I didn’t know what to expect at the Veggie Fest 2009. Advertised as “Good Food, Healthy Living,” the fourth annual Chicagoland event was sponsored by Science of Spirituality, a non-profit organization located in Naperville, Illinois whose members are deeply committed to a spiritual way of life based on meditation, service to others, and personal transformation.

2009 Veggie Fest, sponsored by Science of Spirituality Mission in Naperville, Illinois

With temperatures in the low 90′s and humidity hovering near 100%, it was not an auspicious beginning.  In the sweltering heat I wandered through rows of booths, sampling eco-friedly products and picking up literature from massage therapists and other alternative health practitioners. Within minutes I was hot, damp, and uncomfortable. Then I spotted the meditation tent. The man at the door smiled and invited me in, adding, “Surprise! It’s air conditioned.” Beautiful, blissful air conditioning. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve always wanted to go to Greece but my budget doesn’t allow any more travel at the moment, so I did the next best thing; I went to the Greek Glendi Festival being held right here in Sarasota. For 24 years, St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church has held this event to celebrate the Greek culture, traditions, and Orthodox faith. This year’s theme focused on the Greek Islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas and it was vastly different from the fairs and festivals that are held every other weekend in downtown Sarasota. From the tongue-twisting names of the Hellenic Folk Dancers to the aisles of mouth-watering food and pastry, this festival was spectacularly Greek.

My friend, Joan, and I began with a tour of the church, the interior of which was decorated with intricate mosaics, iconography, and a ceiling mural depicting golden-haloed saints. Read the rest of this entry »

I LOVE to travel. I can only stay put for a few months before I get the urge to head out for another one of the distant, exotic places that I haven’t yet checked off my list. Unfortunately, I can’t travel all the time. Once in a while I have to stick around and make some money to pay for all this travel about which I am so passionate. When I find myself grounded for a while – like now – I have to find a way to scratch that travel itch or I go crazy. That’s when I start looking around in my own back yard.

I am ashamed to admit that, despite the fact that I was born and raised in Chicago, I never visited Lincoln Park Zoo, attended a concert at the downtown band shell, went to the top of the Sears Tower, toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, visited the Old Water Tower, or watched the futures trading at the Chicago Board of Trade. It’s a mistake I don’t intend to repeat, now that I’ve relocated to Sarasota. Read the rest of this entry »

My laundry is done. My bills are paid. The house is clean. I’m up to date on my blogging and the first chapter of my book is all but complete, so I decided to take today off and have “just plain fun” all day long. I started early, walking the six blocks to the weekly downtown Farmer’s Market at 7 AM, wearing my jeans and a jacket for the first time this season, since the temperatures were in the chilly 50′s. Aside from the fact that I can get all my fruits and vegetables direct from local organic farmers at this market, I also love it because it’s a great venue for people-watching. Read the rest of this entry »

My immediate impression of Chiang Mai during the drive from the airport to the hotel is that I am going to LOVE his place! It must be obvious to all my readers that I have fallen in love with Thailand. This is my third visit and I am sure there will be many more in the future, but this is my first ever trip to the north of Thailand.

Remnants of the moat and wall that originally surrounded Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is both a city and a province and is second only to Bangkok in terms of size, the entire province having a population of over one million with an estimated 300,000 people living in the city itself. Chiang Mai is situated alongside the Mae Ping River and shadowed by the magnificent Doi Suthep mountain. As Thailand’s second city and capital of the northern provinces it boasts a culture unique to northern Thailand and a rich history dating back more than 700 years to the Lanna period. Various hill tribes who all still lead traditional lives and follow ancient customs inhabit the mountains that tower above the city.

The town and its surrounding area are renowned for arts and crafts, spas, massage and herbal health products, trekking opportunities galore, and day trips to the Karen and Hmong hill tribe villages. Almost 70 percent of the province is covered by lush forests and mountains, which accounts for its reputation as a treasure-trove of natural beauty. There is so much to see here that the choices made our heads spin, so we decided to start with the Old City in the center of town.

The central square comes to life with vendors and artisans every Sunday

The Old City is one of Chiang Mai’s biggest attractions. Built over 700 years ago, it was once an entirely walled square surrounded by a moat. Some of the original city walls still remain – particularly the great brick bastions at the four corners – as does the moat which, rather than repelling raiders, is now an inviting green swath with illuminated spraying fountains. In the middle of each of the four sides of the Old City are the original gates to the city. The main gate, Thapae on the eastern side and facing the river Ping, has been rebuilt complete with a stretch of wall to give people an idea of what the walls were once like.

By night the crowd are enormous, but well-behaved

The entrance to Thapae gate, located only a block from our hotel, was our starting point. We blessed our good fortune at having arrived on a Sunday, since this is the day each week when artisans arrive from all over the province to display their wares at the craft market that takes over the entire length of Rajdamnern Road from 3 PM to 11 PM. Rajdamnern Road, which runs directly through the center of the Old City for more than a mile, is turned into a pedestrian mall on the evening of the market. Read the rest of this entry »

I smile a lot these days. I wake up each morning with a smile on my face. I can’t wait to discover what the day has in store for me. As I go through the day I smile at everyone I meet and I find it’s infectious – even people who are seemingly having a bad day will smile and nod when I greet them with a big, sappy grin and say hello. I find I am surrounded by happy people and I thought I’d share with you some of the smiles I’ve captured as well as some of the things that made me smile.

Each Saturday morning I hike up to the downtown Farmer’s Market for my fresh organic fruit and veggies, olive oil, nuts, cheeses and fresh bread. I arrived this morning to find not only the Market, but also the entire length of Main Street blocked off for an Art Fair. Here are a few of the things that were making people smile:

Beignets, funnel cakes and French apple pie

Kettle Corn

Music

These giant fiberglass critters had the most amazing effect on people. I stood for about 20 minutes and watched as people came around the corner and were confronted by these behemoths. Every single person got a big grin on their face the moment they saw them:

Giant fiberglass critters were good for a smile

This guy got a big kick out of a giant frog

Last week on one of my walks I happened on a little park, tucked away in a corner of downtown. Bright blue benches, planters filled with blooming plants and more of Sarasota’s ubiquitous clown statues were backed by the most fanciful fountain I have ever seen:

Clowns gaze over the fanciful Pineapple Avenue fountain

Another clown statue, looking toward downtown Sarasota

The backdrop of the fountain

A detail of one of the many enamel insets of the fountain

These enamel inlays weren’t only on the fountain – they were all over the sidewalk as well! I really think they let children design this park – you can’t help but smile when you look at some of the sidewalk blurbs. I have no idea what they mean, I only know that they tickled me.

In the velvet black of night, Farthing slid to his beloved

Guided by a single star, the elegant swimmer entered the Gulf

Though very wise, the Eldersnails were not known for their excess humor...What fun!

And one final photo – every Monday evening I go to the Historic Asolo Theater at the Ringling Museum of Art to see screenings of historic films. This theater was built in 1798 to honor the legendary Catherine Cornaro, who was the bride of James II, the King of Cyprus in the 15th century. It was a popular venue, hosting some of the greatest theatrical performers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, until it was dismantled by the Fascist regime in Italy in the 1930′s. A Venetian collector/dealer, Adolph Loewi, purchased the theater and stored it in his personal collection until, in 1952, the Ringling Museum purchased the theater, brought it to Sarasota, and restored it to its former glory. The theater is exquisite in its design and detail and you can’t help but be awed by it. While not “technically” making people smile, it does indeed inspire:

Historic Asolo Theater at the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art

Hope you enjoyed the smile tour – and that it made you smile, too! Keep reading folks, because I’ve just finalized my round-the-world itinerary and am anxiously awaiting my visas from a few countries. I’ll be spilling the beans about my six month trip in the next couple of days, so be sure to tune in soon. I’m getting excited now!