A Day Behind

Sunday, already? I apologize for neglecting the blog all day yesterday. Saturday definitely flew by for me! I left our apartment at 8:45 am and didn't get home 12:30 am! And during that whole time, I lugged my gym bag all over Boston, but I guess I got a good back and shoulder workout, right? :)

The Wedding Bliss exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum was wonderful. My sister and I really enjoyed it. 

The wedding exhibit spanned four rooms with paintings, sculptures, photographs, decorative objects, jewelry, and attire from all over the world. It was really neat seeing how these objects related to the various rituals, beliefs, customs, and emotions surrounding marriage and the matrimonial experience. Of course, my favorite part of the exhibit was the wedding gowns. I snapped this photo of a Vera Wang gown from the mid-1990's, but I got busted by security-- no photography allowed-- but at least he didn't make me delete the photo. :)

After visiting the museum, my sister and I walked around Salem. We popped in a bunch of little shops, and leisurely pursued all of the cute items. It was so nice having my sister to window shop with me. Mal likes to shop with a "purpose," and usually doesn't enjoy dilly-dallying through shops.  

We walked around Salem for a couple of hours before getting hungry for lunch. Mal used to work at Finz a few summers ago and he highly recommended it, so my sis and I decided we'd go there for lunch. 

It was a gorgeous day yesterday, and we were lucky to dine on the Finz outdoor patio that over looks the Salem Harbor. My sister and I ordered the same Arugula Salad, tossed with vanilla bean vinaigrette, raspberries, pine nuts, and topped with boursin cheese.  The vanilla bean vinaigrette immediately caught my attention. I had never heard of anything like it, and I am so glad that I ordered it. The vanilla bean vinaigrette was slightly sweet and tangy, and definitely brought some life to my arugula salad. 

My sister and I also shared a side order of sweet potato fries. We both loved them dipped in the vanilla bean vinaigrette! 

After lunch, I was craving something sweet (like always), so we stopped in Jaho Coffee & Tea, a funky coffee shop on Derby Street. My iced coffee with soy milk was delicious-- strong, but a little sweet.

Around 2:00, I said goodbye to my sister and headed back into the city. I stopped at Healthworks for a quick workout. I did the elliptical for 45 minutes, walked on the treadmill for 15, and did a few sets of lunges and squats using the Nautilus machines, Bosu, and dumbbells. After a quick shower at the gym, I met up with Mal downtown. 

Our North End friends, like many Boston residents, spent part of their Labor Day moving into a new apartment. Understandably, their move took longer than expected, so our dinner plans were pushed back until 8:00 pm. I knew there was so way I could wait to eat until then, so Mal and I grabbed a snack and a cocktail at Charley's on Newbury Street. 

I was in the mood for a good, strong cocktail, so I ordered a dirty vodka martini. (It was after 5 o'clock!) :)

I love it when dirty martinis are served with big olives like this! I always save one for right after I finish the last sip of my martini. Delish! 

Mal and I shared the Bruschetta Mozzarella, which was toasted focaccia bread topped with marinated roma tomatoes, red onions, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinaigrette. It was fantastic, but definitely a dish we could easily make at home. 

Instead of going out for dinner, we decided to grab food at the St. Anthony's Feast in the North End with our friends. The St. Anthony's Feast was quite the bumpin' event! The streets were packed with people! 

Pizza was on my mind for dinner, so as soon as I saw the Pizzaria Regina booth, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to eat.

Mal and I each ordered a slice of cheese pizza from the Pizzeria Regina vendor. 

The streets of the North End are super crowed during the St. Anthony's Feast. I tried to get a photo of my piece of pizza, but as you can see, it wasn't an easy task!

A lively parade came through the streets of the North End with Italian marching bands and serenaders. I can't remember the last time that I saw a parade, so it was really fun to see! 

After about an hour at the St. Anthony's Feast, we decided to grab a beer and catch the end of the Boston College football game at the Waterfront Cafe Bar-Grill. Our friend, Jack kindly bought us a round of drinks. I ordered a Blue Moon.

The football game ended (BC won!), so we headed back to our friends' apartment to hang out on their roof deck, which had the most AMAZING view of Boston. What a great location! It was almost midnight at this point, so Mal I walked to Park Street and headed home to bed. 

Long post for a long day! Not sure what is on the agenda for Sunday. I'm off to a slow start, but I think an iced coffee and a shower will get me moving!