20080701

Travels around town

A while back I was walking through Copley while one of those early summer heat waves was going on. It was a welcome change from the raw rainy weather we'd been having, but I was really sweaty, exhausted, and ready to collapse from all the walking I'd done. And who should appear before me but a lady carrying a bunch of watermelon/feta/and something else appetizers. I was hesitant to take one at first since I was so single-minded about getting to the T and getting home to flop down on my sofa and watch whatever happened to be on Comedy Central. But it did sound interesting, so I took a chance and had a bite. And it was delicious! And refreshing! Cheese and watermelon! Maybe something others are familiar with, but I've never tried it. At any rate, it left such an impression on me that I thought I'd let I'd let people know about the restaurant - it's called Vlora, and they serve mediterranean cuisine, as well as your typical American breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and all that. I still haven't eaten there, but it looks like a nice addition to Copley Square, even though it's difficult to locate, as it's in that downstairs space near Finagle-a-Bagel. Here's a link to their site (warning - it has audio, so you may want to turn down your volume):

http://www.vloraboston.com

This past weekend I was in Union Square for the Handcraft Festival, and I looked through all of the stuff, and a lot of it was good. The stuff I really liked was way too expensive, but fortunately there was not too much of the too cutesy stuff going on. Generally, I don't buy many things at craft fairs, but as soon as I got to the Vintage by Crystal booth - there's no way I could leave without buying one of her adorable (yet edgy - and affordable!) figurines which she makes for any holiday, or any custom occassion you might think of. So I bought a pair of 4th of July figurines to get into the spirit of independence. Rather than try to describe the terrific things she creates, you should go check out her website. Seriously awesome stuff!!

http://www.vintagebycrystal.com