St. Louis

Once you have seen The Gateway Arch, a monument that symbolizes this town and the westward expansion of the U.S., then it is time to explore all the rest of St. Louis. For me, my first stop was a visit to The Hill for this Midwest town's own Little Italy. We dined at Zia's restaurant and had an amazing meal, starting with the famous Zia's salad. At our friends' suggestion, after dinner we strolled across the street to the Missouri Baking Company. Nobody was hungry for dessert, but it was fun to admire all of the concoctions and talk with the girls behind the counter. We even met the owner's husband who proclaimed himself to be the official taste-tester.

Nancy and I

The next day, my first stop was the St. Louis Art Museum compliments of my high school friend, Nancy Lubinski. Nancy and I shared many thing in high school such as an enthusiasm for dancing and writing. We met in a journalism class and I knew back then that she was the one with the talent. In fact, I am almost ashamed for her to read this blog because I know she could have written it better, and with more humor. She has an arsenal of short stories within her, and someday she will get around to cranking them out for others to enjoy.

Edgar Degas Little Dancer of Fourteen Years

Nancy has been living in St. Louis for many years now with her husband, John, their four children and Nancy's mother. It's rare for me to get to St. Louis, and rarer for the two of us to have a day to ourselves. We enjoyed walking around the museum and looking at the exhibits while catching up on what has been going on in our lives since we last saw each other. Nancy called ahead for lunch reservations at the museum restaurant which is a posh place with large glass windows with an expansive view of the park outside. I joked that it seemed so grown-up that the two of us, who had been friends since we were about seventeen, would be in an art museum sipping a glass of wine with our meal.

Shopping at The Loop

After lunch, our next stop was shopping at The Loop. This is an area of art galleries, unique shops and restaurants located near the University of Washington. I loved all the co-ops that featured handmade goods by various artists. Kids young and old flocked to the soda shop and candy store. We both found something at Sole Blues which sells quality denim and footwear. Nancy tells me Fitz's Restaurant, home to Fitz's root beer, is her kids' favorite.

Steelers game at Helen Fitzgerald's

My weekend in St. Louis also coincided with a Steelers game. On Sunday, Nancy and John joined us at the hangout for the St. Louis Steelers Fan Club to watch what turned out to be a terrible game. Despite the loss, it was so much fun for us couples to get together. 

Nancy's pie

The only thing to top it was the dinner at their home with their beautiful daughter, Stephanie, which included a homemade apple pie. After dinner, John presented my husband with a gift. I thought Nancy was the one with the artistic abilities. Turns out that quiet and reserved John, who is an engineer by day, spends his free time when he is not refereeing basketball, casting chess pieces out of metal, then painting them by hand! He has made several sets of various themes but for my husband… he cast an Abraham Lincoln and the entire Union and Confederate armies!

Chess pieces handmade by John

As I have said before, the best part of my sabbatical has been the time off to travel. Seeing the world is fun, but spending time with old friends is priceless.