This year, it’s Mardi Gras from afar. I’ll be joining some friends at an Asian bistro to celebrate, and I suspect I’ll be doing without any étouffée.
From étouffée to King Cakes, Mardi Gras is a celebration for the senses. For weeks, parades, street fests, music, food and camaraderie reign.
Many things bind people with this holiday and one of them is the King Cake. The history is a bit foggy (too many hurricanes?) but the origins are decidedly French. The cake is believed to have come from France in 1870. And from there, the rest is history.
The history of the King Cake meanders a bit, rather like the Mississippi itself, and over the years it’s taken a variety of forms. But at heart, it is a rich cake/pastry concoction decorated with the royal colors of purple (Justice), green (Faith) and gold (Power). Buried somewhere in the cake is a small plastic baby. He/she who gets the piece with the baby becomes King for the day and must host then next party and provide the King Cake.
A traditional King Cake decorated in green, gold and purple
Some cakes are more pastry like, like this one.
So it goes, and the good times roll.
Over the years the cakes have gotten more elaborate and creative. But my personal favorite is brioche based. I can still taste the rich brioche from my favorite New Orleans bakery uptown, where butter and bliss meet in cake form.
Beyond King Cake, New Orleans offers all its usual foods. And it’s the incredible combination of foods and food sources, ethnicities and flavors that I find endlessly fascinating.
Consider gumbo. It starts with the careful development of a dark roux (butter/oil and flour cooked to mahogany perfection, and never burned).
After the roux comes a vegetable base with any combination of foods.
Traditional Creole cajun court bouillon with fish and seafood gumbo
African okra might be cooked into the gumbo to lend its stickiness to thicken the stew. Or Indian file may provide a thickening agent to pull the dish together.
Okra lends body and substance to gumbo
Then there may be some Cajun sausage, Spanish peppers, oysters, shrimp and whatever other seafood strikes ones fancy. Crawfish. Chicken. Duck. What’s your pleasure?
And then it’s all served over Chinese white rice, with hot French bread.
It’s a world tour de culinary force in a simple bowl.
The history of food is always fascinating and some of my favorite cuisines are an amalgam of different cultures, times and ingredients. One of the things I admire about New Orleans cooking is how they’ve kept alive the classics, while continuing to evolve the food for more modern tastes. History hasn’t stifled innovation. To the contrary, the melting pot history has encouraged ever new takes on the regional culinary dialect.
Dinner at Sobu, New Orleans
So on this day, Fat Tuesday, when all of New Orleans, eats, drinks and rocks and rolls, I will (in such typical American fashion) raise my glass and nod to this noble tradition. As I enjoy the pan-Asian flavors (think a combination of Chinese, Thai and whatnot) at Jinja here in Santa Fe.
More Reading on New Orleans
These posts are from the YOLO (You Only Live Once) section of the blog. They are some old excerpts from a not yet finished book (Adventures By Sailplane) and trace the curious set of events that led to my becoming a pilot. And it all started, in its own strange way, in New Orleans.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
The NATJA Awards (North American Travel Journalists Association) for travel writing were held on February 15th in L.A. this year. And I am immensely grateful to be one of this year’s award winners.
CancerRoadTrip: An Award Winning Website
It was a short but fun trip. Here’s the itinerary:
New Mexico to L.A.
I departed from Albuquerque.
The New Mexico landscape from the air, looking south from Albuquerque
It is always a bit jarring to see the vast, seemingly endless New Mexican desert from the air. The expanse of sand and dust seems interminable. Were this to be my only view of the state, I would be rapidly on my way. Yet I know that just an hour to the north, nestled at the base of the mountains at 7,200 feet is the magic of Santa Fe. And to the south are the majestic landscapes of Bosque del Apache and White Sands.
But today all eyes are on L.A. I’m looking forward to a quick visit for the NATJA Awards and anything else I can conjure up.
The forecast is for rain.
Nearly constant rain.
I check the weather app, looking for windows without precipitation and plan my wanderings accordingly.
Downtown LA peaks out from the rainy skies as we approach LAX
And, with a late afternoon arrival, I naturally focus on where to eat.
Little Tokyo
The dark skies have parted and the lights of Little Tokyo beckon. Living in the fabulous but land locked Santa Fe, I am on a quest for fish. For sushi. Or perhaps ramen. I walk, open to what I may find.
I have the name of several places jotted down and I pass Komasa. There is already a line, so I add my name to the list.
Peering through the blinds at Komasa, I watch the sushi being made.
With a 45 minute wait, it’s time to wander a bit.
The crowds are young and lively. Pleasant and polite. But then it is Valentine’s Day and many a couple are out for an evening meal. And I cannot think of a better place to go! My only regret is that I won’t have more time here, to explore not only sushi, but some highly acclaimed ramen dishes as well.
Numerous small restaurants, most of them fairly plain, offer all sorts of luscious looking food. The entry to one of the main arcades in Little Tokyo is decorated with lanterns that sway gently in the breeze.
The entry to Japanese Village Plaza
I’ve opted this evening for sushi over ramen. Most of the sushi I have known has been characterized by much rice, packed too tightly. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was about to be pleasantly surprised.
A bowl of warm miso broth with clams wards off the dampness of the evening, and the sushi is superb. Fresh fish, not too chilled, over a small, perfectly cooked and formed mound of rice. Not too much rice; the fish dominates the dish.
Miso soup with clams in Little Tokyo
Sushi!
Unagj, perfectly grilled and utterly yummy.
The pickled ginger is spicy, sweet and a little hot. It pops with a small explosion of flavor in my mouth. The tuna, salmon and unagi are simply sublime, as is a small eel and avocado roll.
Satiated and satisfied, it was one of those “life is good” moments.
So it was that my arrival evening included a wonderful culinary welcome to Downtown LA and the NATJA Awards.
Downtown LA: Grand Central Market and The Broad
The NATJA Awards are scheduled for this evening, Friday evening, so I have the day to myself. As an early riser, I decide to check out some of the market areas. The museums won’t open for hours, and the forecast calls for rain by early afternoon. So, enjoying a brief respite from the storm that is blanketing the entire west coast, I head out for the Flower Market.
Flowers are always, pretty, right?
But the Uber drops me in what seems to be a pretty marginal neighborhood. I slip my camera bag over my head and shoulders for security and I walk.
The Flower Market is more of a district than a location. It’s a working market, in a wholesale area and it doesn’t have the visual appeal of some of the more touristy oriented markets I’ve seen elsewhere.
So I continue to walk.
And walk.
And eventually, some miles later, even for this person who doesn’t eat breakfast, it was time for some breakfast.
The Grand Central Market was on my radar scope, so I headed in that direction.
And I’m grateful I did. Because I encountered EggSlut.
EggSlut opens to the sidewalk, where people take their luscious egg preparations to sidewalk tables, where they eat, chat and watch the world go by.
And this is why it’s called EggSlut. Really.
EggSlut started off as a food truck and has evolved into a series of popular L.A. eateries. Founded in 2011, it’s a “chef driven, gourmet food concept” focused on the egg. This EggSlut location, at the Grand Central Market, already had a line forming. I queued up and regarded the menu.
What to order?
The Fairfax, a ” cage-free soft scrambled eggs and chives, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sriracha mayo in a warm brioche bun”? (Which can be extra slutted up with avocado and bacon.)
Or perhaps a Gaucho: “seared wagyu tri-tip steak, cage-free over medium egg, chimichurri, red onions and dressed arugula in a warm brioche bun”
Or something else?
I opted for my buttery, gently cooked eggs on a warm brioche bun topped with a bit of a mayo mixture, cheddar cheese and turkey sausage. The yolk oozed into the brioche, dripping slightly into the waxed wrapper.
With food like this, I could eat breakfast all day long.
If you’re in L.A. search out an EggSlut. You’ll be glad you did.
The Grand Central Market is best described as an upscale, cheap eats place, with some good food. Some of the food that wasn’t so good was (so sadly!) at The Oyster Gourmet which I later visited for lunch. The Oyster Gourmet was highly touted in any number of articles, but my experience was decidedly sub-standard.
The sign points to oysters…but my experience wasn’t great
The oyster specials of the day were Sunset Beach (Washington); Paradise Cove (B.C.Canada); and Grey Pearl (Baja). Quite frankly one was more disappointing than the next. The Grey Pearls were too salty to be pleasant, apart from their nice, almost crisp texture. The Paradise Cove were also salty and lacked the wow of a great oyster. The Sunsets were billed as similar to a Kumamoto, but none of that lovely mineralogy was present.
I don’t know if it was an off day for The Oyster Gourmet, but these were honestly some of the most disappointing oysters I’ve ever encountered. Anywhere.
So, with the storm clouds gathering overhead threatening an ongoing deluge of rain for the remainder of the day, it was onto the Broad Museum.
The Broad, DTLA (Downtown L.A.)
Angels Flight offers a lift versus a steep and long set of stairs.
Angels Flight is a 298 foot long, 117-year-old funicular that runs between Hill Street and Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill. Originally opened in 1901, it was billed as the world’s shortest railway. From the Grand Central Market, it offered something of a shortcut and an L.A. tourist experience, en route to my next stop at The Broad. (Pronounced BRODE).
The Broad is a contemporary art museum not far from Grand Central Market. It was still too early for the museum to open, but a standing line starts to form well before the museum opens. I spent a bit of time sitting, watching the people pass on the street, before I too joined the stand-by line. Should you visit L.A., you might want to consider ordering your tickets in advance to avoid the queue and guarantee access to certain exhibits.
The trees provided a great frame for watching people walk by, as I waited for the museum to open
The standing line awaiting entry at The Broad. A view from the inside, out.
A young man silhouetted against the entry at The Broad
The exhibit that most intrigued me was Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms, of which The Souls Of Millions Of Light Years Away was available with a bit of a wait:
My taking a photo in Yayoi Kusama’s The Souls Of Millions Of Light Years Away
A rare picture of the person behind the camera, yours truly!
And then the rain recommenced.
I indulged in a late afternoon nap, then headed over the The City Club Los Angeles for the NATJA Awards Ceremony.
The City Club is located on the top floor of 555 Flower Street with a sweeping night time view of Los Angeles. And we were lucky enough to enjoy the panorama, as the clouds lifted and the skies cleared.
The room was filled with writers from all facets of life. And of course the Keith Bellows Award winner, Jayme Moye, whose adventuresome forays were a worthy winner of this prestigious award named after the long time editor-in-chief of the National Geographic Traveler. Jayme is the first woman to win this award. Former recipients of the award were travel writers Andrew McCarthy and David Noyes.
I was honored to be among this fun loving, traveling and talented crew of travel writers. Thank you NATJA for such a great experience!
CancerRoadTrip NATJA Awards
Over one thousand entries were received. CancerRoadTrip won the following awards:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Each year the Santa Fe Opera offers a wonderful season of art, song and music, starting in June and running through August. Even if you’re not an opera aficionado, treat yourself to just one performance. You will never see another opera company like this.
The stage is semi en pleine air. Either side of the building is open to the elements. The back of the stage opens to a view towards the Jemez Mountains.
En pleine air also translates into a variety of opera wear. The Santa Fe Opera season occurs partly during the local “monsoon season” which brings torrential downpours that drop the temperature twenty degrees and more. Opera attire is whatever keeps you warm and dry and happy.
Opera holds a special place in my heart. I saw my first opera many years ago in Budapest. There was something about the magic of the stage, the costumes and the music that immediately captivated me. I have been an opera fan ever since, and naturally I was curious about the Santa Fe Opera.
During the 2018 season, I attended two performances, Madame Butterfly and Doctor Atomic. Madame Butterfly is a classic, and this performance did not disappoint.
The set featured a steel box at center state, fitted with sliding Japanese style wood and paper doors, to frame the “building”. Mats, flags and other accoutrements decorated the house and a ramp backstage provided ingress and egress.
The change over between scenes flowed seamlessly, as stage hands rotated the structure, added some props, removed others and set the stage for the stunning finale.
The Santa Fe Opera staging for Madame Butterfly
Madame Butterly is everything I love about the opera. Beautiful staging, costume, music and song.
This particular evening, it poured rain and the temperature plummeted. I bundled up even as I sobbed at the spectacular finale. Rain, thunder, tears and applause. A standing ovation from the crowd for such a stunning performance. What a wonderful evening!
Admittedly, the indoor/outdoor aspect of the Santa Fe Opera is a bit quirky. And when you come down to it, in someways the Santa Fe opera experience is not at all opera-like.
It’s even better.
Where else can you tailgate,
curl up in a warm wrap to ward off the cold,
and enjoy world class opera?
Outside in the courtyard of the Santa Fe Opera house are posters for the season’s performance.
Yes, tailgate. More on that in a moment.
The opera building itself is situated on the top of a mesa. The original building built by John Crosby in 1957 was an open air theatre. The audience sat on wooden benches. Here attendees were subject to the wind and rain mid-summer. In 1965 a mezzanine was added.
And in 1967, for better and for worse, the entire structure burned to the ground.
The opportunity to build a new opera was taken seriously and what has emerged is simply astonishing. It’s a structure that allows the outdoors in, mostly sheltering the audience from the sometimes torrential mid summer rains. And inside 2,128 people seated and an additional 106 standing positions allow everyone to attend.
Each year the Opera offers an eclectic and interesting array of productions. This past year’s opera season offered a foray into history, culture and even science. Plus of course, a bit of tailgating.
The opera house is an indoor/outdoor building. The white “flags” in the background are wind baffles. And in the parking lot: tailgating is de riguer.
The exterior of the Santa Fe Opera boasts some fairly contemporary trusses, highlighted here against a stormy sky.
Tailgating at The Santa Fe Opera
Tailgating is de riguer at this opera. Dress up; dress down; but bring something to eat, drink and share.
Tall rain clouds build over the Sangre de Cristo mountains, as seen from the Santa Fe Opera parking lot where the tailgaters gather.
In the parking lots and small picnic areas, people gather to mix, mingle, eat, drink and celebrate opera season in Santa Fe. Food is also available through the Opera, but many locals prefer to host their own parties. From elaborate spreads to simple picnics, everyone gathers as they wait for the 8pm show.
Opera has something of an elitist reputation. But Santa Fe presents a very different experience that will redefine your notion of this art form.
Be prepared to open your heart to its music.
Photo credit: iStock
Santa Fe Opera Tours: Behind The Scenes
The art of the opera becomes apparent with a behind the scenes tour. The actual opera house is just the tip of the iceberg. Below the stage is a community unto itself where costumes are made; wigs are woven; music is practiced; and stages are created.
The tours provide a personal, in depth look at the wide range of people, skills and talents it takes to present a performance. From hand made and customized costumes, to the set storage room which houses all sorts of interesting on stage accoutrements, the docent led tour is well worth while. It offers an eye opening glimpse of the gargantuan effort behind the art. Upon seeing this, I have to admit that two hundred dollars or so for a seat didn’t seem quite so extravagant. (More on the ways on how to find a $15 Opera experience below).
Down the drive is Opera Ranch, a village that houses the seasonal musicians and performers. Tours for the ranch are also offered, starting starting in the Spring/Summer. Check with the Opera directly for details.
Opera ticket holders also have access to a free prelude talk the evening of the performance. Two talks are offered, one two hours before the show, and a second one, one hour prior to the show. You’ll have to juggle this with your tailgating plans, but make it if you can. The talks are fun, educational and prime you for the coming performance.
Atomic Science Meets The Art of Opera
The Santa Fe Opera 2018
The Santa Fe Opera Season in 2018 offered a most interesting selection. I was fortunate enough to attend two shows: Doctor Atomic and Madame Butterfly.
Promptly at eight o’clock, the sound of the horns rose from the orchestra as the lights dimmed. And so started one of the most beloved operas of all the, Madame Butterfly. The performance was simply sublime. Words can do no justice to the beauty and song of this classic production.
A bit more controversial, however, was Dr. Atomic.
Doctor Atomic is an opera by the contemporary American composer John Adams, with libretto by Peter Sellars. Doctor Atomic premiered in San Francisco in 2005. It’s the story of the 24 hours before the first atomic bomb explosion takes place in New Mexico.
The production received an enormous amount of build up and press. Discussions of war, morality and the role of science filled the air. Scientists from Los Alamos, authors, celebrities and Native Americans offered their thoughts on the events that changed not just their world, but the entire world.
Behind the scenes at the Opera, “The Gadget” (as the first atomic bomb was called) was built–a massive steel ball that would be suspended from the ceiling for the entire performance. With the lights of Los Alamos twinkling in the background, the set was almost surreal.
A massive steel ball/bomb hangs on the set of Dr. Atomic, with the lights of Los Alamos glittering in the background at the Santa Fe Opera
The actual “Gadget” Photo courtesy of the Atomic Heritage Foundation
The History Behind Doctor Atomic
It was at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1945, where scientists came together to develop the atomic bomb under the guidance of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
“Oppenheimer was given undreamed-of resources, huge armies of people, and as much money as he could spend in order to do physics on the grand scale, in order to create this marvelous weapon. And it was a Faustian bargain if ever there was one. Of course, we are still living with it. Once you sell your soul to the devil, there is no going back on it.”
The process of building and testing atomic weapons would have numerous ramifications for the history of both the country and of New Mexico.
The primary test site was at Trinity, which is located at the northern border of the White Sands Missile Range. Here, on the Trinity site, named by Oppenheimer after a poem by John Donne, a base camp was installed for the world’s first nuclear test. The site was very primitive, but within commuting distance of Los Alamos where the scientists lived.
Map showing the Trinity test site
Wartime urgency and secrecy, combined with the remote locale, made for difficult conditions. Men camped first in tents, and later a rudimentary camp was built. It was here that the bomb would be assembled and tested.
“Much of the preparation for the Trinity test encountered setbacks. The challenges faced in developing the Trinity site were numerous and multifaceted, and there were often close calls that could have jeopardized the outcome of the entire project. Some were almost comical, such as when Kenneth Greisen was pulled over for speeding in Albuquerque while he was driving detonators to Trinity four days before the test. He could have been delayed by several days had the officer checked the contents of his trunk.
A more ominous event was the actual process of winching the Gadget to the top of its tower at the test site. As it was being raised to the top, it came partially unhinged and began to sway. Many observers were stricken with panic at the possibility of the bomb accidentally falling from the tower and detonating, but the Gadget was eventually righted and made its way to the top of the tower without further incident.”
On July 16, 1945 the “Gadget” was detonated. The mushroom cloud climbed nearly eight miles high and left a crater over 1,000 feet wide. The test was so powerful that the sand melted in the blast and formed a green glasslike substance called Trinitite.
The 24 hour period preceding the atomic blast is the basis for the opera Dr. Atomic.
The Aftermath
Doctor Atomic brought out the mixed and often raw emotions that emerged from the nuclear era in New Mexico, where world class scientists labored under the secrecy of war, while local people saw their land and lives inconceivably and irrevocably destroyed.
How does one reconcile centuries of Pueblo tradition with an atomic bomb that forever altered the land and the people’s sacred relationship with it?
How does one balance wartime urgency and human decency?
It’s a drama of historic proportions that is still playing out today.
And many of the players are still seeking a way to heal.
Healing Through Music, Dance and Prayer
“Art is a wound turned into light.” ~ Georges Braque
Art takes many forms. Dance is one.
In the Pueblo culture, ceremonial dances are ancient prayers. These dances are learned through practice and performance, and thus handed down from one generation to the next. They are considered sacred. Some dances are seldom if ever shared with outsiders.
At the performance of Doctor Atomic, the people of the Santa Clara, San Ildefonso and Tesuque Pueblos came together in prayer, in the form of a Corn Dance.
They were joined on stage by a group of Downwinders, the people who lived downwind from the blast, and to this day are still dealing with the repercussions of the radioactive fallout.
Together this stage performance was intended as a community, cultural and spiritual offering towards healing the wounds of the atomic era.
This confluence of opera, history and the peoples of New Mexico offered a difficult look at the past, and the diverse factions that make up this eclectic state. The promise of science versus the deep rooted connection to the earth; the urgency of war versus a centuries old way of life; the intellect of building the bomb versus the very human experience of its repercussions. New Mexico is a place where ancient tradition and modernity live side by side.
Tradition and modernity meet and mingle at the Gathering of Nations PowWow, a celebration of Indian culture and tradition
Local interest was naturally very high and the history of Doctor Atomic found its way into various lectures and programs in the lead up to the actual performance. The Lensic Theatre, a study in Moorish and Spanish Renaissance style architecture, was the primary venue for the talks.
While I adored the ongoing education and discussions, for me, the actual performance lacked all the things I love about opera: the elaborate costumes and the beautiful music that transport one in sight and sound. The ominous musical score cast a heavy sense of doom over the performance. But perhaps that was as it should be.
But my advice, particularly if you are buying expensive seats, is to stick to the fabulous classics. You won’t be disappointed.
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
My experience with the 2018 season at the Opera was, overall, terrific. It’s now on the annual must do list and, among other shows, The classic La Boheme is on the 2019 agenda.
The performance of Doctor Atomic underscored the unique the peoples, histories and experiences of New Mexico. In this varied land, ancient history and timeless geography blend with modern day realities. Descendants of the Pueblos keep their culture alive, even as the Los Alamos Labs continue in their scientific quests. To the south, the movie industry flourishes with studios from Netflix and NBC Universal. Rocket scientists, artists, Native Americans and people from around the world are somehow drawn to this quirky culture.
From O’Keeffe to Oppenheimer, it’s a close knit circle of intellectuals, artists and eccentrics that have paved the future of New Mexico. Perhaps given this eclectic backdrop, it’s not entirely surprising that a performance like Doctor Atomic raised so much interest during the 2018 season. I’m grateful for the reminder of our history, and for the look both back and forward, hopefully in healing.
The Santa Fe Opera Season 2019: Tickets
Tailgating, plus the art of opera, is a quirky and unbeatable combination.
Put the Opera on your Santa Fe must do list! While the premium seats range over $200, the standing spots are a very reasonable $15. This allows just about everyone to go to the opera, at least once.
The mission of the opera is naturally to further the art form. But in addition, the Santa Fe Opera is very educationally oriented.
The Apprentice Program is run by Gayletha Nichols, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. This program has helped to launch some of the most illustrious careers in opera.
Gayletha herself is a formidable force. She’s been active in opera and opera education for decades, starting in Houston, then moving to the New York Met, and now to Santa Fe where she mentors an astonishing range of young talent. The Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Program for Singers has seats that are just $15 for adults and $5 for kids. Cost is not a barrier to enjoying this incredible art form. Check with the Opera for details.
The performance roster at this world class opera company varies annually. Santa Fe Opera Season 2019 features La Boheme, The Pearl Fishers, Cosi Fan Tutte, Jenufa, The Thirteenth Child, Renee Fleming, various apprenticeship scenes, and concerts including one by Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves who was named “New Artist of the Year” by the Country Music Association. Not to mention Ringo Starr. And so much more.
Santa Fe, “The City Different”, with the “Opera Different” as well.
Check it out.
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Reading About The Manhattan Project
There are numerous books written about this period of our history. And many films. But a premier resource if this interests you is the Atomic Heritage Foundation. Everything from interviews to archival footage is available to view.
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
If you’re a film buff, The Matrix is the massively popular film starring Keanu Reeves as Neo. In the film, Neo discovers that his “reality” is a manufactured illusion. Nothing he perceives is real. And as he dives into The Matrix, his education begins.
In a similar fashion, this Matrix Series is intended to shake up some of our preconceptions and to explore a deeper, more meaningful and consciously created life. Through interviews with people across numerous disciplines, we explore the elements that make up our Matrix, those daily choices that determine our thoughts and our experiences.
I am delighted to introduce Wendy Wagner, PhD in this first interview for the new Matrix Series.
Meet Wendy E. Wagner, PhD
“My emphasis is on the correct use of the mind and mindfulness, choosing which thoughts to think.The art of thought, the art of choice.”
Wendy is a cancer survivor with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Tufts University, a Masters’ Degree in Transpersonal Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology from Summit University. She is also also certified as a Master Hypnotist, an Addictions Counselor by the West Coast Institute of Addictive Studies, and a Mindfulness Coach and Doula.
“The source of most disease is in the spirit. Therefore, the spirit can cure most disease.”
–Nicola Tesla
Cancer is a traumatic event for most of us. If we’re honest, it’s a call to pay attention to our body and our soul. How do we use the trauma to grow and heal? What part does our psyche play in healing? How do we enlist the power of our mind?
Wendy and I had a wide ranging discussion about using cancer as a portal towards becoming more conscious. The interview runs over an hour, so I’ve cut it down into shorter segments. In this post are the first three segments.
A Cosmic Cattle Prod
Wendy talks frankly about her own cancer diagnosis, which she calls a “Cosmic Cattle Prod”. It forced her to go within to discover the strength needed to move forward with cancer.
Ancient cultures consider severe illness to be a portal to the soul. The experience is seen as a gateway, a narrow portal, being presented that opens to a totally different dimension if we take the opportunity.
Everything that happens is for your benefit
Wendy has had a number of influential mentors over the years. One posed three statements to ponder:
Everything happens for your benefit
The body is an effect of the mind
There are no neutral thoughts
One can agree or disagree, but each opens a fascinating portal for exploration and discovery.
If one were to approach life from a perspective of learning, what might one learn?
Creating Your Reality With Thought
Science is beginning the explore the power of our minds and its influence on our world view. As Einstein once asked:
“Is the world a friendly place?”
Your answer matters.
If you answer yes, your life experience is one of relative security and curiosity.
If not, it’s one of fear and conflict.
Which path do you choose? Because it is a choice.
Visit Wendy’s website for more videos on her thoughts on the power of the mind.
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
I often refer to the collection of ideas, thoughts, values and perspectives as our Matrix. We each have one that is influenced by our past and our future; by our culture and habits; by our conscious and subconscious.
Our Matrix is not set in stone. Rather, it’s whatever we choose, consciously or not.
I have been on many sides of my own Matrix. Life wish, death wish. Deep disappointment. Joy. Pessimism. Accomplishment. Defeat.
But over the years I’ve found a steadier balance, one of deep connection, care and optimism.
The Matrix is a new section of the blog. I’ll be featuring different people and thoughts on a wide range of topics, all looking at how we construct our Matrix.
My motivation for doing this is cancer (obviously).
I have come to believe strongly that we–as individuals and as a society–are mired in a Matrix that just isn’t working. Forty percent of us (according to the American Cancer Society) will have a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime.
This isn’t just a series of diseases; this is an epidemic. For numbers like this to exist, I have to believe:
There’s something seriously wrong with our Matrix.
Our food, our water, and our air are part of an environmental Matrix. But so are our choices and our thoughts.
Dean Ornish, M.D. (and many others) have shown that we have control of our health destiny through our genetic expression. Genetic expression, in turn, is partly a function of our daily habits and choices.
And our outlook. Because our brain impacts our biology.
The Matrix will explore people, thoughts and ideas on how we might construct better health and well being. And anything is game!
So I hope you’ll stay tuned as this new section of the blog is developed.
What’s in Your Matrix?
What’s in your matrix?
For many years I had a material matrix. I wanted a nice house, a home base. I finally had one only when I divorced. And I filled it with beautiful things and the stuff of adventure. A kayak to explore; old maps that traced how our world view changed over time; books to follow the tales of others. It was a combination of physical, intellectual and tangible exploration.
Relationships, jobs, schools…they are all part of our matrix.
I’ve had various relational matrixes as part of my life. I went to such and such a school; I married so and so; I lived here or there. I know so and so. Dog owner, cat owner, employer, employee. We all know how that goes.
But my favorite matrixes have been the experiential. Because experience is exquisitely present moment and therefore boundless.
I love the experience of a new place, full of possibility and surprise.
“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.”
–Anthony Bourdain
And in the unknown is a bit of adventure.
If you could consciously construct your Matrix, what would you choose? Would you be willing to go on an adventure, to let go of the old and familiar, to build a new path forward?
Is your Matrix material, relational, experiential, spiritual? Or perhaps a bit of each?
Ultimately, our Matrix is whatever we want it to be.
And that’s where healing travel comes in,
to help us shake up our lives and reconsider our Matrix.
Because…
Travel surprises.
Travel challenges.
And travel can heal.
It heals by forcing us to look at ourselves and at our world anew.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable.
Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart.
But that’s okay.
The journey changes you; it should change you.
It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness,
on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you.
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
I am not naturally drawn to the beach. Like my semi-indifference to chocolate, some might consider this a character flaw.
But it’s just that the beach bores me after a day or two.
This indifference to surf and sand most likely has its roots in my youth. Many summers were spent along the Mediterranean, where culture, food, history and seaside met. My beach was never boring. There were languages to learn (or at least navigate); ruins to explore; new foods to sample and try.
People were different too, in their dress and their ways. From the ubiquitous black garb of Greek widows, to the topless beaches of the south of France, every new beach meant new experiences. Rocky beaches; sandy beaches; port towns made of ancient stones withstanding the sea.
The constant in all this is of course the water. The magnificent water. The water that lured travelers, then and now, to their beaches, to new adventures. That quest is universal.
So it was I found myself in Cayucos, CA for a few days.
Cayucos is well north of Santa Barbara, just above Morro Bay. It’s a quiet, sleepy town. Some blogger has no doubt chronicaled the top five things to do in Cayucos, but the town is really just an excuse to unwind. There’s not much here, other than miles of beautiful beach just made for winter walking.
But after a few days and a few miles, I was ready for some more adventure. And part of it came through a bit of travel serendipity in the form of a canceled flight.
My return flight was for early Sunday morning, which meant driving through fog to the airport at o-dark-o’clock. Only to find that the entire flight was canceled. No reason was given. Hundreds of travelers simply found themselves stranded. (Thank you United).
And being stranded turned out to be the most wonderful adventure of all.
After reclaiming my rental car, I decided to head to Edna Valley. I’d spent a part of a day earlier in the week wine tasting in the Arroyo Grande AVA and in Avila Beach. With a full day on my hands, it was time to explore a bit and perhaps check out some other wineries in the area.
Pinot in the Central Coast
The central coast of California is characterized by hills, bathed in cooling ocean breezes during the night and hot sunshine during the day.
In short, perfect Pinot weather.
And I just love Pinot.
I love Pinot for its flavor.
I love Pinot for its persnickety nature and the fact that it’s a single varietal. (That means that Pinots are not blended with other grapes, to produce a more commercially palatable wine).
With Pinot, it’s careful cultivation of the grape and the ability of the wine maker that makes or breaks the wine.
And, of course, Mother Nature in the form of the weather.
I’ve given up drinking by and large, to lose some weight and to hopefully give every chance possible to my cancer remission, but I still have room for a bit of wine here and there, now and then. Particularly when it comes to Pinot. And a canceled flight seemed like just the right cause for a bit of celebration.
While most people think of Paso Robles for central coast wines, San Luis Obispo–or SLO to the locals–is perfectly located to visit some of the more off the beaten path AVAs. Edna Valley, located just south of SLO, is one such destination.
The Edna Valley AVA is just a few miles outside of San Luis Obispo
A Central Coast Pinot Quest
The combination of mountains, sea and vineyard is breathtaking.
Fall in wine country is simply stunning. The grapes have ripened and been picked, and all the hoopla of harvest is past. But in their wake are uncrowded tasting rooms, stunning landscapes and some excellent wine.
Casks stacked roadside off Tiffany Ranch Rd. in Edna Valley.
San Luis Obispo is perfectly located for a bit of Pinot exploration. It’s a town with everything you need from Trader Joe’s to $20 tacos (it is, after all, California), and it’s just a few miles from the Edna Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). AVAs, much like the French regional appellations, define the geographic bounds of a wine producing area.
Chardonnay, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc and other grapes grace the hills, but I am on a Pinot quest. And one of the most interesting Pinot tastings was at Sinor-LaVallee where the winemaker grows his grapes on a hillside vineyard near the Avila Beach tasting room.
Just 1.2 miles from the coast, these vineyards lie outside any of the established AVAs. Five blocks each of Pinot and Syrah; a block each of Chardonnay, Albarino and Grenache; and 2 blocks of Pinot Gris grace these hills. And in the tasting room, a most interesting and unusual pinot tasting intrigued me.
Three Pinots are presented.
The first was a 2015 Pinot Noir White Label. This Pinot is on the light and bright side and totally enjoyable. It was followed by the 2015 Pinot Noir SLO/Estate and the 2015 Black Label. The latter two are progressively richer, fuller Pinots. But what made the tasting so interesting was the fact that the grapes for the White label are picked early. The Estate label is picked during the general harvest, and the Black Label is picked late.
The same grapes; the same vineyard; same year; different pick times.
Which results in three totally different wines.
And all are single varietals (Pinot Noir), fully subject to the will of Mother Nature.
Sinor-Lavallee is a fun and most interesting tasting, with an excellent, slightly quirky wine selection. Be sure to stop in.
***
A lunch dockside in Avila included some local scenes:
Sea lion basking on a floating dock in Avila harbor
Avila is a working harbor, and these buoys are part of the scene.
Fishing boat, Avila harbor
And a bowl of steamed clams with garlic bread for lunch:
Steamed clams on the dock for lunch.
On this day I was traveling with two friends and their quest directed our foray. First it was to Peacock Winery where a wine pick up for a party was part of our itinerary.
Even in late November, it’s still fall in the Central Coast. The grapevines are bare, but golden leaves linger on the vine.
Old trucks are a must have for any winery!
One stunning view after another.
From there, it was to Kynsi, which means talon in Finnish. An odd name for a winery?
Perhaps.
The winery started in an old dairy that had a serious gopher problem. To deal with the gophers, barn owls were introduced to the property. A nesting pair of owls can deal with up to 40 gophers a night! Needless to say, the gopher problem was managed and Kynsi, in a nod to Owner/Winemakers Don and Gwen Othman’s Finnish heritage, became the name of the winery.
The Finish roots of the winery owners inspired the name of Kynsi.
Kynsi is well known for their Pinots, and for good reason. Located in the heart of the Edna Valley, their vineyards benefit from the cool coastal weather and the expertise of their winemakers.
Among the Pinots in the tasting room were a 2017 Pinot Rose; a 2015 Pinot Bien Nacido Vineyard (94 Points Wine Enthusiast); a 2015 Stone Corral Vineyard (92 Points Wine Enthusiast); and a Hutash Harvest Cuvee which was a blend of Syrah and Pinot.
The Pinots were truly exceptional.
The Stone Corral Vineyard is a property shared with Talley and Steven Ross Vineyards. An annual dinner celebrating the vineyard and winemakers features the grapes, produced and bottled by each winemaker. Naturally, in spite of identical grapes, each wine is different, representing the unique take and talent of each winemaker.
This, I think, has to be on the annual must do list. I love the endless skill, judgement and artistry of creating a wonderful Pinot and a chance to consider three very different styles, side by side, is simply irresistible.
An old barn at Kynsi Winery, with Edna Valley hills in the background.
The Edna Valley really is Pinot Heaven. The entire area is just a few miles south of San Luis Obispo. Highway 227 and Orcutt Road offer an easy way to navigate the area. The most difficult decision is which wineries to choose.
With an extra and unexpected day to explore (thanks to my canceled flight) I set out, not quite sure what the day would hold. And lo and behold, it turned into an adventure. A CancerRoadTrip adventure.
After a hearty breakfast, my first stop of the day was at Claiborne & Churchill, a small vineyard that produces a variety of wines. Naturally, I gravitated to the Pinots.
The vineyards and countryside of Claiborne & Churchill
Founded in 1983, Claiborne & Churchill is a premium Edna Valley winery.
The winery was founded in 1983 by Claiborne (Clay) Thompson and Fredericka Churchill Thompson, two University of Michigan teachers who decided that the wine life beckoned. And over the years they’ve built a solid reputation for excellent wine.
The tasting started off with a 2016 Chardonnay Greengate Ranch & Vineyard which was well balanced and lovely. It was followed by a 2017 Dry Riesling from the Edna Valley. I have a soft spot for Dry Rieslings and if I still had a wine cellar, this would be in it.
The whites were followed by, you guessed it, Pinots and a Syrah/Grenache combination. The 2016 Classic Estate Pinot Noir and the 2016 Runestone Pinot Noir both scored 91 points with Wine Enthusiast. While I’m not into the nuances of rankings, I have found that most wines over 90 points are worthwhile and these were no exception. Both were European style pinots (my preference) that allowed the grape to shine through in a young, very drinkable, but complex wine. Lovely.
Wines always taste sooo good at the winery. It’s part experience and part ambiance, and in this case, part Pinot. The day was off to a good start!
I’ve always been a fan of cooler weather wines. Upon arriving in Tahoe back in the late 90’s, visits to Napa, Sonoma and eventually further north into the Russian River Valley and beyond, were part of life. The cooler the vineyard, the more I tended towards the wine and varietals.
And now, in Edna Valley, well south of my former haunts, I find myself in a still cooler region that produces some of my favorite Pinots. I didn’t have time to get down to the Sta. Rita Hills and the vineyards just north of Santa Barbara (which hosts 59 vineyards, with 2,700 hundred acres of Pinot Noir), but another trip, another time. Life is short and I have decided that for the remainder of mine, a bit of pinot now and then is tres necessaire.
In addition to Pinot, the region produces numerous other cool weather wines including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Albarino, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and other varietals. But today, I am on a Pinot quest.
Located off Orcutt Road in a yellow schoolhouse, the tasting room is charming. A bocce ball court outside provides a place to sip and play in this vineyard founded by Catharine Niven back in 1973. The winery, Baileyana, is named after the town where she met her husband, Jack.
Catharine was something of a trailblazer, a woman in a man’s world, starting a vineyard in an untraditional location to make wines in the European style. But Catharine’s foresight panned out, as shown by the wonderful selection of wines available at the tasting room.
The old schoolhouse looks out over acres of stunning vineyards and hills.
Including, of course, some terrific Pinot. (Is a theme emerging here?)
The vineyards at Talley.
And so it was, up and down the valley until I found myself at Talley Vineyards.
And that is where the real adventure began. Because at Talley I met some fellow Pinot seekers and a stem cell transplant survivor (leukemia). We talked of the outdoors, of life and about the beautiful Edna Valley. Conversation eventually led to our mutual cancer tales and the story of CancerRoadTrip, my evolving adventures and the next phase of growth with the retreats for others.
And what followed was a most unexpected and amazing introduction. The introduction is taking a few days to unfold as emails cross paths over the holidays. But thanks to Craig and Patty–my new Pinot friends– I have a very warm introduction to a highly acclaimed film producer who has (thanks to Craig’s introduction) indicated at least an initial interest in learning more about CancerRoadTrip.
This is my Christmas present this year.
Along with fond memories and a few bottles of good Pinot!
No, this is not the result of too much wine, but of a very low shutter speed.
If there was a lesson from this foray, it is that sometimes a bit of travel serendipity takes you to the most interesting places, where one meets the most interesting people. It requires being able to see the opportunity in a bit of chaos, revamping one’s plans, and moving on. Sometimes a change of plans may just be meant to be.
“Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?
Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.”
― Emery Allen
I want to thank United Airlines for leaving us all stranded, with no explanation, at six in the morning. Because thanks to you, I had a most interesting day.
A day of total travel serendipity accompanied by some most excellent Pinot.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Inspiration, joy & discovery through travel. Oh, did I mention with supposedly incurable cancer?
What's on your bucket list?
Thank you for stopping by!
CancerRoadTrip is about making lemonade out of lemons.
As you read my story, you may want to start at the beginning to "grok" how CancerRoadTrip came to be. You can click here to start at the end (which is actually the beginning) and read forward! The posts are chronological, with the most recent posts appearing on the front page.
, his education begins.
by Gregg Braden
