holy, holy, holy

well from the colors of rajasthan we moved on to the holy city of varanasi, which is just one of its many names. it is often referred to as banaras, and less often referred to as kashi or.. another name i’ve already forgotten (apologies).

people later asked us what we thought of varanasi; our rather banal reply of ‘interesting’ was met with laughter and rightly so. it’s surely an understatement. but a city like varnasi is hard to describe. certainly it’s unlike any place we’d ever been, and what we saw there was fascinating. so i’ll do my best to go beyond the ‘interesting’.

we arrived (which in itself was a godsend, given the strike/slowdown of air india employees we left behind in delhi) to an airport whose baggage claim consisted of a fifty foot conveyor belt in a tiny room. i shoved my way in and got our bags, while continuously dissuading the would-be coolee hoping for a tip. our taxi ride into the city, a mere 11 miles away, took an hour and a half. we learned, among other things, that traffic and electricity our two of the main problems facing varanasi.

upon arriving at our hotel, ganges view, we got a glimpse of the river as promised. and after a refreshing nap (yes, nap. can you tell i wasn’t feeling 100%?) we decided to venture out for an evening boat ride. having been warned that the ganges is dirty i was expecting worse. sure, it’s a murky greenish color and there are plastic bottles and refuse floating around the banks, but the way people are bathing and splashing in the water, you’d never know. i suppose absolving souls of all sin has a way of overshadowing such earthly concerns.

our first boat ride, just before dusk, gave us a good introduction to all the ghats and temples along the river. we floated along at a leisurely pace (though it was not so leisurely for our industrious boat driver), watching as people washed clothes, prepared for ritual pujas, lit funeral pyres, and just enjoyed the river.

after that night we thought we had seen most of what the river had to offer. wrong! the following evening we took a rickshaw ride down to dasawamedh, the main temple/ghat, for a different perspective. walking down the steps to the river is a fun experience in itself, as you pass all the cows, the traditional parasols (unfortunately becoming less common), and people preparing offerings. from here we took another boat ride. we followed basically the reverse course of our previous trip so we assumed the sights would be similar (but hoped our cameras would hold out this time – the batteries of both cameras had died the night before).

we got in the boat just as the sun was beginning to go down and people were starting to gather in preparation for the big nightly pujas (prayer ceremonies). but first we continued farther down the river to manikarnika, the principal cremation ghat. our driver stopped the boat and we sat floating, transfixed. in the thirty or so minutes we sat watching we saw several bodies brought down to the river, one fire being lit, and several others continue to burn. we learned that the cremations are continuous and there are often 300 or 400 in a single day. first the body is dipped into the holy river for a final ritual bath. then it is brought out to the banks to dry. meanwhile the eldest son will shave his head, purify himself in the water and dress all in white. he brings down a torch from the eternal flame in the shiva temple which he carries as he circles the body 5 times and then lights the fire. there can be no tears, or the soul of the deceased will be disturbed (this explains why women are never present). we watched in almost silence, fascinated by both the holiness and the unfamiliarity of the whole procedure.

finally the spell was broken by sounds of puja preparations wafting down from farther down the river. we turned around and paddled a little farther down to the main ghat where we again took up anchor, so to speak. people were already beginning to gather, both on land and on water. devotees filled the steps along the river as priests lit the ritual fires and began placing offerings of food and flowers. we watched as families came down to the river to light their candles and release them. we did the same, releasing our little candle/flower bowls (made of dried leaves) and watching as they floated away. just as the sun went down and darkness began to set in, the ceremony began as worshipers started singing and clapping. some of the visitors in the boats surrounding us joined in too. again we watched transfixed by the unfamiliar ceremony, totally immersed.

eventually we were able to tear ourselves away, watching as the reflections of the lights on the water grew smaller with each oar stroke. we saw other parts of varanasi during our stay - crazy streets, busy temples - but surely the essence of varanasi is there on the ganges, the holiest city on the holy river.

color theory

well we’ve arrived in rajasthan. we had heard that this state was known for being very colorful and early on this proved to be true. even on the train approaching udaipur we could see bright colors dotting the fields and rows of vegetation. women everywhere, it seems, wear bright oranges, pinks and yellows, and men’s turbans are often swirls of orange or red. one of our first experiences of the local color was in a brief visit to the local vegetable market. women in green and orange saris seemed to match their produce, sitting before their orange tomatoes and gourds and light green guava and legumes. the mix of colors, along with the various other sounds and smells, made for a stimulating introduction to rajasthan.

we continued to encounter color everywhere we went. at one of the local memorial sites a group of women in their variegated saris and dupattas gathered for a ritual cleansing after a recent death. again on worship day at a shiva temple we witnessed groups of men and women seated chanting, their head coverings bright even in the dim, womb-like interior of the temple. as we entered jodhpur it was clear this city was to be no exception. upon entering the main market area (central for both locals and tourists, what few there are), we were immediately confronted with rows of fabrics - meter upon meter of bright fuchsias and marigolds bundled in neat stacks. further on, nearer the landmark clock tower, we saw carts full of bangles, bound together with shoelaces, their glass and gold embellishment glittering in the setting sun. then as night approached and we ascended to a rooftop restaurant we caught a glimpse at the counterpart to all these warm rich colors: the beautiful blues of the houses of jodhpur. the view from the fort the following day was even more stunning. as we walked down the hill entering the small residential streets we got a closer look at the blues, greens, and indigo that color the doors and walls of the town below.

more and more i’ve begun to notice here that color, like religion, is almost a way of life. even garbage trucks and city buses are decorated not only with deities but with bright splashes of color. women wear their brightest scarves, not only for religious rituals, but for working in the field or gathering water (which they really do carry on their heads). the whole notion reminds me of what i’ve heard about rangoli, chalk art decoration that adorns the entryways in many houses in the south. each morning women will diligently create elaborate abstract designs in colored chalk or powder on the ground, knowing that they will only be trampled and scattered by careless feet, to be recreated again the next day. there’s no special occasion required for such use of color; the beauty of the color is just a part of daily life. not a bad concept, i have to say.

hippies, hikers, and himalayas

that would be kathmandu in a nutshell. but that wouldn't really do the city justice. the fourth 'h', or rather the first, would have to be 'holy'. i mean, you can't spit without touching a shrine or temple of some kind (note: while spitting seems to be common i'm guessing this would be frowned upon in actual practice). i've never seen a city this focused on faith; it even has jerusalem beat. of course, like the middle east, kathmandu is a bit of a mix. along with devout buddhist and hindu devotees there are the new age wannabes, hippies, and rastafarians, similar to the tour groups of pilgrims that flock to jerusalem (though i'm still not sure which group is more obnoxious).

what's first immediately apparent in nepal is that religion is everywhere. not just omnipresent, but almost tangible. kathmandu and surrounding districts - patan and bhaktapur - are literally filled with temples just feet from one another. a few days ago i had never seen a shiva linga in person; now i'm quite sure i've seen dozens, if not hundreds. in just a few days we were able to hit all the major highlights, spiritually and architecturally speaking. we even managed to squeeze in some views of the mountains.

i'll level with you. after a while, the temples - and there were hundreds - started to run together a little bit. and this is coming from someone who gives people dirty looks for saying that all cathedrals look alike. while i did appreciate the novelty of being able to identify certain deities i had just studied (thank you, non-western art history), the sheer amount of visual information is almost overwhelming. still, it was fascinating to watch the devotees - monks and laypeople - quietly chanting mantras or giving offerings. if you can get past the people hawking their wares or guide services, it's quite pleasant.

along with religion, nature seems to form the second of the twin pillars that constitute nepal. with the himalayas as a backdrop it's not hard to imagine why. so our first morning in the city we set out to see the famous mountains by air. we got up at the crack of dawn - 5am to be exact - to catch our flight. (side note: of the five airlines i saw, four were named after hindu or buddhist deities.) after paying extra fees and waiting nearly another hour at the tiny gate we boarded our itty bitty propeller plane. everyone had a window seat and as we ascended the flight attendants pointed out the mountains to each individual passenger. the views were stunning, and even through the scratched windows you could make out the craggy rocks and snow-capped peaks. certainly awe-inspiring and yet i still cannot understand people's desire to climb these things.

our second look at the mountains came this morning, when we got up at an even earlier hour (so obscene i won't even print it here) to drive to nearby nagarkot where we were promised a fantastic view of the sunrise. after an interminable 20 minutes of driving 10 miles an hour over bumpy dirt roads we started making our way uphill (this was when our driver decided to speed up to 50 mph). the road can only be described as tortuous (torturous, if you happen to get carsick, which miraculously we did not). with each turn you were sure there wasn't any higher point, only to be greeted with another hairpin turn. every now and then our driver would slow down to about 40 when we had to pass a group of mopeds or a delivery truck. did i mention there are no seatbelts in the backseat? at any rate, somehow we made it to our destination, a hotel at the top of the mountain that afforded incredible views, as promised. the mountain range was beautiful, with its staggered peaks, each level a darker shade of blue than the last. within a few minutes the sun began to peek over one of the crags and slowly lit the whole valley. the effect was stunning. definitely a top 5 sunrise. we followed this up with a delicious and expensive breakfast at the swanky hotel on the hilltop.

so there you have it: nepal in a nutshell. natural splendors, incredible architecture, the people's tranquil dispositions, and the delicious new spicy foods - i must say i'm impressed. and we haven't even gone shopping yet!

dil dilli

alright, let's back up a minute. delhi deserves a better post than just a driving explanation. so i'll go back to the beginning.

well first off i don't think i've ever anticipated a trip as much as this one (specifically india i mean). the entire plane ride i was just giddy; i think i was probably grinning as we pulled our luggage off the belt (though in fairness half of that was probably relief). not even a 14-hour flight could sap my excitement. although it was a pretty pleasant flight; international movies on demand tends to keep people happy. though i think i was probably the only one on the plane who watched a bollywood movie followed by bonnie and clyde. at any rate i was eager to get out and see india. even the wave of heat (like walking into a hot car) that greeted us as we left the airport was almost welcoming, in an odd way.

my first impressions of india weren't the dirt or the crowds - that i'd been expecting. what i was struck by was the spirituality that seemed to be everywhere. deities appear on dashboards, business logos, and of course in small shrines dotting each street.

delhi, as i hinted at below, is a pretty crazy place. we quickly discovered that we couldn't walk anywhere and auto-rickshaws became our main form of transportation. we only had a few days but we did manage to hit some of the highlights. for me this was seeing the islamic architecture (mamluk and mughal) with that typical indian red sandstone. the qutab minar complex has some spectacular carved ornamentation and humayun's tomb shows an early persian influence (pre-taj mahal). we even made it to the modern art museum (coincidentally on international museum day), which showcased an interesting mix of traditional indian motifs (read: more gods) and western styles and techniques.

and the food! well, let's just say that anywhere where it's okay to eat indian food every day is alright with me. we've tried some different dishes and some old favorites, though we're looking forward to having some mangoes, chai, and lassis. it was just so fun to be surrounded by these parts of india, some familiar and some new. the beautiful clothes, the movie stars, the music (our tv was constantly switched to bollywood or punjabi music channels).

alright, so delhi as a city is big and pretty overwhelming. just thinking about maneuvering around connaught place (the main square and a giant roundabout that's currently full of construction) is tough. maybe i have a soft spot for the city because it was my first introduction to india. but really is that such a bad thing?

incredibly india

well first off, we arrived safely in Delhi. i think i can say so far that India is everything i expected it to be (hot, noisy, crowded) and more. it's lively and exciting and i'm loving it. India just has the most.. culture (for lack of a better word) than any place i've been to. everything is so.. indian.

perhaps the most jarring thing about Delhi is the driving. i was prepared for reckless, ridiculous driving. but after being in Delhi for just two days I can attest that it is as crazy as they say. (‘they’, the faceless guidebook gurus I suppose.) and this wasn’t our first exposure to ridiculous driving – we thought we were well prepared having been to Morocco, land of no lanes and tiny streets, and even Greece, land of aggressive drivers. but India has them all beat. just on our drive in from the airport we passed bikes, rickshaws, mopeds, auto-rickshaws (basically a motorized scooter with a bench attached), oxen, buses, and even an elephant. the streets themselves are a free-for-all; flashing lights and horns mean get out of my way, red lights mean jam right up next to all the vehicles around you. three lanes (ha) of traffic really means four. at any given moment you could probably reach out and pat the deity adorning the rickshaw next to you, though on the back they all read ‘distance please’ (perhaps dramatic irony?). honking is not an angry gesture but a mandatory one, used to signal one’s presence. our driver confirmed that if you don’t have a horn, you don’t get a license.

but of course, as with any way of life, you quickly get used to it. we took auto rickshaws with pleasure, sitting back to enjoy the breeze and admire our drivers’ impressive skills. after two days of this constant beeping and skillful maneuvering, on our taxi ride to the airport i heard an unfamiliar sound. it was a turn signal.

summer forecast

this summer's plans include 7 countries and dozens of cities over 3 months. it's going to be a whirlwind; stay tuned.......

happy spring!

after a long and snowy winter this spring has been very much anticipated. in that spirit, i've created a collage to celebrate spring's arrival. enjoy!

washington in winter

it has occurred to me that i've spent a very disproportionate amount of writing on dc (considering i spent most of my life living just outside it). while there would be no way for me to write a comprehensive dc post (or even 10) i'll attempt to atone for my oversights with a dc christmas in review.

the first stop on anyone's christmas to-see list in washington is generally the white house christmas tree. i am here to tell you that this is a mistake. i've seen it many times, even attended the lighting of the tree once, or so i'm told. and let me tell you - every time it's a disappointment. perhaps the tree used to have some integrity - perhaps it once even looked like a tree - but ever since they installed these LED lights it just looks like a big cone of tv screens. except for the vaguely cone-like shape, there's nothing that would even suggest there's really a tree under there. the state trees surrounding it are somewhat more original but still on the whole pretty yawn-worthy. the highlight of the whole setup is the yule log (read: warmth).

if you're looking for a real christmas tree experience - one with a tree that looks like a tree and lights that don't look like they were used to light the halftime show - i have two recommendations. first is the one by the capitol. not only does it have realistic lights, but it has a lovely backdrop too. the tree also has the advantage of being able to go right up next to it. also from here you'll find a lovely view of the little pond and the washington monument in the distance.

my second recommendation (and one i discovered just this year) is the tree at national harbor. national harbor itself is a nice little destination. as you're crossing the bridge from virginia to maryland (with a half-second stopover in dc) it almost feels like you're on an island. the area's pretty commercial now, with upscale stores and restaurants as well as a dueling pianos bar i'm hearing good things about. the national harbor is also the new home of the awakening, a larger-than-life sculpture of a man coming up out of the ground. why they moved it from hains point i will never understand. but it's a sight nonetheless. the surprisingly large christmas tree is installed right next to the giant, providing him with something to look at as he contemplates his own imprisonment. at any rate, another nice tree with a view of the district across the water.

of course with christmas comes the gratuitous display of lights. while there are light shows across the area (and i've been to - even paid for - some lame ones) there's one i will recommend. the mormon temple is a sight in and of itself. on a hilltop just visible from the interstate, most children imagine it to be the cinderella castle or that of the wicked witch of the west (inciting the legendary 'surrender dorothy' grafitti on an overpass). looming large over the surrounding are as it does, i was surprised to find the temple itself is not actually that big but mostly benefits from its hilltop locale. (location, location, location.) non-members, of course, aren't allowed inside the actual temple; however there is a visitors' center that will gladly answer all your burning questions about latter-day saints. at this particular time (christmas eve, actually) there was a lovely choral concert that accompanied the display of christmas trees decorated by churches around the area. outside, the main attraction was of course the light show. the display boasts over 450,000 lights, a claim which i'm inclined to believe. though for the most part they're just typical strings of christmas lights, the sheer variety coupled with the picturesque backdrop make for a memorable scene. add in the unusual pre-christmas snow we got this year and it makes for a lovely photo.

my final christmastime recommendation is another i learned about only this year. the US botanic gardens, one of my favorite (and free!) spots in the city, evidently offers a yearly holiday display. it consists principally of miniature trains that make their way through fantastic villages with fairy-tale inspired houses. the best part? everything's made from plants! apart from the trains/tracks themselves everything else is made from totally organic materials. the 'green' aspect of this endeavour is probably lost on the children who are nevertheless enthralled by the overall effect. truly a treat for all ages.

so that was my christmas in washington in a nutshell. oh sure, there's more - a tour of the white house, a christmas carol at ford's theatre - but i can only do so much!

w-s (winston-salem, while-snowing)

so after knowing my friend becca for at least three years i thought it was pitiful that i had still not visited her hometown. so on our way down to greenville (sc, not nc) my mom and i stopped in winston-salem. we couldn't have asked for a more perfect tour guide than becca who, not only has lived there all her life, but is an avid historic preservationist (read: she knows about buildings).

just as we pulled into the city it began to snow. this is evidentally pretty rare and, while it was nothing compared to the massive snowstorms up north, we felt pretty lucky to see the city a way few people do. during our initial driving tour becca told us that winston-salem is home to not only cigarettes but krispy kreme donuts. in other words, the birthplace of the leading causes of death. hmm, maybe not something you'd put on a billboard. after driving through the downtown we stopped near this cute little square (see: gazebo) for a delightful lunch of soup and sandwiches perfect for a winter day.

the city is also home to the historic salem college, which we drove through around dusk. the fresh snow and the streetlights added nicely to the effect. other fun sights along the way included a giant teapot and washington park, where becca spent many fondly-remembered childhood hours. we also stopped at a used bookstore (that also had movies and vinyl records, good find) and a delightful moravian bakery. their trademarks are their paper-thin yet delicious cookies and many-pointed moravian stars. apparently there was a significant moravian population in winston. and thank goodness! they make a delicious coffee cake.

after a quick power nap at the hotel we braced ourselves to go back out into the storm. (i'm using the word loosely, here). the town was looking pretty quiet but luckily the mexican place next door was still hopping. and by hopping, i mean they let us eat there and were waiting at the door when we left. still, we enjoyed (too much) delicious mexican food as well horchatas/flavored margaritas. at that point becca and i decided to venture out and see if there was any nightlife to be had. it seems the snow scared most of the businesspeople (and customers presumably) away; it was more or less a ghost town. still, we had a nice walk through the downtown and marveled at the wachovia building (it dominates the skyline) and the christmas trees in the square below (not pictured: massive christmas tree that topped in the wind).

the next morning the snow had stopped and without much difficulty we were able to get our car out of the snowy lot. but before we left we just had to stop at (another) bakery, ollie's. this town loves their pastries. i like that in a city. there we enjoyed some chai tea and delicious croissants. and on the way out we were greeted by ollie himself. (coming to work in the snow at his age, quite a champ.)

we were sorry to go but felt privileged to get to see the city at such a unique time. it's more than tobacco and donuts!

a wintry williamsburg

as i've said richmond is located pretty much in smack in the middle of the state. which makes day trips (well, in-state day trips) quite convenient. next on the list was williamsburg, home to the historic colonial city, outlet malls, and most importantly my good friend jenny.

we started out that afternoon with a little outlet shopping - your basic gap/banana republic/nine west, with a gourmet kitchen store and michael kors for good measure. good for some last minute christmas buys but we didn't go too crazy. this was followed by dinner at jenny's favorite local restaurant, food for thought. it was very cute, as promised. there are quotes lining the walls to pique your interest, and if that's not enough each table is stocked with brain teasers and trivial pursuit cards. the food itself was great too and jenny tells me all the ingredients are bought locally. not what you'd expect from a restaurant that shares a block with the christmas mouse and a ripley's believe it or not. it's easy to forget what a popular destination williamsburg is, thankfully we have ridiculous tourist traps to remind us.

the main event that evening, and the impetus for the trip, was the grand illumination. basically this is where colonial williamsburg gets decked out with tasteful decorations, like wreaths and candles, and then sets off fireworks to celebrate how classy they are. it draws a big crowd, making driving and parking even more of a challenge than usual (they have an intersection that's widely known as 'confusion corner,' to give you an idea). somehow we made it and, more amazingly, were able to meet up with our friends, for the event. we made our way through the throngs of people and eventually gave up on the hot cider when we couldn't see the end of the line. fortunately the fireworks began just a few moments later. the event lived up to its name; the fireworks illumination the old city beautifully.

after the smoky finale, we and the other several hundred people, made our way back towards the downtown to our nearby destination, the green leafe. our desination? mug night, apparently a williamsburg staple. each sunday night the bar sells enormous cheap plastic mugs which they fill with even cheaper beer. sitting with a bunch of william & mary grads, i learned no one's ever made it past three. though some of us made a valiant effort (not pictured). cruelly, just next to the bar is some sort of evil establishment that sells cheese fries and other greasy delicious things to patrons who wander in at all hours of the night (though, to be fair, it was probably no later than 10:30). i don't remember how we got there, i just remember devouring a plate of cheese fries. like i said, evil.

the next morning, after we had all sufficiently recovered, we made our way to aroma's coffeehouse. what a treat! a favorite of locals and students, it's easy to see why. it's warm and inviting, the list of specialty drinks was miles long, and the menu made me want to come back for their brie fondue (!) and delicious cakes. even the breakfast menu proved daunting, it took me about 15 minutes to decide if i wanted a bagel with lox or strawberry crêpes.

all in all, less than 24 hours in williamsburg. but they were all delightful.

charming charlottesville

richmond, i've come to realize, is in a very nice location. it seems to be within in a hour of many major tourist destinations in virginia, to include charlottesville, williamsburg (hello, busch gardens!), and fredericskburg. in an effort to take advantage of this, and the unseasonably warm fall weather, we took a little trip to historic charlottesville.

the morning began with bodo's, a charlottesville tradition. it is unquestionably an institution in the city. if you so much as mention the name to a local, they will start drooling and telling you how amazing they believe it to be. it never fails, try it sometime. the bagels are certainly delicious and at $0.70 apiece, a bargain. after we'd had our fill of lox and cream cheese we continued on to another, slightly older charlottesville institution, monticello.

monticello is, of course, the home of thomas jefferson, which all good virginians will recall from their fourth grade SOLs and multiple field trips. after you fork over 20 precious dollars you're free to explore the cafe, gift shop (ooh, a thomas jefferson stuffed otter..) and introductory video. we bypassed this and went straight to the bus that takes you up the hill to the grounds. once there we explored the herb gardens, which, come to think of it, may have been my favorite part. they had planted fall gourds, little chili peppers, and some lovely flowers all overlooking some of tom's vineyards and the mountains in the distance. my only complaint was that some of the colors had faded from the trees. but i suppose that's beyond their control.

once it was time for our tour we queued up (do you queue up? or in? or just queue?) and dutifully followed our tour guide into the front door. the entrance hall is perhaps not what you'd expect, covered with native american weaponry, hunting trophies, and maps of africa. the rest of the house is about as you would expect, libraries, well-appointed rooms, and lots of little inventions and gadgetry.

once we left the house we were able to walk around the spacious backyard with more gardens and a lovely view of charlotesville. there's even a clearing where you can just barely see jefferson's precious rotunda through the trees. the house itself isn't bad to look at, either. i guess that unesco knows what they're talking about.

from here we made our way through the gardens and down the trail where we made a brief stop at jefferson's grave, a smaller take on the washington monument, it would seem.

from here we continued down the road where we soon came to jefferson's vineayards, conveniently located near his house. while there was a nice view and their white wines were some of the best i've ever had, we continued on in search of a different winery farther down the road. on the way we passed an apple orchard and the historic michie tavern (another time) before we arrived at our destination. blenheim vineyards is owned by another famous charlottesvillian, dave matthews. in fact it was his sister-in-law who gave us our wine tasting. but first, the building itself is a really nice wooden a-frame whose spacious windows allow for gorgeous views, not only of the vineyards but of the wine barrels on the floor below.

our tasting was lovely and followed by a snack of goat cheese and rosemary crackers on the deck where we enjoyed the november sun. once we felt we had sufficiently relaxed it was time to go. but not before a visit to the vineyards themselves. with the rolling hills and fall leaves they were quite beautiful.

the fall weather, the scenery and the company made it a wonderful day. what can i say, the city won me over, popped collars aside.

fall festivities

today lauren (the roommate) and i went on our long-awaited visit to the pumpkin patch. our previous plans had been dashed by cold and bad weather, but today was the perfect day - blue skies and unseasonably warm.

the pumpkin patch, simply known as 'the pumpkin patch', was a short drive away, just a few miles down 64. we were not disappointed by their selection. a huge farm, they had gourds in every size, shape, and color, rows of vegetables, all types of corn and produce, and hay bales.

we were invited to take a wagon or wheelbarrow over to the patch to select our pumpkins. i couldn't capture in a picture how big the place was, but suffice to say, you couldn't see it all from one point. we scouted all over for the perfect pumpkin. they had all kinds, some were still growing, some were bumpy, most had no stems. but eventually we selected our pumpkins. oh, and there were grasshoppers everywhere! those things can jump about four feet in the air!

we wheeled (wheelbarrowed?) our pumpkins back to the produce tent and picked up some smaller gourds for fun. the pumpkins turned out to be a steal at only 50 cents a pound! unfortunately there weren't enough people for a hayride, but we were anxious to get home anyway.

once there, we started scooping and carving. we used the designs you can buy in the little booklets with the tools. lauren's was a little more labor intensive.. mine was a bit goofier (can you tell whose was whose??) once we finished we lit them up and took them out on the balcony for the whole boulevard to see. all in all a lovely fall day that almost made up for my (lack of) halloween last year. US, 1. france, 0.

south of the border

well for about three months now i've been living in richmond, virginia, capital of the south. it's only an hour south of where i went to school (fredericksburg), yet it seems to have a much more southern atmosphere. i've more or less adjusted to life here but i'm still enjoying the sights of the city, my lovely apartment, and exploring new places.

i still think of my life in france, from time to time. things are definitely a bit different here. instead of biking everywhere, i just bike to school and to my tutoring job. instead of a high rise in the middle of the city i live in a historic building near the museums. but things are great here. even if i can't buy cheap fresh bread i can at least buy shredded cheese that is not swiss and mexican food is widely available and affordable. and have i mentioned my apartment? it's wonderful. right in the middle of the fan and the museum districts (both historic areas), our apartment is on north boulevard (which apparently is just called the boulevard - very southern, isn't it?). i could go on and on but instead i'll invite you to see for yourself and leave you with four words: exposed brick, covered balcony (porch culture is huge here). what's even better is i've finally got a place to put all the things i've amassed, from oriental rugs and stained glass pieces, to a record player and travel pictures. very satisfying.

in my exploring thus far i've discovered some great little restaurants and cafés nestled into the historic streets. another lovely part of the fan is monument avenue, actually just a few feet from our apartment. the old street got its name for the momuents that line it, interspersed along stretches of the wide, shady medians (great for bocce ball/boules). there are some beautiful stretches, particularly now that the leaves have started to turn.

so while my current locale may not be as exotic, in some ways it's just as interesting. this is not the end of my travels (ha!), i'll still be exploring the area - in fact we're planning trips to charlottesville, williamsburg and norfolk sometime soon. and there are big plans in the works for this summer... so stay tuned.