This bear has been hanging out on Park Avenue for the past few weeks.

Dealing with the cold…

And on other days soaking in the sunshine.

He even has a few body guards…

I just like that he sits in the middle of midtown watching all the busy business people scurrying by.

Enjoy!

Leslie

I’ve been making a lot of changes…

And have started the New Year off right…

By pushing my friend Mapie to come with me to Rome.

We toured, we talked, we relaxed, we ate (everything), we shopped and one of us spoke a lot of Italian.

And did I mention it was between 50-60 degrees and sunny every day.

Rome was very good to us, the only difficult part was saying goodbye but I’m sure we’ll be back for another visit.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Each time I visit Clermont Ferrand I promise my friend Claudine I will take pictures to show the city’s potential.

I have a lot of ideas for City Hall and the Office of Tourism to improve the city’s look and appeal to tourists.

I love Clermont’s small size of just 150,000 people, it’s a village compared to New York.

And although the dark volcanic stone of many buildings is not very pretty, nor the industrial outskirts of the city, the city’s center harbors tranquil cafes and old medieval streets that allow you to disconnect from the buzz of a big city.

My French boyfriend is a connoisseur of the local cafes and enjoys them most when he has a chocolate sable from the boulanger.

Spending time hiking and enjoying the surrounding volcanic countryside in Clermont is a given but what may be overlooked is the quantity of galleries and artisans located in the city’s center.

I think the abundance of creativity has something to do with the local cuisine and the continual risk of cold wet weather.

Either way I think this city and its surrounding countryside are worth a visit.

No need to confirm, I’ll be back next year to eat, hike, disconnect and take in the local culture.

Enjoy!

Leslie

I have been thinking about my birthday post last year.

I had a series of photos from Butter Lane, one of my favorite cupcake shops in the city, and a few wishes for the year ahead.

This year – I wasn’t sure to post again about my birthday but I did want to challenge myself with some new cupcake shots but couldn’t find the time.

I didn’t have my Canon but I did get my wish of taking pictures of Coconut Vanilla, Banana Peanut Butter, Maple Pecan and Hazel Nut Chocolate Butter Lane cupcakes thanks to my friends Fran and Helen – Thanks girls!

My friend Maria would say this is a sign for the year ahead and I agree.  I don’t have a list of wishes to share this year but I do want to share a big THANK YOU to everyone I saw today and for the reminder that sometimes the things we want come in the most unexpected packages.

Thanks for all the Birthday Wishes!!!!

xoxo

Les

Rome is one of my favorite cities.  It’s chaotic yet slow paced and visually it can transform in a moment from dingy to stunning.  Its history grounds you and the mouth watering food brings it all together for a perfect package of la dolce vita (the sweet life).

These iPhone photos were shot in Rome’s largest landscaped public park, The Villa Doria Pamphili, a destination most tourists never see.

You can spend hours in this park relaxing, walking, exercising and forget you are in Rome.  It’s an escape from the tourist filled sites.

And just another reason why Eataly is no substitute for visiting Italy.

Enjoy!

Leslie