Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

I had a total hip replacement 10 days ago which means I've pretty much been confined to home, getting my steps in by laps around kitchen, dining room, and living room. I cannot complain -- my pain level is manageable, my surgeon is skilled, and my husband is an attentive caregiver. I had the right side done a year ago with great results so I'm expecting the same on the left. Still, getting out and about is taking a back seat to rehab and recovery.

So while I have no new content on things to do and see locally, I can share a recommendation—one that might come in handy with Valentine’s Day coming up on Wednesday. 

Friends who live in northern Virginia came for dinner a few weeks ago and brought a box of chocolates from Artisan Confections as a bread-and-butter gift. Now, I'm not really a chocolate gal. Given the choice between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, I will always pick vanilla.  Same for apple pie and chocolate mousse -- apple pie wins every time. That said, these chocolates are absolutely delicious with complex flavors; plus, as you can see, each is a miniature work of art. Fortunately the box came with guide that identifies each confection. I spent a lot of time perusing it every time I made a selection although in the end, not one went uneaten.

Although I have lived in DC for 40 years, I still have a mental block against driving in Northern Virginia. There are certain places that I know how to get to such as National Airport and my husband's old office in Ballston. En route to other destinations, I'm as likely to end up in the Pentagon parking lot than wherever I'm supposed to be. It's completely irrational because it's only distant psychologically. 

But I may have to overcome my mental block for a trip to Artisan Confections. The website lists two locations:  1025 N. Fillmore Street near the Clarendon Metro (I think I can handle that) and 1333 Chain Bridge Road in McLean (all bets are off particularly since there is also a 1333 Old Chain Bridge Road).

Four stars.  Highly recommend.

Rides with Style

You gotta admire the confidence of someone who drives a car that looks like this:

And for those who wish to go all out in celebrating Christmas, why stop at a wreath on your front fender when you can go all Rudolph?

DC vs. Paris: Part VII

Vélib’ in Paris

And in DC, Capital Bikeshare

Capital Bikeshare has been around since 2008, a year after the launch of Paris's wildly successful Vélib’ program, itself modeled after a program in Lyon. DC's program has been judged a success with over 116 stations in the District and Arlington, over 1,100 bikes, and more than 1 million rides taken. But that's just a piker compared to what you can find in Paris and 30 surrounding communities: a total of 1,800 stations and 20,000 bikes.

Why the difference? For starters, using bikes for transportation has a much stronger history in Europe, enduring from the days of World War II when traveling by car was out of the question. A second distinct but related point is that the vast majority of folks who bike in DC do so for exercise and dress accordingly. You may see a guy in a suit on a bike but trust me, you will never see a woman in heels. Third, Paris is a mixed use city: virtually every neighborhood is a place where people both live and work. There are mixed use neighborhoods in DC but the dominant theme is work downtown, live elsewhere.

A final issue, one still not fully dealt with in DC, is the issue of the helmet. While in my opinion, there are still far too many cyclists going helmetless, there is a sense that a helmet is essential to a safe bike ride. Capital Bikeshare acknowledges this but still hasn't figured out how to dispense helmets at unmanned stations, especially when helmets can't be adjusted for size and people understandably don't want to share headgear. Although the Vélib’ Web site notes, "Port du casque recommandé," you rarely see a Parisian wearing a helmet. If you do, it's a good bet, he or she is actually from the U.S. or Canada. In fact, there have been numerous serious accidents with Vélib’ (including at least six deaths) but thankfully nothing comparable has occurred in DC.

As for me, I'm sticking with the Metro as my preferred method of transportation in both DC and Paris. Kudos to those who bike...as long as they wear a helmet. If you're not convinced, I suggest you watch this short video.

DC vs. Paris: Part II

People gripe plenty about public transportation in both DC and Paris.  The trains are too crowded, they're running too slow, the announcements are inaudible, they fall to pieces at the least change in the weather.  Whatever.  Despite all the problems, I can't imagine myself without it.  I'm just not cut out to live in the suburbs and spend hours in my car, much of the time stuck in traffic. 

The Metro system in DC only dates to the late 1970s (some to the 1980s) and it is built deep underground with crazy long escalators and Washingtonians, impatient sorts that we are, rarely just ride all the way down or up. (A hint to you tourists:  ride on the right, walk on the left.)

By contrast, the Parisian Metro, much of it dating to the turn of the 20th century, lies just beneath the streets.  There are always stairs, rarely escalators, a sore spot for the disabled, the stroller set, and anyone with a suitcase.

Different?  Not so much.  When I arrived at my destination this week, lugging a rolling suitcase with books and files destined for my new office, what did I confront but a broken escalator.  It was Paris all over again.

Product Placement

Thanks to living in a neighborhood with many conveniences (one being proximity to public transportation) and owning a hybrid car, I don't spend a lot of time at the pump.  On one of my rare trips to the gas station the other day, I noticed this ad with the headline "The Price of Gas" positioned above the pump.  Shall we take a closer look?

Since you probably can't read the copy at the bottom of this ad for Amtrak, I'll help out.  It says:  "Avoiding the high price of gasoline (not to mention traffic, tolls, and construction) is as easy as hopping on the Northeast Regional."  Don't you find it kind of surprising that this gas company is accepting what amounts to an anti-driving ad?  Kind of like having an ad for Weight Watchers in an ice cream parlor, if you ask me.  Unfortunately, given the high price of Amtrak tickets and excellent mileage on my car, I think I could drive to New York for a lot less than taking the train.  Which is too bad on so many levels.