Colorado weekend

Quick weekend trips can be a lot of fun.  Oh, sure, time spent in transit (airplanes and airports in this case) can eat up a lot of the good time on a weekend, but it's still possible to make the most of the trip.  And if the destination is not too far or relatively convenient, then taking some time for travel is all the less onerous in view of the good times to be had.  Add in that the weekend involves very dear friends, and, well, I'm convinced!

I actually started this post days back.  Ages back.  It's now some ten days since our return.  And perhaps I was waiting for Robert's new position to be confirmed - the quick trip to Colorado was so that we could see them him and Courtney there one last time before they move this summer. 

So it was that on the last Friday of May, Conrad and I

flew to Denver where Courtney picked us up.  Hooray for her being on sabbatical this year - we greatly appreciate that she could take us to and from the airport.  Our flight was delayed, and there was no food served, so we all agreed to head to Pica's Taqueria in Louisville.  I love that place! 

A chorizo and potato taco and a duck taco for me

(plus a margarita to wash them down).  That made me happy.  We then swung by Whole Foods to pick up shucked oysters,

a cake,

and some other treats for the evening. 

We were celebrating, after all.  Oh, sure, we ordered pizza for dinner, but before that, we toasted a noshed and caught up.  Rain passed through the area, and we were treated to a double rainbow

over the neighbour's house. 

A really nice evening.

Saturday morning:  a walk to a favourite coffee place, then a lunch of - this is a surprising turn of events (ha!) - tacos again at Pica's. 

The afternoon was devoted to spa time in Boulder.  Alas, a cold sore on my lower lip meant that I could not get the facial I had booked, so I walked a little down the Pearl Street mall in the city, stopping in at a store I love to visit, treating myself to a couple of cocktail books.  Home after that for a nap, and that set us up for a nice dinner out.

We made ourselves pretty, and headed into Boulder again, up the hillside to Flagstaff House, a very nice restaurant we've enjoyed a few times before. Cocktails to start (this lovely one, the Peak Bliss, is one I want to try making at home),

some excellent wine (a Pinot from NZ that was a good, light choice for the first bottle, followed by a richer French red),

even an Amaro after dinner.  No a la carte menu, but choices for each course.  We had some little treats to start, and then on to the courses:

A pea shoot salad with bresaola.

Spinach cannelloni with chanterelles.

A pork dish with morels and ramps.

Venison loin with a venison stew.

Pineapple sorbet with black sesame.

Oh, it was good.  It was a very thoughtful menu, and each course really did seem to build on the previous, deepening in flavour.  It was not a rushed evening.  It was a great evening.

I didn't take photos on the Sunday.  A morning walk to coffee again, and then it was brunch with a couple of Courtney and Robert's friends.   A nice enough time, but I think we all agreed that the service and food at the brunch was less than we would have liked.  Ah well.  Conrad and I had the afternoon to pack and nap and then it was off to the airport with us.  Thunder storms rolled through the area, and we had an hour delay, but we were home that night, happy that we had one last, fantastic visit with them in Colorado. 

midweek jaunt to Eataly

The good thing about the library being closed is that I had the time on a Thursday to head over to the west side and go to Eataly with Conrad and Van.  Yay!  I've always loved that place in Chicago and NYC, and now I love it here, too.  Tarallini!  We needed it!

We got to Eataly in time for lunch, and rather than a counter, we went for full sit down service.  A good idea, as it turned out - customers in their seated dining areas received 20% off everything but alcohol.  And goodness knows we shopped today!  Van got some new Nick and Nora glasses.  We all picked up mortadella and tarallini.  Wine for Christmas dinner.  Van picked up a gin and some other spirits.  Cheese!  Chocolate!  Panettone!  We shopped very well indeed.

Lunch was good, though.  Some calamari and zucchini to share to start with,

and then I ordered a pizza with an artichoke cream, smoked mozzarella, crispy pancetta, and ricotta. 

Tasty!  I've badly needed decent pizza since U Street closed in September.

Shopping done, we had a loooooong slog home.  Weirdly long.  Ah well.  Rainbows - a double set - showed us the way.

51°40′12″S

Officially the farthest south I have now ever been.  Farther south than even the southern tip of the South Island of New Zealand.  PNT - Teniente Julio Gallarde Airport, which serves Puerto Natales, Chile.  Had we ventured into that town, it would have been the farthest south.  Instead, we ventured northward somewhat, and into an awesome part of the country.  But that, is a post yet to come.

My own hometown is farther north of the equator (54 degrees plus a bit) than I was south of it in Chile.  The farthest north I have been?  The Sweden-Norway border at about 63 degrees.  Not bad!

But back to Chile, and ah, how nice that a rainbow greeted us!

welcome rain

It's past midnight, so I guess it's Tuesday now.  I've spent the evening (and some of the afternoon) working furiously on preparation for a slew of professional association meetings coming up this week and the next.  So much PowerPoint, so much script writing.  I really should get to bed.  But I need something non-association finance related to help settle my brain, so I'll express some simple appreciation for the wet and wintry (for us!) weather we've had in recent weeks.  Oh yes, I well know that so many parts of California have been inundated.  Lives lost, homes and businesses flooded, roads washed out.  There is no denying how very awful those things are.

We've had it easy where we are.  A good soaking in Pasadena, less so in the desert.  The scenery on recent drives to and from work as well as down to Rancho Mirage and back has been gloriously verdant.  Snow on the mountains!!  We've needed this wet weather so badly.  Give us a little break in it, and then bring on some more, please.

It's always a little thrilling for me when I see water standing or flowing in the desert after a rainfall.  Seeing normally dry riverbeds with something in them is wonderful.  Muddy brown it may be before it sinks into the earth underneath, but it brings a little hope.  Or maybe it's just the west coast Canadian in me who misses being up in the rainy climes of Vancouver and such.

But come on, who doesn't like waking up to find a rainbow outside?

brunch at Havana Restaurant

It was very late yesterday morning when we got up. Those who know me well will scoff. Late for me usually means 6:30. Oh no, not yesterday. I think it was about 10 when we made it over to Safari Cafe for a quick one, and I was not even remotely hungry following such a big meal the night before.

Still, brunch plans were afoot, and we wanted to see Giuseppe. Despite pouring rain, we got in the car and headed for Commercial Drive. Destination: Havana Restaurant.

Giuseppe was a bit late - who can blame anyone yesterday - but he did bring along a friend who was new to us. I hope I remember the name, but I could swear it was Jonathan. The French Canadian accent and the Repentigny roots give me pause on that name, but no matter - he was also excellent brunch company.

We tucked into tostones all together, and I opted for shrimp and avocado eggs Benedict with salad only. It's been 4 and a half years since our only meal at Havana, and it is back on our radar now, happily.

Meanwhile, brunch conversation flowed all over, easily.
It's always a treat to see Giuseppe, after all.

Brunch done and no other set plans to undertake, Conrad and I set out for a bit of a drive around Stanley Park. It was unusual weather - normally rain in Vancouver seems light but constant. Yesterday it was heavy, insistent. We paused and took quick photos from the car, rolling up the windows before we could get too wet. But then, partway around the park and over near a view of Lions Gate Bridge, we saw a rainbow falling onto the North Shore
. And wait, a patch of blue. For a minute or two, we thought it might turn out to be a lovely end of the afternoon.

Well, no. In fact, it's wet and grey again this morning. Of course. I was delighted, however, to see that the weather did not seem to dim enthusiasm for yesterday's Polar Bear swim in English Bay.



We drove past as people were leaving, though a few brave/foolhardy souls still hooted and splashed in the brisk ocean water.

rainbows!

Gee, with a post title like that, I feel like I should have dancing gifs of My Little Pony.

No real commentary to offer, just a couple of shots of one of the rainbows we saw while in Honolulu last weekend. I struggle to think when last I saw a rainbow. Being the good gay I am, I was tickled to see it (and the others later in the weekend).

Something pretty to brighten your day, in other words.