WaddlyBelly

The hot Washington summer days leave WaddlyBelly feeling very lethargic. She finds it much harder to motivate to go out, but because she values a good social life she does her best to find the energy to leave the comforts of her home. Last Thursday, one of the steamiest days so far, was a busy one. She began the evening at the Sofitel, where the Washington Ballet’s Jeté Society was hosting a happy hour to raise funds for a Washington School of Ballet scholarship. WaddlyBelly had a grand time catching up with friends and meeting new ballet enthusiasts, and she can’t wait until the 2010-2011 season begins.


It was a very festive gathering, and she found it rather difficult to tear herself away to go to the Canadian Embassy, where The Friends of the Art Museum of the Americas was hosting a fundraiser. Highlights of this event included the Embassy’s art collection and the temporary exhibition Nipirasait: Many Voices – Inuit Prints from Cape Dorset, as well as the fantastic views from the Embassy’s rooftop terrace. WaddlyBelly also enjoyed the Canadian wine, but was not overly impressed with the grumpy bartenders and waiters (and the hors d’oeuvres they were passing). As usual, despite plans to just pop in and out, she found herself staying until the very end. She did wisely skip the after party, having had more than enough red wine and too little food for a hot (or any) day.


Saturday, after a day of running errands and a Dairy Queen run, WaddlyBelly made her way to a friend’s birthday party at HR 57. She is not really a jazz aficionado, but thought the venue was a great place for catching up with friends. Customers can bring their own snacks and drinks (the bar provides the plastic cups), and the birthday girl supplied a fine selection of wines (with tasting notes) as well as some very yummy cheeses. Yet again, WaddlyBelly stayed much later than planned, but birthdays do come just once a year!


Sunday was yet another very very hot and steamy day, and thus perfect for indoor activities. WaddlyBelly finally got to The Anacostia Community Museum to see the exhibition The African Presence in Mexico. She was happy to have made it to the museum before the show closes, as it was something she had been intending to do for months. Afterwards it was time for a quick trip into Georgetown for a tasty treat from Thomas Sweet (peanut butter frozen yogurt, of course); not that WaddlyBelly ever needs an excuse to indulge in a frozen treat, but the hot Washington summer certainly provides one.

Toby and Chessie

Although Toby and Chessie enjoy an active social life in Washington, they miss their London friends dearly, and take every possible opportunity to visit them. As with all of their trips, the agenda on their latest one included gossip sessions accompanied by treats, drinks and/or shopping (a combination of the three being ideal).


One place Toby and Chessie always try to hit is the Le Pain Quotidien on Marylebone High Street. While they can go to the Belgian chain back home this branch, the first in London, opened long before the restaurant came to Washington, and they have been meeting friends there for years. Although LPQ has many tasty offerings, they love nothing more than the Blondie spread, and they feel no shame in generously smearing it on slices of baguette.


After catching up and filling up Toby, Chessie and their friends waddled down to Selfridges, where they perused the clothing, home goods and gourmet shop, and made the somewhat disturbing discovery that Elizabeth Hurley has her own line of low calorie cereal bars. Needless to say they did not feel the urge to stock up on them.


While they often stick to their favorite haunts, Toby and Chessie were more adventurous on this trip, and ventured beyond the tried and true. One of their favorite new discoveries is Cocomaya, a lovely chocolate shop and café that also sells various odds and ends like Toby jars and vintage china. They also very much liked the Windsor Castle pub, where every nook and cranny is filled with assorted memorabilia and knickknacks, including the ceiling, which is covered in royal commemorative plates (they found the Diana and Charles divorce plate the most amusing).


Toby and Chessie also discovered that the pub is home to the Handlebar Club; while they certainly do not find mustaches even remotely attractive, they do support any group that promotes a quirky style.


The weather was lovely during their trip, providing the perfect excuse to try the gelato at Marylebone’s Cocorino, another new discovery (yogurt, banana, nocciola and pistachio were the flavors sampled). Toby and Chessie also hit one of their favorite places in London, Spitalfields Market.


They were impressed by how the area around the market keeps growing and growing, and they enjoyed checking out the additional fashion, food and vintage mini markets that have sprung up. Of course no trip to the area would be complete without stopping by the 24-hour Brick Lane Beigel Bake for bagels and challah, which they quickly devoured. They also recommend Montezuma’s for interesting chocolates, especially if you have a sweet tooth, which they naturally do.


On their last full day in England Toby and Chessie ventured out of central London, and went to Greenwich to visit a friend. It was yet another sunny day, making it perfect for a walk in the park and jumping on their friend’s trampoline (their favorite form of exercise, although they are also quite fond of hula-hooping).


As always the visit went by too quickly, and Toby and Chessie were very sad to leave. They were, however, pleasantly surprised when United upgraded them on the flight home. The skies are certainly friendlier when starting one’s journey with a glass of bubbly!

Cornelius

Cornelius is an Anglophile who loves to jet over to Merry Olde England as often as possible. While he seldom ventures out of London, on his most recent visit he took a long overdue trip to Newcastle to see a friend. Although getting there required departing from the somewhat unpleasant Kings Cross Station, the journey itself was uneventful and passed by quickly thanks to a trashy magazine, and before he knew it he had arrived in Newcastle.


Newcastle Central Station is conveniently located near some of the city’s main attractions, allowing Cornelius, who was much more interested in catching up with his friend than in sightseeing, to see landmarks such as the 12th century Castle without cutting into his gossip time. He also came across an elderly Queen Victoria in St. Nicholas Square, and not wanting to be rude took the time to say hello.


His weekend plans, not surprisingly, involved art; after a coffee Cornelius and his friend went to an opening at The Biscuit Factory, a commercial gallery that sells an assortment of ceramics, jewelry, painting, photography and other such things. He must admit he was not very impressed with what was on display, but he did very much enjoy the incredibly addictive Gougères, just one of the many treats being served. Not one to show restraint when in the face of temptation, Cornelius might just have had a few too many, something he more commonly associates with glasses of bubbly (the night was yet young, leaving plenty of time for that).


Finally managing to tear themselves away from the treats, Cornelius and his friend made their way to the Northumbrian countryside, where they would be spending the night. He took advantage of his surroundings by going on a long pre-dinner stroll, breathing in the fresh air and meeting the local residents. More importantly the exercise helped make room for his friend’s famous and also incredibly addictive savory bread pudding (cheese and leek), which they washed down with some bubbly. Perhaps not the healthiest of evenings, but Cornelius believes there is no such thing as too many cheesy carbohydrate delicacies.


The following day they headed back into Newcastle for an afternoon of shopping, followed by a drink at one of the city's many watering holes and an opening at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Cornelius was much more impressed with its exhibitions, which currently include Cornelia Parker’s Good Sound and John Cage’s Every Day is a Good Day. He actually took time to peruse the shows (something he frequently fails to do at openings), and enjoyed the great view of the city and Gateshead Millennium Bridge.


After getting his fill of culture it was time to socialize (something he does very well). Sadly there were no tasty nibbles on offer at the BALTIC, although he did get some bubbly, which always makes him a happy penguin.


The evening ended with more wine and treats at his friend’s parents’ home. He had a lovely time and most admired their collection of Egersund puffin jugs.


He considered trying to slip one into his bag but figured he then might not be invited back again. Guess he’ll just have to keep an eye out for them on eBay!

Scotchy

Scotchy is always up for a good party, and most certainly was not disappointed by the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams White Hot Party last Thursday. The store was filled with people clad in white (thankfully not too many sartorial disasters as ill fitting white ensembles can be a rather unpleasant thing), all enjoying bubbly, piña coladas and other adult beverages, and listening to music by DJ Lady Bunny. Scotchy was a great fan of the large white chocolate fountain (numerous pretzels found their way into it in his hands) and assorted tiny white sweets; he especially loved the mini vanilla milkshakes. He gossiped away and stayed until the very end, only then noticing the white carpet and couches welcoming party goers into the store (guess Scotchy was in too much of a hurry to get inside to notice them earlier). He very much appreciated the bottles of water available upon leaving, which helped him rehydrate somewhat…of course a more responsible penguin would have switched from bubbly to water a drink or two earlier (but what’s the fun in that?).


Scotchy was dragging Friday morning, and very happy that his weekend plans consisted of spending a few lazy days with family in Fawn Lake. He headed down that evening, and was welcomed with treats, including homemade grape leaves and baba ghanoush that a neighbor had brought over (if only he had such neighbors) and homemade key lime pie (his favorite). Naturally by then, despite the slightly excess consumption of the prior evening, he was ready for a glass of wine.


The rest of the weekend was spent lazing around and running various errands, which of course always means stopping at Dairy Queen for a frozen treat. It was a particularly decadent visit, as Scotchy took advantage of his birthday buy one get one free Blizzard coupon (he got Oreo with chocolate ice cream and Butterfinger in case you were wondering), and of course it would not be a trip to DQ without a peanut butter sundae. Scotchy hit all of his usual haunts over the weekend – Walmart, Target and the Spotsylvania Towne Center, where he was rather disturbed by the hurricane simulator machine, and even more disturbed by the fact that people were willing to step foot into it (credit cards accepted if you are so inclined).


He also went to Wegmans to stock up on goodies, including penguin-friendly frozen treats for home consumption. He had trouble deciding, but figured he’d go for the tropical to help beat the heat and save the patriot pops for the Fourth of July.

Little B

Little B, like Welchey, loves to travel, so he jumped at the opportunity to join him on his Puerto Rican adventure. He too likes to take in cultural sites, however Little B’s priority when traveling is to try as many local delicacies as possible; he has been known to spend a significant amount of time wandering city streets in search of a treat or two. Since he is vegetarian his choices can be limited, but that just gives him an excuse to eat more dessert or drink more cocktails, the two things he's generally craving anyway.


Speaking of cocktails, he had one of his favorite treats, a frozen passion fruit rum concoction, at the bar Maria’s, where he spent an evening sipping cocktails and singing along to Mexican ballads.


Little B was not too familiar with Puerto Rican food, so he was eager to try some local dishes. While much of the cuisine is meat or seafood centered, he did find numerous plantain, yucca and sweet potato concoctions to try. One evening he dined at Café Puerto Rico – he certainly wouldn’t rank his meal amongst the best he’s had, but he was able to get some mashed plantains with vegetables, and he loved the tres leches (a cake he is somewhat obsessed with).


Little B discovered one new delicacy on his trip, the mallorca, a sweet, fluffy, buttery egg bread, which tastes surprisingly good warmed up with some cheese. He indulged in this treat at the aptly named Cafeteria Mallorca – while certainly not a fancy place he recommends it for people watching and a somewhat more authentic local experience.


On his last evening in town Little B dined at The Parrot Club, where he had some of the yummiest yucca he has ever tasted, as well as a sweet potato cake that was quite divine. He washed down his meal with bubbly, apparently not a popular choice as a coworker had to show his poor waiter how to open the bottle (who knew Cava would cause such a commotion). For dessert he ordered tres leches (of course), this time a chocolate and toasted coconut version (tasty, but Little B is a purist and prefers that the original not be messed with).


Lest you think Little B spent all of his time in restaurants and bars he did actually get out to see the city. He loved Old San Juan’s colorful houses with their lovely balconies, and was particularly fond of a statue in the plaza in front of his hotel. Another highlight was the Castillo San Cristóbal, with its magnificent views of the city.


The site covers 27 acres and is the largest fortification built by the Spaniards in the New World. Little B walked the ramparts and explored the tunnels, covering every inch, knowing that all of the climbing and walking would provide the perfect excuse for another treat!

Welchey

Welchey is something of a jet-setter – whether returning to a favorite destination or discovering somewhere new, he’s always happiest when on an out of town adventure. His travels recently took him to Puerto Rico; it was his first time on the island, and he stayed at the lovely El Convento in Old San Juan. The hotel, a former convent, is filled with beautiful colonial antiques and has many charming nooks and crannies.


One of Welchey’s favorite things about staying there was the nightly wine and cheese reception, held on a terrace overlooking the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. He very much enjoyed socializing with other guests over a glass (or two) of red, and needless to say he did not miss a single one.


Welchey is not really a beach kind of guy, so he spent much of his time in Puerto Rico wandering the charming colorful streets of Old San Juan. The weather was hot and steamy, so he was very happy to have spotted blizz, home to delicious guava and passion fruit frozen yogurt, on his first day there. It was the perfect way to cool off, and he made certain to stop by on a daily basis; on one occasion, feeling particularly decadent, he enjoyed his yogurt with a slice of tres leches.


Despite his fondness for Old San Juan Welchey did venture out to Casa Bacardi, as he wouldn’t think of missing an alcohol themed attraction, however touristy it might be.


The journey there involved a ferry ride followed by a shared taxi, but he felt it was well worth it. Welchey took advantage of his language skills (a necessity for any self-respecting jet-setter) and joined the Spanish tour, which left sooner and was much less crowded.


After learning all about the history of rum and Bacardi he made use of his two free drink tickets and sampled a few of the company’s products. Although he was feeling rather peckish, he was not tempted by Casa Bacardi’s processed cheese nachos, or the French fry vending machine at the ferry station, despite its promise of hot crispy fries in 90 seconds.


Welchey also made his way to the neighborhood of Santurce, where the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico is located. A lover of art, he cannot visit a city without hitting a cultural institution or two. The museum, which opened in 2000, is well worth visiting, and he enjoyed its permanent collection of colonial art, as well as the temporary exhibitions Williams Carmona - Verdades que me fatigan and Puerto Rico: Human Geography – Images of the 21st Century. Welchey also took a stroll around the museum’s sculpture garden, a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city.


Having gotten his daily dose of culture he ventured down to the oceanfront community of Condado, but was quickly frightened away by the hordes of badly dressed gambling-loving tourists. He thus made a hasty retreat back to Old San Juan…just in time for some wine and cheese. So much more civilized.

Chaz

Chaz is a very energetic (some would say slightly hyperactive) penguin who is always up for action packed weekends and long nights out on the town. His energy came into good use over a rather busy Memorial Day weekend; the adventures began Saturday morning when he flew to Charleston for a friend’s wedding. He had just half an hour to check out the city, so he quickly wandered up and down King Street (primarily searching, unsuccessfully, for a frozen yogurt). He then made his way back to the hotel to beautify and catch the bus to Edisto Island’s picturesque Cypress Trees Plantation, which had been transformed into a wedding wonderland.


The sun was shining, the setting was lovely, and the bride looked radiant. Chaz loved the tents filled with antiques and had fun exploring the plantation’s grounds – he was tempted to jump on the trampoline but was scared off by the rather harsh safety warning.


Instead he socialized and indulged in lots of yummy mac and cheese and bubbly (of course), until he was lured onto the dance floor by the energetic (and good) band. Chaz loves nothing more than dancing the night away, and he strut his stuff until the band played its final song, only straying from the dance floor to enjoy a slice of wedding cake.


Chaz had to be up early the next morning to catch a flight back to DC in order to attend another wedding, so unfortunately could not stay and explore Charleston (he was very sad to miss out on a carriage ride with his friends).


Back in Washington he did, however, find the time to stop by a BBQ in Meridian Hill Park. It was a festive gathering with lots of treats and activities – although the hosts were hoping for a good game of bocce, cornhole proved to be more popular. Chaz passed on both, as he was only interested in flaunting his hula hooping skills (he knows the importance of good core strength). Unfortunately he had to leave before the piñatas made their debut – he’s not really a hit cute inanimate objects kinds of guy, but he does love anything filled with sweeties.


After his afternoon of socializing in the sun Chaz ran home to make himself presentable for the second wedding of the weekend, a black tie affair at The Four Seasons. He was impressed by the beautiful flowers, and enjoyed more bubbly and more mac and cheese (truffled!) during the cocktail hour.


He was not, however, impressed by the vegetarian entrée, a big hunk of flavorless tofu - he almost wished he had been served the dreaded pastry case. That said, forgoing his main course did give him more room for the two desserts, an ice cream brownie sundae type concoction and red velvet wedding cake. Although his doctor might think otherwise Chaz believes one can never have too much sugar. After dinner he hit the dance floor…that is until the band starting massacring various hits, inspiring him to cut his evening short. Even a party loving penguin knows that beauty sleep is preferable to bad renditions of songs by Bon Jovi and Journey.