Exploring Home: Part 1

So I moved to Old Town Alexandria in the beginning of May and since then the works (yes more than one work) have been driving me into the ground with some insane schedules. I haven't had a proper introduction to my own town so now I'm determined to take some time to do so.

Tonight I took Trike out on the drawbridge of 495 and as luck would have it, the bridge was going up! I watched this cute little pirate ship come under the bridge while airplanes from DCA flew over us and the sun set in the distance. It was a really nice way to end and already pleasant evening.

More trike adventures to come in the future.

Philadelphia

The other weekend a few of my girlfriends and I went to Philadelphia to do some neighborhood scouting and just to get out of Shepherdstown! We decided to ditch the Liberty Bell and other tourist attractions and really just explore different parts of the city and eat tons of great food.

I'm a big dummy and instead of documenting said food so I could write a blog about what Philly has to offer it's vegan patrons, I just stuffed my face instead. I can give you a short - sans photo - rundown of what was good though.
Blackbird Pizzeria had a pretty kick ass cheesesteak, loads of tasty pizza options (though I found the Yukon Pizza to be a bit heavy on the rosemary for my taste) and delicious desserts!
Memphis Taproom was next. We waited a good hour (after a ridiculous cab ride in which the cabbie pulled over and asked US to look up directions on our iphone to direct HIM to our destination) but found it to be well worth it! This place isn't all veggie but they do have some cool stuff like the Old Bay Jackfruit Cakes (which we forgot to order! but then we were too stuffed later to try them) and the Smoked Coconut Club (which we did try, and it was great!).
Sketch was the last place we went. We heard about their awesome burgers and shakes and yes, they were awesome. I was craving some avocado and asked for some on my burger and they gave me a whole half of an avocado!

Aside from eating we also did a ton of walking around and general exploring of shopping areas and possible future hang-outs. Here are a few pictures I did manage to take while I wasnt busy eating. The top two are from an antique store we spent a good half hour in taking pictures. The bottom picture is Pee Pang - my once and hopefully future room-mate. We went the wrong way on the train and had to get off, walk over the pretty turquoise overpass, and then wait for the next train to take us in the right direction. We are so dumb.







This Sunday I'm going to DC with the same bunch of girls to check out possible neighborhoods, restaurants and hang-outs there! Stay tooned - and hopefully I will take a few pictures before I chow down.

Coast to Cote Week 21

It should be pretty obvious that we are on the same coast now-a-days.

Pang: After spending too much money and not winning a whole lot at the carnival, we decided it was time to make our rounds to take some photographs. I took this photograph of the Farris wheel, and was puzzled as to why it's reflection was showing up on the corner of the photograph, which I think looks like fireworks. Several pictures later I realized the light was bouncing off of the UV filter I had on my lens. An accidental effect that made for an interesting photograph for sure.

Me: Im home! I haven't been super productive since I got back - been too busy seeing friends and family and unpacking and getting settled. Our very own Pang of Coast to Cote invited me to go to the Boonsboro carnival this week to play a little Bingo and I happily agreed. A little country music and greasy food was just what I needed to feel back at home. Admittedly I didn't really miss those things - but I did miss spending time with my friends so it was a night well spent. PS...didn't win at Bingo.

Inconnus - Post 2

I was feeling restless one night - not ready to resign myself to just reading for the next few hours before bed - so I packed up my tripod and camera and went out into the night. It was one of the coldest nights I have spent in France yet. With their collars pulled high and their heads tucked down, eyes on the pavement, my possible portrait subjects glided by in the night before I could even work up the courage to open my mouth.

I stopped in front of Le Trianon to take a short video of the flickering neon above the door. A man came out to see his friends off into the night and spotted me, crouched next to my tripod - intently watching the dancing light on the screen of my camera. He asked what I was doing and without really explaining the video I launched into the "can I take a picture of you speech" that I had been rehearsing in my head since well before the first stranger I approached. He obliged.

Not to toot my own horn, but I'm really quite pleased with this one. The lighting was just how I like it and he gave me exactly the kind of expression I was looking for.

Yesterday was lovely - jacket weather again. I walked down by la Vienne for a few hours and asked a few more strangers for portraits.



I liked this guy because he told me I didn't sound like the normal American. Or rather..he said I didn't sound like a duck - and then proceeded to quack loudly. We must seems so charming to the French - haha.





Stay tuned for next weeks Inconnus post!

Frairies des Petits Ventres a Limoges 2009

I had the great great pleasure last night in celebrating the Frairies des Petits Ventres with all the locals in downtown Limoges. It's an annual festival that is always celebrated the third friday in October. From what I have read this is a festival that has been going on since the Middle Ages! It takes place on the tiny street of rue de la Bucherie (Butchery street).

This is a picture of the street a few weeks back the first time I saw it.



And here it is on the night of the festival. It was wall to wall people with grills and tents and vendors table's lining the side.



This is a huge huge event in Limoges because literally the whole city was packed into this one tiny street. Its so well known in fact that I didn't see one poster or advertisement posted for it. I heard about it first from Yohan I think and then read about it later in a travel guide from the Office de Tourisme in Limoges. Had I not read about it though I could have very well stayed in my room reading a book and missed it without even knowing.



The basic gist of this festival? All the butchers on this street and all the patiseries get to show off their stuff. It's an all out carnivores dream really. Limoges and Haute Vienne are known for their meat products so this is a festival for them to celebrate meat I suppose you could say. And celebrate they do!


Oh gosh...spreadable meat.



Pang would have liked this thick bacon sammy on french bread.



French people love their tongue. None left!







But don't worry! There was plenty of things for little ol' Lacey to eat. Plenty of treats that is, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I waited in line for a good half hour to get a crepe, being pushed and prodded and swaying with the crowd. I elbowed my way up to a table and bought a little apple tart. I thought about getting french fries at this one table but opted for an apple pound cake looking thing instead (which I haven't tried yet). They sure like their apple desserts here - gee whiz! I love it but I could really go for some banana bread!



my crepe being made!



There was a performance of some traditional dancing that was pretty interesting. It was at this point when I cranked my ISO way up that I rediscovered the grainy picture feeling that I so loved when I was shooting film years and years ago.















All this time I spent there I was totally on my own - didn't go with anyone - yet I was still having a blast - still totally excited to be there - at a festival I could only kinda partake in - smooshed and pushed against a thousand different strangers.



These guys really had the right idea!



When I finally decided to leave I started walking towards the top of the street. I kid you not, this is no exaggeration, to go the length of half the street it literally took me almost half an hour. To the muddled sounds of "oh la" and "merde" I slowly, painfully and slowly worked my way up the street. It was impossible to move as an individual. You went with the crowd or you were trampled.

I could see the end - it was 50 feet ahead of me - and I bumped into Nadia, Yohan and Victoria. Nadia and Victoria are Argentinian girls that are teaching Spanish here. Yohan is Nadia's boyfriend, and he's a real life Frenchy. They had just gotten to the festival and were ready to plunge in so after almost half an hour of struggling to get out I turned right around and went back in!

I spent the rest of the night pushing around with them until we finally decided to get out of the crowd and go for a walk. We walked down to le Vienne - the river - and chatted and strolled. Yohan said his place was about 10 minutes away and invited us over for a drink. 30 minutes later we got there. He claims this is a French thing - habitually misrepresenting times and distances. As usual the walk was all uphill and about 15 minutes into it I was regretting not going home as it was already midnight.

Finally made it and plunked down on the couch, made friends with their adorable cat, and got something to drink and felt a bit better. We watched something that Yohan just raves about called Happy Three Friends. It's pretty much exactly like Itchy and Scratchy from The Simpsons. Little cute animals that do really gross stuff to kill each other. He laughed hysterically. Pretty great

I finally decided it was time to go home and at about 1:30 am I snapped this picture of the aftermath of the festival. Notice the obliging French man who is giving the peace sign.

Tunnel Vision

So we're starting a website..its a take-off of look at this fucking hipster but it's look at this fucking joe. I'll keep you posted. This little photoshoot will be involved in it.













Also..I cant tell if this is my landlord's idea of a joke or not but I came home from work the other night to find this staring me in the face at the end of our fence. Weird...

La nuit

more to come soon

So I spent the day in the ol' stomping ground - Lake Linganore, with my two younger sisters, Riley (10) and Sydney (13). It was sweet. Riley brought a friend so she played a lot, and Sydney and I swapped stories and talked never-ending family drama. Eventually Sydney and I got tired of sunbathing and got in the water with Riley and her friend. We dug in the sand under the water to find clay and Riley and her friend made a giant elephant dung pile which she insisted on taking home.

Afterwards we cooked out with Jon Gobiel, Erik Meehan, Trey and Mandi. We made Salmon on cedar planks, and we burned the planks to no return. Sad because the planks cost 5 bucks each. I will post the recipe tomorrow, and take my advice..make sure you soak the planks real good like...and then spray them more on the grill with water.
Then! We tossed the frisbee around to get some practice. I am real bad...no fib, real bad. I haven't decided it my right or left hand feels more natural. Im left handed, but I do so many things right handed (golf, throw a ball, ect) that its hard to know which hand to use sometimes. Anyhow here are some pictures of that and just a few night shots of Frederick.