Every Friday I get an email from Sitemeter that tells me that I have loyal readers who are still checking my blog every week to see if the polar bear photo is finally gone. IT IS! Sorry about the hiatus. A billion things happened over the last 3 months and although I've been faithful to the New to Me project, I guess I needed a break from writing about it. In March I took a 10 day vacation to Madrid and Bilbao where I'd never been so every experience was New and so much fun! In April I tried out several new places near home, and in May I was off to my 2nd favorite American city, Portland, where I've been multiple times but has endless New to Me opportunities. Now it's Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of Minnesota summer, and I'm very hopeful that this will be a great summer filled with New. I just kicked it off by watching the Twins win over the Brewers 11-3 with Cuddyer hitting for the cycle so things are looking good so far! Since there is no way to catch up on everything from the last 3 months, I'll just list a few highlights from my trips:Madrid and Bilbao
1. The best art museums in the world, I think only Paris and New York can compete:Guggenheim Bilbao, Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo Sorolla, Reina Sofia.
2. Additional amazing art collections (and architecture) at the Foundations: Caja Madrid, CaixaForum Madrid.
3. Seeing Picasso's Guernica and the town of Gernika.
4. Excellent tapas and fish (major effort to avoid jamon) especially in Bilbao's Casco Viejo.
5. Sunny Sunday in Parque del Buen Retiro - loved McElheny's work in the Palacio de Cristal.
Portland, Oregon
1. Best New to Me restaurants: Belly Timber and Sel Gris.
2. Best New to Me bars: The Driftwood Room and Urban Farmer.
3. Best New to Me shopping: Brooklyn Industries and Sloan Boutique.
4. Best New to Me coffeeshops: St. Honore and Dragonfly.
5. Best New to Me outdoor and quirky eating establishment: Grilled Cheese Grill.
And, of course, visiting my great friends Rachel, Kara, Ivona, Kate, and Claire was the best of all (see photo above).
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