Brewery in a Bin

Cycled around an industrial area of St. Paul’s Midway. Spotted Bang Brewery, housed in a grain bin. Peered through the door at vats biding their time.

Convenient Ice Cream

It’s a little too convenient living one block from an excellent ice cream store. “Existential Crunch” (dark brown sugar, Jameson whiskey, creme fraiche, praline pecan, and cashew brittle) topped with a small scoop of “Umeshu Chocolate” (dark chocolate and Japanese plum wine).

In Pursuit of Fire Stations

Cycled with a friend past eight former St. Paul fire stations, and a monument in Oakland Cemetery to firefighters who lost their lives while on duty. This fire station, built in 1872, was St. Paul’s first.

Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel

Estimated numbers of hotel rooms in places we stayed: Granada, Antequera, Marbella and Nerja, Spain. May 2019 data from Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. If you’re planning to visit Spain’s Costa del Sol, you’ll probably be staying in a busy place. It can be hard to avoid over-loved places, but I prefer to seek out B-List…… Continue reading Antequera: the Case for B-List Travel

Lamplighter

Cycled through St. Paul with a friend looking for vestiges of the past. Spotted this lamplighter, frozen in time, on a residential street.

Using a Smartphone to Bypass Lines in Spain

April 2018. Hundreds of people were lined up in heavy rain to buy tickets for Spain’s national art museum, the Prado. Some fiddled with their smartphones to alleviate their boredom as they shuffled slowly towards the entrance. They seemed unaware they could use their expensive devices to simplify their lives. I found a sheltered spot…… Continue reading Using a Smartphone to Bypass Lines in Spain

Up Next: Fireworks

Watched the riverfront Red, White and Boom fireworks display from our balcony. Over several hours, thousands gathered below.