European Music Tour Begins In Dublin
This past June I embarked a lifelong dream of doing a musical tour in Europe. After years of planning, booking and fundraising, our family set off on a life changing adventure. Gaetano and I went on tour as a duet performing alongside Boston based RiotFolk musician Evan Greer. In addition, Evan brought her 4 year old child, and we were also honored to have Evan’s co-parent, Erin, to assist us with childcare. Entitled the Break the Chains Tour, we were 4 adults and 3 children (ages 3, 4 and 12), traveling through 4 countries (Ireland, England, Netherlands and Germany), performing 11 shows in 12 days. Afterwards, my family stayed in Europe for another 2 weeks to explore mostly Paris, with dips in Berlin and Dublin. It was a fantastically wild adventure to say the least. (more…)
Western Mass Winter Getaway
Winters in Albany can get a little draining to say the least. Because it is a small city, we tend feel bored with all of our indoor fun options come our second or third cold month. Driving long distances in the winter is a risk with the snow, which also means we slow down the amount of out of town performances we do. The good news is that Albany is close to fun adventures in many other nearby cities and towns.
Local Romantic Birthday Adventure
I love traveling, but Gaetano has more complicated feelings about it. A comfortable vacation for Gaetano often looks like being in town and doing the cozy things he loves. So, instead of planning some elaborate vacation for Gaetano’s 30th birthday, like I would want to do on a 3 day weekend, I decided to keep it local and all about what Gaetano loves which includes: A) good food he does not have to cook, B) good music he does not have to travel far away to hear and C) alone time with me. (more…)
Winter Vacation in Boston
One of the things I love most about living in Albany is that we are just 1 to 4 hours from every amazing city in the Northeast. That makes gigging and vacationing a lot easier. Boston is one of those amazing cities. Just 3 hours away from Albany, it is the perfect place for a vegan family to visit, especially in February when new options for indoor fun and dining are running slim. So off we went for a weekend winter vacation, and an unexpected (but happily welcomed) performance. (more…)
New Year’s In Isabela, Puerto Rico
As a upstate NY born and raised Puerto Rican, visiting Puerto Rico is not just about vacationing. For my children and I it is about reconnecting with our culture, learning about our history, bonding with the land, and spending time with our extended family. My connection to Puerto Rican cuisine, however, is a bit more complicated. (more…)
Remembering Sevilla
To really understand more deeply the art of flamenco, Gaetano and I knew we would need to eventually go to its heart in Andalusia, Spain. The day finally came during the winter of 2010, and off we were on a plane across the Atlantic with our 7 year old boy and a childcare provider/filmmaker for a two month flamenco study. The journey began with a visit to Gaetano’s family in Sicily, then living in Sevilla to study at two flamenco schools, a day trip by ferry to Morocco, then finishing with a journey by car from Valencia to Barcelona to Madrid. (more…)
Mother’s Day In Albany
I moved to Albany, NY about six years ago from Philadelphia, where the cuisine is pretty much a vegan dream (and we will get to Philly in later posts). Moving to Albany, on the other hand, has been a bit of a challenge for a vegan foodie, but this Mother’s Day we discovered a really fabulous vegan gem.
Our day started with trip to the The Hindu Temple Society of the Capital District, where our friends and fellow musicians Veena and Devesh Chandra were offering a free Indian classical music workshop. (more…)
Albuquerque and Flamenco
We have stopped through Albuquerque several times on tours, often after long drives through the desert, with another long drive ahead of us. Sadly, we never had time to really get to know this beautiful place. Thankfully, this Spring’s flamenco study and family vacation allowed us a full week steeped in Nuevo Mexico cultura (not nearly enough, but a beginning) and delicious food. (more…)