Green Day in NYC: Part 2

PART 2

......there I was at Dickson's Farmstand and remembered my poring spouts. I walked towards the Tenth Avenue entrance of the Market and found what appeared to be a not so large storefront stacked with glassware. I felt a pang of disappointment thinking this was an outlet store for cheap glassware and dishes. How wrong I was. Beyond the glassware, the store opened up into a beehive of customers and kitchenware.

Bowery Kitchen Supplies, for both professionals and home cooks, is an orgy of cookware and utensils. I found not just one, but four choices of pouring spouts for my olive oil tasting and managed to get out of there with only my six spouts - it was close though, as every aisle and shelf had either a useful, beautiful or intriguing item calling my name.

By this time I had worked up a hunger and while there were numerous choices I opted for The Green Table specializing in organic and local foods from area farmers. They serve organic meat as well as organic vegetables and beverages. The farms they purchase from include Hawthorne Valley Farm, a biodynamic farm in upstate New York, Flying Pigs Farm, Old Chatham Sheepherding, and many others. For people such as myself that must regrettably steer clear of caffeine, The Green Table offers a refreshing Iced Upaya, which is spiced Rooibos (pronounced roy-bus), a South African legume tea.

Satiated, I left the Market and headed east on 15th street passing The Rudolf Steiner Bookstore offering the largest selection of Steiner-inspired books in New York City, and The Tibet House, an educational center promoting Tibetan culture including a lending library, art gallery, and courses.

Fifteenth Street dead-ends into Union Square Park which seems to have perpetual green market stalls as well as craft and gift vendors. Consider Bardwell Farms makes especially fine raw milk goat cheese from goats fed on pesticide-free pastures in Vermont and you will find their stand towards the north end of the park.

On this fresh September day their was a two-day open air exhibit, Sukkah City 2010, with twelve unusual and creative Sukkahs. Sukkahs are temporary structures built as part of the seven-day Jewish agricultural and harvest festival Sukkot. Traditionally Sukkah’s must be constructed using natural materials especially on the roof, and celebrants eat meals and sometimes sleep in the Sukkah for the duration of the festival. View the Union Square Sukkahs here.

One last stop before making my way back to my lodging was to Astor Wines & Spirits, south and east of Union Square. On my way I stopped to quench my thirst at Le Pain Quotidien, a Belgium chain of restaurants serving natural and organic foods with locations all over Manhattan. This one, at Fifth Avenue and 8th Street, was right on my route and I could get a take-out Mint-Lemonade made with organic agave nectar instead of sugar.

Astor Wines is a large store stocked with a huge assortment of wines and liquors, including organic varieties. I was on the search for organic gin to go with my just purchased organic Q-Tonic. I was in luck. Midwest organic grain farmers are getting into the specialty liquor market and there were multiple brands of organic gin as well as vodka.

I opted to try Farmer's Gin, since they serve it at The Green Table. It is made in the United States with certified organic grains as well as Juniper, Elderflower, Lemongrass, Coriander, and Angelica Root.

As soon as I am home I will rustle up some organic limes so I can  mix up a fully organic gin and tonic - results to follow....

Green Day In NYC

PART I
The train from Vermont to New York City is neither high-speed or even regular-speed, but tragically a slow-speed, making public transit between bucolic Vermont and New York City limited and difficult. Fortunately the Dartmouth Coach has started a daily service to New York City making the trip not just easy, but luxurious.

After arriving and  relieving myself of my bags, I set off to enjoy the afternoon - a glorious September day in Manhattan - sunny, with a slight breeze and bright blue sky.

My first stop was Kitchen Arts & Letters. If you are a cook or foodie who loves books this is your spot. Floor to ceiling cookbooks, wine guides, food memoirs, books about kitchen design, nutrition and food storage cover this not very large store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. You can find DVDs of Julia Child’s television show that I vividly remember watching as a young girl on New York’s Channel 13. I was really too young to appreciate the knowledge she was imparting, but coming from a home where no one cooked anything except frozen fish sticks and grilled-cheese sandwiches, I marveled at her kitchen prowess, her voice (which I loved) and found her comforting - like a relative I should have had but didn’t.

Kitchen Arts & Letters has two full shelves of books about the politics of food - not just the more well known books like Food, Inc. (which if you haven’t, you should read - or see the film), but a variety of lesser known but no less important titles.  They also have books for travelers - books highlighting food in different countries as well as right there in New York such as a guide to New York Markets (very useful). Beyond the cookbooks and wine guides, the serious cook will find out-of-print and foreign books available as well.

Next stop was the Idlewild independent bookstore, already a favorite haunt of mine, not just because they sell my Traveling Naturally Guides, but also because they are a specialized store focused on one of my favorite subjects - travel. Organized by country, Idlewild sells not only an excellent selection of guidebooks, but also literature from each country. People living in the city can take advantage of their ten-week language immersion courses concentrating on conversation.

Out of Idlewild I headed west on 19th street to 9th Avenue. I could have stopped at any number of restaurants and shops along the way. When I was a kid in New York, West 14th up through the 20s was not such a great area. Now it is a happening scene. Beautiful tree-lined residential streets are mixed with interesting, often trendy, stores and eateries.

Instead of getting distracted, I kept my focus. I was on the search for olive-oil pouring spouts for a Spanish olive oil tasting I am hosting next week and a cook-extraordinaire, cookbook-writer friend of mine had tipped me off to a kitchen supply store in the Chelsea Market on 9th and 15th St.

The Chelsea Market, a former Nabisco factory, was transformed in 1997 into foodie heaven. Specialty, gourmet and green eateries dot the refurbished factory intermixed with stores selling  books, liquor, housewares, and gifts. The Oreos may be gone but there are plenty of devilishly delicious treats to eat at almost every turn.

Chelsea Market Baskets offers an eclectic selection of baskets, gourmet treats, chocolates, housewares and baby items. I was delighted to see they carried three favorite products of mine. LA Organic olive oils from Cordoba, Spain (not Los Angeles as the name might imply); Askinosie chocolate made in small-batches with organic sugar and goat milk – it is incredible!; and Q Tonic, the best tonic water I have found made with organic agave syrup (no sugar or high fructose corn syrup) and real quinine.

I did not shop at Dickson’s Farmstand meats, but went in to survey the organic offerings. Set up as an old fashioned butcher shop, Dickson’s sells organic and local meats including beef, lamb, pork, goat and poultry, all raised without hormones, animal by-products and prophylactic antibiotics. If you want fully organic ask for which meats are certified........


continued tomorrow in Part 2...

One of the Seven MUST-Read Eco Travel books

The Green Earth Guides are listed in 7 Must-Read New Eco Travel Books - Read the full story here.

Stay tuned as I am putting the finishing touches on Traveling Naturally in Switzerland - what a country!! and I am about to enter the world of Apps! A whole new way to convey and receive information in this fast moving digital world and excellent for traveling.

I am heading to New York City next week and looking forward to visiting some of my favorite haunts like the Babycakes Bakery (I don't even like cupcakes but I dream about  theirs! Gluten-free no less), Idlewild Travel Book store - a treasure trove of good reads, and Food Liberation, a cute little health food store with an excellent gluten-free section and delicious fresh smoothies and juices.


Food Liberation, 1349 Lexington Ave (and 90th St.), NYC 10128; Tel: 212.348.2286

Booklovers Delight - Rare Books in St. Gallen

Being an extreme book lover, I find the crowning site in St. Gallen, Switzerland to be the Abbey Library. The library, tucked in behind the cathedral, is a work of art unto itself. Upon entering you must slip on giant felt slippers over your shoes to protect the inlaid wood floors. The Baroque-style library has a magical quality to it, filled with treasured handwritten and illustrated books dating from as early as 500 AD. Allow plenty of time to feast your eyes on the extraordinary illuminated manuscripts and imagine the monks tonguing their paintbrushes. The Cathedral and Abbey Library are designated as UNESCO world heritage sites. To find this gem, make your way into the old city and follow the signs for the Stiftsbibliothek. 

For divine hot chocolate and other delicacies you can go to the Chocolaterie an Kloserplatz serving local Munz-Maestrani chocolate and other goodies looking out at the cathedral. For health food eats, see the post Health Food Stores in St. Gallen. 

If you are unable to make the trip to St. Gallen you can now, as of the past year, view 353 of the precious manuscripts on-line at a virtual library - Codices Electronici Sangallenses (Digital Abbey Library of St. Gallen). The virtual library is continuously being updated and expanded. 

Abbey Library of St. Gall Stiftsbibliothek, Klosterhof 6D, St. Gallen; Tel: 071 227 3416; http://www.stiftsbibliothek.ch; Open Monday-Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm; closed in November. Entry: 10 CHF.

Chocolaterie an Kloserplatz, open Monday from 1:00 to 6:30 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

New Second-Hand English Bookstore in Valencia

A great new used book store has opened in Valencia a block behind the Plaza de la Reina. KandA Books is named for its friendly owners Kelly and Andy, world travelers who wanted to live in a climate warmer than their native Scotland, and run a business that was helpful not hurtful to the environment.

KandA Books is a small store offering a good selection of mostly English language second-hand books (they also have a small selection of French, Spanish and German titles). They sell outright, but also offer a book exchange program, further encouraging recycling, where they will give you a book credit of 40% of what they think they can sell your book(s) for to be used towards your next purchase.

If you can’t get to the store easily, you can search through all their titles to see if they have what piques your interest at the KandA Web site. When shopping, take note, they only take cash. KandA Books, c/ Tapineria 18, Valencia; Tel: 639 740 746; open every day from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. 

For other stores in Valencia selling English books see the earlier Traveling Naturally post, Bookstores in Valencia.

Organic Eats in Paris and a Little Extra

Last weekend I was in Paris for a couple of days and made a ritual visit to the wonderful Shakespeare & Co landmark English bookstore near the Notre Dame Cathedral. Packed full of books and shoppers on a blustery Saturday afternoon, I was overjoyed to find they had multiple copies of Green Earth Guide: Traveling Naturally In France amidst their France-focused travel section, buried to the right of the door. This was not completely altruistic on their part as I do mention them in the book in text and with a photo, but exciting none-the-less to have the book being sold in Paris! Ooh la la.

Paris was awash with people strolling, shopping and eating. I went to some favorite organic places and found a few new ones. A favorite of mine is the Phyto-Bar restaurant on Boulevard Saint-Germain, considered to be the first organic restaurant in Paris. I had dinner here with refreshing fresh juice, a splendid salad, as well as a roasted organic chicken leg with rosemary potatoes....yum. Full information is listed in the Green Earth Guide.

The rest of my stops were for samplings as I cannot eat five full meals a day no matter how delicious and tempting they may be. For organic crepes try the Breizh Café in the lovely quartier Marais. Breizh serves a variety of crepes made from organic flour and other specialties from the Brittany region. Breizh Cafe, 109 rue Vielle du Temple, 75003 Paris; Tel: 01 42 72 1377; www.breizhcafe.com. The best metro stop is St Sebastien Froissard.

Down the street from the Breizh, you will find the Pink Flamingo, serving fresh pizza made daily with organic flour, sea salt from France, and toppings from local markets. The Pink Flamingo is open every day - lucky you! Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 3:00pm/7:00 to 11:30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00pm/7:00 to 11:30pm. The Pink Flamingo has two locations in Paris, this one is at 105 rue Vielle du Temple, 75003 Paris; Web: www.pinkflamingopizza.com

For flower fans, you will enjoy the creative L’Artisan Fleuriste, also on the same street, offering unusual and special plants and arrangements - and you have to love their company car! L’Artisan Fleuriste, 95 rue Vielle du Temple, 75003 Paris; Web: www.artisanfleuriste.fr

An Eco Saturday in Paris

Book in at the Hotel de la Porte Dorée, a family run hotel with some green amenities, on avenue Daumesnil in the 12th arrondissement, on the east side of the city, steps away from the Port Dorée metro and bus stops, making the city sites easily accessible. Make sure you are equipped with a map of Paris and the metro and/or bus lines.

The Organic Market Brancusi (Marche Biologique Brancusi) is held Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to 3:00pm. To get there take the purple #8 Metro line from Port Dorée towards Richelieu for two stops to Daumesnil. Switch to the green #6 line towards Charles de Gaulle Etoile. Take that twelve stops to the Edgar Quinet stop and walk down rue de Gaite or through the Montparnasse Cemetery to du Maine Avenue. Rue R.J. Zay off of du Maine will bring you to Place Constantin where you will find the Marche Biologique Brancusi. The teal #13 metro stop, Gaite is closer, but not worth the switching coming from Port Dorée.

For bikers, there is a Paris Vélib bike station at 1 Place Edouard Renard a couple of blocks from the Hotel. Bike to the Market and there is a Vélib station at 90 Ave. du Maine, one to two blocks from the market, near the Gaité Metro stop. For more Vélib information, visit their website for locating stations all over Paris.

Once you have explored the market and eaten some delicious food, you can walk to Park George Brassens, or rent a Vélib bike (there are two Vélib stations along the park – one is Station # 15046, 42 rue des Morillons), where book lovers will particularly enjoy the secondhand and antique book market held in an old horse market pavilion in the Parc on rue des Morillons in the 15th arrondissement of Paris (Métro: Convention). The Parc has vineyards, beehives, 510 rose bushes, walking paths, and more. The book market, held on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm, has over 200 participating booksellers, 68 of which rotate through each weekend.

After the Parc and book market you can bike or Metro to the St. Germain neighborhood, a lively area full of fun stores and eats, making your way towards any number of sites – Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay – to name a few. If you are planning on one of the museums, you are better off planning in advance for those and purchasing your tickets Online to avoid the crowded entry lines.
You can eat lunch at the first all-organic bar and restaurant in Paris, Phyto Bar, serving terrific organic food. They offer an array of fresh squeezed juices—the grapefruit-kiwi is an especially refreshing combination. The seaweed “caviar,” made with a variety of greens from the sea, is highly recommended. Next door, you will find La Nature a Paris Boutique, their sister store, a tiny, jam-packed health food shop. (Phyto Bar Restaurant and Bar, 47 Boulevard Saint-Germain; Tel: 01 44 07 3699.) The Phtyo Bar Restaurant is about five blocks along rue Monge from the Seine River and the bridge across to the Notre Dame Cathedral. In nice weather there will be book, souvenir and art vendors along the Seine.

If you need a rest after your walking, biking and sightseeing, you can bus, bike or metro back to the Hotel.

Once you are refreshed, the evening offers a number possibilities. One of my favorite Paris excursions is to listen to the nuns sing vespers at the Sacre Couer Basilica – the magic and beauty of their voices can be enjoyed by all. They begin at 6pm and sing for about thirty minutes.

From the hotel you can get to Sacre Couer a few ways. By bus take the #46 from Porte Dorée to the final stop of Gare du Nord (a large train station). From there you could walk all the way, or walk to the Funicular that goes up the hill to the basilica. If you want to go by Metro, you want to be on the #2 blue line. Take the #8 purple line from Porte Dorée two stops to Daumesnil, change to the #6 green line to Nation. At Nation get onto the #2 blue line and take that to Anvers. Here you will be quite close to the funicular, which you can either take, or simply walk up the steep steps.

If you want to stay closer to “home” in the evening, try a delightful experience at the Grand Mosque, serving tea and more. For a truly delicious experience you can wind down with a Hammam steam bath and massage at the Mosque. The Tea room is open seven days a week from 9:00am until 11:30pm, so you can enjoy this almost anytime of day. Check the website for specifics about the Hammam since they have different days for men and women. The Hammam is open until 9:00pm. To reach the mosque by metro from the hotel either get onto the purple #8 line at Porte Dorée for two stops to the Green #6 at Daumesnil (or walk to the Daumesnil stop). Take the Green #6 six stops to Place d’Italie and switch to the orange #5 for two stops to Saint Marcel. Walk two blocks up rue Geoffrey St-Hilaire toward the Jardin des Plantes (worth a stroll and visit on its own), and the Grand Mosque. The Tea room and Hammam entrances are on rue Geoffrey.

Lastly, if you are in Paris during July and August, there are outdoor film screenings in La Villette Park showing at 9:00pm most nights. But, if you decide to enjoy a Hammam Steam bath on Saturday evening, you can go to the movies Sunday night instead.

Traveling Naturally Saturday in Paris:
• Organic Brancusi Market
• Used and antique book fair in Parc George Bressans
• St Germain neighborhood\Notre Dame Cathedral (with possible visits to the Louvre or Musee d’Orsay)
• Lunch at PhytoBar Organic Restaurant
• Return to Hotel for Rest
Evening Options:
• Sacre Couer Basilica Vespers 6pm
• Tea and/or Hammam Bath and Massage at the Grand Mosque
• La Villette Park outdoor movie screenings in July and August only, at 9:00pm most nights (http://www.villette.com/fr/parc-villette-agenda/)

Never Enough Books and Art Supplies!

Well I can’t help myself – I seem to gravitate to art supplies and books. I have found some more stores in my wanderings in Valencia, as well as two magnificent bookstores specializing in travel in Barcelona and Madrid.

Tot en Art Bellas Artes, tucked in the northern part of the historic El Carmen district in Valencia, is a full service art store. They offer lists of art workshops all over Spain on their web site under “Talleres”, as well as an alphabetical directory of artists. Tot en Art, c/ Corona 35-B, 46003 Valencia; 963 917 265;  www.totenart.com

Yet another art supply store in Valencia is close to the train station and the more upscale shopping area of Colon. Civera is on a side street and is a large, well-stocked store. Civera Bellas Artes, c/Pascual y Genis 24, Valencia, open Monday to Friday only from 9:00am to 1:30pm/4:00 to 8:00pm.

Similar to Auralia (mentioned in an earlier post), Astral is a lovely specialty bookstore offering movies and books about most things alternative – health, energy, gardening, food, spirit, as well as selling a small selection of gems, flower essences, and essential oils. Most of their selections are in Spanish, but you can find English titles hidden in amongst the volumes, and welcoming, helpful storekeepers. So helpful in fact that when I told them I wrote about traveling ecologically and used an example of where to find organic food, I was given a box full of organic “kakis” (persimmons) which were delicious! Located down the street from the Quart Towers (Torres de Quart). Astral, c/ Quart 52, 46001 Valencia; 963 922 057; open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm/ 5:00 to 8:00 pm, Monday from 10:00 to 1:30pm.

If you are on the hunt for English books in Barcelona you can go to Come In ~ Libreria Anglesa (English Bookstore) a couple a blocks form the Diagonal metro stop where most things are English. Come In ~ Libreria Anglesa, c/ Balmes 129, 08008 Barcelona; Tel: 934 531 204; Web: http://www.libreriainglesa.com/cat/index.php

You will find the excellent Altair travel bookstores online, as well as one live store in Madrid and one in Barcelona. While the website is only available in Castilian or Catalan, they sell books in English and other languages as well, with a truly outstanding assortment of guidebooks, travel literature, maps, arts and culture, adventure travel, anthropology and, not surprisingly, the most extensive selection of books about every area of Spain. The store in Madrid is in the more residential area not far from the Casa del Campo park and can be reached by the Arguelles metro stop. Altair, Gaztambide 31, 28015 Madrid; Tel: 915 435 300; open Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00pm/ 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Saturdays 10:30 to 2:30. In Barcelona, Altair is on the Gran Via, just over a block from the Plaza de Catalunya so you can reach it by the Catalunya or Passeig de Gracia metro stops. Altair, Gran Via 616, 08007 Barcelona; Tel: 933 427 171; open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:30 pm; Email: altair@altair.es; Web: www.altair.es

Recycling and Reusing in Spain – Second hand and more

Recycling containers are dotted throughout Spanish cities and towns, sometimes next to the garbage dumpsters and sometimes separate. In some fancier communities you will find extensive options for recycling including the pictured receptacle for small items like batteries, cds, light bulbs and ink cartridges.

If you are looking for used items and are not quite up to dumpster diving – or the dumpsters are not providing what you want- there are stores and markets selling used items. Happy hunting!

In the Barcelona suburb of Sant Cugat you can find a variety of antique, used and flea vendors and a full on market the first Sunday of every month. The roughly eighty permanent stalls of the Mercantic are open Tuesday to Saturday 9:30 am to 8:00pm and Sunday from 9:30 am to 3:00pm. You can find just about anything here from furniture, antique typewriters, tools, weapons, art work and plenty more. Book lovers will enjoy the Llibreria El Siglo Mercantic in the heart of things selling books of all varieties and themes with a bar and often live music. Mercantic, Rius i Taulet, 120, 08173 Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona); 936 744 950; E-mail: info@mercantic.com; http://www.mercantic.cat

The non-profit Rastrell Reciclatge is near the Jardines del Real and the Jardins de Turia just across the bridge Pont de Trinitat from the historic old city center of Valencia. Rastrell sells a variety of used goods with the definite purpose of recycling and reusing. Rastrell Reciclatge, c/Vuelta del Ruiseñor 21, 46010 Valencia; 963 623 509; open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm/5:00 to 8:00 pm, Saturday from10:00 am to 2:00pm.

Also in Valencia you will find Second Market-Just Price sells a variety of used items from electronics to bikes, some clothes, and camping gear, as well as cds, dvds, and books with many English titles, so it is a great place to find a cheap read. Second Market, C/ Russafa 20, 46004 Valencia; 963 940 652; open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00pm/4:30-8:30 pm.

The B. Market is a good sized second hand store with everything from bikes to musical instruments with entrances on Avenida del Puerto and Islas Canarias in Valencia. You can take the #4 bus which runs along Ave. del Puerto from the old city, or get off the metro at Ayora. The B. Market, Avda del Port 202, 46023, Valencia. Open Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 2:00pm/5:00 to 9:00pm

There is a small secondhand clothing store in the old city center of Valencia around the corner from the HI Youth hostel. Marropa (ropa de 2a mano), C/ Serranos 29, Valencia; open Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m./5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Find fun vintage, new and gently used clothes, shoes and accessories at Vintage Police on a side street just a block or so from the old Silk Exchange (Lonja). Vintage Police, c/ Cajeros 2, 46001 Valencia; http://tienda.vintagepolice.com; open Monday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm/5:00 to 8:30 pm.

There is a chain of three second-hand stores called Cash Converters. Locations are dotted around Valencia city. Easiest is to Google and see where the stores are.

There is rummage to be had at the Monday morning market on the streets around Valencia's Mercado Central. Often every item will go for 3 euros or so and you can paw through a bizarre mix of used and new clothing. Sometimes there is bedding as well.

Bookstores in Valencia, Especially English Titles and some Cheap

I am a book hound for sure - a weakness of mine I inherited from my mother and one I have passed onto both of my children. I have found in my travels that it doesn’t even matter what language the books are in – I enjoy looking at them, touching them, leafing through them, reading the dust jackets. But of course at the end of the day, I need them to be in English if I am going to make my way through them, so I stay on the hunt for stores selling English titles. As travelers know, books in foreign languages are expensive, and when in Europe, English is a foreign language, so I also keep my eyes open for cheap options.

Just outside the very old part of Valencia, a few blocks from the train station, there is a store called Just Price, a second hand store selling electronics, bikes, and more, which has a decent selection of English books for 2 euros each - especially inexpensive for English titles, so it is a great place to find a cheap read. Just Price ~ compra venta, C/ Russafa 20, 46004 Valencia; 963 940 652; open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00pm/4:30-8:30 pm. The store is a few blocks from the train station and the Plaza Ayuntament.


The Casa del Llibre sells new books and has great hours and a very generous English book section in the downstairs room, as well as generally an excellent selection of books and guidebooks. They are on a wide walking shopping promenade off of the Plaza Ayuntament. Casa del Llibre, Passeig Russafa 11, 46002 Valencia; 902 026 411; Valencia@cascadellibro.com; www.casadellibro.com; open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm and Sunday from 12:00-2:30pm/4:30 to 9:30pm. Web tip: at the top right of their web site you can click on “Tu idioma” to choose English.

The Soriano bookstore in Valencia right across the avenue from the train station has a small selection of English titles. Soriano is part of the independent bookstore association in Spain which can be found on the web at  www.libreriasl.com. Here you can find independent bookstores throughout Spain. Librerias L-Soriano, Jativa (or Xativa) 15, 46002, Valencia; http://www.libreriasoriano.com.

FNAC is a French chain of book and electronics stores with a number of outlets in Spain. You can search the web site to find stores all over Spain - http://www.fnac.es. FNAC is more than a store- it is an experience. With a huge selection of electronics, it also has movies and books including a large section of books in English. In Valencia the store is FNAC San Agustin, c/ Guillem de Castro 9-11, 46007 Valencia (2+ blocks west of the train station); 963 539 000; open Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.

The alternative and political bookstore in Valencia, SAHIRI, sells books in Spanish only, but is worth going to as their offerings are all political and alternative, supporting fair trade and radical authors. The information pamphlet says Sahiri is a “project that vibrates with the cries of resistance.” SAHIRI Librería Asociativa, C/ Danzas, 5, Valencia; Tel: 963 924 872; www.sahiri.com. In the back room there is a vegetarian café serving light food from 2:00 to 6:00pm and dinner from 9:00 pm to midnight on Monday to Saturday.

For travelers who want nothing but guidebooks and maps, head to the Libreria Patagonia, a store chock-a-block full of guidebooks, maps and travel gear, just down the street from the 16th century hospital that now serves as a public library. You will find many books in English as well as most in Spanish. This is an EXCELLENT travel bookstore. Libreria Patagonia, c/ L’Hospital 1, 46001 Valencia; 963 936 052; www.libreriapatagonia.com; open Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 2:00pm/4:30 to 8:30 pm, Saturday form 10:30 am to 2:00pm/5:30 to 8:30 pm.

For people who can read Spanish (and even those who don’t but who like alternative bookstores), the sweet small, but well-stocked, Auralia, refers to itself as a “libreria especializada” (specialty bookstore) selling gemstones, flower essences, and all manner of alternative health, renewable energy, spiritual and esoteric books. The owner speaks a tiny bit of English. Auralia, c/ DeLa Nau, 6, 46003 Valencia; Tel: 963 944 348; auralialibreria@hotmail.com.

Portland, Oregon Gets the Green Thumbs Up

The overnight train from California to Portland is comfortable and easy. It leaves California in the evening so you get a whole day of visiting and touring in. You must have reservations. I boarded in San Jose after visiting the Santa Cruz, Carmel, and Monterey areas. I did not have a sleeper but rather a reclining seat (actually two seats since the train was not full). The Amtrak train is called the Coast Starlight and the cost is $79 from San Jose to Portland, Oregon - about a nineteen-hour ride. Not only is the carbon footprint much smaller by train than by air travel, but the scenery is not to believed! Once you wake up in the daylight in northern California you see Mt Shasta, and then onto the farm and wild lands of Oregon including Klamath Lake.

Portland is a fun and easy city - really not large at all by city standards and very accessible. Bikers predominate, while the public bus system – Tri-Met –seems too go everywhere and offers user-friendly web sites and maps for navigating the city ($2.30/ride).

There is no sales tax in Oregon, which is quite noticeable if you have just come from California or points east. The city is designed in a grid with the river as its center – so there is Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast. The east to west dividing line is the river; the north south line is Burnside Ave., making it very easy to navigate.

Portland is a green traveler’s delight. Bike paths are everywhere, as is public transport, and there are loads of wonderful local foods and stores. Book lovers shouldn’t miss Powell’s Books. The main store takes up a full city block and you will need the free store maps that are provided at the counters to guide you. Powell’s sells new and used books intermixed and it is all somewhat overwhelming, but fabulous – booklovers will feel like kids in a candy store. There are smaller Powell’s outlets around the city including one at the airport. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside Street (in the Pearl District), Downtown Portland; Tel: 503-228-4651; www.powells.com. Open 9am to 1pm everyday.

You can walk through the Japanese Gardens that sit on a hill on the western edge of the city. You can also visit the Chinese Garden which encompasses a city block in the middle of Chinatown, creating a magical quality as you leave the city behind when you walk through the gates. You can enjoy the delicious and varied tea options at the Tao of Tea café in the gardens or go to their other restaurant on Belmont Street – a fabulous teahouse and eatery with what seems like hundreds of tea varieties. They serve delicious, vegetarian Indian food, with a store next door where you can purchase the organic teas (www.tulsiorganics.com). The Tao of Tea, 3430 SE Belmont Street, Portland; 503-736-0119; www.taooftea.com
Portland Japanese Garden, www.japanesegarden.com
Portland Classical Chinese Garden, NW Third & Everett, Portland; Tel: 503-228-8131; www.portlandchinesegarden.org

If you are in the mood for Yoga, studios abound. In the Pearl District you can go to Yoga Pearl. Open seven days a week with full daily schedules offering different types of Yoga and Pilates starting as early as 6am and ending as late as 8:30pm. There is also a Holistic Wellness Center where you can make appointments for massage therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathic medicine and Cranialsacral therapy. Here you can also find the Blossoming Lotus raw foods café to refuel after yoga or walking the city. Yoga Pearl, 925 NW Davis, Portland; Tel: 503-525-9642; www.yogapearl.com

For foot massages you can treat yourself to the innovative services at the Barefoot Sage where you can indulge yourself by sitting in large puffy couches while you soak your feet and drink tea and try one of the various foot and leg massages offered. The Barefoot Sage, 1844 SE Hawthorne, Portland; 503239-7116; www.thebarefootsage.com

Santa Cruz Delights

Santa Cruzans might wince when I say this, but Santa Cruz is little like a mini-Berkeley. It is full of a variety of places to find good eats, from cafes and restaurants to farmer’s markets and health food stores. Stores selling green products abound, as do all manner of biking, hiking and surfing possibilities. Even though the water is cool in this part of California, surfing is huge here, so on any given day you will see all sorts of people mostly in wet suits (some hale and hardy die-hards still “trunk-it” sans wetsuits…brrr) trying to catch the perfect wave. The beaches – all public access – are huge and beautiful. Dolphin sightings are fairly common so keep your eyes peeled if you are walking along the beach. If you felt so inclined you could walk almost thirty miles on the sand beaches from Capitola to Monterey. But be cautioned – there can be bad fog along the coast especially in the summer months…


While touring the Pacific Avenue part of Santa Cruz, I came upon a flyer in the Eco Goods store advertising an upcoming lecture about “Wifi-Stress”. My friend asked me, “What do you think this means?” I said, “That’s what I have – wifi stress - because I can’t find any darn wifi in California!” However the lack of abundant wifi was not the subject of the lecture, but rather about the potential hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from cell phones and wifi. We proceeded to have a serious conversation about the other form of wifi stress that has to do with our insta-society and kids being glued to their cell phones constantly texting and yacking… making us wonder what the combination of the EMFs and the addiction to technology would bring us in the coming years.

And speaking of my kind of “wifi Stress”, I found relief at Verve, 816 41st Ave., Santa Cruz; 831-475-7776, a sweet coffee and tea café with good! wifi available when you purchase one of their delicious drinks or treats.

The weather was glorious while I was in Santa Cruz, although I was told not entirely normal for this time of year when they should be having more rain. I did not complain. While there are all sorts of great places to frequent in the area, I have listed below some of the places I discovered. Enjoy them if and when you find yourself in the Santa Cruz area.

River Café and Cheese Shop, 415 River Street, Santa Cruz; 831-420-1280. As the name implies, this is a café serving light meals for breakfast, lunch and snacks, as well as selling local delicacies – cheeses, canned local organic pears, apricots and other fruits, fresh breads, local olive oil and more tucked into a tiny space with a larger outdoor dining terrace. If you are a frequent River Café eater, you can purchase their $1,000 CSA-like share for the year so you can have a virtual prepaid charge account while supporting this local endeavor committed to organic, fresh foods.

Chocolate, 1522 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz; 831-427-9900; www.chocolatesantacruz.com; Open 11am-11pm. A full scale chocolaterie with all manner of chocolate drinks and eats plus delicious, organic, local soups, salads, sandwiches and traditional Mole dishes. Lovely outdoor dining as well as indoor seating.

La Vie, 429 Front Street, Santa Cruz; 831-429-6746; www.lavie.us; Open seven days a week. La Vie offers Raw Foods (dairy & gluten-free too), vegan, vegetarian and sustainable seafood as take out and a restaurant.

New Leaf Community Markets are large, full-service natural foods stores that carry a wonderful variety of local products with five stores in the Santa Cruz area – www.newleaf.com

Way of Life, 1220 A 41st, Ave., Begonia Shopping Plaza, Santa Cruz; 831-464-4113; www.wayoflife.net; Good selection of vitamins, supplements, herbs and homeopathics, as well as gift items, located in the same mini-mall as one of the New Leaf Markets.

Farmer’s Markets - www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org
Think Local First - www.thinklocalsantacruz.org

You can probably picture the myriad of yoga centers around Santa Cruz, and you would be correct. One such place is the Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine and Chi Center, East Cliff Shopping Center, 21511 East Cliff Drive, Suite B, Santa Cruz; 831-465-9088; www.santacruzchicenter.com. The Center offers classes throughout the day of yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and meditation, as well as a full Integrative Medicine Clinic. I took a delightful yoga class here one morning with Kristin Lansdale as my teacher. She specializes in Yin Yoga, as well as a gentle, restorative yoga, which left me feeling deeply content.

Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz; 831-423-0900; www.bookshopsantacruz.com; Open 9am-10pm, Fridays and Saturdays until 11pm. A large independent bookstore selling new and used books. Santa Cruz: A Guide for Runners, Joggers and Serious Walkers, Journeyworks Publishing is just one of the thousands of good finds available at the store.

Eco Goods, 1130 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz; 831-429-5758; www.ecogoods.com
Purveyor of organic cotton and hemp clothing, bedding, and other eco-products. Look for the notepads and ornaments made out of elephant “poo”.

The Bounty in Berkeley

It will come as no great surprise that Berkeley, California has some great spots to eat and explore. Having left a grey and frosty Vermont a week ago, I am thrilled to find palm trees, deep purple flowers and green grass here in sunny, balmy California. After walking through some residential neighborhoods, I found on one of the main avenues, La Note Restaurant Provencal, with a promising menu. I had the special, “Rustique Au Saumon” which was an open face sandwich on fresh, herbed levain bread (yes I broke my gluten-free diet for this incredible meal). One half had goat cheese with a pile of smoked salmon and grated onions with capers, the other half also had goat cheese, but with three slices of roasted, fresh tomatoes and garlic, all served with a side of fresh, mixed salad greens. All I can say is, c’est magnifique! Hmm, was that good! My neighbor got a classic French bowl of a divine smelling latté, which was very tempting, but I stuck to my caffeine-free mode.

After walking around for another hour, I stopped in at Herbivore, and my waiter, Gaston, was a delight. It was warm enough for me to sit at one of the outside café tables and drink my vegan smoothie and indulge in a slice of berry pie. When in Rome do as the Romans, so I had them add spirulina to my fruit packed drink adding a little virtue to the affair.

At Pegasus Books selling new, used and remainder books, I picked up the EcoMetro Guide for $20. Most of this thick guide is filled with coupons to local eco-minded stores in the Berkeley-Oakland area, including a 20% discount at Pegasus Books! The first fifty-six pages of the guide offer tips about reducing your carbon footprint with handy area maps of local eco-stores, the days, times and locations of the local farmer’s markets, and public transportation information and coupons. While not comprehensive, the EcoMetro Guide is a great tool in helping to discover all the green possibilities in the area. The coupon section is extensive, and the coupons are pretty generous so you can quickly recoup some of the $20 cost of the book.

Whole Foods super markets are plentiful in the area and there is one in Berkeley at 3000 Telegraph Avenue, a bit south of the main drag. The local health food superstore, around since 1977, is the Berkeley Bowl, so named because it is housed in a former bowling alley. It is a massive store lined with aisles of natural and regular foods and a fairly extensive bulk section. For organic dried mango lovers, buy your supply at the Berkeley Bowl as I have found the Whole Foods variety to be lacking in taste. Elephant Pharm, a full service pharmacy selling natural as well as allopathic remedies also carries a variety of natural foods, green cleaning products and gift items.

There are groovy café’s and restaurants galore including the famous Chez Panisse, whose founder and chef Alice Waters was at the forefront of the slow and whole foods movements; Venus restaurant serving slow, organic meats, seafood, grains and vegetables; Cafe Gratitude, The Café Muse at the UCBerkeley Art Museum, Raw Energy Juice Café, and countless others dot the city serving up organic and local foods. The Bread Workshop on the corner of University and Acton streets is just that – a bakery and eatery with something unexpectedly rare in Berkeley, free wifi. Here you can watch them bake while you eat - the fresh bread smell is intoxicating. And for dessert or a late night treat, the Gelateria Naia is really not to be missed. They offer delicious gelatos made from local ingredients and serve traditional dairy based flavors, as well as sixteen dairy-free flavors, four of which are soy–based and the remaining twelve are fruit sorbets. Chocolate lovers take note - the Scharffenberger soy-based gelato is heavenly!

The other eating boon in Berkeley is the wide variety of ethnic options, from Turkish, Brazilian, Thai, Mexican, Salvadoran, Ethiopian, and more. Suffice it to say that you will not go hungry or get bored of eating in Berkeley!

In addition to an abundance of organic and healthy places to eat, second-hand clothes and books are fairly plentiful. Out of the Closet is a chain of thrift stores that has supported HIV/AIDS health care since 1990. Goodwill is up University Avenue (#2058) just west of Shattuck Avenue and the Salvation Army is also on University (#1824). Serendipity Books, selling used and rare books, is farther west on University Avenue by Chestnut Street. Consignment stores are profuse as well. The Crossroads Exchange is a chain of consignment stores throughout CA (www.crossroadstrading.com) with a large store at 2338 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, and there is also the Buffalo Exchange (www.buffaloexchange.com).

There is a large interest in Buddhist and Tibetan philosophies in Berkeley, and there are close to two thousand Tibetans living in the area. The Tibetan Nyingma Institute has public programs on Sundays. There is a Tibet Justice Center, countless, small boutiques and gift shops selling Tibetan goods, and the BCA (Buddhist Churches of America) Bookstore at the new Jodo Shinshu Center selling a range of books on Buddhism. Om Treasures in the heart of things on Shattuck Avenue (#2278) is crammed full of Tibetan and Himalayan goodies and a sweet Tibetan man runs the store. The Asian Museum in San Francisco has an impressive collection of Buddhist artifacts from all over Asia.

Berkeley is a happening place – enjoy it if you get here.

La Note Restaurant Provencal, 2377 Shattuck Ave. (near Channing Way), Berkeley, 510-843-1535; www.lanoterestaurant.com

Herbivore, 2451 Shattuck (at Haste Street), Berkeley, 510-665-1675; www.herbivorerestaurant.com (Herbivore also has two locations in San Francisco)

Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; 510-548-5525

Raw Energy Organic Juice Café, 2050 Addison Street (by Shattuck Ave), 510-665-9464

Venus Restaurant, 2327 Shattuck, 510-540-5950

Gelateria Naia, Shattuck Ave.; www.gelaterianaia.com (locations in San Francisco and Walnut Creek also)

Café Muse, 2625 Durant Ave, Berkeley; 510-548-4366; www.rawcafemuse.com
Berkeley Bowl Marketplace, 2020 Oregon Street (by Shattuck Avenue); 510-843-6929; www.berkeleybowl.com

Elephant Pharm, 1607 Shattuck Avenue (at Cedar Street), Berkeley; 510-549-9200; www.ElephantPharm.com (two other locations as well)

Bread Workshop, 1398 University Avenue, Berkeley; 510-649-9740; http://www.bread-workshop.com

Out of the Closet, 1600 University Avenue (at California Street), Berkeley http://www.outofthecloset.org (they have stores throughout California)

BCA Bookstore, 2140 Durant Avenue, Berkeley; 510-809-1435; www.bcabookstore.com

Serendipity Books, 1201 University Avenue, Berkeley; 510-841-7455; http://www.serendipitybooks.com

Pegasus Books, 2349 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, 510-649-1320; www.pegasusbookstore.com (Pegasus has another location in Berkeley and one in Oakland)

Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Place, Berkeley; 510-809-1000; www.NyingmaInstitute.com

EcoMetro Guide – www.ecometro.com

The free East Bay Natural Pages is a semi-annual guide available at many stores – www.naturalpages.com

French Food Books .. to get you in the mood…ooh la la

There is nothing quite like food to put you in mind of a place, or to conjure memories of a sojourn. Travelers headed to France, or those who have been, will enjoy these food-filled books written by creative women dedicated to truly good food with a local and organic focus.

Clotilde Dusoulier has a friendly, easy way of conveying the delights and nuances of French food with a focus on fresh, local, organic foods. She has written her blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, for five years and has authored two books. Her recipes are not only delicious, but are inspired from daily necessities, like what to do with crème fraiche that is about to grow mold, and incorporating it into an amazing Chocolate Frozen yogurt (see her blog for the recipe – yum!)

Her cookbook, Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen (ISBN 978 0767923835) is a colorful, paperback that grew out of Clotilde’s blog. The book has over 75 enticing recipes including my favorites – the Curried Turkey Sandwich and her Tarte Chocolate Caramel. I love the French green, Mache (see photo), which Clotilde includes in a delectable salad. Mache is cheap, delicious and available all over France year round – an everyperson’s food.

For those traveling to Paris, Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris (978-0767926133) is a must have guide. This is not a cookbook (although it does contain some recipes), but rather a personal guide through the restaurants, cafés and markets of Paris. You will find information on 164 eating establishments, plus 130 listings of bakeries, and shops of varying interests from bookstores to kitchenware, as well as markets throughout the city. Clotilde provides in depth descriptions of each spot so you can decide which peak your interest. Please note that these are not necessarily organic or vegetarian food stops.

For more French food indulgences explore Barefoot In Paris, by Ina Garten (ISBN 9781400049356). Made famous as the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten has put her talents to the extreme in Barefoot in Paris. The full-color book offers truly delicious, sensible recipes like Salmon and Lentils. But the Piéce-de-resistance are the desserts – oh my gosh – desserts to die for… Mango Sorbet, Profiteroles, Coeur a la Crème with Raspberries.

Written in a narrative style rather than cookbook form, A Pig in Provence, by Georgeanne Brennan (ISBN 9780156033244), focuses on the local foods of Provence, the southeastern region of France known for its lavender, truffles, herbs and other delicacies. Georgeanne writes of her personal experiences living in Provence over thirty years ago including how she learned to make traditional, fresh goat cheese, and offers a special recipe at the end of each of the eight chapters.

Georgeanne has written numerous cookbooks and offers weekend cooking classes at her Northern California farm, “Provence in California Culinary Weekends.” Her farm is surrounded by other organic farms and the weekend begins with a trip to the local farmer’s market. Each class weekend runs from 9-3:30 on Saturday and 10-3 on Sundays – you are responsible for your own accommodations and evening meals.

When Georgeanne is not cooking or writing, she is working to increase the use of fresh, local, seasonal foods in her California school district.

For the France bound traveler, check out the beautiful, renovated, stone house that Georgeanne rents in the country northeast of Aix-en-Provence from April to October. See "Village House" on her website.

Visit the websites and blogs:

http://chocolateandzucchini.com

http://www.georgeannebrennan.com

New Independent Travel Bookstore in New York City: Another Place to Visit Near Union Square

Idlewild Books, just two blocks north of Union Square, is the brainchild of David Del Vecchio, a former press officer at the United Nations. The store is filled with guidebooks (from over one hundred countries) and all manner of literature from classics to thrillers grouped by country so you can get the full flavor of a destination. A friend of mine recently went to the Czech Republic and Hungary. She was able to find authors from and books about these countries. On return she said that the fiction helped her understand the cultures immensely – far more than her guidebooks, which while helpful for practical information about specific sites and public transport, could not offer the deeper, emotional perspective of the novels.

Light and airy, Idlewild has places to sit while you browse your potential purchases, and friendly, informative staff to help you explore the literary terrain of your destination or interest. Look for maps and other travel accessories as well in this store where you could spend an enormous amount of time imagining all sorts of adventures. For those of you not in New York or not able to get there, you can browse and order online. The only downside to Idlewild is that you want to buy every book in the place!

Idlewild Books, 12 West 19th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues), NYC; 212-414-8888; www.idlewildbooks.com. Open Monday to Friday from 11am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12-7pm

Shopping Recycled: Second Hand Stores in New York City

Like any city in the world, shopping in New York City can be outrageously expensive, and more times than not, have nothing to do with anything “green”. Take heart, although not advertised and usually on less traveled streets, there are numerous second-hand stores throughout the city. Some are simply second-hand or consignment stores, others are run by non-profit organizations that use their store’s revenues to fund humanitarian work helping people suffering from HIV and AIDS, the homeless, and other issues.

Thrift shops tend to be located together in clusters as you will see from the addresses below. On the Upper East side there are many thrift stores along 2nd and 3rd Avenues in the 80s. These stores tend to be more expensive than the stores downtown or uptown. The Chelsea area of Manhattan is a hot spot for thrift stores around west 17th street.

Any of these stores can be a treasure trove for the shopper who likes to reuse and recycle goods, as well as for those who simply like the hunt for a good bargain or special trinkets. Happy hunting.

Chelsea- West 17th Street Area:
Angel Street Thrift Shop, 118 W. 17th St. (bet. 6th & 7th Avenues), NYC, 212-229-0546, http://angelthriftshop.org. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12-5pm. Angel Street helps people dealing with substance abuse, mental illness, HIV and AIDS.
Housing Works has seven locations including at 143 W. 17 St. (bet. 6th & 7th Avenues), NYC, 212-366-0820, www.housingworks.org. Open Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday Noon-5. Housing Works supports housing, health care and advocacy for homeless people with HIV and AiDS.
Uja Federation Thrift Shop, 17 W. 17th ST. (bet. 5th & 6th Avenues), NYC, 212-727-7512, www.ujafedny.org. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm. The Uja Federation works on sustaining and strengthening Jewish communities around the world.

In the area:
Salvation Army, 208 8th Avenue (at 21st Street), NYC, 212-929-5214, www.satruck.com - search the website for all of their stores.
Goodwill, 103 W. 25th St. (at 6th Avenue), NYC, 646-638-1725, www.goodwill.org - search the website for all of their stores.
City Opera Thrift Store, 222 E. 23rd, NYC, 212-684-5344

Upper East Side (not a complete list):
Irving Institute for Medical Research, 1534 2nd Ave (bet. 79-80th Sts)
Memorial Sloan-Kettering, 1440 3rd Avenue (bet. 81-82 Sts)
Arthritis Fund, 121 E. 77th St.
Cancer Care, 1480 3rd Avenue (bet. 83-84 Sts)
Council Thrift Store, 246 E. 84 St.
Grandmother’s League, 1459 3rd Avenue (82-83 Sts)
Housing Works has two stores one on 77th and 2nd and another on 90th and 2nd.

Other Second Hand Stores:
Other clusters of Thrift stores are in the East and West Village, the Gramercy area (East 20s), Harlem, and the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
RePop, 68 Washington Avenue (bet. Park & Flushing), Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY, 718-260-8032, www.repopny.com. Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday 11am-6pm. They have a large variety of goods, 95% of which are recycled or second-hand.

Used Books: Many of the second-hand stores sell books and there are also many used bookstores in New York. Here are a couple of stores with a large selection of used books:

Most famous- The Strand, 828 Broadway (12th Street), NYC, 212-473-1452, sells what seems like acres of used (and some new) books. It has been in existence for over 75 years, www.strandbooks.com. Open Monday-Saturday 9:30am-10:30pm, Sunday 11am-10:30pm

Housing Works Used Book Café, 126 Crosby St. (at Prince between Broadway and Lafayette), NYC, 212-334-3324, www.housingworks.org. Open Monday-Friday 10am-9pm, Saturday and Sunday Noon-7pm.

More Avignon Discoveries

My further wanderings in Avignon have turned up all sorts of delights. The Shakespeare Bookstore ( 155, rue de la Carreterie) by the Avignon University is filled with used English-language books – great if you are in a pinch for a travel guide, or any kind of reading from thriller to philosophy.

I discovered Vincent – the friendly owner of Le Fruitier de Saint Agricol (27 rue Saint Agricol). You can see their wonderful array of local and bio foods at: http://www.lefruitier.com . This was serendipitous. I had just stopped because I noticed his enticing oranges were marked “bio”. Little did I realize what I would find inside - organic and local products of the highest quality. Vincent offered me tastes of various delectable products and lots of information about Avignon and the production of his offerings. He even had heard of Vermont (a rarity here as most people wonder what state it is in) since he had friends who lived in Quebec for a while and vacationed in Vermont. I purchased not only the orange I came in for but also locally made macaroons, organic sheep yogurt flavored with lemon, and a round of the famous Banon cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves. I promised Vincent I would be back for more.
As I walked back to the hostel, people were starting to head home from work, many on foot and bikes, most with fresh baguettes in hand. French women ride their bikes in their high heels – it is fantastic!