The Bent Page

Kindle Review

Daniel — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:42:52 +0000

I’ve owned an Amazon Kindle eReader for several years now. The device works very well, especially when you consider that you can download a book in less than a minute. So, after some serious testing, here’s a brief video to show it in action.

Despite the high initial cost of my Kindle, I’ve now downloaded enough books at reduced prices to make up the difference in the price of the unit itself. And, when you consider I didn’t burn any gas driving to the bookstore, I’m definitely ahead. Not that I mind a ride to the bookstore, because I do enjoy perusing the shelves as mentioned in an earlier post. But this is the way the world is going, browsing on the internet instead of inside a building, reading on a tablet as opposed to on paper. For leisure reading, the books that simply entertain and perhaps don’t require space on the shelf, the Kindle more than does the job. When traveling, don’t leave home without it.

Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market

Daniel — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:01:56 +0000

Today, I had the good fortune to pay a visit to the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market. Every type of fruit and vegetable is on sale here to anyone willing to buy the minimum of a case. And you have to see all this produce, straight from the farm, in a single place, for sale from multiple vendors, all of which means the best prices around. Let’s take a look:

It was interesting to learn how the bananas are ripened, which is quite a process. Not to mention learning about where all this stuff comes from. Then there are the characters here, each operation has a personality and if you do some buying, you’ll meet them. There’s also the other customers, from the mom and pop shops to the restaurant purveyors to the people simply looking for a large quantity of something in particular. Markets like this are a marvel. I highly recommend a visit when in you’re in the mood to buy in bulk.

No books?

Daniel — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:37:11 +0000

Well, there were some books, but quite a few less, as in less than half. I’m talking about a visit to my local, big-box bookstore. Less than six months ago I was in there, perusing the shelves, looking for something to read and there was an entire floor of shelves stacked edge to edge with reading material. Now? Let’s just say there are games and toys and other bric a brace and precious fewer tomes to tickle the fancy. Disappointed? Yes, I am. The bookstore has always been an adventure, a sort of treasure hunt. Sure, it’s possible to comb through the world wide web but it’s tons more fun to touch the pages, maybe bump into someone who has read something good, or even be told what to avoid. I know, I know, all the reviews are online. Sterile they are because you can’t look into someone’s eyes and ask questions.

At any rate, the days of the bookstore in the big-box form are numbered. There will be the specialty shops out there, operated by book lovers. And I’ll go looking for them because books are still relevant in whatever form they take. The people involved with them offer some interesting insight, too. Happy reading!

Kerstboom, Aruba

Daniel — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:01:04 +0000

You’re in the Caribbean, palm trees waving in the breeze, clear water gleaming in the sun, and along comes… evergreens? That’s right, of all the zany things you’ll see in Aruba are fresh Christmas trees, known as kerstboom locally, for sale to celebrate the holiday. Here’s a photo:

Having come from a part of the world where these trees are grown, I was impressed at the selection. Many high quality trees were for sale. They arrive via refrigerated containers, which is a tremendous effort considering how far they have to travel to arrive in Aruba. Well, Christmas is a big deal here on the island. Stay tuned for photos and videos of the light displays. Increible!

Hostaria da’ Vittorio, Aruba

Daniel — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:54:03 +0000

Hostaria da’ Vittorio serves solid Italian favorites with contemporary flair. I’ve had the pleasure of dining here several times over the past couple of years and each experience has been a good one. This time I started with the minestrone, which was homemade and came with a stick of fried polenta. Check it out:

The portion size of the soup was perfect, leaving me plenty of room for other things. I always order too much at this restaurant, simply because I want to enjoy all the flavors. There was a brushetta and caprese salad as you see in the next photo:

And the table bread, which is at the top of the photo above came as a sort of pizza-crust like option. Tasty with olive oil and fresh pepper and something a little different than the usual rolls. Moving on to the entrees. One was an osso buco, seen below and requiring no knife.

Finally, there was a pasta dish, this time a fusilli with crumbled sausage/red sauce. Again, the right size portion and very flavorful which almost rises out of the next image:

Of course, no room for dessert, which was probably a mistake. You have to stop somewhere, and after all this, I hit the wall. Full to the top. Service, as always, was attentive and professional, keeping my water glass topped up the way I like it. I drink gallons of water in Aruba, which thanks to the desalinization plant has one of the best tasting tap waters in the world. But I digress. You’ll enjoy your meal at Hostaria da’ Vittorio, where you can dine inside or out, go for a big meal or something more manageable. Take a group, get some wine, and make a night of it.

Lourdes Grotto and Windmills, Aruba

Daniel — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:50:02 +0000

Today’s video takes you on a drive to the Lourdes Grotto in San Nicolaas, Aruba and for a look at the giant windmills at Vader Piet. Consistent with my other “driving directions” pieces, this one shows you how to get there, from the main highway approaching the traffic circle at the west end of San Nicolaas then to the Lourdes Grotto with a quick peek at the statuary, then a litter further out to Vader Piet for a look at those big windmills. Here we go:

Another pleasant drive, this time with a little rain. Although Aruba is known to be a “desert island,” it does rain here from time to time, especially this time of year. And lately, over the past several years, the island is more green than ever. Enjoy your visit.

Driving to Casibari, Aruba

Daniel — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:39:44 +0000

The previous post showed the climb to the top of the Casibari Rock Formation. Here’s another video showing how to get there. It begins on the main highway, heading FROM the high rise hotel area coming into the Sasaki Traffic Circle. From there, you’ll see exactly how to get to the Casibari Rocks.

An easy drive to be sure. Be careful on the traffic circles, they can be a little tricky. The drive from the hotel area to Casibari is only about 10 minutes or so, depending upon traffic. Part of the video is accelerated to take out the boring stuff. Videos like this will continue, giving an inside look at Aruba and the many things the island has to offer. Bon dia.

Casi Bari Rocks, Aruba

Daniel — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 01:16:20 +0000

There are giant granite boulders located at Casi Bari in Aruba. I mean these things things are huge. You can climb a set of rough hewn stairs to the top, passing between the stones, for a great view around the island. Here’s a video showing just that. Please excuse the shaky camera work. I had to speed it up a little and need some more practice with the new camera. At any rate, here we go:

Quite a view from up there, which also gives you a sense of how small the island is. You’re standing near the center of the island from east to west, which means those cruise ships are closer than you think. Still, plenty of room for a visit to Aruba. Stop by, the water’s warm. Bon dia. (For the technically interested, this was the Canon XF100 doing the video work. With a tripod, the video will improve dramatically. Be patient; it’s on the way.)

Baby Beach to San Nicolaas, Aruba

Daniel — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:36:39 +0000

Here’s a video showing exactly how to drive from Baby Beach, Aruba into the heart of San Nicolaas. Many people ask me for directions to some of my favorite places in Aruba and this video is a good reference. You can make the drive before leaving wherever it is you are, getting familiar with the sights along the way. There’s also a quick look inside the Hollywood Smokehouse and Charlie’s Bar, two great places to stop in for a snack and a beverage. (See other pages here on the blog that show the food.) Here we go.

That was easy! Plenty more of these videos to come. They’ll eventually end up as a series of links on the Aruba Driving Directions page here on my blog. If Aruba ever gets serious about streets signs, you won’t need these videos. In the mean time, well, it never hurts to have a preview of the terrain ahead. Bon dia.

Driving to Baby Beach, Aruba

Daniel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:16:57 +0000

Some visitors to Aruba find it a challenge to drive to the southeast tip of the island where Baby Beach is located. The street signs are not exactly clear in Aruba, but the driving is not difficult, just a little slow here and there. Well, if you leave the hotel area and take the main highway (1A) past the airport, all the way to the edge of San Nicolaas, you’re 3/4′s of the way to Baby Beach. From there, just follow this video.

That was easy enough. Baby Beach is a great place for a dip and bit of snorkeling, too. You can hang out here then head into San Nicolaas for a few drinks and a snack. I’ll have a video showing the drive into town very soon.

Bon dia.