May December: July 2010

Jen Lancaster's 'My Fair Lazy' book signing

A little while back I went to Jen Lancaster's book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square.

If Jen's coming to a town near you in the future, go see her. Her signings, just like Jen, are fun and relaxed. They play 80s music beforehand, she reads an excerpt from the book, and then she answers audience member's questions before signing every single person's book(s). I met many madras-clad ladies in the audience before and after the signing -- it was like a preppy cocktail party with JENtertainment.

Jen's newest book, My Fair Lazy, tells the tale of her 'JENaissance' - a quest for cultural enlightenment. Jen learns about theatre, Jen tries new and exotic foods, Jen travels to swanky destinations like the Hamptons -- and Jen recounting these moments makes you laugh out loud over and over and over again.

My Fair Lazy:

There's a tiny little section on yours truly in this book. (How cool, right?)

Jen and I met up for an Upper East Side afternoon of lunching, museum-going, and Monty visiting last year. I'm happy to report that she's even more awesome in person than I'd imagined. Her post-game analysis of this naked performance art thing she'd just seen had me laughing so hard that I nearly choked on my frisée salad. Also, she's as obsessed with Purell as I am. And the dog *loved* her. Basically, she rocks.

Jen and M. at our apartment last year:

Monty was all about that pink sweater set and the pearls.

Jen's inscription on my copy of My Fair Lazy:

Let me tell you, the dog was psyched.

All smiles at the recent signing with my fellow pastel-loving, preppy buddy:

You'll have to read the book for the rest of the details on our afternoon together and to hear about all of Jen's other adventures in the wild and crazy world of art and culture. It's an enjoyable read by a warm and witty author, so I highly recommend it.

Jen Lancaster - My Fair Lazy.

Monty Monday - Cute Collar

Monty got a new, stylish collar recently. Since the collar is his only accessory, we had to make sure it's extra sharp-looking.

Tan leather with little gold fawns, imported from Germany:

Monty looks a bit like those baby deer, no?

Regal profile:

The collar is thicker/slightly padded in the back and thinner in the front, perfect for sighthounds and their delicate necks.

My favorite view of the dog and his 'dog tags':

Sighthound Collars from Tierisch Exclusiv.

Berlin - Highlights, Part II

Checkpoint Charlie, the border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War:

An original, preserved section of the Berlin Wall on Niederkirchnerstrasse:

The powerful and moving Holocaust Memorial:

We also visited the Topography of Terror, a memorial/exhibit built on the grounds of the former SS headquarters. It's a very, very intense and sad exhibition - I cried during my visit - but I'm glad I saw it. It was an honest look at part of Berlin's difficult history.

Potsdamer Platz is the Times Square of Berlin. It has huge office buildings, flashing lights and billboards, tourists galore, and non-stop action. The enormous glass cupola of the Sony Center covers part the Platz:

By contrast, ten minutes away in the Mitte neighborhood we found this hidden, green courtyard:

An Interesting Philadelphia cream cheese flavor spotted at a local market - Radish and Herbal. Yum?:

A marzipan currywurst in KaDeWe:

Currywurst is the street food of choice in Berlin. It's a cut up pork sausage topped with curry powder and a lot of seasoned ketchup. I tried one - it was fine, but I prefer the hot dogs at Yankee Stadium.

KaDeWe is a massive department store. The clothing/cosmetics floors are just like Bloomingdales or many other US stores, but the top floor of the shop is where you want to be - it's one huge food market. They've got country fresh eggs, every cheese imaginable, rows and rows of cured meats, chocolates, sweets, fruit, etc. That top floor is a must visit if you're in town.

All smiles posing with one of the temporary sculpture pieces outside the Neue Nationalgalerie:

This part of the Neue is housed in a sleek glass Mies van der Rohe building. I'm a big fan of his furniture (especially his Barcelona Chair), so seeing his architecture and design up close was a treat.

At the Mandala's serene spa after a long day of sightseeing:

Potsdam next...

Berlin - Highlights, Part I

This was my first visit to Berlin. I'd heard so many positive things about the city in recent years -- that it had an edgy art scene, an active nightlife, scores of stylish inhabitants -- and it was all true.

Berlin is wonderful to visit as a tourist. It's huge, but easy to navigate and almost everyone speaks English. There are museums galore... contemporary, classic, sculpture, conceptual art - you name it, they've got it. The people are friendly and nice and the Rieslings and Spatburgunders are delicious. For such a massive city, it's got a very relaxed vibe. I give it two thumbs up.

Here are a few highlights from my visit....

The Brandenburg Gate:

It's just as majestic in person as it looks in the picture.

The Reichstag, the German Parliamentary building:

It looks all grand and stately now, but I loved it when Christo and Jean-Claude wrapped it in fabric 15 years ago.

We took a touristy boat ride down the River Spree one morning. It's an hour of slow cruising with a pre-recorded commentary - it's not super exciting, but it's worth doing. It gives you a better feel for/perspective of the city's sprawl and its varied architecture.

I took these photos from the boat --

The Neo-Renaissance Berlin Cathedral: