4. Stockholm to Helsinki: June 11, 2024
On the Baltic to Helsinki and Oulu from Stockholm
Terve Terve….
Hope all is well.
Just a reminder: Feel free to delete these daily travel blogs; I know sometimes they are long. Frankly, I mostly write them so I can remember where I’ve been and what I saw and did when traveling out of the country. I started doing them in 2005 (I think) and I believe the collection includes more than 35 countries and an untold number of cities. Some of you have been reading them for nearly 20 years. While I had traveled a lot before 2005 (I think total countries visited by now is 75 or so), it was in 2005, when I was heading to Romania with a friend, I was asked by someone who grew up in Romania and hadn’t been back since the 1950s to send comments about what I was seeing. I did that daily for the whole trip and sent the notes without photos to him and about 5 other people. Those people passed the notes around to others who then asked to get these travel notes. Thus began an almost 20-year (and counting) travel diary. And I have put about 80% of them on a blog, but I have never had time to get the photos onto the site, so I have not publicly ‘launched” the blog; a project for me once I retire! – but you can find many of them on fernstravelnotes.wordpress.com.
Today (Tuesday, June 11) began leisurely with breakfast at the Bank Hotel; finally, a bright sunny day (or at least at the onset). We had planned to head to Victoriahuset, the botanical garden which supposedly has the largest water lilies in the world. It sounded like a good plan. But we had to pack carefully so that we wouldn’t really need to repack while on the ferry from Stockholm to Finland. So once packed, we just strolled the neighborhood near the hotel, focusing mostly on the waterfront and the blocks that lead up to it. We strolled past wonderful art nouveau-era apartment buildings and cafes and lots of people taking advantage of the crisp, sunny day. Then suddenly, open-air truckloads of teenagers passed by— screaming and jumping and waving. They had all just graduated from high school; some were wearing their “white hats.” There are a lot of traditions surrounding high school graduation in Sweden—beginning with a champagne brunch at home with family. Also, I’m told, that after the graduation ceremony as students branch out to find their families, families hold up large photos of the graduate as an infant! How embarrassing is that! And then with flowers in hand and more champagne, students go onto these big open trucks—all standing—that have banners and signs (given my lack of Swedish I have no idea what the signs said). The trucks drive around town playing loud (very loud) music and the grads drink (and pour champagne on one another’s head) and sing, and honk horns and I suppose have a good time. Other drivers honk and people on the street (including me) wave.
We stopped for lunch at an outdoor café and then headed to get our bags and get to the “ferry.”
We have a lot of memories taking this ferry when we first went to live in Finland decades ago. We had arrived in Europe (first time for both Mike and me)—first in Hamburg, Germany to buy a Volkswagen which we used for the year in Finland and then for a few more years in the states, having brought it back with us on the SS France. From Hamburg we drove to Lubeck and then through Denmark and then a short ferry to Stockholm to visit Mike’s brother who was living in Sweden at the time. And from Stockholm we drove onto the overnight ferry in our VW and arrived in Helsinki the next morning. In all the years and all the trips, we’ve made back to Helsinki we never again took the ferry because it just seemed like it was a bit too leisurely and we’d lose an entire day and night from our travels. But we remembered the ferry fondly—especially the extraordinary smorgasbord dinner. So, for this trip we decided to relive that part of our journey.
So here we are, and here I am typing in our cabin on the “ferry.” I’m using the word “ferry” very loosely, because I always think of a ferry as a casual vehicle that moves passengers and goods on a regular basis. The ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki is now sort of an overnight cruise ship (or at least my sense of what a cruise ship must be like, never having experienced it). It’s huge—at least twice as high and twice as long as the ferry of our past. There are 12 floors; our cabin is on the 11th floor. On the 6th level is the “grand buffet” which is like the smorgasbord we remembered but on steroids… with cutesy names at each food “station” letting you know if it’s Italian or French or whatever. When we took the ferry years ago, it was just a very typical Swedish/Finnish smorgasbord. In those days, many people (especially Finns) took the ferry back and forth because booze was really cheap… so by evening you had a lot of drunks on the ferry. Now, there are literally more than 70 items at the buffet. They have two seatings, with the latest being at 7:30. We opted out of this buffet in favor of one of the two small “restaurants” on the ship. So, we will eat late (as opposed to the buffet whose last seating is at 7:30.)
Our cabin is sweet, with a large window to watch the passing countryside filled with forests and little weekend cabins. That is a big step up from the first crossing where we must have been somewhere in the bowels of the ferry with a little porthole for a window. A few other new additions that were difficult to take in… there is now a karaoke club, other entertainment (somewhere if you can find it), a swimming pool, several jacuzzis, of course saunas, and a small casino with legalized gambling. And while years ago, there was a little liquor store on the ferry which was always crowded as I recall because passengers could purchase liquor tax free…. Now there is an entire level of the ferry (7th floor) that has what I would call a “mall.” There are shops galore lining two sides of a walkway that goes the entire length of the ferry—complete with Tommy Hilfilger and Marimekko and assorted chain stores. There’s even a MacDonald’s here (in case you cannot live without a Big Mac for one night). The view from the interior rooms is of the mall. Glad we didn’t go that route.
And because of the time of the year (almost midnight sun) it’s fascinating to watch the sun go down (at about 11:00pm!
Ah how the times have changed. Anyway, it’s a nice smooth crossing with just one stop in Mariehamn (which was always the case). Mariehamn is the capital of Åland which is an autonomous territory somehow under Finnish control (I think), although the residents use Swedish as their primary language (long story). Population of Mariehamn is about 12,000. Åland, which is situated in a Finnish archipelago, is comprised of about 6,000 islands; most people live on Fasta. Population of Åland is about 30,000. The term “autonomous” refers to the fact that the kind of decisions that are generally made by representatives of the Finnish government on provincial matters are actually made by Åland’s own government. Åland has its own flag and postage stamps and runs its own police department. Åland has a seat in the Finnish Parliament.
I always wanted to visit, but somehow, we never did. Maybe next time.
OK… signing off for now. If you receive this on Tuesday afternoon NY time (early afternoon California time), you’ll know the wi-fi on the ferry works.
Best..
Nakemiin (Good bye) and Hyvää yötä (Good night).
Fern
PS: Mike says that I should have described the train stations as having a Fred Flintstone quality.
3. Stockholm: June 10, 2024
Hanging Out Underground; Avoiding the Drizzles; and Eating Very Well
Forgot to mention in yesterday’s post… Stockholm’s subway system is not only fast and efficient…. it’s also like moving through a series of art galleries, with large-scale works that are integrated into the design of each station. In each of my posts I’ll show a few of them. Some are clearly more sophisticated than others. And the stations are no where near as amazing as Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Greetings from Stockholm where it has been raining on and off (nothing serious, sort of showers but very overcast) and where it is cold; temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Perfect to spend most of the day underground, checking out the subway “art,” but more about that in a bit. [Total steps today 15,000; 8 flights]. By the way it is still light out… sort of like dusk… and it is 11:45 pm. We just got back to the hotel after a great dinner at Rolf’s Cok (escargot, veal tartar, and lamb ribs cooked in an Indian style sitting on a bed of roasted tomatoes, spices, and feta). Rolf’s is a small cozy place about two metro stops from our hotel (although it was one stop on each of two different lines). We’re pretty expert at the Metro now. One comment—they have the fastest escalators I’ve ever seen. And some of the stations/tracks are pretty deep… about 100 meters deep (like a 30-story building at some stations). To get to some of the platforms you can take little funiculars; at others it’s elevators, stairs, and those very fast escalators.
But the big news here and throughout Europe is all about the European elections and the strength of right-wing parties, especially in France and Germany; there is concern about Macron’s call for parliamentary elections. The leader of the Right-wing National Rally Party said this was “day-one of the post-Macron era.” Far-right parties made big gains in the European Parliament election. In addition to the situation in France, Germany’s extreme right Alternative for Germany party wound up in second place, with the Social Democrats placing third. While I believe the European Parliament’s powers are mostly to approve or amend EU rules and trade deals, the vote is probably a sign of Europe’s political mood. These results point to trouble for things like environmental goals, immigration, and support for Ukraine. Analysts seem to be pointing to immigration as a key reason for the shift to the Right.
It will be interesting to talk with our Finnish friends about what all of this means for Scandinavia, which seems still to hold onto a more left position, although even their voters in recent years have shifted to less progressive candidates (but not to far right candidates.)
On a more personal note, following an unexpectedly good breakfast at the hotel, we headed out for our Metro crawl to see the “art” in the subway stations. Note, Mike is in many of the subway photos to help provide “scale.” I think we visited about 18 stations…. Just hopping on and off the train and switching from the Red Line to the Blue Line to the Green Line.. and back again. Actually, we first went to see the Stockholm Public Library which is nearly 100 years old, designed by Gunnar Asplund who was inspired by the Barrière Saint-Martin (Rotonde de la Villette). But the library doesn’t have a dome. It is really a rotunda with a tall cylinder (where the curved book stacks are located) surrounded by a square— pretty straightforward geometric shapes. Naturally, we went by subway.
From there we headed to the Ostermalms Saluhall, a market built in the late 1800s. Because King Oscar was going to come to the inauguration of the brick building, they had to work quickly so it is said that about 400 men were employed to get the work done in record time. Apparently, they showed off the building just six months after construction began. It was to be “a temple for the culture and preservation of good food.” And that remains today, although the hall also houses several restaurants. We ate at Lisa Elmqvist, which is a well-known eatery with people lining up for tables. Fortunately, we had made reservations weeks ago, so we were set.
The story is that the restaurant had its origins in the 1920s when a fisherman’s daughter sold wares at a street market near the waterfront. Her fish, shellfish, and cooking skills were exceptional, and she moved up to Östermalms Saluhall. 100 years later, the fourth generation of the family continues in the same stall, albeit adding a a lot more space. We had a great lunch—pickled herring (prepared with chopped egg, chives, red onion, and brown butter); trout roe with toast, incredible sour cream, and red onion; Lisa’s salmon tartare with cured and smoked salmon, Dijon mustard, shallots and cucumbers, and shipped chive cream cheese. It was great and we were fished out.
Then we began the subway trek… on and off the trains to see the station art. My short take… it was fun and the stations were certainly colorful, but the quality of the concepts and design were very uneven. The idea was fantastic, but many artists missed the real problem (as I see it)— to design through paint and other materials a totality taking into consideration the entire space. Some did that; others just used the space as a wall on which to paint or tile separate elements and “things;” a few stations tried to provide some “education” through information and graphics. Given that about two years ago we were traveling in Uzbekistan, and we saw their subway stations—which were done under the auspices of the then-Soviet Union, it was at times hard not to compare the two. Uzbekistan’s stations (throughout Tashkent) were amazing works of art. They truly were all encompassing and marvels of skill and craftsmanship as well as visual format. But Uzbekistan’s stations lacked whimsy! Whimsy was plentiful in Stockholm.
We finally emerged into cloudy daylight to walk back to the hotel…. To get ready for dinner and to take the Metro once again.. this time with purpose, to head to the restaurant.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) we head to Finland…
Terve!
Fern
2. Stockholm: June 9, 2024
God kväll (Good evening)
After our very long day yesterday (about 32 hours of travel—door-to-door), we sort of settled into our room at the Bank Hotel which is located in a very central area of downtown Stockholm and about a block from the water. The hotel, as its name implies was originally a bank. The building is from the art nouveau period and actually has gone through a few incarnations, but it was a bank longer than anything else. Built in 1910, it was the head office of the Södra Sverige Banking company, but later housed a succession of other banks.. and for a time was an exhibition hall and a law library. It’s quite impressive with very large, very heavy bronze double doors. At the entrance there are stone sculptures of an owl (wisdom?) and a squirrel (thrift?).
We got a bit of a late start, but headed to Fotografiska for brunch. We took two different Metros and then walked a bit (actually our total steps thus far today—and it’s not over yet is 14,250 steps and 9 flights… I think my phone app is in shock). Fotografiska is a photo museum that has a really good restaurant, known for its Sunday brunch and for its commitment to sustainability as well as fine dining… and has a waterfront location (how can you go wrong?) Located in an old warehouse with high ceilings, the museum’s restaurant (not sure if it has its own name) is proud of its plant-based menu which is supplemented with farmed fish and sustainable meat. There’s an on-site composting system, and all the salads come from a hydroponic farm that is in the basement of the museum. When we ordered our mimosas they told us that the orange juice (which was a bit bitter) comes from Rescue an NGO that uses what we call “ugly fruit.” They had a nicer name for it.
OK… Brunch was quite wonderful… with things like slices of potato bread topped with crème inglais and roe; baked eggs with bread crumbs, asparagus, and some kind of cream; lingonberries with coddled cream. After brunch we strolled through the photo museum which had both a Cindy Sherman exhibit, some of which was devoted to selfies, and also an impressive exhibit that highlighted 10 award-winning photographers who created images to help explain climate change.
Then we walked to Slussen Station, where I was determined to find “Humor,” a sculpture I had read about—a manhole cover propped up with a hard-hatted worker (made of bronze and wood, I believe) with barricades all around. Public art so real that people walk right by thinking it’s actually a worker poking his head up from the ground. I walked and walked exactly where it is supposed to be, but could not find it. The funny thing is that this “art” has been located there for several years; when I couldn’t find it I asked several people who work in the area daily—the florist, the guy who sells the transit passes, and the hotel desk clerk who works in the building that is literally just behind the location. No one had ever seen it. But there is a lot of real construction going on all around that area, so perhaps it has been relocated… ??? Anyway, if you are headed to Stockholm in the near future, try to find it and send me a photo! https://www-stockholmkonst-se.translate.goog/konst/humor? _x_tr_sl=sv&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&_x_tr_hist=true . Very frustrating…
A quick stroll back to the Metro and we are in Gamla Stan, the old section of Stockholm. The little neighborhood of Gamla Stan was the actual city of Stockholm in the early years. While the area dates back to the 1300s, most buildings that are still standing are from the 1600s and 1700s. It’s one of those totally charming sections of an old European city with tons of narrow lanes lined by houses and shops, and streets lead up to the palace and the church. We strolled for a few hours and eventually headed back to the Metro to our hotel… but not before we went to Ramsgarden to see the “ants”— giant sculptured ants in front of some kind of office building. And then the rains came as we made for cover in the metro and back to the hotel…
And then we went for dinner to a little place called “Woodstockholm” – not sure where we heard about it. But it was a great choice. We thought that perhaps the name of the restaurant had something to do with Woodstock NY, but we were wrong. The story is that there was a group of friends who were really good woodworkers, and they formed a small company making wood furniture. They sold the furniture to some restaurants and then, because they all liked to cook, they decided to open a restaurant (in 2012, I think) and they used furnished the restaurant with their handmade furniture – they built all the tables and chairs, etc. (quite nice and great craftsmanship). They also had a concept for the restaurant: use locally sourced food and have a theme for the menu which changes every two months. The themes have been things like “trains,” or “a favorite country” or “a particular chef,” etc. This month’s theme is “E4,” the major highway in Sweden that goes from the north to the south of the country and passes through most major cities. In addition to the well-crafted furniture, the restaurant has a lot of funky stuff around.
So we had the Haparanda (named for a city way up north) — whitefish roe and horseradish wrapped in kohlrabi roll. And we had Kebabenkase (lamb and tahini and a spicy pepper and some other stuff sitting on a flatbread) for starters. We followed this with reindeer tartare with lingonberries and spruce and some paper thin chips (dish was called “Danger for Reindeer”) which was great with a lot of “kick;” and then we shared one main course: baked sole (that was incredibly tender and melted in your mouth) with asparagus and au vin blanc sauce (called Kungena Kurva). We couldn’t help ourselves so we had to order one dessert: the “Self-Pickling” which was strawberry, lime and wild chamomile which was created like fine ices… By the way, they carry the two-month long theme into decorations at the restaurant, so we were surrounded by road signs and construction helmets and maps. It’s a tiny place—probably only 5 tables for two and then one long counter which seats about 12 people, and a small bar where you can also have dinner. Highly recommended.
Public transit back to the hotel and now I’m exhausted. Many more to tell, but it will have to wait.
Adjö — Fern
June 8, 2024: Stockholm 1
Hallå
Hälsningar från Stockholm — Greetings from Stockholm—1:00 a.m. (Saturday night/Sunday early morning).
So, for those whom I have not spoken with for a while…. We had planned a trip to South Korea and rural Japan for this past April (2024). We worked really hard on figuring out our routes and means of travel (driving, train, plane, boat). But alas, in late February I managed to slip on wet pavement (actually I think I was running because of the rain – to mail something at the post office—and the sidewalk had a deep crack.. My shoe got caught in that canyon of a crack and I fell——hard!) and wound up breaking two bones in my wrist, requiring surgery. I’m a total wimp when it comes to medical things, so I tried to avoid surgery. But it became obvious that was the only real solution. As a result of the fall, surgery, healing, and hand therapy (a very special form of PT) we postponed the Korea/Japan trip until 2025 and stayed home. We wanted to rebook for early fall 2024, but I have a book coming out in October so that month was already hectic. Didn’t want to go in the winter when it’s pretty cold…. So we set the trip for spring 2025. But as a consolation, we decided to head to Finland, where we had lived for a year (and where we have returned at least every five years. The last trip to Finland was in 2019; if you do the math, 2024 is the five year anniversary. We love Finland, so it all made sense. Still it’s been a long time since we traveled in a developed nation (as the main focus)… so we shall see.
As usual it was messy getting ready. At least I had finally finished all the editor and proofreader recommended edits to the book, final photo selections, and review of indexing decisions. It was hard to let go; I suppose like raising a child for many years and then seeing them head off without you. But… it’s all gone. Book publisher release date is in October. Big party in Oakland in December, and hopefully many invitations to do readings or book signings in the fall and winter. And then there were preparations of budgets, scopes, and contracts for several new projects both in California and beyond. Packing was a nightmare since the weather in Scandinavia kept changing by the hour.
But finally, we got the trip figured out and we left California yesterday (Friday, June 7). We headed to Stockholm (via Frankfurt). The plan is to spend three days in Stockholm (a city we have not been back to in decades). And then we will take the overnight ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki on Tuesday. We last took that overnight ferry decades ago and have fond memories of seeing Helsinki for the first time from the boat. So a bit of nostalgia there. We’ll immediately go from the Helsinki port to the airport to fly up north to Oulu where we will really begin our trip. We fly to Oulu (spend a few days) and then drive further north to Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle. Then we head to Inari (further north still) which is smack in Sami country (Lapland—land of the Sami people). After a few days there, we’ll drive back to Rovaniemi and then fly directly to Helsinki to visit the places we frequented and see some friends. We had a wonderful year living and working in Helsinki and each return visit has enabled us to keep up with friends and see how the city has changed. We’ve actually been to all of the places we’re going to on this trip, but still we are anticipating a great trip.
What’s not to love in a country declared “the happiest country” and possessing the best public education in the world?
My daily travelogues will tell a lot about Finland…. Then… and Now.
But for now we are in Stockholm. We left SFO at 7 pm and it seemed fairly quiet at the airport. Our route took us to our least favorite airport (Frankfurt) with a four-hour layover, and then we had a Lufthansa flight to Stockholm. We arrived around 9:30 pm and it was still very light out, despite a slight drizzle. After checking into the Bank Hotel, we headed across the street to eat a very late (11:00 pm) dinner at Arsenalen Bistro which turned out to be across the street from the hotel. Steak tartare, fries, salad, and a ½ order of a simple pasta with some sun dried tomatoes and a raw egg.. Finished it all off with some nice Cabernet and a chocolate mousse.
Heading to bed.. Tomorrow begins our adventure (probably the most calm travel we have done in decades). I’m sure it will be lovely, but it will likely lack the excitement of places we’ve never before explored and developing countries where the cultures are more unique or more different from our own.
Stay tuned— the one thing about travel to places you already know is that you can really explore new areas and return to old places with the wisdom of previous knowledge.
We’re good … and anxious to explore Stockholm tomorrow.
I promise more newsy pieces in the days to come with photos…
Fern
Girl Trip 2024: Ciudad de México: Day 5
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
El Quinto Dia — New Hotel, Anthropology, Rivera’s Dream of a Sunday Afternoon at the Alameda Central… and More
Greetings from Mexico City (Polanco)
While you are likely to get this message on the evening of November 21st, I am writing it on the 20th at the new hotel and finishing on the plane on the 21st. It’s late now (after midnight) so I already know I will likely not get it out before I go to bed.
Today was the first day with bad weather: rain. But we persevered and powered on. Before breakfast, we had decided to leave El Patio and head to a hotel in downtown. We had already researched possibilities and costs so we were ready to go. Once we all texted each other about how long it took to get hot water for the shower, we were quick to decide it was time to move. We booked rooms at the Hyatt Regency Mexico City—and off we went. Normally I hate staying in “chain” hotels and large hotels, preferring the unique personalities of local hotels. But we were rushed and figured we needed some kind of assurance we’d have hot showers and super clean rooms. As we entered the lobby of the 30-story Hyatt, we all laughed, and frankly treasured the brightness of the soaring atrium and the hospitable staff—a far cry from our dark, dingy, staffless El Patio with the difficult-to-navigate dimly lit stairwell. We dropped off our bags and headed out to walk about 20 minutes to Mexico’s wonderful Anthropology Museum, which one could spend weeks in…. and not feel they had seen enough. We were pressed for time, so we were only there for a few hours. We split up to go separate ways and meet at the museum’s restaurant. Interestingly we all found ourselves in the same section—the cultural and social exhibits, especially the fiestas section.
The museum was as wonderful as I had remembered. The exhibits are beautifully developed and displayed and their collection is amazing. The building itself is also quite interesting. We had a great lunch at the Sala Gastronomique— including ceviches, tamales, a vegetable salad (and soup for Carol). From there we walked to the Reforma and caught a taxi (in the rain—thank goodness we asked the hotel for our paraguas/umbrellas).
We headed to see the Diego Rivera mural, “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon at Alameda Park”—one of my favorites which includes Diego himself in the center (as an 8-year-old boy—who looks like a miniature Diego) standing in front of Frida and next to the Catarina. The mural is Rivera’s sense of four centuries of Mexican history combined with his own personal history. It all takes place in the Alameda Park in Mexico City, which was located near the hotel whose location witnessed all of the transcendental events of Mexican history which are depicted in the mural. There are more than 100 characters in the mural and about half have been identified. The story in the mural goes from the Conquest and the Holy Inquisition to the first half of the 20th century. The mural depicts various histories of Mexico from diverse political perspectives. It’s about 50 ft long and used to hang in one of Mexico City’s most prestigious hotels. But the mural was too heavy for the walls and the hotel needed some repairs, so it was relocated, just before the earthquake which would most likely have crushed the mural. Now it hangs in its own little building—perhaps a bit more precious than in the “public” lobby of a hotel, but preserved, nevertheless.
We had asked the taxi driver to return to pick us up in an hour and had high hopes he would appear, but alas we stood in the rain for about 15 minutes and then decided to find another taxi (no easy task on a rainy day during rush hour). We finally got a pretty rickety taxi with a cracked windshield, but driven by a really nice older Mexican who didn’t know where we were going but followed our GPS instructions to a T!.. We headed to FONArt… one of those government run craft stores that exist throughout Mexico. And where you can generally find the highest quality craft from throughout the country. It was located at the edge of the Condessa neighborhood. Because of the rain and the time, we asked this taxi driver to wait for us and said we’d pay for the time he’d be sitting there.
We found some unbelievable pieces at FONArt, but most were too large and/or too expensive for any of us. We did purchase a few small items, which we all hope will make it back in one piece. The taxi driver was waiting down the street and then we joined millions of Mexicans in the famous Mexico City traffic—taking about an hour to go 3 or 4 miles. “Atasco de trafico en la Ciudad de Mexico!” If it wasn’t raining we might have walked or at least figured out the bus or metro route. But we were happy to be in an enclosed car and not to face the rain (fortunately the taxi had one working windshield wiper, so we were in good shape)! By the time we reached our new little home at the Hyatt, we were almost ready to call it a night and just have dinner at the hotel. But we realized it would be a bummer to spend our last night eating in a restaurant that felt like we weren’t really in Mexico. So, we pushed our reservation at Fonico for an hour later and headed out at about 8 pm for a 8:30 reservation.
Fonico is a pretty special place and by the time we ended our meal we were clear we had made the right decision—about the restaurant and about not just staying at the hotel. I don’t know the whole history of Fonico but it is a narrow, somewhat non-descript, mid-block building on the outside (located on a street with several old buildings). Once you enter the space you are confronted with an overly elaborate, ornate, and unbelievably exquisite spiral staircase -–metal and wood with all sorts of decorative elements. Apparently, the staircase leads to a disco on the second floor (Rayo) which seems quite popular. But Fonico’s specialness goes beyond the staircase and into the food. It’s truly a special place for dinner. If I can remember all the dishes, it will be a stroke of genius.
We started with a series of raw oysters from Japan and a set of roasted oysters. Both were presented on wooden boxes with a layer of stones under the oysters (the raw ones sat on cold stones; the roasted or grilled oysters sat on hot stones). All of the oysters had some kind of mignonette vinegar with spices and hints of chili. We also had a ceviche (mahi mahi, I think) served with a spicy lemon foam, and we had a roasted vegetable salad. Then we had a risotto with shrimp and herbs and some kind of salsa that just melted in your mouth. I think there was another dish but cannot remember. And then we had one main course—the mahi mahi which was perfectly poached or roasted served with some vegetables and spices. Naturally we needed to end the meal with something sweet so we opted for a chocolate thing and a sort of decomposed tres leches cake. Good wine throughout.. and we were happy campers.
We got back to the hotel at around 11:30 and agreed to meet up at the hotel restaurant for breakfast at 8:30 am.
Thursday, November 21, 2024:
Following a nice breakfast including wonderful fruit platters, we headed to the airport in a taxi called by the airport. We really just wanted to go out onto the street to hail a taxi but it was difficult with the luggage. Naturally, Hyatt uses what they call “tourist taxis”—costing about the same as regular taxis but more “luxurious” and driven by those who speak the language of the passengers. Since language was not much of a problem, we chatted for a while. While he didn’t say it, I’m pretty sure he was a Mexican Trumper. He was also normally a tour guide so he regaled us with what he would have shown us had we hired him to be our guide over these past few days. I’m ever more convinced that traveling independently and seeing things the way and when you want to see them is perfect for me. He was rather shocked to learn we didn’t have any guides for our trip and assured us that next time we should contact him to show us around. His list of places read like a tour book with museum after museum and monument after monument. No thanks. I did manage to ask him how he felt about Mexico’s new Jewish female president. He said something to the effect of “the verdict’s out.”
So now I am sitting on my flight back to San Francisco on United Airlines and my seatmate is an extremely nice guy (who was in a wheelchair on boarding and who was stopped for a secondary check at the gate boarding). He was a bit frazzled by this additional review of his bags (as I would be). We joked that he must have a terrorist profile. Turns out he is the manager/executive director (?) of the Oakland Gay Men’s Choir. So we chatted a bit, before our food arrived about the organization and its efforts to raise funds and to plan for the future. His background has nothing to do with nonprofit leadership but it sounds like he’s doing a good job. I’ll have to get tickets for their holiday or spring performances.
And several good conversations with the purser about the airlines, and United in particular… and the industry as a whole. Mmmmmm……
So now it’s time for me to end this rather long note to all of you, as the plane is beginning its descent and the weather in the Bay Area is wet and windy so they are expecting a possibly rocky landing.
It’s been another great girls trip; we are already talking about next year (Copenhagen? Brooklyn? Someplace in Georgia that is famous for its quilts? Guatemala?) We shall see.
Hasta Luego-
Fern
PS Hope to see many of you on December 4 at the Book Launch Party.
Girl Trip 2024: Ciudad de México: Day 4
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
El Cuarto Dia: Frida, Diego, Carol, Adrienne, and Me
Feliz Martes!
Today we set out for an early breakfast at the market in Coyoacán. We ate at a stand called Lucha. How anyone decides which stall is better than the next is a mystery. But we did fine at Lucha sharing chili relleno heaped with panela (a very mild cheese) inside—something Lucha calls “the breakfast dish” (tortilla with spicy salsa and shredded cheese), and potatoes, along with rice and beans and lots of salsas and crema. From there we walked to Casa Azul – Frida Kahlo’s house and studio with its beautiful gardens surrounded by those unmistakable bright cobalt blue walls of the house. We had a minor glitch in that our tickets were time-specific which we didn’t notice. We arrived around 11:00 and the tickets were for 10. Took about 15 minutes to both apologize and beg for entry. But alas, we got in at around 11:30. I had been to Casa Azul about 15 years ago and my recollection was that it was much less of a tourist destination with no lines and no appointments. I also didn’t remember the exhibit on the first floor. Mostly I remember the house and the reality of Frida’s life and her belongings and the accommodations for her frailty and difficult mobility. Anyway, we strolled leisurely through the house and the gardens and then headed to Diego’s house and studio (where Frida also had another studio).
There are three buildings on the property and unfortunately we could only get into one (Diego’s house and studio) because a new exhibit was being installed and some work was being done on the other two buildings, Like Frida’s Casa Azul, Diego’s house includes parts of his many collections as well as a look at the artistic work of their generation and their politics. The architect Juan O’Gorman designed all three buildings, and they are considered the first “functionalist” buildings in Latin America. Initially there was a house for Diego, a house for Frida, and separate studios for each of them. These independent buildings were joined together by a small bridge on the top floor. Over time, this changed and there are the two house/studios and a photographic laboratory, also designed by O’Gorman.
We lingered a while in the outdoor courtyard, and then grabbed a bite in a nearby restaurant. Then we needed to get back to our Coyoacán hotel so that we could get a taxi to our next hotel (in polanco area, where we’d stay for the remaining two nights)—closer to the center of the city. We tried to hail a cab but none seemed available. A few busses passed and finally we decided to just get on the next bus (it said it was going to Coyoacán). We hopped on, since it was going in the right direction, so it seemed like a good idea. But, the Mexico City busses don’t take cash or credit cards. You need to pay with an app or with Apple Pay. Adrienne was trying to get her Apple Pay to work but it just didn’t connect. The driver didn’t know what to do with us… and then a woman who was sitting up front got out of her seat and used her phone app. We tried to repay her with cash, but she wouldn’t hear of it. So off we went on the bus (and I tried to download that app, but couldn’t get a strong enough signal). The bus got us pretty close to the hotel; we hopped off once we saw a familiar street.
We got our bags and bid adios to the wonderful folks at H21 Hospedaje and took a taxi to our next destination: El Patio 77 which is located in the San Rafael neighborhood. En route to the next hotel, we asked the taxi driver to take a particular street because I had seen this amazing bird cage inside a shrub. We didn’t have the exact location, so the poor guy had to drift around with us for a bit until we found it. But alas– there it was.
We arrived at El Patio around 5:30. El Patio is like the exact opposite of H21. It’s an old house, two stories with very high ceilings.. so each floor is probably at least 15’ tall. Whereas everything at H21 seemed to be carefully thought through, El Patio is more like being in your great grandmother’s house with mismatched everything. Frankly, it feels sort of creepy. We settled in (a bit reluctantly) and headed for a fantastic dinner at Ticuchi which is located in the Polanco area off the main drag.
I’d describe the food as nouvelle Mexican where each dish is a bit of a work of art. The place is extremely dark and we found ourselves using our phone flashlights to not only read the menu, but to see the food, at times. But it was great. Started with margaritas with guacamole which came with paper thin chips and a dish of shredded panamar cheese. We moved on to an assortment of small dishes including the standout hongo tamale (mushroom) and carrots in mole, and a wonderful ceviche, and pulpo (octopus) tacos.. and more. Ended with two desserts including a corncake topped with a cinnamon (?) ice cream.
We got back to El Patio and tried to decide if we should spend two nights (including our very last night in Mexico City here at El Patio or change hotels in the morning. We will meet on this first thing in the morning. Tomorrow will be our last jam-packed day in Mexico City.
Take care.
Fern
Girl Trip 2024: Ciudad de México: Day 3
Monday, November 18, 2024
Greetings from Coyoacán!
Following breakfast at the little vegetarian place near the hotel, we set out for Xochimilko—a section of Mexico City that I had never really been to. Like Coyoacán, Xochimilko was once an independent municipality on the shores of Lake Xochimilko. It’s in the southern part of the city and has its own distinct history and identity. Many consider it a gritty part of the city and indeed there is a lot of small industry and the area is definitely on the lower end of the economic scale from Coyoacán. It is well known for its canals. Historically, what is now Mexico City had a complex lake and canal system. Today the canal system in Xochimilko is filled with colorful gondola-like boats called “trajineras.” The canal system prompted Xochimilko to become a UN World Heritage site. It’s a bit touristy, but we had lots of fun. We rented our own boat with its own “el capitan”…. And trolled the canals for about an hour. Along the way, even smaller boats come close to our boat; they offered tequila, beer, flowers, and snacks for purchase. Along the way, we got off the boat to sit in a little outdoor patio where we had quesadillas and beer… and then got back into the boat.
We hadn’t planned to go to Xochimilko, so we didn’t fully figure out what was possible. As we approached, we remembered that this was where the Island of the Dead Dolls is located, and asked to get a boat to take us there. But alas the time needed to get there and back was too long, so we just travelled through one section of the canals. Next time, Island of the Dead Dolls! We also tried to get pesos at a bank near the boat area, but the ATM was out of money.
We then headed to the main market in Xochimilko which again reflects the working class nature of the area as compared to Coyoacán and other more upscale parts of the city. We strolled the market and at one point noticed an Israeli flag hanging above one of the fish stalls. So, we approached and suddenly a woman at the stall started talking to us in a combination of Hebrew and Yiddish, mixed with Spanish. Of the three languages, Spanish was my strongest…. Anyway, we asked a few questions and said “Shalom!” and went on our way.
We taxied back to Coyoacán (would have taken the metro but it turned out to take more than twice as much time and required both metro and bus) but told the driver to take us to Viveros Park instead of going back to the hotel. Viveros Park is a combination tree nursery and beautifully maintained park that is about 100 acres. It’s really popular for joggers and those who just like to stroll. It was a delightful walk in the park. From there we walked back to the hotel and also to find an ATM with cash!
And then we were off to dinner at Hiyoko. While flying to Mexico City, I watched the Eva Longoria film on her favorite eating places in Mexico City. She had a lot of interesting places but many were either extremely high-end or too far away. This one stuck out. It is located in the Little Tokyo section of the city, and is absolutely beautifully appointed with just one very long wooden counter that seats about 25 people. Carol, Adrienne, and I studied the menu which was one of those menus that had some words that are not possible to translate and was a combination of Japanese food terms mixed with Spanish words. Eventually, the waitress found an English version.
Every dish was perfect ….and a little work of art. In addition to mouth-watering sashimi, the restaurant serves little mini-yakitori style items. We had a huge variety of these very small plates including (each skewer has about three little morsels) edamame with a wonderful dressing; little one-item skewers with duck, shishito peppers, zucchini (which they called pumpkin on the English menu), mushrooms, chicken, cherry tomatoes wrapped in pancetta, pancetta rolls with amazing spices and tidbits of fruit inside, and a few other items I don’t remember. And we had wonderful sake, so smooth you could hardly sense the alcohol content. Of course we needed to end the dinner with dessert so we ordered three of the four options: matcha tiramusu served in a perfect wooden cube, something called fawa fawa (a pudding made with lychee and matcha and some other ingredients and served in a little jar, and a scoop of lychee ice cream sitting atop a strawberry puree.
From there we set out to find a taxi which required walking to a very large Sheraton Hotel… and with that we headed back to the hotel. We leave the delightful Coyoacán and the charming H21 Hospedaje tomorrow and head for another hotel in the Polanco neighborhood, But before we leave Coyoacán, we will walk to Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo’s house and museum) and Diego Rivera’s house/museum…. I’ve seen them both before but happy to go again. Once settled in Polanco, we’ll go to the Museum of Anthropology and then head to see the very large Diego Rivera mural “Dreams of Alameda Park” and stroll the historic district… And just like that Thursday will come and we will be heading back to the states.
More tomorrow,
Fern
Girl Trip 2024: Ciudad de México: Day 2
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Buenas Noches –
It was a very full day in Coyoacán today. We had a light breakfast at the hotel. By the way, I’d highly recommend H21 Hospedaje Hotel… it’s really great and very well located. Nine rooms; staff is young and very helpful. The hotel was renovated beautifully, rooms are spacious and very well appointed, and the landscaping (all interior courtyards) are delightful and well-tended.
After breakfast we walked around Coyoacán and stopped at the wonderful mercado which measures about two blocks by one block—chock full of taco stands and juice places and quesadilla stands and every kind of food imaginable—all surrounded by stands that sell spices, and fruits, vegetables, household goods (from washing bins to toilet paper), wonderful stalls with all sorts of skeletons and handmade trinkets. We strolled to every corner of the market, eventually leaving and walking around the main square and a brief look inside the big cathedral on the square— San Juan Bautista Church—which dates to about 1525.
Then we hopped into a taxi to get to our 2:00 (brunch) reservation at San Angel Inn. We sat outside in the fabulous courtyard. The hacienda dates back to the 1600s and changed hands many times and today this wonderful restaurant is housed at the Inn. We decided to focus on the starters and shared plates and skip the “main meals.” So we started with two different ceviches (one with scallops and shrimp and a vinegar-y salsa with mangoes; the other a fish ceviche in an Acapulco style). Both were wonderful and larger than we anticipated. Then we shared the duck tacos and the cochinita pibil, and the assorted quesadillas. Oh, all of this was preceded by wonderfully pure and classic margaritas (heavy on the tequila!). While the postres looked great, we opted to pass as we were totally stuffed. I would be remiss not to mention the high fashion sported by the women coming in and out of the Inn—all dressed to the nines; we were definitely under-dressed!
We then took a taxi to the Museo Trotsky, which is back in Coyoacán. It includes a museum, and the house Trotsky lived in when he was in exile in Mexico City. Apparently, the museum is administered by an organization that works to promote and protect political asylum. Trotsky lived in the house with his second wife for about a year and this is where he was murdered in 1940. It’s been kept intact since that day. The house is surrounded by lovely gardens and high walls which include a set of watchtowers. Trotsky left the Soviet Union in 1929 because of his criticism of Stalin. He and his wife moved to many countries and eventually wound up in Mexico. Visiting the Trotsky House ties into our Frida Kahlo theme since it was Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo who convinced the Mexican government under Cardenas to give Trotsky asylum. Upon coming to Mexico in 1937, Trotsky and his wife lived at Frida Kahlo’s house (La Casa Azul), located nearby. But there was a falling out between Trotsky and Rivera—some say it was ideological, and others say it was because Trotsky had an affair with Kahlo (or perhaps a combination of both). After this falling out, Trotsky moved to the house we visited. The Trotsky story of his time in Mexico and the assassination are complicated and interesting, but no time to discuss in this note. I will, however say, that the exhibit points to the importance of good preservation of photographs, which was definitely not done for preserving this part of history. And the exhibit only has intermittent English, so it was difficult to follow. My Spanish is definitely not good enough to read the various explanations of politics and political history that hung on the walls.
From there we decided to walk back to our hotel – a 30+ minute walk through Coyoacán’s lovely tree-lined streets. It was Sunday and very quiet.
We were supposed to go to an upscale restaurant for dinner, but we were all still full from lunch and opted to go to a nearby vegetarian-forward café where we just had homemade vegetable soup and shared a “small’ pizza.
That’s it for now for me
More tomorrow.
Fern
Girl Trip 2024: Ciudad de México (Nov 16 2024)
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Greetings from Mexico City / Saludos desde la Ciudad de Mexico
For those of you who follow this travel blog series, you know that I participate in an annual “girls trip.” There are about five of us, with two who are the regulars (and probably considered the instigators and planners) and there are another three who join in from time to time, depending on availability, timing, and interest in the particular location. Over the years, we have gone to Marfa, Texas; Santa Fe, NM; Detroit, MI; Washington DC; NYC; Toronto; Amsterdam and surrounds; Montreal; Provence, France; and more. So this time it’s Mexico City and there are three of us. I’m the only one who’s been to Mexico City; the others have been to Mexico but not Mexico City.
My flight was fine except for my seatmate – an Aussie who went to Harvard Biz School and who thinks Trump will be great for America… and the world. Thinks Trump will “shake things up.” I rarely talk to anyone on the plane and usually just have my Earpods on and shuffle papers if anyone wants to talk. But he asked a question and somehow we chatted a bit… just as the food came, so that I couldn’t really hold any papers. And he started to talk about the US election and it was downhill from there. Fortunately after he made a few statements about his point of view (which I naturally objected to), I decided it was enough and put my Earpods in and that was that. At the end of the flight as I stood up to leave he wished me well and he said that he had never talked to anyone who was so opinionated about politics.
I managed to find my two friends at the airport despite landing at different terminals, so that was a good start. We had decided to stay in Coyoacán as the starting point; we will relocate after a few days to be more central. Once we decided on Mexico City and realized we only had about 5-6 days, we decided we needed a “theme” for our trip. Given that Mexico City (to my mind, having been here several times before, for longer periods than this trip) is like NYC on steroids, we thought having a focus would be a good way to see specific and also other things. Our theme is Frida Kahlo (and Diego Rivera), so the plan is to visit Frida’s house and museum and several of Diego’s extraordinary murals. And then, in between going to these destination places, I’m sure we’ll be stopping at many markets and walking different neighborhoods. Still it’s a very short time.
We arrived at about 7:40 pm tonight and taxied to our hotel in Coyoacán and were delighted when we arrived at the hotel: H21 Hospedaje Boutique Hotel. It’s a wonderful, very small (I think only 6 or 8 rooms (and we have three of them!) located on a narrow street about a block from the main plaza which was totally bustling when we walked there at about 10:00 pm to get some dinner. I love that it is easy to get dinner really late and that most restaurants are open until at least midnight every night—- my kinda town! We had dinner at Corazón de Maguey— foodie alert. Food was great, especially the guacamole with grasshoppers; plantains stuffed with brie cheese, sitting on black mole with cream and a sort of goat cheese. We also had little empanadas and chicken sous vide.. oh and of course dessert –a corn cake with vanilla cream, blueberries, and vanilla ice cream. We finished at around midnight and strolled through the plaza which was still buzzing… and then settled into each of our rooms.
By the way, Coyoacán is Mexico City’s oldest neighborhood and what I remember is that it is totally charming. In the 1500s Cortes made Coyoacán the capital of “New Spain.” Then the capital was moved to Mexico City which is a bit north. Originally there was farmland and lake waters that separated Mexico City from Coyoacán. But by the 20th Century this physical gap between the two “cities” was overcome with urban sprawl and Coyoacán got incorporated into Mexico City… Still, Coyoacán retains a very distinct feel amid the many neighborhoods of Mexico City and is less of a tourist destination than many other neighborhoods (or at least that used to be the case, so I hope 10 years hasn’t changed it much). When I last stayed in Coyoacán (about ten years ago on one of my many efforts to learn Spanish) it was a bit sleepy and had only a few really good restaurants. Well I know that has changed. It’s flooded with great restaurants and I think we will be challenged trying to figure out which to choose.
Coyoacán means something like place of the coyotes and that brand (coyotes) is everywhere.
More tomorrow. Need to unpack and get to sleep.
Fern
Happy New Year 2024/2025 Geneva
Happy New Year!
This note is being written on January 1 on board flights from Geneva to DC/ DC to SFO. Given that we won’t land until about midnight on January 1, you will most likely get this on January 2 once we are settled at home and “re-connected.”
While Mike seemed better, he certainly is still not up to his normal, “perky” self, but he is beginning to make some snide political comments, so I’m thinking he’s moving in the right (or rather left) direction.
We hung around the hotel most of the day, beginning to catch up on the news (all of it pretty bad) and grateful we had made the change to La Reserve rather than having been stuck in the tiny room at Tiffany Hotel. Not much to report except New Years Eve dinner.. so, this note is probably mostly for the foodies in this group.
We did keep our New Years Eve dinner reservation at the hotel and knew that Mike could probably only eat some of the many different courses being served. And he continued his non-drinking/not even wine routine… in the hope that by the time we get home he’ll be back to normal. In one photo you see Mike sipping something with a straw— it’s one of those fancy non-alcoholic drinks with some kind of yuzu flavoring.
Well, the dinner was quite wonderful (some of the dishes are shown in the photos) beginning with three little cubes… one with foie gras and pear; another with lobster and citrus; and the third was beetroot and ginger… each one perfect little bite. This was followed in succession by: spider crab with green apple (sliced so thin it was like paper) and lemon; then turbot and mushroom raviolis; then wagyu beef with polenta and I think a bordelaise sauce; and then some very wonderful local cheese sitting on a sort of blueberry compote; then a mango and passion fruit “thing” with vanilla cream; and some kind of wonderful fresh lime and lime leaf dish… all followed by “mignaridises”— an assortment of little sweets and chocolates to take to the room. And I did have some wonderful wine.
We didn’t stay at the restaurant until midnight to partake in the “festivities” since we needed to pack and I don’t think Mike could have made it that long. So we retreated to pack and watch the midnight festivities around the world on CNN. As a good Nyer, it’s never New Years until I see the ball drop and for me, that’s it. And since for about the past 30 years we have nearly always been out of the country for New Years, I celebrate twice – first wherever I am and then when I see the ball drop at Times Square. Come to think of it, we’ve celebrated New Years (and my NYE birthday in some pretty exotic places, and would have been in Sofia, Bulgaria this year had we not been hit by whatever bug is going around Europe—although I’m hearing from lots of people that a similar bug is in the US as well.) in places like Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia; Fes, Morocco; Amman, Jordan; Cape Town, South Africa; Singapore; Quito, Ecuador; Copan, Honduras; Antalya, Turkey; Zanzibar; and more. I’m not complaining.
Anyway, I must admit that watching the midnight events around the world on TV made it really clear that Paris gets the prize. And for whatever reason they did it bigger than usual this year. While I’ve been in Paris on New Years, I’ve never actually gone to the Arc de Triomphe where the action is on that night at midnight. But, Paris capped midnight 2024 with a total extravaganza turning the Arc into a canvas for an incredible light show that celebrated the city’s landmarks and vibrating clocks that showed the passage of time. The spectacular fireworks display was beyond anything I’ve seen before and the use of graphics on the arch itself using great fonts to spell out “PARIS” was really beautiful, making the word “Paris” evident on every possible selfie and Instagram as “the” background. Frankly, six hours later when the ball dropped, it was more than disappointing—it was a commercialized stunt! Everyone in the crowd had hats sponsored by Plant Fitness emblazoned on each and every hat on every head and even the countdown showed the minute-by-minute waiting for midnight and the second-by-second wait for the ball to drop with every notice as to time change with “Kia” car dealership noted with the time left until midnight.
Oh well.
We arrived home (in Oakland) safely at about midnight on January 1, moving into January 2. The house and both cars were parked on the street and were unharmed. No catalytic converter stolen (combined we’ve had 7 stolen); no car windows broken (combined we’ve had 10 car windows broken in the past 18 months); we park on the street. Tomorrow (Thursday) seems like a good day to unpack and get resettled.
All the best for 2025… we can only hope it will be better than what we have all predicted.
Fern
PS –How can we not think it will be a better day coming when looking at the photos in this email of Ella wishing us (and all of you) a happy new year.
Fern's Travel Notes 