u s e y o u r h a n d s

Just got back from a vacation with Gus (and Brian) that seemed both whirlwind and eternal. Three days hauling a toddler around, alone, in a city with no elevators? The prospect seemed daunting. But it was fantastic and now we want to move to Brooklyn.

Day One

- Chat with people on the Q33 bus from LGA to Queens about high-end digital cameras
- Hop on the F Train for a 20-minute subway ride to our hotel in Midtown
- Collapse, exhausted, while Gus whirls around our room at the Omni Berkshire
- We pull it together for a 10-block trek to the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle for some take-out and a week’s supply of hemp milk for Gus
- Elbows fly as we fight through the crowd of pedicab drivers in Central Park in search of a patch of grass
- We head back from the hotel, Brian dresses for cocktail hour, and Gus decides not to sleep
- I have to walk him for an hour, making an ill-considered decision to walk through Times Square in the evening, during a large promotional rally
- Brian comes back and I go to the gym for a run, as I’m training for a 10K

Day Two

- We wake up bright and early (thanks, Gus), get dressed and hit the road. Brian goes down to his conference.
- Gus and I walk south thirty blocks (mostly down Park Avenue) to Madison Square Park, which seems to be a magnet for toddlers, little kids, SAHMs and nannies.
- Gus plays so hard that he craps out before the children’s performers begin playing
- I hit the sidewalk again, toodling through Union Square, where I fill up our water bottles courtesy of a clean fountain and Water NYC volunteers
- I also check out The Strand, and come across a cookbook for Babycakes NYC, a bakery that makes vegan and gluten-free cupcakes
- On my way to this bakery (another twenty blocks or so), I stop at the Bowery Whole Foods for lunch for Gus and myself
- We take an after-lunch spin through Sara Roosevelt Park, where Gus has the tot lot all to himself. He tears it up.
- I see a homeless dude pooping into a subway grate!
- A spin through Chinatown and into NoLiTa delivers us at Babycakes NYC, where I purchase four cupcakes, which instantly begin to melt, and forget my hat and wallet inside. I remember 10 steps out the door.
- I hop on the subway and begin the most uncomfortable subway ride ever, with Gus in my moby wrap intentionally smacking into my face, him trying to get into the cupcakes, and me balancing the stroller
- I collapse back at the hotel while Brian, on afternoon conference break, changes Gus
- After a several-hour respite, Gus and I get ready to hit the road again for the MoMA’s late evening. He screams his way through, like, six flights of art. I’m mortified and over it.
- Since we’re nearby, we go back to the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle for a jumble of Gus food.
- On my way home, I discover that, at least where I am, grocery stores sell beer, but not wine and I NEED WINE.

Day Three

- Gus and I head to our primary destination of the day, The High LIne, in Chelsea. It’s totally incredible, and I find my first and only geocache of the trip.
- We toodle through Chelsea Market, which reminds me of a very small version of the Ferry Building in San Francisco.
- Gus and I have lunch at ’snice in Chelsea. My panini rocked.
- Gus plays for about 45 minutes at Bleecker Playground, where I keep trying to divert his attention from the spray feature since I forgot his swim diaper and shirt.
- We hop on the subway (in between raindrops) and get out in SoHo near City Hall. I’m dying for coffee, and Gus chooses to throw his cup out of the stroller and I can’t find it.
- We take in some cool, neon-colored sculpture at City Hall park on our way to the Brooklyn Bridge
- I’m perfectly blissful during our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Good podcasts, sleeping baby, light sprinkles and breeze, fantastic views
- We check in at our hotel just over the bridge, the Brooklyn Marriott
- After a couple hours of rest, during which Brian joins us with our luggage, we’re all ready to head out again
- We take the subway to Greenpoint, Brooklyn for some street-art spotting and beer fresh from Brooklyn Brewery. we also pick up a fantastic kids hat at Area Kids. Dinner comes from WIld Ginger and we eat it in a nearby park under threat of thunderstorm. The rain hits when we get off the subway.

Day Four

- Brooklyn Bridge Park’s tot lot is our destination. Gus has a great time on the toddler equipment while we eavesdrop on the conversations of area parents.
- Bagels (with tofu cream cheese!) and coffee are consumed at Fulton Park, to the east of Brooklyn Bridge Park, near the base of the Manhattan Bridge
- Instead of heading straight back to the hotel, we weave through the rest of DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights.
- As it’s going to be 1000 degrees today, we decide to spend a few hours inside.
- Park Slope is our next destination. On the ride there, our subway car goes elevated and we get aerial views of Brooklyn
- We really love Park Slope. We want to move here. Good coffee, nice people, and great craft beer and food at Bierkraft. We look at real estate listings.
- On the way back to the hotel, we stop off at a Brooklyn Heights falafel place we’d seen earlier, plus grab some wine at a WINE STORE, having learned our lesson.
- Gus CANNOT go to sleep. It’s 10pm and I’m walking him through the hotel ballrooms as several dozen Air Malaysia flight attendants check in

Day Five

- We repeat the first part of yesterday, spending time at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Fulton Park, and getting bagels and coffee
- Gus runs around the hotel room for an hour or two while I pack and Brian runs out for back-up diapers
- We take the train to Queens and just miss the Q33. Ten minutes later, we’re on the bus again and it’s inching through weekend crowds. We turn a corner and run smack into some Columbian Day Parade
- WIth 45 minutes until our flight, we get to LaGuardia and find out that our flight has been delayed for an hour. After we get on the plane, we’re stuck on the tarmac for an hour and a half.
- Gus is pissed.
- We land, finally, and thus begins our train-to-bus trek home.

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I just returned from nine days in sunny, lovely Barcelona, Spain. I needed to attend a conference, but added a bit of time before and after the show to sight-see.

As a vegan, I was a bit concerned about being able to eat well in a country known for meat and Manchego. But Europe abounds with lovely produce and the Web produced a list of hippie, vegan-friendly haunts. That, combined with my six years of Spanish made the trip blissful.

Friday, 8th:

- I arrive in Frankfurt, where I get to poke around the airport for a few hours before my connecting flight to Barcelona. Employees ride their bikes around the airport! I purchase a $7 espresso.
- In the early evening, I get off the plane in Barcelona, get my bags and head to the Renfe train into the city. The Renfe ticket kiosk is down to the trip is gratis! Frabjous day!
- Within the hour, I’ve purchased my metro ticket for the weekend, hopped on the red line and checking into my first hotel, Apsis Antibes in L’Eixample.
- I go out in search of food. At Placa Urquinoana, I find Lactuca! Oh, Lactuca. This all-you-can-eat salad/soup/pizza place keeps me going during my trip. I eat here four times during my time at Barcelona. Mache, lentils, brown rice, yum.

Saturday, 9th:

- I get up early, eat some muesli that I picked up along my route to Lactuca last night.
- Then I head up to La Sagrada Familia before the crowds get truly insane. I pay extra for the audioguide and spend the next few hours in rapt wonder. Gaudi was an incredible talent.
- I head back to the Antibes, because I need to check out and check in to my next hotel, where I’ll be for the next week, the Confortel Auditori. It’s a few blocks closer to Placa Catalunya than the Antibes. And man, it is a huge step up. It’s a lovely business traveler’s hotel, with a free mini-bar stocked daily.
- After I check into the Confortel, I head out again, this time to Gaudi landmark, La Pedrera. I’m getting a little dizzy from lack of food, but tough it out.
- LA PEDRERA IS AMAZING! The rooftop is blindingly white and bright. The sun is warm. i’m thawing.
- I am woozy. Only a few blocks away is a delightfully hippie restaurant called Biocenter. I get a couple of plates of salad, an amazine stewed seitan with couscous entree, and a baked apple. I am restored!
- After lunch, I wander through La Boqueria off La Rambla. I spot a Faile stencil!
- I wander back to my hotel, stopping at El Corte Ingles. This massive department store in Placa Catalunya features a grocery in the basement. I buy soy milk, soy desserts, and clementines.
- I go back to my hotel where I watch German MTV. I get hooked on Kuschel Song by Schnuffel.
- I nap, I eat at Lactuca again. I go to bed.

Sunday, 10th:

- I wake up at like, one in the afternoon.
- Wandering through Barri Gotic’s teeny streets, I begin to spot sweet Spanish street art. Apparently, the scene here used to be hoppin’ and it’s falling victim to clean-up efforts. But I was still impressed.
- I go through Gaudi’s Casa Batllo. At some point, I’m reduced to tears thinking about what a genius he was and how he identified a path for himself and followed it.
- After being floord by Gaudi’s amazing sea-creature-themed Casa Batllo and its amazing trencadis, I walk over to the Barcelona Cathedral, which is under repair.
- I find a natural foods grocery, Veritas. There, I find spelt seitan, these amazing soy yogurt desserts in these little glasses that I wash out and keep, and more fruit.
- I’m starving! Just up the street on Carrer Carme is Maoz! This falafel chain is amazing. For 5 euro, you get a falafel and access to the fixings bar with olive pate, garbanzos, couscous, peppers and more. Yummy!
- I wander back to my hotel, eat a tasty soy dessert, and nap.
- At some point, I take a really long, pointless walk in search for food. Two hours later, I end up eating something, but at this point, I don’t remember what. Oh, yes. FrescCo. Another salad bar. Not as good as Lactuca.

Monday, 11th:

- The conference starts today, but my clients don’t get in until the afternoon. I enjoy the breakfast at the hotel (I eat a lot of bread, prunes, fresh fruit and TOTALLY AMAZING spanish coffee.)
- Then I realize I need to buy shoes. So I go to both Zara and Mango at Placa Catalunya and buy pairs using my Spanish.
- I also ramble through El Raval in search of street art. I find tons, including several pieces by SpaceInvader
- I meet up with my clients at the show, located at La Fira Montjuic
- Within half an hour, me feet, in my new shoes from Mango, are bleeding
- We all go out to dinner, I eat vegetables, go out for drinks, go to sleep

Tuesday, 12th:

- I wake up and eat breakfast in the hotel. Who doesn’t LOVE prunes!
- Then I take a stroll through Parc Ciutadella, near the hotel
- Spend a long day at the show and take tons of photos of booths
- Go out to dinner, order lots of things in Spanish. Go to sleep exhausted.

Wednesday, 13th:

- Head to the show at noon. Experience innovation!
- Go to dinner with clients at Sesamo, a vegan place in El Raval. Have AMAZING tempeh and seitan. Oh man. Eat more soy desserts.
- Go to sleep!

Thursday, 14th:

- Get up early, early. Eat last breakfast at hotel.
- Check in to my last hotel, the truly maddening Hotel Lleo near Placa Catalunya. Do not stay here.
- Head to Parc Guell in the north of the city. Ooo and ahh over Gaudi’s trencadis and catenary arches.
- Buy a few souvenirs in a shop, all in spanish!
- On way to get falafel, I walk right into a protest about school funding/privitization.
- Eat falafel. Enjoy falafel!
- Go to Veritas again and pick up some more soy desserts and clementines.
- Nap.
- Wake up, roam around by the university and modern art museum. Find a free leaflet about street art.
- Get some sorbet.
- Go back to hotel, do some work. Eventually fall asleep.

Friday, 15th:

- Head over to the Port Vell/Barceloneta area along the Mediterranean.
- Stop at a bakery, buy bread, drink some coffee.
- Walk along the surf. Collect shells.
- Head over to Casa Guell, which is closed for renovation.
- Grab some falafel before my tour of the Palau de la Musica Catalana
- Tour the Palau, which is amazing. A World Heritage site and Moderisme gem.
- Walk over to Petrixol, a street loaded with chocolate shops.
- Go back to hotel, only to realize maid left my room open for several hours. I am furious. Hotel management shrugs.
- Try to take back evil devil shoes that cut my feet up. Clearly “customer is always right” does not work in Spain. They don’t take the shoes back.
- Go take nap and cry.
- Arise and go to Udon, a noodle shop near the university.
- Plan trip to Montserrat
- Watch “Heroes” on my laptop

Saturday, 16th

- Get up early, drink coffee, buy bread
- Buy tickets to Montserrat, head to train station
- Take train to Montserrat. See a lot of little garden allotments and mountains!
- Get to Montserrat. Get horrible cramps! Walk around, cry, get back on train.
- Sleeeeep. Watch more Heroes.
- Enjoy last dinner at Lactuca, talk to some Irish people at dinner.
- Arrange for 5 a.m. cab.

Saturday, 17th:

- Pay $200 to get on an earlier flight because I’m sick. Fly to Frankfurt.
- Scavenge for food before getting on 10 hour flight back to Chicago.
- Get picked up at airport by Brian, who brings me vegan baked goods from Bleeding Heart Bakery.
- Realize I’ve lost five pounds.
- Pet cats.
- Sleeeeep.

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Was spent pedaling around Golden Gate Park and loading up on fancy vegan food. Then a hip lit cabbie zoomed us up and down the streets of Nob Hill. Oh, yeah, and listening to a drunk conventioner puke in a Sheraton parking lot. Thanks, Hotwire.com.

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