Isle of Skye

My only visit to Scotland has been a 2-night stay in Edinburgh, but I would love to make a trip up to the Highlands. What I have recently been learning is about the culture of the islands off the coast of Scotland. Yea, it would be wind-swept, rainy, and cold, but like this "New York Times" article points out (read it here), WOW, the food is fresh and amazing!
Drool!

Here's the map of the Isle and some of the restaurants featured in the article.

Come on! Public kilt-wearing is accepted there!

The view from one of the restaurants. Man, that's some gorgeous country!

Besides, if it gets too cold, that's what "in-doors" and Scottish whisky is for!

Clannad & Bono "In A Lifetime"

A big hit in Ireland back in 1985, the song stands the test of time and is as haunting as ever. What doesn't hold up to time is the video.

All these Irish people look crazy. Some wearing wacky hats for no reason, weird old people walking in the rain wearing black, and Bono rocking the Irish-mullet.

I'll always like Moya Brennan's voice and this duet with Bono, and you can bet the video will always make me giggle.

Showing up at about 1:52 in the video is a boat being hit by lightening. I'm pretty sure it's this very boat. I took this picture back in 2006. It's taken at Rosses Point just outside of Sligo.

Ok, it's likely not the same boat, but I like to think it is!

Rome: Eat Like a Local

I visited Rome in 1998 and had a wonderfully memorable time. The gelato was something I will never forget.

So I was pleased to see "Eat Like a Local in Rome" on the cover of "Budget Travel" mag's June 2010 issue (read it here). I lovingly borrowed these snaps, so don't hate me. I haven't eaten at any of these places, but when I look at these pictures, my mouth waters and my memory runs!

Below: "Antipasti behind the counter at Armando al Pantheon"

Below: "Da Lucia is one of those Roman streets that you see in the movies."

Late night dining in Rome I remember well. I seem to recall even closing down a place or two. The wait staff was done cleaning up and joined us for a beer and a smoke (well, THEY smoked, not me)
Below: "Rigatoni all'Amatriciana at 73-year-old Da Tonino al Governo Vecchio in Piazza Navona"

I visited Piazza Navona but don't remember this place. Wow, 73 years in business. That's like 300 years in California restaurant years. Mmmm... carb-tastic!

Frog eats Twinkle Light

Ok, it's a bit esoteric, but for a year I subscribed to "National Geographic". I dunno, it was cheap, I like pictures, and thought "why not". Had a good time for the year, but sometimes NatGeo mag seems like nature porn.

I'm clearing out some back issues and love this pic. Sent in from a reader in Florida. A frog had eaten one of his Christmas lights on his mango tree. Caption says he took the pic then worked to free the frog.

My guess, he just cut up the frog and ate it. It was Florida after all.

Regardless, love the pic.

Bernadette Peters

Currently on Broadway knocking them dead in "A Little Night Music", Bernadette has always been a favorite of mine. She replaced Catherine Zeta-Jones in the role and the New York Times couldn't be gushing more. They call her performance of the song "Send in the Clowns" as, "an occasion of transporting artistry” and “an indelible moment in the history of musical theater.”
Here's the whole review.

A few days later, the New York Times ran a nice follow-up feature on Ms. Peters. My favorite part:

"Ms. Peters is 62... But to say that Ms. Peters doesn’t look her age doesn’t begin to describe her seemingly eternal, Betty Boop-like girlishness. Her porcelain skin is untroubled by wrinkles. Her kewpie-doll smile defies gravity. When she turned up for lunch at an upper West Side restaurant recently, her eye-snagging bosom pillowed distractingly from a low-cut dress, and the humidity had injected an extra jolt of abandon into her trademark corkscrew curls."

Eye-snagging bosom... atta girl! You can read the article here.