High times at the High Line

New York -viikonlopun otokset keskittyvät sunnuntaille, koska lauantaina satoi k-o-k-o päivän. Medeski, Martin & Woodin ilmaiskonsertti Keskuspuistossa oli kyllä silti reissun arvoinen. Metropolitan Museumin Alexander McQueen -näyttely oli myös ihan mieletön. Harkitsin hartaasti upean näyttelykatalogin hankkimista, mutta se jäi kuitenkin ainakin toistaiseksi vielä hyllylle. 

Sunnuntaiksi sää selkeni ja päätin jättää shoppailun väliin ja keskittyä joutilaiseen oleiluun Chelseassa/Greenwich Villagessa. Oli todella ilahduttavaa nähdä, että toisin kuin muualla Amerikassa, newyorkilaiset osaavat arvostaa ulkoilmaterasseja. Brunssipaikaksi valikoitui - täysin terassin perusteella - Le Pain Quotidien -ketjun Greenwichin haara. Jaettu napostelulautanen oli oikein maukas ja prosecco (kerrankin) halpaa ja hyvää.

Jälkkäriksi minileivokset :)

Loppuiltapäivä kulutettiin maleksimalla High Line Parkin päästä päähän. Tämä ihana viherpromenaadi kulkee katutason yläpuolella Manhattanin West Sidella, Gansevoort Streetiltä Meatpacking Districtiltä pohjoiseen. Se oli saanut tänä vuonna lisäpituutta aina 34th Streetille asti. Kyseessä on siis vanhan junaradan urbaani makeover julkiseksi viheralueeksi. 

Tällaista toivoisi Suomessakin harrastettavan enemmän! Loppuun asti lampsittuamme olimme sen verran nuutuneita, että hurautimme pirssillä takaisin autolle :)

Tänä viikonloppuna onkin sitten pyykinpesun ja kasaantuneitten kotitöitten paiskimisen vuoro... Miten kämpän voi saada tähän kuntoon parissa viikossa??? 

Who would have guessed...?

Kotiintuliaisina toin kivan flunssan, mutta nyt siitäkin on selvitty. Vuodelle 2011 on kertynyt  myös jo 1kpl New Yorkin reissuja (ja lisää tulossa vain 5 vkon kuluttua!!!!). Tällä kertaa ajatuksena oli hakea vähän vaihtelua Williamsburgin vakipaikalle, joten yömajaksi valikoitui Carlton Arms. Lokaatio  on bueno (semminkin kun East Villagen entinen ehdoton lemppari Village Inn on kuulemma sulkenut ovensa), hinta privaattihuoneesta Manhattanilla kohtuullinen. Mitään luksusta paikka ei tarjoile, mutta risaista boheemiromantiikkaa senkin edestä. Huoneet ovat kaikki erilaisia, ja mukaan mahtuu monennäköisiä taidepläjäyksiä. Tällainen tällä kertaa:

Lauantaina harhailin Chelsean galleriakaduilla tarkastelemassa nykytaiteen tilaa; illalla sitten vastapainoksi standuppia Upper West Siden Stand Up NY -klubilla. Suosittelen molempia hyvin lämpimästi :)

Carlton Arms sijaitsee siis täällä Madison Square Parkin kulmilla, samoilla seuduilla erään toisenkin aikaisemman majapaikan kanssa. Tämä niin kuvauksellinen nähtävyys ei muuten ole vielä kertaakaan asettunut kamerani eteen sopivassa kulmassa/valaistuksessa. Luovutan ja jätän homman alan miehille. (Olenko jo hehkuttanut Metropolitanin Stieglitz-Steichen-Strand -näyttelyä?)

3rd Avenue & 25th.

Oli hurjan kylmä ja kuulas viikonloppu. Ja lunta! Kuten kuvasta näkyy. Kamera pysyi kuitenkin taas enimmäkseen laukussa... On alkanut vähän tympiä tämä pannarilinssi ja sen rajalliset mahdollisuudet. Ostoslistalle: uusi putki. Voisi alkaa opetella vaikka zoomailua ja ihmisten kuvailua...

Kotopuolen kuulumisista ei ole kovin paljoa sanottavaa. Joskus lähimarkettikin tosin osaa vielä yllättää:

Wut?

Narinajuustoa! Squeaky cheese! Mutta kuka perkule on mennyt  sotkemaan siihen karmean määrän suolaa ja yrttejä? Kokeilin silti salaatin kanssa... Ei se toimi, ei. Tai voisi ehkä toimiakin, ellei  ko. meijeriin olisi palkattu Nasse-setää maustemestariksi...

à bientôt!

Radio silence

The past few days have been dedicated to research - save a few trips to the museums, and some to local eateries.

Third attempt at carciofi alla giudia:

This time we tried a place across the street from Giggetto called Ba''Ghetto. Compared to the former, the place was sleek and much more polished, in a sort of Scandinavian way. Different atmosphere altogether, but, yet again, mostly frequented what looked like well-to-do locals (Jews, judging by the kippah-ratio among the males). The carciofi was excellent. In fact, everything was so good we ended up staying for the whole shebang. While this not exactly cheap, we felt it was well worth it :)

This (Israeli) Pinotage was especially good.

I'd say, at this point, it's a tie between the more traditional and rustic Giggetto and this place. Depends on the kind of setting you prefer ;)

A glimpse of Marcellus's theatre on the way home from the Ghetto.

In fact, why not compile a photo series of my usual walk home:

(A "bar" in Italy means a lot more than a mere venue for alcohol consumption :D It's aplace to get your coffee in the morning and crab lunch in the afternoon, too.)

Tomorrow we take off for a field trip to the northern provinces. Ravenna and Aquileia, to be exact. The weather report says it will rain again... typical.

Back on Friday! :)

Basta

There have been demontsrations against Berlusconi here lately... Today the Carabinieri were shutting streets in full riot-gear... All very peaceful so far, or so it seems.

(This is not one of the demonstrations... just a regular Saturday at Piazza del Popolo.)

Discovered a great market somewhere behind the Vatican yesterday. Bought fresh pasta (not in the picture - this is just the dry stuff ;) and lots of fruit and bufala mozzarella. All fresh and cheap - and often local. Here, it seems like buying produce from the markets is not just a nostalgia thing. Isn't it funny how in Finland, it actually costs more to get your veggies from the market place?

Napoli

Tomorrow I'm off to Naples for a few days - back in Rome again on Friday :)

Made several attempts to see the Caravaggio show this weekend - without any mentionable success. We came quite close yesterday, with only about 5 metres and a custode separating us from the show. The mission is now approaching epic proportions. The first attempt got sabotaged by an ex tempore-decision to have carciofi on the way. Two delicious deep-fried treats and one bottle of wine later we realized there was no time for Caravaggio after all. Yesterday things fell much in the same vein. After two utter failures we finally learned our lesson and yesterday cleverly planned to see the exhibition before dinner. This ingenious idea got squashed when we arrived at the queu at 6.30 pm, only to find out the stop letting people in at 7:00. Oh, well. The dinner was nice, though.

A propos; the carchiofi. This time we tried the famous Giggetto - and I must say they were almost worth missing Caravaggio (the show is on for a good few more months, so there's plenty of time...).

Perfection.

Here's how they are done alla Romana:

Not quite as decadent as the Jewish version, but nice too.

Been also walking around Trastevere a lot, taking romantisizing photos of decaying buildings... and exotic-looking foods. Touristing.

(This is the doorway to where my friends are going to stay in April - about 5 min walk from the institute. Can't wait :))

Wish me luck in Campana (it seems as though I might need it; people keep warning us about the pickpockets)!

Tempus fugit

So much going on, so little time to ponder upon it online... (which is, of course, the right way round.) Most of it academic. A fair share of good food and wine. Walking around, looking at ancient stuff. Some rest over the weekend.

This week:

The Swedish Institute.

And the Danish. (It's been raining a lot. Have not been in the mood for shooting much outside.)

Brief moments of blue skies:

Villa Aurelia of the American Academy.

A photo quiz for Rome-goers: which famous building in Rome features in all the following images?

Ok, the last one might have been a bit of a give away... (The first one to leave the right answer in the comment box gets a golden star ;D)

Oh, and artichoke season is here! Which means it's time to find the best place in town for Carhiofi alla Giudia (i.e. deep-fried artichokes). This is a typical Roman (Jewish) dish, and considered quite a delicacy among the initiated. How many deep-fired things can you say that of? (Snickers bars, anyone?)

Thus, I gathered a sizeable team of aspiring foodies from the institute and headed to the Jewish ghetto (not a real ghetto, not for a while now). The first door we opened belonged to a place called Nonna Betta - it's almost next to the famous Giggetto, which is rumoured to be the best. While this was OK, we concluded that this can probably be done a lot better. (Connoisseurs among you are welcome to comment on the appearance). Maybe the menus in English and the fact that we got shoved in the basement instead of the main venue had something to do with my overall evaluation. Would not recommend the place. The quest continues...