Won't Get Life Back Again

I was really looking forward to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara the latest movie by Zoya Akhtar. Loved the music, screenplay, acting. It really makes you take a second look at your life and think about your priorities. Made the trip to NJ on a Sunday night very worthwhile.

This was laid back weekend for me. A birthday party in Astoria on Saturday and lunch at home with friends and family on Sunday.

Image courtesy of www.naachgaana.com/.../zindagi-na-milegi-dobara/

Venice-on-the-Hudson

It was too hot to be outside last weekend. But on Saturday evening we drove to the top of Bear Mountain.


The breeze was refreshing and we spent a bit of time sitting on the rocks and enjoying the view.



After debating on what to do for dinner, Nelson led us to a cute town called Haverstraw. The downtown seemed to have many restaurants and seemed active. There was a movie being screened at a park by the waterfront. We were hoping to have dinner outside at Civile's Venice -on-the -Hudson. It was crowded especially regarding its outside seating with river views. But we arrived past the prime dinner time and were seated at a table outside within twenty minutes. We enjoyed the complementary bread basket, good pasta dishes and dessert. Having dinner in the cooling breeze with moonlight in view was a great end to a hot summer day!

PEEP and MORE

I had planned a small get together to say good bye to a friend heading to B-school in the fall. After starting with a long list of restaurants, we settled on Peep, a trendy Thai fusion place in SoHo. Peep caught my eye while strolling about the area due to its ambience. It turned out to be a great spot for a group diner, with good food and drinks at an affordable price. It was $50 each for a three course(shared appetizers) meal with drinks. The restaurant got its name from the one way mirror in the bathroom that allowed guests to observe the dining area while doing their business! Peep really doesn't need this quirky distinguishing factor, but I guess it helps to stand out among the dozens of restaurants in the area.

After dinner we had drinks at Fat Black Pussycat, one of the few bars we know in the area. The lounge arae was laid back and we got chat without being bothered by loud music.

After relaxing indoors all Sunday we watched Woody Allen's latest, "Midnight in Paris." I really enjoyed it despite not knowing all the famous artists being portrayed. It makes anyone long for a summer day in Paris.

For dinner we tried out Neo Bistro in Mt Kisco due to the Groupon promotion. I loved the refreshing green themed decor. All diners were treated to a complimentary bowl of edamame. The food was good but it didn't seem to be anything special.

Image courtsey of sidewalknyc.blogspot.com/2007/01/peep-thai-fo...

Seattle Sightseeing in 2 Days

The evening train from Vancouver to Seattle was hassle free (provided you arrive at the train station with at least 30mins to spare) and picturesque. The immigration was not exceptionally fast but not having to leave the train was a bonus. We arrived in downtown Seattle past 10pm and took the light rail to our Double Tree airport hotel about 30mins away. It was worth saving on the hotel by staying further from downtown. If you don't mind the train ride, it was very accessible and economical.

Day 1:

We started our day at Pike Market. Public transportation was very easy and we moved about using the bus and tram system quite easily.



Stalls of all types of food. But the fish really caught my eye.



HOT!!!

Our first glimpse of Mt Rainier from a distance.



At the first Starbucks that opened in 1971.



Touring the Japanese Garden was a blissful and serene experience.




We also participated in the traditional tea ceremony. Our friend had reserved our spots ahead of time.



At the Lake Shore Park for the Wooden Boat Festival.



Chinatown for a yummy and inexpensive dinner.


Day 2:

We rented a car for the day to drive to Mount Rainier National Park despite the relatively gloomy weather. After all we were in Seattle! We were amazed by how much snow was still accumulated.



Beautiful scenery along the way.







Paradise though famous for its glorious wildflower meadows was still covered in snow.



Mount Rainier was hidden behind the clouds :((



Last but not least, the quintessential symbol of Seattle



Amazing views from the top.



Mount Rainer came out of the clouds!



Having authentic Trini food at Pam's Kitchen near UW campus. The unexpected wait of more than one hour nearly killed us of starvation.



Can't believe we didn't see a drop of rain!

Exploring Vancouver

We spent our next two days exploring this great city and eating many different kinds of food. I think we covered all the must see sights:


Stanley Park:
Loved walking through this park with amazing views, beautiful rose garden and a traditional show at the Klahowya Aboriginal village.

Robson Street:
Had to see the damage from the riots and do some window shopping.


Gastown:
Oldest town in Vancouver that boasts of well known powered steam clock. A very hip area great for strolling about or getting a cup of coffee.

Yaletown:
A great neighborhood with lots of trendy restaurants. We had Japanese inspired tapas at Sakana.

Falls Creek:
Great for relaxing/walking by the water.

Chinatown:
The second largest in North America was great for a dimsum stop. Not much to see besides the typical Chinese markets and a garden that was not very well maintained.


Granville Island:
The patriotic atmosphere on Canada Day was infectious. The diversity of this city was fascinating. But everywhere was sporting maple leaf of some sort.

Olympic Village:
We walked by what was left of the Olympic village. Most buildings have been converted to green living complexes.


Nelson had to walk by the Canucks Stadium.

More amazing views as we took the train from Vancouver to Seattle along the Pacific coast

First stop in Vancouver

Our almost too early flight to Vancouver got us there mid morning. The public transport was so convenient and we used the sky train and the sea bus to get to our hotel in North Vancouver. We stayed at Londsdale Quay Hotel. It was a chic hotel on the third floor of a market/restaurant complex. This was a fantastic experience. We had a choice of almost any type of food. Vietnamese spring rolls, Indian curry, Australian Pavlova, Beaver Trails, fresh seafood salad and mince meat pies were a some of the items we tried at the international food court at very reasonable prices. It was so a great place to browse for souvenirs and crafts.

After lunch took a bus to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park one of the famous attractions in Vancouver. At $30 per person it was worth seeing if you make it all the way to this part of the city. The scenery of the tall, green trees was something unique. The Cliff walk was another attraction that offered great views. We took the bus up north a few blocks to Grouse Mountain. But didn't feel that spending $40 each was justified for a cable ride especially on a somewhat cloudy day. We finished our night at Boston Pizza, a franchise that seems to be very popular in Canada. e had no idea Boston was known for pizza anywhere in the world!