Friday Fun

I stayed at work extra late Friday catching up on all kinds of paperwork and organizing.  I followed that up with an hour long commute home (I work like seven miles from where I live.) . By this point I was just done and was quite pleased when JO suggested we go over to Casa Portugal for dinner.

I can't say enough good things about this place!  We go there so often that the waitstaff greats us personally and asks us how we've been (I love this by the way.)  We had a delicious meal of little neck clams in a garlic and wine sauce and a seafood bowl filled with lobster, clams, squid, and shrimp in a perfect lemon, parsley, and wine sauce.  Seriously, so delicious!!!

We decided to extend the evening and headed over to the Smoke Shop for a drink at the bar.  It was so fun to just relax (this week had been crazy busy), especially since I had a weekend full of work to look forward to!

Urban Hiking

Last weekend we had planned on going hiking!  We even set the alarm and everything.  When we woke up and checked the weather again we had a big reality check!  35 degrees at the start of a hike isn't exactly fun.  I had really wanted to see the leaves (I feel like this is getting to be an impossible dream for me, but I digress) so JO suggested we do some urban hiking instead.  It was much warmer here in Boston and a perfect day for walking around.  We even had lunch at Bin 26, one of our favorite restaurants on Charles Street! 

I saw a couple of pretty trees so I guess it counted! (We tried again this weekend to see the leaves but the 46 degree temps and crazy wind ended that pretty quickly, so I guess I'll try again next year...or move to California and no longer have the quest for perfect fall leaves hanging over my head.)

                                      

U-C-O-N-N

It's that time of year again!  We had a great time visiting the campus and attending First Night Festivities!  Go UConn!!!!

I love the new signs!

Jack O Lantern Journey at the Franklin Park Zoo

It's Halloween time and for one of my best friend's that means it's the best time of the year!  I get to be Auntie to her two kids and loved being included in the family trip to Jack-O-Lantern Journey at the Franklin Park Zoo!  It was really fun to go on the kiddie rides and see all of the pumpkin decorations!

A Conversation with Ofeibea Quist Arcton

Don't you just love the voices of the NPR international reporters?  Sylvia Pugoli and Ofeibea Quist Arcton are my favorites!  When I saw that Ofeibea was giving at a talk at the Radcliffe Institute I couldn't resist.  The Radcliffe Institute hosts a lot of free lectures, panels, and presentations throughout the year and I've been trying to take advantage of these more.  (Added bonus, there's almost always a catered reception afterwards with yummy appetizers.)

Ofeibea was fabulous.  She focused her lecture on why it is important to report on the stories of girls and women in Africa.  Her talk really paralleled the stories that were brought up during the Supreme Court hearings.  The most telling part of her talk came during the Q and A portion.  A man asked her what the consequences of the current president's policies have had on African leaders.  She responded by saying that the bar has been lowered as to what is acceptable.  There's a definite, "If it's ok for the US it's ok for us" attitude overseas.  Human rights violations and decorum are being more widely accepted.  That's a pretty scary thought.

I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to go to these panels and presentations.  It's another perk of living in the city!

Rock Climbing Movies

I accidentally created a mini-rock climbing film festival for us!  There were two great rock climbing movies that came out recently and I got us tickets for back to back days.

The Dawn Wall is in limited release.  It tells the story of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson's quest to free climb the complete Dawn Wall route in Yosemite.  They basically lived on El Cap for 19 days to complete the route.  The movie does a great job telling the story of both climbers individually and as a team.  I loved seeing all of the stunning shots of the landscape in Yosemite and the climbing was off the hook.







The next day we headed over to Coolidge Corner to see Alex Honnold's movie Free Solo.   (I love Coolidge Corner but it's so annoying to get to!)  Thankfully the movie was excellent and made up for the challenging drive.  Free Solo tells the story of Alex Honnold's 2,000 foot free solo of El Cap.  Free soloing is climbing without a rope and Honnold is probably the best in the world at this type of climbing.  I don't approve of this discipline because it's so dangerous but Alex is a really interesting person.  We got to hear him speak a few years ago and he was quite intriguing.  He really understands his mindset and can articulate that quite well.   The documentary is riveting and suspenseful and I highly recommend it.

It's nice to see rock climbing getting so much attention recently.  I haven't been able to go rock climbing since September but I'm newly inspired and am looking forward to getting back on the wall soon and I've basically been dreaming of Yosemite every day since watching these two movies!

Bom Cafe

I've been on a quest to find a cappuccino like the ones I had in Paris.  Pretty much every day during my trip I had an afternoon cappuccino.  They were each topped with delicious, frothy milk overflowing over the sides. 

I finally carved out enough time one weekend day to go to a nearby cafe to check out their cappuccino.  Bom Cafe is a short walk from my house but I seem to always forget it's there.  We have 1369 Coffee in the main part of Inman Square and so I usually head there if I want a coffee or hot chocolate. 

I was pleasantly surprised with this little cafe.  First of all, the interior is super cute.  They went heavy on the white marble, cute upholstered chairs, and shiplap.  They have a few seats at the window but I opted for this cozy seat!

I had gotten an iced coffee here over the summer and really did not enjoy it so I didn't have high hopes for the cappuccino.  I was pleasantly surprised.   It was pretty and delicious!  This will definitely be my go to place from now on!  Apparently I didn't get a picture of the drink, but trust me, it's the closest I've been able to find!

Trina's Fridge Speaks the Truth

This fall has seemed "extra" awful in terms of politics and you know who!  Through it all, I have looked to the Trina's Fridge for wise words, guidance, and humor!  If you don't follow them on Instagram, I highly recommend you check them out!

Anniversary Fun

One of the reasons we decided to have our wedding in Harvard Square is that it has so much history for us.  Our first date was in the Square and we've spent a considerable amount of time having fun in the Square over the years.  We even planned our wedding around our dating anniversary, which ended up being just three days apart.  I love that it is so easy for us to celebrate our anniversary every year. 

We celebrated our dating anniversary with a fun night out in Harvard Square.  We had dinner at Park and drinks and dessert at Noir.  It was a perfect fall night so we decided to enjoy the patio at Noir.  I love the twinkling white lights and the views of the Charles Hotel courtyard! 

The bacon three ways at Park! So delicious!

On our wedding anniversary, we did what we always do.  Our first stop was the Kendall Hotel for drinks.  Every year we say we will come back during a snowstorm and enjoy their cozy lounge and every year we don't.  Well, this year we're going to try extra hard! 

Then, it was on to the Commander Hotel for dinner at Nubar.  I love walking into the lobby.  It reminds me of when we walked in together before our wedding.  The folks at the Commander really went above and beyond to ensure we had a fabulous wedding.  We always look forward to our dinner at Nubar~ the food is so, so good!

Lobster arancini~ these need to be on the menu all the time

Lula Wiles at Club Passim

A Lula Wiles show at Club Passim would be enough to make any day a good one, but add in patio weather and it becomes a great day!

I had tickets to Lula Wiles big return to Boston show at Club Passim and my original plan was to do some school work before heading over around 6:30.  On my drive home I noticed all the people enjoying the gorgeous weather in Harvard Square.  It was clear I needed to adjust my plans.  I headed into the Square early to grab a drink at Noir's patio before the show.  That was definitely the right choice!  I even got to read my book, which almost never happens anymore!

The Lula Wiles show was amazing!  These ladies give me hope in the youth of this country.  Not only do they advocate for women's rights, educate about issues facing indigenous people, and rail against corporate greed, but they still find time to write songs about that "It's cool" text we've all sent and totally regretted!

More Fall Hiking

When the alarm went off at 5:30 am a few Sundays ago we did not want to get up.  It would have been so easy to turn it off and go back to bed.  It was Sunday after all and 5:30 wake up calls are for the weekdays, not Sundays!!! 

I'm so glad we resisted.  We had an awesome time hiking Mt. Moosilauke!  7.3 miles, bald peak with epic views of the White Mountains, and perfect fall weather made for a fabulous day!

I definitely have the hiking bug and really hope we can squeeze a few more hikes in this season!

Dispatch at the Blue Hills Pavillon

My main goal for the month of September was to avoid the plague long enough to get to enjoy the Dispatch concert at the Blue Hills Pavillon.  My favorite singer is Chad Stokes and Dispatch was his first band.  They famously broke up back in the early 2000s and played one last show at the Hatchell that drew 10,000+ fans.  Dispatch reunites from time to time and I always make sure to get tickets for the local shows.  (Well, actually JO is the one that secures the tickets and they sellout super fast so major shout out to JO for getting these tickets.)

The Seaport is really getting crazy.  Whisky Priest and Atlantic Beer Garden are both gone.  Both of those spots were great pre-concert destinations.  Without a real bar to go to, we decided to go to Tamo for a drink before the show.  (Guaranteed we were the only Dispatch fans in there.)   I don't love the interior bar at Tamo but their mojito is on point!

 After drinks we headed over to the show.  Dispatch did not disappoint!  We were treated to an amazing night of music!  

 

Three Mile Island

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike."- John Muir

My family has been going to Three Mile Island, and AMC run camp on Lake Winnipeasaukee for years.  The third weekend in September arrives and we head to the island.  Every year I feel stressed because it's right during the start of school and there is so much to do.  And every year, I take my seat on the boat and immediately everything is right with the world.

We lucked out this year with unbelievably awesome weather.  My dad had a blast hanging out with his friends and going canoeing.   I sat on the deck and read, went for a walk around the island, and did some star gazing on the dock.  What a wonderful weekend!

 

I could look at this view for the entire weekend.

Belknap's the best!

The lodge where meals are served family style.

Belknap #2~ best cabin on the island (in my opinion)

Happy Hour!

 

The lodge

It was 80 but I still needed my Three Mile hot chocolate

Bye island!