to market, to market

Voulez-vous aller à Paris avec moi? Who wouldn't want to go to Paris?!

A few weeks A couple of months ago (this post has been in draft mode for quite some time!) my friend Eve came downtown to join me for lunch. She picked me up and we drove over to the Indianapolis City Market. The Market has really grown and developed over the past several years. Almost all of the vendor areas are full, and selling everything from bug jewelry (Eve is a science teacher and commented that her students would think this was cool) to antique jewelry (that I can't wait to go back to and shop!) and lots and lots of yummy food!

Eve had a Groupon for a place called "3 Days in Paris"--a veritable crêperie! I first had a taste of their delicious crêpes last summer on a Wednesday--when the City Market vendors take to the street. I couldn't wait to go back! I had the "Black and Blue Moo" filled with roast beef, blue cheese, dried cranberries, spinach, and raspberry chipotle sauce. Yum.

It was one of those extra hot summer days (of which there has been an abundance this summer in Indiana), so we opted to stay inside to eat. We climbed the wrought iron stairs to the upper level that overlooks the vendors and found a little table for two next to the inside railing. It was open and spacious and just a bit noisy--perfect for "what's been going in your life for the past year" conversation. (Eve and I don't get to hang out often enough!) The market was busy with people on their lunch breaks, moms and kids meetings dads for lunch, police officers taking a break from policing--everyone together made it feel alive and fun...and good.

Since then, the City Market, and especially 3 Days in Paris, is my go-to place for lunch with friends from work. I could eat there everyday!

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What exactly is a crêpe? I'm so glad you asked?

[A crêpe (English pronunciation: /ˈkrɛp/,[1] French: [kʁɛp]) is a type of very thin pancake, usually made from wheat flour. The word is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled." While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is widespread in France and they are considered a national dish. In Brittany, crêpes are traditionally served with cider. Crêpes are served with a variety of fillings, from the most simple with only sugar to flambéed crêpes Suzette or elaborate savoury fillings.]
Thank you, Wikipedia.



Welcome to the Rainy Season

As I was working on posts last week I came across this one, patiently waiting in a state of "draft" since March. Wow. Has it really been 3 months since my trip to Kenya? This year is moving by much too quickly! Finding this post made me realize that I kind of failed at documenting our trip. Oh well. Maybe I'll get around to getting the rest of the stories up. Maybe. Let's not get our hopes up. This post, however, does document a pretty notable day--the one where we all got soaked. Enjoy reminiscing with me!

Hell's Gate National Park
Monday, March 14

After the lake tour and walking safari we headed to the lodge to check in, eat lunch, and change into shorts for our tour of Hell’s Gate National Park. Just before the entrance to the park, we stopped at little shop and each paid 500 ksh to rent bikes that we would ride into and through the park! We had been planning this part of the trip since the beginning and we were pretty excited. The excitement, however, dwindled slightly as I struggled to ride my well-worn bike uphill to the park entrance. I would like to blame some of the challenge to the high altitude, but it was also due in part to the misappropriate gear that my bike was stuck in. At the gate, while I was seriously reconsidering this whole “bike through the park” plan, Eustace got my gears adjusted and I felt a little better about it all. (It turns out that each one of us was wondering at that point if we should have just ridden in the van rather than taking the bikes, but we stuck it out.) Hell’s Gate is a beautiful park and it was fun just ride the dirt roads and see zebra and gazelles as I went.

Our destination for our biking tour was the gorge in Hell’s Gate where there is a fabulous view of the area. As we approached the entrance to the gorge, a herd of cape buffalo decided that would a good time to cross the road—and they took their time doing so. Cape buffalo are massive animals and can be fierce (and charge) if you get too close. So, we kept our distance. As we waited for them to cross, the rain that had recently started as a sprinkle began to pick up. As our time at the park was running out, it became clear that the rain wasn’t stopping anytime soon and the buffalo weren’t going to move out of our way.

Enjoying the ride and the view -- before the rain!

We decided to forgo the gorge and ride back to the entrance to the park. Just minutes into our return ride the thunder started and then the downpour and then the hail! As pea sized hail began pelting our arms and legs and faces, we pulled over to the side of the road and took cover under a tree (or tried too). The trees in the park weren’t made for rain cover! As we huddled together in the cold rain (so cold!) we couldn’t help but laugh together—what an adventure our bike ride through the park had become!

We were very, very cold. But still managed to smile!

Unfortunately, the storm was just beginning. We stood under that leafless tree for probably half an hour before deciding that enough of the storm had passed over us and we had to just ride back. So, we did. The rain kept pouring down and the hail kept stinging our legs, but we pressed on. As we reached the entrance to the park, the storm let up. Our driver started laughing when we saw us all soaking wet and exhausted—they didn’t have any rain at the gate or any idea that a storm had gone through the park! While we never ended up seeing the beautiful gorge of Hell’s Gate, we definitely had a memorable experience and we have a great story to tell! (We look forward to seeing Rose’s pictures of the gorge, from a previous visit, at a later date.)

Shivering, we rode back to the lodge in the warm van and then took some much needed showers. Clean and warmer, we ate a lovely dinner (the first of many international buffets) and then went to bed quite early. We had a very tiring day!

Our hotel room: four rooms are inside these Africa meets England cottages.

Classic tourist photo in front of the lodge.

Welcome, Summer

I’m glad you’re here!

This past weekend really felt like summer! For me this meant a mix of being outside, visiting graduation open houses, buying new SPF 30 sunblock, and eating anything cooked on a grill. Combine that with 90 degree weather and a power-outing thunderstorm and it’s definitely June in Indiana. Even though my fun weekend made it hard go back to work this morning, I am very excited for the months to come. Much of that excitement is due to my current housing location. I’ve been living in Broad Ripple since January and now I finally get to enjoy all that the area has to offer. My condo is right on the Monon—and by “right on” I mean you walk just 20 steps from the front door and you’re on the trail! I love it! One of my goals this summer is to take full advantage of my proximity to the Monon and Broad Ripple. Indianapolis has so many locally owned restaurants and shops, especially in BR, and I want to visit them all! This past weekend got things off to a great start.

Zest!
Much of my super hot Saturday was spent with my dear friend, Rose. She’s currently living in Kenya (I visited her there in March), but is home for a brief visit. She worked a shift at the hospital Friday night, which meant that she was free to hang out with me on Saturday! After some pool time in the morning (another reason I love where I live!), we hit the Monon trail for a leisurely 1.8 mile walk to Zest! Exciting Food Creations. Zest! was celebrating their 5 year anniversary, so we took advantage of their delicious Crème Brûlée French Toast on special for only $5. Rose and I split the French toast (it’s super yummy, but very rich) and it made the perfect dessert for our “breakfast for lunch” meal. We had the Stuffed Tortilla and a side of seasonal berries for a well rounded and filling meal. The atmosphere was fun and friendly, the service was great, and I loved the neighborhood vibe. The Reese Art Fair was taking place along 54th Street and right outside of Zest! The street fair was just one more sign that summer had arrived! We browsed for a bit after lunch, but the hot sun quickly drove us to the shade of the Monon and we made our way back home. This was only my second visit to Zest! and I will definitely be going back.

 
BRICS
I was delighted that Sunday evening included another stroll around BR! After an overcast and humid afternoon, the evening turned out quite nice—perfect weather for shorts and flip flops…and ice cream! My friend Jen met me at my condo and we took to the trail. This time, however, we stayed around Broad Ripple Ave and just made a big loop. Minutes into our walk, we passed by BRICS (Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station). The deck was full of people enjoying what looked like really good ice cream. We kept walking, enjoying the sights and sounds of BR, which was quite busy for being a Sunday evening. After making our loop, Jen and I were on the same page: we needed to see what the crowd at BRICS was all about. Stepping inside, we were met with the always welcoming smell of freshly baked waffle cones! The place was packed! We took a number and peered through the glass at the large selection of flavors while waiting our turn to order. How would we ever decide? I overheard someone ask for a “split scoop” and my flavor dilemma was solved! On a sugar cone, I opted for Chocolate Choo Choo (extra dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate fudge chunks) and Broad Ripple Blackberry (blackberry ice cream with blackberry swirl). It was pretty much the perfect combo. My “one scoop” of ice cream was enormous! And at $3.10 I felt like I got my money’s worth. Jen and I enjoyed the hospitality of a couple on the deck who invited us to share their table (it was crowded!). We chatted about our jobs, traveling, Butler, living in Indy, AA, and Jesus. It was quite a conversation. The combination of delicious ice cream, sitting outside, and meeting new people made for a perfect end to the day and the weekend. At 0.3 miles from my condo, BRICS might become a hazard to my health (in the most scrumptious way possible). I’ll just have walk a mile or two each time I stop for ice cream!

BRICS on the Monon. (Photo courtesy of brics.)

 

I hope you are enjoying Summer wherever you are!

On my way to Africa!

In approximately 13 days, 1 hour, and 30 minutes I will be on a plane leaving Indianapolis. This flight will be one of three through Detroit and Amsterdam (with amazingly short layovers), which will take us to our final destination: Nairobi, Kenya! That's right folks, I'm going to AFRICA!

The trip dreaming began last year when I learned that my dear friend Rose would be working at a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya for six months. My love for her mixed with my love for travel (and my desire to cross Africa off of my "must visit" list) got everything going. I started talking with some other friends (Lori and Charity) who shared my loves, figured out a good time to go, scoured the airline sites (that would be my obsession), and locked in our dates: March 9-22, 2011. We bought our tickets late at night, huddled around my dad's MacBook in my parents' living room, giddily comparing each person's itinerary (making sure we were all on the same flights!). With a few clicks on the track pad, we each added a quick $1300 to our credit card statements. The excitement and adventure had already begun. As soon as the two week trip was booked, I wondered out loud "Why aren't we going for 3 weeks?" Oh, how I love to travel!

As you can see, the countdown has gone below the 2-week mark, which is so hard to believe. And a lot has happened since we committed to Kenya back in November of 2010. A summary...
1. Amie joined our travel team. After a few weeks of "being interested", she cleared her time off with work and bought her tickets to join us.
2. Rose left for Kenya. She left in January with farewells and some very excited people (that would be me and my travel buddies) saying "See you soon!"
3. Our in-country itinerary was planned. With the help of Rose and a wonderful Kenyan travel agent, we have the most amazing trip! Everything--hotels, lodges, in-country flights, transportation--everything has been planned for us! There will even be someone holding a sign with our names on it at the airport in Nairobi. Best thing ever.
4. We went from 4 to 3. Indianapolis got hit with some serious ice in January and our travel team has lost a valuable member due to the slick stuff. Lori is out with a broken ankle. So sad! While she's hoping to reschedule her visit with Rose in Kenya for later this summer, we are definitely going to to miss her!

As the departure date gets closer, I have shifted into "let's go!" mode. I went to my travel doctor (yes, I have a "travel doctor" and he is awesome!) to get my Yellow Fever vaccine. (Check!) He also gave me scripts for anti-malarial meds and antibiotic, which still need to be filled. (Add to the To Do list.) On Saturday, we got together for coffee to talk about what to wear and what to pack. So, this week I got serious about creating a packing list. And I mean serious. I did research (hunting websites for advice on what to pack/bring/leave at home), considered my previous travel experience, and put together the most detailed list I've ever seen. (I'll post it later for interested travelers.) I am already feeling less stressed and even more excited.

Now that I've finished this post, I'm even closer to take-off! The countdown is now...13 days and 51 minutes.