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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Kul-cha, and other goings-on.

I live in a very interesting area of upstate NY - right on the border of Massachusetts/Berkshires, and not far from Vermont.  This, quite frankly, is its saving grace.  While you can still reach The City in about two and a half hours, you don't have to drive all that far to find some top-notch museums, music, arts, theater and almost any other branch off the cultural tree you can think of.   I happen to be a fan of local theater, although sometimes it can make you squirm.  Especially the musicals - think nails on a chalkboard.

As marvelous as all the kul-cha is around here, it is the natural beauty of the various mountain ranges (you folks out west would refer to them as 'hills'), forests, lakes, rivers, parks, and wildlife that surround me that really makes me love it.  It is beautiful here - even when it's 9 degrees.  Not AS beautiful, but beautiful nonetheless.

So it is extra wonderful when you can combine the two:

Sylvie in front of the Clark Museum's back entrance.

Looking from the back entrance towards the hiking trails.


Lovely Winter landscape.
 The Clark Art Museum is located in Williamstown, MA.  It is a gem.  During the winter, admission is free and they have wonderful programs throughout the spring, summer and fall that mix art, music and families.  They recently created two hiking trails throughout their extensive property and Sylvie and I took the one with steps.  It was a good workout, the views were wonderful and it was fun to have someone non-furry to hike with :).

Living in this area, you are liable to run into all kinds of people.  A case in point:  Sunday morning, we went to the local firehouse breakfast to surprise a couple of mutual friends.  You do NOT go to the breakfast for the food.  When asked if there was whole wheat toast, our 'server' answered, "There is whole WHITE toast."  However, the people watching is great fun.  A lone fellow, Sunday paper in hand, came in towards the end of our stay, and sat at the far end of our table.  He had a grey complexion, grey hair and beard (both scraggly), a knit cap clamped on his head, and many layers of what looked like thermal undies, topped with fleece.  Sylvie noticed he was reading the Sunday NYT, so asked if she could read the headlines on the sections he had read and put aside.  That simple question launched him into a 20 minute monologue about his son at RPI (and the amount of the tuition - hefty), his wife who has a highly paid job at Columbia (they live in The City and have a weekend home here), his four-year-old daughter (he has three kids, each 14 years apart), his retirement (the amount he gets every month PLUS the additional LARGE amount he gets for having a minor), ad nauseum.  We finally had to start putting on our jackets and edging away - before we became snarky. 

We had a lovely lunch at a Thai restaurant, where I discovered an Indian restaurant had moved in next to it -- I L.O.V.E. Indian food!  I will have to go, even if it means creating great angst in my heart because I can't eat the naan. 

With all this good food, good kul-cha and boon companionship, it's no wonder I am still giddy!

13 comments:

Mama Pea said...

What fun (and kul-cha!) you and Sylvie had on her visit. (Well, maybe the paper-reading blowhard wasn't so much fun, but at least you could walk away from him.) Love that whole WHITE toast! (Do you think the server was making a funny . . . or serious?)

Carolyn said...

Oh, how I'm envious of your little trips to town and kul-cha! Glad that you're still feeling the afterglow of spending time with a good friends (and good food!).

The Maine Gray Zone said...

It was a great weekend and I do lament that we live so far from each other. It is sooooo much more fun to do things together. I really look forward to the Clark's new addition in 2014....it will truly make it a world class museum.

Susan said...

Knowing the local character that was our server, he was making a funny. And we were sniggering while the blowhard was going on and on about how his daughter would have even MORE benefits if he was dead by the time she turned 18. He was eating: pancakes, sausage, bacon, homefries, and toast. Looks like she'll hit the jackpot!

Susan said...

... and let's not forget the two eggs over easy...

Susan said...

If you lived here, just think how saturated in kul-cha you would be! Luckily, there is plenty of non-kul-cha to go around too. We wouldn't want to get too uppity, would we?

Susan said...

Bernice sends her love - she was really moping around on Monday. It IS going to be beautiful, isn't it? I'm looking forward to hiking the other trail (without the steps, so you don't show me up...pant, pant).

Michelle said...

In a word: JEALOUS.

Michelle said...

Wow you met a character at breakfast. We have had our own run in with people like that. It's so hard some times to get away from them. We had a guy follow us out of the store to our car. That was a little scare.

Susan said...

:) Your spot is pretty gorgeous, too!

Susan said...

Michelle, yes, it can get pretty dicey. Luckily, this fellow noticed his pancakes were getting cold, so we made an easy escape. I don't like those people who follow you - it's too creepy!

Unknown said...

Great photos! Culture can be fun...

Candy C. said...

It sounds like you girls had a wonderful time, in spite of Mr. Too-Much-Information!
We may call your eastern mountains "hills" but ya'll would call our western rivers "streams!" ;)