to Trumbull where I had a 10.00 am Mammogram and ultra sound appointment with my radiologist, Dr. Neil Specht. But it seems I could only do the one and not the other as the technician was absent today. They gave me an appointment for the day after tomorrow, which means that I shall have to return to get it done. Huge Bummer!

Shopping at Walmart and Keeping Another Appointment:

Since I had an hour to kill, I told Llew that I would go to Walmart in Stratford and pick up our annual supply of Vitamins, Calcium and other supplements. This I did quite painlessly and then quickly drove back to Trumbull for my appointment with Dr. Glenn Rich, my endocrinologist. Turns out a change of systems & medical groups, caused me to be dropped off the schedule. Have been rescheduled for tomorrow at noon—double bummer!

Off for some Designer Outlet Shopping:

With a bit of time at our disposal (and realizing that we should make the most of every minute at our disposal and do all our intended shopping and not leave anything to be done in New Jersey, if we could help it), we decided to set off for Clinton Crossing. But our friend Bonnie insisted that we eat lunch at their’s before leaving. In fact, she had already set up a buffet of leftovers from her fridge—which we were glad to enjoy: Art’s flank steak with chimichurri sauce, Bonnie’s composed green salad, sweet potato fries, Lugano pizza from Centro. Yes, it was a delicious lunch and we enjoyed it.

But, not wanting to waste too much time, we got into our car and drove to Clinton, Connecticut. The place was empty—a far cry from Saturday afternoon when it had been heaving. Llew was very lucky, His intention was to get into Nike and buy himself a pair of sneakers—and he was very pleased to get a superb pair at a superb price. So the trip was vindicated. We poked around in a few other stores before we made our way back. Unfortunately, we were caught in horrendous traffic that slowed us down considerably. Still, we were back at Bonnie’s in time for showers and to pack all our stuff into the trunk of our car and bid goodbye to our friends as they would be leaving early tomorrow morning for their own trip to Cape Cod.

Leaving Bonnie’s, Settling into Mary-Lauren’s and Off to my Brother’s:

After saying our thanks and goodbye to our friends, we drove off to Southport to our friend, Mary-Lauren’s. Her husband Brett was working from home. It was he who showed us up to our room in their enormous home and made us feel comfortable. However, we did not stay long as we had plans to spend the evening with my brother.

The original plan was that we would have dinner at my brother’s place in Fairfield as both his children happened to be at home. Sadly, due to unavoidable circumstances, plans changed as they were unable to provide dinner. However, we had a lovely long visit with them and then left after taking a couple of pictures, as I knew that, with his son returning to uni, we would never get a complete family photograph again.

Dinner at Shake Shack:

One of my favorite upscale fast food chains at which to eat is Shake Shack and we decided that since we hadn’t eaten there yet, that would be our port of call. It was almost closing time when we got there, but we were able to place our order for their Shroom Burgers with Bacon and their extra-thick chocolate shakes which is exactly how I like them. Llew and I were the only ones at the place as we sat there and enjoyed our delicious dinner.

Just a little later, we drove to Mary-Lauren’s home and were very pleased to meet her, even if briefly, as she is off on a business trip, early tomorrow morning. We made some plans to take her out for lunch when she gets back as she will miss all the fun of the next few days with us at her place. However, her daughter Sage is home—which is a huge bonus as she is a very talkative and friendly young lady and it is always a pleasure to spend time with her.

All that was left was for us to say good night to our hosts and get ready for bed.

Until tomorrow…cheerio.