Early Bird in Florida

Well, I guess I have been in Florida too long this winter. I went to an "Early Bird" dinner at Zuckerellos Restaurant in Pompano. We entered the dark Italian style restaurant while the sun still had one more hour to shine. I am not use to being seated at 5:00 pm for dinner, but my friend Jay said the "Early Bird" menu was great, and he was right!
With your entree meal, you also get soup or salad, coffee and desert.

I got the Eggplant Parmigiana, which was served on angel hair pasta and steamed broccoli. This "Italian-American Style" restaurant has quite a following with a lively bar, and good service

By the time we left, it was dark, and I had great meal with friends. I now see why "Early Bird" specials are popular!

Wilton Manors, FL scenes part I

I spend winters in Wilton Manors, Florida. Wilton Manors is a small urban city in south Florida next to Fort Lauderdale.  Called the "Island City" because the city is surrounded rivers and canals. The city is less than 2 square miles. The city is in close proximity to all  Fort Lauderdale has to offer: Beaches, Museums, public transport and highways.

The Middle River seperates Fort Lauderdale from Wilton Manors. Kayakers and boaters alike use the canals and rivers for recreation. Rivers and canals lead to the ocean.

















Wiltion Manors also has a large gay popualtion. It is estimated that over 40 percent of the population is gay.

Museums of Buenos Aires

One of my favorite things to do while visiting Buenos Aires is to go to some of the city's museums. The most prestigious and favorite is the National Museum of Fine Arts ( Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes).

This museum is located in Recoleta and it is free! The museum host works by Goya, Picasso, Monet, Rodin, Van Gogh, and many more. The Museum's 11,000 piece collection includes works from 18th and 19th century European, and Argentine artists.

The Picasso collection is worth just visiting!

You can also go to the new MALBA ( Museum of Latin American Art) Which has an extesive collection of Latine American artists. http://www.malba.org.ar/web/home.php

There is a new museum  that just opened up located in the chic Puerto Madero district. Coleccion de arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat  Museum is a modern  cement structure that houses a collection of art from Amalia Lacroze collection. Locroze de Fortabat was a wealthy industrialist. The colections include: Warhol, Dali, Brueghel and Klimt. Also included are Argentine and Latin American artists. http://www.coleccionfortabat.org.ar/

Portrait of Sra. Amalia Lacroze de Foratbat by Andy Warhol

The Details:

There are many museums in Buenos Aires.  The National Museum of Fine Arts, is free and cannot be missed

http://www.info-recoleta.com/museo-nacional-bellas-artes.html

Uruguay

While in Buenos Aires I decided to take the Buquebus to Colonia Uruguay for a quick trip.  The  Rio de la Plata separates Argentina and Uruguay. It is about 50 kilometers from Buenos Aires across the river.

Even though its across the river, it is a world of difference from Buenos Aires. Colonia is the oldest town in Uruguay, settled by the Portuguese.  It is also World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO. The streets are tree lined, the houses are Spanish/Portuguese colonial, and the pace is tranquil compared to Buenos Aires. The houses along the river have a Mediterranean  feel. There is an "arts" district and a lively commercial district.

There is a Lighthouse that guards the port. From the top of the Lighthouse, you can see  faintly see the skyline of Buenos Aires across the river.

A "dining" Car?

 I was able to trade a "gorra" with the local Sargento! At the Comisaria de la Policia. The summer hats just came in!

I realized that on my next trip to South America I need to spend more time in Uruguay and explore Montevideo and Punta del Este. I really enjoyed the people and the feel of the country!

Urugauy, another country with a "smiling" sun on its flag!

There is also an Olympic size public pool in Colonia. As soon as I discovered this, I realized I could spend some serious time here!

Running in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Running in Buenos Aires is a challenge. The sidewalks are made up of square blocks that are not even, and are full of potholes. The sidewalks are crowded with people, and are also cluttered with dog poop. Porteños love dogs, but neglect to pick up after "Fido". Its quite common to see professional dog-walkers walking 5 to 15 dogs at a time, especially in the "well heeled" neighborhoods of Recoleta or Palermo.

During my visits to Buenos Aires, I have: tripped and fallen on the sidewalk; stepped into mierda de perro, and gotten lost. However, Buenos Aires is blessed with an abundance of parks, and recreational venues. A favorite run is around "Puerto Madero- Costanera sur". This run is along the Rio de la Plata estuary area. There are pedestrian trails and the streets are not that busy. The run overlooks the Buenos Aires skyline.
I participated in the 8km race "Todos por el clinicas", located in the Puerto Madero district. I found that racing in Buenos Aires is quite similar to races in the USA. The race was a charity race. Participants received a "goodie bag with a T-shirt, and the race was timed.  There were water stops etc.  It wasn't my best race, ( 34.08 ) but I did enjoy this race! There were hundreds of participants. The Argentines call all races "maratons".

The following Sunday, there was another charity run in Parque Tres de Febrero, also known as the Bosques de Palermo (Palermo Woods),  located in the neighborhood of Palermo

This 8km race in a beautiful 62 acre park was sponsored by the Helado Artesanal.  Instead of getting water when you finished, you got a choice of ice cream! This race I clocked in at 36.08 minutes.

http://www.triamax.com/index.php/carreras/resultados/2009/11/todos-por-el-clinicas-2/

Side trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina

With the B&B closed for the winter, November is when we start to travel! I decided to visit my good friend Jay in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jay usually rents a condo in Buenos Aires for a month or two. This year he rented a condo on Ave Santa Fe in Barrio Norte, which is close to the Recoleta neighborhood.







The Condo was modern and located on the 11th floor. Here is a view at night from the balcony.
Avenida de Santa Fe is one of the busiests streets in Buenos Aires. Its five lanes of traffic and a busy commercial district. Ave Santa Fe has numerous restaurants, bars, cafe's and stores!

November is late spring and the Jacaranda trees were in full bloom.

Eating in Buenos Aires is quite a  gastronomical  experience. The country is blessed with an abundance of food. Beef rules, with pasta also reining. Fifty percent of Argentina claims Italian ancestry; so Italian food is quite common and good. Breakfast is light, usually an espresso and a "medialuna" ( croissant).
This dish of ravioli and calamari is my lunch!  Wine is cheaper than bottled bottle water!

"Merienda" is between 5 and 6 o'clock. Strong espresso served with a light snack or cookie is what the "Porteños" enjoy. Virtually all cafe's and fast food places serve a snack with coffee.
Dinner is always after 10pm ( and midnight on weekends!).  Most restaurants do not open till 8pm. The days are long in Buenos Aires and the nights are longer!

Eating "Fugazza" pizza at midnight with soda water from the old syphons...Life is good in Buenos Aires!



Blogger/Innkeeper Greg & Jay enjoy late night Pizza

November, time for Florida

The seasonal closure of the B&B signals the start of vacation time! We packed the Subaru and headed to Wilton Manors FL, which is located in Fort Lauderdale in south Florida. Car is packed and the trip is 1553 miles one way!

The trip is approximately 25 hours of driving time, with one overnight stopover. We see lots of route 95.

Its always nice to get back to the house in Wilton Manors!

Halloween Weekend

Halloween weekend is a bittersweet time for Ogunquit Beach Inn.  Halloween is quite festive and fun in Ogunquit. There are various parties, and the nightclubs ( Maine Street, Oxygen and Front Porch) offer great venues for people to showcase their costume talents. Its also our last weekend of the season, and its time to close Ogunquit Beach Inn. Its time to say "good by" to guests......

The last batch of muffins are served......

The Ogunquit "High Heel Dash" takes place on Halloween Weekend. All contestants must wear high heels and run through Perkins Cove. All proceeds go to Franny Peabody Center.

The atumn colors are past peak.

Which signals our departure. The sign is down, and the car is packed for our journey to Florida and beyond for the winter. Its now time for us to be "guests". Its time to explore and enjoy a vacation........!