PandDGoItaly

Q. How many boardings does it take to get a United Flight off the ground? A. Well in our case it was three, making for a 3 hour delay on a flight with 37 minutes air time. Suffice it to say that the “friendly skies” were rather grumpy in all quarters the day we flew from DC to Pittsburgh. And so begins the fourth (and final) quarter of our US holiday. Fortunately the delay was not enough to derail our plans for the evening which involved meeting up with friends who we had not seen in 30 years, and being whisked off by them for a quick bite to eat and then on to the stadium on the south side of Pittsburgh for the regional grand final of the schools' lacrosse competition in which their son ... read more

As mentioned in the previous posting there should be some talk of cultural things. However in this fast paced, time poor city of New York a posting dedicated solely to one topic, be that culture (or as is our usual want one about food) would seem time profligate indeed. And so this posting shall combine observations and experiences of both food and culture. And as luck would have it the two topics do intertwine, as exemplified by one of our very first ports of call in our neighbourhood, Katz’s Deli down on Houston Street. Renowned for its double-fisted super-sized deli sandwiches, this was the place where the infamous ‘I’ll have what she’s having” scene from the movie “When Harry Met Sally” was set. Dianne had been very keen to visit this classic deli, however once in ... read more

And so we find ourselves again in Paris, this time for only a few days and with the end of our holiday rushing rapidly towards us. The Roland Garros tennis tournament is in full swing, there is a hint of spring in the air (although we are yet to experience a 20 degree day), and a noticeable increase in the number of tourists in the street compared with 2 weeks ago when we left Paris; summer "is a comin' in". For our base we have chosen a hotel just a little to the east of Place de Bastille – it is less than 10 minutes’ walk from Hans’ apartment in Petit Musc – and in doing so have moved arrondissements from the 4th (Marias) into the 11th(Bastille-Charonne). In a Sydney context this is like going from ... read more

Listen – what’s that sound of gnashing metal and whining cogs. Well it could be Peter at the wheel of the rental car getting reacquainted with driving on the other side of the road (fortunately this was not the case). In reality it is the supernova shift in gear as we arrive on the train from Paris into Quimper to start our Brittany adventures. Deep breath, release slowly, and into a very much slower pace of life in this extremely cute little town with its lichen covered walls and plants sprouting from every nook and cranny. After a bit of a wait at the station for a taxi to appear (things are a bit slow here indeed) we continue the cute theme as we install ourselves in our new lodgings – the tower suite; way posh! ... read more

And so we are well installed in our Marais apartment which we’ve found to be even more charming than in its website photos (if that is possible). Our welcome was made even warmer on the cool and drizzly Paris morning we arrived when we found that our host Hans had provided us with a most generous care package of fruit, milk, juice, brioche and jams, cheese and wine, Nespresso coffee maker plus capsules and all capped off with a miniature Eiffel Tower. The apartment absolutely ticks all the boxes – light and airy, on a quiet street, with a boulangerie a few doors down, and across from that a café (Les Temps du Cerise) with a zinc topped bar, the Seine at one end of the street, and the Rue San Antoine (with fruit shops, traiteurs, ... read more