THE WON ITALIAN TRIP SAGA:

ITALY!

In May of 1996, Ed Crowley, my roommate, won a week's trip to Rome. He did it by being the best salesman in the United States for his Italian pharmaceutical company—Serono. The trip was both a series of work assignments and a vacation. He was allowed to bring his wife, but talked the company into allowing me to come along!

  ---Ah, Rome! 

Rome was a delight in late spring. Her monuments, sights and sounds were alluring. 

Generally, Ed typically spent the mornings and early afternoons working for the company. I had the entire time for vacation. I went around to various sites in the morning and Ed and I would have a late lunch in the afternoon followed by sightseeing and enjoying the city. Ed told me, of course, about his work. One of the most interesting stories was about a trip to a nunnery in the countryside. Serono employees had the function of picking up nun's urine from various remote spots. The urine contained a excellent concentration of a particular substance used in their drugs. That was a surprising story!

One evening, three of his Italian colleagues took us to a fantastic restaurant. It was the famous Villa Borghese in the Borghese Gardens overlooking Rome. 

First of all, driving up to the entrance, there were liveried footmen holding torches! We chose to eat on the terrace overlooking Rome. 

The menu had no prices. I can't even imagine how much it cost.

Ed and I enjoyed Rome. It's a fascinating city
  ---the Eternal City.

We decided to take an additional week to tour Italy. So,

Next, THE COUNTRYSIDE. 

NEW YORK 2011 SAGA 5:

NEW YORK CITY TRIP
November 11 -16, 2011

During my trip to New York City, Bill and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art specifically to see the Frank Lloyd Wright Room installed there—for two reasons: one to see the room but also Bill owns two stained glass windows from the same house!!!

It's the Living Room of the 1921, Francis W. Little Summer House (Little Residence II) of Wayzata, Minnesota, called Northome. (Mr. Wright always named his houses.) (The Little's first Wright house was 1904, in Racine, Wisconsin.)

The room is large and grand.

Official photographs:

My photographs:

click to see: Little House Living Room.

Bill's windows are inherited from Lewis Muller, his architectural partner. Lewis got them in 1996 at a Christie's auction. The two windows were $16,000. They are of the tall, narrow-type located at the end of a row of windows. Bill believes they are from the Dining Room.

The tall, narrow windows in the Living Room at the Met.

When we got home, I photographed Bill's windows:

Bill has promised to will them to me! Maybe he'll give me one now?

click to see: F LL W Interview on CBS.

BODY WEIGHT SAGA:

BODY WEIGHT

I've had a weight problem for many years—ever since high school really.

I was a skinny, toehead youngster.

Donny at five.

But in high school I started to gain weight.

Me at 16.

I have had to fight my weight ever since.

Westminster College 1959 at age 19.

Me today.

ANCESTRY BRAGGADOCIO SAGA 4:

FRENCH AND SPANISH MONARCHIES 

FRENCH ANCESTORS: 

Ad 768, Charles I - Charlemagne (69th great grandfather):

Charlemagne by Durer

King Charles II
King Charles III
King Hugh Capet
King Philip I
King Henri I


King Louis VI (31st great grandfather):

King Louis VII
King Philip II

King Louis VIII (28th great grandfather):

King Saint Louis IX (27th great grandfather):

click to see: King Saint Louis IX of France

King Philip III
King Philip IV
King Philip VI
King Charles IV

King John II (22nd great grandfather):

AD 1364, King Charles V (19th great grandfather):

SPANISH ANCESTORS:

AD 1126, King Alfonso VII: (24th great grandfather)

King Alphonso IX
AD 1285, King Alfonso III

Next, Other EUROPEAN.

NEW YORK 2011 SAGA 4:

A WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY

David was on vacation in the Middle East and offered his NYC apartment for me to stay in!

I chose to be there for the week of November 11 through 16, 2011. And while David's offer was an incentive to go to New York, I ended up staying with Bill to share each other's company.

I went up on the "Chinese Bus". What an experience: crowded and difficult! But saving $200 verses the train was worth it. I'll do it again.

I had a wonderful time! NYC is so vibrant and exciting. I truly enjoyed being there for an extended time.

On Saturday, I struck out to find more cashmere scarves at the street fair. (The last time I was in NYC, I ran across this vendor in the street fair along Sixth Avenue, near Bill's apartment and bought a scarf for Ted as he was taking care of Memphis, my cat. But when I got home I wish I had gotten more.) I had no idea where the vendor  was so I asked a taxi driver where the street fair was. HE KNEW! It was this weekend on Madison Avenue between 42nd and 57th—fifteen blocks long! He drove me to the start of it at 42nd Street and low and behold, the scarf stand was the second stand in!!! I got 10 scarves for various friends.

Saturday night, Bill Mc and Jesus from Washington, along with Johnny from Short Hills, New Jersey, were in town. We all had a marvelous dinner at the Elephant & Castle in the Village. Bill Mc said it was the best meal he had had in NYC. Bill and I really enjoyed ourselves. Johnny talked about his new penthouse in Hell's Kitchen with a lovely roof garden and a 270º view of the city! We walked and talked and viewed the City.

On Monday, Bill and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, mainly to see the Frank Lloyd Wright Room. Entry fee was $25—my, oh, my, inflation! (I'll explore the room in the next blog installment.) Also at the Met, we saw a lot of American ceramics and Tiffany glass.

Also, a major exhibit of Steiglitz and his art collection was on display.

Tuesday found us at MOMA. What a cool museum. I wanted to see the product design section. It was thrilling. I've always liked industrial design. Seeing the Macs was a special treat!

Bill at the Design Exhibit with the Philip Johnson Courtyard in the background.

There was also a marvelous de Kooning exhibit of 20 rooms of his work.

On the last night, David had arrived from his trip and we went to the Cuban restaurant, Copellia for dinner.

A last glimpse of NYC:

TIDBITS SAGA:

REMEMBERING MOM

Mom was the most perfect of mothers.

Mom in Hawaii.

She was fun, good, exciting, clever, loving, funny, smart, kind, protective, upright, cool and interesting.

We had two awesome trips together: one to Hawaii, which I won for her; another to Mexico, which I got a $5. airplane ticket to because American Airlines was offering a promotion and Mom joined me to go to Mexico City; a third was offered by Mom to go around the world on the QEII ! But Dad got ill and we couldn't go.

There's so many things to say, I don't know where to continue. So, I'll just stop and add some pictures:

Mom at Three in Kansas City.

1946. I was six. Mom was going back to Oklahoma City High School!

Mom's portrait from the 60s.

Mom died at the age of 81 in 1988. She died of a broken heart a few months after my father died. She'll always be fondly remembered and missed.

TIDBITES SAGA:

THE KITCHEN AT PAYNTER'S MILL
Milton, DE.

The Kitchen is a delightful new restaurant that is really good. It took over the space of Corner Market Bistro in Paynter's Mill at the corner of Highways 88 and 1.

It's THE SECOND STREET GRILL people of Lewes. They closed that and are now running The Kitchen.

The selections are very diverse. And the food is delicious. And is reasonable in price. Ted and I have had lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch there–all very good.

Highly recommended.

    ---Don Voth

        Your Friendly Reviewer.