Carole Terwilliger Meyers's Blog, page 115

Good Eats: Great N.Y. Noodletown, NYC

Locals, tourists, and police alike bump elbows in this unassuming and small dining room. Diners are moved in and out quickly and find themselves sharing any empty seats with incoming diners. The kitchen serves up a legendary bowl of wonton noodle soup featuring succulent dumplings filled with sweet whole shrimp and a topping of roast pork. Spicy yellow Singapore chow fun is another favorite, and some declare that the salt-baked squid is to die for (salt baking is light deep-frying). Personal ...

Sights to See: Guanajuato, Mexico

Near Leon and not far from San Miguel de Allende, and about 200 miles west of Mexico City and 200 miles east of Guadalajara, Guanajuato is more or less in the center of Mexico. Its altitude is 6,500, and it can get chilly. Founded by the Spanish in the early 16th century, it is the capital of the Mexican state of the same name. More of a workers' town than San Miguel, it sees fewer foreigners but is vibrantly filled with young adults. Attractions include the childhood home of muralist Diego R...

Good Eats: Las Mercedes, Guanajuato, Mexico

Contemporary local Mexican cuisine is served here in a hillside home that doubles as a family-run restaurant. Here, you literally dine in a local family's home--the upstairs is used as their residence—and, with menu selections that are tasty and refined and made with fresh local ingredients, the chef/family member definitely proves that not all Mexican cuisine is about tacos. In addition, the atmosphere is welcoming and friendly and the view expansive. The gourmet lunch I enjoyed a few weeks ...

Misc.: TallBoys Band, Ajijic, Mexico

A few weeks ago I met TallBoy David Truly at a festive dinner at Hacienda Ajijic's Steak Place. I think I heard him sing "Somewhere in Mexico," too, but it could have been the margaritas doing their thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV4xh4g5WJQ

Sights to See: Diego Rivera Museum, Guanajuato, Mexico

Muralist Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato in 1886. His modest home is now a museum that houses dozens of his original works, as well as galleries displaying the work of guest artists in rotating exhibits.
Diego Rivera Museum, www.diegorivera.com/index.php .

image c2009 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sights to See: Mummy Museum, Guanajuato, Mexico

Just 2 weeks ago I visited the 56 mummies displayed here in a clean, temperature-controlled setting. Among them is the world's smallest mummy--a 5- or 6-month-old fetus. All were formerly interred in the adjacent municipal cemetery, where because of rocky ground and dry mountain air many corpses do not decompose but instead dry out (they are not wrapped like Egyptian mummies). Though families can pay for perpetual burial, not everyone can afford this, so to free scarce cemetery space law...

Sights to See: LEGOLAND, Carlsbad, California

Brick-or-Treat is LEGOLAND California's annual Halloween celebration. It takes place every Saturday and Sunday in October with Party Nights Saturday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. During Brick-or-Treat, the family theme park is transformed into a not-too-spooky Halloween haven for Brick-or-Treat Party Nights featuring costume contests, nighttime trick-or-treating on the Brick-or-Treat Trail, live music and entertainment.
For more information, visit http://www.brickortreat.com.

Good Eats: Bugambilia, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Established in 1945, this is the town's first, and oldest, restaurant. And it is one of the few that still serves authentic Mexican dishes. I enjoyed lunch here last week in an atmospheric central courtyard dining area with heavy furniture and colorful flowers galore. A delicious tortilla soup (sopa Azteca) got my taste buds ready for a spectacular seasonal dish, Chile en Nogada--a poblano chile filled with a beef-nut-almond mix and topped with a creamy sauce sprinkled with pomegranate seeds....

Sights to See: Water-channel bridge, Magdeburg, Germany

This river bridge over the River Elbe took 6 years and cost 500 million euros to build. Located near Berlin, it joins the former East and West Germanys.

Good Eats: food carts, Portland, Oregon

Food carts have been around town here for about 10 years. Now almost 400 cluster in numerous "pods" around the perimeter of parking lots. Depending on which pod you visit, you can select from Mexican, Thai, Korean, and Bosnian foods, not to mention Dutch waffles and Belgian fries. The pod of carts at SW 9th Ave./SW Alder St. has no running water. A few tables are provided, but most people take their lunch away to a nearby park or back to their office. More locations and a list of cuisines...