Casa de Luz and "this feather house"

Sister Bert and I headed out for an evening "out of the box." Austin's theme is "Keep Austin Weird" and I can only believe that evenings like this one certainly help maintain the tradition.

We began with dinner at Casa de Luz, a vegan restaurant adjacent to dystheater, the site of the play we planned to attend.  The food was quite good even though we were not sure what we were eating. We did read the reviews before going, so we took our own salt shaker and used it liberally. The restaurant was not too crowded. Several families and couples sat at the various tables and amiable conversations drifted across the room. I think you are expected to join in at the seated tables as the room fills. Bert and I sat at a large, round table for 8-10 all to ourselves. We felt as if we were obvious newcomers to the scene, but the people and staff were very friendly and helpful.

After paying a set price for a set meal when we entered, we found a table, served ourselves some soup, salad, and a drink, then proceeded to eat while waiting for our filled dinner plate to be brought to our table. There was a choice of beverages - water, cool hibiscus tea, cool lemon grass (and something) tea ( no ice), or an unpronounceable hot tea designed to relieve stress and pain.

Sunday Dinner
September 16th 2012
Always Vegan, Organic, Gluten & Allergen Aware
Soup - Sweet Potato This was good but too sweet for my taste. It was toned down somewhat after we sprinkled some stuff from a shaker jar sitting on the table and added some of our salt.

Salad - Mixed Greens with Casa Dressing and Almonds I think this had some kale, among other greens. I am not a fan of the stronger tasting greens, but this was actually a delightful salad. Still don't know what was in it. The dressing was delicious.

Entree:
Basmati Rice with Carrots - Had a thick sauce on top which added taste. I thought the sauce looked like B-B-Que sauce, although not as strong. Ever the cynic, Bert thought it was a dollop of tomato paste from the can. Quite good.
Pinto Beans - Very good. Not flavored as much as in our home cooking
Parsnips, Carrots, Snow Peas and Burdock - Burdock and parsnips were some other veggies I had always been curious about, but had not tried. This was a nice tasting dish.
Blanched Greens with a Pepita Basil Pesto - I think these greens may have been kale, but I am not sure. I did not like them but they were more palatable with the pesto. Loved the pesto.
Pickled Cabbage - Another very good dish.
Prepared with LOVE by:
Rosa, Sandra, Maria, Vega, Alfreda, Blanca - How nice that they recognize the efforts of he cooks!

All in all, the dinner was much better than I expected, but I will not become a vegetarian any time soon. The nicest thing about the meal is that  since it was vegan, I did not have to worry about ingesting dairy products. We were expected to bus our table after we finished eating, scraping the uneaten portion into a container for recycling.

The play,"this feather house," was was written by an Austin local, Linda Ramsey. It was definitely way out...or perhaps we are just not "hip" enough. The large audience in the small space laughed many times when neither of us got the joke. Still, we enjoyed the acting and it was definitely a different event.  I didn't mind busing our own tables, but drew the line at the sign in the bathroom urging us to clean it if we had a few spare minutes....LOL. It is a small theater group so it should not have surprised us when they asked us to put our chairs away.

It is the out-of-the-ordinary things that make life so much more interesting
 

Spain 2012 - Settling In

Preparations for overseas travel begin long before the trip, especially when you are trying to mesh different activities. I thought everything was in place when Emily and I set off for the airport on July 1st. Unfortunately, we did not learn until after we arrived that our flight had been cancelled. Anger and disappointment mixed like oil and water. I didn't know which would win but instinctively knew that yelling and screaming would do no good. Fortunately, we had the option of turning around and going home until the next day. Also, I had planned a few extra days prior to the first event which meant we would still arrive on time.

Note to self: Always allow an extra day or so for unplanned delays. Find a way to check the flight status prior to departure, preferably a day ahead, even when it has been "confirmed" ahead of time.

The flight had been confirmed but then cancelled. The airline called a number (presumably the travel agent which subsequently denied having the message on their machine) and "No other flights " were available. I was geared to be upset with American Airlines but have since been tempered by their adequate service for the rest of the trip.

I had never before been to Spain so I was stumbling around on the Internet to find my way. After booking our flights, the next logical order of business was to find lodging. Lodging was plentiful in our first stop, Madrid, but there were many factors to consider. Price, of course, but even more important was safety. A woman and young girl traveling alone must make some allowances for their perceived vulnerability.

I finally settled on the Mora Hotel (Hostel Mora) which I booked through venere.com. There were a few negative reviews, probably disgruntled Americans who expected everything to be "just like at home" but the positives appeared to outweigh the negatives and the room was easily booked. I provided a credit card number which was not billed until we departed from the hotel. The flight delay had thrown a kink into our plans and I was concerned we would have to pay for a night when we had not been there, but I notified the hotel immediately and they were very accommodating.

Our room was small by American standards but adequate for us and we were out and about almost all day. The building was old but newly refurbished and held the  charm of an olde worlde hotel. We took an elevator to our room on the third floor and were grateful we did not have to walk and carry our luggage up the minuscule stairs. We wondered why there was no electricity when we first arrived in our room. Then we recalled that the room key had to be inserted in the slot by the door to activate everything. 

  A tiny balcony overlooked the busy street below, but the noise and light were blocked from our room by double windows / doors and, with the room fan on, we slept soundly without interference from the outside world.





The hotel was just across the street from the Botanical Gardens and very near El Prado, so we overlooked a nice little park with lovely, warm street lights.

Emily slept for 16 hours after we arrived then I let her choose what she wanted to do on the first day. Of course, the answer was "Go shopping!" 
We quickly learned that "Rebajas" meant "Sales"!

St Louis Transportation Museum

We opted for the St Louis Museum of Transportation today. We began with a tram ride to the miniature train - a 1/3 sized replica of a train in California (It was difficult to hear the descriptions). We took two turns around the area but could have stayed on and ridden as many times as we wanted until 1 PM. I bought the ticket on Groupon which made the costs much more  reasonable.

The children totally enjoyed the "Creation Station" and spent a good deal of time making unique crafts. There were lots of hands-on activities, mostly geared to much younger children but very much enjoyed by these young-at-heart kids.

We picnicked on the grounds and visited the welcomely, cool museum. I tried to explain the significance of a drive-in movie display to the children, but the concept was too far out for them. The cars were very grand and dreamy. We never made it to the locomotives or the area where kids can climb on everything. There is plenty to return for in the future.

 

"The Magic House"

Daughter refers to it as Camp Grandma which pleases the children more than "babysitting", because, of course, they are not "babies"! Entertaining active children on their own turf can be a challenge for anyone, but grandparents have the added responsibility of making it fun and making good memories. My goal is to have my grandchildren remember me as an active, productive member of society, not just an old lady who sat in a chair watching TV.

Yesterday, we visited the "Magic House" in Saint Louis. This is the stuff childhood dreams are made of....and the adults were enjoying it as well. It seems totally safe for children and has some areas that are strictly age appropriate and inaccessible to those not qualifying. A whole area with water fun and toys for ages 1-6, an area for very young toddlers, and slides , etc., for 7 and up. One area was devoted to sleuthing, which was very appropriate for "older" children and easily bypassed by my 7 and 4 year old (although they did enjoy entering a room via the fireplace. Some activities are easily accommodated to a particular age group by the amount of thought and energy put into it. A very young child can blow giant bubbles while an older child learns about cohesion and surfactants.

The "Magic House"definitely has a magic all its own......


An Alice in Wonderland perspective

Learning about shape, color, and size from bubbles.

We learned about sprouting seeds in an outdoor classroom.


Climbing Jack's Beanstalk was a favorite activity. It was three stories high with an entry/exit on each level - challenging and fun.

We spent 6 hours at the House with a break for a picnic lunch. There were still areas we did not have time to explore. It is well worth the full price, but watch for a Saint Louis Groupon coupon to make the whole venture more affordable.

Journey to Japan - Nezu Museum

The displays of pottery are great but Em and I prefer fabric related items so, after a cursory visit to the beautifully appointed Nezu Museum, we head out the door to the gardens.



Japanese gardens use all the space allotted to them. Even a small garden can be intricate and complicated in its simplicity. Each time you turn a corner or look back in the direction from whence you have just come, there is another view.

The gardens invite meditation and tranquil thoughts and do not always consist of only plants. I recall the beauty of a garden consisting of only mosses when DH, the children and I visited many years ago. I will have to find and post those photos.

A lone ginkgo leaf rests on a boulder. It is an invitation to stop, sit, and contemplate.









A bit of ancient architecture reminds us how far we have come.





An open gate, constructed of natural materials, invites us to follow the path to additional treasures.....and the emerging colors of Fall.....





Journey to Japan - Views on the Street

Two of my favorite things to do when I visit another country are (1.) get on a bus and ride it to the very end and (2) just watch the people and look at the street scene. I did not get on a bus this time, but I did enjoy the street scenes and people.

This street corner on Shibuya Dori, is one of the busiest in the world. It certainly looks innocuous here before the light changes.....

......but after the light changes, people appear from everywhere...and this was a light day.

This wonderful glass building towered over us along a small expanse of sidewalk......

It housed a well-known (well, in some circles)brand of shoe that was very prominent in a book made into a movie ("The Devil Wears Prada").

I didn't see small food vendors selling from carts on the street. Perhaps they have been replaced by American giants?

This donut shop was a popular place

The sweet shops were more elegant

This seems to be the season for this inedible Fall plant used for decoration. Someone told us it might be a "parrot plant," but I don;t find it on the internet - enlighten me.

I guess you could plan a "quick getaway" in a Scootcar....

Japanese Journey - Taking a Walk

The "Cloth and Clay" tour began with a meeting the night everyone had arrived. It was a small group of 16, by design, and it turned out to be a very tolerant and congenial group of women plus one husband. Most were from different states, one from Canada, and one from France. Several were repeat travellers with Susan, although this was the first time this particular trip had been offered and everyone was very careful to be on time....all the time! It was a most impressive effort. Em was the youngest of the group but blended in well. She did not complain about the food or the walking or anything. I was pleased to see how nicely everyone interacted with her.

Most of the participants were retired school teachers and they wanted to make sure Em was taking note of all the important points.

Unfortunately, not all Susan's previous tours had been so delightful for her. Some included wannabes taking notes for their own tour offerings. Legally, they were within their rights - "We paid for this tour"; ethically, it was in poor taste; realistically, there is no way the larger companies can offer what Susan offers. She has the background to teach the reasoning behind the cultural specifics, the love of the people and shared arts, and the connections that offered us views behind the bamboo curtain. We actually met two Japanese "Living Treasures!" All this is to tell you that I won't be giving a detailed account of the places we visited, names of people that we met who do not ordinarily appear in public, or showing photos of some wonderful treasures that have not yet been released to the public. I WILL share what I can because it was fascinating......

Just walking through the streets in Japan is a real treat. This was my fourth trip over several decades of my life, so for me it was seeing the changes and embracing the memories. I also enjoyed seeing everything through Em's eyes as a first time visitor, who was also on her first journey to a place where she was definitely a minority -

"I don't understand anything they are saying."

"I can't read the signs."

"Everything is different!"

Definitely a touch of culture shock.

The first day, we travel by subway across the city and walk to our destination. It is part of the plan to make us individually mobile on public transportation and thus able to get around independently. I make sure Em is up front getting directions.

I LOVE to walk! It is the best way to see the city but I am often distracted by side views and trying to capture everything with my camera. I walk at the back of the group so I don't run into anyone or block someones view or progress. I become accustomed to hurrying to catch up but everything in Japan is picturesque.....

A street vendor is busy just a block away from our upscale hotel. These vendors are more common in the suburbs, but not many are this close. We are only a couple of blocks away from the Imperial Palace and Gardens.

There are so many people in such a small space that the Japanese make everything count. Beauty is incorporated into every nook and cranny. This cement wall is ribbed to give it visual texture and small plates are added for decoration.

Em captured this particularly cute one with an owl design.

Just a contained filled with water adds visual interest, although in Texas it would be full of mosquito larva.

Even a very small area is an opportunity for peace, quiet, and beauty.

A new use for olde doors

These characters guarding the street corner are some sort of popular trend.

Did I mention that Em really likes her Fedora and wears it all the time?