Dear Gentlepersons,
P. Paddlewick here, reporting from the Nor'Eastern Colonies.
This past week we celebrated the peculiar and very American tradition known as "Thanks Giving". It involves the pilgrims, the Indians, and a turkey, somehow, but we need not go into details here. After enjoying dubious amounts of said game, with stuffing and appropriate beverages, with Lady J, her parents, and Mr. A, it was time for me to head to the Chinamen's Quarters to catch a coach to the Niagara Falls, one of The Natural Wonders of the World!
The trips takes about 7-8 hours, through Amish and Indian country. At the end of the day we settlld in a nice Hotel in Buffalo, the home of a spicy local chicken delicacy known as "Buffalo Wings".
The famous Falls are located about 20min outside the city. We got our first glimpse in the evening, when we walked right next to the "American Fall'. The night-time view and lighting were great, as can be seen in these here Photographies. The gleaming city in the background is in the Canadian territory. One supposes a more comprehensive 'face-to-face' view is possible from that side, but one can not walk up to American or the Bridal Veil falls. The biggest, Horseshoe Fall, is accessible from both nations.

In the morn we visited the Goat Island, where one can walk up to the Bridal Veil, and the Horseshoe - literally within about 3 feet. And it does get wet that close! In one of the Photographies, I was able to capture a rare sight of the Koala Kossuensis, a small nomadic variety of the common Australian Koala. It looks rather wet.
Due to late season, the Maid of the Mist boat-ride was unavailable, nor did we have time for it, for the Chinamen kept a rather tight schedule.
All in all, I can recommend the said Tour company, if one wants to get an affordable, decent glimpse of the Falls. If one wants to, however, spend more time and skip leisurely into the Canadian Territories, one would be better of enquiring elsewhere, or renting a single carriage with friends and family.
Here ends this Travel Reportage. Holiday Cheer to one and all!

W.P. Paddlewick, esq.
New York, North-American Colonies

Mum in the City

So Mum paid me a visit again, aboot 2 years after the previous. She got around pretty well and saw quite a lot, despite a painful hip problem.

One night Jacqui, Andrea, and us enjoyed the free MoMA, a dinner nearby, and finished with swanky drinkies in TimeWarner Center's Mandarin Oriental Hotel, somewhere above the 30th floor. Nice views of the Central Park were observed. And I like my new camera, which allows for long exposures with small aperture, as seen here in MoMA and Whiskey pictures...

Here Mum poses along some really quaint townhouses on E 36th, after visiting the very pleasant Morgan Library & Museum. That's the former mansion of Morgan (of the JPMorganChase fame), with his Grand Olde personal library by McKim, and brand-spanking new addition by Renzo Piano... If I had millions, I'd build be a nice library, too :)


Here Mum tells (yet another ;) story to Anna & Yucca, during a dinner at Casa Marco. Those are indeed chairs they're sitting on; in a rare concession to practical realities, I borrowed a couple of 'em from my neighbor. I should return them already (she was out of town last week), they're cluttering my space and cramping my style ;D
Thanks for the visit, and I'll see you again next year.
Meanwhile, Happy Holidays!

mb

Testing, testing

This weekend was mostly about testing the endurance of the knee. On Sat I played Ultimate, 7 months to the day after the surgery! It was cool to frolick on the field again. I took it pretty easy, for an hour or so. The knee took it fine, the only problem was the chafing by the knee-brace.


Look! Up in the sky! Prospect Park, B'lyn

On Sun I rode the fixie up to NJ/NY border in the Palisades, 60km total. I recommend riding up the Riverside Drive to the GWB to anybody who wants to see very pretty but lesser-seen NYC ;)

A fleeting glimpse...

(or: What made me laugh today!!)
Heh, I really regret I was a little too slow with my camera this morning. Because there I was, riding to work on da Rida, in the Village around Greenwich & 6th. I stopped in the lights, and saw this middle-aged man going thru a trash bin. He had a smoke dangling at the corner of his mouth, under the bridal veil. He was also wearing a white gown, and long gloves, and holding a newspaper under his arm. All this in 45F/5C slightly rainy NYC morning, two days after Halloween. I guess somebody's party kept on going! >;) By the time I was getting my camera out, he was moving on. But still, that made my day! :)

Cheers
mb