New York by taste

I need to spend some words on the eating in New York. To keep it simple; I'll give you my favourite breakfast, lunch and dinner spots.

Let's start with breakfast:
With this one, it's not the food, it's the location.

Bryant Park
I guess my muffin and my coffee tasted even better out in the sun. The warmth of a lovely morning had everything to do with the magic that tasted like a piece of heaven, shaped like a paper cup of cappuccino and a blueberry muffin. (I love muffins!) The people relaxing around me and the awaiting day beneath a blue sky gave this breakfast a silver lining. I will do that again when In New York the next time!



Secondly; lunch:
This location was fabulous, but so was the food as well. A lot of points for atmosphere.

Pastis (Meatpacking District)
This place had to be good. It's well mentioned in both city guides and by critics. And it was. I had a green salad with goat cheese for 10$. Simple yet perfect. Excellent vibes created by the staff, the marvelous space, the crowdedness, the ceiling fans, the clock on the wall, the life of a Sunday Lunch. All though quite French, I tasted a piece of Cuba, a piece of Casablanca in there, as well. Well, it might have been the heat and the sweat running down my neck. It was a hot day. Anyhow, I strongly recommend to try this ten year old.
www.pastisny.com



Thirdly, it's time for dinner:
I had to make a choice here, going with yet another French one or to be seduced by the Cuban. My knees went weak, it was the Cuban, definitely.

Havana Central
Yes, I admit, it was the live band playing salsa that lured me. I couldn't resist. Suddenly I found myself inside, my hips were moving and my knees were bent. The salsa had me weak in no-time. A short stop at the bar, hips moving, arms up, and the table was ready. The buzzing vibe was one of the best experienced ever! I had to take it light, I was high on the salsa, so I went for the Ensalada de Cobbano for a cheap 12$. Don't be fooled by the salad, it was Cuban and a meal that could stand on its own two feet. Havana Central on 46th street definitely took the price and won by atmosphere. A good runner-up was the duck of Marseille on 44th.
www.havanacentral.com


Hungry? Me too.

Oh Joy!

I have lived the most fabulous days this past week. Joy of meeting people. Joy of new experiences. Joy of feeling the strains open and free my soul again. Joy of watching the world with the eyes of a child. Cause? New York.

A special tribute to Karys Rhea, who did a great job entertaining in the sun. Your "Society" was great!

Conquer him with love

Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.

That's our daily doze of Mahatma Gandhi.

I have had a lot of time to think today, most of it done in my dreams, as I've been stuck to the bed, knocked over by a 38 degree fever. Two themes filled my day: searching and love. Not connected to each other, but separate. A fever will really give powerful dreams, so as it seems to continue, I'll enjoy the ride of tonight.

Be the change

You must be the change you want to see in the world.

Today I'm starting with the words of Mahatma Gandhi. They have been on my mind the whole week. I have noticed I'm surrounded by people that enforce negative thoughts where ever they walk, what ever words come out of their mouth. We cannot always choose the people that enter in our lives, but thankfully we can still choose whether to let them have an impact on our thoughts and hearts or not.

This week, after hearing some very negative things being said about a very positive person, I said I couldn't believe that said was true. I got the response "Oh, you always try to see the best in people". It was said more as an insult than anything else, but I took it as a compliment.

If we cannot give people the benefit of doubt, how would we ever get that ourselves?

Let's be the change we want to see in the world, because it might as well start from us.

Week in pictures

Since a picture often tells more than a thousand words, here's this weeks square shaped highlights.

Monday morning. This little fellow slept in the tree outside the kitchen window.


My newest find.


As always, beauty is all in the detail.


Did we wait for spring or what? Rain falling down, but today it's all in the colour.

But it is the afterglow

But it is the afterglow
Inside of you
Of all those you met
Who meant something in your life /From poem by King Olav V of Norway, August 1977

Who will be your afterglow?

For a long time I have felt drained in a way. I blame what I currently fill my days with: work. I need to move on, because what should bring me life takes life away from me. I will need to break away, break free from what tightens the rope around my soul day by day.

Since nothing creative will take fire within me, I'll have to share somebody else's fire. This time around it's A-ha.

Lifelines. Not necessarily my favourite, but it is A-ha as we know them boys. Enjoy the view.



One time to know that it's real
one time to know how it feels
that's all
One call - your voice on the phone
one place - a moment alone
that's all
What do you see?
What do you know?
What are the signs?
What will I do?
Just follow your lifelines through
What if it hurts?
What then?
What do we do?
What do you say?
Don't throw your lifelines away
One time - just once in my life
one time - to know it can happen twice
One shot - of a clear blue sky
one look - I see no reasons why we can't
One chance to go back
to the point where everything starts
One chance to keep it together
when things fall apart
One sign to make us believe it's true
What do you see?
Where do we go?
one sign
How do we grow?
By letting your lifelines show
What if we do?
What now?
What do you say?
How do I know?
Don't let your lifeline go