I Love You, Santiago!

It was a gorgeous day the day we arrived in Santiago de Compostela. Our flight had been great and I even got several hours of sleep. So rather than taking a nap, I took to the streets with my camera. The icon of the city is the Cathedral. Later than afternoon several of us went to Mass.

The cathedral is on the east side of a large square and our hotel -- Hostal de los Reyes Catholicos -- was on the north side. This is one of Spain's paradors -- the government turns historic buildings into fantastic hotels. This is quite likely the world's oldest hotel -- founded in 1499 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to house pilgrims who came to the shrine of Saint James. I loved my room and the hotel was wonderful -- beautiful rooms, courtyards, furnishings and a gracious staff.

The first music I heard in Spain was the last I expected to hear -- bagpipes! This northwest corner of the country has a great Celtic heritage. Cut off from the rest of Spain by mountains, Galicia was very different from my expectations -- and I loved it.

Spanish Amulet

When Andreas told us he had an amulet in his pocket, we thought he said omelet! He struggled to pull out a small ceramic figure -- oh, amulet! He says Galicians are suspicious but he isn´t -- still he carries an amulet just in case.... His particular amulet protects him from hypocrites. You can buy different ones to protect you from other things or you can make a hand gesture for general protection.

Andreas was our guide to the Archbishop´s Palace and roof of the cathedral. His English was actually quite good but he apologized for it, saying it "sucked." Patricia (our hostess) told him if he knew that slang term, he was doing fine.

Yesterday was beautifully sunny and I took full advantage -- taking lots of pictures. Today is gray and cooler -- I needed my jacket. Even the exercise of climbing the stairs didn´t warm me too much.

Once you reach the second floor of the palace, you have 84 more tall steps to the roof. We climbed out onto the the granite shingles of the roof -- I don´t know what else to call them. They looked like the same stone used throughout the cathedral. From there we got a bird´s eye view of the bell tower, the rattle tower and the clock tower. The bell and rattle towers are on the front of the cathedral. There are 15 bells in the bell tower, which is the southernmost of the two towers. During Holy Week (I think in the past, don´t think so now, must check this out) they didn´t ring the bells since they were associated with joy so they used a large rattling instrument.

One of today´s highlights was stopping at a convent to buy pasteries from the nuns. We took them to a coffeeshop and Patricia bought me a chocolate espeso (since I don´t drink coffee). This is a wonderful, dark hot chocolate drink almost as thick as pudding. That should keep me awake for a while! And no, that isn't Patricia -- it's a lovely lady at the coffeeshop. I'm sorry I didn't get her name. Tonight we went out for tapas. I thought we'd be in about 10. Obviously, I'm not with the program yet. In Spain dinner starts at 9! We got home at midnight.

Blogstipation

Please don't give up on me! I've been up to my ... in alligators -- literally and figuratively. Just got home from a great trip to Beaumont, Texas, and I leave in the morning for Santiago de Compostela, Spain! Hopefully, I'll catch up when I get home. In the meantime, please hang with me -- check http://www.teddietravel.blogspot.com/ , the site belonging to my traveling teddy Vanilla and, if I can get to a computer, I'll try to pop in to Facebook while I'm gone. See you soon!

Massage and More

Zoe and Jack and Roxy and I are in Broken Bow, Oklahoma -- about as far southeast in Oklahoma as you can get -- close to where Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma meet. This is one of the prettiest parts of Oklahoma but, for many years, has been one of the poorest. The area has, in the past ten years, had an influx of wealthy Texans -- mostly from the Metroplex -- coming here to enjoy the gorgeous lake, rivers, and pine forests. So elegant accommodations have sprung up to meet the need.


I love this part of the state so when I got an invitation to check out a new spa, I jumped at the chance. But this is no ordinary spa -- no mani/pedis, facials, etc. What you will get is the most amazing body treatment you ever had. There are elements of massage but it's really a banquet for your skin delivered with the most nurturing touch plus the added element of music, the vibrations of which will get your body humming harmonically with the sound and feel of the melody.

The result is relaxation so profound that I was reduced to a state of overdone pasta. Zoe put it a little more definitively so I'm including her description.

Here's Zoe:




"The next time someone tells me to 'go to my happy place,' I’m going to Body Harmony in Broken Bow, Oklahoma.

More than just a massage, Body Harmony offers a treatment unlike anything I’ve previously experienced.

Skin Treatment

The bulk of the treatment involves drizzling melted shea butter on the skin then rubbing with Dead Sea salts. The salts exfoliate and the shea butter moisturizes.

Nutrient Therapy

The salts aren’t just Sodium Chloride. They are 90% trace minerals, which your skin soaks up as the heat opens your pores. We don’t usually get enough trace minerals through food or supplements.

Healing Touch

The massage itself is gentle and relaxing. You don’t talk, and you don’t move, letting the therapist move your head, legs, and arms. The massage starts with your head and face (many massages neglect the face), moves to the legs, each arm, and then your back. The shea butter is an ideal massage oil and the salt increases circulation. Then you are swaddled in heated towels, first moist and then dry, and covered with a blanket as the next appendage is addressed.

Musical Beds

No, you don’t jump up and change places with another client when the music stops! The massage tables used by Body Harmony are completely unique, channeling the vibrations of the ambient music straight into your body. Our auditory accompaniment featured the sounds of rain, and feeling the thunder resonate through my solar plexus felt so … natural. After the first few minutes, you don’t really notice the vibration, but it subtly adds to the relaxation. The table is also topped with thick memory foam which molds to your curves and provides custom support. You feel cradled in the table rather than perched on top, and there are no pressure points.

Total Relaxation

The combination of the shea butter massage and salt scrub, the hot towels, the therapeutic technique, and the Body Harmony table, left me about as relaxed as I can ever remember being. The treatment also encourages the release of endorphins (you know, those feel-good chemicals your brain releases when you’re having a good time) which battles cortisol, the stress hormone we’re all carrying around pretty much 24/7.

No matter what your previous experiences with massage, I guarantee you’ve never had anything quite like a Body Harmony treatment. I can’t recommend it enough and hope to have another go someday!"

As for me -- yeah, what she said!

To Market, To Market

Visiting local farmers' markets is one of my favorite things. And I always think of one of my favorite movies -- the 1981 "Four Seasons" with Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston and Sandy Dennis. Dennis plays an obsessive photographer who is focusing (literally!) on vegetables.

I totally get it. The colors and shapes are irresistible.

The market in Birmingham, Alabama, is one of the best! Between the squash and the scuppernongs (the white grapes larger than the end of your thumb), the photo ops were endless -- which is why I'm posting more pictures than text.

And the piece de resistance is the tomato shot -- I couldn't believe my luck. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Writers Gone Rogue

I know people think the life of a travel writer is just one long party but the truth is, we work long hours, rush from place to place never spending enough time to really enjoy museums or galleries, and then spend hours writing and trying to find homes for our articles in an increasingly tight market.



Are you feeling properly sorry for us? Well, everything I said is true but it's also true that we have a lot of fun -- sometimes to the point of silliness. I have to admit that my own sense of humor often sinks to fifth grade level -- you know, booger and underpants jokes. And when we can find an accomplice, so much the better. Here the elegant and sophisticated Mary Hendron cooperates in a 2008, South Dakota, nose-picking photo op. So when my buddy Libba Young promised to show me the biggest ass in Alabama -- I knew it was time for misbehavior.

The statue of Vulcan, which has stood on a bluff overlooking the city of Birmingham since the 1930s, was designed and cast by Italian artist Guiseppe Moretti in 1904. "Vulcan" is the largest cast iron statue in the world. He symbolizes the importance of industry -- particularly the iron and steel industry -- to the city. Fifty-six feet tall, mounted on a 124-foot pedestal, it's a city icon. And it's REALLY ugly. And Libba didn't exaggerate -- it has unbelievably prominent naked butt cheeks.


Be honest -- these buns were made for mockin'!

In this shot Vulcan is too remote to get the full buttockal effect but props to Libba for the interesting angle.

I gave it a shot -- better bunnage but I couldn't get Libba's face in the frame.

Were the results worth the time we spent? I definitely think so. It's always a good day when I LMAO!

Hot Spot

One of Oklahoma City's hottest dining spots is the Iguana Grill, 9 Northwest 9th Street. It opened in June of last year -- but I just got around to trying it the other night. Small, in a 1905 building tucked between Broadway and the railroad tracks, it may be a bit off the beaten path -- but folks are beating a new one to get here. With an attractive outdoor patio and several dining areas, it was packed full of people looking for food and fun -- both available here.

Colorful paintings hang on the walls. It's noisy, both with recorded music and talking, laughing guests.

And the food? Chef Ryan Parrott rocks! As a Weight Watcher, eating out is a challenge and a Mexican restaurant provides many temptations. Twelve tortilla chips uses up 3 points -- but how can I resist? I get my own plate, count out my chips and break them into pieces. Then I go after the salsa! And the salsa here was superb -- fresh, tomato-y, just a bit of heat and not too much cilantro.

One of my buddies and I split this order of Enchilada de Camarones -- two large tortillas filled with sauteed shrimp and a chipotle tomato sauce and covered with cheese and a sour cream sauce. For our sides, we chose fresh fruit -- peaches, apples, mangoes and pineapple -- and grilled vegetables. The sour cream and cheese pushed the points envelope but by splitting and adding healthy sides, I was able to work it into my allotted points (this is where the extra 35 come in handy!) The serving was ample enough that we were both satisfied and I can't wait to go back and try some other specialties like the Chile Rellenos -- fresh Anaheim peppers dusted with blue corn and filled with adobo chicken (I'll have to pass on the one filled with the four-cheeses). While this restaurant is worthy of a splurge, you can enjoy a number of choices without straining your budget or worrying about your next weigh-in.

The Play's the Thing

Back in a previous life, I spent a lot of time at various theaters with my daughter Zoe. In one of her previous lives, she was headed for a career on the stage -- and she got her start with Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park. For the first couple of years, she spent a lot of time with her legs unshaved playing servant boys. Her shining moment came in a production of "Romeo and Juliet" when at the dance, questioned by Romeo about the identity of the lovely Juliet, she answered, "I know not, sir." The line was short but she had a lot of power. She could have blurted out, "You dummy, don't you know that's Juliet Capulet? You'd better am-scray before her family finds you here!" She wielded her power with discretion and never missed her line.

After she went off to school, it just wasn't the same going to the theater without her being there and being involved. So I sort of got out of the habit. In the meantime, Shakespeare in the Park moved out of Edmond and to downtown Oklahoma City.

I needed some photos of outdoor theater, so Jack, a friend, and I went downtown last Friday night to see "Twelfth Night." The weather was fabulous, the venue idyllic and the play a delight. I've been missing a lot by not enjoying all the OSP productions.

You have three more chances to see the last play of the summer season -- Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Do yourself a favor and "get thee to a ...." theater! Below is a picture of my pick for actor of the evening -- Kal Kohlman as Malvolio.

And Now a Word from our Sponsor

Not really, but this is an unabashed advert for the beautiful jewelry my daughter Zoe and her friend Becca make in Penzance, England. Zoe's coming to visit in a few weeks and, if you would like to order anything, she can bring it with her and save you the cost of shipping.

I love their Celtic Lace pieces like the rose quartz and hematite bracelet and earrings above and the Crimson Lace necklace and earrings below. Each of the links is patiently hand-twisted and I love the Celtic/Cornish connection.

Zoe and Becca do a variety of pieces including necklaces like this one with a Tibetan silver puffed heart, crackle beads and a tiny seahorse dangle.

One of their cleverest ideas is a combo with earrings mounted on a piece of art (with hanger and stand on the back). The collection is called "Too Pretty to Hide" and this piece (including the five pairs of earrings) is "Target Artwear."

Please check the web site: http://www.silversistersdesign.co.uk/ for more details. Remember, prices are in British pounds. At the current exchange rate, each pound equals $1.65. The pieces are hand-made and one-of-a-kind. Just let Zoe (zoe.mcaden@hotmail.com) or me know ahead of time, in case the pieces you want are already sold. She and Becca can suggest something similar or create one with colors of your choosing.

Bloomin' Iris

I just got a press release from Ken Rundel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and couldn't have been more delighted to see that one of my all-time favorite shops (and those of you who know me know I'm not a big shopper so it takes a lot to impress me) -- Iris at the Basin Park -- was named one of America's top retailers by NICHE magazine. Nearly 600 craft galleries, retail stores, arts nonprofits, museums shops, etc. were nominated by professional fine crafts artists from the U.S. and Canada. Of these 600 outlets, about two dozen were named recipients of the 2009 Top Retailers Awards.

This shop is one of the first places I head when I go to Eureka Springs. Owners Iris and Rick Feutz have eyes for the unusual and the shop just snaps with sensuality -- gorgeous colors, surfaces that beg to be caressed, pure pleasure interpreted in glass, paint, fabrics. Yep, I love this shop. And obviously, I'm not alone.

Congratulations Iris at the Basin Park -- and Eureka Springs, art capital of Mid-America!

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Top Attraction

I've been to Discoveryland! to see Oklahoma! a couple of times and I've seen the movie and other productions of the play more times than I can count. So, while I knew I'd have a nice evening, I wasn't really expecting to be so swept away by the whole experience. Needing photos for a future assignment, this was just another job.

My friend Bev Schmoyer and I were guests of Discoveryland! founder Bill Jeffers. He treated us to the ultimate evening -- dinner, dessert, popcorn, soft drinks, all the pre-show activities, the Territory Review before the main production, and the musical. The dinner was tasty -- I had the chopped beef sandwich and Bev had the rib-eye steak sandwich. These were accompanied by corn, potato salad, baked beans and garnishes.

We visited with Bear O'Field, a Cherokee-Creek Indian, who danced for visitors and watched the Pony Express ride off with post cards purchased at the Trading Post. Then we got our dessert -- ice cream topped with strawberries -- yum!

Before the regular show starts, there's a variety show with lots of singing and dancing. Hmmm, those singers were really good and the dancing was skilled and enthusiastic -- actually extraordinarily good. I was getting an interesting vibe -- this evening was becoming more than I expected.

Next came the Overture. Discoveryland! doesn't have an orchestra -- they use recorded music but the system is top-notch and the sound was just fine. Carol Lavelle Snow as Aunt Eller came on stage and eased us into Oklahoma Territory. Coming through the trees and over a bridge, Eli Budwill -- Curly -- rode onto the stage and began the beautiful "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'."
Tall, good-looking, and great voice -- definitely above the average. And the play just got better and better.

I'd bet this cast and this production would be comfortable on Broadway or in London's West End. Yes, I'd seen the play before but Eli, Ally Ridley (Laurey), Carly Casey (Ado Annie), Levi Lawson (Jud Fry) and the rest of the cast made the production fresh and new. As my grandkids would say -- they owned it!

After the show, we met some of the cast members -- five of them are students at the University of Central Oklahoma in the Music Theatre Department, and one, Brett Rottmayer, is a graduate of the school. Auditions are held in many areas of the country and competition to appear at Discoveryland! is keen. These UCO performers aren't here because they're local but because they're so good.

Bev and I had a great evening and what started as sort of a duty quickly became a real treat. Thank you Bill Jeffers, all the friendly people at Discoveryland! and especially the talented cast for a memorable evening. Saturday night is the last show of the season. I wish I'd come earlier so I could come again this year! But I will be visiting again in the future -- and I'll be bringing more friends. Friends don't let friends miss Discoveryland!

Grand A-Cheevers-ment

Ah, research, it's a tough job but somebody has to do it. And so I had lunch at Cheever's on 23rd Street in Oklahoma City. It's in a historic building -- built in 1927 for Cheever's Florist, a company that is still in business (12236 North May) and still owned by the same family. When the building was sold, the trademark Cheever's name stayed on the building and it was turned into a great little restaurant owned by the Good Egg Dining Company. Heather and Keith Paul, and Sean Ray, who founded the company, also own Red Prime Steakhouse, Iron Starr Urban Bar-B-Q, and Market-C (more about that later).

Robert Black is the executive chef for the entire restaurant group -- and he is a genius. I fell in love with his cuisine several years ago when he was executive chef for the Museum Cafe at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Ryan Lawson is executive chef at Cheever's. So there was a lot of experience behind my lunch!

My friend Melyn and I started with the bread basket as soon as it hit the table. It contained four dainty dinner rolls -- delicately flavored with rosemary and thyme -- served with a little tub of butter protected by a round of parchment with a scrolled C on top. My entree was Mixed Seafood Tamales -- chunks of lobster, shrimp, halibut and scallops with black beans and corn over a sweet potato masa tamale and topped with an ancho cream. Was it good? It was all I could do to keep from licking the plate!

The whole Weight Watchers thing kept me from ordering dessert but didn't keep me from going next door to Market-C and salivating over the choices. Market-C, which opened late last fall, was originally a Phillips 66 filling station. I'd guess -- but I don't know -- that it's about the same vintage as Cheever's. Good Egg has paid homage to the past with the traditional green and orange Phillips 66 color scheme.

Inside, you'll find take-and-heat goodies from the Good Egg restaurants, desserts, condiments and kitchen items. Here's a picture of the Giant Carrot Cake -- six layers of cake with cream cheese icing. You can see why I passed on dessert. Next time, maybe I'll go for dessert and pass on the entree!

La Fooda Loca

Well, I managed to stretch my birthday into a birthweek! A week after the actual day -- when we were all available -- I celebrated with friends Terry Earnheart and Beverly Schmoyer. They took me to the Paseo Grill, a great restaurant in Oklahoma City's artiest area.

Those of you who have been following this blog know that I have to work hard to balance my love of food and enjoyment of writing about it with my desire to fit in an airplane seat. Weight Watchers has been wonderful. I have to keep track of what I eat -- yeah, it's kind of a pain but not as painful as not being able to zip my jeans. By doing this, I can plan for special times and there's almost nothing I can't enjoy.

My choice today was the Crab and Avocado Salad -- jumbo lump crab meat and avocado served with a Parmesan crisp and mixed greens drizzled with lemon vinaigrette and garnished with capers, basil, red bell peppers and red onions. I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of colors, tastes and textures.

So I managed to have a satisfying lunch and still keep on the right track with my eating plan-- then the birthday treat arrived. And it was a wonderful little wine glass with fresh berries topped with just enough whipped cream to hold the candle. Hooray for me and hooray for Weight Watchers! And a really big hooray for the Paseo Grill.

More Foodie 101

One day on the Prince William County press trip, we had the option to take the train into D.C. to tour museums. Normally, I'd jump at that but, I reasoned, I wouldn't be spending enough time in D.C. to do the kind of story I like to do. So I, along with writer Shirley Moskow from Boston, opted to stay behind. Kathy Martin with the PWC/Manassas CVB offered to be our chauffeur for the day. We both wanted to return to Occoquan -- neither of us had had time to see the town on the first day of the trip.

After some other stops, we arrived in Occoquan in time for lunch at Madigan's. The day was gorgeous and eating outside was an appealing prospect. The menu offered a lot of temptations but this is prime crab country so my choices narrowed a bit. I asked for a taste of the crab chowder and our waiter brought me a small sample. I all but stuck my tongue in the cup! It was rich and creamy with plenty of crab meat and fresh vegetables. My ultimate choice was the crabcake sandwich with remoulade sauce on the side. Mmmmmm -- good choice. Lots and lots of crabmeat with little, if any, filler.

Great food, good company and the beautiful green river flowing by. It was one of those perfect moments you want to capture and save -- when everything in your immediate world seems perfect. My friend Betty Neal says this is a "Kingdom of God" moment. I love the idea that the Kingdom of God includes crabcakes!

Foodie 101

I feel a couple of food blogs coming on. On our recent press trip to Virginia, I started early one morning with a visit to the Manassas farmers' market. Are you old enough to remember the Alan Alda movie "The Four Seasons"? In it, Sandy Dennis plays a photographer obsessed with vegetables. That was me at the market. What gorgeous fruits and vegetables! And look at the size of this berry!

The array was amazing -- corn, eggplant, cantelope -- a rainbow of vitamins! And the tomatoes -- every shape and color.

And they had lots of heirloom tomatoes -- not as photogenic -- my favorites are Cherokee purple. I couldn't help myself; I bought three, not knowing what I was going to do with them. Patty Tracy of Historic Manassas stepped in and offered to take them to Robert Barolin, chef/owner of City Square Cafe where I intended to have lunch.

What a great idea! When we got to the restaurant, the waitress brought out this lovely bowl of tomatoes and we shared them around the table.


For my lunch, I ordered the Southern Shrimp Salad -- grilled shrimp over mixed greens with tomatoes, red onions, corn and a blend of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese. This was tossed with a chipotle ranch dressing and served with a crispy tortilla shell. And it was as good as it looks!