10-Year Anniversary Trip

To celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary in October, Daniel and I spent a weekend away in Greenport, Long Island. My mom held down the fort in Brooklyn and treated us to 48 hours all to ourselves, which is pretty much the best gift you can give any parent. We even lucked out weather-wise since it was unseasonably warm all weekend.

If you haven't been to the North Fork before, plan a trip soon. With lots of wineries, antique shops, beaches, and excellent restaurants, it's the perfect quick getaway. On our last visit, I was pregnant with Nico and missed out on all the good wine. This time around, we devoted an entire day to wine tasting. We let Vintage Tours do all the work since we didn't want to waste time figuring out where to go and how to get there. There were four other couples on the tour and everyone was a lot of fun, plus it was so nice to be chauffered from place to place. We went to Peconic Bay, Osprey's, Shinn Estate and The Old Field (our favorite) and had delicious sandwiches from The Piping Plover in Southold. After our tour, we ended our day at Mattebella, a vineyard run by a friend of a friend where we had a final flight while watching the sun set over the vines. It was the perfect ending to an incredible day. I'm already thinking about our next visit and can't wait to check out Croteaux, a winery that only makes Rosé (my favorite).

We stayed at The Morning Glory, a cozy bed and breakfast with gigantic, cloud-like beds, the softest towels and amazing multi-course breakfasts and homemade sweets. For dinner, we went to Luce & Hawkins in the Jedediah Hawkins Inn (which looks like another nice place to stay), and a month later, I'm still thinking about their ducks wings with a cucumber feta raita and chile garlic sauce. They rocked. If I lived on the North Fork, you better believe I'd be there on Monday nights for $1 duck wings. The restaurant also has a speakeasy in the basement with live music and I hear the chef likes to jam down there after hours. Our other dinner was at The North Fork Oyster Company, a new spot that seems to be working out some kinks, but was still pretty good. On the way home, we took the ferry to Shelter Island and discovered lots of cool furniture at Marika's and stopped for lobster rolls in Sag Harbor before heading back to Brooklyn.

Yesterday, (after a trip to the Central Park Zoo where we saw a sleeping snow leopard, polar bear, and The Polar Express in 4-D which was so cool), Nico asked when Daniel and I are going on another vacation so my Mom can stay with him and Leo again. We don't have anything planned, but it was a good reminder that trips like these are a win-win for us and them.

Bike-sharing in Paris

Did you know that Paris has a bike-sharing system—the biggest in the world—with over 20,000 bikes at 1,800 bike stations? I had no idea since they certainly didn't have this when I lived there there 13 years ago. Jordan Ferney, an American blogger who's spending a year in Paris with her husband and two little boys wrote about it today and included tons of good tips. Vélib' sounds like the coolest public transportation system ever and I wish we had something like it here in New York. If I were planning a trip to Paris right now, I'd be so excited to ride bikes all around that beautiful city. Too bad I have no plans to visit anytime soon, but maybe you do?

Photos by Paul Ferney via Oh Happy Day

Stone Barns Harvest Fest

Nico's been begging to go apple and pumpkin picking now that it's starting to feel like Fall here in New York. Last year, we took a day trip to an orchard about an hour or two from Brooklyn. Sadly, I don't even remember the name due to some major sleep deprivation back then, but what I do remember is that as fun as it was to pick apples with Nico and take funny pictures of Leo perched in trees, most of the food we ate that day, aside from the apples, was disappointing. There were cinnamon sugar donuts that were stale and didn't seem homemade and don't even get me started on the lame snack bar at the pumpkin patch we went to after.

So, imagine my excitement when I heard about the Stone Barns Harvest Fest on Hither and Thither yesterday. Daniel, my Mom and I celebrated my 30th birthday at Blue Hill at Stone Barns back when I was pregnant with Nico. A farm-to-table restaurant, their food is right up my alley. On another visit, Daniel and I had some wine and appetizers before a friend's wedding reception.

I happened to get electrocuted that evening as well. True story, I swear. I was so enamored by the farm's adorably plump pigs that I didn't even notice the warning signs about their electric fences. The last time I went, Nico was about 18 months old and in the middle of a major acorn obsession. He could have cared less about the animals, or the farm-fresh lunchtime fare.

It was all about the acorns on that trip, but at least I was able to snap one of my favorite pictures ever of him that day.

Now that he's a bit older, I know he'll be into the hay rides, live music, farm activities (egg collecting! pig feeding!) and Leo, our mini foodie in the making, will be all about the unbelievable food at the Farmers Market, a lot of which is from places in Brooklyn, but nothing is better than getting out of the city and onto a farm. The Harvest Fest is Saturday, October 1 from 10am-3pm and you can buy tickets here. Stone Barns is truly stunning, especially during this time of year.

Is it sunset yet?

I'd take wine over liquor any day and have never been big on cocktails.  Except in Brazil where it's hard to pass up a caipirinha, the country's national cocktail, a drink that goes really well with vacation and sunny weather.  On this past trip, my father-in-law would suggest "a sundowner" around 5pm most days. He'd take orders—cachaça or vodka, lime or passion fruit or pitanga—and then head to the kitchen where he'd plop fresh fruit into tall glasses and get started. Some sugar would go in next and then he'd muddle it with the fruit using a wooden pestle. So serious about his caipirinhas, he owns a machine called The Ice Crusher which he uses to crack cubes to perfection. He'd add a handful of crushed ice to each glass and then top them off with a hearty glug of cachaça or vodka. As you can see, Nico enjoyed the whole process a lot. For our first sundowner, he and Leo both kept sticking their hands into our glasses, trying to fish out pieces of ice and fruit. Since their Vovó makes strong caipirinhas, we decided to give them their very own virgin ones the rest of the trip. By adding water instead of alcohol, they were able to really join in on the happy hour fun, too. In fact, it was Nico who got happy hour going most nights after that, always asking "is it time for sunset yet?"

Some friends are coming to stay with us this weekend and if the weather stays warm, I think we'll have to plan a Brooklyn sundowner using some summer fruits like strawberries or plums. This blackberry caipirinha recipe also sounds good. If you feel like giving caipirinhas a try, but can't find cachaça, vodka works well. It makes the drink a bit more mild and you'll be able to really taste the fruit, too.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Unplugged

We left Rio on Sunday and after some time in a plane, car and finally, a boat, we arrived at Daniel's Dad's vacation home in Bahia. I didn't realize how badly we all needed this break from city life. Here, the hours just seem to float by and the biggest decisions of the day always involve food. The air is filled with the sounds of chirping birds, whose high-pitched conversations are so soothing when you're more accustomed to fire engines, noisy buses and honking horns. Even though the house has Wifi, it feels silly to spend much time on the internet here. There's a big, beautiful bay to swim in, cozy hammocks for swinging and snoozing, and so many plants, flowers, bugs, birds and even monkeys that at times it feels as if we've moved into a mini zoo. It's hard to disconnect these days, but in a place like this, I couldn't be happier to disappear for a little while.

Snapshots

The boys are napping, Daniel's at work, and his grandmother and uncle are out. I think this might be the first time in almost a month that I've been by myself. For once, I don't feel pulled in a million different directions by my demanding little boys or overwhelmed by all the to-do's that come along with moving six days before taking an international trip. You'd think I'd sit back and relish these precious moments by reading a book, sleeping or just sitting still, but instead, I feel like writing.

My mind has been spinning so much this trip with thoughts about Brazil, the US, being a Mom, friends, and family. Being in another country always seems to do this to me. Traveling makes me look at life through a different lens. I wish I had more time to write articulately about all the different thoughts that have come up, just like I wish I could somehow make my brain remember every moment I spend with Nico and Leo, both here, and when we're at home. The things we do, the funny, surprising and even profound things Nico says.

For now, here are some photos from our last few days that I snapped with my phone while we were out and about.

With kiosks selling agua de coco all along the beach in Rio, I'd think most parents here would leave their sippy cups at home and hand their child a coconut when they get thirsty. Apparently it's not the norm, since the day we walked home from Ipanema while Nico happily sipped one, so many people stopped and stared as if this was the cutest thing they'd ever seen.

Leo's our little charmer who has been blowing lots of kisses on this trip. He's also started throwing hissy fits, usually when I take my iPhone away from him.

This is what happened the other day on the beach, but then, this Brazilian beauty came to the rescue. Thankfully, she looked past his geeky get-up and handed him a shovel. Had I tried to do that, he would have chucked it, I'm sure, but she really wooed him.

Even though I've been sticking to one pieces lately, I'm still a big fan of Brazilian bikinis. Back in the day, I used to stock up on them. I even brought some home for my friends, praising their triangular bottoms that accentuate bums of all shapes and sizes. American ones tend to hug behinds in all the wrong places. But one thing I don't understand is that women here give themselves wedgies on the beach. For reals. I see it all the time and now understand that it's to show more skin, but still, I just. don't. get. it. The bikinis are sexy enough and this wedgie trick just seems to ruin the whole look. Leo seems to agree. Surprise, surprise: Daniel doesn't.

I've been lucky enough to always have Daniel, a native of Rio, show me around his city. I imagine there are so many things I might not have figured out on my own. Take lanchonetes, small food stands that spill onto the streets all over Rio. Many have these cheesy signs that illustrate menu items that probably turn lots of tourists off. I've been going to them since my first time in Rio and now know the best things to order, such as sandwiches with cheese, banana and cinnamon, or freshly squeezed juices that use exotic fruits like acerola and pitanga.

Nico loves his agua de coco, but he's really into all the fresh juices. Double sipping, too.

When you live in a city that has a big, beautiful beach, I imagine there isn't much need for playgrounds since the two we've found were both deserted. It made me think of our lives in Brooklyn and how much time we spend at different playgrounds and how they're all so elaborate compared to the simple, old-fashioned ones in Rio. I can't think of the last time I was on a seesaw, but we've been playing on them a lot here. 

Today we stumbled upon Colher de Pau, a Brazilian bakery in Leblon that's been around for 37 years and sells classic Brazilian cakes. It wasn't even 10am, but Nico convinced us to get him a brigadeiro, a Brazilian treat made with condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder. While he ate it, Daniel complained that Nico's not eating well on this trip, to wish Nico replied: Papai, I only like to eat pasta, fruit and doces (the Portuguese word for sweets).

Being four blocks from the beach has been pretty awesome, but I could use some lessons in how to properly clean off two kids before bringing them back to their 84-year old great-grandmother's apartment. Luckily, she's a laid-back lady and has yet to flinch at any of the messes we've made. I practically burned down her kitchen the other morning making some toast. Huge flames were coming out of her toaster, so I panicked, screamed for Daniel and he put out what could have turned into a huge fire. When Dagmar woke up, her whole kitchen still smelled like smoke and she simply laughed and said she'd been meaning to throw out that crazy toaster. My grandmother would have fuh-reeeaked. Anyway, instead of hitting the beach this morning, Nico, Leo and I got some agua de cocos and planted ourselves at a kiosk with a new play doh set. When we went home for lunch, we didn't bring a grain of sand with us. The plan is to go back this afternoon to play in the sand and water. That way, I won't have to give them a bath twice today.

OK, naptime's over. Tchau, for now!

Pão de Açúcar and Urca

After two days of rain, we're back to blue skies here in Rio. It's winter in Brazil and today's weather reminded me of September in New York. Warm and sunny but with a nice breeze that sometimes called for long sleeves. Basically, the exact opposite of the oppressive heat back home.

Despite the few days of dreary weather, we've been keeping busy. Last night we had a delicious dinner at our friend Gisela's apartment. She and Daniel grew up together and it was adorable to see Nico and Leo play with her son Leon. I can already imagine myself telling Leon years from now how he sang me Beatles songs while staring at his reflection in the television a few weeks before his 5th birthday. Nico and Leo went to bed late and we crossed our fingers that this would somehow cause them to sleep in, but no such luck. By 6:15am, they were wide awake and ready to start the day.

We decided to be true tourists and visit Pão de Açúcar, knowing Nico would love the cable cars you need to take to get there.

He did, but it was a bit of an adventure at times with all of our gear and more than once, Daniel and I felt like the Grizwalds. Life is exhausting enough with two kids when you're in your own home, on your own schedule, but plop an entire family in another country and there will be some bumps along the way. And when your kids are 3 and under, I'm talking about both figurative and literal bumps. Nico bumped his forehead within seconds of getting out of the car at Pão de Açúcar and a few days ago, he crashed into a table head first while dancing in a restaurant.

Luckily, the lines at Pão de Açúcar weren't too bad and soon enough, we were sailing through the air, hopping from mountain to mountain and gazing at the stunning views of Rio.

After Pão de Açúcar, we planned to stroll through Urca, a beautiful neighborhood with pretty houses along the water. We were sure both boys would fall asleep in the stroller and I wanted to eat at Garota da Urca, the restaurant where I learned to love steak on my first trip to Rio. Nico fell asleep right away, but Leo, our little rascal with an enormous appetite, made sure to stay awake. 

We parked the stroller next to our table and while Nico slept, we stuffed ourselves with steak, collard greens with bacon, farofa, rice and beans. Most of the high chairs in Brazil don't have seatbelts which kind of defeat the purpose when you have a squirmy 13-month old, so Leo was on each of our laps most of the lunch, taking bites of anything and everything that came his way. A woman even stopped by our table to say how impressed she was to see a child eating collard greens. When it comes to food, Nico's the opposite of Leo. When he woke up, he dove into a plate of plain pasta topped with a mountain of cheese and wouldn't go near anything else on the table.

Afterward, while Leo slept, we looked at the boats in the harbor, ran around in any open space we could find, saw a Volkswagen commerical being filmed, and discovered a playground that had a view of the water. Even the statue of Christ on Corcovado Mountain was looming in the distance. On the way home, Nico said: "I have a question about Christ...Does he eat people?" I think he's a little weirded out that we keep seeing the statue wherever we go.

Daniel has to work for the next three days, so starting tomorrow, I'm on my own with the boys. I don't have anything specific planned yet, but the weather's supposed to be good, so for now, it looks like the beach is my best bet.

Rio's Botanical Garden

I'd forgotten just how beautiful Rio's Jardim Botânico is with its majestic paths, waterfalls, tropical flowers, tall, skinny trees and plump, enormous ones, plus a nice view of Corcovado Mountain and Christ the Redeemer. The last time I'd been was in 2000 when I spent six months in Rio. My friend Mona came to visit during that time and on a trip to the gardens, she and I posed for a photo next to a sculpture inspired by Matisse's painting, La Danse. It's a photo that always brings back fond memories and reminds me of those first few months I spent in Brazil. Mona came for a week and ended up spending a month with me and Daniel. The stories about all the fun we had have been told countless times and never seem to get old.

I'm almost positive that the sculpture wasn't surrounded by ropes and right next to a security guard 11 years ago like it is now. I really wanted to take a similar photo with Nico, but was too chicken to blatantly break the rules with him. So, the goofy picture above is all we could get. It still makes me smile. He'd fallen asleep right around the time we arrived and was so excited to wake up in a such a beautiful place with so much to explore. I'm sure we'll go back again this trip and on all future ones. It'd be fun to take a photo with these dancing ladies each time and turn it into a family tradition. (You can't see in the photos, but I was devoured by mosquitoes in the gardens and now have 12 of the itchiest bites ever covering my legs. Fantastic! I already stand out on the beach with my one piece bathing suit and sunblock-streaked face and now this. Sigh.)

Brazil is different than Brooklyn

That's what Nico said to me yesterday while we were walking to the beach here in Rio. It's so cool to see a city that I've been visiting for the past 11 years through my child's eyes. The last time we were here, Nico was only 8 months old and as exciting as it was to bring him to Brazil for the first time, this trip feels so much more poignant. He loves adventures and on our way to the airport on Tuesday night, he couldn't contain his excitement. 

Our flight had been delayed until 11:30pm and even though we left right around his bedtime, he didn't seem the slightest bit tired. He knew this was a very special occasion, or "vacasion" as he likes to call it, a cross between a vacation and an occasion. Daniel only speaks to him in Portuguese and when Nico first started talking, he would always respond in Portuguese. Once his English surpassed his Portuguese, he stopped. As we were driving to the airport, he told me he was going to speak Portuguese in Brazil and he started practicing on his own: "Backpack...mochila! Sugar...açúcar! Dog..cachorro!" It was truly the sweetest thing and of course melted Daniel's heart. Anytime he hears his son speak his native language, it strikes a chord.

We've been settling in and figuring out the best ways to navigate Rio with two kids. We introduced Nico and Leo to agua de coco on our first night here and they both loved it. After he'd finished, Nico exlaimed "I can't believe we just drank water from a coconut!" Traveling with children can be tiring, but to watch them discover an entirely new place is so worth it.

Daniel's grandmother lives just a few blocks from the beach and we've started most of our mornings there after breakfast at Rio Lisboa, one of our favorite padarias. I'd heard about Baixo Bebê, a beachside playground, before I became a parent, and it's funny to finally spend some time there. Right next to Baixo Bebê is Baixo Vovô, a place where grandpas come to play volleyball together in their speedos. Only in Rio. I love it.

All Packed Up

I didn't plan to disappear for a few weeks, but moving out of your apartment just days before you're about to take an international trip? I wouldn't recommend it. Long story short, we survived and as anxious as we are to get settled in our new place, we all can't wait to step away from the boxes and really relax.

We leave for Brazil tomorrow and I'm hoping to write a bit while I'm there. I'm not making any official promises, and maybe it'll just be a few quick posts with photos of my favorite things in Rio, such as the sunset on Ipanema that's so beautiful, people can't help but clap. And then there's Bahia, where we'll stay in our bathing suits all day and drink from coconuts. Speaking of bathing suits, I've packed a bunch of swim trunks and those SPF surfer shirts for Nico and Leo, but something tells me they'll be in speedos for most of this trip. When in Rome, right?

When we're back, I'll tell you how I found the perfect color for my kitchen cabinets and some of the other ideas I have for our new place.

Tchau, for now!