Lulu’s Pizza Bar

If you’re on the east side of center city Philadelphia and you need a snack, try Lulu’s Pizza Bar. It’s located between 2nd and 3rd Streets on the south side of Market Street. They have affordable specials, like a couple slices and a Coke for around $7 at the time of this writing. Here’s a look at the pizza:

It was great pizza with friendly service and no waiting. I like popping into these joints, listening to the conversations, which is a great way to pick up dialog for the books I write. Incredible what people say to each other. At any rate, a slice of pizza hits the rights spot, so give it a try.

Published in: on April 25, 2012 at 5:57 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Interview with ATV 15, Aruba

This afternoon, Yentl Lieuw of ATV 15, Aruba’s NBC affiliate, interviewed me about my novels, An Island Away and Under A Blue Flag. This was fun and informative, working with professional news people, seeing them practicing their craft. Here’s a still shot of my mug.

Next time, I’ll be sure not to reach for the water bottle when someone is taking a snap. Ah, no worries. I enjoy these interviews. Lots of fun talking about books, writing, Aruba, three of my favorite subjects. I only wish I could go back and edit, the way it’s possible to polish up a paragraph in a book. That way, no one gets to see the mistakes.

Published in: on April 3, 2012 at 9:19 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Mirpas, Aruba

Mirpas is a restaurant located on the main boulevard leading into Oranjestaad. The theme is mostly tapas and small plates, which is right up my alley because I like to taste many different things in one sitting. So, here goes my visit.

The building is a former home with funky decor and a spiral staircase leading to upstairs seating. You can also sit outside under cover, or inside on the first level. We took a table upstairs in order to have a view over the marina, which is worth the short climb. After perusing the menu, we decided on a list of tapas and a couple glasses of wine. The first plates to arrive were duck wrapped prunes and blackened shrimp skewers. Here’s the photo:

It was a great start, the right combination of tangy and hot. Next came plates of cured meats and cheeses, which gave me a flashback to Spain. Here’s the meats first.

And then the cheese, and what it plate it was, the right selection of mild, pungent, and exotic.

The best thing here were the Tournedos Rossini and the flavor really hit the spot. This dish is also available as an entree, and I’d like to get back soon to try it that way. See the photo below for the tapas portion.

I almost forgot the chicken soup. Homemade, with a bit of cilantro that I normally wouldn’t like, but it was so fresh and nearly salt-free that you could really taste the vegetables, which made it a delightful switch from the other items. So here’s the bowl of soup.

Sorry, no room for dessert. The selection of wines are not to be missed. There is a great variety of by-the-glass choices at reasonable prices all the way to some fairly expensive ones, giving the diner an opportunity to splurge or stay on budget. Either way, they’re all good. Service at Mirpas did a fine job keeping our table supplied with our tapas and drinks. I plan to return in a week or so just to sample some of the many wines available and perhaps a few small dishes, then do an all out dinner. Enjoy your visit.

Tower Bridge, photos

A good friend (Thanks, Dr. Pete!) sent me these photos from London’s Tower Bridge, showing it under construction in 1892. Impressive.

You can see the wooden ships in the foreground and the steel structure of the bridge behind, two worlds colliding here. The next one shows some of the masonry shaping up.

It’s amazing to think of a time before this bridge was there. And the story goes that these photographs were left behind in an old building and kept by a fellow for many years before the resurfaced. Here’s another look.

There you see the steam derricks off to the side. Hard work back then and no computer simulations to test out the design. Must have been a good one, because the bridge is still there, an icon of London and Great Britain.

Published in: on March 24, 2012 at 12:08 pm  Leave a Comment  
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