Mini vacation

This past weekend I traveled to Amherst (MA), via an Amtrak regional train, to spend a couple of days with a friend that invited me to visit. He had moved out of New York 3 years ago to work at the University of Massachusetts and, in the last 1 1/2 year, lives in a lovely, and comfortable house in a peaceful and quaint area of this state.

The train, named the Vermonter, originates in Washington, DC, and its final destination, 13 hours later, is the state of Vermont, close to the border of Canada.

It runs on a single rail bed, and, along the way, the electric engine is substituted by a diesel one that blows its horn at all road crossings (and there are many in the countryside!). During the engine switch operation in CT, which takes about 15 minutes, passengers are allowed to step out onto the station platform for a smoke or a stretch. Good service and regular announcements accompanied us all along the way.

I had reserved discounted seats in the business class car, where the snack bar/cafe` is located, and where some passengers also can use table equipped booths. Needless to say some passengers entertain themselves by using their laptops, which can be easily plugged into power strips next to each seat. I was perfectly happy to have left the steamy, and extremely crowded NY station, and to just read a bit, snooze, and plain relax!

My friend was waiting for me at the station, and after a short ride into the countryside we both relaxed for a while, sipping champagne in his house, which was pleasantly air conditioned throughout, before he prepared and served a delicious dinner.

Nothing beats the spaciousness of a home. His has a beautiful large, well equipped, windowed kitchen with a roomy breakfast dining area from where one can watch the occasional local animal life that hops across the backyard, or appears and disappears into the thick bushes of the surrounding areas.


The master bedroom where I was accommodated has a large bathroom with lots of closet space and is well designed and equipped with seniors or disabled people accessibility in mind.

After a full breakfast the next day, my friend gave me a real tour throughout the huge valley around Amherst, the tranquil surrounding towns, and a great view from the top of Sugarloaf mountain, where one can see the entire Connecticut river valley.





The weather was very hot and humid, as in NY, and by lunch time the dark clouds began to release a heavy rainstorm. My friend informed me that the area needed water badly, thus, the local agriculture would benefit greatly from the downpour. From all the information he furnished while driving me around, I learned a lot about this area of MA, where the main activities relate, only and mainly, to academic institutions of all kinds and farm life.

The institutional campuses cover extensive areas, as do the farms, some of which are owned and operated by these schools, also for educational purposes. I noticed large fields of tobacco and learned that the "Commonwealth of Massachusetts" (as they like to call it) is one of largest producers of this crop. One interesting note regards the practice of large shopping centers in the area that normally close at 10pm, but, during the opening of an academic year, they remain open for an additional 2 hours, during which only students can shop at their hearts' content until midnight.

After a relaxing and delicious lunch at a local inn my friend suggested we change our previous plan to eat dinner out, so that we didn't have to cope with the storm, the heat, and humidity. Instead, on the way home, we shopped at a huge center that has branches throughout New England, called "Big Y" .




There he picked 2 live lobsters, which were steamed for us within 15 minutes, and became part of the risotto course, cooked at home, where, after dinner, we watched a nice movie on his enormous tv screen.

Early Sunday morning we went out to a local bakery that serves full breakfast from 7am to 2pm, and the place was packed and business there was brisk!

By midday my mini vacation was coming to an end, and I re-boarded the Vermonter to return home. The train, which was fully booked, became the victim of another storm when it was just a few miles outside of NYC. We stopped in the middle of nowhere for over an hour, and the cafe` on board did a booming business for over 2 hours, after which we finally reached NY Penn Station. A taxi ride through NY traffic brought me home in a relative short time, relaxed and reinvigorated, thanks to my friend, and ready to tackle the week ahead.

Discovering Albania

More and more travel reporters are finally discovering Albania, and their articles now appear on Internet almost daily. Some of them also created lovely blogs about their experiences in the country, such as Carol Pucci, who writes for The Seattle Times.

Her recent article prompted me to read her blog about Albania. There she discloses the fact that she may have Albanian ancestry, as proven by her extended trip into southern Italy, where she could find family roots.

I can attest to the changes mentioned in her article because of my frequent trips to Albania over the past 17 years. Overheard comments from foreign business visitors while traveling to Tirana always confirmed my judgment.

In the early days it was hard to impress upon the locals I knew that what was evolving after more than half a century of hideous dictatorship was noticeable and remarkable. They were too busy trying to grasp what it meant to emerge from a long term isolationist past, and learning how to deal with sudden regained freedom. Now, after almost 2 decades of slow, and at times painful development, there is a greater awareness, thank goodness. With it comes more positive thinking, and greater hopes for the future, but also a host of other drawbacks, which naturally stem from being free. They are too complex to be discussed in this context, but need to be watched, studied, and eventually conquered.

Summer in NY

When I left Tirana, Albania, last month the summer heat was felt there with midday Fahrenheit temperature in the mid 80's. Most boulevards, however, offer some shade to pedestrians, flanked on both sides by long lines of mature trees, and the evenings are very pleasant. Although there is not much wind such as we experience in NY, the clouds there would appear in the morning and, after a brief shower, disappear quickly giving in to the sun that can scorch heads by noontime.

This month in NYC we have constant higher temperature in the 90's, and last week we even went over the 100 mark! Many hats and parasols that are quite common in Albania have also appeared in NY streets these days. The air conditioners are working full force, and the city electrical grid is overburdened. Some area have experienced blackouts and the media is reminding everyone to conserve usage of electricity by running appliances during the night hours, if possible.

NYC has opened hundreds of cooling centers to help some people, especially elders that may lack air conditioning at home; small children can enjoy being splashed by sprinklers in the playgrounds, and the outdoor public pools are quite crowded.

Three weeks ago I resumed my aquatic sessions at the indoor pool, where I am a member to exercise and enjoy aqua aerobics at least twice a week when in NY, even in winter.

Although it takes time to go and come from the place, for some of us that cannot take a good, long vacation away from the city, it's a great feeling to be able to sweat in the water rather than on pavement, and be ready to tackle the rest of the work day after a refreshing shower.

Happy Independence Day

July 4th, 2010!!