"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

A Weekend Away

     Some people go to Europe or Hawaii for vacation. B and I stay closer to home. We poked around southeastern Pennsylvania for the weekend, where the snow was fast receding and the mud was a gathering force.

     The sun was out as we drove through the countryside. We stopped for a walk along the river, where as you can see I cast a big shadow on the concrete path. We walked along the Schuylkill, north of Philadelphia. There's a little dam on the river. Above the dam the river was still frozen; below, the water bubbled and gurgled and ran free.


     We stopped at several towns west of Philadelphia, where we ducked into a few shops, sampled several restaurant menus; and ... well, here's a tip I learned from B. If you need a restroom, hit the local library, because you're always welcome there. While I waited for her, I noticed the library had a rain barrel outside. But . . . can you see what's wrong here?


      We found a restaurant offering an eight-course Tapas dinner. We sat down and the waiter brought us a plate of tuna; then a plate of cheeses; and then a salad. After that came a pasta dish, a delectable concoction with dates and bacon and mascarpone cheese. We lost count of the courses; and just when we couldn't possibly eat anymore, the waiter appeared with two big hunks of pork loin. We sighed, we laughed; we couldn't even look at them.

     
     We spent Saturday in the little town of Media, Pa., which offers a trolley that runs to and from Philadelphia. We didn't go to Philadelphia, just walked around town, explored a few shops and, yes, patronized another restaurant. In the evening we went to a dance studio for a Salsa lesson and a night of Latin dancing.

     B and I have been been taking dancing lessons for several years now. B wanted to learn, and she dragged me into it. We're not that good, but I was surprised to find that I enjoy it. Now we take a series of lessons two or three times a year, and we go dancing once or twice a month. And it gives us something to do on vacation besides the usual tourist things. We have fun; we meet people . . . and we work off a few of those extra calories.


     Of course, none of our overindulgence at the dinner table produced any restraint when we went down to breakfast at the rather elaborate B&B where we stayed. Why should it? We weren't gone from home for long; but we were on vacation.


9 comments:

DJan said...

It sounds like it was a wonderful change of scenery, and lots of good food. Dancing together sounds like just the best kind of shared exercise. :-)

Olga said...

A lovely weekend. I love exploring in my own backyard.

Rosaria Williams said...


Thanks for taking us along...

Douglas said...

Nothing beats a drive in the country, especially Pennsylvania country.

Meryl Baer said...

A great getaway. The Main Line Philly towns - Media included - are wonderful for browsing and window shopping, as well as dining!

Anonymous said...

That poor pig. He gave his life to produce pork loin you couldn't eat. Yes the rain barrel has come lose from the drain pipe. I hope you told the librarian.

stephen Hayes said...

I'd need to be dead to turn down pork loin.

Anonymous said...

David and I used to ballroom dance -- for 10 years, in fact. Now I dance the hula -- alone -- mainly because I get to dance barefoot and I don't have to squeeze my feet into uncomfortable high heels.

Kirk said...

Does it count as a "vacation" when you're retired? :-)