On the Road Again – Salt Lake City

Beautiful, majestic temple

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Salt Lake City (SLC)? Is it the Tabernacle Choir, the Salt Flats, Temple Square (the center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) or the Winter Olympics in 2002? During my first week in SLC, I was busy working a conference but I made up for lost time by packing my three leisure days with tours of things that Salt Lake City and Utah is known for.

360 choir members and orchestra

I was lucky enough to hear the Tabernacle Choir twice. On Thursday night, I went with the conference delegates to a private performance for them and a another much smaller group from the UK.  They announced that a few days before, Bryn Terfel (famous Welsh opera bass-baritone) had recorded with the choir for an album that will be out this autumn. The choir, accompanied by a full orchestra, sang two Welsh songs so hearing those along with sharing the music with the Brits in the audience made me feel very at home. Not only do many of the Choir members have Welsh ancestors, but the beginnings of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are traced to Welsh immigrants, who settled in the Salt Lake Valley in the mid-nineteenth century. My second time to hear them was during a recording of Music and The Spoken Word on Sunday morning. The Tabernacle was packed. Since the Choir will be off on tour in just over a week to promote their new album, the timing for my visit was perfect.

SLC Capitol Building

My next adventure was a tour of all of the top spots in downtown and close to the center of the city, including the State Capitol building (beautiful!), the Governor’s Mansion, the Old Mormon Pioneer Trail, the Pioneer Heritage State Park (an authentic historical village), Lion House (Brigham Young’s home and his other homes that housed all of his wives and 56 children), the Olympic stadium and village and many other sites along our way.

Summer on main street in Park City

The next day, I had my own private tour of Park City and the surrounding area. Historically, a mining town, with only a few thousand residents, it welcomes over 600,000 tourists each year, especially during the ski season. It’s also home to the Sundance Film Festival and many celebrities and politicians have second (or third or fourth) homes up in the mountains. I saw examples of ski runs directly behind their homes so they don’t have to slum it with the mere mortals who can only afford to stay and ski from town or nearby resorts. It’s also home of the USA Ski Team and I watched some of the young ski jumpers practicing. It’s strange to watch them jumping onto wet mats and then sliding onto the wet grass without snow!

My final day was filled with explorations that couldn’t have been more different. I spent the morning at the Family History Library at Temple Square. Since I’ve traced my ancestors back several centuries, I had very specific ancestors and dates in mind to circumvent the brick wall that I’d hit on both sides of my father’s ancestors. The library has so many volunteers who are incredibly knowledgeable and help people with their searches. With their help I was able to go a branch further on both sides. Now, on my father’s fathers side, I’ve gone all the way back to 1600 . On my father’s mother’s side, I was researching a Scottish ancestor who, according to a census record, was born in Ireland. Thanks to the extensive family search database, I was able to find out that both his daughters were also born in Ireland. I only had the morning so I couldn’t determine where, but volunteers gave me maps and a list of further websites that might help me with more research.



Endless salt flats

My afternoon was spent at Salt Lake. If you are going to be in Salt Lake City, you have to see the lake, right? I guess I’m one of those people who has to see things that I’ve always heard about, but I quickly decided that while maybe I’d recommend seeing it once, once is enough! The salt flats are amazing to see and it’s hard to imagine the size that the lake used to be while now it’s just vast stretches of salt.  There just wasn’t enough visual interest for me.

I found Salt Lake City a wonderful city to visit. The people are all so warm and welcoming. There are numerous things to see and do, the streets are pristine (actually, the whole city is pristine) and very walkable. But you have to realize that their city blocks are much larger than most and quite often you are walking uphill. There’s a convenient light rail and within the downtown area it’s free. Downtown is filled with an eclectic collection of restaurants and bars and the ones that I visited all had great food; however, you do have to be aware of their unusual alcohol rules.

I loved learning about the fascinating history of the challenging Mormon journey and the development of the mining area around Park City. That whole area is well worth a visit!

 

Colorful and Vibrant Mexico

Sunrise from our balcony

We’ve just experienced two gorgeous weeks in Neuvo Vallarta, on the West Coast of Mexico, with absolutely perfect weather. It couldn’t have been more ideal. We savored cool evenings (but not cool enough for a jacket) and warm sunny days with a sea breeze.

Another view from balcony

 

What could be more perfect that staying in a lush, green tropical resort positioned just on the ocean front with mazes of walkways, pools and a beach? And of course there were plenty of restaurants and bars so in addition to our own happy hours on our balcony overlooking the ocean, we were never far from our much loved guacamole and margaritas.





 

Church in San Sebastián

Our first week was a busy one with activities such as Spanish lessons, looking at areas that might be a possibility to move to (even going as far as looking at some condos), a trip into the mountains to San Sebastián, a village that is over three hundred years old, a tequila distillery and a cooking class (highlight of our first week). The second week our schedule was much more relaxed so we had more time to either lounge and read or participate in various activities centered around the pool. I did get to take a “back of house” tour which blew my mind away and on our last day, we had the ultimate finale, a swim with dolphins. It couldn’t have been a better way to end our holiday.

Our cooking class was held at My Mexican Kitchen in Bucerias, a short drive from Nuevo Vallarta. Travis and Edgar were waiting and warmly welcomed us into an intimate kitchen set up for six students, the two chefs and their helper. Chef Edgar, who is from Puebla Mexico, and Chef Travis, who is from Seattle, had laid out the ingredients that we would be using to prepare a five-course dinner. There were all kinds of colorful peppers and vibrant vegetables and fruit. Their display was truly a work of art.

We started by preparing an Agua Fresca, water that has been infused with fresh fruit, then prepared the Salsa Verde, a green salsa. Travis enlightened us on the differences in the peppers and the taste and spiciness of each and asked if we liked our foods spicy. Three preferred medium spicy but I wanted the level of spicy that causes tears to run down your cheeks. We learned that the tomatillos used in our recipe have a totally different flavor than tomatoes and that different flavors can be given to the salsa by roasting, sautéing or boiling the tomatoes or chilies. Edgar blended all of our ingredients and reserved some for the “mild flavored” students while adding more chilies to make extra spicy salsa. We got to sample the salsa with handmade tortilla chips. YUM!! Actually, I nibbled on the chips and salsa all evening.

One is spicy and the other HOT!



Learning to make tortillas

The rest of our meal included some new foods for us, including Tlacoyos, a bean stuffed tortilla. Did you know that a tortilla in Mexico has two very different sides? (one side is a little puffy and the other is flat and it makes a difference how you fold them!) The rest of our menu included Sopa Azteca or Tortilla Soup, Arroz Mexicano or Mexican Rice, Calabacitas or Pan Fried Zucchini and Mole Poblano. We each got to chop the ingredients and help in the cooking but the best part was getting to eat our traditional meal! As we were eating, Travis and Edgar made Plantanos Fritos, Sweet-fried Plantains, as the dessert and the grand finale Cafe de Olla or Mexican Coffee. I didn't have room for the Plantanos Fritos but the smell that wafted my way was warm, sweet, cinnamony and delightful. The coffee was pure heaven. Even those who don't like coffee wouldn't able to resist the cinnamon and dark sugar that enhance this coffee. It's more like a dessert than an after dinner coffee.

YUM!!

If visiting the Puerto Vallarta area, I would recommend anyone who likes Mexican food to take a class with Travis and Edgar at My Mexican Kitchen. You'll leave full of the wonderful food and filled with enthusiasm for trying the recipes at home.

The afternoon of our last day, we went to the Vallarta Adventures’ Dolphin Center for our swim. Before we got in the pool, we had an orientation to tell us about the Bottlenose dolphins that are in the Center. Steve and I were in a group of eight and our dolphin was Mila who is a six-year old female. She had broken her jaw at the age of six months but had survived so her name is a shortened version of Miracle (el Milagro). 

Mila

 

After entering the chilly pool, we stood on a platform so that we were in water about waist to chest high. Our trainer brought Mila over to us so that we could pet her and feel her skin, which felt a bit like wet plastic. He gave us more in depth information about dolphins and their environment before putting Mila though her “tricks”.

 

She seemed to love all of the attention but then dolphins always look as if they are smiling and they are so playful. We all had our photos taken with Mila, got a kiss from her and gave her a kiss, and then we each got a ride around the pool on her belly. The dolphins ended our session by racing each other around the pool just a couple of feet away from us causing waves that nearly knocked us over. What an extraordinary and memorable experience!

Everyone we met was so warm and friendly and hospitable and their culture so colorful and vivid that you can’t help but fall in love with Mexico . The end of our holiday came all too quickly but I’m already looking forward to my return. Hopefully, it will be soon!

 

Family, Friends and Laughter -- an Instant Cure

My past couple of weeks have been filled with lunches and get togethers with friends and babysitting grandchildren. What better way to transition into spring than to renew these relationships and to catch up with what’s been going on in their lives since we last saw each other?

With my friends, in addition to our activities whether it’s golf, gardening, exercising or yoga; during these get togethers we’ve talked about books, movies and various TV series. We seem to all have a common like for several PBS British television series, whether it’s Downtown Abbey (we can’t wait for the next series but some are new to it so are catching up), Call the Midwives (some of us are going to download the books that the series is based on), Vikings or Mr. Selfridge. My interest in these is probably more natural since I spent a fair amount of time in the UK, and my interest in Mr. Selfridge is very appropriate since I used to shop in Selfridges. Little did I know at the time that the store was started by an American. If you’ve not tuned in to any of these, I’d highly recommend any or all of them. You can catch up on previous seasons on Netflix.

The thing that stands out the most from these recent get togethers is that it’s as if we have never spent a few weeks (or months) apart. We pick up exactly where we left off and we laugh with and empathize with each other. The really great thing is that we can completely relax and share what’s on our minds and what we are truly feeling and know that it will be respected and appreciated. It’s our time together to just enjoy the moment and share interests and activities.

 

One of the things that I've loved most about these recent gatherings is "sharing laughter" - there's been lots of that! I can't think of anything more relaxing than a really good laugh. It binds you to the other person and you have a shared experience that brings a certain intimacy. I've also read that it releases endorphins, the body's natural feel good chemicals. I can't think of a better, cheaper and "non-chemical" way of feeling good!!

 

In Spain, I also experienced a lot of laughter. I shared a week with people who just love life and love to laugh and it’s so infectious and I thought quite a lot about this when I returned. Laughter is good for the soul and the body but I don’t think we in the US do enough of it. We seem to take ourselves far too seriously. I just felt that the Spaniards were more ready to let their hair down and laugh.

I’m off to Mexico for a couple of weeks and I’m going to try and incorporate a lot of laughter in my days there. Most of the people that I’ve met in Mexico are also very ready to share a laugh so I’m sure to have a good time and laugh a lot.

To all those, both family and friends, who have shared time with me recently, I’d like to dedicate this:

"Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there."

Judith Viorst

 

 

Spring Beckons but is Being Illusive While Winter is Persistent

Spring is just around the corner, right? Or for those of you in the other hemisphere, autumn is just around the corner. Here in Maryland, we are supposed to be experiencing a renewal with flowers blooming and trees leafing out and the warmth of springtime sun – where’s that been recently?!? We first of all had grey, dreary days and just within the past couple of days had snow with even more predicted! I’m hoping that the cherry blossoms are on schedule because we have a trip into Washington DC planned to view the blossoms and we’d like to have them in full bloom and not freeze while we walk around the basin.
Springtime is a traditional season of optimism, transformation and sunniness, isn’t it? It means that the fresh shoots of flowers and grass start to pop up, plus we have fat little robins running around our garden. Springtime gives us a time to get a fresh outlook on our lives and the whole world. Well, to celebrate the season of revitalization and my return to the US after Spain, one of my daughters and I have had a couple of mother/daughter spa treatment days (thanks to Groupon purchases. No advertisement intended, but I found a couple of good deals on facials and reflexology which I couldn’t pass up.) My middle daughter has found a bit of time to get away so she was more than happy to double up on the offers and join me for treatments.  Of course, lunch and a bit of shopping followed (note to our husbands – it was only window shopping!).

Our next rejuvenation adventure is a juicing and detox workshop at Whole Foods for mother (me) and both daughters. This is my early Mother’s Day present to both of them. A great way to make sure that our spring is healthy and that we are filled with energy is to prepare healthy juices. With all of the fresh new produce in the stores or at the farmers’ markets, it’s a perfect time to “spring clean” our winter diets.

I’m really looking forward to the workshop. I already know most of the more popular healthy eating tips such as not keeping any junk food in the cupboard; keeping fruits and fresh veggies handy and available for snacks; making salad (with no creamy dressings) and veggies a big part of meals; using smaller plates and drinking lots of water throughout the day but it’s always nice to have a reminder and have someone “nudge” you to remember all of these and to make them a part of a healthy lifestyle.

So while I’m spring cleaning my house, I’ll also be focusing on spring cleaning my diet. Although two days following the class, I have two weeks in Mexico with at least one cooking class planned. This is not the best way to begin – maybe both spring cleans will wait until after Cinco de Mayo!

 

 

Marvelous Madrid!

After an overnight flight, I arrived at Madrid-Barajas airport at 8am without my luggage. I then spent an hour trying to explain to the lost luggage staff that I was only in Madrid for 2 nights before going on to Gredos, while completing forms that didn’t have anywhere near all the spaces that were needed to explain my schedule and various contacts. It only had to get better but because I was given a 1-800 number to track my suitcase, which I knew wouldn’t work from outside the US; I was beginning to get skeptical.

Upon exiting arrivals, my first quest was a Spanish sim card for my phone and after being given wrong directions, part in Spanish and part very broken English, for a shop where I could purchase my Spanish sim, I went from place to place and finally managed to get my “free card” at the cost of 10 Euros. I couldn’t quite understand the clerk’s explanation in Spanish but I kind of figured that my little sim was free; it was the pre-loading of the minutes that my 10 Euros was covering.  On Saturday morning, my Spanish sim later was invaluable as I was still trying to track my bag most of the morning, only to find that it was in Heathrow airport and “might be with me before I left for Gredos on Sunday morning”.

Being free from cumbersome luggage, I decided to take the Metro into Madrid. Following the easy to identify signs, I finally found the ticket machines and entrance a full 3 terminals away. Their subway system is remarkably easy to use and very inexpensive. I only had to change lines once (underground signs are so easy to follow to connecting lines) on my way to the stop just outside my hotel. Combined with my walk through the airport and the rides on two different lines, it did take me over an hour to get to my destination but it was well worth the savings of 25 Euros.

My first priority was getting some breakfast and then to get acclimated to my immediate area of the city and again, the metro system, I spent my time wandering the best sights by foot, thanks to an incredibly good guide book. On one of my first excursions on the Metro besides my run in from the airport, I went way beyond my stop because I’d forgotten the station where I had to change but I realized my error and backtracked. I had 1 ½ days before the VaughanTown program and 4 days after the program to explore the city and I accomplished this by mostly walking.

Madrid is an amazing city of ancient buildings and the feeling everywhere I went was vibrant and exciting. My explorations took me from Plaza del Sol (where you can find the exact center of Spain) to the Plaza Major, a most magnificent plaza surrounded by cafes and shops. Next to that, I found the Mercado de San Miguel, although an elegant glass and steel market, it’s almost a hundred years old. It’s filled with streaming light focused on stalls and customers who all share various tables. It’s one of Madrid’s gastronomic hot spots -- filled with scrumptious food and drink vendors and very satisfied customers! On Saturday, it was almost impossible to make my way down the aisles so I made a point to go back on a Tuesday. It was still buzzing but I could at least walk down the aisles and see the stunning food on display (both cooked and uncooked).

On the Sunday following the VaughanTown program, I met with 2 Spanish women and another Anglo from our program for a day of exploring a huge flea market. Three of us met up at the respectful hour of 11.00am, and while waiting for the other Spaniard who was running late, we three had a rich, strong and short coffee in a typical little bar/restaurant and then we all proceeded to amble towards the market while talking the whole time. Spending a few hours walking through what was the biggest and most crowded market I’ve ever seen, we stopped at a little place that served sandwiches. There wasn’t anywhere to sit but it must be one of the most popular sandwich places at the market because the line to order snaked up the street. We then went to an antiques market and wandered through it for a while before stopping at a terrace café and sat outside to talk over drinks.

After stopping off at little local bar to purchase jamón, queso, pan and vino, my new Anglo friend and I ended up at our new Spanish friend’s flat (apartment) for a good talk, gossip and some music. It couldn’t have been a more fantastic Spanish day with good friends, good food and good wine.

My last two days were filled with more walking tours in the historic sections seeing sights such as lavish squares like the Plaza de España and a half day touring the Palacio Real, the Palace Royal, and within that, the Apothecary Museum and the Royal Armory. It had been 8 years since I’d been to the Palace Royal and it was every bit as wonderful as I’d remembered. I’m especially fascinated by the armory – some human and horse armors date back as far as the 1400’s.  They even have full-sized statues of horses to display their full armor. It’s just so incredibly impressive.

I then went back to Mercado de San Miguel for a superb tortilla (a taste offered to me in Spanish by one of the vendors – although he spoke English he was delighted with my efforts in Spanish!) and a glass of vino tinto. It couldn’t have been a more perfect final day for me.

Madrid – I fell in love with the city all over again (as well as loving all of the local Spaniards that I met) and I’ll be back! I always felt completely comfortable, not as if I was an outsider or tourist but as if I’d lived there for a while and was just exploring my own city on a day out.

 

Even the rain couldn't dampen my love for Madrid!

 

VaughnTown -- Even More Awe-inspiring As My Week Came to a Close

Meals were truly amazing events where we always sat at tables of 4, 2 Spaniards and 2 Anglos, and for each meal everyone tried to be sure to choose different Spaniards and Anglos. Each day at 9.00am we started with a vast, expansive buffet breakfast with every kind of sausage imaginable and freshly baked bread to die for. Cheese, fresh fruit, pastries and eggs were also included as well as rich strong coffee. Lunch at 2.00pm and dinner at 9.00pm always started with a salad buffet followed by 3 courses accompanied by red wine and of course lots of conversation. The truly enjoyable part of our meals was lingering for an hour and a half while conversations took place – no cell phones or TV to divert anyone’s attention.

Finishing dinner around 10.30pm, most of us headed for the bar where conversations continued on from dinner or new ones started. One evening, some of our group, mostly Spanish and some UK fans, were treated to watching a soccer match between Real Madrid and Manchester United. It was a nail biter all the way to a tie finish. A couple of the evenings we had games of our own such as word games or Trivial Pursuit. One night we all gathered in the solarium for a Queimada ceremony, narrated and mixed by Carlota. It’s a Galician witch’s brew made from Senorio de Beade – a 40 proof liquor which Carlota set on fire while 2 Spaniards and 1 Anglo played the witches parts.

On Thursday as the week was winding down, one of the requirements for the Spaniards was to give a 10 minute presentation on any topic of their choice. I’d asked various Spaniards what the topic of their presentations was and often as late as Thursday morning, they weren’t sure. My god, I’d have been in a panic all week but they were confident in their ability to speak English and do their presentation. We were divided into groups again so that Anglos could watch the presentations.  Each and every presentation was absolutely impressive and awe inspiring. Just imagine giving a 10 minute presentation in a language that you are just learning.

Thursday night ended with a party that went on to the wee hours of the morning. Many of the Spaniards, both female and male, are fantastic dancers! Not to say that the Anglos aren’t but the Spaniards seem to have a built in rhythm and smoothness and a love of life that comes through in their dancing. Friday morning everyone was on time for our last breakfast, in spite of the late hours. It was a warm spring like day so as we met our partners for one to ones, we formed a larger group and walked to a river just over a mile away.

Following our morning session, we had a closing ceremony where each of us was given a certificate saying that we’d completed 80 hours straight of English conversation. This of course, didn’t include the many hours that we’d spent in the bar after dinner, nor the few minutes that we met around the scheduling board each morning before breakfast. Each of us had to say something and it was then that I realized that this week had provided me with a missing part of my life – interacting and getting to know people from other cultures. I was overcome with emotion because each person there had become so familiar to me as if I’d known them for many years. Over the week, this group, both Spaniards and Anglos had become my temporary family. But who’s to say that the length of time that you know someone is a measurement of friendship?

My VaughnTown week was an invaluable experience I hope to repeat several times if I can. In addition to being warm, open, witty, loving life, demanding (of themselves), excited (I love their expressions and the animated use of their hands when they talk), dedicated and welcoming, I found the Spaniards to be incredibly hard working. Most of them are taking a 5 month long English class consisting of 10 hours a week in the classroom plus a minimum of 20 hours a week of homework. They all have very demanding jobs as managers or directors so this requires extra hours at their work place. And many of them have families including small children whom they want to spend as much time with as possible.  For a few, they are into their 2^nd 5-month course. That’s a long, hard year for them.

I was also impressed with the Anglos, many of whom I now consider good friends. We didn’t get to spend a lot of time together but we got to know each other very well in the short time we did have.

My VaughnTown experience was a memorable one for many reasons – the incredibly well organized program due to Mayte; the energetic vitality that Carlota provided for the skits and presentations and the wonderful accommodation and meals at Gredos. Mostly, I will never forget each member of my VaughnTown family – la familia. By the end of the week, I had the answers to my questions of the first morning. The individuals involved in the program did become my family, if only very briefly and dynamics in relationships did change over the week but only for the better. I hope to keep in contact with them and follow their progress through life.

 

My Awe-inspiring Week at VaughnTown (Part 1)

What happens when you bring together 25 people, 12 Spaniards and 13 Anglos, with different cultural backgrounds, personal and work histories and languages for an intensive week of talking to each other in a secluded environment? Will the dynamics between people change as the week progresses and they learn more about each other? Early on a Sunday morning in Madrid, these were my thoughts as I boarded a bus to Gredos with my group.


 

Our Gredos retreat

During February, through Vaughn systems, I spent a week in Gredos with Spanish professionals who are learning English in a formal classroom environment but want/need more of a “real world experience” of speaking English. My only job for the week was to talk, talk and talk! The job of the Spanish executives was to speak only English to the Anglos and to each other. Vaughn’s goal for these intensive weeks is for the Spaniards to hear different accents from the Anglos and to be able to understand them so the Anglos included participants from different parts of the UK, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand and the US.

Mayte, our program director, arranged our schedules each day to ensure that everyone had the right amount of time with each other. Our days were filled with hour long “one to one” sessions between a Spaniard and an Anglo where we discussed almost every topic imaginable from their working days, their education, their families, foods, what sports they love, music, to travel – you name it. Because we were a small group, the Anglos had a chance to participate in at least 2 one to ones with every Spaniard. In addition to these, we practiced telephone calls and conference calls covering normal business or travel related situations. Our schedules for the day were posted on a board before breakfast each morning but often we’d get so involved with our conversations that Mayte had to remind everyone to move on to the next partner.

Of course, we didn’t have our nose to the grindstone all of the time. (Spaniards – another idiom for you) First Marisa and then Carlota made sure that we had plenty of group activities, presentations that would be given by the Spaniards, skits for an “Entertainment” hour each day, and games that were only in English. One of our first group activities, after breaking into random groups of 4, 2 Spaniards and 2 Anglos, was to take photos that depicted a list we were given of 10 very diverse things. Photos were to be judged on the most creative. My team was made up of 3 very macho men and me so the sky was the limit. (actually, in one photo we did have a suitcase falling from the sky) After the first couple of photos at the hotel, we decided to take a car into the village where we raced around getting the remaining photos for our list. Our team won but our “prize” was to form an improv group of four and come up with a skit and to act it out for the Entertainment hour the following night. Developing the skit and rehearsing existed of 2 hours of constant belly laughs and we never twice said the same lines or did the same things. 

 

Other activities included a half hour walk into the village where we split up and just wandered around the castle and shops. Because it was Carnival, not many shops were open besides a “local bean” shop, nor were the bars open. Not surprisingly, we all managed to find our way back to the one open bar. As we were having a drink, one of the Spaniards from my “photo team” brought tapas to our table. The small bits looked very appetizing but his smile was mischievous so I was skeptical. (He had been on my photo contest team so I’d learned a little about his “zest for life”.) I took a bite and then asked what it was. He told me Morro, the Spanish name for it, which didn’t mean anything to me. I asked one of the Spanish women and she pulled at her lips and told me it was pig’s lips. I’ve never spit anything out so quickly! I’m not into eating anything other than the typical parts of animals that we get in the US. I swore that I’d get even with him!

Next week, I’ll let you know how the week finished and whether or not my question of how all these different personalities mixed. Here's a view of the surrounding area as we arrived in Gredos.