Filtering The Noise Away

When life moves at a hundred miles an hour one must filter out the noise. Times Square is a place where the world moves at a pace that you can barely keep up with. People bustling, cars honking, everyone in your way tripping over one another. It is difficult to find any semblance of tranquility there, yet I did. I saw a woman dressed as a bride staring at the lights in front of her. It seemed as though for a moment she had filtered away the noise in the noisiest spot in the world. I was lucky to capture her tranquility even if it was just for a second. A moment later her friends gathered around her, popping champagne. She had just gotten engaged and her picture was splashed on all the screens around her. I quickly left her in her whirlwind taking with me the one moment where she was alone with her thoughts.

Bahamian Beach Bliss

If you are looking for a place where all you do is lie on the beach, read a good book, eat, sleep and drink - the Bahamas is your answer. This is the perfect mid winter break. The greens and blues of the sea and sky just takes your breath away. Nassau has some fun snorkeling and if you are interested in diving it is a great place to discover underwater beauty. We tried to stay away from the touristy places. Few delicious eating spots we discovered were: Cafe Matisse, Blu Bar & Dune. Also if you are looking for luxurious relaxation be sure to check out the One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island - it has the most pristine private beaches. For breakfast make a trip to Compass Point where you will experience Eggs Benedict & crepes that will tickle your taste buds. Our trip was all about hopping from one beach to another, while swimming with the fishes and eating tasty food. I came back relaxed and ready to take on the world. Below are some pictures, for more you can click on -> Bahamian Beach Bliss.  

Lishboah

Lisbon – a city of seven hills with white winding roads that are so narrow you can barely tell they exist, as you wind up and down them discovering the city one hill at a time. Almost all the buildings have colorful tiles on the outside that make each one of them look majestic; specially when glistening in the sunlight. We spent most of our time roaming the city taking it all in; visiting castles, monasteries and monuments. Sampling Portuguese food was on top of our list. We ate our first exquisite (10 course) meal at 100 Maneiras. We were fed cod on a clothes line among other strange but delicious delicacies. Another hotspot I would recommend is  A Travessa – a restaurant that is situated inside an absolutely breathtaking old monastery. One thing we noticed about Portugal was the lack of people. No place was ever crowded and come afternoon the streets were deserted no matter where you were. We visited near by towns of Belém and Sintra the former has the best pastel de nata at Café Pastéis de Belém. Pastel de nata is a traditional creamy custard pie that is sinful ! Lisbon has many area’s (Bairro Alto, The Alfama, Chiado, The Baixa) that you can walk up and down endlessly. The city is full of white cobble stone roads, monuments, fado music and amazing food ! Stop one on our Portuguese journey was delightful.

Late Night Mexican Style

Last week Mexico celebrated 200 years of independence. I happened to stumble on these celebrations in various spots all over the city. First stop was La Bibliotheca – tucked away in the basement on 3rd Avenue & 40th street. This place feels like a library where the books are replaced by bottles of tequila. It is a cozy spot that will be great during the cold winter months when a swig of Anejo Tequila is just the thing you need. Mayahuel is the goddess of tequila; in New York it also is a great spot found on 6th street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. I tried a few cocktails at this establishment; Some were delicate and subtle while others are boisterous and fun – something for whatever mood you're in. The Third spot I visited was Casa Mezcal. Mezcal is a distant, less refined cousin of tequila and is gaining momentum in the Mixology world these days. Here the Mexican fiesta was on in full form as we were very close to midnight. The upstairs is amazing – I fell in love with the big open widows and the beautiful coffee table surrounded by low comfy couches! Last but not least we stopped by PDT (a.k.a. Please Don’t Tell) – this establishment had nothing to do with Mexico but is a great speakeasy spot where you enter through a phone booth and they serve the most gluttonous food - Fried hot-dogs with Kimchi are one of the delicacies there. All in all a lovely night of great food, yummy drinks and a lot of fiesta fun!