Becoming Your StellarSelf

Planning As If the Future Mattered

I took this photo a couple of days ago at Dulles International Airport. I found myself thinking, "Of course the future matters. Why wouldn't I plan accordingly?" As I see it, this phrase can be taken a couple of different ways, depending on where you put your inflection on the words.

On the one hand, it seems rather fatalistic, encouraging us to go ahead with our plans, pretending that the future matters. Or, a more optimistic interpretation could be that we need to look forward, to make a concerted effort to make choices that will have a positive impact on our futures.

But all this forward thinking, and thinking about the future, and what it may hold, has distracted me from the turtle's message, "Enjoy the moment."

Roman Holiday: Campo de' Fiore, Day and Night

By day, Campo de' Fiore features a huge open-air market in the center of the square. Surrounding the market are about a dozen cafes with plentiful outside seating.

At night, the square is cleared of the tables and tents, the remnants of the day's produce are swept away, and Campo de' Fiore is transformed into a lively cafe and bar scene.

From top to bottom: cappucino at Taverna Campo de' Fiore; view from the rooftop of Hotel Campo de' Fiore; the market by day; the cafes at night

Roman Holiday: Perfetto

We took a day trip to Florence, Firenze, a place I had longed to see since my undergraduate days as an art major. As I had expected, the city was full of famous artwork and architecture at every turn. Even the view from the road leading up to the Ponte Vecchio (seen here) looked like a Renaissance painting.

Yet of all the iconic images we encountered, none could match the magnificence of Michelangelo's David. I took this photo of the replica that stands in the Piazza della Signoria, where the original stood until the 1800s. And while it is an amazing copy, I have never seen anything as exquisite as the original David, which is housed a few blocks away in the Accademia delle Belle Arti. A photograph of the original can be seen on here on Wikipedia.

The original David's 2003 cleaning left it looking immaculate, except for a few toes on his left foot that had been attacked by a vandal in the early 1990s. Standing before this sculpture, I felt humbled and awed. I can only describe it as the closest thing to perfection that I have experienced in my life. We were lucky enough to be in the museum when there were very few people, so were able to view the statue up close, for an extended period of time. We were amazed by the intricate detail -- each of the veins in David's hands and feet were meticulously crafted, the slight wrinkle in his brow, the skin stretched slightly above his belly button.

Photos cannot do justice to the miracle of this sculpture. In person, it is difficult to believe that it is made of marble, of stone, and is not a living, breathing, perfect human. I recalled learning in art history that Michelangelo claimed that he did not create his sculptures, but rather simply released the already-formed pieces from the rocks with which he worked. This concept really hit home in viewing the David -- how could a mere mortal create something so perfect?

Roman Holiday: Aperitivo

We discovered many wonderful things in Rome, but one of our favorites is the tradition of aperitivo. Aperitivo is like American happy hour, only better. Many people eat a late dinner in Rome, so aperitivo begins around 7:00pm and runs until 10:00 or 11:00pm. Typically, you purchase a drink, then are entitled to nibble on a variety of appetizers such as olives, bruschetta, and pasta.

We found the best aperitivo by far at Freni e Frizioni in the awesome neighborhood of Trastevere. For just 5 euros, you can buy a glass of wine, draught beer or apperitif, which comes with Freni e Frizioni's amazing buffet, which contains enough types of food that you could conceivably make a meal of it. In addition to a generous variety of fresh vegetables with about six different dips, they offer pasta, chicken cacciatore, couscous, risotto, grilled vegetables, bruschetta and more, all of it outstanding -- definitely a major improvement over scrawny greasy chicken wings with celery typical of American happy hour.

There is no limit to the amount of food you can take, and you are welcome to sit for as long as you like. We love the unrushed feeling of Roman meals, just as much a social occasion as an opportunity for physical nourishment.

Roman Holiday: Love Potion No. 9

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the things that has struck me about Rome is the interweaving of the sacred and the profane in every part of the city. An example of this was my discovery of an incredibly unique and wonderful store called Ai Monasteri, which features products made in the ancient monastic tradition. This beautiful store, set up like an old pharmacy, carries a variety of wines, liquors, preserves, honeys, beauty products, candies and teas produced by monks from 7 different monasteries throughout Rome. In addition to these more typical souvenir-type products, they also carry a variety of elixirs and remedies, made from ancient recipes. When the store was established in 1894, herbal remedies were their focus. And many of the products are made from recipes dating back to pre-Christian Rome, which were preserved through the writings of the monks during the Middle Ages.

There are remedies for all that ails you, including stress, joint pain, weight control, melancholy, sleep disorders, fatigue, eyesight, cholesterol, circulation, digestion, skin health, coughing, smoking cessation and much more.

One of the elixirs that caught my eye was the Elixir Dell' Amore, which is described as: "The formula and modus operandi used for this “Love Potion” dates back to the 16th century. It was rediscovered in the Ricettario Senese (Sienese Book of Prescriptions) by one of our ancestors at the end of the 19th century. Only ten bottles of this exclusive liqueur are made each year, as it requires an extremely careful, drawn-out process. People were told to drink this elixir when they were not in the mood for love to arouse desire and give them energy. It is made by carefully adding officinal plants during the long distillation process, making this drink extremely tasty and effective."

The other elixir that sparked my interest was the Elixir Della Felicita', described thusly: "Happiness is quite easy to find. Sometimes, often by chance, our thoughts return to the past and we remember and re-live happy moments. Sitting in a comfortable and quiet corner of your home in a peaceful moment with a glass of this herbal liqueur in your hand will almost certainly help you to dig up such lost moments."

If you are interested in their products, they can be ordered through the Ai Monasteri website. Their PDF catalog contains detailed descriptions of their many wonderful products.

Roman Holiday: The Sacred and the Profane

Everywhere you go in Rome, you see religious icons, as well as pre-Christian relics, intermingled amongst the modern buildings and fixtures. Priests and nuns are a common site, along with the fashionistas. Souvenir shops offer tourists the choice of images of the Vatican as well as desktop models of the Colloseum. A block from a restaurant run by the Missionary Workers of the Immaculate Conception, I spotted a photo shoot in progress featuring models in pseudo-S&M-wear lingerie, which was sold at the boutique next door. A couple of blocks from a restaurant whose logo contains an "O" with devil horns, you can buy priestly garb, incense and communion supplies.

Despite the abundance of religious icons, buildings and more, I don't find Rome to be a very spiritual place. It is full of wonderful artwork, fabulous food, amazing architecture, rich culture, but the things that I associate with spirituality are not as easily found.

For one thing, there is very little green space, although the Villa Borghese is an exception to this. And many of the churches are tourist attractions, so you don't get the feeling of sanctuary that you get from places that are more peaceful.

I find this to be very much in contrast to the United States, where we tend to separate things religious from the secular. 

In 118AD, the Pantheon building replaced a pagan temple built in 27BC, that was turned into a church in 609AD. Evidence of both influences can be seen in the structures.

The Vatican museum features many pre-Christian artifacts, including this statue of a griffin-like creature.

Roman Holiday: Holy Profiterole-y

Two nights ago, we had an unusual and delightful dining experience in Rome at L'Eau Vive, a restaurant housed in the 16th-century Palazzo Lante della Rovere and run by the Travailleuses Missionaires de la Conception Immaculee (Missionary Workers of the Immaculate Conception), an order of lay Carmelite women from Asia and Africa. The restaurant specializes in French cuisine, but offers daily specials representing different regions of the world including Africa, Asia and the United States.

When we arrived for dinner around 8:30pm, we were lead to the second floor dining area where the high ceilings of the simply decorated rooms are covered with frescoes. We ordered the avocado and mango salad, which sat atop a bed of incredibly delicate butterleaf lettuce and was topped with a drizzle of perfectly balanced vinagrette. Our entrees were duck with orange sauce, pork with prune sauce and salmon with a ginger saffron sauce. The house wine was quite good, and very inexpensive by Roman standards.

Around 9:30, our waitress came to our table and handed us printed cards with the words to Ave Maria in French and in Italian. Part of the dining experience at L'Eau Vive involves
a nightly ritual of pausing the serving of dinner so that all the Carmelites can sing. Patrons are welcome, and encouraged, to sing along. Having read a review of the restaurant in Fodor's Rome's 25 Best, we were aware that this was their custom, so were prepared for this break, and were happy to join along.

After the singing, we finished eating dinner and took a look at the dessert menu, which featured a large selection of French specialties. While everything looked wonderful, we narrowed our choices down to the lemon tarte, the chocolate mousse and the fruit gratin. All were exquisite.

The mission of this group of Carmelites is to spread the Word of God through cuisine. Since food is the international language, and the way to every person's heart is through their stomach, there is definitely something to this, especially if the food is as good as that which we experienced at L'Eau Vive.

You can find a full story on the history of L'Eau Vive, or to read a current New York Times review of the restaurant. L'Eau Vive is located at Via Monterone 85, between the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona.

Sakura, Sakura

Sakura Sakura,
Yayoi no sora wa,
miwatasu kagiri,
Kasumi ka kumo ka,
nioi zo izuru,
izaya izaya mini yu kan

Despite the fact that thousands of people are walking around the Tidal Basin at any given time during the blossoming of the cherry trees in DC, there is an incredible air of peacefulness to the place. There is something incredibly moving, even mystical, about the fleeting beauty of the two thousand pink-blossomed trees.

Culinary Streets of NY

Looking back at my grad school days at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY, one of my proudest accomplishments is having discovered the amazing resource that is Arthur Avenue. Actually, I was introduced to it by a fellow grad student who had grown up in the neighborhood, and who introduced me to many of the treasures it has to offer. But even if they have never visited this area, just about everyone who lives in the Tri-State area knows of the legendary bread that comes from this culinary street –there is nothing like the crunchy crust and chewy inside of Arthur Avenue's italian loaves. Besides the bread, there are a number of outstanding deli's, restaurants, pastry shops and produce stores. In this neighborhood, food is given the respect it deserves, and it is made and served love.

This past weekend, my husband and I made the journey to Arthur Avenue, having been inspired by a recent episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay featuring the eggplant parmigiana from Mike's Deli. The dish was everything it was cracked up to be, with a perfect balance of sauce, cheese and very thinly sliced breaded eggplant. Deliziosi!

In addition to the eggplant, we bought some stuffed peppers, roasted red peppers, olive oil, and jars of Mike's Deli's tomato sauce (all of these are available to order through their website). Down the street at Madonia Brothers Bakery, we scored a loaf of freshly baked bread and some Italian twist cookies. Around the corner, we stopped at Egidio Pastry Shop for a selection of mini-pastries and the best cappucinos we have ever tasted. For the road, we each got a slice of cheese pizza from Full Moon Pizzeria. While I love living in the DC area, I have not yet found a pizza place that has that authentic New York flavor and texture. [My dear readers, if you know of any authentic-tasting NY style pizza restaurants around here, please let me know!]

If you love food, and have the opportunity, I highly recommend a visit to Arthur Avenue. It's a few blocks from the Bronx Zoo and The New York Botanical Garden, so it's easy to make a fun-filled day of it.

Magnificent Mammals

On our recent trip to Oregon, we were fortunate to have a hotel room right on the ocean. Every day we were thankful to have such a breathtaking view of nature right outside our door. The sound of the waves and the wind were both soothing and energizing. A couple of times, we actually spotted whales not too far off the shore. Inspired, we decided to go on a whale watching tour in the hope that we could see one up close. We were very fortunate – about 15 minutes into the tour, we spotted our first whale. We stayed with her the entire time we were out on the open water. This very short video was my attempt to capture the beauty of our experience. It's pretty fuzzy since it was my first time using the camera, and I was zoomed in to the max, but I hope it serves to portray even an iota of how amazing it was to be so close to one of these magnificent mammals.

Whale Watch has some impressive videos of humback whales up close, including shots of them breaching the water (actually jumping out). And the IMAX Whales movie website and Whale Net, hosted by Wheelock College, offer tons of information if you want to learn more about these amazing creatures.

An Organic Experience

We just returned home from a 10-day trip to Oregon. Half of our time was spent in Portland, and the other half was spent in the Newport Beach area of the gorgeous Oregon Coast. There was an abundance of fresh seafood, and we had many great dining experiences, but the standout restaurant for us was Panache in the Nye Beach area of Newport, OR. Their menu features fresh, local, organic seasonal produce as well as local wild seafood and hormone-free/natural beef, pork, and lamb.

Panache opened two years ago in October. Their mission was to provide a source of excellent, organic food. Ninety percent of the meats they serve are organic grass-fed. And they source their produce from local farmers markets and family farms. They use organic produce whenever it is available. The chefs' enthusiasm for and understanding of the the food results in a creative, modern American menu, beautifully presented. Each component of our meals were fresh and full of flavor, and the combined effect was outstanding.

We had the roasted breast of chicken stuffed with mixed dried fruit and goat cheese, with a strawberry champagne reduction, a green salad with feta and grilled buffalo, and an exquisite dessert of mixed berry crumble (nearby Willamette Valley is considered one of the best sources for all types of berries in the US).

Panache was a perfect representation of the best of Oregon cuisine -- fresh, seasonal, local, upscale, but with a friendly attitude.

Sweating the Small Stuff

On my cross-country flight the other day, I had a chance to read United Airlines' Hemisphere magazine. In it was an article, "Tulum, Take Me Away" by Nick Gallo about the Riviera Maya. I was drawn to it since a friend was telling me about her recent trip there at the beginning of August. In the article, Gallo describes his various holistic spa experiences at the EcoTulum Resorts & Spa, including his time spent in a Temescal, a Mayan sweat lodge. It reminded me of my first sweat lodge experience, also in a Temescal (aka Temazcal), in Cancun two years ago.

The Temazcal ceremony was guided by a female Shaman who gathered a group of 8 of us into the dome-shaped lodge, made of what looked like adobe. She sealed us inside, seated around a pit filled with large rocks she had heated over a fire for a few hours. We sat around the fire, as she told us about the tradition of the Temazcal, and placed dried sage and cedar chips on the rock, followed by water, to create steam. The room heated up to a very high temperature, and after a while most of us had to lie on the blanket covered sand floor. She asked us to gaze into the rocks and observe the images that we saw in their red and orange glow. Each of us took turns talking about what we saw. Some people saw nothing, others saw things that reminded them of loved ones, or past hurts, or future hopes.

The heat became pretty extreme inside the Temazcal, and the air became thick with the steam. It was not terribly comfortable, but I could feel that it was cleansing my body. One person had to leave because he couldn't take the heat. I attribute much of my positive experience to the fact that I had been practicing Bikram Yoga for a while, which forever increased my tolerance to heat.

Being inside the sealed, rounded structure, guided by the soothing voice of our Shaman guide, with nothing to do for two hours but lie there in the extreme heat looking at the rocks, I found myself forgetting about any outside stressors. It was an extremely meditative experience. And when she opened the small window to let in the fresh air, I felt rejuvenated.

I have not had an opportunity to experience the Temazcal since then, but reading Gallo's article reminded me that it is something that I would love to do again in the near future.

For a full description of the history, current practice and benefits of Temazcal, see the excellent write-up by Dr. Horacio Rojas Alba, Instituto Mexicano de Medicinas Tradicionales Tlahuilli A.C. The Traditional Mexican Sweat Bath.

This is a photo of the actual Temazcal that I had the good fortune to sweat in two years ago.

Park It

I spent a good amount of time inside yesterday working on my computer, catching up on all sorts of stuff that needed attention. It was a gorgeous day, and I kept looking out the window wishing I could go outside. By late afternoon, I was done with what I needed to do and headed out for some much-needed fresh air. I decided it would be nice to take a hike around Theodore Roosevelt Island, a small national park situated in the middle of the Potomac River between Virginia and DC.

The park was filled with people taking advantage of the gorgeous weather, and I saw several kayakers in the Potomac surrounding the little island. On the way to the park, I saw several bikers and runners on the path that runs alongside the George Washington Parkway, which is also part of the national parks system (it's actually pretty gorgeous as far as parkways go, with lots of nice stops off of it).

While I was enjoying the park setting, I recalled that a couple of days earlier, I heard a story on the radio about how attendance in the U.S.'s national parks has dropped dramatically in the past couple few years. Today I found a National Park Services report dated March 17, 2007 indicating that the decline was not even across the entire country -- DC, Alaska and the Southeast have actually shown an increase in number of visitors, while other areas of the country showed a decline of around 1 million visitors in the past couple of years.

They aren't sure why this is the case, but one of their theories is that people just don't have the time for long vacations. This could definitely be a contributing factor. According to an annual survey by Expedia, not only do Americans earn fewer vacation days than any other developed nation, we also leave more days unused, leaving us the most vacation-deprived.

Our national parks are an incredible resource, and I highly recommend visiting them. Being outdoors has so many benefits for the body, mind and spirit. Even if you don't have a lot of vacation time, you can likely find a national park near you that you can visit in just one day or afternoon. You can find a part near you by searching the National Park Services' website.

The Best Breakfast I Ever Had

Recently, I had the pleasure of staying in an amazing bed and breakfast in Saugerties, NY (home of the more recent incarnations of the Woodstock music fests). That area of upstate New York, which runs along the Hudson River, is exceptional not only for the physical setting, but because of the amazing variety of top notch restaurants fed by the close proximity to Manhattan as well as the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), a world-class training ground for chefs. I was very lucky to have found Barclay Heights Bed and Breakfast, which is owned by David and Justine Smythe, two CIA-trained chefs.

Although the rooms are beautifully decorated and feature large jacuzzi tubs, the absolutely best part about my stay was the breakfasts. I can honestly say that they were the best breakfasts I've ever had. David and Justine shop each day for the freshest, best ingredients, organic or locally grown when available, and prepare each part of the elaborate breakfast (made to order) with the utmost attention to detail.

That area of the Hudson Valley is gorgeous, and for years I've enjoyed visiting the Town of Rhinebeck, across the river from Saugerties, which has several outstanding restaurants. But from now on, when I'm in that area, I will make it a point to spend some time at Barclay House.