Group photo with Picknik

Thanks, Naphtali.

Adios to Fall 2010

Departures begin Friday.

Avoidance: Blog surfing and Thinking about food

Baked Brie (All credit goes to Fresh365)

Serves 4-6

8 ounces brie cheese round

1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)

1/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon orange zest1.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place brie on a baking sheet.

Pour maple syrup over top, and add cranberries.

Sprinkle with thyme and orange zest.

Place in oven, and bake 25-30 minutes, until brie is soft when cut

Remove from oven, and carefully transfer to a serving plate

Serve immediately with crackers.

I have final research papers to grade, travel plans to make for a group from Central that will be here in January, on and on and on, but what am I doing? Blog surfing and thinking about food.

Last night I worked out a menu for Donna and Andrea's visit over Christmas and then went shopping for the non-perishables on the list that included lots of cheap red wine. Is baked brie on the list? Time will tell....

What's in the cards for 2011?

When I first started traveling in Mexico, from time to time I would come across old women in small towns and villages who "read the cards." Tarot cards. Many times I never understood a word they were saying for various reasons....my poor Spanish, their poor Spanish, my hearing loss, chickens and/or ducks pecking at my feet. The readings lasted from 10-30 minutes. I would always come away feeling fascinated and could maybe recall one or two comments made by the reader. I liked the process of selecting cards, the layout, the hidden away house, the sense of being an insider in the culture. Trust me, once I left the reading, I never thought much about it again, but I was always open to having readings when the opportunity arose.



About this time last year, a friend told me of a woman here is Merida who does tarot card readings. She is French. In addition to French, she speaks Spanish and English equally well. Of course I had to make an appointment. We began that session in Spanish, but when we realized I I really was not understanding the instructions, we switched to English. The session was short and actually helpful.



I decided yesterday that I needed to have a reading to celebrate the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011. Monique's readings are divided into 3 parts....the big picture known as the "tree of life" that consists of 20 cards. The second part is 10 cards and pertains to one certain subject fo the seeker's choice, the third is 4 cards in answer to a question. As the final part of the reading, Monique told me to shuffle the cards and then pick one. This one card would represent my life in 2011. The card I selected was The Chariot.



According to Wikipedia, yes, Wikipedia:

The chariot is one of the most complex cards to define. On its most basic level, it implies war, a struggle, and an eventual, hard-won victory; either over enemies, obstacles, nature, the beasts inside you, or to just get what you want. But there is a great deal more to it. The charioteer wears emblems of the sun, yet the sign behind this card is Cancer, the moon. The chariot is all about motion, and yet it is often shown as stationary.

What does this all mean? It means a union of opposites, like the black and white steeds. They pull in different directions, but must be (and can be!) made to go together in one direction. Control is required over opposing emotions, wants, needs, people, or circumstances; to bring them together and give them a single direction, your direction. Confidence is also needed and, most especially, motivation. The card can, in fact, indicate new motivation or inspiration, which gets a stagnant situation moving again. It can also imply, on a more pragmatic level, a trip (usually by car), a vehicle - in the shop for repairs if the card comes up reversed - or a message.

On the one hand, the Chariot indicates loyalty and faith and motivation; a conviction that will lead to victory no matter the odds. But the chariot can also signal a ruthless, diehard desire to win at any cost. The Querent should be reminded to save his energy for what comes after. Victory is just the start of things.

Hmmmmmm.........

Random photos to end the month

Thanksgiving at the Central House: Great food, bad photos

In contrast to the Thanksgiving extraganzas of the past two years, this year's dinner was decidedly low key and just for students and staff. The cooks were in fine form including yours truly who this year prepared the pumpkin pies, whipped cream and macaroni and cheese. Yes, mac 'n cheese. And, no, I did not simply open a box. I prepared the dish from scratch. A majority of students said mac 'n cheese is a staple on their Thanksgiving tables. Who am I to argue?

A special note to any Grimsleys that may be reading this: the family scalloped corn recipe has become a staple on regular the Central House menu.

The last, and possibly best, field trip of the semester

We have just arrived "home" in Merida following a 2-night stay in the Mayan village of Tinum, located about 2 hours from here. I admit I was not looking forward to the trip and had considered cancelling it several times. This group has been a tough group mainly because they have no tolerance for uncertainty in any way, shape or form. Staying in a Mayan village with local families is loaded with uncertainty. Study abroad is loaded with uncertainty. Life is loaded with uncertainty. Step up.

In preparation for all of our field trips, I provide detailed logistical information both as part of the course that all students are required to take, via email and via an information sheet posted on the main bulletin board. We have a reading or two followed by discussions plus plenty of time for questions. Preparation for this trip included a discussion of possible topics of conversations with their host families. I suggested small gifts that they could bring as a thank you. Students filled out a form about how much "comfort" they require in terms of bathrooms and overall living conditions that was then forwarded to the ex-Central College professors who live in the villages and who coordinate this trip. My one return student talked about his experiences during his previous semester here. We reviewed vocabulary that could be used to turn down food without sounding ungracious. I drew the line, however, at power point presentations and detailed information about the families each student will be living with mainly because I do not make the final placements.

In spite of all of the preparation, tension was high as we rolled into Tinum early Friday afternoon. As we arrived in our immediate neighborhood, I started pointing out the houses in which "our" families live. The silence was profound; there was a definite odor of flop sweat in the air. Unloading the van and assembling in our central meeting site took forever. Finally, there was no avoiding the inevitable and each student was accompanied to his or her home for two nights.

Without going into all of the details of the weekend because I am tired and need to get home to take a shower, the ride home today was full of chatter, stories, laughs, Mayan words that they had learned, good feelings and plans to print pictures to send back to their families.

The Program Evaluation

Last week was the longest week of my life! Already tightly scheduled, everything had to be changed because two of the three members of the evaluation team arrived 24 hours later than expected. Their levels of preparation varied greatly, too, in spite of the information they were provided prior to the arrival date as they had requested. The binders I had prepared were indexed, cross-indexed, alphabetized, color-coded and about a foot thick. I had not included any extra or extraneous information; I had followed the directions set forth by the evaluation requirements. There simply was no time to prepare upon arrival or to play catch up during the shortened week. I swear at least one team member never opened the binder.

By the time we finally met for an exit interview over dinner late on Friday night, I was too tired and too frustrated to care. Luckily, the verbal report was mainly positive. Some of their recommendations were helpful while others were not. All agreed that they had no idea of what was involved in running this type of program and the opportunities that are available to students whether they are language majors or not.

The team is to submit a written report within 30 days.

This week has been much better!

The Chiapas Report

Taking photos is prohibited in the indigenous village of San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, but, as usual, someone did not honor the local rules. These photos are once again courtesy of Google. I am happy to say my students did not take photos (at least none that I know of) yet, as you can see from these photos, the temptation to do so is great, and I actually had mixed feelings about posting these photos.

My admonition to my students to not take photos received a great assist from the authorities inside the church who confiscated the camera of a tourist who was videotaping one of the processions. He looked outraged that a mere native would dare to do something like that; I doubt he got his camera back. We all cheered silently.

At the same time, students realized they were truly the outsiders and that all of the ceremonies, processions and customs were not being staged for their benefit like a ballet folklorico. The ability to observe the local rituals both in rural Chiapas and in the city of San Cristobal de las Casas generated much thoughtful discussion and many, many questions about what we were seeing, about our own customs and beliefs regarding death, and about our role as tourists.

We saw howler monkeys, tucans and wild parrots in the archeological site of Palenque, our first stop in Chiapas. Everyone shopped. Only one student got sick. None were robbed. No one was injured.

The trip is long...a total of 14 hours of travel time each way. While en route, students have several assignments to complete regarding the changes in geography and how those changes affect daily life (housing, clothing, politics, food, transportation, etc.) On the way home, we turn to the DVD player in the bus to keep us from losing our minds. This trip, I was the only one who came prepared with DVDs. As a result, we watched 24 episodes of "Modern Family" which turned out to be an excellent choice especially compared to last spring when we all had to sit through such classics as "Stepbrothers." "Modern Family" is witty and entertaining. We laughed.

In other news, a program evaluation team arrives on Sunday evening and will be here until next Saturday. The team consists of a biology professor from Central, a Spanish professor from Dakota Wesleyan and the director of a study abroad program from Susquahana University in Pennsylvania. They are charged with evaluating the administrative side of the program, the academics and what they are calling "opportunities for experiential learning" which means homestays, internships, cultural activities, excursions, classes at our affiliated universities, and any other thing they can think of. They will be using an evaluation tool created by an organization called the Forum on Education Abroad. Their schedule is packed.

I have been preparing for this visit for about a year and feel confident and sick to my stomach all at the same time. Tune in next week to hear the results.

Off to Chiapas

I wish I could take credit for this photo, but I can't. It is brought to you once again by Google Images. I will, however, be experiencing similar scenes for the next five days as we head to the state of Chiapas Friday morning. We are returning over the Day of the Dead weekend again this fall because the experience there last fall was nothing short of breathtaking. Stay tuned for more....

I could be equally tempted by chilaquiles verdes

Chilaquiles Verdes

Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 quart of salsa verde/tomatillo salsa (prepare using recipe below, or use store-bought)
1 large bag of corn tortilla chips, preferably thick and unsalted (store-bought, or fry your own from leftover corn tortillas )
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco ( mild feta cheese may be substituted)
3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Crema fresca or sour cream for garnish
Optional: leftover cooked chicken or turkey breast, shredded, or fried eggs
Technique
1. Place a wide pot or pan over medium-high heat and coat with corn oil. When the oil is hazy, pour in the salsa verde; it will bubble a bit. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Raise the heat to medium. When the salsa starts to bubble, stir in the beaten eggs. Cook and stir for about 5 seconds, until the egg feathers into the sauce, thickening and binding it.
3. Immediately add the chips into the salsa, tossing gently until they have absorbed enough sauce to become soft. Take care not to break the chips. Sprinkle the Jack cheese on top and let it melt.
4. Divide the chilaquiles among 4 plates.
5. Top with shredded chicken or turkey, or fried eggs, if using.
6. Sprinkle with the queso fresco, chopped onion, and cilantro. Garnish with the crema fresca and serve immediately.
Salsa verde (makes 1 quart)
Ingredients
1 jalapeno, stem removed (more to taste)
10 tomatillos, husked
2-3 garlic cloves
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
salt to taste
Technique
1. place all ingredients except cilantro and salt in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
2. Boil for about 5-10 minutes, until tomatillos yield to a fork.
3. Drain off the liquid, transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender, and blend for 30 seconds to a minute, until coarsely blended.
4. Add cilantro and salt to taste, and blend again for a few seconds.
Chilaquiles recipe adapted from a recipe by Joanne Cianciulli on Epicurious.com, August 2009.
Salsa verde recipe adapted from my cooking class with Iliana de la Vega, at the former Restaurante el Naranjo, Oaxaca, MX.

The recipe for the dish that contributed to my decline

Chilaquiles Rojos

4 ancho chiles

lard

18 day old corn tortillas, cut into strips

1 large onion, chopped

1 sprig of epazote

chicken stock

1 pound (about 3 medium), peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes

salt

freshly ground pepper

pinch of sugar

1 cup heavy cream

3 cooked chicken breasts, boned and shredded

½ cup grated cheese, Monterey Jack or cheddar

Wash the chiles in cold water, remove the veins, stems and seeds; place in a bowl and soak them in hot water, about ¾ cup, for about an hour.
Meanwhile, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of lard in a skillet and fry the tortillas, a few strips at a time, on both sides without browning. Drain on paper towels. Add more lard as it is needed while frying the tortillas.
Combine the prepared chiles, onion and epazote with a little stock in an electric blender to make a smooth puree. Cook the puree in the fat remaining in the skillet (if necessary, add a bit more lard to make it about 2 tablespoons) for 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Simmer gently until the sauce is smooth and well blended.
Grease an earthenware casserole dish; add a layer of the sauce, followed by a layer of the tortilla strips, some of the cream and a layer of chicken. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of tortilla and some cream. If the tomatoes did not supply sufficient juice, add � to 1 cup of chicken stock. Sprinkle the cheese over the top; and bake in a preheated oven 350 F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the dish is heated through.
Serves 6

A high dive off the wagon

Cheese? Check. Cream? Check. Chicken? Check. Lard? Probably. Diet Coke as beverage of choice? Check.

One more post about my new gym

Apologies for the horrible image. Along with using the gym facilities this weekend, I promise to take my camera along. Third on the list of things I like about my new gym is the cafe. The food and beverage choices are healthy and include vegan options, the prices are reasonable and the service is great. Last night I had a sandwich before my 9:00 water aerobics class. I was hungry; the sandwich was delicious, but it also helped to keep me away from my house and thus the lack of desire (and discipline) to venture out again to go to a 9:00 pm exercise class which is what happend Tuesday night. There were 8 people in the class! Same high energy, different music and different tools to work different muscles. I slept like an angel.

Students had a fall break Wednesday through Friday. Some have been in and out to work on projects due next week, but it has been wonderfully quiet this week. My things to do list is filled with lots of lovely checkmarks.

The vegan plan continues. Today for lunch I had tabule and humus from a nearby Lebanese restaurant. I went one day without a Diet Coke...hey, we are looking for progress, not perfection.

My new gym continued

(Image from Google)

While the pool is the best feature in my new gym, the newly opened spa ranks a close second. It is lovely....spacious, filled with light, great towels and robes, soothing products and a technician with magic hands. I chose the anti-aging facial for my first treatment, and, for all of about 10 minutes, I looked 6 months younger, but the entire treatment from start to finish was therapeutic. It will come as no surprise to anyone that I have already booked several other treatments. I will ask to take photos of the actual setting soon.

Best water aerobics class ever

I happened to be at the new gym on Saturday in time for a fabulous water aerobics class. I felt like I was at a Mexican dance...salsa, mambo and cumbia all in the water. The teacher was fun as were the other participants who sang along with the music and shouted and/or whistled when appropriate. In addition to the Saturday class, there are classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 9:00. Yes, 9:00 p.m. I have no idea why so late except to say this is Mexico. I'm in.

If I can eliminate dairy and meat, why not Diet Coke?

I have one a day at right about this time: 12:45-1:15. I love it. I look forward to it. I enjoy every sip. And it is total crap, garbage and pure chemicals. I once went for about six months without a Diet Coke, but since then, I don't think I have even gone 6 days without one. When in France during the summer, I definitely did not have one every day, but I didn't go without either. Any recommendations for kicking this particular Coke habit?

My week as a vegan

Today marks the eighth day of my vegan routine. What is a vegan? Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients.

What do vegans eat? A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits and the nearly infinite number of foods made by combining them.

Why am I doing this? I didn't make a conscious decision to go vegan even for a day and, after one week, I know I am not going to make a lifetime commitment to veganisim, but for now, much like my attitude towards the return of good weather, I am taking my vegan routine one day at a time.

How did I get started? At the suggestion of a Flores de Bach (http://www.bachflower.com/index.html) therapist that I am seeing for never-ending sleep problems, I stopped eating dairy products after our first session on Sept. 14. She believes that women of a certain age no longer need dairy mainly because the dairy products we have access to are filled with sugar and/or have been processed so much that there is very little true nutrition to be found. She also listed other health reasons such as a growing tendency to lactose intolerance as we age, the fat content of real cheese and the chemical content and tastelessness of "light" cheese.

When she first suggested I eliminate dairy products, I mentally rolled my eyes and thought, "Oh, please." Well, actually I thought, "O, por favor." Nevertheless, I heard myself say I would work on it. Amazingly, I haven't had any dairy since. Nothing. Nada. No cheese, no milk, no yogurt. No ice cream. No cheesecake. I don't miss it at all except that no dairy forced me to re-think my entire way of eating as dairy was often my go-to solution for quick meals, quick snacks, quick protein. I always met the famous WW guideline for 3 servings of dairy products a day no matter what kind of train wreck the rest of my daily menu looked like.

I had already stopped eating beef, chicken and pork in mid-August after a moment of revulsion one day while scarfing down a roasted chicken from Costco. Again, a roasted chicken had been my go-to staple for years and years. Animals based protein then consisted of eggs and fish. Even my fish intake was getting less and less as I read the news stories about mercury content in fish. I hadn't thought too much about eggs.

Without dairy and chicken, I had to stop and think about what I was going to eat every day, make a plan and shop accordingly. Yesterday, I realized I have been unconsciously eating vegan for a week...lots of different types of beans, lentils, brown rice, couscous, vegetables, some pasta and some bread, olive oil and avocados, almonds, raisins. No animal protein at all. No meat substitutes either as they are not to be found here and seem gross anyway. I have found a small health food store that makes fresh peanut butter...thank goodness! Last night I had dinner with a friend at a sushi place. I asked for tofu rather than fish, and the choices were limitess.

What am I thinking? One of my concerns is that because I have had this cold/flu, I have no appetite for anything and that my tastebuds are dead. Once I feel 100% again, a vegan diet may make me crazy. But maybe not. Stay tuned.

Question: How do you spell relief?

Answer: A temperature of only 82ºF (27ºC) and a relative humidity of 48%!!! When students arrived at the end of August, temperatures averaged 103º F (39ºC) and 98% humidity. They are now complaining of being cold at night and are asking for blankets. Temperatures should remain in the low 80s/high 70s until February when temps will begin to rise again. Until then, I plan to enjoy the lovely weather one day at a time.

My birthday present to myself

I joined a new gym on Sept 30 as a birthday present to myself. The gym is about a year old and is located 20 minutes (mas o menos) from my house. What I love about Sport Center is the pool. It is not treated with chlorine and the pool floor is made of something that has a give to it...like a ballet studio only under water. The other feature I love is the hours of operation. This is the only gym in all of Merida that is open on Sundays! It is open until 11:00 pm and offers a water aerobics class every day. I am giving up my women's only swim period, but my plan is to experiment with different hours to find a time when the pool is not crowded.

Unfortunately, I have only been there once since I joined. I came down with a cold/flu on Friday, the 1st, and still do not feel good. I am hoping I will feel good enough to get into my new routine tomorrow.

A high high five

How time flies...

Pops would have been 80 today!

Fall 2010

Yes, it is that time of year again. Students arrived August 22 and will be here until December 11. Demographics of the group? Five females, 4 males, 2 Central students, 7 non-Central students, one student with an intermediate language level, 8 students with advanced Spanish skills (mas o menos.) One student returned for a second semester; two students will be here the entire academic yeas. ALL students are living with families in the surrounding neighborhood. There is no visiting professor this semester.


In spite of a rotten field trip to the flamingo reserve where we saw NO flamingos at all and were eaten alive by mosquitos, everyone does seem happy in the photo above.

Merida continues to be quiet in spite of the violence that is taking place in other parts of Mexico.

We will be taking several new field trips in addition to our Day of the Dead trip to the state of Chiapas.


Things should be quiet here this semester. I will be hosting three professors in November for a program evaluation. Another professor from Clarke College will be visiting as a part of a program that Central sponsors for cooperating schools. She will only be here for a week. Thus far, I have no travel plans although that could change!

For now, life is good.

Engaged!

Big smiles all around...Devin is engaged to Ryan Yoder. Wedding date to be announced soon. Pictured below is Patti, Ryan's sister Lauren, Ryan, Devin, and Ryan's mother Lynn. He popped the question following the closing on their new home. To quote Devin, "Best day ever."

Still thinking about my vacation....

Even though I am technically back at work, my thoughts remain elsewhere:

A final shot of the harbor at Villefranche taken after dinner one night:
The seagull on the roof is real:

Markets to die for:

As for other bits of information, Ilona asked about the clothes I took. They were OK, but I still felt fat and frumpy. It is much, much easier to feel good in fall/winter clothes....boots, scarves, longer coat. We experienced a number of hot (90+) days. I felt I was in Merida which is why I think I will go to Buenos Aires next summer...temperatures there were in the 20s and 30s while we were in Paris.

Patti and I raised the art of people watching to a new high. Actually, we seemed to only watch Frnech women. Everything we read about them is true. French women are not fat. They aren't. Their clothes fit well; they move with a grace and confidence that we rarely see in the US. Gosh, they look good zipping by on bicycles in their regular street clothes and shoes. They wear wonderful shoes...just regular shoes. (The only place we saw outrageous high heels was the night we hung out with the papparazzi in front of the Grand Palais where the A/W Chanel show was being held. ) They have wonderful handbags...not all of them are the high end brands, but they all look great. Very few are shoulder bags as most are carried on the arm. The only cross body bags I saw were on students or tourists. Young women were wearing cute summer fedoras, but we only saw one woman of a certain age who pulled off that look. It was depressing.

With fashion and style on the brain, we also went to the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit in the Petite Palais...across the street from the Grand Palais. All we wanted to do was touch the clothing because the fabrics looked so rich and sensual.

On a smaller scale, Patti found a line of clothing she really liked. She bought some great pieces and all on sale. I bought a handbag, a scarf and a pair of earrings.....as if I needed any more of any of those three things, but they were the only things that would fit me.

We did go to a couple of museums including the Cluny where the famous tapestries of the Middle Ages are displayed. It seemed appropriate that we two middle aged women found ourselves there.

Food, glorious food

To say we ate well in France is an understatement. We had absolutely wonderful, lovely, fresh food each and every day. Bread, cheese, fish, pate/foie gras, huge salads, lamb, veal, gazpacho. We usually ordered two appetizers rather than an entree. We only had dessert a couple of times and of those, only one was memorable....fresh berries served over lemon sorbet. As we recounted our trip to Erin and Devin, meals defined the days.

(Note to Ilona: I did not eat a single macaroon...the colors gross me out.)
(Note to Naphtali: We ate at two restaurants recommended by Clothide. They were fabulous. No photos however.)

While in Paris, we ate breakast each day in our apartment...feasting on fresh yogurt and incredible fresh fruit....apricots, nectarines, cherries.

All other meals, however, were eaten out. Literally. Except for one hot night when we sought out an air conditioned restaurant, we ate every meal outside along with everyone else in Paris and in Villefranche. These are some of our favorites:

On the street where we lived

I took a grand total of 18 photos during my three weeks in France. Do I regret not taking more? Right now, yes. Did I love not taking photos while we were there? Definitely.

This is the view from our apartment window...32 Rue de Vielle Temple, Paris. We lived in a normal neighborhood in the 4th arrondisement. The street was filled with apartment buildings but what was fascinating was that each building had a business on the ground floor. We had a bakery directly under us. At first, we thought the smells would drive us crazy but we rarely smelled the baking that started at around 5:00 each morning. There were several restaurants, clothing shops, grocery stores and a sock store. We came and went as we pleased....feeling quite Parisianne as we keyed in the door code and climbed the two stories to our tiny apartment.

The apartment had its advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage was a refrigerator. The biggest disadvantage was no maid service. Ultimately, Patti and I decided we are both hotel girls at heart.

Back to reality...but one can dream of the next trip

What a wonderful trip! Paris was spectacular while our stay in Villefranche was an unexpected delight. I had long resisted traveling to the French Riviera thinking that it would be filled with only beautiful people getting tan....the only activity possible in this area. I was so wrong! While, yes, there is a lot of serious tanning that goes on here and, yes, there are many beautiful people, there are lots of small towns to explore easily via train and bus, lots of walking to be done, great food, and, most of all, gorgeous, relaxing scenery. There is something wonderful about being on the water.

I officially return to work on Monday and am using the weekend to catch up on sleep, buy groceries, get a much needed mani/pedi. More vacation posts to follow.

I cannot post for some reason..having a wonderful time. Will keep working to figure this out

Les Sacs ...the end

This first photo is of the empty black suitcase. Many people do not realize that there is a little extra packing space to be found under the lining. See Photo 2. Yes, I travel with instant oatmeal, bandaids and dental floss. This is also where I stash a copy of my passport. I am not sure why I am traveling with at least 8 disposable razors.

This is my carry on bag. I have no idea why it is not black.

And, finally, my favorite. This is a leather bag from Argentina. A friend who runs a program here also has the most fabulous handbags that she buys in Argentina. As luck would have it, Jann F. went to Buenos Aires in the spring to visit one of her son's who was studying there. It turned out that the shop was on the same block as her hotel. It is wonderful....and also not black.

OK, that`s all. I will stop boring you with packing insights and move on to the trip itself.

A demain....

Pour la plage

Yes, even my swimsuit, wrap, googles and flip flops maintain the b/w theme. But scroll down and what do we have? Color in the shape of an umbrella, sun visor, and flashlight. I know...not sure why the flashlight is in this group nor why the fan is either. I guess in case I get hot and lost late at night on some empty beach. One never knows....