womantraveler

48 Hours in Boston: Shepard Fairey and Great Food

Graffiti-fueled street artist Shepard Fairey's retrospective in Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art inspires hope (the iconic Obama campaign image) and challenges authority (starkly conveyed through his "Obey the Giant" campaign in the 1990s). Get there fast -- before the exhibit closes Aug. 16. Its defiant, yet often subtle, messages and images interpreting pop culture, revolution, commercialism and dirty politics will stick with you for a long time afterwards. Fairey is a controversial figure with Boston authorities, who gave him some unexpected publicity when they arrested him for previous graffiti vandalism on the way to the exhibit's opening party in February. This week he was in the news again when he received two years' probation.

The 200 posters, stencils, screen prints, collages and more represent a huge output of a very focused artist in the past 20 years. The collective impact is all the more jarring via his bold signature colors of red, black and white.

The new ICA building,  which opened in late 2006 on the South Boston waterfront after a presence dating back to 1936, is definitely worth a trip whenever you go, with its compelling galleries and bayside computer theater, where visitors can gain deeper access into its artistic riches. We trekked via the T (Metro) and a few blocks on foot on a drizzly day, followed by a warm and welcoming lunch at the modern Italian diner Sportello at 348 Congress St.  (And, by the way, classically prepared Bolognese sauce with milk.)

Boston is always about food for me, since my brother Steve Johnson is the owner of the three-year-old dining hit, Rendezvous Central Square in Cambridge. So I'm a biased enthusiast (full disclosure duly noted). But the restaurant stands on its own reputation, with seasonal menus that maximize local produce and seafood matched by culinary invention. Two of us dived into the June menu -- appetizers (1) fried softshell crab with stone-ground grits and chipotle pepper puree and (2) grilled Portuguese sardins with a Meyer lemon-fennel vinaigrette (best ever); entrees (1) Paella Valenciana and (2) his popular braised pork and veal meatballs; and for dessert (1) lemon-buttermilk pudding with huckleberry sauce and (2)a cherry-rhubarb crostada with honey-lavendar ice cream. Incidentally, Steve and his team make the ice cream with herbs grown on the restaurant's roof (note the the urban garden here).  

The next night we went to R.F. O'Sullivan's Pub in Somerville for what are said to be some of the best burgers in Boston, and we weren't disappointed. It's small, it's local, it's loud and it's sports TV (Red Sox, natch, this time of year) and the yummy half-pound burgers (with dozens of topping options) are fat and drippy. (You can order low-carb options, but why bother here?) "People come in and they get mad, but I explain to them, it's not your everyday place. It takes time to cook," explains the voice of the menu notes. "To cook a burger this thick and juicy takes patience, and about 20 minutes." So we started with a big plate of onion rings along with our drinks. The #1 lesson for cooks -- advises the same menu voice -- "don't squish the burgers." Also don't wear your finest -- each rounded mound of burger (from the 400 pounds of fresh ground sirloin cooked each week) can be a bit messy to handle. 

Winding up the 48-hour tour, we took a day in Westport on Buzzard's Bay 90 minutes south of Boston. I've previously chronicled a day on the Westport River and its surroundings here. It is a fertile region -- watermen and leisure travelers mixed with the local wildlife, like the osprey protecting their young in the nest and clams raked froom ankle-deep beds. An early dinner at the waterside Back Eddy restaurant (defined as a "current that runs counterculture to the mainstream") delivered a one-pound "chicken lobster" among other fresh local seafood and produce from southeastern Massachusetts and coastal Rhode Island.

The distance from water and land to the table is not far in these parts, and you recognize, respect, honor and savor that unvarnished experience.

The Longest Day of the Year: Live It!

It is important to take note of the mystical summer solstice -- the longest day of the year, this year on June 20. Since I was 16 and spent Midsummer's Night in Norway as an exchange student, I have never taken this day for granted. There is a feeling of extended infinity, accompanied by the realization that the days will begin to shorten (which we won't dwell on now). And this happens this one day, suddenly, often before we are struck by its presence.

So fair warning -- get into it! Every year at this time, almost surprisingly, I recall how in my 20s I ventured close to the top of the world at Kiruna, Sweden.  Unfortunately the US economic mess and the dollar's imbalance with the rest of the world will rob many explorers of today of that adventure. But if you are in the vicinity, catch the train or bus and arrive inside the Arctic Circle to stay up all night in the light.

And wherever you are, extend your imagination and your thinking this one special day of the year!

Traveling by Book: Just Read!

Writer Sonya Worthy's journey to document people reading in the USA thrills, then confuses, me. I start the article in today's San Francisco Chronicle, then put down the newspaper before I finish and rush to the computer to write about it. Online I puruse one of her blogs. Shouldn't I be digging into my next book instead? Simple answer --  as National Book Week opens, accompanied by the dour statistics about the declines in reading, the value of the printed page must be aggressively noted -- and celebrated.

As a business womantraveler, books and book blogs are the way I see the  world when I'm not on a plane galloping hither and yon. One of my favorite discoveries is the Read and Return program sponsored by The Paradies Shops in several dozen US airports. Buy a book at the regular price and return it within six months with the original receipt to any location on the list -- and receive 50% off the purchase price. Now that's a page-turner.

I also use books to prepare for my next adventure, such as my trip to Paris three years ago. A book in hand is much more pleasurable than a laptop. While traveling coast to coast for a business trip recently, I heard the woman across the aisle remark, "Fancy this -- we're reading the same book!" It was Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss, which is well worth every beautifully crafted thought.

My son arrives at Christmas. His backpack is loaded with a laptop, an iPod and books. We head to Barnes and Noble and hang out. At 23, beyond the drudgery of college textbooks but now caught up in 12 hour workdays of the real world, he finds great pleasure in reading. He turns off the TV and opens a book. There is hope!

Make a Difference -- and See the World, Too

Philanthropy travel -- a growing trend -- links two of my favor sports, doing good and seeing the world. Clearly charities, corporations and the travel industry also have caught on. Luxury tour operators offer "vacations" to Africa, the Far East and Latin America, among others, reports the New York Times. They're joining the ranks of long-time travel-tour charities like Habitat for Humanity, which has partnerships with many corporations, such as Marriott's Spirit to Serve initiative. You can now even bid your frequent flyer miles to fly to Ghana and other destinations in dire need in programs like Delta's Delta's Force for Global Good. The drumbeat for "corporate social responsibility" has become highly creative in the travel industry, most recently in the Conde Nast Traveler World Savers Partnership inaugural meeting focusing on global opportunities to benefit the environment and economic development. Fundraisers ahoy!

Summer in Seattle

A Womantraveler in Seattle for a couple of summer (or early autumn) days ought to concentrate on two areas, especially if you're on business and have limited free time (or like me, plan to add 1-2 days to your trip) -- downtown Seattle and Bainbridge Island just 35 minutes away by ferry. Seattle and Bainbridge on foot are simply fabulous for pure shopping and eating. The weather can be in the 70s (or even hotter) by day and cool jacket weather in the evenings. Perfect West Coast summer temps.

Let's start with downtown Seattle, what I call "a good walk" and relatively compact. You can set out in several directions in the retail core, including high-end Fifth Avenue stores and boutiques and the home location of Nordstrom's. Art galleries and funkier stores become more prevalent down near the water, where Pike Place Market is a definite trip. Now eight blocks in size, with arcades and below-street corridors, it's a mesmerizing bundle of fresh foods, flowers, fishmongers, artists, one-of-a-kind shops (and off-limits to most chains). The smells of coffee, roasting nuts, fresh cooking and, of course, fish, pervade the air. A must-see is the fish-throwing at Pike Place Fish. And you'll walk away with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers, even if you don't have a place to keep them, because they are so irresistible. (The good thing about Pike Place Market is that it can be rainy and miserable and it's still entertaining.)

Where to stay: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel for elegance or The W Seattle for hip and cool.

Where to eat: The The Waterfront Restaurant on Pier 70 (outrageously expensive but expansive and on the water, and a short cab ride away from the center) and, right downtown, Union Restaurant on 1st Avenue, Palomino (a reliable upscale West Coast chain) and Shucker's at The Fairmont.

Now, take the ferry to Bainbridge Island...

Summer in Vancouver, Prelude to the Winter Games

With apologies to the 2010 Winter Olympics, causing a luxury building uptick, summer in Vancouver, British Columbia, is the four best months of the year -- June to September.

With "midsummer night" launching the high season each June, I am always reminded of our hot and delightful four-day summer sojourn from the global city of Vancouver, by ferry across to Vancouver Island, southeast to the old-world capital of Victoria, by ferry again through the Orcas and San Juan Islands across to the mainland -- and south to Seattle. Here are some photos and hot tips for a short but fabulous excursion.

Fly to the high-energy "world city" of Vancouver to begin. If you go up through California, you can relish on a good day a spectacular view of Mount Whitney, the 14,505-foot highest point in the US. In Vancouver, stay at the Westin Bayshore right on the water, a convenient location where urban and panoramic views extend in several directions.

Rent a car and take a ferry for an easy trip across to Vancouver Island.   Check out both BC and Washington State ferries for schedules and routes. Be sure to book ahead. There's also whale-watching, April to October, available through many charter services. A leisurely visit to the lovely British Columbia capital of Victoria is reminiscent of Europe, where Parliament buildings are silhouetted in lights, among other historic and recreational attractions in the mild-climate "City of Gardens." The Hotel Grand Pacific is an elegant option. While the adventure seems like a lot to pack in just a few days, it's easily accomplished with a well-planned itinerary. Next stop: Seattle.

Hotel News

Happy to hear that Starwood Hotels have reflagged the Hilton Key West Resort & Marina to The Westin Key West Resort & Marina. If you visit, you'll experience an upscale renovation for the next two years but it's well-deserved. Key West has some of the best sunsets anywhere, but its lodging is hit and miss. These upgrades will include conversion of the Sunset Key Cottages just 500 yards offshore into 37 luxurious residential-style accommodations. Since Key West began moving from funky/laid-back to hot/stylish in the 1980s (and, for my money, a big loss), I vote for classy trumping wanna-be wherever possible there now.

Good news, too, that we can now print out our boarding passes in the lobbies of Marriott and Renaissance hotels. Checking into flights early helps reduce onsite airport hassles, ever more prolific these days.

Hotels are trying to create community -- try harder, I say, since airlines are herding us around like sheep. Sheraton's move in this direction is to invite visitors to share stories, tips and photos about travel finds and hotel experiences. Sheraton calls it "the first hotel industry website to embrace social media and feature user generated concent." There's even a "live chat" option for those needing help with a particular property. The home page "flash" globe loaded a little too slowly in my browser, but something to give a try anyway. I always check out several online sites and compare the visitor ratings, never depending solely on one catalogue of opinions. Everybody's got a fave and a beef about something -- so our job is to be influenced by the opinions that suit our preferences.

Turkey: the Great Eclipse 2006

Here's the final installment of our 4-part interview with former Washington Post foreign correspondent Joanne Omang on her girlfriends trip to Turkey.

Q: Talk a little about the special experience of going to Turkey for the full eclipse in March 2006.

A: The rational mind says an eclipse is utterly predictable and lasts maybe four minutes if you’re lucky, so why bother to travel to see one? But the whole event takes about four hours and is truly startling and, at a deep level, very eerie.

At first, as the moon begins crossing the sun, the light feels gradually thinner, like winter has come. Each bit of dappled sunlight through tree leaves has an amazing crescent shape, the shape of the light beam coming down.

When the moon at last obscures the entire sun, totality is sudden: the sky turns to midnight, the stars come out and what used to be the sun is a ring of fire around a black disk. A cold wind rises. The birds go nuts (they somehow know it’s not a cloud) and all around the horizon it’s suddenly sunset. Everyone who sees it just gasps.

So much to register, so little time! And in your gut, at a level so deep your rational mind has no power over it, a tiny fear arises: what if it doesn’t come back?  You know this is silly but there it is. It probably goes back to when we were all lizards. When totality ends and the sun gradually returns to its former glory, you can’t help a small feeling of relief. We survived another one!

Islamic tradition recognizes this unsettling reaction. Mohammed told his followers in 632 AD that a solar eclipse was not an omen or the result of anything humans had done but was merely evidence of God’s control over all things. Pray together during an eclipse, he said.

In Turkey I was very lucky to see the March 29, 2006 eclipse at the site in Konya of the tomb of the 12th century Sufi poet and mystic Rumi. His followers are the famed whirling dervishes, and their whirling is a form of prayer: the left hand reaches to the sky and the right toward the earth, and the world revolves as they do. They whirled before, during and after totality, reassuring the rest of us that the earth continued stable on its axis. Any traveler to Turkey should try not to miss seeing the dervishes perform.

Women Talking Turkey 3

Here's part 3 of our interview with former Washington Post foreign correspondent Joanne Omang on her girlfriends trip to Turkey.

Q: How can girlfriends going together create a stellar trip in Turkey (eg, without guys)?

A: Plan to indulge the girl-group whims that would make a man roll his eyes, like shopping.

• Make a day-long expedition out of finding the perfect set of tea glasses or painted ceramic plates or a hallway rug.
• Walk and window shop for hours, look at a hundred carpets between museums and bargain hard for the perfect one (but smile and accept a glass of the ubiquitous sugary tea while you do it -- that’s part of the sport of shopping here). It’s a great way to see the local life en route.
• Then allow yourselves the down-time your guys might not: spend two hours gossiping over Turkish coffee after lunch at a waterside café. Visit the Turkish bath (hamam) every day. Have a different kind of kebab at every meal – shish, doner, fish, vegetable, chicken, lamb, burger, with yogurt, with tomato sauce, with onions, with pita…you get the idea. And don’t stint on the baklava – you’ll walk it off.

Q: Special tips about what to pack and wear? 

A: Two pairs of walking shoes are a must so you can alternate between them. Many streets are cobblestones so save the heels and tottery platforms for cab-ride evenings. Make sure to maximize your camera memory –Turkey is one wow-shot after another.

Let your credit card company know you’re going to Turkey so they won’t think someone stole your card and deny approval for the cost of that fabulous tribal necklace.

Q: What about eating?

A: Turkey has expansive culinary riches. Eat eggplant dishes whenever you see them on the menu—all delicious and the specialty of the region, with meat and without. Stick to the bottled water, but the tea and coffee are always safe and the salads are trustworthy. For raucous local color, try the Pandeli restaurant up in the walls of the Egyptian (Misir) Market.

Our best and most memorable meal was at Asitane, a sophisticated white-tablecloth restaurant in the Kariye Hotel, out by the city walls and near the spectacular Kariye Museum and its priceless Christian-era mosaics. The restaurant serves classic Turkish dishes including items from a sultan’s imperial menu of 1539.

Women Talking Turkey 2

Here's part 2 of our interview with former Washington Post foreign correspondent Joanne Omang on her girlfriends trip to Turkey.

Q: What practical tips do you have for womentravelers to Turkey?

A: Turks are Moslem, so you’ll need to wear a scarf over your hair if you visit a mosque (and take off your shoes before you enter). But the culture is firmly secular so you can wear jeans or sleeveless dresses, too. Otherwise, use what you already know about travel anywhere: dress modestly, don’t flaunt your jewels or your money, carry a smallish bag close across your body, be extra careful at night and leave your valuables and your passport in the hotel safe.

Istanbul is a city like any other in that sense – it has more than 10 million people, not all of them nice. But Turks are used to tourists by now, and their culture honors guests.

• Ask a shopkeeper to take photos of your group with your camera, and she will offer you a glass of tea.
• Ask a local for directions to the Hagia Sophia, and chances are he’ll take you there personally.
• Don’t be afraid of walking anywhere alone or with a friend – getting lost in the narrow winding streets is part of the fun.

Q: What are the best hotels for women?

A:  A dozen good and economical ones cluster in the Old City (Sultanahmet) neighborhood, many with stunning rooftop views of the monuments, the minarets, the Golden Horn. We loved the Hotel Turkoman, www.turkomanhotel.com, half a block off the main square, but ritzier accommodations are available nearby, including a Four Seasons.

Plan everything you need for your trip at http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/ the website of former Peace Corps volunteer Tom Brosnahan.