Glacier Chic

1.  Start with a good base layer - LL Bean midweight merino wool pants and top are super soft and do nice double duty as winter jammies when you are at home.

2.  Then, if you are like me and afraid of freezing to death in a crevasse, a wool turtleneck, a sweater, a North Face fleece jacket and pants, and a Gortex North Face parka.  You'll know you have enough on once you can't bring your arms down to your sides easily.  Or when you fall over and bounce back up.  

3.  Now for some accessories - about twelve feet of woolen scarf (bought in Iceland, naturally) wrapped tightly around neck and face.  Leave room for eyes.  (Leaned through experience.)  Thick hat and gloves, shearling boots with lug sole and two pairs of socks.

4.  And now for the technical equipment:  Crampons (strapped to boots), ice pick (held rakishly askew - not recommended);  oh, yeah -- and a nice purse.  In this case, my Chanel WOC because it's my lightest and sportiest.  Ha.  But it's pretty true actually, so there you have it.  (Karl, if you are reading this, feel free to send me some more sample "gear" to test in other adventure-like settings.  It's a hassle, but I'd do it for you.)

Because you can put a girl on a glacier, but you can't take the girl out of me!

Ice, Ice Baby

So anyway, last weekend, we went to Iceland.  If you are like most of our friends, you're thinking "Huh?"  Iceland doesn't appear on the top of most people's travel lists - frankly it wasn't at the top of ours until we started reading up on it.  

At only about a five hour flight from New York, it's a convenient destination for Northern Lights hunters - the primary reason we decided to go as viewing the Northern Lights is on our bucket list.  (2012 is supposed to be a stellar year for viewing due to higher solar activity.)

We spent four days in and around Reykjavik - just about the right time for our first visit - yup, that's right, definitely planning a second visit.  And though we didn't see a single Northern Light, I'm not a bit disappointed as there was so much more to do and enjoy.



Reykjavik City Tour


The city is small and compact, perfect for exploring on foot.  There are a lot of interesting public sculptures, dramatic views of the surrounding mountain peaks and harbor, and the clean lines of Nordic architecture to take in.

National Museum of Iceland
This museum was a pleasure to explore - so well-organized and accessible to attendees not well-versed in Icelandic history (that would be me).  No surprise it won a "Best European Museum" award.  It takes you from the founding of the first settlements to modern day - and even includes a Bjork record of course.  My favorite item in the collection is the National Dress Costume - skautbúningur.  Designed by an Icelandic painter, it is a great example of how a single garment can act as a catalyst and symbol for national cultural identity. 

Source: National Museum of Iceland

Of course there are plenty more museums and city attractions to explore, but let's skip to the total wow factor - Icelandic mother nature.  There are glaciers, volcanoes, thermal pools, waterfalls, misty afternoons and star filled skies which will take your breath away.  

Apparently there is treasure hidden just beyond the falls...

Glacier AND a rainbow!  What does it mean?!?!

This is the volcano Eyjafjallajökull, whose eruption in 2010 grounded me in Paris.  I have to admit I doubt this is the actual volcano - though the sign pointed to it, this doesn't look so menacing.  Maybe the real volcano is behind it??

The Blue Lagoon - just as neat as it looks and the water makes your skin so soft!  NB: It is worthwhile signing up for the Exclusive Suite changing room unless public nudity is your thing (it isn't mine).

Last but not least, food and shopping...  I can say with confidence one of the best meals I have ever had - EVER - was at The Fish Market.  I was worried it was over-rated but not so.  The young chef Hrefna Soetran is brilliant.  Try their tasting menu for the best overview of her creative dishes at a great value. 

Salted cod with cashews, celery and cherry sauce -  an unbelievable combination!

  
Besides their love of seafood, Icelanders also have a passion for hot dogs.  Yes, it shouldn't make sense,  but they are so good.  We went to the famous local Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand - look for the long line of hungry people looking like they are about to start a mosh pit (yes, that crowded and that good).  We asked for the works, which came with a variety of sauces (mustard, ketchup and remoulade all in unexpected colors) and crispy onions.  Awesome.

As for the shopping, this is THE place to get your hand knit wool sweaters and other accouterments.  Make sure to go to the Icelandic Handknitting Association stores - there you will be guaranteed locally made wool and make.  Below is an example of their lovely work.

Source:  Handknitting Assoc. of Iceland

I would show you what I purchased but - and I am still in a little disbelief - it is still getting made for me (!!!) and will arrive in about a month.  See, I wanted a dress but they didn't have quite the right color combination in the shop.  So the kind ladies running the store took me to the back counter area and plunked me before a wall of wools and told me to have my pick.  I chose grey, olive, brown and taupe, and with those instructions, someone is currently knitting me a dress I will happily show you in a few weeks time. 


Tomorrow, join me for tips on what to wear on a glacier.  :)

The Boot Saga Has Ended

I have extraordinarily large calves (which I attribute to wearing heels during my more formative years because it certainly isn't from intensive sports), and these calves make it near impossible to find a fitting boot.

I have tried the typical solutions - the stretchy shaft variety (they shimmy down as I walk) and those labeled as "extra wide" (they don't fit either, and make me feel like a calve-giantess).

Then one day at Nordstrom's a kind sales associate, seeing my pain, kept bringing out boots until I felt like I had tried every one in the store.  The closest one to fitting was a Steve Madden slouchy black boot in a size 12 (I am a size 10).  They were not ideal, the style felt a little 80s and I was worried they wouldn't wear well.  But I was moving to Europe in a month, and I had heard it would be even more difficult to buy shoes in my size there.  They were a stop gap measure that ended up lasting almost 4 years of intensive wear. Who knew they would end up being the best cost-per-wear shoes I'd ever owned?

Similar at Steve Madden.com here

Last spring, a fatal tear developed in the toe that sent me on a boot search again.  I went back to Steve Madden, but I didn't want the slouchy style again - though passable, it just wasn't my style.  I decided to go bootless rather then settle, and figured the right pair would come into my life eventually.  (Or I could just wait for old age to start atrophying my leg muscles a bit, yes I considered this as a possible option.)

In preparing my shopping research for my Argentina trip, it dawned on me that I should try my boot hunt there.  After all, leather yardage would be plentiful and hopefully in sufficient quantity to swathe my calves.  I decided to try my luck at Arandu, a shop with its own craftsmen dedicated to the styles and customs of the Argentinian pampas/ countryside.  I liked the idea of being able to buy something not only locally made, but with an almost historical authenticity.

Upon entering the store, you are greeted with the warm smell of leather and the sight of a horse in full regalia:   

Polo and cowboy related items crowded the shelves - it's clear this is a shop for active horse-people who will use and abuse their gear.  Ralph Lauren may cater to the fantasy of this lifestyle, but this place is the real deal.

I am not a horse person per se - my motto is "Give me a horse with a strong back and a good disposition," - and I've only ridden twice.  So I immediately felt out of place and was getting ready to leave, if it weren't for the extremely kind and enthusiastic sales people who quickly put me at ease.  

I explained what I was looking for, with some difficultly, in Spanish (I kept saying I had enormous legs because I'd forgotten the word for calves!).  The sales person I was working with knew some English so between the two of us there was a lot of hand gesturing and nodding.

On a back wall in a closet-like space, rows and rows of boots of all styles and colors line up like little soldiers.  I sat down on a little stool and started trying various delectable styles on, but nothing quite fit.  Getting ready to leave with slumped shoulders, the sales person asked "When do you leave Argentina?"  "Not for a few days," I told him.  "I ask, I think we can make them for you."  

After some checking and consternation with other various people at the main desk, he came back to me to let me know that it would indeed be possible to get custom made boots.  Their workshop is in the country and they normally have once a week deliveries, but they were willing to send the boots to me by taxi so they would be there in time for my flight.

With a great deal of measuring, consultations and considerations, the size and fit were recorded, as was the style and leather of my choice.  The leather craftsman who would be working on my boot was rung up, and (this much I could translate from Spanish) was warned of my unusual calf sizing.  She recommended modifying the style to be slightly shorter, on the advice that the proportions might look off otherwise.  I left it in the hands of the experts, and thanked the sales associate profusely.  He said the sweetest thing too - that he really wanted to make it happen for me, because his girlfriend has large calves and he thinks it's unfair she has such a hard time finding boots that fit.  He didn't want me to leave Argentina disappointed.  

In just two days - late on the night before our flight - a pair of handmade custom boots arrived miraculously at our hotel's front desk.  Needless to say, there was quite a bit of prancing as I pulled on the boots over my pajamas to test them out immediately.  

Here they are at home:

Hand-waxed cow leather, they have this burnished effect and a slightly red almost cordovan hue.

I love the little details, like the interior boot straps, the number/signature of the craftsman who made them and the little metal toe taps.  And of course the memory of how they came into my closet.  

 

Winter Hawaiian Cruise

After a terribly long hiatus (sincere apologies!), I'm a bit back-logged with the posts I had planned.  I have yet to do a post on shopping in Argentina (coming soon, with pictures!), in part because I have been busy traveling to more places, starting new art classes, and doing a major New Year's clean out of every nook and corner in the house.  This means I have a lot of disorganized digital photos, paint and clay on a good deal of play clothes, and plenty of sorted piles destined for other locales.  

Whilst I continue to get myself out from under the mess, I thought I would write up a quick packing post on our trip to Hawaii over New Year's.  We spend 10 days including some alone time on Oahu before joining my parents on a cruise of several of the islands.  This was an especially challenging trip to pack for because we were transitioning climates (East Coast winter to Pacific tropical), but also the number of days and varied activities.  I had to break my rule and check a bag on the plane - the first time in years!  

(Photos approximate the items as closely as possible - actual items described below.)

Winter Hawaiian Cruise by cestca featuring off shoulder tops

Formal Night - three-quarter sleeved dress with full skirt and off-the-shoulder neckline, Chanel WOC, Chanel bow pumps (not pictured) Alexis Bittar cocktail ring

Beach Wear - skinny stripe long sleeved t-shirt, white linen pants, swim dress, sunglasses, crushable striped sun hat (purchased in Hawaii)

Travel and Sightseeing Wear - Essentially I formed my outfits around the two scarves I packed, which were also used as sarongs/wraps/cover ups/travel blankets as needed:

• Hermes Brides de Gala silk 140 cm scarf in green
• Hermes Astrologie cotton 140 cm scarf in purple and etoupe
• Black and beige (not shown) linen pants (seriously, the best go-to linen travel pants ever!)
• White cotton stretch pencil skirt
• Beige linen skirt
• Black linen shorts (not pictured)
• Green silk skirt
• Green silk dress (not pictured)
• White cotton/linen t-shirt, black cotton t-shirt (not pictured)
• White silk/cotton sweater, white linen sweater (not pictured)
• Off-the-shoulder blouse
• Linen embroidered blouse
• Saint James striped t-shirt (aka old reliable)
• Etoupe cardigan in light merino wool
• Other shoes: Chanel two-tone flats, nude pumps and a couple pairs of flip flops
• Other bags: Hermes Marwari in etoupe, and Hermes jige clutch in gold (not pictured)
• Sporty clothes for a hiking trip (not pictured) - sports sandals, t-shirt, and rain jacket

All in all, entirely too many bags and shoes, but from a clothing perspective I got good use out of everything except that darned formal night outfit.  With that exception, I found it to be the right amount of clothing for a frequently-changing-your-outfit type of trip.  I washed out a number of items, and repressed linen clothing after each wear to keep myself looking neat and tidy.  Doing it over again, I think I'd skip formal night (who wants to dress up when it's so balmy and tropical?), and cut down on irrelevant* shoes.

* Let's just say there was a bone of contention in our household over the number of shoes I packed.  My spouse seemed to think two pairs of heels were excessive and one should stay behind; but I had visions of grand outfit changes each evening a la An Affair to Remember.  I found the sports sandals to be silly and was willing to leave them behind instead. (We were hiking across a lava field, surely that could be done in bejeweled flip-flops, no?)  In the end, we compromised and took a larger bag so I could both hike safely on rugged terrain and swoon about our carpeted cabin to my delight.  And isn't that in part what vacationing should be about?  :)

Buenos Aires Highlights: Part 2 - Food and Wine

Argentina = beef, right?  Right.

Kitchen view of Cabana Las Lilas.

Argentinian steaks are famous the wold over, and rightly so.   Even before we arrived, I carefully planned out a tour of the best parrillas, with the goal to eat my weight in steak before leaving the country.  Ugh, some days it definitely felt like I was reaching that goal!  

Argentinian food culture, at least from my limited experience, can seem very European in some ways, very different in others.  But everything, I believe, arises from their unique relationship to beef.

First, this is not a "big breakfast" culture like the US.  A small coffee, maybe a sweet medialuna (literally "half-moon" or croissant), and that's it.

Breakfast of campions.

Comparatively, people generally start their day a bit later too, much like in Spain.  And I totally get why: people typically eat dinner starting at around 10pm.  Usually, it's a dinner that consists of a 1 pound slab of beef, with maybe some potatoes and decorative lettuce thrown in.  If you eat a slab of beef at 11pm accompanied by half a bottle of wine, how likely is it that you will be up with the sun frying up an omelet with bacon.  Not likely.  

Anyway, I quickly found out that the late, rich and filling dinners we were having would totally knock me out well into late morning.  Really I was not good and hungry until 1 or 2pm.  

Lunch generally involved some form of beef as well.  At cafes, light sandwiches often meant  lomo (a thin strip of tenderloin) covered in melted cheese and a slice of ham!  With a side of chips or french fries dipped in salsa golf  (ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together) of course.  

Salsa Gold and the local Quilmes Cristal beer.

We did this type of lunch once, but my arteries did protest too much, so we often resorted to a light snack in our hotel room of fruit, cheese and little bread.  Or a helping of gelato from Freddo (yes, they know their way around gelato in Argentina too).

Dulce de leche, rum and chocolate gelato for lunch.

Really, all day was just a slow preparation of the beef bonanza to come, commonly referred to as dinner. It meant having a bit of a siesta in the afternoon, just so we would be alert enough to eat it.  (Ok, a couple times we broke down and made reservations for 8 or 8:30pm, but usually we tried to hit the peak dining hour of 10ish to feel the happy buzz of a restaurant going at full steam.)  Interestingly enough, our tour guide mentioned that like in Spain, the habit of siesta is slowly going away, however people who live close enough to home still go home in the middle of the day for their lunch.  

Now for the dinner itself.  Most restaurants offer you an empanada (little pie stuffed with ground beef) soon after you sit down.  On the rare occasion you have to order it yourself, but either way it seems many meals start off with this tasty little morsel of lard pastry and fatty beef.  That's just to whet your appetite a bit as you peruse the food and wine menus.

But in reality, you can just go ahead and put those menus down, because it seems every restaurant has colluded with one another to bring you the same experience no matter what:

Here is the bread basket I assembled back in 1994.  Nobody dares eat it but we'll charge you for looking at it because that is what we do.

Now, what part of the cow do you want us to bring you, and how bloody do you want it?

Okay, now, you can have ANYTHING you want as a side, so long as it started life as a potato.

Still worried that a true vegetable hasn't crossed your lips in days?  Okay, we'll bring you a salad but under no circumstances will we put something on it.  Salad dressing is too rich, we worry about your health.

Oh, and you better have a bottle of Malbec, it helps cut the artery clogging enough do we can stuff you in a taxi at the end of the night.

Done.

I think we ate at 6 or 7 different parillas, and routine was very consistent. Not that I am complaining.  They have steak down to an art form and it was delicious every single time.  Sure there were variations in the cut of the meat, or the creaminess of the mashed potato, but I suppose when you get something as right as meat and potatoes, you don't mess with the formula.

Which brings me to my other observation - where is the spice?  Everything was usually served in it's purest form.  You want french fries, sure, you get potatoes, sliced and fried.  They will not be shaking them with chile powder or tossing them in garlic.  You want salad, okay, but it will be served naked, with a couple whisps of tomato.  You want carrots?  Ok, here is a bowl of carrots.  You get exactly what you order.  Very little is done to food, and you get the purest flavor.  This works great on steak - it's so good it would be a crime to slather it in A1.  But have you heard of table salt?  Usually missing from the table, it was begrudgingly brought out only when asked.  These people are hard core!

My favorite grill restaurants:

El Mirasol - Near Recoleta, said to be one of the best parrillas in town, it was pricey but delicious.  The atmosphere was more of a business dinner crowd, so subdued and professional, but very nice.   Order the Copa Recova with a friend - it's a boat of gelato and meringue which you could literally sail away on.

La Brigada - Right in the charming neighborhood of San Telmo.  They take their meat so seriously here, they would not let us order a ribeye done "medium well".  As the waiter explained, it simply doesn't do justice to the meat, so the chef won't cook it.

Cabana Las Lilas - In Puerto Madero with water views, this is one of the most famous parrillas in town.  I read reviews that this had now become "over-rated" and too hyped up on its own fame, but it was absolutely our favorite place by far.  We had a table outside overlooking the water and the wine and food were simply amazing.






Las Nazarenas - By Plaza San Martin, a little touristy, but a nice asador (steakhouse) with great service and food.  And a neat spit at the front where you can see meat being roasted.




Juana M - A spot that seems more for locals than tourists, a great underground dining room and the most affordably priced dinner we had.  Great steaks and amazing salad bar where we finally got some good vegetables in our gullets!

Oops, I was halfway through before I remembered to take a picture.  

A note on prices:  On average, a "pricey" dinner at a top restaurant meant about $100 for two, including wine and desert!

Now, on to the wines... 

Argentina is known for their amazing Malbecs, so we decided to take a private wine-tasting session with a sommelier at Gran Cru, a wine shop in the Recoleta area.  It was one of my favorite experiences, and well-worth the time and money. We got to try a range of Malbecs, nibble on local cheese, and learn more about the history and wine-production methods in Argentina.  I'm glad we did this at the start of our trip, as it made ordering wine less daunting at dinner the following evenings.  

After days of Malbec and beef (actually, I was convinced I started to smell like steak), we did have one non-typical meal I want to share with you.  See, one of my other goals, beside eating steak to the point of silliness, was to go to a casa cerrada, or closed door, restaurant.  Buenos Aires (and other cities all over the world I imagine) has these secret little restaurants which don't really advertise but operate more on a word of mouth basis.  Essentially, very talented chefs open the doors of their own homes to a handful of people once or twice a week, and you have the privilege of having a very unique and carefully thought out experience.  

We were fortunate enough to get reservations to Casa Mun, a closed door restaurant of Asian fusion style.  Chef Mun, who studied under Iron Chef Makota Okuwa, carefully prepared and explained each course, each of which was paired with an lovely wine.   Not only was it a wonderful break from beef, but it was simply amazing in its own right.  The delicate balance of flavors and textures and some of the best sushi I have EVER had.  Yes, right there in Buenos Aires.  I couldn't recommend it more.

Spicy seafood and vegetable broth.

Lightly seared tuna with crispy onions.

Sushi selection - the fried rice with spicy tuna on the right was amazing!

Momofuku style pork buns - I could have eaten a huge pile if only I weren't so stuffed from the previous courses!

In fairness, there was a lovely chocolate cake for dessert, but I was too busy enjoying it to realize I'd forgotten to take a picture!  

It was a perfect ending to our Buenos Aires experience, because it really reminded us that the city is a thriving cosmopolitain center to Latin America, and more than just the food stereotypes it's famous for.

Next up: shopping!

Buenos Aires Highlights - Part 1: Architecture

I haven't posted in such a long time - really there is no excuse other than the normal traveling and holiday craziness - oops!  It's been a few weeks since we returned from Buenos Aires and I've been busy with unpacking, holiday preparations and packing for the next trip (more on that one later).

But now, let me just get down to business and share with you the highlights from our lovely and delicious trip to Buenos Aires.  

Having never been to Argentina before, we decided to hire a tour guide and car and driver for the first couple days we were there.  This was a great way to see the city and surrounding environs in a stress-free way, and learn more about the local history and culture first-hand from an expert.  (Interestingly enough, our tour guide was also a conspiracy theorist, so in addition to the typical information, we also received a heaping dose of stories about Masonic power struggles, symbolism and secret society world orders.  It's interesting to see what filters people bring with them - makes me wonder what mine is.  LOL!)

The first thing that struck me about the city was the architecture.  I had heard Buenos Aires was called the "Paris of Latin America,"and it seemed like a fair statement - sometimes I felt like I could be strolling down Haussmann, with the style of balconies above and cafes below.  I'm no architectural expert, but it left me with this constant feeling of deja vu.  

But besides Paris, there was a fair amount of liberal pull from many different architectural styles -- all consistently elaborate and monumental.  It's no surprise considering that Argentina was one of the wealthiest nations at the turn of the previous century; it's clear much of that wealth went into building and decorating impressive structures.

Now, for a mini-tour of the city!

Here is El Congreso, where Argentina's parliament resides.  The dome is inspired by the US Capitol Building.

Up from Congreso on Avenida del Mayo is the old historical district, which has quite a bit to see and visit.  Here is the Metropolitan Cathedral, which is very Greek inspired.    

 

Inside, the resting place of one of Argentina's founding fathers Jose de San Martin, looks a bit like Napoleon's tomb to me (sorry for the poor lighting).

On the opposite corner, is the Cabildo, the original seat of government, in a very Spanish colonial style:

Across the Plaza de Mayo is the Casa Rosada, the Argentinian equivalent of the White House.  There are a couple theories of why it's pink (one has to do with political parties coming to terms, the other is about cow's blood, I'll let you choose).  

Of course this is the famous Evita balcony.  On weekends they even let tourists stand up there and presumably act out Madonna's scene (and yes, we did watch the movie as part of our pre-trip research!) - I declined this opportunity to finish up some shopping but to each his or her own.

And a look back across the Plaza de Mayo, which is in the center of it all.  This is where mothers of individuals lost in the Dirty War still come together to protest and demand answers for their children.  If you don't know anything about the Dirty War, I highly recommend reading "The Little School" by Alicia Partnoy.  This is a part of recent world history everyone should know about.

On a brighter note, one of the loveliest things about our trip was that we happened to arrive during peak Jacaranda blooming season.  Jacarandas are those purple blossomed trees that rain down purple-snow petals on the streets.  I just couldn't get enough!

Nearby, Avenida 9 de Julio is one of the widest streets in the world - it takes you at least two lights to cross it since it's as wide as a typical city block.  Here is a shot from the center median.  Note the Evita sign on the right:

Here is a statue of Don Quixote on one side.

Looking back towards the Obelisk:

Here is Calle de Florida, the main pedestrian shopping street.

It's filled with shopping galleries which remind me of Brussels and Paris.

Below are some shots from the old Little Italy part of town is called El Caminito, famous for it's brightly colored buildings built from scavenged tin and other materials from ships coming into port.  It also accounts for the bright colors - the paint was often leftover bits and pots used to paint ship hulls.  It's a very touristy part of town but well-worth a visit.

Nearer to our hotel, the neighborhood of Recoleta houses the famous cemetery and next-door colonial church, Claustros de Pilar.  In fact the whole neighborhood was named for this area, which once housed cloistered monks.

The altar and interior decorations almost have a Bavarian gothic feel...

Of course most people come to see just the cemetery, to visit the famous and beautiful tombs and see where Evita Peron was buried.  I'm not much of a cemetery tourist, but as it's one of the city's main attractions we did have a visit.  The designs on many were indeed quite impressive.

Here is Evita's resting place:

The cemetery is inhabited by stray cats, which are fed by a society of cat lovers (kind of like in Rome).

Back to architecture highlights - Palacio Barolo is an Art Noveau structure built by an Italian where every floor corresponds to a section of Dante's Inferno (Hell on the ground floor all the way to salvation at the top).  It was unexpectedly closed when we visited, so all we were able to see where the gargoyles illustrating Hell in the lobby.

Nearby, the famous Cafe Tortoni could be torn out of a Budapest or Vienna tour book.  This is where the Argentinian literati met for coffee and conversation and now is more commonly filled with tourists like us...

Speaking of cafes, one of my favorites was right near our hotel.  Cafe La Biela is where we spent many an afternoon sipping a cafe con leche or icy cold beer.  It sits in the shade of a 200 year old gum tree.

The gum tree is as old as the surrounding buildings and just as ornate.

Whew!  There is so much to see in Buenos Aires, can you believe these are just some of the highlights?  There are also plenty of amazing parks and plazas, restaurants, shopping and clubs.  I'll cover a handful of those in my next post!

Some Things to See and Do

• Congreso
• Avenida de Julio 9
• Obelisco
• Plaza de Mayo (and Asociacion Madres de Plaza de Mayo)
• Cabildo
• Casa Rodada
• Metropolitan Cathedral
• Caminito
• Cafe Tortoni
• Palacio Barolo
• Recoleta Cemetery
• Claustros de Pilar
• Cafe La Biela