Celebrating the Horse - Chinese Lunar New Year 2014

Horses of a Different Color - Atlantic City, New York, France, and Chicago

Road Trip - Lancaster, PA

Having lived in New York for the last decade or so, one would certainly label me a city girl. I am the first to admit that I love the country life too. When a family member made the decision to look into some property in Lancaster over the course of several weekends, I jumped at the chance to make a road trip or two. Lancaster is pronounced with the heavy accent on the "Lan" followed by "kisster" as it would be in England. Similarly, the symbol for the region (and seen all over) is a red rose opposite the white rose symbol for the York family in the Wars of the Roses commencing in 1455.

The area is also known as "Amish Country" and you can regularly share the road and parking lots with horse buggies (like the one above) and dining rooms and grocery aisles with Amish and Mennonite farmers. It's a fascinating unique cultural mix for this New Yorker who lives admidst a whirl of every other possible language and ethnic heritage that makes the big city what it is.

Lancaster's Central Market

I loved driving through the spectacularly open spaces and seeing the sun set behind the laundry lines and silos. I also loaded up on hard-to-find penny candy treats, locally pickled beans and vegetables, and other bulk supplies at Yoder's grocery store. Lancaster offered me the unique mix of fresh air and shopping while sorting through the thrifty treasures of the area's many "Re-Uzit" shops. The hundreds of quilt designs were my favorite (separate post coming soon). 

I'm already looking forward to more exploration on my next visit!

Princes and Nachos - Polo on Governors Island

....and bubbly and stilettos. Last Sunday, Governors Island played host to a polo match, the sport of kings and nobility, featuring opposing teams, Black Watch and Black Rock. The teams were playing for the benefit of an HIV charity associated with England's Prince Harry. Without a doubt, Prince Harry and Nacho were easily the biggest draw today.

Prince Harry (No. 1 in the white jersey, left)

And I'm not talking about the kind of crunchy nachos dripping with cheese that you get at the movie theater, but Nacho Figueras, handsome model and Argentinian captain of winning team, Black Rock.

Photography cannot possibly convey the temperature on the blazing field. It was "Africa hot" during Sunday's polo match on Governors Island; rivaled only by the heat felt while meandering and haggling in the bazaars of Morocco. Under a golden umbrella, I shared a bottle of Veuve with Mimi and Jmzs. The champagne was a tasty and refreshing treat in today's "dog day". Even the horses were getting replaced every 10-15 minutes, but as a spectator, I thought I might nearly burst into flames.

Nacho in action on the field and with the crowds (above and below).

The fabulous fashions at the match consisted of bright and colorful airy summer dresses, big hats, parasols, and sandals or ultra-high heels. During the half, the announcer invited the stilletto-clad crowd to come out onto the grounds for the "divot stomp" to help replace the divots uprooted during the game. "Stay away from the steamy ones!" he warned.

The half-time divot stomp.

Looking as if he were born on a horse, my initial thought was that Prince Harry might be little more than a show pony, but after his infamous fall off of his horse early in the match, he actually scored a point or two. I was a little disappointed that he didn't acknowledge us peasants though. The youngest girls were here squealing with delight every time Prince Harry's horse roamed in the general vicinity.

Meanwhile, the women "of a certain age" swooned readily admitting that they were here to get a glimpse of Nacho. With a swing of his mallet, he got the crowd riled up on several occasions. The final score was 6/5 and the match went into overtime- not that anyone was really paying attention to anything besides the likes of the two most popular players. During half time, Mr. Figueras also took photos with the crowd making himself and the sport simultaneously accessible.

 

More of the ladies' fashions that were out and about at the match.

Decadent garbage.

Stay tuned for more summer fun on Governors Island with the Jazz Age Lawn Party.

It will surely be Gatsby at its best!