Black Cypress is Pullman’s newest restaurant, and it makes a lovely night out without the wee ones.  Get a sitter and have a date!

Black Cypress Interior

I have been here a few times – three times for drinks and once for a full dinner.  I have had a great experience each time.

The Bar at Black Cypress

First the bar:  It seats about eight to ten people and has a very cozy feel.  The bartenders have been perfect – attentive but not overly chatty.  This places gets a tad noisy, so sitting at the bar works best if you either go early or just plan to talk to the person next to you.  I went for drinks and light appetizers with a group of ladies and they let us sit at a table.  The selection of wines was fine, and the prices were generally moderate.  (I think about $7-10 per glass.)  There is a beer selection, too, but I did not pay much attention!

The Decor:  The “theme” of the decor is antique mirrors.  With the candles on the tables reflecting off the mirrors, it creates a very nice atmosphere.  The ceiling is draped with lengths of a rough material (burlap?) which gives it a pretty, tent-like feel. (Note these photos were taken during the day, through the window.  At night is has a more romantic feeling.)

The food:  The menu is small but the food is excellent.  The menu has a Mediterranean influence (as you would expect from the name) but this is by no means a “Mediterranean” restaurant.

The Special Board

Black Cypress seems to really excel at the meat dishes.  I had the lamb chops (so good, and actually cooked the way I ordered, which is a rarity).  My dining companions gave rave reviews to the beef, the pork chops, and the scallops.  I have had the beet salad and the cheese plate, which were both good (though perhaps not the best versions of these dishes I had ever had).  For dessert, the apple spice cake and the smores both got high marks.  In fact, no one had a bad thing to say about the food.

The cost is on the high side for Pullman, but it is not out of line with what you would pay at a similar restaurant in a bigger city.  Dinner for five (three salads, five entrees, two desserts, and two bottles of the cheaper wine) came to around $50 per person.

The service has always been very good, also.  I am not sure who does the hiring, but it seems like the wait staff is made up mostly of very good-looking twenty-something guys, who also happen to be professional and attentive.  This does not hurt the overall experience!

The hours are as shown above.  The address and phone:

215 East Main Street
Pullman, WA 99163-2769
(509) 334-5800

It is located next to Prune Orchard, which is open until 6, giving you one hour of overlap to do a combined shopping and wine drinking excursion!

i love these fantasy stories like narnia, harry potter and now the golden compass and its successors of the his dark materials series by philip pullman. thanks to the movie makers or i would not have known this magical book.

click below to goto the download page

the golden compass - download ( northern lights)

the subtle knife - download

the amber spyglass - download

lyra’s oxford - download

A Cougar... Probably the only way we'll see one!

I took the boys to the Conner Museum on the Washington State University campus this morning.  Very worthwhile!

The Conner Museum has lots of dead stuff.  The variety is impressive (though make no mistake, this is a small collection) and the displays and collection are high quality.

The history (from the website):

“Conner Museum traces its beginnings back to 1894, when Charles R. Conner, president of the Board of Regents, persuaded the state of Washington to donate its exhibits from the Chicago World’s Fair to the fledgling Washington Agricultural College. Those first exhibits were a mixture of several disciplines including anthropology, geology, biology and, of course, agriculture. Over time and through the influence of successive curators, the museum’s theme gradually narrowed and focused on vertebrate animals. Today the museum’s exhibits display over 700 mounts of birds and mammals and the scientific collection used by researchers houses over 65,000 specimens.”

One of the coolest things about the museum is the table of stuff the kids can touch.  We took full advantage of this!

The museum is located on the first floor of Abelson Hall, in a few different rooms (just follow the signs).  It is open seven days a week from 8 AM to 5 PM, except on holidays or other times when the buildings on campus are closed. Admission is FREE, but the museum could really use donations, so drop some money in the donation box if you can.  There is no specific parking lot.  We parked at a meter in front of Daggy Hall on College.  It was $1.50 for an hour. I was afraid parking was going to be a pain, but it wasn’t.

From there, it was a short walk to Abelson.  The boys had a great time running up the stairs.

Abelson Hall

We also saw the famous Bryan clock tower and took the obligatory photo.

Bryan Clock Tower

Finally, on the way back to the car, we stopped at every mound of snow (leftover and totally icy) that we could see.  I only mention this because the boys would have been happy doing this for hours, and it was great because there are no cars to worry about- maybe when we get bored this winter we can wander around campus kicking at snowpiles?

Prune Orchard: Pullman's Premier Place to Shop

No Pullman blog is complete without a mention of Prune Orchard.  It is truly a sign of civilization on Main Street, which tends to be a bit lacking in first-rate retail.

Entrance to Prune Orchard

Prune Orchard carries lots of wonderful, tasteful stuff that you need or just want, and it is an excellent place to buy gifts and cards. It has jewelry, housewares, kitchen gadgets, clothing, candles, a delicious selection of kid and baby stuff, and more.  It is like a store you would see in a bigger city, but it is here in little Pullman!

It also has a great selection of holiday items.

As you can tell from the photos, this is not a great place to shop with your kids unless they are much less grabby than mine, but it would be a good place to shop for them.  And of course, it is not cheap, but it has items in a wide range of prices, from the inexpensive to the not inexpensive.

It is located next to Pullman’s newest restaurant, Black Cypress, which opens at 5.  So you can do a late afternoon shopping trip to Prune Orchard then head to Black Cypress for a refreshment.  A good kid-free outing!

Address and Phone:

215 East Main Street
Pullman, WA 99163-2769
(509) 332-4830

Hours

10-6, Monday through Saturday

So I’m sitting here. Bored. Kinda cold. Kinda hungry…just chillin alone in my dorm, and I realize, this is exactly what I do every night. I am alone all the time. And, as nice as that is when I’m feeling overwhelmed or introverted, it sucks ass when I want to just hear someone’s voice, or if I miss Seattle Sweetheart. I’m lonely enough that I call my parents to talk about nothing, or text people I don’t even like. But the biggest problem is that I don’t want to make any real friendships here because I’m going to be leaving soon. No one wants to invest the effort in getting to know me because I am leaving, and I don’t want to bother with it either. So I’m alone. All the time.

Furthermore, SS needs to get his shit figured out. SS’ Crazy Ex(es) severely messed this amazing, wonderful, intelligent young man up. For example, he has zero trust or faith in me. I took offense to this for a while before I realized that he just can’t help it, and that, frankly, he knows that I’m the last person to ever do something like that–especially because my long-ass relationship with Fratty Asshat my First Love was ruined because of the fact that I had to kiss My Main Gay in the Winter Play Flowers for Algernon. I mean, really. I had to kiss someone so gay he dyed his hair pink and moved to NYC to pursue a career in theatre, wore fuzzy Ugg boots, and had a murse. Not to stereotype, or anything.

I digress.

SS now treats me with a cold indifference through text message. It’s an interesting way he goes about protecting himself…a coping mechanism, I suppose, for all the insecurities he has about relationships. He preempts my “hurting him” by hurting me, thus, if the relationship ended it would end on his terms and not mine. But, to be perfectly honest and not at all arrogant, all I have to do to defrost his ice shield is be around him. If he sees me, it’s Game Over. SS has admitted many a time that he can’t resist me. So there.

But, frankly, it’d be nice if he’d just stop playing games, trust me, and finally make things official. I’m tired of this kinda-sorta-but-not-really-but-it-will-be shit.

Oh, but I had a great ride back to Pullman. The weather was clear and beautiful and I was riding with a friend from Mukilteo that I always have a blast talking to. We’re very similar, and differ in ways that compliment each other. All in all, good chemistry. We bitched about girls and boys and parents and teachers and all the good stuff.

Yeeeaaahhhh!!!

How about them Huskies!!!  Yesterday’s matchup between the Washington Huskies and the WSU Cougars was one of the best college football games I’ve seen in awhile!  Not to mention the total shut out of the cougs!  Jake Locker did an exactly job last night so as the rest of the team.  It’s going to be awesome going into the office on Monday and rubbing it all into my co-worker’s faces (the ones who are WSU alums)!  What a great ending, since it was played out on our home turf!  I bet you coach Steve is breathing a sigh of relief right about now!

The early railway companies went to great lengths to give themselves status and authority.  This was partly to reassure investors and the travelling public alike since both were initially sceptical of railways and railway travel.  Th achieve the desired effect, companies often used heraldic devices on their coats of arms and seals, even though few were officially entitled to use them.

The company armorial device appears on small items such as badges and buttons, headed notepaper and publications through to ornate ironwork supporting platform canopies and stonework at major stations.  But to the collector one of the favoured items is a genuine railway company armorial transfer, usually attractively mounted on a wooden plaque or backing.

Transfers were introduced in the 1850s by Tearne and Sons Ltd of Birmingham, offering the emerging railway companies an easy method of branding their rolling stock.  Soon locomotives and carriages were suitably embellished with the grand coat of arms belonging to the parent company.

The railway companies took liberties when it came to the heraldic devices they chose to use.  For example the London & North Western Railway (LNER) made free use of the national symbol Britannia.

Although railway companies had consulted the College of Arms about the design of their coats of arms, it was not until 1898 that arms were officially granted.  This was awarded to the Great Central Railway, formerly the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire.

After the Great Central’s achievement only four other transport companies were awarded armorial devices – the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER), the Southern Railway (SR), the British Transport Commission and the Ulster Transport Authority.

British Railways’ full armorial bearings included a crest (beneath a ‘Forward’ scroll) of a demi-lion on its hind legs clutching a wheel between its paws, while two further lions held the shield.  The three wheels at the top  railways, a portcullis and chains stood for ports and harbours, and straight and wavy lines represented road, rail and waterways.  Below this was  a further scroll ‘Velociter securiter‘: swift and sure.

The crest, replacing an earlier ‘lion and wheel’ device (also known as ‘ferret and dartboard’) was adapted by BR for use as a transfer on carriages and locomotives.  This design  survived until the introduction of the BR twin arrows emblem.  Chrome finished BR crests used on some 1960s electrics are popular.

A  Pullman acaba de lançar uma massa semipronta para sanduiche, que é o sonho de consumo de quem mora sozinho. Este lançamento com certeza será uma revolução no segmento de pães e produtos para refeições rápidas.O Pullman Rap10 é uma massa semipronta à base de farinha de trigo, que ajuda você a preparar deliciosas refeições, e o mais importante, de maneira rápida e original.

Este produto me seduziu nas prateleiras de mercados e mais ainda, quando entrei no site e ví que eles disponibilizam um monte de receitas. Todas muito simples de fazer. Ela própria para o preparo de wraps, cones, pizza cone, panquecas, tacos, trouxinhas recheadas e várias receitas de sobremesa.

Você vai criar diferentes pratos quando, como e com o que quiser num instante!

O pacotinho dom 10 Unidades saí por R$ 4,85, e vale muito a pena em matéria de custo/benefício.

Entre no site da pullman e confira esta super novidade, pensada para encher a barriga de quem tem que se virar sozinho.

Até

@danielpsv

i hope you have fun~

It’s 2:16 AM right now and I’m wide awake. Reason? Because I decided to go to bed at 4 PM today. Sigh… I’m leaving for “Freeze-my-ass-off-Pullman” in a few hours. Time to pack WARM clothes and music! I’m actually kind of excited…

You know what I’m not excited about? Yes, here I go again…
WELL, you know how people go around saying what they are thankful for during dinner? I KNOW someone is going to say for me and my mom being such loving people or such great friends or something along those lines. AND there is a possibility that will make my mom cry because things like that get to her these days. And when my mom cries, I cry. Because I can’t stand the fact that my mom is just as emotional as I am. I think that’s the problem with being a mom. Us kids have some expectation for them to be these super humans that stay strong all the time. And when they don’t, we freak out. Sometimes we forget that everyone is just as human as ourselves.

Oh! But I am thankful for green bean casserole and sweet potatoes. And for my baby blanket not falling apart quite yet~

What are you thankful for? :]

sooooooooooooo im pulling another all nighter! and im not too happy with myself right now. i’ve been purposely distracting myself all day…you know how it goes…not good. at least i got some sleep in earlier today! excuses excuses :]

im leaving for pullman thursday morning. hopefully i can get some driving in because my 6 months are up on December 13th! And i have NOT been practicing…tsk tsk tina dear. if i took my drivers test next month i could have my license by the time im 17 and then i can drive far FAR away! ohhhhhh it sounds tempting..

turkey day is coming up! which means i can gain all the weight i’ve been losing supposedly. my family has been pointing it out to me and im just like bleh… especially my grandma. she says i dont eat enough. she’s also been complaining that she gained 10 pounds within the last year but she still eats and eats and eats and i want to say “do you wonder why??” but that wouldn’t be so nice, considering she took care of me yesterday when i was sick. she’s so funny sometimes! she’s like “i only care about my grandkids” but “im grandma now. i fat!” hahaha…gotta love her :]

oh yeah. i think im growing!! when i went to the doctors the nurse said i grew .o5″ so now im 5′4.5″
im also getting that weird feeling in your knee when you have growth spurts. ohhhh deearrr. i am supposed to be 5′7″… O_O

i dont know why i used a lot of exclamation points in this post….im usually not this excited.

well its 1:14 AM and im going to sign off now…

Il 16 Novembre è partita una riorganizzazione delle linee di trasporto pubblico che PEGGIORA notevolmente la qualità del servizio da Muggiò verso la stazione metropolitana di Sesto San Giovanni.
Sono state soppresse tutte le corse “dirette” della linea z227, aumentando la durata del viaggio di almeno 20 minuti.

Nuovi percorsi trasporto pubblico a Muggiò

In allegato il comunicato con le modifiche alla linea z227 Avviso soppressione fermate e modifica linea z227 ed il riepilogo di tutte le modifiche apportate alle autolinee della Brianza Avviso novità dei programmi di esercizio dal 16.11.09

Un morto e tredici feriti. E’ pesante il bilancio dello scontro avvenuto questa mattina tra un furgone e un pullman di linea in provincia di Pisa, tra Fornacette e Pontedera, sulla strada tosco-romagnola. L’autobus di linea dell’azienda di trasporti Cpt, su cui viaggiavano anche ragazzi diretti a scuola, è finito in un fossato.

Nell’incidente è rimasta coinvolta anche un’auto, finita addosso al furgone dopo l’impatto di quest’ultimo veicolo con il pullman. A perdere la vita è stato un uomo di 41 anni, il conducente del furgone. Dopo lo scontro il pullman, su cui viaggiavano anche ragazzi diretti a scuola, è finito in un fossato. Secondo quanto rende noto la Asl di Pisa, due feriti sono stati portati all’ospedale di Pontedera, mentre gli altri 11 all’ospedale di Pisa. Sul posto sono intervenuti ambulanze, vigili del fuoco e forze di polizia. Sono in corso indagini per ricostruire la dinamica dell’incidente con esattezza, per risalire alle responsabilità.

Fonte: http://ilgiorno.ilsole24ore.com

listening to All is full of Love (live) by Bjork

7.45 di mattina.
L’autobus è pieno
Gente che va a scuola, gente che va a lavoro.
Tutto è ancora calmo e silenzioso,  tutti vogliono ancora riposare. I vetri lentamente iniziano ad appannarsi e qualche passeggero già sonnecchia.
Una ragazza (o forse dovrei dire donna) sulla trentina siede poco avanti a me, nella fila di fianco. E’ vestita bene, di nero e grigio. Ha un volto ancora giovane e un piercing minuscolo sul naso.
La osservo mentre gli archi di All is full of love si mescolano nell’aria.
Uno strano ombrello, in quello che sembra essere ferro battuto, con una stoffa argentata che si chiude in un vaporoso fiore, penzola di fianco a lei.
Ogni suo oggetto o atteggiamento la rende più bella di quanto realmente non sia.
I suoi capelli a caschetto neri, il viso piccolo e appuntito, mi ricordano mia cugina. Mi ricorda qualcosa che vedevo da piccolo, un’idea che mi ero fatto dell’”essere grandi”, una vita che vedevo nei telefilm che guardavano gli adolescenti del tempo, tra Friends e Daria.
Prende un piccolo specchietto grigio e inizia a mettersi un rossetto scuro -che sembra essere di muji, in una scatola trasparente- con dei piccoli colpetti sulle labbra, frettolosamente.
Mi da l’idea di una che appena arrivata a Milano correrà in ufficio, tra fax e e-mail.
I piccoli carillon e cristalli della canzone accompagnano i suoi gesti, e io continuo a guardarla sorridendo.
Forse perchè vorrei essere lei, forse perchè osservarla mi rende sereno.
Prende la sua borsa e ne tira fuori una coppola in lana grigia, che immagino essere morbidissima. Poi un Ipod nero e si mette ad ascoltare la radio, mentre io sento e mi ripeto “all is full of love”.
Tutto è così bello e calmo, e nessuno sembra accorgersene.
Forse dovrebbero solo imparare a guardare i colori e sorridere.
Forse è che spero sempre, in tutto.
E nonostante molte cose siano irrealizzabili, esse mi rendono felice.

it’s all around you 

10. The Chronicles of Amber
Roger Zelazny

With the Amber novels, Zelazny created a very detailed and intricate fantasy universe. Fantasy fans have called this one of the most engrossing fantasy worlds they have ever read and remains a classic of modern fantasy.

9. The King of Elfland’s Daughter
Lord Dunsany

One of the most influential works of fantasy writing, Lord Dunsany’s 1924 novel of elves, kingdoms and magic laid out the groundwork for much of modern fantasy today. This is truly a pioneering work in the genre which laid out the groundwork for the writers who would come after.

8. A Song of Ice and Fire
George R. R. Martin

George Martin’s series is a richly constructed world grounded in both reality and fantasy. These unconventional plots keep the story fresh. The action is realistic while the events are unpredictable, adding a certain suspense around the characters, as you truly don’t know what will happen to them. The four books of the series thus far have grabbed the attention of high fantasy fans everywhere as they have proven to be some of the best there is.

7. A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L’Engle

This richly layered children’s fantasy has become a favourite to many readers over the years. Its deep themes may remind you of C.S. Lewis, with a hard look at what it means to be a child, as well as just being a great adventure. A Wrinkle in Time is a book which will stand the test of time.

6. The Harry Potter Series
J.K. Rowling

Sure, it may be bold of me to include a series which is so recent as high as #5. However, this is no ordinary fantasy series. This is the series which created a worldwide reading phenomenon, grabbing the attention of both kids and adults everywhere. Yet Harry Potter is not just hype; these are wonderfully crafted stories set in a fully realized magical world. The characters feel real, and even more so since we follow them through their growing years throughout the seven books. There are twists and very interesting plot devices all leading up to a final conclusion which does not disappoint. This series is one of the powerhouses of modern fantasy, and will remain so more a long, long time.

5. The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis

Its interesting that most of this list is comprised of stories written for children. Perhaps it says something about the child-like need for discovery in fantasy tales, and none sums it up better than the Narnia books. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has reached instant classic status, and the wardrobe in the title has become an icon for all portals into new and fantastic worlds. Lewis’ Christianity allegories also give this series an intellectual edge which doesn’t distract from the story. These seven books are some of the most beloved fantasy stories of all time.

4. His Dark Materials
Philip Pullman

Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy tells the story of two kids who are able to journey through the different dimensions which exist in the universe. These two children have a great destiny in the future of all the worlds which will affect the very nature of existence and spirituality. Pullman reaches for some pretty big goals here, but does not disappoint. He tackles the domination of organized religion while championing the freedoms of human thought and expression.

3. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass
Lewis Carroll

Carroll’s fantasy tale of Alice’s trip down the rabbit hole has captured the imagination of youth all over the world. This exercise in nonsensical logic, language and situations has become a book not only to enjoy, bu also to study. The metaphors in these two tales run deep and are often referenced by many other media. Alice and her crazy adventures simply make no sense; and that’s why we love them.

2. A Midsummer’s Night Dream
William Shakespeare

Let’s face it;  Shakespeare is the master.  Many of Shakespeare’s plays have an element of fantasy in them, but with Dream the bard went all out.  Shakespeare mostly played upon the idea of the fairy world and the mischievous creatures’ intrusions upon the lives of us regular humans.  Midsummer night’s dream is perhaps Shakespeare’s most beloved comedy, and its whimsy will live on for many centuries to come.

1. The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien

Choosing the greatest work of literary fiction was an easy task. It is, of course, the Lord of the Rings; the epic high fantasy of one hobbits journey to defeat the powers of evil. No fantasy world is as rich or detailed as Tolkien’s Middle Earth. It is as if he himself believed it to be a real place, complete with a full, fleshed out history and wonderfully detailed geography. And set in this world is a strong, heartfelt story which has proven to be ageless. This is a bold tale of massive proportions which also works on the simplest emotional level. A masterpiece in every way.

21.07 – Il pullman con a bordo la nazionale di calcio dell’Algeria è stato vittima di un grave attacco all’arrivo al Cairo, dove sabato è in programma il decisivo match contro l’Egitto per le qualificazioni ai Mondiali di Sudafrica del prossimo giugno.

Per la stampa algerina, gli egiziani faranno di tutto per impedire ai ‘verdì di qualificarsi, dopo 24 anni di assenza, ai mondiali.

Con 13 punti, l’Algeria è in netto vantaggio rispetto ai ‘faraonì (11 punti): per volare in Sudafrica le basta arginare i danni e perdere con non oltre due di goal di scarto.

Il mese di gennaio si avvicina e in un momento di così grande difficoltà, in casa Lazio, l’argomento principe continua ad essere quello relativo a…

Fonte:

http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/lazio/?action=read&idnotizia=8473

Mancora beach

After well over a month in Peru, it was hard to believe I was finally at my last stop in the country. And it was also one I’d been looking forward to for a while: the beach!

Mancora is known as being the beach to go to for travelers. It has great surfing as well as a reputation for being sunny and warm all year round. Luckily, it lived up to its reputation! After a couple days under gray skies in Huanchaco, I was happy to arrive, already, at 6 in the morning to a bright blue sky and shining sun.

Loki del Mar

I stayed at the Loki hostel in Mancora, which is brand new (actually celebrated it’s first birthday my first night there, with fireworks and everything!) and was built to be a  hostel but looks like a resort. The buildings are blindingly white and funky-nice looking, and there’s a big pool with lounge chairs and a poolside bar all right in the center. So we got to feel like we were staying at a resort (minus the bunkbeds and lockers in the room) while paying hostel prices. Very nice!

There I met back up with two Australian girls, Lauren and Kassia, who I’d met in Lima and run into in Huaraz. I split my days between walking and relaxing on the beach and laying by the pool getting a tan. Not a hard life. The hostel itself was kind of a strange crowd, though, and even their big one-year bash wasn’t really that great. I hung out mostly with the Aussie girls and we didn’t really meet a lot of other friendly people (at least, of course, until the day we were leaving!)

It was nice to be by the beach and relax, though. Again I still felt that it would have been more fun if I’d been with friends. I was constantly thinking back to great times I’d had on beaches back home, in Southeast Asia, in Australia, etc. with good friends. Mancora just couldn’t live up to those memories!

The upside though was the sea was beautiful, I got a bit tan, and I finally started to feel like I was ready to actually DO something besides being a bit lazy. Though at the same time I wasn’t feel incredibly excited about Ecuador and the next five weeks (which I had quickly come to find was far too long to spend in Ecuador).

But lucky for me, the Australian girls were heading up to Ecuador the same day I was, to Cuenca as well. It’s always nice to have someone to share long (8-9 hour) bus rides and border crossings with.

So a little after noon we were on the Cifa International bus heading toward the border. This was the recommended bus by all the guidebooks, but that far from meant it was nice! First thing I was stuffed into a seat next to a woman with her naked baby, who was kicking me and screaming and breastfeeding all at the same time. Later it turned out that apparently she hadn’t paid for a bus ticket and she had to get up, at which time we discovered the baby had pooped everywhere, and it dripped on my seat as she left. Ugh. Not not NOT a pleasant experience at all — thank goodness Kassia had some baby wipes to lend me to wipe off my seat!

The bus ride was more bearable after the woman and the baby were gone, but it was still really crowded and uncomfortable overall. And then after we crossed the border out of Peru, they still made us switch buses! (The apparent reason for taking Cifa was that you didn’t have to do so.) Luckily the Pullman bus we switched into was much, much nicer and not at all crowded so I could have two seats all to myself. Then it was a matter of crossing the border into Ecuador (where they just print a bunch of numbers and words onto your passport instead of giving a nice stamp!) and another five hours driving up to Cuenca.

Main square in Cuenca

Cuenca is a really lovely city. You would never even know it was the third largest in Ecuador. It feels very small and safe, which we could tell immediately even arriving late at night. We took a taxi to a random hostel out of our guidebook, Hostal Monarca, where they only spoke Spanish so it was lucky I could understand most parts of it (though later one miscommunication about where to leave the room key meant we had to pay an extra $3 which was ridiculous.) The three of us were shown to a gigantic room that had four double beds in it (but room for probably ten!) and we all took a moment to collapse and roll around in our big beds.

Then it was out to see the town a bit and grab some dinner. We headed to a place called Blue Monday, where we had some fairly good (but incredibly filling) Mexican food. Then we grabbed dessert at an infamous hot chocolate place called Cacao & Canela. The guidebook had mentioned they had tons of hot chocolate flavors, including mozzarella. I decided I had to order it and see what it meant, but it turned out to mean they just served you a number of slices of cheese on the side. I even tried tossing a few into my (still incredibly delicious!) hot chocolate, but there wasn’t really much mozzarella flavor going on. It was still really good though.

The next day we decided to explore Cuenca. We visited the tourist information office, had breakfast, and walked around the main square, the markets, and along the river all in just a few hours. All of us were feeling just a bit tired and blah. After laying on the beach for a few days, the long hours of traveling and moving up in altitude were taking their toll on us.

Cinema!

Then we discovered the most perfect cure in Kassia’s guidebook: a cinema! And not just any cinema, but a cinema with a food court! Having felt a bit homesick the past few days, this was EXACTLY what I needed. We were so excited, we took a taxi to the place across the river because we couldn’t stand to take the time to walk. The taxi dropped us in front of every long-term-traveler-missing-home’s dream: a mini mall. We immediately grabbed lunch at KFC (which of course was absolutely nothing like the KFC at home, but still “popcorn” chicken and french fries hit the spot!) and bought tickets to see a movie.

We originally went to watch some Scrooge movie with Jim Carey that none of us had ever heard of, but because it was a kid’s movie it was in Spanish so we switched theaters and saw “I Love You Man” instead, which I had seen but it was a long time ago, in South Carolina, at a drive-in so it was almost like seeing a new movie! We walked out of the cinema an hour and a half later much, much happier and more rejuvenated people. And then on the walk home we ran into a guy we’d met in Mancora (well, actually the girls had originally met him in Argentina) and agreed to meet him for dinner later.

The rest of the day was spent doing more relaxing, and then going for a really delicious dinner at a tapas placed called Cafe Eucalyptus. Overall, it was a really great “breather” day for us all. And Cuenca was the perfect place for it. It was a very beautiful and tranquil town. Not at all stressful or overwhelming, a perfect way to begin our time in Ecuador.

Now I’m in Banos, and I already love it! So far we’ve already had some really amazing food and had a eucalyptus steam bath, which is an interesting but good experience. Now we’re off to see about some whitewater rafting and whatnot, but I’ll do a full Banos update later.

The intervening years between the 1960’s and today, has not always been kind to America’s rail travelers. Amtrak, the nations’ national rail carrier has had to cling to life on more than one occasion, begging for scraps of Congressional subsidies while the bloated highway and airport funds receive the lion’s share of pork. Lately, things have been looking up as high gas prices and air and highway traffic congestion have conspired to drive passengers back to the rails. Amtrak’s fair to decent service far outshines the airline competition, once considered glamorous. The train still offers something no airline can, a comfortable cross-country ride with a nice view.

Today the three daily trains from Chicago to the west coast offer the last chance to relive some sort of grand rail experience. In the past these long train rides were something Americans saved all year to take. Rail travel reached its peak of glamour just after World War II, as the nation’s railroads vied with each other to roll out the most exquisite experience on rails.

Chicago’s Union Station was the departure point for some of the most glorious trains in the world, among them Pennsylvania Railroad’s all sleeping car Broadway Limited to New York; the Union Pacific Streamliner fleet, the City of Los Angeles, the City of San Francisco and the City of Portland; the Milwaukee Road’s Brooks Stevens designed Olympian Hiawatha to Seattle, a train noted for its unique glassed in observation car, called the Skytop Lounge, and billed as the “perfect ending to the perfect train.”

Other trains departing Union Station included the Great Northern’s Empire Builder and the Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited. Also operating out of Union Station was perhaps the greatest streamliner of all, the stainless steel all-dome California Zephyr, whose 2500 mile journey to San Francisco Bay took passengers straight through the Rocky, Watsatch and High Sierra Mountains, not around them. America’s romance with the idea of the California Zephyr probably did more to drive Congress and President Nixon to create Amtrak than anything as mundane as making the world safe for business travelers out of Washington D.C.

One famous train that did not leave from Union Station was the Santa Fe’s Super Chief.  The Acheson, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad is one of those railroads that built its fortune on the back of good will from the travelling public on the reputation of its passenger trains. The 2,227 mile run of the Chicago to Los Angeles Super Chief was the epitome of high scale travel. The Super Chief, complete with a private dining space set aside on board for its Hollywood clientele, held bragging rights of being the high water mark of rail travel. Only the New York Central’s 20^th Century Limited could be considered in company of the Super Chief’s lofty heights, and while that train was at least as, and possibly more prestigious, the Century didn’t roll across New Mexico.

The Super Chief was the train of the stars. From Bogie and Bacall to Myrna Loy and William Powell and everyone in Hollywood’s royalty in between, they all rode it, posing for publicity shots on the platform and along the way. As a follow up to her triumph in Sunset Boulevard, Gloria Swansen starred in Three for Bedroom C, filmed aboard the Super Chief. Swansen may have flopped, but the train stole the show. To be photographed alongside the Super Chief, was tantamount to being photographed with a movie star.

The Santa Fe Railroad, the Super Chief had more to do with our romantic vision of the American Southwest and the mystique of the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico than any real ancient tradition. In Charles Wilson’s The Myth of Santa Fe: Creating a modern regional tradition (University of New Mexico Press, 1997) the author argues that the southwest’s distinctive style has little to do with historic authenticity. In fact one of the major influences of that style was Daniel Burnham’s team of architects that crafted a southwestern village for the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. After the world’s fair the “southwestern” style found its way back “home” to Santa Fe.

Another origin of the southwestern style was the Santa Fe Railroad and its corporate partner the Fred Harvey Company. The two companies transformed the region in the public’s mind from a land of Mexican Americans to a land of Indians, promoting pueblo and Navaho art in its advertising and dubbing the railroads top name train the Chief in 1926.

Not to be undone by its railroad partners, the Santa Fe inaugurated the all-Pullman streamlined Super Chief in 1936 on an extra-fare 39 ½ hour, three day a week schedule.  The maiden run left Chicago’s Dearborn Station following a christening ceremony with Hollywood star and dancer, Eleanor Powell, among others. The “train of the stars” with its Navaho Mimbres china and red, yellow and stainless steel “warbonnet” livery rolled out of the Windy City and raced straight into the America’s imagination.

In 1971, when Congress enacted the Amtrak bill, the Santa Fe’s Super Chief was still a popular going concern, its legendary impeccable service still intact, even as its competitors had crumbled into decline. The Santa Fe Railroad anguished over whether to join Amtrak, or whether to go it alone. In the end, mounting passenger revenue losses prevailed, and on May 1, the Santa Fe turned its star train over to Amtrak.

Service quickly declined. In 1974 the Santa Fe Railroad withdrew its authority to allow Amtrak to use the name Super Chief for the train and Amtrak was forced to rename the service the Southwest Limited. Ten years later, after Amtrak service had improved and the new double-decked Superliner cars, based on Santa Fe’s old El Capitan train design had replaced Amtrak’s aging fleet, the Santa Fe Railroad had a change of heart and offered the Super Chief moniker back to Amtrak. Amtrak met the Santa Fe halfway, renaming the service the Southwest Chief, to reflect the shared history of the train.

I have to admit the Southwest Chief is my favorite train. In a world in which the same equipment is used on most of Amtrak’s long distance services, it’s probably odd to actually designate a favorite.

Amtrak’s Chicago to Seattle and Portland Empire Builder is now Amtrak’s most patronized long distance train. Partly because air service to North Dakota and Montana is either too expensive or non-existent, Amtrak remains the lifeline to these northern states, and partly because the Empire Builder stops literally at the front gate of Glacier National Park.

The Empire Builder offers first class riders a wine and cheese tasting session in route and the dining car is the only train with a full complement of four service personnel, but the route is a little more on the dull side than you’d imagine it might be. On the other hand, if you like the grasslands, the train might be your top choice.

Amtrak’s California Zephyr is by far the most scenic, one of the most scenic trains in the world, in fact. The train still traverses most of the original Burlington-Rio Grande-Western Pacific pre-Amtrak predecessor, though west of Santa Fe it now follows the old Central Pacific transcontinental line over the Sierra Mountains. Stretches of the line still utilize stonework built by Chinese American railroad workers in the 1860’s as they built the road to meet the Union Pacific at Promontory Point in 1869. If there were only one long distance train to ride in a lifetime, the California Zephyr would be it. Just don’t plan on getting anywhere on time.

On the downside, the Zephyr is notoriously late and the rugged terrain it traverses makes it subject to breakdowns, delays, diversions and emergency service provided by bus, especially in the winter. Amtrak’s testy relationship with the viciously anti-passenger Union Pacific Railroad doesn’t help matters either. Until a Federal Administration comes along that is willing to fine the Union Pacific, the Zephyr will never get anyplace on time.

On the flipside, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, over whose tracks the Southwest Chief travels, seems to relish getting the Chief where it’s going on time. There seems to be a sort of residual pride that goes with the roads’ old flagship name train. The staff on board also seems to have a certain extra intensity and pride of service.

The first time I ever rode the Southwest Chief it was under care of a Sleeping Car attendant named Fred. Fred introduced himself as my “porter.” Sleeping Car staff on Amtrak call themselves “attendants” these days, not porters. It was pretty obvious however, that Fred took a certain pride in standing in the long, proud shadow of the Pullman Porters. He straightened his tie and stood at attention at every stop.

Fred was a ‘straight-up-and-down’ sort of fellow, but while he all business in terms of service and image, he warmed up to anybody who struck up a conversation. Midway thought that first trip on the Southwest Chief, I said something to Fred about how that run had been the glamour train in the old days. It was the only time I saw him get worked up. “It still might be, if the politicians funded Amtrak the way they fund every other type of transportation.”

Fred has a point of course. Amtrak routinely gets a 25% operating subsidy and must go to Congress to beg for it on an annual basis. Usually the subsidy comes with some sort of mandated Congressional cutback in service. The Bush Administration forced Amtrak to slash its dining car staff. The result was a standardized menu and two rather than four staff people on board; dining on board has slowed down as the cooking and serving has slowed down.

On another journey on the Southwest Chief, I was reintroduced to Fred in a different capacity. Shortly out of Chicago it was announced that “Our award winning chef has taken ill and wasn’t able to join us on this train. Amtrak is flying a replacement to meet our train in Kansas City. To serve our guests we have a not-award-winning cook. However, we will have to limit the menu to three items tonight!”

This is a typical Amtrak inconvenience. When these things happen it often upsets the neophyte riders on board. Veteran riders just roll with it. On this particular occasion I chose the flat-iron steak, one of the three choices. It was actually better than usual. The “vegetarian selection” appeared to be something poured out of a can. Fortunately I had made the right guess.

Shortly afterward, I discovered who the mystery substitute chef was. It was Fred, my former sleeping car attendant. “Your name’s Fred, isn’t it?” I said. He nodded with a slightly surprised look on his face. “They drafted you into being a cook tonight?” I asked. “I been on these trains so long, that I can do it all?” he said.

The next morning, at the La Junta, Colorado stop, standing outside of the train, one of the train staff, noting that I was wearing and Obama campaign button, gave me a newspaper. When the train whistle sounded its two short blasts, signaling us to get back on board, I stepped up though the sleeping car door. “Oh, you’re a sleeping car passenger,” the attendant who’d handed me a paper said, “you already get a newspaper.” “Mr. Jones is always a first class passenger,” Fred told his fellow attendant. I was surprised he remembered my name. Apparently, I’m not the only rider with a long memory.

At 56, I’m now so old that I not only remember a Harvey House at Chicago’s Union Station and the dining car service on the Milwaukee Road’s Pioneer Limited, but I actually knew a few Pullman Porters, one in particular. His name was Leonard and he worked part time at a Continental Bank in Chicago where I was once employed. Leonard also lived around the block from where I lived at the time.

There were two former Porters working in our department, but neither seemed to have much use for me. Leonard chalked it up to their having had to bow and scrape to white men all their lives. “Just let it be” he’d tell me.

Leonard was friendly, though. He was also impressed at my knowledge of African American history. He was surprised at how much I knew about A. Phillip Randolph, the organizer of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and civil rights leader.

At 70-something, he was already long retired when I met him. He’d worked all over the country, including a few trips on the Super Chief, though, he’d tell you, only the top porters got to stay on the Super Chief. Over the years he’d met a lot of famous people. He was always silent if you asked about them, all except for Humphrey Bogart. He liked Bogart a lot. Bogart tipped well. Leonard had finished his sleeping car days after the Pullman Company ended its hospitality service, on none other than my fondly remembered Pioneer Limited of the Milwaukee Road. “It was a good train, and a good company to work for,” he told me.

Occasionally he’d share some Porter lore with me, just to pass the time and make conversation. It was oral history, though I didn’t recognize it at the time. I rediscovered some of the same stories in print when I read Larry Tye’s Rising from the Rails: Pullman Porters and the Black Middle Class (Holt, 2005). Some of his tales weren’t particularly pleasant; how the porters had been forced to sleep under tables before they got their union, and all the racist slights they had endured.

By travelling on Amtrak’s long distance trains you can still get a feel for the past, but Amtrak’s trains today are a bit more democratic than the old Pullmans, for better or worse. One thing that has improved is the treatment of its employees by guests on board. We are, thankfully, a better people today. Or at least some of us are.

While one may long to experience the grand rolling hotels of the past, sans racism, of course, at least you don’t need to wear a tie and jacket to dinner on Amtrak. This saves having to carry a lot of extra baggage onto the train.

Amtrak’s long distance services are actually a great travel bargain, especially if you book early enough. The chair cars offer a ticket price well below an airline ticket, though I don’t recommend going the distance unless your still 22 years old. The seats aren’t exactly built for sleeping.

Sleeping car accommodations are around $400.00 and up for the three day journey between Chicago and the west coast. The price rises according to size of the room and advanced booking. The longer one waits the more the space fills up and the ticket charges go up.

An Amtrak sleeping car ticket includes three meals a day in the dining car, a small private room with chairs and a bed (actually two bunks, that fold out at night), complementary juice and coffee, an newspaper every morning and access to a shower. Sleeping car passengers also get first call for dinner reservations in the dining car.

Meals on board are fairly decent, actually. Until recent years the menus changed nightly, but owing to some cut-backs by the Bush Administration have become standardized. The flat iron steak is usually pretty good, as is the baked chicken. Stay away from anything called quiche, however.

My ticket for this ride was $423.00 all inclusive, Chicago’s Union Station to Los Angeles Union Station. I bought it back in August for this November 5 departure. Now holding my ticket and waiting in the first class lounge at Union Station, I feel a little melancholy. I’m now retired and no longer a Chicagoan. I now belong to the great state of New Mexico.

I’m grateful to be retired at age 56, with a pension (remember those) and health insurance to sustain me in the future, but I realize that this could be my last long distance train ride out of Chicago, my last run on the Southwest Chief, since travelling from New Mexico to Chicago for a joy ride to Los Angeles is a bit frivolous even for a spend-thrift like me.

Riceviamo e pubblichiamo volentieri l’iniziativa della parrocchia “Sacro Cuore” di Roseto Degli Abruzzi: il parroco Padre Giuseppe organizzerà un pullman per lo spettacolo “Il Risorto” del 22 novembre presso l’auditorium Flaiano di Pescara. La parrocchia si accollerà le spese del pullman, chiunque volesse aderire pagherebbe esclusivamente l’ingresso al teatro (10 euro).

Partenza da Roseto degli Abruzzi, piazza Sacro Cuore alle ore 19.

Per info e prenotazioni potrete rivolgervi direttamente al parroco Padre Giuseppe presso gli uffici parrocchiali. AFFRETTATEVI, I POSTI SONO LIMITATI!

Here is a great little video that really helps put together the entire process…

TRIANG
PULLMAN
3 PIECE TRAINSET
1 R426 PARLOUR CAR
1 R556 DIESEL PULLMAN MOTOR CAR
NON POWERED
1 R555 DIESEL PULLMAN POWER CAR
ALL THESE ITEMS ARE IN EXCELLENT
BOXED CONDITION
FROM THE SIXTIES PERIOD
A GREAT TRAINSET FOR ANY COLLECTOR
OR TO USE ON YOUR OWN SET

This is another fantastic opportunity to be able to buy this original boxed three-piece set from triang trains massive collection of vintage collectable model railway.

TRIANG PULLMAN 3 PIECE TRAINSET

Mary Roberts Rinehart sets her mystery The Man in Lower Ten on a pullman car. From there, she leads an unlikely hero down many wrong tracks, much to his discomfort and reader’s delight.

Bachelor lawyer Lawrence Blakely’s take a train to Pittsburgh to take a statement from John Gilmore proving Andy Bronson forged the millionaire’s name. Blakely’s eye is taken by a photo of Gilmore’s granddaughter, Alison West.

On the return trip, Blakely is assigned to the lower 10 berth. He finds it occupied by a sound-asleep drunk.

The next morning the man in lower 10 has been murdered, the documents are gone, and there are blood stains on the berth where Blakely slept.

Suspicion falls on Blakely.

When the train wrecks and burns, Blakely escapes accompanied by a woman who turns out to be Alison West. From there the plot thickens, twists and turns before gliding gracefully to a halt.

With its gentle, quirky characters and period setting, The Man in Lower Ten practically begs to be made into a movie. It’s witty, funny, and totally absorbing—everything a mystery ought to be.

Find a copy and watch it in your mind’s eye.

The Man in Lower Ten
By Mary Roberts Rinehart
Rinehart, 1909
#4 on the 1909 bestseller list

My grade: B+