May 8, 2011 - Rome, Italy

Lisa and I arrived in Rome today for vacation.  Flew from BWI, connecting in Philadelphia, which was actually cheaper than booking the flight out of Philly...

Landed in Rome about 8.30 AM local time.  Got to the hotel around 10.15-10.30.  Had to leave our bags as the room was not ready yet, but when we got back in the afternoon they had already taken our bags up.

Our hotel, Hotel San Carlo, is nice.  The room is not as small as we are used to in Europe.  There is a room with a king size bed and another smaller room with a single bed, as well as the bathroom.  Staff have been very courteous and speak English.

In general, we have not run into a language barrier.  We were in touristy areas all day and everyone seemed to speak English and we were given English menus.  I'll be curious to see if things are are any different when we go to Florence later in the week.

We've only been here about 13 hours, but so far, I love Rome.  It has all the vibe and hum of a big city like London or New York, but there is a certain quaintness too with narrow cobblestone streets at bizarre angles that meander here and there, like in Prague, Venice, or Rhodes.  Unlike Venice, much of which is now abandoned, even the side streets in Rome bustle with activity.  While in Venice the small side street might open into an empty and abandoned piazza with a non-functional fountain, the side street and little piazza will contain shops, cafes, gelatorias, and/or restaurants.  I've truly never seen a higher density of restaurants anywhere in my life.  Only the French Quarter in New Orleans comes close, and not really.  Every few feet, at least in the area around the Spanish Steps and the area around the Pantheon, there is a restaurant (or 2, or 3) and they are all serving food, with gracious service, that looks absolutely wonderful.  I think you could spend all day in Rome eating!

After dropping off our bags, we walked over to the Spanish Steps (so named because they were in proximity to the Spanish embassy to the Vatican).  The steps were pretty, dotted with azaleas that were just starting to bloom and packed with tourists.  We had cappucino and a croissant at a small, busy, cafe near the Spanish steps.  There is also a splash of England by the steps: a tea room called Babington's and a museum to Keats, apparently in a house in which he died.

From the Spanish steps, we walked to the Trevi fountain, a truly stunning fountain fed by the end of an old Roman aqueduct and made famous in film.  We each tossed a coin backwards into the fountain, which is supposed to guarantee a return trip to Rome someday.  The Trevi fountain was completely mobbed with tourists, reminiscent of the Charles Bridge in Prague.  We paid a street vendor 5 euro (about $7.50 USD) to take our picture and it actually turned out well.

Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon

From the Trevi fountain we walked to the Pantheon.  Definitely the most impressive thing we have seen so far.  The original Pantheon was built in the first century as a temple to all gods (hence the name, from the Greek), but the current building was constructed by Hadrian in AD 120.  It became a Christian church in the 7th century and remains so to this day.  This preserved it from being plundered for building material and left to ruin.  It is the only ancient Roman structure in the city that is completely intact.

Oculus in the dome of the Pantheon

The Pantheon is the model for much U.S. Federal era architecture.  Davidge Hall at University of Maryland - Baltimore (where I went to medical school), Mr. Jefferson's rotunda at the University of Viriginia (where I did my neurology residency, and particularly the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore are all modeled after the Pantheon (as is the U.S. Capitol to some degree).  The Pantheon is capped by a huge dome that is equal in diameter and height.  At the top of the dome, there is a 27-foot diameter oculus that lets in the only light.  Like the Basilica in Baltimore, the stream of light from above creates a sense of illumination and holiness.  Two Italian kings, Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I are entombed in the Pantheon, as is the Renaissance master, Raphael.  The soaring height of the dome, the marble floor, and the ethereal lighting create a marvelous effect and the Pantheon is truly one of the most impressive buildings I have ever set foot in, and certainly the oldest that is still completely intact.

Davidge Hall, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Rotunda, University of Virginia

Basilica of the Assumption, Baltimore

We had lunch al fresca on the piazza in front of the Pantheon at a place called Cafe Restaurant Di Rie.  We each had insalata mista (tossed salad, which contained raw fennel - apparently a big thing here - and corn) and shared a quite good pizza Margherita.

Following lunch, we walked over to the Piazza Navona, which isn't a square at all, but a large oval because it was built initially as the Circus of Emperor Domitian.  Standing there, I could just picture Judah Ben Hur driving his team around the track...  At the center of Piazza Navona is Bernini's Fountian of the Four Rivers (which figured prominently in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons).  A statute represents a river on each continent: the Ganges, the Danube, Rio de la Plata, and the Nile.  Smaller Bernini fountains are at each end of the piazza.  We stopped at a gelateria on the piazza for gelato.  I had melon, which was out of this world.  Perhaps the tastiest gelato or ice cream I have every had.  It tasted like a perfectly ripe cantaloupe!

Gelato

We got back to our hotel and checked into our room around 4 PM.  We chilled for a while (actually, I dozed off for a bit) and then around 6-6.30 we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant called Ristorante al 34.  The food was pretty good, although not spectacular.  We shared a half litre of the house white and they brought us a sample of some chick pea soup with some kind of seafood (calamari, we think) to try.  It was quite tasty (a little salty, but tasty).  Then Lisa had the vegetable soup, which she seemed underwhelmed by, and I had insalata mista.  For entrees, I had the spring lamb, grilled, and Lisa veal saltimbocca, both of which were quite good.  We shared a side of grilled artichoke and capped it off with espresso (when in Rome...).  But, what really made the experience was al fresca dining on a gorgeous evening (it was sunny and 70's today, absolutely gorgeous) on a small cobbled side street while street musicians walk up and down the various restaurants serenading for money.  Others approached selling figurines or roses.  Cars could even drive down the narrow street, no more than six inches from our table!

From Piazza Navona, we walked back to our hotel by a different route (and for the first time got a little turned around on the narrow, winding streets) to pass the early first century mausoleum of Augustus, but unfortunately it was closed for renovation. 

After dinner, we went back to the hotel (around 9 PM) to call it an early night.  All-in-all, a wonderfully fun day.  Tomorrow, it's off the the Coliseum, which we got a glimpse of on our bus ride in from the airport.

July 21, 2010 - Isle of Palms, SC

On vacation with Lisa's family (her folks, brother (Adam), his wife (Shannon) and their two girls, aged 7 and 3).  We arrived last Saturday (July 17) and will be leaving this Saturday (July 24).

We are staying the Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, SC.  It is just north of Sullivan's Island and north and east of Charleston (about a 20 minute drive to downtown Charleston).  The resort is enormous and very nice.  There's a beach, several swimming pools, two golf courses, seventeen tennis courts (including five with lights and one stadium court), a spa, and several restaurants and eateries.  The resort is a a combination of permanent residents, vacation homes (which some people rent out when they are not there), rental condos (where we are staying) and a hotel.

Our condo is very nice.  Three bed rooms and three bath rooms, a very nice kitchen that is well supplied and a nice sitting/dining area.  Free internet access as well.  My favourite feature of the condo, however, is the balcony.  The view is not great, but it is oriented to catch the prevailing breeze and the combination of the breeze and cover from the sun keep it cool and pleasant to sit on, even when it is hot - and it's been plenty hot!  Reached 100 F yesterday!  If I had to do it over again, perhaps Prague in July and South Carolina in October would have been better than the other way around!

We flew into Charlotte, NC last Saturday, rented a van, and drove from there (about a three and a half hour drive).  That saved about $300 per plane ticket compared to getting a connecting flight from Charlotte to Charleston (Author's note: at the time there were no direct flights from Baltimore to Charleston).  Since we needed a vehicle anyway, the only extra expense was the extra gas and I guarantee where not using $2400 in gas between here and the airport and back!

So we got in Saturday just in time to have dinner.  We have been alternating between eating out and eating in.

Sunday (7/18), Lisa, her mom, and I went to mass at Stella Maris church on Sullivan's Island.  It was a cute little church, but pretty old school (pre-Vatican II) as the priest said mass with his back to the congregation (they even have a Latin mass at 5 PM on Sunday!).  The church was also in desperate need of new kneelers...

Sunday afternoon we spent at the beach and at the pool.  It was relaxing and I am sure the nieces had fun.  Sunday evening we went out to dinner to a restaurant on Sullivan's Island called Station-22.  It was a nice restaurant and the food was excellent, although the service was very slow.  They were busy and seemed to have only two waitresses working.  I had tilapia, which was served on grits and was wonderful.  Washed it down with the Charleston brewed Palmetto Amber Ale (have some in the fridge here at the condo as well) - which is pretty good; although nothing to write home about and certainly no match for Goose Island (Chicago) or some of the microbrews I had in Maine.

Monday (7/19) we went into Charleston.  Our first top was the Old City Market, which has been there since the 1840's.  It is no longer a produce market but is now filled with craft vendors (including sweet graft baskets) and souvenirs.  After the market, we had lunch at Bubba-Gump Shrimp, which was nearby (food was really good, but man, was Forrest Gump, a nauseating movie, or what?).

After lunch, we took a carriage tour of Charleston - one of the most interesting historic cities in the United States, in my opinion.; both for its role in the American Revolution as well as in the U.S. Civil War.  The nieces enjoyed the carriage ride and the guide was fantastic.  I learned why the palmetto is the state tree of South Carolina.  Not only are they abundant, but in June 1776, British ships sailed into Charleston Harbor and opened fire on what is now Fort Moultrie (Author's note: named for the commander of the garrison during this engagement) on Sullivan's Island.  The fort, made of palmetto logs, withstood the barrage and the British were unable to take Charleston.

After the carriage tour, we walked down to the waterfront and Waterside Park for a bit.  I wanted to walk down to the Battery, the most beautiful part of Charleston, as I had been disappointed our carriage tour didn't take us there.  But, it was very hot and the girls, (and my mother-in-law) were ready to head back.

Aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown

Yesterday (Tuesday, 7/20), the women stayed at the resort and went to the main pool while Adam, Dad and I went to tour the U.S.S. Yorktown - a World War II era aircraft carrier.  The Yorktown is much, much, smaller than modern carriers and is dwarfed by the U.S.S. Midway that Lisa and I toured in San Diego.  In addition to the aircraft and World War II displays, there is a Medal of Honor museum on ship and I was reminded that Admiral James Stockdale, Ross Perot's 1992 VP running mate) was a Medal of Honor winner for resistance in captivity in Vietnam.  He self-inflicted wounds to avoid being used in propaganda films.  I hadn't realized he died in 2005.  The carrier has his A-4 on the flight deck and his ceremonial sword in the museum.

Fort Sumter

After the Yorktown, we took a harbor cruise (they leave from Patriot's Point, where the Yorktown is) out to Fort Sumter.  My friend Brian and had done that when we were here for an afternoon 15 years ago (on our way back from our trip to Daytona).  It was well worth doing again as it is such an important piece of our nation's history, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.  I learned more this time about the Union's unsuccessful attempt to take it back in 1863 - firing at it from land and from iron clad ships, cutting the wall in half!  Interestingly, there was a ceremony there at the end of the war on April 14, 1865 to hand control back to Federal forces.  Historians think President Lincoln was invited to the ceremony but turned it down because of the danger involved traveling to the South so shortly after Lee's surrender on April 9, 1865 (and, in fact, Joe Johnston's forces had not yet surrendered to Sherman), and in particular to South Carolina, where secession began.  Instead, President Lincoln and his wife went to Ford's Theatre to see a performance of Our American Cousin on the night of April 14, 1865...

Last night we had a nice dinner at a restaurant here at the resort, The Lettered Olive.  I had the New York strip and a couple of draughts of Guinness.  It was family night and they had a special buffet for the kids and before dinner, in a little amphitheatre on the plaza outside the restaurant, there was an entertaining magic show.

The Fam

April 17, 2010 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The American Academy of Neurology was in Toronto this year, which gives Lisa and I the opportunity for travel adventures as well as catching up with old friends.  Lisa and I had flown in and out of Buffalo and rented a car to drive to Toronto.  Southern Ontario is also home to my mother's family and although I had not spent much time in Toronto proper before, the region is very familiar to me.

Getting ready to leave for home this morning.

Thursday (April 15) we took the rental car and got out of Toronto for the day.  With our friends Billy and Amy (who were residents with me at University of Virginia), we went to Niagara-on-the-Lake.  As many times as I have been to the Falls, I had never been to Niagara-on-the-Lake before.  We had a splendid day.  The weather was beautiful - sunny and 70's F.  We did wine tasting at two vineyards: Inniskilln and Jackson-Triggs (which were actually sister vineyards, so going to Jackson-Triggs got us free tastings at Inniskillin).

Lisa and I at Jackson-Triggs vineyard

It was during these tastings that Lisa and I tried ice wine for the first time.  Billy and Amy are big fans of it and, although the vineyards we went to make table wines, the only thing the export out of province is their ice wine.  Ice wine is made from grapes that are picked while frozen solid in the winter (they have to be picked on the third consecutive night of temperatures as low as 15 F).  The freezing extracts water from the grape, leaving a mash that is essentially juice concentrate.  The subsequent fermentation creates a high sugar, high alcohol wine that is actually syrup-like in texture and perfect for a dessert wine.  They were quite tasty and the one I liked the best was actually a red ice wine - Cabernet Franc.

For $5 (CAD) each we got a tour of the Inniskillin winery.  It was quite a good deal, actually, because it included additional free tastings and  $5 off the purchase of 200 mL or more of ice wine (Lisa and bought five 2 oz. (50 mL) ice wine samplers).  The tour was quite interesting.  In addition to the four of us on the tour there was a very inquisitive young man from Toronto (and his remarkably attractive Asian-Canadian girlfriend) who must have asked hundreds of questions on the brief tour.  Some interesting, others not, but God bless him for his insatiable curiosity.

Our tour guide, Marta, was also our sommelier for the tastings at Inniskillin.  I felt like I learned a lot about wine tasting from her and have much better appreciation for evaluating the bouquet of a wine and appreciating at least some of the subtleties of flavour.  Contrast that with Colin, the affable old Scot at Jackson-Triggs who gave us no guidance and didn't even charge us for the tastings (although we did promise to return later in the day and buy wine from him.  Lisa and I bought a Sauvignon Blanc there as the table wines are unavailable out of Province...).

Billy, Amy, and I tasting wines

Between tastings, we took Colin's advice and lunched at the Golf Club restaurant, which afforded a spectacular view of Lake Ontario and the Niagara River.  The food was also excellent.  Lisa had the hamburger, which she said was fantastic, and I had a wonderful chicken sandwich with very sharp cheddar cheese.  Amy seemed quite happy with her Reuben, as did Billy with his steak frites.

After the vineyards, we spent an hour or so walking around town.  Really just up and down Queen St./Picton St., the main drag.  It was populated with all sorts of shops, cafes, and nice looking restaurants.  Many of the shops were closed, but we did browse the Irish store and a shop that sold jam and tea (where I bought something called Canadian breakfast tea for my mother).  In the center of the street was a small clock tower that served as a cenotaph for Canadians who had given their lives for their country.  At the far end of the street from where we parked (the Picton St. end) was a nice park with a historical marker plaque from which I learned that Niagara-on-the-Lake was the capital of Upper Canada when John Simcoe was the Royal Governor in the 1790's and early 1800's until it was burned by U.S. forces in 1813 (presumably the same campaign during which Toronto (then called York) was burned).  Near the park was the Prince of Wales Hotel - very posh with sort of a Victorian/Imperial decor.  Reminded us of the Empress Hotel in Victoria (B.C.) on a smaller scale.  They were serving what appeared to be a wonderful afternoon tea.  There was also an old, 19th century, apothecary, but unfortunately it wasn't open to the public until May...

Prince of Wales Hotel

We left Niagara-on-the-Lake at a little after six to return to Toronto.  Billy and Amy had included us in their 8 PM dinner reservations at a restaurant near our hotel called Bymark.  It was a little over-the-top for our taste, but very nice.  I tried rabbit for the first time and it was wonderful (my meal came with both a cut of rabbit and rabbit sausage).  Lisa had a cornish game hen and we shared lobster tacos for an appetizer.  I had a cold Guinness draught before dinner, white wine with dinner and a very nice cup of tea afterwards.

Although the meal was quite good (Lisa preferred Lucien (a restaurant at which we had eaten earlier in the week), though), what really made the evening was the company.  In addition to Billy and Amy, we were joined by Dean (who was in Billy and Amy's residency class and chief resident my first year in residency), and Kim, a pharmacist who had worked in the neuro ICU at UVa when we were residents but now works for a pharmaceutical company...  Lisa and I hadn't seen Kim since the Virginia Neurological Society meeting two years ago and I hadn't seen Dean since a stroke meeting 4-5 years ago.  The service was a bit slow, but it didn't matter, we were all having a wonderful time catching up with old friends!  A delightful nightcap to a wonderful day!

October 10, 2009 - Prague, Czech Republic

Lisa and I got into Prague today (Lisa's birthday) to start our vacation.  I have wanted to visit Prague ever since the Cold War ended (The Czech Republic was then Czechoslovakia, an eastern bloc country under Soviet domination) and have finally arrived!  I have only been here a few hours (I write this at 9 PM and we arrived at our hotel at 4 PM) and so far it doesn't disappoint. 

Our cab ride from the airport was interesting (we flew from Baltimore via Detroit and Paris).  The driver was a maniac and I had flashbacks to our cab ride from Brick Lane in London in 2003.  He rode everyone's bumper and was off like a bat out of hell as soon as they got out of the way.  But, we made it in one piece for about $35 USD or 600 crowns (Kc).  There was almost no customs inspection and no passport stamp at the airport...

Our hotel (Hotel Rott) is very nice.  The room is small, but actually one of the large rooms in which we have stayed in Europe, and very clean.  The hotel staff were super courteous and the hotel cafe looks nice.  The location is perfect.  Just off the Old Town square and a short walk to the Charles Bridge.

After settling in, we went over the Old Town Square.  What a place!  It was filled with people, tourists and locals alike, and bustling with activity.  Vendors were selling everything you could think of - hot dogs, sausages, fish, chicken kabobs, and all sorts of sweets and pastries that I couldn't put a name to.  The smell of grilling meats permeated the air and there was also a vendor selling beer!  Prague is all about the beer and it is as good as it is cheap.  A pint from the vendor cost 35 Kc ($2 USD) and it was really nice beer!  Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name...  In Prague you can walk around any street drinking beer from an open container.  And, where we ate dinner, the beer was the same price as soft drinks for a 0.5 L draught!

Astronomical Clock

The bustle of the square gave it the feel of a medieval marketplace, which I am sure was the initial purpose.  However, the buildings lining the square were baroque, and stunning. The highlight of the square was the astronomical clock, which we got to watch change at the top of the hour (5 PM).

Some sort of chanting was going on at the square amongst a gathering of Polish soccer (football) fans (Poland was playing the Czech team that night).  It seemed benign enough to me, but all of a sudden several scary looking policemen in riot gear stormed into the square and set up a perimeter.  They looked like throwbacks from the communist era and like they meant business.  We decided it would be a good time to leave for dinner!  Never did find out what happened, but several of the Polish fans hot-footed it out of there and as we were leaving a police helicopter was circling overhead.

Old Town Square, Prague

From the square, we walked over to the Charles Bridge.  Although currently marred by some construction, from the bridge there are beautiful views of the Vlata river and the city - especially Prague Castle in the Little Quarter (Mala Strana).  Several statues adorn the bridge, including one of St. John Nepomuk (who was drowned in the river at the order of King Wenceslaus IV for refusing to divulge the contents of the Queen's confession, a martyr to the sanctity of the confessional) - rubbing his brass relief with your left hand (which I did) is supposed to bring you good luck.  Street vendors lined the bridge as well as some pretty talented street musicians.

We had dinner on the other side of the bridge in Mala Strana at a restaurant called Gitanes.  Not only was it recommended in our guide book (Top 10 Prague), it was also highly recommended by Lisa's Uncle Mick, who is a chef and gave us the great recommendation of the Falcon Hotel in Stratford in 2007.  He and Pam liked it so much, they went back a second time - and I can see why.  The decor was very eclectic but the food was fantastic.  A talented band consisting of a pianist, a violinist, an acoustic guitarist, and and upright bass player provided live music while we dined.  The served rolls, that were really more fried dough, with cream cheese to spread on them.  Delicious, although I am sure terrible for your arteries.  I had a Balkan salad - cheese, cucumber, tomato and green pepper dressed with oil and vinegar (also delicious).  My entree was called Pork Tobasco - an above average piece of pork covered with a tomato sauce that tasted like the sauce my paternal grandmother (maiden name Wiener) used to make for stuffed peppers, only with a little spice to it.  In the sauce were grilled onions as well as green, red, and yellow bell peppers.  It was absolutely delicious.  I washed it down with a Gambrinus, a delightful light (in colour) lager (pilsner) that is apparently the best selling beer in the Czech Republic.

Unfortunately, I don't think Lisa enjoyed her meal much.  Probably from the travel, lack of sleep, and missed meals (we'd been on the go since breakfast), she developed a migraine and subsequent anorexia.  By the time we had finished, I was feeling a bit tired too and we walked back to the hotel.  The Charles Bridge is just as impressive at night, but by then it had started to rain.

We'll call it a night early tonight, but tomorrow night plan to take a free 1 hour walking tour to get an overview and then will take it from there.

May 2, 2009 - Seattle, Washington

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The 2009 American Academy of Neurology meeting was in Seattle and, as usual, Lisa and I made a bit of a trip out of it.

We leave for home today, but I am a bit behind describing our trip, having chronicled only through Monday (April 27).

On Tuesday (April 28), I had a class in the afternoon.  In the morning, we went to Pioneer Square, the oldest section of Seattle.  In the square, there is a large wrought iron pergola that was built as streetcar station for the 1909 Alaska-Pacific Exhibition.  It is also the entrance to a large underground washroom.  It had been knocked down by an errant truck in 2002, but it was rebuilt from original pieces.  We did not go up the hand-operated elevator to the top of the Smith building, having done teh Space Needle earlier in the week.  The Smith building no longer towers over Seattle, but it does, apparently, have an excellent and unobstructed view of Mount Ranier to the south.

The pergola at Pioneer Square

We took something called the Underground Tour in the Pioneer district.  That part of the city is a city built on top of the old city and the tour, which was quite interesting and entertaining, is a walking tour under the current streets and side walks and on the original streets and side walks of the old city.

As I learned on the tour, the original city was built at sea level on a tidal flat and had problems with flooding at high tide.  When the city burned down in a fire in 1889, the city leaders decided to raise the streets 8 feet with earth moved from the bluffs overlooking the city.  The city's plan was to rebuild and raise the level of the city over the next 8 years (it took 30).  Business leaders did not want to wait, so they rebuilt buildings with both ground floor and second floor entrances, the latter of which became the new street level entrances.  Ladders descended from the raised streets down to the side walks and when new side walks were built, they were never filled in, creating this underground space, much of which is still used by the businesses that own it.  In fact, there is a large cafe under the Elliott Bay Book Company that is part of the Seattle underground and was the inspiration for the below ground coffee shop on the TV show Frasier, which was set in Seattle.  Some of the side walks in the Pioneer Square area have skylights in them so that the underneath could be used as a storage area.

We had lunch that day at Merchant's Cafe in Pioneer Square.  Built shortly after the fire in the 1890's, it is the oldest restaurant in Seattle.  It is a very no frills bar/restaurant, but the hamburgers were fabulous - nearly as tasty, if not as tasty, as the ones from the Meat Rack in Catonsville, MD used to be.  Unfortunately we did not have time for the Elliott Bay Book Company that day, but we would be back...

For dinner Tuesday night, we went to a quirky little place in Belltown that was on the list of restaurants my friend Misun recommended (Misun is a friend I went to high school with who now lives in Seattle) called, Mama's Mexican Kitchen.  Over-the-top cheesy Elvis decor and Mariachi singers (who actually had wonderful voices) made it an interesting experience.  The food was cheap and good.  Not the best Mexican, but the equivalent to Los Portales in Glen Burnie.  Although I didn't like the thick breading that surrounded my chile relleno, my chicken enchilada was good.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I took no classes and did not attend the conference.  Wednesday morning (April 29) we took a bus up to the Boeing plant.  Although we did not book a factory tour, we did go to the Museum of Flight.  It was a lot of fun.  Part of the museum, the Red Barn, is actually the original Boeing plant.  There was lots of information there about other pioneers of the aviation industry, including Glen L. Martin (my grandfather worked for Martin's in Baltimore).  There was an excellent display of the space program, including a replica of part of the International Space Station that you can walk through.  We also saw an early RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) fighter, an F4, and early MiG's.  I got to sit in an SR-71 Blackbird cockpit and Lisa in an F-18 cockpit.  A full plane of a different aircraft in the the Blackbird series hung impressively overhead.  Across the street was an air park with several planes, including the prototype 747, a British Airways Concorde, and a 707 that served as Air Force One for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson, and Nixon.  You could actually go aboard the Concorde (a placard talks about Phil Collins' flight to perform in both London, England and Philadelphia, PA on the same day for Live Aid in 1985) and Air Force One.  The Concorde is no longer in service, but for a time both Air France and British Airways operated them as supersonic passenger jets, crossing the Atlantic in about 2 and a half hours.  More impressive was Air Force One.  Although the older 707 is cramped compared to the 747 jumbo jet now used, it is still impressive.  In addition to standard seating at the back, the front of the plane had a small conference area, a private office for the President, and a private bathroom with shower for the President.  There was a separate communications station and a safe to hold the nuclear football.  It gave me chills just walking through this piece of history.

Cockpit of SR-71 Blackbird: The world's first supersonic spy plane

After the museum, we took the bus back to Chinatown.  I had hoped to find a place selling pho, but little Vietnam was a few blocks beyond Chinatown and we did not want to walk that far.  We did find a pho place among the Chinese places, but unfortunately not until after we picked another place and had our lunch.  We ate dim sum, small plates of things to share priced between $2 and $5 each.  For $20 we were able to share two orders of potsticker dumplings (3 each), one of spring rolls (3), broiled spare ribs, and roasted pork.  It was all quite tasty except for the pork, which was both salty and fatty.  The potstickers were excellent, however, which was why we ordered more.  The tea they served to wash it down was quite tasty and over all we enjoyed the experience more than the meal we had in Chinatown in Chicago [2008 AAN meeting], but not as much as Chef Gia's in Chinatown in San Francisco [2003 AAN meeting].  Seattle's Chinatown was much more impressive than Chicago's, but San Francisco's is still the best.

After lunch, we walked back over to Pioneer Square and went to the Elliott Bay Book Company.  A truly cavernous bookstore with both new and used books as well as bargains/remainders.  I am not sure I have ever seen a broader selection of books and I could've spent hours upon hours there.  I did, of course, find some bargains.  A Commonwealth of Thieves, a book on the beginnings of Australia by Thomas Kenneally and The Troubadour's Song, a book on the capture and random of Richard Coeur-de-Lion.  Both in hardcover for $8.

After the bookstoore, we took the bus back to our hotel to change for dinner.  Then it was back to Pioneer Square to meet my friend Misun (my aforementioned high school friend) and her husband, Chris.  Misun and Chris have been married for 2 years, but I had lost touch with her about 3-4 years ago an only reconnected recently on Facebook.  She seems to be doing well.  She works as an architect and is about to travel to Africa where her company is building an orphanage...

The restaurant Chris and Misun chose was excellent.  It was an Italian place near their office (Misun had met Chris at work) called Il Terrazzo Carmine.  It is a little tricky to find as it was on the ground level of big office building.  We drank a nice, local, pinot noir.  I had fresh mozzarella and tomato as an appetizer and a wonderful veal chop for an entree.  Lisa had prosciutto and melon followed by veal scallopini that looked amazing.  We shared a very good tiramasu for dessert.

After dinner, Chris and Misun took us for a drive over to West Seattle.  The views of downtown from there, across Elliott Bay, are truly stunning.  It was really nice to see Misun again.  It has probably been ten years since we last saw each other, I remember it was not very long after Lisa and I were engaged.  She had never met Lisa before, nor I Chris, who seems like a really nice fellow.  I liked him a lot.

Thursday (April 30) was, by far, the highlight of the trip.  With our good friends (from residency) Billy and Amy, who were also in town for the conference, we took a ferry (The Victoria Clipper) to Victoria, British Columbia for the day.  The weather had been good all week, but Thursday was picture perfect.  Sunny, clear, and warm (low 70's F), it was an amazing day.  The ferry ride took about 2 and a half hours.  We had booked a bus tour through the ferry company.  It included a narrated tour around the city of Victoria and then a drive to Butchart Gardens.  We had two hours at the Gardens, which was sufficient, including time for lunch.

The Butchart's were in the concrete business and quarried limestone on the site.  The garden included a serene Japanese garden, an Italian garden, a rose garden, and a sunken garden converted from the hole left by the limestone quarry.  The roses were not yet in bloom, but the rest of the gardens were beautiful.  However, the sunken garden was absolutely breathtaking.  The vibrancy of the colours was stunning and the gorgeous weather added to the effect.

Victoria is a beautiful waterfront town.  It is the capital of British Columbia and a majestic Victorian legislative building looks out over a picturesque inner harbour.  Boats sail in and out of the harbour and sea planes take off and land, taking tourists on scenic flights.  A great looking fish and chips stand was at the water's edge, although we had already eaten and there was quite a line and we were pressed for time.  We walked around the inner harbour and took some great pictures.  The town is very walkable with lots of little shops, pubs, and restaurants.  It even has its own, authentic, Chinatown, but we didn't have much time to explore before taking the ferry back to Seattle.  We did have tea at the Empress Hotel, although we did not have the high tea service, which was pricey ($44 CAD, approximately $35 USD, per person), but we thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the Raj-style Bengal room drinking tea and Lisa and I split a wonderful apple-coconut cobbler.  The setting could not have been better and both the Earl Grey and the house blend were excellent.

Empress Hotel

Victoria Inner Harbour 

After returning to Seattle we had a late dinner with Billy and Amy back at the Dahlia Lounge [Lisa and I had eaten there earlier in the week, at Misun's recommendation], where we figured we'd be able to sit at the bar, and we were barely able to do so!  Dahlia delivered again.  This time Lisa had the [Dungeness] crab cakes [which I had earlier in the week and they are excellent] and I had the duck and another local brew, which were excellent.  Of course we started with the vegetable samosa again [we both really liked that appetizer the first time]! We also had a complimentary dessert, I think because Billy had to send something back to be further cooked.  It was a, "bag of donuts."  They were small, bite-size beignets rolled in cinnamon sugar.  Yum!

Friday (May 1) was another perfect weather day.  Unfortunately, I had stroke CME classes all day, although I did break away for pho at a Vietnamese restaurant a block from the convention center near the Tap House Grill.  Lisa rode up on the bus to University of Washington and took some great pictures of a truly beautiful campus.

Our trip was capped off last night with a baseball game at Safeco Field.  We watched the Mariners take on the Oakland Athletics.  Safeco is a great ballpark.  Although there is no view from inside the stadium and it is an unattractive, underdeveloped, industrial area just outside Chinatown, once you enter the park, you feel transported into an idyllic baseball setting.  Like Jacob's Field (Cleveland) it is at once spacious and yet feels intimate.  Our seats were phenomenal.  We sat on the third base line, just onto the left field grass, in row 20.  We had an excellent view of the entire field and felt right on top of the action.  The rows were elevated enough that I didn't feel like I had to strain to see over anyone.  The park has a retractable roof for all of Seattle's rain, but it was left open given the gorgeous, perfect baseball weather we had on Friday.

The concessions at Safeco must be among the best in baseball.  There is the usual - hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, pizza, chicken fingers, and barbecue; as well as garlic fries (which I thought smelled great and Lisa thought were disgusting) and sushi!  The favoured concession is the Ichi-roll, named after Mariner's star Ichiro Suzuki.  It consists of tuna and cucumber wrapped in rice and served with ginger and wasabi.  For $9, you get 8 pieces, so it's not a bad deal.  There is also a Thai place in the ballpark!  Entrees included curry chicken, cashew chicken, vegetable Pad Thai, or garlic beef, each for $11.  Served with rice, each was a ridiculous amount of food that could have served two if not three people.  Lisa and I split an order of Ichirolls and a curry chicken.  We both ate our fill and had lots of rice leftover - so we both ate a full dinner at the ballpark for $20, ten bucks apiece!  The Ichirolls were tasty and the curry chicken, in coconut milk, was a good as any I have ever had.  Although the beers were expensive ($8.75 for microbrews, which cost $6.50 at Camden Yards), they have the full gamut from local microbrews to imports and mass produced domestics.

Unfortunately Bedard (former Orioles pitcher, Erik Bedard) wasn't pitching and Griffey, Jr. was not in the line up, but we did get to see Ichiro.  We saw a great ballgame.  In the first, Ichiro reached on a bunt single and the next two hitters walked, loading the bases with no one out.  But, the A's were able to get out of the jam, giving up only a single run on a sac fly.  Mariner's starter Carlos Silva cruised through the A's line up the first time, giving up only a couple of hits over the first two innings.  But, the A's got to him for six runs in the third.  The Mariners, behind a couple of home runs, began to chip away and eventually took a 7-6 lead.  The A's tied the game with a solo shot in the 7th and the score remained knotted into the bottom of the 9th.  Ichiro led off, but failed to reach.  Endy Chavez singled and went to second on a walk.  Chavez went to third tagging on a fly ball out.  With the winning run 90 feet away, the lefty Russ Springer on the mound, and two outs, the A's intentionally walked the right-handed Russell Branyan to face the lefty Jose Lopez.  He took the first two pitches for balls and the second two for strikes to even the count at 2-2.  Then the at bat turned into an epic battle of wills.  Lopez fouled off 8 or 9 pitches to stay alive before drilling one into right center field for a single and driving in the winning run.  The crowd, on their feet for the entire at bat, erupted and the Mariner's stormed the field, mobbing Lopez as if they had just won the pennant!  What a thrilling finish!

Safeco Field

August 1, 2008 - Mt. Desert Island, Maine

Have spent the last week on Mt. Desert Island in Maine (flew here on July 26).  We are vacationing with friends of ours from residency days.  My friend Dan, who was a year behind me in residency at University of Virginia, and his wife Kyly organized the trip.  They still live in Charlottesville and our friends Billy and Amy, who were two years ahead of me in residency, joined us as well (they live in Alexandria, Virginia).

We've had a great time.  Until last night and into this morning, when it has been raining, the weather has been fantastic with only occasional brief showers.

Dan and Kyly rented a van for the week.  They drove up, making stops at Billy and Amy's and then at our house in Hanover (Maryland) to load up food, luggage, and other items.  They had wanted to drive because they were also bringing their dog, Cooper, a chocolate lab.  Lisa, Billy, Amy, and I flew up and Dan and Kyly picked us up at the airport in Bar Harbor (one of the towns on Mt. Desert Islands).  That was an adventure.  We initially, for most savings, had to book completely different flights.  But, due to massive delays in the Bar Harbor flights, we ended up on the same connecting flight from Boston to Bar Harbor.

We are renting a house for the week and the house is enormous.  It is an old carriage house that has been converted into a residence.  It has three floors, with bathrooms and bedrooms on each floor.  Lisa and I have been sleeping on the lower floor. Our room has French doors that open onto a patio that looks out to an inlet.  The house has the same stunning view from the kitchen, living room, and second floor deck.  Our bathroom has an old-style toilet with the reservoir near the ceiling and a pull chain to flush, like the one in the Italian restaurant in The Godfather.  The kitchen is enormous and has the carriage doors that open to let in a lot of light.

Inlet view from the rental house

Our first night here, after getting settled, we went to dinner at Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard.  Unfortunately, after a long day of travel (we had to leave the house at 6 AM to catch our flight from BWI to Boston), not sleeping well the night before, and essentially missing lunch, Lisa developed a severe migraine and couldn't even eat, she felt so bad.  I thought the lobster was good, but ultimately, I don't think I am a big fan.

The other nights we have cooked dinner in the house.  Our initial plan was that each couple would cook two dinners, but we've had so much left over, that we'll be having leftover night tonight and Lisa and I are cooking breakfast for everyone this morning instead.  The night we cooked, I made crab cakes, Lisa pasta salad, and we brought up some Maryland Silver Queen corn on the cob.  Dan and Kyly made amazing meals - chicken tikka massala one night and amazing enchiladas with black beans and rice the other.  Billy and Amy grilled beef both nights, which was excellent, and they started their meals by putting out a plate of wonderful cheeses.  For breakfast this morning, we will be making blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

For lunches, most days, we have eaten out.  On Sunday (July 27) we sat by the water at the Bar Harbor Inn and, with a stunning view of the harbor, had lunch.  I had a haddock sandwich that was one of the finest pieces of fish I have ever eaten.  Billy and I split a plate of local cheeses for an appetizer.  Lisa had a lobster roll, which she thought was excellent.  We spent a little time that afternoon walking around the town of Bar Harbor.  It's a cute town.  A little touristy, but not over-the-top.  It reminded me some of Killarney (County Kerry, Ireland).  It was very walkable and had lots of shops and restaurants.

On Monday (7/28), Dan, Lisa, Kyly, and I took Cooper on a hike.  We took the Harborwood trail from the road our house was on into Acadia National Park and joined the Asticou trail which led to Jordan Pond.  The hike was of moderate difficulty and picturesque with a stream to follow.  At Jordon Pond, we had lunch at Jordon Pond House, where they serve excellent tea with popovers.  The popovers are somewhat reminiscent of Yorkshire pudding, but they are served with butter and strawberry jam.  They were delicious.  I also had an excellent lobster stew.  After lunch, we hiked back a different route, sticking mostly to the carriage roads that Rockefeller had built all over the island and then taking the trail along Long Pond, which was quite scenic and gave Cooper more opportunities to swim.  In total, we walked about 6.5 miles that day.  It was fun.

Cooper, leading the way

On Tuesday (7/29), Billy, Amy, Lisa, and I took the ferry to Islesford (Little Cranberry Island), we had lunch at a restaurant there that had good food but was overwhelmed by a boatload of tourists arriving on the noon ferry, so the service was very slow.  After that, we walked around the island.  There was a small museum with the history of the island that was quite interesting.  The museum was originally the property of Samuel Hadlock, a merchant whose overseas travels are chronicled in biographical novel called God's Pocket by Rachel Fields (I bought a copy of it later in the week).  The island had the smallest Catholic Church (Our Lady Star of the Sea) I have ever seen...

Our Lady, Star of the Sea

On the ferry back, it rained for about 15-20 minutes and we got soaked.  I did enjoy talking to a woman from Timonium (Maryland) who knew a vascular surgeon I worked with.  She had also lived in Charlottesville for a while when her husband was working on his MBA.  She gave us some good recommendations for lunch, including a place called Sips in Seal Harbor, at which we ate the next day (Wednesday, July 30).  It was really good.  Lisa and I had brochetes, mine lamb and hers curry chicken, that were delicious.  We also went to a nice bookstore called, "Port in a Storm," (where I bought God's Pocket) and took some pictures of the Bar Harbor lighthouse.

Then Dan and Kyly were dropped off back at the house and Billy, Amy, Lisa, and I drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain - the highest point on the eastern seaboard.  The views from there are stunning.  You can see the Cranberry Islands, Eagle Lake.  It was fantastic.  There were several scenic overlooks on the way up as well.  Billy and I were able to determine that one, overlooking Eagle Lake, erroneously had a map of Jordan Pond on it!

One of the views from Cadillac Mountain

Yesterday, we went to Thuya Gardens, which were beautiful.  But the best part was the walk up the terrace from the road, which again afforded a beautiful view.  Also interesting was the preserved summer home of a Mr. Curtis, who built the terraces.  A subsequent owner turned to the bedrooms into an impressive multi-room library, but the lower rooms are exactly how Curtis furnished it over a century ago.

After that, Dan and Kyly went on a picnic while Billy, Amy, Lisa, and I hiked along Jordan stream to Jordon Pond - a shorter and even more scenic hike than the one we had done earlier.  There were wooden bridges across the stream and more impressive rocks, rapids, and a waterfall.  We took some cool pictures near one of the carriage road bridges.  Unfortunately, though, Billy's camera ended up in the stream.  The pictures were saved, but I don't think the camera will work again.  Dan and Kyly had dropped us off at one of the carriage road bridges (no motor vehicles on the carriage roads - only horses and feet, unless you are inside Acadia National Park, in which case you can ride a bicycle as well).  We walked along the carriage road to the little used trail that lead back to the Jordan stream trail.  It was hard to follow the trail markers and at one point we had to back track and find the trail again.  Amy had spotted the Jordon stream trail earlier in the week while running on the carriage roads and thought it would be a nice hike - and she was absolutely right!  Then we all met at the Jordon Pond House a little after 4 PM for tea and popovers!

Today (Friday, 8/1), all it has done is pour down rain.  So, I am taking the opportunity to write in the journal and read.  Tomorrow, we will be heading home.

Obligatory picture of boats

July 10, 2007 - Stratford-upon-Avon, England

Yesterday, before our misadventure with train travel (between London and Stratford), we had gone to St. Paul's Cathedral (Anglican).  What an amazing church!  The late Princess Diana and the Prince of Wales (Charles) were married there in 1981.  It has a black and white tiled floor that I remembered from watching the Royal Wedding on TV as a child.  I also remember reading somewhere that the English thought they would survive the blitz so long as St. Paul's stood.  Despite intensive bombing or that area of London during World War II by the Luftwaffe, St. Paul's (and England) did survive.

St. Paul's Cathedral from Knightrider St.

The building was designed by Christopher Wren and built to replace the previous Cathedral destroyed in the great fire of 1666.  It is capped by a magnificent dome - 434 steps to the top.  I am sure you could get great pictures of London from the top, but Lisa and I wimped out.  We did climb the 162 steps to the Whispering Gallery, the first tiered balcony of the dome.  What was really interesting was why it is called the Whispering Gallery.  It is designed that the acoustics are such that you can whisper into the wall on one side of the gallery and the sound will carry around the wall and can be heard on the other side!  Lisa and I tried it from complete opposite sides (180 degrees from each other) and it really worked!  I am sure it would be even better with less people there and less ambient noise.

The crypts (of St. Paul's) contain the remains of some very important historical figures.  The most celebrated are the tombs of Admiral Lord Nelson and the first Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.  But certainly more important for their contributions to the world were Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin), Florence Nightingale, and Christopher Wren himself.

After St. Paul's we walked across the Millenium Bridge to the Globe theatre - an authentic reproduction, using the same materials, of Shakespeare's original.  We passed on the 9 quid tour because of time (we thought we had a train to catch...) and because we talked to a teacher from Los Angeles who said you couldn't get the full tour today or take pictures inside because they were rehearsing a play.  Before our train station fiasco, we had lunch at a pub on Knightrider street that is frequented by David Hasselhoff and was rumoured to have been a haunt of Guy Fawkes.  We had pretty good fish and chips and I had a delicious ale called John Smith's.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Last night, after arriving in Stratford we had dinner at the Garrick Inn.  It is the oldest pub in Stratford, dating back to the 15th century!  It is right next to the house John Harvard, endower of Harvard University, grew up in.  Lisa's lamb shank was exquisite and my bangers and mash were excellent.  The Old Speckled Hen (ale) was good too, but the rhubarb crumble with custard that we shared for dessert was to die for...

Garrick Inn

John Harvard House