Happy New Year - 2007!

Oh boy, this is going to be a BIG one. Happy 2007! And we thought 2005 flew by quicker because we were on vacation. The 2006 vanishing act beats that hollow. As always, a lot happened, but too fast to savor. In fact, 2006 was almost a counter-Banjara year.

We're starting to grow roots, nest, settle, and all the anti-banjara terms you can conjure up. We just have to pitch our tents longer than usual for a very special reason. This year we're welcoming Baby Banjara!

So here's to another 10 month journey. Our most significant one ever!

Jingle Bells at Lake Tahoe

What's Christmas without dashing through the snow in a 'two' horse open sleigh in open sight of Lake Tahoe surrounded by the Sierras. That's the advantage of living merely four hours away from winter wonderland. We can soak in the wonders and then trade the icy winter blues for warm sunshine within hours.

Our dear friends gave us an excuse to visit them at their cabin. The storm had passed by just the day before, leaving behind mounds of powder soft play snow. The kids at the cabin were thrilled about sledding down the run dug out by the daddies. We joined them for a trip to the ice skating rink where the 2 year olds impressed us with their balance and fearlessness.

The next morning was reserved for a jingle bell sleigh ride snuggled in the warmth of blankets. I love the Tahoe area draped in its winter cape when the mountains, pine trees, and cottages are perfectly poised for happy happy holidays.

What's Free: San Francisco

Cities around the world provide a rich canvas of art, history, and culture. Our What's Free series spotlights different cities and shows you how to enjoy these treasures without burning holes in your pockets. We start with our home base, San Francisco.

Free Museum Days

Asian Art Museum - First Tuesday of each month
California Academy of Sciences - First Wednesday of each month
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) - First Tuesday of each month
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts - Galleries are free First Tuesday of each month
The de Young Museum - First Tuesday of each month
Legion of Honor - First Tuesday of each month
Conservatory of Flowers - First Tuesday of each month
Exploratorium - First Wednesday of each month
San Francisco Zoo - First Wednesday of each month
Museum of Craft and Folk Art - First Tuesday of each month
Cartoon Art Museum - First Tuesday of each month is "Pay What You Wish Day"
The Chinese Historical Society of America - First Thursday of each month
Museo ItaloAmericano - First Wednesday of each month

Free Museums

Cable Car Museum
Chinese Culture Center
San Francisco Fire Museum
National Maritime Museum
Musee Mecanique
Wells Fargo History Museum

Free Tours

Walking Tours by San Francisco City Guides
Golden Gate Park Walking Tour

Summer Specials

SF Jazz Summer Concerts
Stern Grove Festival
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
Film Night in the Park 2006
Farmer's Markets

Art Hotel Spotlight

Art hotels are becoming increasingly popular, especially in Europe. They're an opportunity to experience the creative expressions of multiple artists under one roof. At Hotel Puerta America in Madrid, each of the thirteen floors has been transformed by a different artist into a fantasy land. Right from the its own lobby entrance (shown above) to the rooms, each floor takes on its own theme and meaning. If nothing else, I'd certainly put this hotel on my sight-seeing list for Madrid.

Glass of the Maharajas

I've never really been into glass but this exhibition I would love to see. The Corning Museum of Glass in New York brings you Glass of the Maharajas (May 19 - Nov. 30, 2006). The exhibition showcases a little-known chapter of design history when European glass manufacturers fashioned dazzling furniture out of glass for the Indian royalty.

The Museum brochure says that "The very idea that a chair could glitter like a diamond, catch light like a colored gemstone, and still function as seating must have astounded those who first encountered glass furniture in the mid- to late-19th century. Visitors to "Glass of the Maharajahs" will experience that same sense of bedazzlement."

Among the highlights of the exhibition is a unique 11-foot-tall mirrored and intricately faceted glass wall cabinet, on public view in the United States for the first time. Also featured are massive chandeliers, side tables, chairs, a towering candelabrum, and even a crystal and horsehair fly whisk.