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…

Fun Reunions with Multiple Groups of Friends in Fairfield, Connecticut, and a Couple of Routine Medical Appointments

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Fun Reunions with Multiple Groups of Friends in Fairfield, Connecticut, and a Couple of Routine Medical Appointments

Today was all about meeting Southport friends and breaking bread with them. We had incredibly lovely reunions with our large number of friends that made our day very special. And the food was fabulous too!!!!

Breakfast with the Pintos:

As Llew and I had made many appointments for Reunions with our friends at least two months in advance, I suppose it was inevitable that a couple of them would actually forget about our plans. This was the case with the Pintos—Ed and Marguerite—who have been firm family friends of ours for at least 35 years. They had just returned from Los Angeles themselves and were terribly jetlagged. So it was natural that while we arrived at 8.00 am for our Breakfast appointment with them at ‘McDonalds’ in Westport, they were nowhere in the scene. We finally texted them at 8.15 only to have them tell us sheepishly that they had overslept. They asked us for 20 minutes’ grace and were there within that time.

It is always a pleasure to see the Pintos. We always have so much to talk about…but this time, conversation was focused on their daughter Michelle and her three bright young lads—one of whom had just spent a week with the Pintos in Westport. Ed had many funny stories to tell about his interaction with this grandson. We also discussed our lives in Bombay and our health issues. Meanwhile, I really enjoyed my Pancakes and Maple Syrup with Sausage and decaff coffee. Before we knew it, it was 9.00 am and we had to say goodbye to them as we needed to drive to Trumbull for our 9.30 am appointment with our new dermatologist, Dr. Jeremy Moss.

Appointment with a New Dermatologist in Trumbull:

The trouble with having had the same doctors and specialists for over thirty years is that by the time you reach your age of retirement, they are retiring too. This is certainly the case with our internist, Dr. Monteiro and also with our dermatologist, Dr. Mark Ostreicher. Hence, Llew and I were seeing a new dermatologist in Trumbull called Dr. Jeremy Moss.

We found the place using our GPS and in no time had our sessions with the doctor. I now have a name for the strange uneven pigmentation issue on my skin that is causing tiny white spots all over it. Llew, strangely enough, has the exact same thing. Turns out it is a natural part of ageing and that large segments of the population (87%) have it. It is called Idiopathic Guttate Hypomelanosis (IGH for short) and requires no treatment as it is harmless. I was very satisfied with this diagnosis and, on a very happy note, we left.

b>Next Stop: Advanced Radiology:

Out next stop was Advanced Radiology in Stratford—a place to which I had been before—so that I would keep my 11.00 am appointment for a bone density test which my medical insurance covers once in two years. My endocrinologist was keen for me to undertake the test this year to monitor my level of bone calcium to prevent osteoporosis. And so there I was. Once I was taken in, it was a scan-like test that requires you to lie down and have scans done in your hip area. I had a skillful technician do it for me and in about fifteen minutes, I was all done. My test results would go directly to my doctors—my internists and my endocrinologist.

Off to the Pequot Library:

Next, we had a 1.30pm lunch appointment with my former Southport Book Club friends, but since we had about an hour to kill, we decided to stay within the Southport Village area and possibly see some old friends at the Pequot Library. And that was what we did. It was worth trying to squeeze in time to visit our beloved Pequot Library where we were volunteers for 32 years as we met our friends, Bob who was always fully active with our annual book sales and Leslie Mahtani (who works there as a librarian). Leslie is one of my closest friends. We took a few pictures together and then hurried along to our lunch appointment.

Lunch with Close Friends at the Pequot Yacht Club:

We met our friend, Alison Barry on the road, right after we found parking for our car. She too had been in my Southport Book Club (now sadly defunct) and it was great to see her. Our hostess, Joanie Frost, was also there, waiting for us and after warm hugs and affectionate whoops of delight at being together again, we ordered food inside and then sat down to eat it on the sunny deck overlooking the Mill River and the golf links across on the other bank. It was going to be Buffalo Chicken Wraps for Llew while I had the Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Candied Bacon. Our friends chose salads too because they are wonderfully fresh in the summer.

The views across the harbor of the boats going in and out provide the perfect accompaniment for these sorts of summer meals and I loved the ambience of it all—so typically Southport in every possible way. We had a lovely chinwag that went on for almost two hours as we caught up on the goings-on of all our former Book Club members. To my delight, when I went upstairs to the top deck to shoot some pictures, I ran into yet another good friend, John Crocco, who was lunching with another friend of his. We visited with each other (and I brought Llew upstairs to meet John too) before we all parted and went our separate ways.

Appointment with our Optometrist in Bridgeport:

The next item on our agenda was our appointment with our optometrist, Dr. Simon, at Visions Center Associates in Bridgeport. Llew drove us there and, within a short time, we were greeting our friend Jeff who usually fits our glasses. Both Llew and I had our annual eye exams (also covered by our medical insurance) and soon we were coming to the conclusion that while there is a change in our glasses prescription, it is not worth making them in the USA. Jeff advised us to make them in India where they are much cheaper to make to order (and which is what we shall be doing). And so, that done, we made our way back to Bonnie and Art’s place to take rest and have our showers before we would be out again for the whole evening.

Early Light Supper with Friends at ‘Bloodroot’ in Bridgeport:

It is always a great pleasure for me to meet my dear friend, Dr. Elizabeth Petrino. We used to be colleagues and immediate neighbors (we shared neighboring offices) at Fairfield University’s English Department where I had spent two years as a full-time Visiting Professor before I obtained my full-time position at New York University. Liz and I had stayed in touch, over the years, as we got on really well and truly respect each other as scholars and as friends. Through the years, we have gotten to know members of our families too. Liz and her husband Tom are brilliant home chefs and we have eaten many memorable meals at their home.

This time, however, since I had a Book Club meeting to attend, a little later in the evening, and our Book Club meetings mean a full dinner, Llew and I asked Liz if she would do an early evening meeting somewhere closer to Fairfield as both Llew and I had plans for later in the day. They gladly obliged us and chose a health food place called ‘Bloodroot’, right by the water in Bridgeport (near St. Mary’s By The Sea) for our meal. It was super also to see their son, David, present. A lovely young man, he is in his final year at Fairfield University and is on the lookout for the most suitable college for his interests in Engineering.

In keeping with our desire to pick something light, I chose the Marinated Tofu Salad with Cabbage, Carrots and Sesame Seeds. Llew decided not to eat anything at all as he knew he’d have a load of finger food later. It was the organic Mixed Salad for Liz—a very colorful concoction that was visually most enticing. There was also dessert of Peach Cobbler for Liz—something from which I shied away. Llew excused himself and left a little early as Art was giving him a ride to his next appointment—a Boys Night Out (as traditionally occurred when we, Ladies, had out Book Club Meeting). It was at a place called ‘Brew Port’ in Bridgeport and off Llew went.

Book Club Meeting at Helene’s:

Not too long after supper, Liz and family offered to drop me off to the place in Fairfield where my Book Club Meeting would be held—it was the home of Helene, a new member who, in fact, took my place after I left the Club, a couple of years ago. She happens to be a lovely Frenchwoman who is married to an American man named Douglas. She does not live far from Mary-Lauren who introduced her to the Club.

It was absolutely joyous for me to see my Book Club girlfriends again. They congratulated me warmly on Chriselle’s wedding and wanted to know how it went and how she is doing. They were also discussing a book by Lisa See (whose books we have read before) entitled ‘Lady Tan’s Circle of Women’. I had intended to read the book in time for this meeting and had even downloaded it on my Ipad. But, needless to say, with all the travel and hectic activity I’ve had these past few weeks, it was simply impossible. I did enjoy listening to the discussion on the book and finding out that everyone liked it and all of them thought it completely worth reading. I have plans, therefore, to read it myself too, in due course.

After the book discussion, during which time we tucked into Helene’s dip with crudities and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears, we moved to her dining room to enjoy her dinner. She had been hard at work and missed our discussion but the salmon dinner she served us was good. It was Salmon Teriyaki accompanied by steamed beans and orzo salad. Dessert was Mixed Berry Crumble with vanilla ice-cream. Everything was wonderful. I felt as if I had never left the Book Club. It is amazing how Time seems to stand still when you are with old and very good friends. At any rate, I felt so fortunate that my gal friends included me in the meeting and welcomed me back so warmly. Bonnie, of course, gave me a ride back to her place as we were staying with her. When Llew returned, he told me that he was thrilled that the husbands of every single one of the ladies were present at the beer bar including Douglas (Helene’s husband) whom he was meeting for the first time. (Like all good guys, they did not take any pictures)! In fact, when Douglas got back home, we asked him to click some group pictures of us—which he did!

⁠It had been such a packed but fun day in our own former neck of the woods!

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Lunch at The Metropolitan Museum of Art with Fellow-Docents, Appointment with an Ophthalmologist and Dinner with Friends at ‘Il Tinello’.

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Fairfield-New York City-Fairfield

Lunch at The Metropolitan Museum of Art with Fellow-Docents, Appointment with an Ophthalmologist and Dinner with Friends at ‘Il Tinello’.

The Big Apple called today-and we responded!!! It was so fab to be New Yorkers again But to begin at the beginning of the day… We awoke this morning in yet another venue—the well-appointed guest room of our friends, Bonnie and Art, in Fairfield, Connecticut, where we had arrived well past midnight. It was little wonder that we woke late to go downstairs and find that Bonnie had put out a lovely mini-breakfast buffet for us: her homemade blueberry muffins, her homemade granola (she told me there was yogurt in the fridge) and Art had actually gone out, while we were still asleep, to buy me decaff coffee! Now how thoughtful is that? My mind was blown away! We had a quick breakfast, however, as we had to get to Manhattan on the first off-peak train, if possible. And, prior to that, we needed to drive to our friend, Mary-Lauren’s house to pick up a bag of my DVDs that she had left there for me. I was going to take those into the city to drop them off, later in the afternoon, at the apartment of my friend, Ruchi, who had offered to carry them to Bombay for me. So, there were 20 DVDs that I picked up that morning.

That done, we drove away without meeting anyone in the house as they were already at work. We parked our car in the Day Parking slot at Southport Station, bought our senior discounted tickets from the ticket machine and we were off.

Journey into Manhattan:

It was just wonderful to ride the Meto-North train again. Although it was reminiscent of the countless journeys we took, over three decades, into Manhattan to get to work, this was slightly different. We were clearly on ‘vacation’ and had a whole lot of things to think of that were not work-related. As it was end-August and my NYU faculty members were all on vacation, it did not make any sense for me to go to my old office building to meet anyone—it would be completely dead. Llew, on the other hand, had plans to meet his former colleagues and, in particular, our friend Anna, with whom he would have lunch. I was headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to have lunch with some of my friends.

So, I got off at 125th Street in Harlem (still filthy & smelly--as I always do when I am headed to the Met) and Llew carried on in the train to the last stop at Grand Central Station. I then walked one block down to the subway station and took the 5 train to 86th Street from where I walked a few blocks to the Met. It was already almost 1.00 pm. It was simply terrific to stroll along the Upper East Side (still immaculate and ultra posh) on a particularly lovely day when the temperature was just perfect. I reached the Met in ten minutes and at the Main Info Desk on the main floor, I found my friend, Friea waiting for me. One big hug later, we were joined by our other docent friend, Liz, and without much ado, we made our way to the Staff Cafetaria for lunch. It was great fun to see my learned friends again.

Lunch with my Met Docent Friends:

It is always a thrill for me to eat in the Staff Cafeteria at the Met for old times’ sake. You might think I’m crazy but, apart from the nostalgia element which is important to me (I spent years eating lunch there on Sundays in-between the Highlights Tours I gave), it really has one of the tastiest Salad Bars I know and I always looked forward to assembling a salad there and douzing it with their incredible Caesar Salad Dressing. I included stuffed dolmades (vine leaves with rice, herbs and pine nuts), artichoke hearts and tons of blue cheese plus cubes of grilled chicken—you can just imagine how scrumptious (and how large) my salad was! My two friends also chose salads and armed with these meals, we made our way to the fountain courtyard to eat.

Great food aside, the best part of these meals with long-time friends is the ability to catch up on everything that has gone on in our lives since the last time we met. And yes, we had tons to talk about—and we did. Plus, there was the bonus of meeting yet another docent friend, Carmen, who had also graduated with our batch of docent trainees in 2000! It was terrific having a reunion with her. So, in every way, it was a grand lunch and I enjoyed every second of it.

A Really Special Fashion Exhibition at the Met:

My friends advised me to make certain I took in the stunning exhibition in the Costume Institute entitled, ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ which featured designs from everyone you can think of beginning with the 1950’s House of Worth & Schiaparelli to contemporary designers like Issac Mizrahi, the House of Dior, Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors, etc. What was amazing was that the designs were inspired by various elements from the natural world—flowers, fruit, vegetables, even insects. As with all Costume Institute exhibitions, the outfits were beautifully curated. Each one was a work of art in its conception, design and execution: what one needs to admire and note is the structure of each garment. I found it all breathtaking and spent far more time than I had expected.

Appointments with our Ophthalmologist off Park Avenue:

Still, towards the end I had to run as I had a 3.00 pm appointment with our ophthalmologist, Dr. Daniel Rosberger, who has been treating me for just a year (I had my last check-up with him exactly a year ago) and Llew for at least 15 years. Llew joined me there to get our annual check-ups. The testing, scanning, dilation, injection of veins with dye to ensure there was no bleeding in the eye, was all so detailed, but at the end, it was done. As always, I am impressed by the thoroughness of the procedures and the attention to explanation. The patient is never kept guessing about what is going on. Overall? News is not bad, at least not for the moment. Next check-up recommended for next year.

Stroll Down Lexington Avenue to Meet a Friend:

With our eyes well and truly dilated, we walked down Lexington Avenue. Llew told me he’d had a very nice lunch with Anna and had caught up on a lot of office news since his departure. We were headed to our friend Ruchi’s apartment on Lexington Avenue and spent a good hour gabbing with her, her husband and college-going son. It was wonderful to be in Manhattan again—to take in its energy, its verve, and its sense of being unchanging. We spent a lovely hour with Ruchi and I finally handed my DVDs over to her. I also met her older son (I know her younger one well) and her husband and after about an hour, with a promise that we would meet again in Bombay, we left.

Dinner with Close Friends at ‘Il Tinello’:

Having walked about twenty blocks downtown to Ruchi’s place, we had both worked up quite an appetite and were well and truly ready for dinner. So, next, we strolled down Lexington Avenue to keep our dinner appointment with two of our closest friends, Amy Tobin & her partner, Rothschild, at ‘Il Tinello’, a very glam Italian restaurant. Llew had last seen them when they had come to Fairfield to bid us goodbye, just before we left together for India. I had met Amy last August—exactly a year ago—when she had helped me so much in closing down my office at NYU and loading my stuff into the train. I will never forget how helpful she had been to me. A true friend in need! The meal was simply superb and the service outstanding. Bruschetta for a starter at ‘Il Tinello’ was followed by 4 different plates of Pasta: Orchiette with Brocolli Rabe & Italian Sausage (me); Rigatoni with Bolognese Sauce & fresh Mozarella (Amy); Ravioli with ground veal & spinach (Llew) and Spaghetti Vongole (with clam sauce—Rothschild). We shared Tiramisu for dessert. Italian is not my favorite cuisine for nothing!!!! There was much drama at the next table as the waiter rustled up a fancy dessert called Zabaglione for the ladies at the next table. It is such spectacles that make eating out in New York so much fun! Dinner done and the bill paid, the four of us walked two blocks ahead to Grand Central Station to take the train (and subway for them) back to Southport! What a terrific day we’d had in New York! We’d done all our errands and met good friends, we’d eaten superb meals and we’d used every minute of our time in The Big Apple.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Visiting the Wild Western Town of Deadwood and Flying from Rapid City, South Dakota, to New York City

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Visiting the Wild Western Town of Deadwood and Flying from Rapid City, South Dakota, to New York City

After the thrill of going to bed in the Best Western Plus motel with the Northern Lights still playing in the skies above the prairie, we awoke to a very calm and very sunny day. Our flight would leave from the airport at Rapid City, South Dakota, at 2.00 pm which meant that we needed to be at the airport at 12 noon for our flight to New York City. Since we had the morning free, we decided to make the most of it and make a quick dash to the Western frontier town of Deadwood, right after we finished breakfast and checked out.

Breakfast at the Best Western Plus Motel:

As we discovered at ‘The King’s Inn’ at Cody, Wyoming, so too here in this hotel in South Dakota, breakfast was a regal repast. There was a large breakfast buffet from which we could choose to have all sorts of things including a hot breakfast. Llew and I ordered a Cheese Omelet each and ate it with sausages. I also had a Southern-style breakfast—gravy with biscuits (which are more like savory cheese scones). Both were just delicious and with decaff coffee, they would keep us going until lunch-time (in Chicago).

Off to Deadwood:

With breakfast done, we got into our car and began the 45 minute drive to Deadwood along a highway that was not too clogged with traffic, fortunately. As soon as we arrived in the Town, we parked our car in a public parking lot and went straight to the large sign that proclaimed our entry into this once-thriving town: “Deadwood, Main Street,” it said. That done, we crossed the street and went into the Visitor’s Center to pick up maps and inquire as to how we could best spent the two hours at our disposal.

A very helpful clerk told us to stroll down Main Street, get a feel of the town that is very well-preserved and then take a drive to Mount Moriah Cemetery to see the most famous graves there. And that was what we did.

Exploring Deadwood:

A word about why and how Deadwood attained prominence: During the mid-19th century, in the midst of the Gold Rush that brought thousands of prospectors flooding across the American plains as they made their slow and torturous way towards California (and from there on to Alaska), gold was actually found in some parts. The Black Hills that surround Rapid City and Deadwood did contain gold reserves. Naturally, these settlements acquired rapid prosperity as secondary businesses also flourished to feed the needs of the settlers who flocked to these parts.

Deadwood has changed little since its Gold Rush heyday. There is still a well-defined Main Street lined on both sides by shops, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and, of course, a side-business of the days of prospecting was prostitution—so there are brothels on this strip too. All of the shops are geared to entice tourists inside and sport all the trapping of 19th century antiquity from signs in latter-day scripts as well as shop windows with antique merchandise. As these Hills produce something called Black Hills Gold, I was keen to buy a pendant or locket to match a pair of ear-rings I owned and a matching bracelet that a friend had once presented me. The locket or pendant would complete my set. I was, therefore, keen to buy one. However, there was only one jewelery store in Deadwood that dealt in high-end jewelry and I was lucky to find just one pendant that would match the pieces I already owned. Lew decided to buy it for me as a wedding anniversary present—as it would be coming up within the next week. Armed with that purchase, we made our way out.

Main Street is also the venue of the famous Saloon No. 10 where Deadwood’s most famous son was killed. If Cody, Wyoming, is synonymous with the name of Wild Bill (William) ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody, so too Deadwood is known for a certain gentleman named James Butler (Wild Bill) Hickock. He was a surveyor by profession during the days when chuck wagons carrying settlers crossed the prairie. He would provide warnings of any dangers ahead to these pioneers—mainly in the form of hostile Native American tribes. As time went by, he also grew into a successful gambler and card sharp. He was associated with a woman named Martha Jane Burke aka Calamity Jane (although there is no evidence that they were romantically involved). On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickock was killed in Saloon No. 10 by Jack McCall. He was buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery, just a few minutes outside of the town’s boundaries. We entered the Saloon and were delighted to find that it retains its 19th century ambience to the T with every single one of its fitments still in place including the massive oakwood and glass bar. We continued our walk to the end of the street and then crossed to get to the other side to take in the atmosphere there. Finally, with just an hour before we needed to begin our return drive to the airport, we walked briskly back to our car to drive in it to the Cemetery which we found just ten minutes later.

Visiting Mount Moriah Cemetery:

Busloads of tourists come up to Mount Moriah Cemetery—packed especially with people for whom Wild West lore is a passion. We had just fifteen minutes there and were directed by the lady selling tickets ($3 each) to the two graves that are the biggest tourist draws—those of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. Although there is no evidence of anything other than professional associations between them, Jane, who died on August 1, 1903, ie. a good quarter century after Wild Bill had expressed a dying wish: “Bury Me Beside Wild Bill.” Her wishes were honored and visitors to his grave automatically show their respect to her’s as well. In this interesting way, she has attained the same notoriety as he has!

With this visit done and photographs clicked, we hurried to our car to begin the drive back to Rapid City airport which would take us approximately one hour. We also needed to return our rental car at the Budget Car Rental office—so we needed to give ourselves adequate time.

We arrived at the airport on schedule and went through the formalities of retuning our car. We then checked in our large bags and went to the gate for our American Airlines First Class flight to New York City via Chicago. Once the flight took off, we were offered drinks of our choice. Llew had red wine, I had a gin and tonic—to celebrate the end of Phase Two of our travels and a very successful Great American Road Adventure. Two hours later, we were touching down at Chicago, but were very hungry. We had enough time during our layover to go out in search of lunch and it was at Rick Bayliss’s Frontera (Mexican) restaurant that we decided to share an order of Fully Loaded Nachos which were actually quite delicious with wonderful guacamole, black beans, etc. Our meal eaten, we went to our gate and boarded the flight for the second leg of our journey to Kennedy Airport.

Travel from New York City to Connecticut:

It was about 9.00 pm by the time we touched down at Kennedy airport. As we had an enormous amount of luggage, and had another car to rent from Budget, Llew left me at the carousel to pick up our baggage and took the Air Train to get to the Car Rental offices at Federal Circle. I picked up a cart and loaded our baggage on to it and then made my way outside the airport to the Passenger Pick-Up area where Llew would arrive, half an hour later, in another rental car to get us to Connecticut where we would be spending the next few days.

Our journey along the highways to Connecticut were uneventful but packed with nostalgia for both of us as we were now in our habitual neck of the woods taking such highways as the Belt Parkway, the Cross Island Parkway and the Throgs Neck Bridge before getting on to the I-95 to Connecticut. We were stuck in terrible traffic along the way as there was a whole of construction going on. Meanwhile, we were in phone contact with our friends, Bonnie and Art, with whom we’d be spending the next four nights. They were well aware that we’d probably reach them well after midnight, but they were pleased to know that we were safe, even if delayed.

About 90 minutes later, we had passed our own home on Pequot Avenue and were thrilled to lay eyes on it again. The village of Southport was dead to the world, of course, when we passed through its familiar landmarks—the two churches and the village center—and soon we were at our friends’ home. We were very warmly greeted and welcomed by the two of them and shown up to the beautifully-decorated guest room where we would spend the next few days. It was fabulous to see our friends again and we looked forward to the good times that lay in store with them as we would go through all our doctors’ appointments in our former stomping ground.

It was not long after that we simply crashed and called it a night.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…