Neiel's Pasta Bolognese

2 tbsp olive oil

chopped peppers

chopped onion

chopped scallions

garlic cloves

chopped carrot

Saute

add beef

salt,pepper

oregano parsley

can of crushed tomatoes

water to keep saucy

sprinkle of red wine sherry

pasta

ENJOY!

"AS GOOD AS IT GETS"

Winter!

Snow...


Fire...



Oskie...

One down...

Congratulations to Danny for passing his first qualifying exam!!!!

Mexico Trip Report

Photos are up on my Picasa album, but just to add a bit more information, I've copied my hotel reviews on tripadvisor below. Everyone has asked me, so, would you go back? The answer is...yes, someday and depending. Ok, a bit cryptic, but it does really depend. I love traveling in Mexico, and this trip was no exception. I loved the architecture, the culture, and of course the food was outstanding. The trip was extremely affordable and beautiful and very easy. Similar hotels/restaurants in the US (beachfront views, freshly caught fish) would easily be double if not triple the price. The beaches were clean, with soft white sand and clear calm water. There wasn't much to do (at least without a car), but that was the point for us. Next time, I might rent a car so we could explore a bit more and I would choose hotels that are a bit more central. Highlights for me were fresh fish a la martin (sauteed garlic, onions, and jalapeno), whale watching, and reading on the beach. I'll let Danny add his 2 cents in a comment.

Trip Advisor Reviews:
Villa Olivia--Puerto Vallarta:

This was our first time traveling to PV. Our priorities for a hotel were ocean views, proximity to the beach/restaurants, and value. In terms of ocean views, Villa Olivia can't be beat. Close to the top of a hill, the views are spectacular. Our room had a balcony with a direct view, complete with hammock and patio chairs. Waking up every morning to that view was priceless. Coffee/tea was offered every morning. We were not aware that breakfast was an option. We did use the mini-fridge for drinks which was very useful. The hotel is under a bit of construction, so the pool wasn't really ready for use which was a bit disappointing. However, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful in terms of recommendations and advice. The room was recently updated and was very pleasant and comfortable.

In terms of location. The hotel is a few blocks up a steep street to the center of the Zona Romantica, which is quite a touristy area teeming with bars , restaurants (from my perspective, mainly overpriced, touristy, and not very authentic), and throngs of tourists. At night, we could hear the disco music from Blue Chairs well into the night. (Although the sound of the surf did cover it slightly). Personally, I preferred the malecon (beautiful sculptures, street vendors, great people watching, very lively) and the Zona Centro to the Zona Romantica and sometimes wished we were staying closer. (About a 15 minute walk) However, I don't believe there is beach access over there, and it might have been just as noisy.

From the Villa, the beach is down a long set of steep stairs. There are palapas and chairs that belong to the various hotels on the beach, but it seems ok if you want to sit at them and order drinks. We always appreciated coming home to the Villa, set apart from the clubs/etc, even though it was quite a walk.

Villa Corona del Mar--Rincon de los Guayabitos:

This was our first time traveling to Guayabitos and honestly I had a hard time finding information on accomodations. We were looking for a place with easy access to the beach and the town center, ocean views, a pool, and that wasn't teaming with kids/people (i.e. quiet). I chose Villa Corona based soley on TripAdvisor comments since I couldn't find anything else online. Honestly, Villa Corona was not really what I expected, and although we enjoyed our stay, I'm not sure we would return.

Reservations: I reserved our room via email with Sean and sent a 50% deposit via wire transfer. I was never contacted that the money was received, despite several emails and calls on my part. I finally called them the day before we were to arrive (I was worried they didn't exist!) and Sean answered and said our room was reserved. No mention of my emails/calls/etc. It was quite odd. But we were relieved. The Villa was quite hard to find (our cab driver from PV asked some tour operators in town and they had never heard of it) but we finally found it and were greated by the housekeeping staff who didn't seem to know we were arriving and weren't sure what room we were in. It all felt a little strange.

The Villa: Villa Corona del Mar is a huge beautiful villa literally across the road from the beach. Our room had a spectacular view of the ocean with a lovely balcony. As the Villa is situated on one of the far ends of the beach in a residential area, it was extremely quiet, and we enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of the surf and the birds. This was a highlight as the main beach area of Guayabitos is quite crowded and lively. The Villa has a nice pool with lounge chairs (rarely anyone using it), and a great tennis court which we enjoyed playing on (they do not provide racquets or balls so come prepared). Every morning they offered a buffet cold breakfast and a cooked meal (we had chilaquiles, huevos con papas, and omelettes). We were the only ones in the restaurant area every morning. You get a key to the front door for entry and exit. Honestly, the Villa felt a bit more like a conference center for large groups and seemed to cater to its guests as such.

Location: The Villa seems to be in a residential district in between Guayabitos and Penita. The walk to town on the road is at least 15 minutes (through mainly residential areas, no lights or activity)--via the beach it is a little less, but still a bit of a trek. This is a pro (quiet, secluded) and a con (coming home from dinner can be pitch black). A flashlight would have been nice! There is nothing nearby in terms of shopping (convenience store), eating (restaurant), etc. I was a bit surprised but it seems many tourists stay for extended periods and rent a car to drive to the different beach towns.

Overall I just think the Villa isn't as well suited to short term visitors, especially first timers and people without a car. We were quite disoriented and didn't feel like the staff went out of their way to assist. The little things (tennis balls, a flashlight, a map to the town, shampoo, beach towels, computer/internet for use) would have gone a long way toward making us feel more welcome. Although it's a great price for such a spectacular view, I expected a bit more for the price we paid.

Mom's Visit to DC, January 2010

After Museum meetings, Mom and Jer explored for good eating. A great dinner at Potenza revealed that the restaurant also had a bakery cafe open from 8:00 am-8:00 pm. So the next day we went back for Morning Coffee and found them making fresh, home-made pasta.

Cutting the pasta into tagliatelle

Spinach fettucine

Homemade gelato, highly decorated

Potenza makes their own pasta, bread, grissini, coffee, and etc. We had a long chat with the sous chef who is from Puglia, Italy and before D.C. worked in Paris. sweet guy with believable credentials. He told us about the multiple "components" of the dishes we had eaten the previous evening at the restaurant. For our Morning Coffee, we shared an omelette sandwich on delicious bread and took away a bag of Italian cookies-pastaccine which were divine and the best ever ciabbata roll!

Flower arrangement at the Willard Hotel

Ceiling panel at the Willard Hotel. The elaborate ceiling has insignia from all the States.

Bench in the Enid Haupt Smithsonian Gardens

Another bench in the same gardens--note the leaves motif.