Emily and Linda’s Travel Blog

Our friend Jo Schuch is visiting from California this week. Today she and I wandered around the East Village in a combination eating tour and genealogic exploration. We visited the block where her grandmother lived and saw the church where her grandparents were married. Two blocks away we saw the building where my great grandmother (Schindler) lived as a girl. In the eating category, we sampled frozen custard at the Big Gay Ice Cream store, baked goods at Moishe's Bake Shop, corned beef and egg creams at Katz's Deli and perused the wares at Russ and Daughters (by then all we could do was look).   There were some other curiosities and sights along the way including some lovely community gardens. 

There are a number of antique stores "To the Trade Only" in the area just south of Union Square. Who buys this horrible Roccoco stuff is ever a mystery to me, but ths window caught my eye as I walked past this afternoon. 

Smooth trip to JFK and then the fun began. Fought our way home thru traffic on VanWyck, GCP, LIE, BQE, and even Tillary (where the Afropunk Music Festival was still going on at 11:30 pm). Finally home, feet up, sipping relaxation-promoting beverages.  Good trip altogether. 

Friday we went to the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Park in Richmond where there were a number of shipping yards during the war. The little sleepy town turned into a bustling center of production. The former factory workers "Rosies" are on hand to tell about their experiences and answer questions. Small museum, but well worth a visit. 

OK so we're not very good at it.

Thursday night our friends Denise and Caleb came over for dinner (Denise is an old Pomona friend). So after shopping at the Monterey Market, the Indus Market (local Pakistani market), and the inevitable whoops! last minute run by Jo and Linda to Whole Foods, I was ready to cook.  Always a pleasure to cook in a larger kitchen than our little NY one ("the one-butt kitchen" as a friend of ours calls it) and this place is pretty well equipped.  Even had a stick blender! So the menu for the evening was:

Potage of peas with mint and labneh, beet-nectarine salad, tofu and vegetable biriyani, heirloom tomatoes, and a green salad.  For desert Caleb made a fresh raspberry clafoutis!  Pretty good eats appropriate for this foodie town. [For reasons I can't explain, the pictures are out of sequence]

Another institution in Berkeley is the Monterey Market. Another venue for really fresh food with great variety. Jo took me there this morning to shop for another reunion dinner tonight. Then we mad a lunch stop at Taqueria Talavera for chicken and shrimp tacos. 

Take out dinner. Cheeseboard Pizza's pie of the day, salad, blue cheese, fresh figs, and a bottle of Columbia County Cabernet. 

Digital photography fine points being discussed at the DeYoung cafe

Today we headed into SF to see the Turner exhibit at the DeYoung Museum. After seeing the recent movie, we were particularly interested to see this collection of his late work. We enjoyed the show and also the new DeYoung building which also has a ninth floor observation deck with beautiful vistas of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, and the Mouth of the Bay.