Some old stitching: circa 1950

I have been writing quite a bit about our recent vacation. It wasn't one of those strenuous touristy type vacations. We pretty much parked ourselves in one lovely spot and just opened ourselves up to all the little details that made the place so lovely.

Details like these old stamped cross stitch pieces hanging in one of the main stairwells. The wall decor in the restaurant included displays of steins, beer labels and memorabilia, postcards and photos from guests throughout the three generations of family ownership of the inn [a chronicle from the 1930s on]. Everywhere you went in the inn there were homey little touches to capture the attention: bookcases in the halls and rooms, filled with an eclectic mix of old and new books, a chess set in the seating area of the reception lobby, a wooden puzzle box in the shape of a turtle on the lobby counter. We were told that guests used the box for a variety of reasons, leaving messages or small objects to be retrieved later. The hunting chalet decor of the bar area might not have been to my taste: a bearskin, a deer head trophy, and a variety of antler racks ... but I guess it records a part of the history of the place. Even the ladies room by the bar had fin de siecle German language posters of young women [with very improbable figures] wearing the sportswear of the day: bloomers. There was also a collection of antique purses hung on the wall. Everywhere you turned there was something interesting to look at.

Here is a shot of my favorite lunch: potato pancakes with applesauce ... served with a side of spaetzle and a nice glass of wine.


All the meals were terrific and very German: saeurbrauten, schnitzels, wursts, spaetzle, potato dumplings, red cabbage, saeurkraut. Plenty of German wines and beers as well. The waitresses dressed in drindls and white peasant blouses with green and black vests. The restaurant is closed Mon-Wed but the kitchen opens for an hour every morning to serve a hearty breakfast to inn guests: choices include omelets with the fillings of your choice, a two or three egg [any style] with toast and bacon and/or sausage, pancakes, French toast, cold cereals or oatmeal. Every breakfast starts off with a fruit plate garnished with generous slices of the coffee cake of the day served with coffee or tea and juice. While we were there the coffee cakes were a yeast crumb cake, apple strudel and a blueberry crumb cake.

Some more vacation photos

This is the view of the Bavarian Country Manor as seen from the front lawn. Though it is hard to see quite clearly, the front porch that was such a delightfully shady morning stitching spot can be seen just below the leaf canopy of the center tree ... which provided that lovely shade. The very 1950-ish red metal chairs in front of the inn circle a fire pit that will probably be a favorite evening spot when we visit in the fall. The inn is open year round because there is skiing in the winter and hiking, swimming, biking and just plain relaxing in the cooler mountain air in the spring, summer and fall. The front and side lawns are extensive.

The next photo is a shot of one of the many whimsical bear figures that are found in the area. This fellow welcomes all visitors to the inn. The potted plant above his head was visited daily by hummingbirds, much to the delight of my husband who had never seen one before. The wicker love seat behind the bear was my stitching chair for the duration of the vacation. There were many more bears to be found throughout the area. The nearby town of Cairo has an annual contest to promote tourism in the town: there is a display of 30+ folk art bears scattered around the business district, each one concealing a butterfly in the design. Using a ballot, the visitors note the location of each butterfly. Completed ballots are entered for prizes. You can also take chances on the bears. I suppose the winners display them as lawn art or as folk art focus pieces in their homes. The bears tend to spotlight the various attractions of the area. There was a bear in the inn's dining room dressed as a race track enthusiast, probably headed for Saratoga, complete with binoculars, betting sheet, etc. I couldn't get a photo of that

one since the nineteenth century ambiance of the inn called for very dim lighting. But here is a mother and cub from a previous year, now being displated as lawn art near the gold fish pond on the front lawn.

I regret not taking a few more photos of thebears around town, especially the fire-fighter bear and the librarian bear in town as well as a few others. They were odd but rather sweet.

Here is a shot of my husband enjoying the front porch. Over his left shoulder, you can see one of the many bird feeders scattered about the property that attracted all manner of birds. Birdsong was constant background music ... another one of the small pleasures that graced our vacation.

Walking around to the back of the inn, one comes upon this view of a litte lake perfect for fishing, kayaking or canoeing. No one ever seems to swim in it though ... it's a little too murky ... one would definitely need a shower after swimming in this lake.

Tannersville

Click on these photos for a closer look at the details.

One of our day trips on our recent vacation in the Catskill region took us to the town of Tannersville, whose main claim to fame is its Main Street full of fantastically painted buildings. Apparently, some tourist bureau honcho had a brainstorm and offered grants to any home owners and shopkeepers who would turn their buildings into artistic statements of gaudy whimsy. The result is actually quite charming. All the gingerbread details of late nineteenth century buildings are emphasized by striking color contrasts. More modern and prosaic buildings painted with the same imaginative abandon don't seem to be so glaringly out of place or painfully drab beside the architectural granddams. As strange as it may seem, the outrageous and wildly varying color schemes are actually a unifying element. The owners of the buildings seem to have had fun with the whole concept, adding imaginative window treatments to the whole mix. The bright blue house below boasts large figurines of Minnie and Mickey Mouse filling the front windows of the second story. And the trompe d'oiel shutters are home to all sorts of strange and surprising little creatures: dragonflies, praying mantises, frogs, lizards and turtles. I suupose the owner choose to include reptiles and insects in the design because the foundation of the building is cheek by jowl with a little stream.

Sadly, once you have wandered around checking out the buildings there is little else to claim your attention ... except a great little restaurant improbably named The Last Chance Cheese and Antique Shop.

It was an amusing way to while away an afternoon and if you are every in Greene County, NY, I suggest you check out Tannersville for yourself.