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.

Sunday Mass in our Parish, Breakfast with Former Neighbors At Harborview Market, Lunch with Our Hosts at Centro, Dinner on

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Sunday Mass in our Parish, Breakfast with Former Neighbors At Harborview Market, Lunch with Our Hosts at Centro, Dinner on Long Island.

Today was another lovely day filed with reunions with old friends and neighbors. Once again, we left our hosts sleeping in (as they are fairly late risers) and left their home for the 8.00 am Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fairfield which was our Parish. It was great to be in the same church again—not much changes, does it? However, we did not recognize many of the people. All of the ‘regulars’ who used to occupy the pews around us were missing—probably on vacation as August is a month when most people move to other locales. Still, it was good to hear a great sermon again, to listen to familiar hymns belted out by Frank, our Music Director and, best of all, after Mass, to meet some of the friends who still remember us warmly such as Pat (a fellow-Lector), Eleanor (our Director), Frank (our Music Director who came down from the choir loft to meet us) and a couple of the ushers. We visited with a few of them.

Next, I took Llew to the Labyrinth Garden at the side of the church that was set up by our parishioners in honor or Fr. John Baran, our late beloved parish priest. It is a lovely space and we stopped and took a few pictures there.

Meeting with our Former Neighbors and a Beloved Dog:

Our next stop was right next door to our home in Southport—we were off to see our former neighbors, Ken and Pui Hom, who live just next door. But, most important of all, we were delighted at the prospect of meeting their dog, Gus, who adored his “Uncle Llew”. Yes, we had a nice reunion there but did not stay long as we decided to go out for breakfast. They chose the ‘Harborview Market’ at the Bridgeport border which has some really delicious breakfast items.

We ended up ordering coffees, almond croissants and pain au chocolat for the four of us which we ate outside with the lovely warming sun on our backs. It was a beautiful late summer’s morning in Fairfield and we felt very blessed in the beautiful weather we’d been having.

Bulk Buying at BJs:

We then bid goodbye to our friends and set off to BJs—the huge wholesale and bulk-buying place in Bridgeport from where we filled our cart buying our annual supply of the provisions that we either do not get easily in Bombay or have to pay exorbitant prices to purchase. These included decaff tea, decaff coffee, craisins, the particular toothpastes we like using, our vitamin supplements, oral hygiene items (such as gum picks), etc. I also bought a big pack of Ranch Dressing mixture, real maple syrup, etc. Anyway, our cart was full as we paid our bill and made our way to the trunk of our car to store all these items away.

Lunch with our Hosts:

By the time this chore was done, we’d be in great shape to meet our hosts, Bonnie and Art, at Centro’s, where we were meeting to treat them to lunch to say Thank you for their hospitality. And so after parking, we met them inside and decided to sit outside. It was such a lovely morning that it seemed shameful not to enjoy the sun.

Once settled down, Bonnie ordered a Lugano Pizza, Llew had a burger that was, somewhat disappointingly, served on a single slice of ciabatta bread and did not resemble a burger at all, Art had the Grilled Chicken Salad and I (to be different and eat something I had not eaten in years), chose Huevos Rancheros (Mexican ranch-style eggs) that was served on a grilled corn tortilla with refried beans, avocado, sour cream and tomato salsa. The meal was lovely. A couple of the folks at our table had a glass of wine but I stuck with water. Everything was delicious and as our friends would be leaving, the next day, for a few days in Cape Cod, it was also wonderful to treat them to this meal and have them all to ourselves.

Getting Ready for our Dinner Date at the Home of Long Island Friends:

During days that had been nothing but go, go go, we were happy to have the opportunity to return to our hosts’ home for a very short nap before we took our showers and left for the next item on our agenda: Dinner at the home of our friends, Doreen and John Bellomo at Syosset, Long Island. Since they had also invited our mutual friends, Allan and Anita Walther, we had decided to drive us to their place in White Plains in Westchester and leave our car in their driveway. We would then drive in their car to Long Island. As we also expected it to be a very late night, we had carried an overnight backpack with us as we would spend the night at the Walthers and leave early on Monday morning as we had doctor’s appointments lined up in Fairfield.

And so we followed our plan. The Walthers were waiting for us and with Anita’s mother also in their car, we made our way to Long Island. It was a great opportunity for all of us to catch up on all the travels the Walthers do and to tell them about our Great American Driving Tour which went off really well.

It is always a joy to see Doreen and John who are two of our oldest friends in the USA. They are always warm and generous hosts and we have so much to talk about when we meet. Doreen always outdoes herself in the huge menu she puts on the table. It was great to have two massive platters of antipasto (John’s Italian heritage kicking in—done by their daughter, Lauren) while we sipped drinks. And then, we all sat down at the table (including Doreen’s Mother who was also present) to enjoy her vast spread: Tandoori Chicken, Mutton Rogan Josh, Turkey Burgers and Baingan Bharta, Vegetable Pullao with Thai Green Shrimp Curry, Boondi Raita with Avocado, Corn and Mango Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. Dessert was a Chocolate Coffee Cake made by Doreen and a Key Lime Pie that was brought by the Walthers. Gosh! We were ever so stuffed when we got up from the table as the variety of food offerings were just too hard to resist. And of course, conversation simply flowed around the table as we had so much to tell them about our retired lives in India and everyone’s plans for their own retirement. It was indeed a marvelous evening and we were really happy to have had the time to spend with them.

As the evening came to a close, we said our goodbyes and returned to the Walthers’ car. It was a very peaceful night that we spent at their home, after taking exactly an hour to get back from Long Island to Westchester.

And so another lovely day came to a close. A day in which we felt, again, just how blessed we are in our vast number of friends and in their fondness of and generosity towards us.

tomorrow, cheerio…

Outlet Shopping at Clinton Crossing, Lunch with Friends at Gruel Britannia, A Special Visit to Special Fairfield Friends, A Fun Cookout with ‘Dinner Club Couples’.

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Boston-Connecticut

Outlet Shopping at Clinton Crossing, Lunch with Friends at Gruel Britannia, A Special Visit to Special Fairfield Friends, A Fun Cookout with ‘Dinner Club Couples’.

We had another glorious day today! It was all about returning from Boston to Fairfield, but en route we had such a lovely time too.

Leaving Boston and Shopping at Clinton Crossing Outlets:

We Left Andover, Massachusetts, rather early in the morning and without having breakfast as we wanted to get a head start. We had a 1.00 pm appointment for lunch with friends in Fairfield Connecticut, but prior to that, we wanted to stop at our favorite designer outlet stores at Clinton Crossing in Clinton, Connecticut, to get some shopping done. The road journey (with Llew at the wheel) was quick and uneventful and we arrived in Clinton at about 11.30 pm which left us about an hour for shopping.

It is always fun to return to Clinton Crossing and to the Westfield Outlets that are a couple of exits before it. We went to Westfield first and were absolutely shocked at how deserted the place is. Most of the designer stores have closed down and were empty—the place looked like a ghost town and that too on a Saturday! We could not believe it. I was looking for a black short-sleeved shirt with a collar but could not find it anywhere.

Not to be daunted, we drove on to Clinton. There, it did look as if everyone and his brother was out shopping. Llew specifically wanted a pair of Nike sneakers; but when he went to the store, he found the line outside it so long and the wait time to enter the store to be over a half hour! That was it! We could not afford the time. I looked for a couple of things I wanted (Clark shoes) and did, in fact, find two pairs of sandals I actually liked. There was nothing to be found in my other favorite stores: Ann Taylor, Coach, Lindt, etc. But with those sandals in the bag, we left with the thought that we would return on a weekday morning to pick up Llew’s shoes.

Lunch at ‘Gruel Britannia’:

My friend Leslie and her husband Sunil had planned with us to meet at ‘Gruel Britannia’, a little British eatery on the Post Road in Fairfield, where I love the food and the ambience (given that I am such a confirmed Anglophile). Leslie was already there when we arrived, a little after 1.00 pm and found ourselves seats in the house. Sunil, her husband, joined us just a bit later.

Before we sat down to catch up and order our food, I saw the owner of the place, Karen, whom I know well. I went up there to meet her and was quite delighted at the lovey reception I received. I asked if we could take pictures together and she readily agreed. In fact, she gave me her phone number and begged me to whatsapp them to her so that she could use them on all her social media pages. It was a lovely reunion as Karen is always warm and friendly—aside from being an amazing chef.

When I did return to our table to order, we ended up with me ordering Bangers, Mash and Onion Gravy (which was just superlative), a ⁠Turkey Sandwich with Bacon and Avocado and a Side Salad for Leslie, ⁠Shepherd’s Pie for Sunil and ⁠Coronation Chicken Salad for Llew. It was a proper pub lunch and the meal offered us an opportunity to chat about everything that has been happening locally since our departure, to the travels we had recently undertaken and our plans for the future. All too soon, it was time for us to part, but we were really pleased that we were able to see another set of friends whom we love dearly.

A Visit with Special Friends in Fairfield:

The next hour was spent in the home of our friends, the Deans, in Fairfield. They are the lovely people who had left their beautiful mountain cabin home in the Grand Tetons National Park for our exclusive use (even though none of them were staying there at the time). It was fabulous to see Virginia again and to meet Jimmy who was recovering from recent surgery. We sat outside on their deck overlooking their lovely garden and were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet their son, Jimmy, who was visiting from Montana. We were too full to have even a cup of tea with them but we did enjoy our chinwag and our chance to tell them how much we had enjoyed their mountain home and how grateful we were for the opportunity to stay in it.

An Evening’s Cookout with our Dinner Club Friends:

All that was left then was our evening’s plans—for which we were running a bit late. But we were trying to squeeze in visits with a variety of friends in different places—so it was inevitable that we would end up late at some events.

When Llew and I lived in Fairfield, we had been members of a Dinner Club that met every quarter to enjoy a meal in the home of one of our members. I had requested my friend Bonnie (in whose home we were staying) to see if she could organize one of our Dinner Club evenings while we were in town. Bonnie was quick to oblige and tried to make it happen: but, since August is such a busy month, several of the members had other plans. In the end, it was just Art and Bonnie and Dan and Amy who were free to join in.

Nevertheless, Bonnie went all out to organize a really lovely pot-luck do. For starters, there was a delicious Lamb Sausage from an Italian deli which we enjoyed with drinks on her beautifully-decorated deck. Then, Art did some fantastic grilling—we had flank steak with chimichuri sauce as his main dish and Bonnie provided all the sides: Boston baked beans, a lovely salad with ripe peaches, tomato and mozzarella, Amy brought a simple salad of arugula with shaved parmesan cheese. There was also grilled corn on the cob. For dessert, Bonnie cut us huge slices of her Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Best of all, was the very companionable chatting we did as darkness fell over Fairfield and the fireflies came out to play on the lawns. It brought back all the years of friendship that Llew and I have enjoyed with our Book and Dinner Club friends with whom we have been through so many good times and bad during our lives in the USA. It was such a lovely setting, reminiscent of the many years of Dinner Club evenings we have enjoyed through the decades.

with that, our day came to an end and we were happy to be able to simply climb up one floor and get into bed—after trying hard to give Bonnie a hand with putting things away (although she would have none of it).

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

In Beautiful Boston: The Ware Collection of Glass Flowers at Harvard Museum of Natural History, Lunch at ‘The Abbey’ with Friends; Touring JFK’s Childhood Home in Brookline and Dinner and Sleepover with Friends in Andover

Friday, August 23, 2024

In Beautiful Boston: The Ware Collection of Glass Flowers at Harvard Museum of Natural History, Lunch at ‘The Abbey’ with Friends; Touring JFK’s Childhood Home in Brookline and Dinner and Sleepover with Friends in Andover

We had a very early morning start today as we had a long drive to Boston. We set our alarm clocks in our friends’ Art and Bonnie’s home and with little overnight backpacks all ready, awaited the arrival of our friend, Amy, who would be riding with us. Her partner, Rothschild dropped her off soon enough and we were on our way. It was great fun having all those hours to catch up with Amy in the car as Llew drove us there. We did stop to get gas, at one point, and to use restrooms. We had one shocking encounter on the highway when we saw a car entirely engulfed in flames on the opposite side of the road—the very first time any of us had ever seen such a thing. But that apart, our journey was uneventful. We were skirting the city of Boston in no time and following our GPS, made our way straightaway to our first stop.

Finally Seeing the Ware Collection of Glass Flowers:

Our first stop was the Ware Collection of Glass Flowers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I had first heard of this collection, about two years ago, when I had attended a webinar held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its Docents (during Covid). We were taken on a tour of this gallery and I was simply stunned as I had never heard of it and because I love glass so much, it filled me with great anticipation. Last year, I had wanted to travel to Boston just to see these galleries, but it had not happened. This year, since we had a rented car at our disposal, I was quite determined to see it.

It was wonderful to drive through Cambridge after ages and see landmarks buildings such as MIT and other colonial structures. We parked our car about three blocks from the museum and walked quickly to it. The Collection is on the second floor and is located in a single large gallery devoted entirely to it. We found it to be jaw-droppingly beautiful botanical work featuring leaves, flowers & fruit fashioned in glass by the Polish father-son glass artist duo of Leopold and Rudolph Blascha, Polish immigrants to the US, on commission from Harvard. It was the main reason I was keen to visit Boston again. And I was not disappointed. The items are life sized—which means that the details are so tiny that you need a magnifying glass to see them. These models were used as teaching tools for the students of Botany at Harvard. The only thing I found rather strange is that all the colors of the items have a muted look to them—almost as if they have faded with time. But that apart, they are so-true to life that it is hard to believe you are looking at glass. Just after we left the gallery, while I was browsing through the gift shop outside, I discovered that the duo’s work was so amazing that the Zoology Department went on to commission them to create a range of marine invertebrates in glass to be used as teaching tools for their students. These are housed in a small side gallery and feature octopi, jelly fish, etc. These are so stunningly true-to-life that you would be hard-pressed to believe they are really made of blown glass. The talent in this duo is simply astounding.

Lunch with Friends in Brookline:

It had been our original plan to leave this museum and head to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. But we also wanted to meet our friends, Raquel and Chris, for lunch. Hence, we needed to find out when they would be free (it was a working day for them) to see us. As it turned out that they were free at this time (and would be tied up later), we proceeded straight out of Cambridge and towards Brookline as we’d agreed to meet them closer to their place of residence. Accordingly, we used our GPS to get there—it took us about twenty minutes.

Parking our car across the road, we made our way to ‘The Abbey’—a place they selected to have lunch with us. What a great joy it was to see them again—both looking so well and superbly settled in Boston! We’d all been together, a long time ago (2016) in London, UK, where we’d become good friends. They treated us to a splendid lunch at ‘The Abbey’, a classy American restaurant where we had a leisurely meal and did some serious catching up. Being the super classy folks they are, right after our lunch, they cleared the entire check. It was their treat—something we did not expect, but was completely in character with the generous folks they are. The menu was extensive and everything looked and sounded delicious. My Selection? A Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Grilled Chicken and Fried Egg. Llew chose a burger with Cheddar cheese and string fries. Amy chose Grilled Salmon with Caesar Salad. Raquel ate Grilled Salmon on a bed of organic greens and I believe Chris had a burger too. Being much too full, we skipped dessert—but what a lovely time we had nattering throughout as we found out how well they are doing and what their future plans are.

A Reunion with a College Freshman:

After lunch, we met Jonas, Raquel’s 17 year old son, whom I adore, and knew very well when he was a little boy in London. It was SO GREAT to see him again after all these years. Even though I was warned that he was not a little boy anymore, I have to say that it was something of a shock to see the strapping, handsome, young man into which he has grown. I recalled him watching cartoons with me in my bed while his parents were still asleep in their room, making a gingerbread house with me during the holidays, accompanying me to the Museum of London where we had an interesting encounter with a crazy visitor while looking at the Mayor of London’s coach. He was reluctant to meet anyone (as you can imagine) as he was out shopping with friends. But his mother managed to persuade him to meet with me briefly and I was simply delighted to see him again.

Our Next stop: The Kennedy Birthplace Museum in Brookline.

With this visit with Jonas done, we were able to head off to the next place on our agenda, which also happened to be in Brookline. This is the home in which President John F. Kennedy was born and where he lived for the first four years of his life. The house, a modest dwelling, in which a young couple (Joe and Rose) started a family and began to raise them, never believing that their children would make American history, is located on a quiet, side street in Brookline. Entry to the home is free as it is administered by the US Parks authority. Periodically, there is a guided tour of the house, given by a US Park Ranger as the home was donated to the US nation by the President’s mother, Rose, and is run by the National Parks Service.

Inside, the house looks exactly as any other home of that era might look (1917-1920). It is neat, small, modest. There is a living room, dining room and kitchen downstairs and three bedrooms on the top floor. Furniture and fitments are also modest and in keeping with the era. The family was comfortably off but, by no means, wealthy, and the level of early economic status with which the future President was familiar is clearly evident in this house. The tour guide did a good job of introducing us to JFK’s early life with his siblings and his parents, as well as showed us the street as it might have looked in that epoch (through black and white pictures). There is nothing fancy to suggest that we were in a home that would raise several national statesmen and their future generations other than a larger-than-life cardboard cut-out of JFK right outside the entrance (where we posed for pictures). There is a small gift shop in the basement where visitors may also use restrooms. There was also a short documentary film playing on a loop and we watched that too.

We also looked at another house down the same street (Abbotsford Street) into which the Kennedy Family moved and in which JFK lived till he was a teenager. Overall, the visit was wonderful as it meant that we covered a place that few Americans themselves see. As it was about 5.00 pm and the house closes at this time, we then drove Raquel home to Brookline. She invited us upstairs and we were quite happy to see her lovely home which was very reminiscent of the home her family had once occupied in Maida Vale in London, where I had once stayed briefly. We said our goodbyes then to Raquel and Chris and moved on.

Next, we drove Amy to her parents’ home in Chestnut Hill, not too far away, as she would spend the next few nights with her mother. I had the great pleasure of meeting her Mum for the very first time (after being Amy’s friend for at least 35 years) and having heard so much about her family members. She is a delightful lady who immediately told me that she remembered that Amy had traveled to India with me.

Driving on to Andover:

Leaving Amy with her mum, we drove to Andover, about an hour away from Boston. There, we met our old Bombay friend, Aftab and his wife Masooma who welcomed us warmly with tea and snacks. Much nattering later, we had our showers & changed for dinner—a most delicious meal featuring Leg of Lamb (Raan) in a delicious tomato-based sauce, Shrimp with Greens & Mushrooms, Butternut Squash Soup and Chicken Biryani with salad. ⁠Dessert was honey yogurt with fresh mixed berries. The Bhaiwalas have an absolutely beautiful, palatial home into which they moved quite recently. Grand is the word that comes to mind in the overall dimensions of the place. It was great to catch up with them and meet and get to know Masooma whom we were meeting for the first time. But after 10.00pm, we were both wilting and ready to call it a day. We went upstairs to our room to enjoy a very peaceful night’s sleep while being fully grateful for the warm and generous hospitality of our friends—both Chris and Raquel as well as Aftab and Masooma. What an amazing time we had with great museums and terrific old friends in Boston! A truly unforgettable day!

Until tomorrow, Cheerio…