Monthly Archives: May 2008

Yesterday Virginia was determined that we walk the whole length of the new sidewalk going out of town to the supermarket plaza. We set off, down the hill and past the high school and grade school and then up the steep hill to the road. Down the long hill on the sidewalk and rest at last in Hannaford’s. A bottle of water for Virginia and then, because there were no ice cream bars to be had (unless you bought the box of 24), a yogurt smoothie. 6000 steps on her pedometer. I drove home to get the car. We had a late lunch of salmon and pasta salad and then half a pint of chocolate ice cream. Ah, summertime. The air was delightful and breezy, not too hot yet, lilacs in bloom.

Last week I walked all over Manchester while Virginia was attending sessions of the Brain Injury Survivor’s Conference. I think I did close to 28,000 steps. Stopped of course in various and sundry watering holes, cafes, snack shops to read and sip and munch. Manchester is still Manch-Vegas but has seen some improvements. The art museum has been greatly expanded and the collection is quite good for a small city. On second look I decided I like the Sol Lewitt wall paintings. Had seen them a few weeks ago. Classic primary colors, & stripes in two big half-loops. One of his last works before he died.

I tried the Red Arrow Diner, of great fame through the old NH primary and Adam Sandler, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and others; thought for sure there would be good pie. Lemon custard. Absolutely terrible. Cornstartch and corn syrup hell. All whipped and puffed of course.

Later we had dinner at a favorite restaurant recently moved into new, more upscale digs right across from the Diner, the Brazilian steakhouse, “Gauchos Churrascaria.”

Edmund White’s great little book on Paris, The Flaneur, is out in paperback at last.

Last night we finished watching the three hour 1963 movie by Visconti based on the novel of The Leopard. Incredibly beautifully filmed.  Every scene a painting.  Visconti made surprisingly good use of Burt Lancaster as the Prince.  The old world of Sicily before Garibaldi united Italy.  Alan Deloin and Claudia Cardinale, both very young, were also extremely good.  But the main achievement is the whole visionary sweep of the tale and the world.  Evocation of what we can not remember but now imagine.