Travels in the 2nd half

   A trip along the Hudson River offers a lot to see and do. From the old river towns to the hikes along the water, there is something for everyone. One of my favorite things to do is to visit the historic mansions that served as vacation homes to rich and powerful of New York City. The Vanderbilt Mansion , in Hyde Park, NY, is one of the best examples of these homes.   Frederick Vanderbilt by NPS uploaded by Jillian Jack Louise Vanderbilt - Photographer Unknown   In 1894, Frederick Vanderbilt (1856-1938) and Louise Vanderbilt (nee Anthony, 1878-1926) purchased this 800+acre estate from Dorothea and Walter Langdon, daughter and son-in-law of John Jacob Astor. Like many of New York’s richest families, they were attracted by the beauty of the Hudson River Valley. The opening of the New York Central Railroad, which was owned by the Vanderbilt family, made travel to Hyde Park from the city, an easy trip. The Vanderbilts hired the firm of McKim, Mead and White to design...

  The New York Times runs a weekly column offering suggestions of things to do if you were to have on and a half days to spend in a particular place. In 2019, after Hurricane Maria and before Covid, the Gray Lady offered their suggestions of places to see and restaurants to visit in San Juan, Puerto Rico . On a recent trip, I decided to see how well those suggestions stand up after five years. Coffee in Santurce The Times had three suggestions for breakfast and or a coffee break in the Santurce neighborhood. The first is Hacienda San Pedro , on Avenida José de Diego, across from the Museo del Arte. The Hacienda is a coffee farm near the town of Jayuya, in the mountains of Puerto Rico, and this shop sells wonderful coffee made from their own beans. It a smooth coffee, like most native Puerto Rican roasts. The shop has comfortable indoor seating, along with a patio with more seats outside.   Museo del Arte Another choice is Cafe con Cé , on Avenida Loiza. Cafe con Cé is one of s...

  Voyages by Imna Arroyo Cora   One of my favorite places to visit in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the Museo de las Americas . Located in the Cuartel de Ballajá, the old barracks, just outside of El Morro, the museum presents a look at the of the island and of all of Latin America. I have visited on several occasions, and you can read about their permanent exhibits here .   This fall I had the opportunity to see two exhibitions of works by contemporary artists of Puerto Rican descent. The first was Quién Profanó la Mansión Georgetti? (Who Desecrated the Georgetti Mansion?) by Eddie Faraioli (b. 1950).    Eduardo Georgetti   Eduardo Georgetti (1866-1937) was the son of a family of landowners, and he became one of the largest sugar barons in Puerto Rico. In 1923 he had a mansion built in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan. At the time it was considered on of the greatest mansions in the Caribbean. Georgette died in 1937, and his wife in 1938. In 1955, th...