Happy Holidays

Dear friends & readers,

The holidays are upon us and we are all busy celebrating. I hope everyone enjoys their time with friends and family this holiday season. Happy holidays and I will see you all in the New Year!!!

Liliya

THE MOST SPECTACULAR HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAYS

Brooklyn
South Slope
This house is located at 310A 22nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The very ambitious and creative homeowners make everything by hand in their backyard—no pre-fab strings of lights at all! This house has a different theme and storyline every season. The show runs nightly between 5-10pm on weeknight and on Fri. & Sat. until 11pm. The show is about 5 minutes and happens every twenty minutes starting at 5 (so 5, 5:20, 5:40, 6 etc)
How to get there:
The closest subway station is the 25th Street R stop. If you drive, you'll probably need to park a few blocks away. The display understandably causes a traffic jam.

Dyker Heights
Dyker Heights is super-famous for its Christmas light displays. There's a PBS documentary called Dyker Lights, countless videos on YouTube and once, even Conan O'Brien visited (sadly that hilarious clip is not currently available online). The displays run from 11th to 13th Avenues between 83rd and 86th Streets.
How to get there: 
Subways: D/M trains to 18th Ave and New Utrecht Avenue ; R train to 86th Street and 4th Avenue. Bus: You can  take the B63 bus to 5th Avenue and 86th Street.
Driving: Take the Belt Parkway to Exit 4 (park before 84th Street and 12th Avenue, walk up 84th to 10th Ave). Be warned: parking is near impossible and the traffic is really slow. If you can, find a parking spot a bit away from the hubbub and walk to the lights.

Canarsie
The house in Canarsie at the corner of East 93rd St. and Flatlands Ave with its carousel, santa’s elves and nativity scene from Milan has 250,000 lights. According to the Brooklyn Daily, this  year’s spectacular display will showcase a “cast of 100 animated characters (that) includes a new, singing-talking-joke-cracking parrot, and Stumpy, the fan-favorite talking Christmas tree. Eight wondrous displays feature vignettes depicting Hanukkah and Kwanza, and there’s a 12-foot wreath crowning the roof”. The owner of the home, Frank Seddio, no longer lives there but uses it as his law firm’s office.
How to get there: .
Driving: Take Atlantic Ave to Rockaway Ave, right on Foster Ave and then left on E. 93rd Street and end at Flatlands Ave.
Subway/Bus: Take the 4 to New Lots Station. Then take the B60 bus towards Canarsie Williams Ave, get off at Glenwood Road and 98th Street and walk about 8 minutes to Flatlands and E. 93rd Street.

Long Island
Lindenhurst
Since the late '90s, these Long Island homeowners have been seriously decking their halls with over-the-top holiday lights. Visitors can marvel at the more than 32,000 strings of lights that adorn their house and property, including a 21-foot-tall Christmas tree made of lights, giant inflatable decorations and even a glittering New Year's Eve ball that drops down a 20-foot pole as the clock strikes midnight on December 31. The lights blink in time to the music broadcast from their very own one-block radius radio station.
How to get there: The house is located at 405 North Broadway in Lindenhurst, Long Island, about an hour drive from midtown Manhattan.
You can find several other LI holiday lights locations on http://long-island.newsday.com/guides/holidays/map-of-long-island-holiday-lights-1.2549508

NYC STORE HOLIDAY WINDOW DISPLAY

Besides the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, nothing captures the Christmas spirit in the Big Apple quite like the classic department store window displays. From snowflakes to shopping bags and even a full-on storyline, this year’s displays continue their tradition of being entertaining and awe-inspiring.
Macy’s ,151 West 34th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues,
helps to make wishes come true with “Make-A-Wish” windows. The  first window sets the tone using 3DFusion, the first 3D technology of its kind in retail history Other highlights include an interactive ‘make-a-wish’ window, where visitors can design their own ornaments to take home virtually on their mobile devices.

Lord & Taylor, 424 Fifth Avenue at 38th Street, asked children from Women In Need shelters and local schools to draw what they believe Christmas is made of for the theme, “What is Christmas Made Of?” Inspired by these pieces of art, the stores mechanical holiday windows feature 125 of their original drawings. 
Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, puts on a dramatic light show: The Snowflake & Bubble Spectacular. An updated twist on last year’s bubbles theme, the show is projected onto the building’s facade. A new soundtrack was composed just for the show, along with a unique six-projector system that appears to change the features of the building itself using vivid 3D programming.

Tiffany & Co, 727 Fifth Avenue at 57th Street,
The famous jewelry store really kicked up its holiday window this year. The window frames look like they're part of a spectacular merry-go-round, and each window has a porthole in which a story about escaped carousel animals helping Santa deliver his gifts unfolds.

Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Avenue at 58th Street, collection is titled “Carnival of the Animals.” With individual windows called “The Brass Menagerie,” “Testing the Waters” and “Breaking the Ice,” the display includes all sorts of wildlife, from primates to polar bears. In “Teacher’s Pet” a model dressed in a black and white lace Marchesa gown stands inside a 3-dimensional paper classroom filled with similarly colored paper animals, including a life-sized paper zebra and panda bear.

Bloomingdale’s, 1000 Third Avenue at 59th Street, is known for their legendary shopping bags, and this year’s theme will celebrate the iconic designs throughout the years. Oversized vintage bags nestled in  velvet will open or spin, showcasing a diorama of intricate sculpted animation. 
If you would like to do something extra, go from Tiffany to the  Le Parker Meridien Hotel at 119 W 56th Street at Sixth Avenue to see 7 fabulous gingerbread house displays. This is free and open 24 hours a day, but to vote on your favorite display, you have to purchase a ticket for $1.00 at the concierge desk which is open from 7am to 11pm daily. 
Next week I'll tell you about the most spectacular Holiday Light Displays in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island.

TRAVEL WEBSITES, PART 2

Since I published the article "Travel websites", I've received a lot of different questions about trip reservations and travel insurance. So, I decided to give you more information regarding these subjects.
There are two websites for flights reservation I like: http://www.kayak.com/ and http://www.vayama.com/.
Both of them provide many different options (direct flight, multiple-city, one way, etc). Both sites allow users to compare information from hundreds of other travel websites in one display when booking travel reservations for flights, hotels, rental cars, vacations, and cruises and provides the ability to filter search results by price, specific brands, timing, and other decision factors. In August 2011, KAYAK updated its flight search to include Hacker Fares in the search results. Hacker Fares refers to itineraries that require purchasing two or more one-way tickets on separate airlines. VAYAMA is known for its unique focus on discounted international air travel and its booking engine is similar to KAYAK's.
http://www.orbitz.com/  is famous for Orbitz Price Assurance program.
If you book a flight or prepaid hotel room on Orbitz, and another customer books your itinerary for less after you have booked yours, Orbitz will issue a cash refund for the difference. Amounts range from $5 to $250 per airline ticket or $5 to $500 per hotel booking. They mail your refund check about 6-8 weeks after your trip. For full terms and conditions go to http://www.orbitz.com/info/win?id=priceAssuranceTerms&popupsDisabled=false.
When it comes to hotels reservation, I like www.hotels.com, but my favorite website is www.booking.com. I find the hotel location, regular and special rates, what is included in price - breakfast, free WiFi, room amenities, etc, and the cancellation policy. The free cancellation option allows me to cancel an existing reservation if I find a better deal and make a new reservation, assuming I keep checking the rates after making the reservation. Although many websites do not charge for reservation changes or cancellations, the hotel you choose might so be sure to check hotel policy as well as that of the booking website.
Another benefit of the free cancellation option is reduced travel insurance cost. As I mentioned in my previous post, you calculate the price of the insurance on www.insuremytrip.com depending on the cost of the trip you want to insure. If a hotel reservation could be canceled free of charge, you do not include it in the total cost of trip to be insured. If you have any questions or concerns what insurance to buy, call www.insuremytrip.com Customer Service at 1-800-487-4722, they are really very helpful.

Princeton, NJ

We were planning this trip for a while, and finally went there last Sunday. It was a beautiful day and it took us about one and a half hours to get there from Queens.

On weekends, you can park your car at any restricted parking around the University. We parked on Ivy Street (turn left from Washington Street and the parking is on the left hand side, across from the Library.

Princeton University boasts a bevy of charming architecture styles and a great deal of pleasure can be taken in simply strolling the grounds (the map could be printed out from http://www.princeton.edu/main/visiting/ or obtained at the Welcome Desk in Frist Campus Center). By the way, if you want to join the free tour around the campus with one of the student-volunteers, this is the place the tour starts on weekends.

The oldest building on campus is Nassau Hall. Construction began in 1754 and completed in 1756; this was the seat of the Congress of the Confederation (and thus capitol of the United States) from 30 June 1783 to 4 November 1783.

A notable stop on campus is the Princeton University Art Museum. Its permanent collection (68,000 works exhibited on a rotating basis) includes ancient antiquities, and Renaissance, Impressionist, and modern works by the likes of Warhol, Picasso, Monet and Toulouse-Lautrec. The Museum is open until 5 pm and admission is free.

Another stop not to be missed is The University Chapel, which has stained-glass windows showing scenes from works by Dante, Shakespeare, and Milton, as well as the Bible.

After wondering around the campus we decided to see Princeton downtown.

Downtown Princeton is easy to explore on foot. Walking North out of campus, you will hit Nassau Street—Princeton’s main drag. You can find the free map of Princeton in many places on Nassau Street; we picked one up in the Panera bread, where we had lunch.

Walking down Nassau Street, do not miss one of eight editions of the ‘Out to Lunch’ bronze sculptures across the country. Going towards Borough Hall, you will come to the site of several sculptures including EMC, a square (herein lies the joke) of granite featuring a bust of Princeton’s favorite adopted son, Albert Einstein and a little further - “Newspaper Reader”.

If you’re in the mood for a detour, find Mercer Street on a map and look for address 112. The home is a private residence and is not open to the public (as Einstein requested in his will), but in locating it, you can say you’ve seen where Albert Einstein lived. In the event all this searching for Einstein has left you wishing for a museum dedicated to the man and his work, you’ll find one in a family owned shop at 102 Nassau Street www.landauprinceton.com/einstein-museum. It's the only Einstein museum in North America and is FREE! Landau shop has been open for business for 53 years and is run by three generations of folks who know their wool. We did not have time to walk in the heart of the town - Palmer Square, located across from Princeton University. We'll do it next time, when we come to Princeton - this place is worth to visit more than once.

Before planning your trip to Princeton, do not forget to check McCarter Art Center website http://www.mccarter.org/home.aspx?page_id=1 for upcoming performances.

And last, but not least: Princeton is only 20 minutes away by car from Grounds for sculpture (see my article posted earlier) and 35 from a very cozy small town - New Hope, PA with many galleries, antique stores and little cafes. So, if you would like to stay overnight in one of numerous hotels in Princeton, you can see all places at once.

CENTRAL PARK NY

This is the second review, as promised, from my older daughter. Enjoy!

Our other most recent excursion is none other than the good old Central Park. 
Amazing how things sitting right under our noses hold all the excitement we need! I think one of the best things about Central Park is that no matter how many times you go there, there is always something new to discover!
We usually start at the South Eastern corner of the park where we get off the R train that takes us there from Forest Hills in under 30 minutes. We walk in and start heading north checking out various birds who inhabit the little water reservoir on our left. Speaking of birds, the last time we went there we ran into none other than Big Bird himself. Made my daughter very excited! Of course, my oldest immediately informed her that it was none other than a person in a Big Bird costume and proceeded to point to the barely visible seam separating the head of the costume from the body. However, Lucy chose not to be disillusioned and went on to pose for many pictures with her oversized feathered friend. Point of the story: you never know what and who you are going to meet in Central Park so keep your camera ready. 
Other exciting things encountered on the top of the northern trail are the Wollman skating ring and a few smallish, but exciting, climbing mountains suitable for kids of all ages. Continuing north, we find ourselves in the CP's Zoo. We have never been inside (not a big fan of zoos in general) but I do hear it is rather exciting! On the way out of the zoo grounds is the famous Delacorte clock that chimes every half hour with seasonal music and various bronze animals twirling around the clock to the delight of the children and gawking out-of-towners.
A little bit to your left, directly in front of the Wollman's Rink there is the Checkers and Chess House/Visitors center: a lovely little gazebo with stone chess tables that can be used for their intent purposes (chess or checker sets available in the information center for $2) or to serve as picnic tables for small groups of Eastern European devotees of al fresco dining.
From there, we usually proceed to The Mall and Literary walk, with sculptures of all kinds of famous folks, from Christopher Columbus to Robert Burns. Further north - one of my most cherished places in CP: Conservatory Waters. Here, you can watch the ducks and all the Captain Grants wannabes who speed their rented mini-boats all over the little water reservoir! Although I am pretty sure this only happens in the warmer months of the year!
We usually end our trip around the Bethesda Fountain - a very peaceful spot surrounded by waters, Terrace Arcade with beautiful tile directly behind the fountain, and large, pretty clean bathroom further up the staircase. 

Here is my favorite map of Central Park!

Happy trails and remember The Park is worth a visit at any season!

Anya

PORT JEFFERSON

Today I received two trip reviews from my older daughter.  I 'm posting one of them this week and saving the other one for the next.

Having been raised by the worldly and restless hostess of this blog, I am always trying to give my children as rich of experiences growing up as I had myself. These last two trips have been prompted by exactly that.

Port Jefferson:

This trip have actually been suggested by none other than "the lazy bum" himself, aka my husband. Not that he is not a wonderful father, husband and provider, but let's face it, the man could spend all of his free time on the couch Al Bundy style. However, having finally realized that the kids get even more crazy if not properly entertained on weekends, he suggested we go check out port Jefferson, a place dear to his heart of a former Stony Brook Alumnus. And off we went. 

Port Jefferson, or as locals lovingly refer to it Port Jeff, is about an hour and 15 minute drive from Forest Hills. If you have ever been to Mystic, CT, just imagine that, only smaller and you get the picture. If you have never visited Mystic, allow me to elaborate. Port Jefferson village, which is where you want to end up, is a lovely coastal village consisting of many restaurants, gift shops and dessert parlours. It has a children's museum, two nautically themed children's playground, and an abundance of lovely views of the ships, big and small. The main attraction for us, however - and those lucky enough to be parents or grandparents of little boys will appreciate this tip especially - was the ferry coming to and from Connecticut carrying not only passengers but cars that load and unload off the ferry right in front of your eyes. Imagine the excitement of the children - and I will be honest here, the parents as well - upon seeing a huge ferry docking, lowering an enormous metal bridge, aligning it perfectly with whatever it is that they need to align it with, and then watching 30 to 40 cars driving off the vessel onto land. Now, imagine all of it repeating again in reverse order! You got yourself two very satisfied little spectators.

Of course, being directly on the water, Port Jeff is full of wonderful seafood eateries. We went to a place called "Steamroom" (http://www.steamroomportjefferson.com/) which is a lovely but casual self service eatery overlooking the ferry dock. On their menu-- any seafood imaginable, from lobster rolls to broiled scallops. Most of it is great, although the lobster roll left much to be desired, according to my husband. For our vegetarian friends, if there are any, a place called "Tiger Lily" serving Mediterranean food was highly recommend to me as well.

Directly to the left of the ferry is the Danfords hotel that, despite only being in operation for a little over 30 years, looks just like it came off the pages of The Great Gatsby. We went inside to check it out and its interior is indeed as lovely as the exterior.

Port Jefferson Village website http://www.portjeff.com offers a lot if helpful info to plan your trip. We are hoping to go back there in December for the Charles Dickens Festival.

Anya

TRAVEL WEBSITES

November is here and it is getting cold. Some of us have already made reservations for a week or so to spend in the Caribbean or other warm places during the winter.
Many people use their travel agents, others - favorite Internet sites like www.orbitz.com, www.travelocity.com, etc. I 'd like to tell you about www.vacationtogo.com.
This site has a lot of special deals for NYC residents and for people over 55, including cruises to destinations all over the world. See, every age has its perks. 
Some go to the same resort every year, some check out a new resort every time.
Please, share your opinion about various resorts with others. 
Another thing to consider  now is how to spend 4 days many of us have for Thanksgiving weekend. I received the following from www.travelzoo.com today:

NATIONWIDE--NOVEMBER 04, 2011-- It's not too late to find
great deals over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Travel
and entertainment companies have cut prices by as much as
65% to spur last-minute bookings.
Highlights include:
- NATIONWIDE: Fares over Thanksgiving weekend ... $39 & up
- CARIBBEAN: Royal Caribbean 5-night cruise ... $329
- FLORIDA: Delray Beach luxe B&B escape, $150 off ... $139
- BOSTON: Marriott hotels at up to 40% off ... $129 & up
- NYC: Broadway shows at up to 50% off ... $26.50 & up
- FLORIDA KEYS: Scuba trip w/reef dives, $126 off ... $99
For a full list of deals and more information, click below:
http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/68005217-1131632/
Travelzoo Tip: Maximize airfare sales by flying Nov. 21, 24,
26 or 29. Our research shows these are the least expensive
days to fly around Thanksgiving.

Please remember, if you decide to buy the insurance for your trip (I always do), go to www.insuremytrip.com. This website allows you to compare different insurance plans and pick the one most suited for your particular trip. You can also calculate the price of the insurance depending on the cost of the trip you want to insure.

GRAND CANYON WITH CARAVAN

My very close friends just returned from one of the most amazing places on the planet.
This is their message: 

We are a mature couple, well-traveled, mostly Europe and Caribbean Islands.
Just came from vacation in Arizona, Utah and Nevada! (Grand Canyon, Sedona, Lake Powell, Bryce & Zion)
For us it was the first organized trip in USA.
Over all it was very exiting and enjoyable, reasonably loaded with sightseeing and activities.
The tour was with "Caravan".
Well organized, moderately priced.
The hotels and food are as good as they could be in this territories.
Very important to check the weather before the trip and pack accordingly. Evenings and nights are much cooler than you would expect.
We could not single out anything we have seen, all equally interesting and impressive in it's own way.
Both the guide and the driver were excellent.
Should we look for another trip, we will definitely go with "Caravan"

P.& L.

I'd like to add that if you decide to take this trip please go to http://www.caravan.com/tour/usa-grand-canyon.
There you can find several other trips offered by Caravan.com as well as information about dates and prices.

KYKUIT AND UNION CHURCH

 Kykuit (pronounced "Kye-cut") is not the oldest or even the largest of the estates in Hudson Valley, but many people find it the most spectacular. When John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil, built Kykuit in 1913, he was the richest man in the world. Kykuit also houses Governor (and later Vice President) Nelson Rockefeller's incredible collection of 20th-century modern art, which graces the gardens and fills the entire lower level of the house. Outstanding among the pieces in the very Sixties art gallery in the house is a unique series of giant and shockingly vibrant tapestries commissioned from Pablo Picasso.
Visits to Kykuit begin at Philipsburg Manor; park your car, buy your ticket in the back of the gift shop and jump on the guided shuttle bus for your tour. Tours of Kykuit last between 2 and 3 hours. Choose from among 5 different tours depending on your interest. You can also buy the tickets in advance on the internet.
For direction, tours description and schedule go to http://www.hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit.
I recomend after the tour have lunch in one of nearby places and then get in the car and visit Union Church located just less than 2 mi away.

This unassuming country church contains a stained glass window by Henri Matisse, his last work of art, and nine windows by Marc Chagall!

To check the visiting hours go to http://www.hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/union-church-pocantico-hills

GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE

Grounds for Sculpture http://www.groundsforsculpture.org/visit_us.html sits in the middle of an industrial area in Hamilton, New Jersey, mid-way between New York City and Philadelphia. It is absolutely amazing place. They have beautiful sculptures, nice staff, the most amazing water lilies and random peacocks roaming around.
I recommend after you park your car, go to the information center and get the $1 map because most of the sculptures are off the path, so you need to look for them; you will see statues in the most random places, like by the lake they have a man fishing, and on this path that leads into trees there's a sculpture recreating Manet's picnic picture... Along the pathways, there are covered boxes with poems inside. 
There are always art, music, and poetry events (for children and adults) throughout the season.

If the sculpture "Generalissimus" is still on display, go around , find the narrow slot on the back and take a look inside the sculpture... 

Grounds For Sculpture open Tue-Sun 10-6, admission fee is  $12.00 for adults, and $10.00 for Seniors (65+). 

VERMONT

Эти путевые заметки прислал Гена - один из друзей путешественников:

 Привет! Итак, Вермонт! Горы, воздух, меняющие цвет листья, красивые дороги, маленькие городки... Ничего больше.
Поездку назвал "Звуки музыки" просто потому что в этих местах снимался этот знаменитый фильм. Ничуть не хуже Альп. Там и сейчас семья фон Трапп ( на их истории снят фильм) держит гостинницу и ресторан, где подают венский шницель. http://www.trappfamily.com/
Рядом с ними находится деревня Москва. Почему так называется, не в курсе. Проехал Москву насквозь за 2 минуты... Ничего общего :)
По компьютеру от Статен Айленда до Stowe езды 6 часов. Но я выбрал маршрут где можно глазеть по сторонам. Дорога 87 до выхода 17, затем 84 до Taconic Parkway. Очень красивая дорога. Потом остановка в Manchester Centre. Там можно погулять, есть магазины. Можно взглянуть на Equinox Hotel http://www.equinoxresort.com/
Затем дороги 73, 89, 100, 108. И вот Stowe. http://www.stowemountainlodge.com/about-stowe-vermont-resort.php
Отель входит в 100 лучших отелей мира. Сервис отличный. Ресторан уровня Манхеттена.
Очень популярное место у любителей горных лыж. Цена $$$.
Вермонт-совсем другая Америка. Многие горные дороги повреждены ураганом. некоторые закрыты. Смыты ограждения. Встречаются разрушенные дома. Поэтому наши деньги очень нужны штату...
Озеро Шамплейн. Симпатичный студенческий городок Барлингтон.
Обратный путь лежал по другую сторону Гудзона: озеро Джордж, 87 дорога..

Гена

От себя добавлю: Добраться до Вермонта можно всего за полтора часа на самолете.
Несколько рейсов ежедневно из LGA (LAGUARDIA AIRPORT ), а там взять машину напрокат. Билет туда и обратно стоит сейчас  $119.00-139.00, а прокат машины -$25.00 и выше в день.
На сайте http://www.central-vt.com/visit/foliage.htm есть интересная карта Вермонта показывающая периоды листопада.

Octoberfest

Знаете ли вы о том, что можно побывать на Октоберфест не уезжая из штата NY?

Достаточно потратить немногим более одного часа на дорогу и вы оказываетесь на празднике в Bear Mountain Park. 

Каждый выходной в oктябрe в парке пиво, сосиски, салаты, музыка.
Паpковка -8.00, только приезжайте пораньше,чтобы всё увидеть: прекрасное озеро (можно взять лодку на прокат), пешеходный мост через Гудзон, зоопарк...
Советую ехать по Palisade Parkway, чтобы полюбоваться всеми красками осени.
Подробная информация с картой нa http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/13/details.aspx

Приятных выходных и холодного пива!

CITY WINERY

If you think going to Manhattan on weekend is a mini trip, check this out!

City Winery has a great tradition!

Every Sunday Morning, combining live music and food in a fresh, cultural environment, City Winery’s Klezmer brunch series pairs some of the greatest musicians in the world with delicious lox, bagels and other tasty fare on our brunch menu on Sunday mornings from 10am to 2pm. The live music is played from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a short break in the middle.

Tickets are just $10 to cover for live music (food and drink not included); you can just listen to the music or order branch as well. And do not worry about parking: the parking is on Spring street, one block from the Winery for $10.00 - just print out a coupon from http://www.parkfast.com/downloads/downtown-parking-coupons.jsp or other parking websites before go.

Children 13 and under are free for the music.

To check the calendar of events, location or make the reservations, please go to http://citywinery.com/events.

Wine lovers- check Winery's Blog.

Some of us are planning to go to this event on September 25th.

Lehaim

BUDDHA MONASTERY

   

Как и обещали, мы посетили Буддийский монастырь. Наше первое впечатление - мы снова в Китае. Очень советую поехать в  это место - расслабляющий парк с прудом, в котором множество рыбок и черепах; несколько интересных павильонов, беседки и много скамеек для отдыха.
На террасy можно подняться по крутой лестнице, что мы и сделали, а потом увидели тропу с другой стороны.
     Мы заглянули в библиотеку и разговорились с библиотекарем. Когда она узнала, что мы родились в России, показала нам книгу Буддизм в России (на английском языке). А когда узнала что мы евреи,  рассказала нам, что среди монахов монастыря есть один американский еврей. Наши люди всюду!?
     По выходным дням за $6 стоит попробовать необычный ланч - ведь буддисты-вегетарианцы.
Парковка -бесплатная.
Подробная информация на www.http://www.baus.org/en/?cat=18