Little Pixie Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Thank you so much for the NY info, Charles. I`ve printed it off and shall stick it with my read-book-list-book ( the book I keep a record of all books read ) ; that`ll be hugely useful, `cos I was just thinking eh? again recently whilst reading a NY-set book. Also, I`ll be able to see where all the bodega cats live. ( Shame, there only seem to be a few on that site ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 Little Pixie, on 23 Feb 2014 - 10:45 AM, said: Thank you so much for the NY info, Charles. I`ve printed it off and shall stick it with my read-book-list-book ( the book I keep a record of all books read ) ; that`ll be hugely useful, `cos I was just thinking eh? again recently whilst reading a NY-set book. Also, I`ll be able to see where all the bodega cats live. ( Shame, there only seem to be a few on that site ). Hi Little Pixie, Wow! A practical application in finding where the bodega cats live? Yay! I hope my rather coarse grained description helps a little. Otherwise, an online map should pinpoint things. Nothing is secret anymore . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Oh, Sarah, I love, love, love the bodega cat link! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Oh, Sarah, I love, love, love the bodega cat link! Thanks! This one`s equally lovely - Shopcat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 This one`s equally lovely - Shopcat. Oh, that's precious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtrpath27 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) Kate You're right, that place you showed above looks so pretty . I'm sure there are nice places down there to go, but certainly believe you that there are also some that you wouldn't want to go to . It'd be dangerous down there for a yokel like me .. I tend to trust people a lot and wouldn't know if I was in a bad area or not . The Mardi-Gras thing looks like it's not for my age group ,so I'd probably pass on that . Actually, if you stay out of the Quarter where all the tourists are and avoid some of the nighttime Uptown parades, it's actually quite a family event these days. There are probably 40 parades around the greater New Orleans in the month or so leading up to Mardi Gras. If you want to get a good idea of the season without all the drunk college students, try some of the Metairie parades. They're a lot of fun, not dangerously crowded, and there are kids and families everywhere. A lot less people also equals catching a lot more of what they're throwing. My daughter wound up with around 1,000 throws this season. The whole thing is very unique to New Orleans and is a great thing to see once in your life. I have to agree, though, New York is a city like no other in the States. The energy is palpable at all hours of the day and night. Love, love, love it. Tokyo is like that; so exciting! Edited March 12, 2014 by dtrpath27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Dtr It sounds like you have gotten to do lots of traveling. That's very lucky ! Can I ask what state you are from ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) Actually, if you stay out of the Quarter where all the tourists are and avoid some of the nighttime Uptown parades, it's actually quite a family event these days. There are probably 40 parades around the greater New Orleans in the month or so leading up to Mardi Gras. If you want to get a good idea of the season without all the drunk college students, try some of the Metairie parades. They're a lot of fun, not dangerously crowded, and there are kids and families everywhere. A lot less people also equals catching a lot more of what they're throwing. My daughter wound up with around 1,000 throws this season. The whole thing is very unique to New Orleans and is a great thing to see once in your life. I have to agree, though, New York is a city like no other in the States. The energy is palpable at all hours of the day and night. Love, love, love it. Tokyo is like that; so exciting! I'd say stay away from Bourbon Street, it's tacky and squalid, IMO. However the French Quarter is a lot more than Bourbon Street. There is a lovely residential section, and Royal Street is a mecca of Antique stores, jewelry and clothing stores and just beautiful architecture. That's not counting Decatur Street, N. Peters St, Chartres, and the second hand book stores down there are some of the best in the City. St. Louis Cathedral, The Café du Monde...for the best coffee in the world. The historicity of the place is fantastic, and the French Quarter is the beginning of it all. Edited March 12, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtrpath27 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Julie, I've lived in several different places both in the States and Japan, and also got to travel a fair amount in my twenties and early thirties. I'm really a city girl at heart, though. Unfortunately, my dearest is a born and bred country boy, so we compromise by living in the suburbs. Pontalba, I didn't mean to seem contradictory. I agree, the French Quarter is so much more than Bourbon Street. Such great shops and restaurants to be found! I just meant that the image that most people have of the whole city during Mardi Gras is that of one giant Girls Gone Wild video, and that if you get out of the heavy tourist areas during that time that you'll see a really different side of things. It's an amazing place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Julie, I've lived in several different places both in the States and Japan, and also got to travel a fair amount in my twenties and early thirties. I'm really a city girl at heart, though. Unfortunately, my dearest is a born and bred country boy, so we compromise by living in the suburbs. Pontalba, I didn't mean to seem contradictory. I agree, the French Quarter is so much more than Bourbon Street. Such great shops and restaurants to be found! I just meant that the image that most people have of the whole city during Mardi Gras is that of one giant Girls Gone Wild video, and that if you get out of the heavy tourist areas during that time that you'll see a really different side of things. It's an amazing place! I'm glad to hear that it's calmed down in Metairie, not that I'd ever heard it was as wild as the French Quarter. I stopped going when I was a teenager. The last parade I deliberately went to see was the Comus in 1966. I've seen a lot of talk about Harry Lee's daughter, I believe she is a Council Woman now...organizing a clean up of Fat City. I'm also happy to hear about that! Parts of it had really gone downhill. Of course, I've only driven through when coming out of Lakeside, so I don't know the whole story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 In between parades we get some reading done. That's just a segue into some TBR talk. Somewhere along the line, my Decades Challenge slowed down -- again. But I did make some progress earlier. I've been plodding through If On A Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino. For the second time! To brush up for discussion elsewhere. Pontalba thinks I'm crazy. The first time it was enjoyable enough, as I skimmed over the deliberately scattered and jumpy multiple stories. This time I decided to try to get to the root of the narrative architecture, keep track of details, and find out what Calvino was driving at in writing it. So far I haven't collected the Golden Bowl of Understanding, not having finished it yet, but my hopes are waning. Anyway, it goes on the TBR and soon-to-be-finished list. And two others have also moved from Pontalba's stack to my stack: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and The Sound and the Fury. For some reason, I am only creeping along this year, but they'll get done. And that's it for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) And.......don't forget The Unvanquished. And, A Pillar of Iron. Just sayin'................. /innocent whistling goin' on.../ Edited March 24, 2014 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 pontalba, on 24 Mar 2014 - 5:07 PM, said: And.......don't forget The Unvanquished. And, A Pillar of Iron. Just sayin'................. /innocent whistling goin' on.../ Oh, mah pontalba , , , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Paul, on 24 Mar 2014 - 5:12 PM, said:Oh, mah pontalba , , , And.......don't forget The Unvanquished. And, A Pillar of Iron. Just sayin'................. /innocent whistling goin' on.../ Finally encountered a couple of interesting chapters in Winter's Night (chapters 7 and 8) It's about time! I'm on the downhill slope now and should have it done soon, for my single solitary book read in March Shall definitely, and I say definitely, get around to Pillar of Iron this year and your man Cicero. Don't know a thing about him so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Awww . I hope you'll be able to read more soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 ...And I had a colleague who had read all of his novels and read no other author. When he was finished with the last novel, he just started rereading with the first one all over again.(!) ... Gotta love that dedication I'd say stay away from Bourbon Street, it's tacky and squalid, IMO. However the French Quarter is a lot more than Bourbon Street. When I read that line, this song 'Bourbon Street' started playing in my head. It's a song the Finnish band Hurriganes has recorded. I was going to include a link, but then I thought, surely it must be only a cover song... It's mostly like by some American band originally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Gotta love that dedication When I read that line, this song 'Bourbon Street' started playing in my head. It's a song the Finnish band Hurriganes has recorded. I was going to include a link, but then I thought, surely it must be only a cover song... It's mostly like by some American band originally? I have no clue. I'm so far out of the music stream, it isn't even funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) Athena, maybe I'm breaking through. 85 pages and 3 days to go. Should be able to do that and put one marker up for March. Thanks for the encouragement Frankie, I'm going to give Henry James another try sometime, even though Washington Square left me a little cool. But his whole series? Not yet, that will have to wait for Faulkner first, if I even do all of his. Finnish band ? Hurricanes? Not a foggiest, but definitely interesting because my mother was from Helsinki. Edited March 28, 2014 by Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 (edited) Finally finished If On a Winter's NIght a Traveler. It took all of March and was a slog all the way. Thanks Athena for the encouragement.. Edited April 1, 2014 by Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 I'm sorry to hear you didn't get along better with Calvino, Paul. If On a Winter's Night... is one of my favourite books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Finally finished If On a Winter's NIght a Traveler. It took all of March and was a slog all the way. x Well done for finishing it! It's a shame it was a slog . I hope your next read will be better . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 (edited) Kylie, on 01 Apr 2014 - 01:44 AM, said:Kylie, on 01 Apr 2014 - 01:44 AM, said:I'm sorry to hear you didn't get along better with Calvino, Paul. If On a Winter's Night... is one of my favourite books. Athena, on 01 Apr 2014 - 04:01 AM, said: x Well done for finishing it! It's a shame it was a slog . I hope your next read will be better . My sincerest apologies, Kylie and Athena, for being such a wet blanket on this one. It is apparently a great favorite everywhere I look. On another forum, it is the subject of overwhelming gushing praise, so I am clearly the one who is out of step. That being the case, the less said by me the better. Nobody enjoys a grouch. I'll try to pick a better one next time. Edited April 1, 2014 by Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Frankie, I'm going to give Henry James another try sometime, even though Washington Square left me a little cool. But his whole series? Not yet, that will have to wait for Faulkner first, if I even do all of his. Finnish band ? Hurricanes? Not a foggiest, but definitely interesting because my mother was from Helsinki. Here's Bourbon Street by Hurriganes Your Mom was from Helsinki? Wow Have you ever been to your Finnish roots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I have no clue. I'm so far out of the music stream, it isn't even funny. I am beyond tickled by that remark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Your Mom was from Helsinki? Wow Have you ever been to your Finnish roots? Yes. No. Yes, my mother was born in Helsinki,but emigrated to the US as an infant with her mother circa 1908. I can't imagine a north Atlantic crossing with an infant in those days, yet many did it in droves. No, I've never been to any part of Europe -- American through and through -- but maybe some day it will happen. Chances not great, but never say never. And definitely Finland when it happens. Thanks for asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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