Dinner for One: Same Procedure As Last Year?

by kim on January 4, 2012Share this post:

Late on New Year’s Eve, Mr. TW fired up the laptop so we could watch Dinner for One, a (roughly) 10-minute British comedy sketch also known as Der 90 Geburtstag, German for The 90th Birthday. Watching the predictable and repetitive, but nevertheless funny, skit from the 60s has become a popular tradition in Germany as well as other parts of Europe and Scandinavia. Mr. TW recalls watching it as a kid with his family and, later, with friends at parties. Pretty much, no matter what people are up to in Germany on New Year’s Eve, they work in Dinner for One. Now he and I watch it here each year, too, and we show it to friends and family. They probably think we’re a little odd, but still, they inevitably laugh when they see it.

Since there are worse ways to spend 10 minutes, take a look if you haven’t seen it yet. Watch it again next December 31st and, in the meantime, have a happy, healthy new year!

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Miami: Things to Do, Places to See, Where to Sleep

by kim on December 23, 2011Share this post:

Image of lifeguard station on South Beach

Image courtesy of Phillip Pessar via flickr

I hadn’t expected to be blogging about Miami, but I was channel surfing in the Travel Channel neighborhood last night, and I caught a glimpse of the pastel, Art Deco streetscape that is unmistakably South Beach. Anthony Bourdain was behind the wheel of a mid-life-crisis-red Ferrari on his new show, The Layover.

I’d been curious to see the show and, having just come in from walking the border collie in 25 degree temps, was drawn to the palm trees and surf I saw on-screen. Bourdain’s time in Miami brought back memories of my own visits there when I was a kid (relatives used to own a motel in Miami Beach) and while I lived in Fort Lauderdale.

Bourdain had food covered during his whirl through the city, but a friend who recently visited and I have a few more items to add to the list of things to do:

Swim

Bourdain said he’s not a beach bum, and neither am I. (I’m sweating and getting red just thinking about roasting in that intense South Florida sun.) Instead, he mentioned two pools–one at The Raleigh, the hotel where he stayed, and the huge (really huge) pool at the Biltmore Hotel. You can practically picture the synchronized swimmers at the Biltmore. The hotel also is known for its Sunday champagne brunch; About.com guide Renee Chapple writes that the Biltmore “puts out a great spread; it’s the place to be seen on Sunday mornings in Coral Gables.” (It’s also $75 a head.)

Another option is The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, a neat and unusual place–really one of those so-called “hidden gems.” The pool is spring-fed (read, alternately: “refreshing” or “Cold,” depending on your personal thermostat) and was built in the 1920s out of a limestone quarry. It’s the only pool on the National Register of Historic Places. You’ll find waterfalls, grottos, a bridge and lookout towers, as well as a collection of historic photos in the entry room. It’s generally open to the public ($11 for non-residents of Coral Gables), although it’s closed in December 2011 and January 2012.

Eat

Bourdain mentioned Joe’s Stone Crab. It’s popular and can get busy, but you can bypass the wait for a table and get your claws (and more) to go at Joe’s Take Away.

Crustaceans not your thing? There’s homemade ravioli and other pasta at Spiga. “Amazing gnocchi,” says my friend.

Sleep

I learned about Hotel St. Michel,  a boutiquey, European-style hotel in Coral Gables, while working as a location scout for an event, and it’s lovely. Elegant and about as far from “cookie-cutter” as you can get.

Bourdain chose The Raleigh in SoBe; my friend chose the Eden Roc. Here’s what she said:

I’m not usually a fan of art deco or retro/007 décor, but this place IS cool & charming (“I Love Lucy” episodes projected nightly on this big glass wall in the atrium of the hotel bar). You can see this projection from the pools/beach, which is kind of entertaining.

Wander

I toured Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden a few years ago, when I visited during a Chihuly glass exhibit, and was seriously impressed. Fairchild is home to the International Mango Festival and the International Chocolate Festival (January 20-22, 2012) among other events. The organization also puts on some pretty major art exhibits–often, like Chihuly’s glass works, integrated into the lush, tropical landscape.

Wander…but Don’t Feed

You can always head to the ‘glades and Everglades National Park in search of alligators, crocodiles, dolphins, birds, panthers and other rare and endangered animals–many of which have sharp teeth and dangerous venom. The National Park Service offers a video series on planning your visit.

Wander…into the Wee Hours

Not tired yet? Here’s Frommer’s nightlife listing. (I have nothing to add here; I’m getting old.)

Ride

The city has several public transportation options.

There’s DecoBike, the City of Miami Beach’s bike rental and sharing program as well as a number of other bike rental places.

There’s the Metrobus, the Metromover and Metrorail–with info on all of them here.

And there’s the South Beach Local, with rides costing a whopping $.25 (why is there no cent sign on my keyboard?!).

What are your Miami picks? Please share here, on Facebook, or tweet to me — @travelerwrites — and I’ll post your ideas.

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Gift Ideas for the Holidays: Michigan Gifts of the Mitt, Part 2

by kim on December 20, 2011Share this post:

Image of Pewabic tile depicting Michigan

Image courtesy of Pewabic Pottery

Still Christmas shopping? Trying to find the right (and very last minute) Hanukkah present? Building on last year’s Gifts from the Mitt post, here are few more made-in-Michigan gift ideas:

Achatz Handmade Pie Co. – I wasn’t much of a fruit pie sort of gal until I moved to the Midwest and tasted an Achatz (rhymes with ‘jackets’) pie, specifically the Michigan 4-Berry. Not overly sweet like so many other pies, with big chunks of fruit, flaky dough and crunchy crumbs on top. It was perfect; I was hooked. With only a couple of exceptions, the pies are vegan, and the company tries to use locally grown fruit. I was seriously geeked when I found out they recently opened a store in Ann Arbor. The company does mail order, and prices listed on the website include shipping.

The Cherry Hut – In keeping with the pie theme, The Cherry Hut started out in the early 1920s as a roadside stand along the north shore of Crystal Lake, where the Kraker family sold homemade cherry pies and jams made from their orchards’ fruit. The company has expanded since then, and its store–and seasonal restaurant–on US 31 in Benzonia sells jams, dried cherries and souvenirs in addition to its pies (with the signature “Cherry Jerry” face carved into the crust). The Cherry Hut doesn’t ship the pies, but it does mail its other items.

Detroit Spice Co. – Detroit-themed spice blends that pay homage to the city’s melting pot and a line of hot sauces that will make your eyes water.

Pewabic Pottery – Arts & Crafts ceramic tiles and other items with distinct iridescent glazes from a historic, nonprofit pottery. The pottery was founded in 1903 by artist Mary Stratton, who also helped establish the Detroit Arts & Crafts Society and the ceramics department at the University of Michigan. Pewabic is holding an Earthy Treasures Holiday Show through December 30th, 2011, and it’s open on Christmas eve from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ugly Dog Distillery – Vodka distilled from Michigan grain, by hand, in small batches in Chelsea. Owner Jon Dyer named the company for his own “ugly dog,” Ruger, a German wirehaired pointer who is featured on the bottle labels (and has been a guest on Animal Planet’s “Dogs 101″ show).

Feeling creative? Michigan food blogger Elaine McCardel, who publishes The Italian Dish, offers ideas for great-looking candles and candy cane marshmallows, among others.

Happy Holidays!

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