Books of the Summer

October 1, 2016December 4, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

I was able to read a lot of books this summer. I loooooove to read. All kinds of books – thrillers, crime, romance, biographies – whatever as long as it’s good. Here are my top five from the summer.

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah – Set in France, 1939, it captures WWII and shows that the war isn’t fought by only the men. Women have a part too – usually behind the scenes or not discussed because it is always thought that men are the fighters of war. But it is more than war – there is a lovely but sad love story, a family torn apart through death, being frightened to be strong enough for each other and true friendships. A great read. Don’t miss this one but be prepared to grab a Kleenex for the end.

BE FRANK WITH ME by Julia Claiborne Johnson – An eccentric little boy, his reclusive literary legend mother and the assistant (Alice) sent by the publishing company try to work together living under one roof. Frank, the boy, is a bundle of knowledge with a true flair for 1930s fashion, but has rules that people need to follow or possible screaming or becoming a comatose statue on the floor will happen. Alice is Frank’s full-time companion and becomes consumed to find out who Frank’s father is, who is this “Xander” and if his mother will ever finish that book.

JUST KIDS by Patti Smith – I LOVE Patti Smith. She can do no wrong. I have been meaning to read her books (she’s written at least ten books – mostly poetry) and I finally had a chance. In Just Kids she tells us a never seen before glimpse of her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe during the coolest days of New York City and the Chelsea Hotel during the sixties and seventies.

THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson – This one was really good. I love non-fiction stories. It intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World’s Fair and a serial killer who lured victims during the same time. A combination of architecture, history and haunted stories.

GIRL IN A BAND by Kim Gordon – I guess I was into Rock n Roll this summer. Girl In A Band is a memoir by Kim Gordon, founding member of Sonic Youth, fashion icon, and role model for a generation of women. A fascinating chronicle of the band that helped pave the way for Nirvana, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins and others. All bands I still love. Read it and rock out.

Start reading up, yo! What books can you recommend? Would love to hear.

amsterdam · architecture · cool photos · favorite things · love love love

Pictures of Amsterdam

September 15, 2016October 15, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

Majorca

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chaanges

September 11, 2016September 28, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

Helllloooo my lovely readers! I know I have taken a really long siesta – some personal things going in with life and I needed a break. But guess what, I’m back. AND I am going to be making some changes to the blog, defo for the better.

So keep your hat on, keep reading (and THANK YOU! for still reading and checking in during my extended absence). Changes coming up soon. But for now I leave with another gorgeous picture of this beautiful island that I live on, MALLORCA – Sunset at Club Nautico Sa Rapita.

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beach · hike · lighthouse · Majorca · Mallorca · S'estanyol

S’Estanyol + Lighthouse

September 8, 2015October 14, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

If you are ever in the southern (es Trenc) part of Mallorca and you want a simple hike, you should stop by S’Estanyol. There is a small beach, which usually has a bit of seaweed because the beach is so small the city ignores it. Which is good because it is NEVER crowded! And once you wade past the seaweed the water is crystal clear. If you want to go on a little hike it is the perfect place to just enjoy nature and the fresh air and a lighthouse at the end.

To arrive you would follow the MA-6015 to the end (arriving at S’Estanyol) and turn right. Park at the end of the road, after the S’Estanyol Club Nautico and there you are! You can take several different paths but stay on the path because there are some private owned areas that you can’t venture onto. And follow the FAR signs. FAR is lighthouse in Catalan. Just keep following that and soon you will arrive at the rocky coast where you will find the beautiful lighthouse. You can also wander around for quite some ways. Come and explore! When you are done, there are a few small restaurants to enjoy in S’Estanyol. Make a day of it!

Some pics from my hike there last week. Enjoy!

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cafepress · cool products · online · sayanything88 · shopping

Shop Til Ya Drop!

August 30, 2015August 10, 2022 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

Hey guys! Have you checked out my online shop recently? There are a lot of new things up and I just wanted to make sure y’all were in the loop. To see all go to – http://www.cafepress.com/saywhat88.

Here are some new things for you – I will post a variety of items but if you like the design check out the shop. There are so many items to offer, from t-shirts to hats to mugs to shower curtains to buttons to underwear to beach towels!! And I THANK YOU in advance for stopping by my shop. An artist has to make a small living somehow!

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For all you adorable pregnant ladies out there looking for a Halloween costume

For my coffee and wine lovers out there

Everyone always loves the Abe Lincoln dude. That Is So Four Score And Seven Years Ago.

Another favorite is Adios Bitchachos. Pretty much good for any occasion.

And my last (but not least) to post for today – Talk To The Hamsa. Get your third eye working for you!

Again, thanks for stopping by and seeing the other side of what I do when I am not blogging or teaching or writing or chillaxing at the beach. And remember, so many more cool designs for you to choose from for that next purchase.

Gracias, thank you, danke, merci …..

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food · france · paris · travel · yum

Paris Rue des Rosiers aka Falafel Street

August 10, 2015September 11, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

I had some hours to kill in Paris before my plane back to Mallorca in the evening. I had done a bit of research (like always, hello!) to find something cool, different to do. And like always, it usually ends up with food. We all gotta eat! And to quote Anna Lösegeld directly – “Isn’t it funny how we have to eat?”. And true that Anna, we do. She is one smart cookie.

My search brought me to Rue des Rosiers. A divine street with hip, cool shops but is also known for its delicious Middle Eastern and Eastern European specialties, as well as some of the best restaurants in the area. I went to L’as du Fallafel, which claims (rightfully) to have the world’s best falafel. This sandwich comes with grilled eggplant, cabbage, tahini, hummus, and hot sauce. But don’t think that nobody else knows about it. Prepare to wait. But they were decently fast about it. You can also sit inside but the place seemed quite crowded and you must wait for a seat. The outside line moved pretty quickly.

I’m at the end of the line and just ordered my falafel. Some dude is standing by the line taking orders, very proficient!

Almost there!!

Competition directly across the street.

Sooooooo close now, I can taste it.

HALLELUJAH!!

It was all it was cracked up to be and more. And apparently, Lenny Kravitz is a fan of L’as du Fallafel. Hey, you never know who you might run into. After you eat, continue exploring the bookshops, boulangeries, and trendy boutiques. This is one cool street, peeps. And this was on a Sunday! So get thyself over to Rue des Rosiers. You won’t be disappointed.

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beauty · cool photos · country · earth · ISS · Mallorca · planet · space

Mallorca from the ISS

July 17, 2015 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

How cool is this? Taken from the International Space Station, you can see Mallorca the big island at the bottom, Spain is to the right in the picture. The small (but loverly) island of Cabrera is at the top far left of Mallorca and then you can see Ibiza and further on Formentera “above” Mallorca, with Africa at the top of the picture.

I REALLY love this pic. Maybe it’s a framer?

2015 · amelie · france · montmarte · paris · raclette · travel

I like Paris in the springtime …

July 13, 2015October 14, 2016 GOING NINETY MILESLeave a comment

I like Paris in the fall. Or should I say autumn? I like Paris pretty much any season of the year. And I was there this spring, always lovely. Merci Paris! You can check out my other post about Paris HERE.

This time meeting Jeannie there, we had done a lot of the tourist things and we decided to just stroll. Not have an agenda. Let’s just walk around, see what trouble we can find and violà! We did. Of course!

Can we enjoy this view from our hotel room? The Haussmann-Saint Lazare station on the Paris RER.

Then we walked around. And if this picture isn’t Paris then I don’t know what is. Where else in the world would have this kind of dog at their shop? He is a REAL dog! I. LOVE. PARIS.

First stop was my favourite chill-out place which just happens to be along La Seine. How fabulous, right? FLOW is a bar situated just upstream of Pont Alexandre III on the Left Bank. You can hang out, people watch (my favourite), watch the boats float by and of course, stare across La Seine at the gorgeous Pont Alexandre III bridge, the Grand Palais which to the left of it is the Jardin de la Nouvelle France. If you are lucky maybe you will see some pestacles! Sorry, I have a bit of strange humor but see picture below. What exactly are pestacles?

FLOW

This picture was taken off their website – it wasn’t this crowded at all! And actually the day was a bit cold and rainy and they closed early. So FYI – it is possible if there isn’t enough business, they close. C’est la vie! But they did have blankets which was very nice and the chairs are loungy, not regular chairs. Just go already.

Our view while drinking our beers at FLOW. Not to shabby, eh? But then again, what is shabby in Paris?

Pestacles sign in a Paris garden. I have tried to no avail to find out what Pestacles means!! I think it is some sort of festival with music and dancing but I still don’t know. If anyone knows, PLEASE tell me! I’m dying here to find out.

I know I said we wouldn’t get touristy but we both love the movie Amélie and I read you could go to the bar that was in the film, so that is exactly what we did. The lovely art deco cafe where Amélie works, which is, surprisingly, real. It’s Café des Deux Moulins, 15 rue Lepic at rue Cauchois.

Us and Amélie, the best of friends. I think next time we should have the same look on our faces as Amélie has.

Across the street from Cafe des 2 Moulins. This picture seems so … PARIS. Oui?

Enough Amelie. Time to walk to Montmarte – up the stairs, up the stairs, more stairs!! MORE UP!

Finally made it to the top with some interesting sightings on the way.

And then we had to head back down the stairs. We are goofs! We know – but ADORABLE goofs! And we were hungry…..

Next up, cheese raclette. Do you know cheese raclette? It so super delicioso. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners’ plates; the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning “to scrape,” a reference to the fact that the melted cheese must be scraped from the unmelted part of the cheese onto the plate. Our humungous hunk of cheese (just reminded of that PSA Time for Timer! I hanker for a hunka cheese song. ~ When I’m dancin’ the hoedown and my boots kinda slow down, Or anytime I’m week in the knees, I hanker for a hunk of, A slab, a slice, a chunk of, A snack that is a winner, And yet won’t spoil my dinner! I hanker for a hunk of cheese! Ya-hoo!) … ah, sorry, where was I…. Right! A huge hunk of cheese with a table-top grill, was served with small potatoes, slices of sausages and pickles. Just what we had been wanting. The table next to us had meat raclette which looked amazing as well.

Stuffed full and so very happy, we meandered back to our hotel for the night. BUT before the hotel we found this super fun bar with really great tunes. When my boyfriend called we serenaded him. 🙂 He didn’t say so, but I know he loved it. I can’t tell you the bar’s name because then I would have to kill you. Just kidding, I have no idea where we were. Somewhere between Montmarte and the Haussmann-Saint Lazare station. Sometimes you have to find your own fun. I know you can!

You can tell we had fun by this last pic. Until next time mi amigos (or shall I say mes amis)!

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