Cure for the common jet lag

A colleague of mine got back recently from a long trip in Australia. Sydney is 14 hours ahead of New York, so he was looking pretty bleary-eyed for a few days. He absolutely swears by the Argonne Anti-Jet Lag Diet, though, and I think I might try it for my next trip. Have you heard of it? It gives you a strict regimen of feast and fast days beginning 4 days before you fly, and limits caffeine consumption to certain times of day. I'm intrigued.

Also by this iPhone app, which prompts you to apply pressure to certain points on your body to reset your inner clock. I'm a skeptic, but for $2.99 I would try it.

I certainly haven't found any magic bullet for avoiding jet lag, but here's what tends to help me (not that I always follow my own instructions).

• Drink LOTS of water on the plane, and only water. Bring a bottle and ask the flight attendant to fill it. Take a cup of water every time they offer one.
• Don't feel the need to eat absolutely every meal they bring around, especially things that you know just by looking will probably wreak havoc with your digestion. Better to be a bit hungry when you arrive.
• Try to sleep on the plane, but only if it's nighttime at your destination. If not, stay awake.
• Once you arrive, go outside! Sunlight is so important to let your body know what time it is. Physical activity outdoors is a good thing, too.
• Resist all urges to nap when you arrive. I always forget this one on purpose because I'm so tired—don't be like me.
• Stay up as late as you can. We usually aim for 9pm bedtime after a long trip.
• Have something planned for the morning after you arrive (or the day of, if you're ambitious), preferably a business meeting of some kind. The best jet lag cure I know is not having the option to laze around the house.

What works for you? Any special jet lag tips to share? I'm collecting them.

Sundays in New York: the UWS

My sister-in-law Rachel is in town for a few days, so we've had a great excuse to get out and enjoy the city. Last night we saw Mary Poppins (her first Broadway show) and went to the midtown Shake Shack. The day before she and CM rented bikes in Central Park and then walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and explored Brooklyn. We met for dinner at Jack the Horse, one of our favorite spots. After dinner we walked along the Promenade and gawked at the lights of Manhattan. Having someone in from out of town (and CM for good measure) is a surefire way to fall in love with this city all over again.

Sunday we took it easy with some light exploration of the Upper West Side, with the help of City Walks cards (thanks for the tip, Laura!). First we swung by the Seinfeld restaurant—Rachel is a big fan. Have you ever been to Tom's? You'll recognize the exterior right away, but the interior looks nothing like the set from the show.

Then we explored the Columbia University campus a bit. It's so pretty and peaceful there! It must feel like a real oasis from the city to the students there.

Next we went inside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. I had never been! We lit candles for loved ones who recently passed away, and sat quietly for a minute. Don't you love those grand old cathedrals?

Right next door to the cathedral is the Children's Sculpture Garden, a small sweet space that apparently sometimes has peacocks wandering around but on this particular day had none.

We finished off our time on the UWS with a long walk through Riverside Park. I hadn't been there since my very first summer in New York TWELVE years ago. The park features wide paths and a plethora of benches looking out over the Hudson. On a Sunday afternoon it was filled with people reading, families on bikes, and couples strolling hand in hand.

The more time I spend in cities, the more I feel the need to find pockets of respite from the unrelenting pace of city life. Discovering peaceful spots in New York seems like the perfect way to spend my precious Sundays.

Where's your favorite place to relax in the city?

The most relaxing place in the world (for us)

Here's what I know (so far) about traveling together. We're not beach people; we're pool people. Road trips in foreign countries can be dicey. Rent the GPS unit. Bring Pringles and gummy bears. Have a restaurant in mind before we get there. We will probably like anything that describes itself as a 4-star design hotel. All suitcases should have 4 wheels, not 2. Train travel is far superior to plane travel. Strong wifi is non-negotiable. Sometimes 30 minutes alone with our cameras is all we need to cure grumpiness. These other things.

And Montalcino, Italy is the most relaxing place in the world (for us).

During our honeymoon, we went to Montalcino three times while staying at the Bossy Castle near Siena. First, for dinner at Taverna Grappolo Blu on a tip from Rick Steves. Charmed, we went back for an overnight stay (and dinner again at Taverna Grappolo Blu). Then back the next day when a certain newly-married CM realized he'd left his wedding ring on the bedside table in the hotel.

This year, we went on purpose. Three nights at the Hotel Dei Capitani, and next time I think we'll make it a week.

Here's what we do in Montalcino. Eat delicious breakfast at our hotel, outside overlooking the Tuscan countryside. Take walks meandering through tiny village streets, knowing we can't possibly get lost. Pet street cats and talk to them. Drink cappuccini at the Caffé Fiaschetteria Italiana. Take a dip in the pool. Read on lounge chairs under a giant umbrella. Eat hot pecorino cheese. Taste Brunellos. Nap. Emerge from the hotel when the light is just getting pretty. Take pictures. Drink Negronis and snack on potato chips. Eat pici at Taverna Grappolo Blu. Look at the moon. Sleep.

It's heaven, truly.

Here's proof. Click on any picture, and you can see them as a pretty slideshow on a black background. All photos by LMB.

Rabbithole of the Week: Elizabeth Gilbert

Sometimes the Internet leads me down delightful paths of inspiration and loveliness that can almost make me forget about all the hours I've wasted looking at IMDB and parterre.com and photos of celebrities' babies.

Via swissmiss I found some videos of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of, most famously, Eat Pray Love, but also one of my favorite marriage books, Committed, which I recommend for anyone married, thinking about getting married, opposed to marriage, or just curious. Watching these videos I was struck by wise and articulate she is. She is unapologetic about the live she has lived thus far and incredibly adept at identifying what she needs and making sure she gets it. If you have a bit of time, listen to her speak in these videos. Inspiring, right?

If you have 6 minutes:


"Later in your life, whatever you decide today, that subsequently information may arise that makes you realize you made the wrong decision, but please do not abuse yourself for the choice that you made, when all you knew was what you know today."


If you have 20 minutes:


"It seems obvious that there comes a period in your life when you have to learn to say no to things that you don't want to do, but I think the biggest, trickiest lesson in holding onto the stalwart commitment to your creativity is learning how to say no to things you do want to do."


If you have another 20 minutes:


"I'm a mule, and the way that I have to work is I have to get up at the same time every day, and sweat and labor through it really awkwardly. But even I, in my mulishness, even I have brushed up against that thing, at times. You know, even I have had work or ideas come through me from a source that I honestly cannot identify. And what is that thing? And how are we to relate to it in a way that will not make us lose our minds, but, in fact, might actually keep us sane?"

Happy weekend!

My dears, what's on the docket for you this weekend? Any exciting plans? My sister-in-law is flying in from Vegas to hang out for a few days, which will be lots of fun and also a very good excuse to actually unpack my suitcases and get settled here. Tonight I'm having a night in to study and work on various things I have coming up—I'm hoping this will be the season I finally break my procrastination habit!

In case you need to procrastinate, some links:

Speaking of Governors Island, wouldn't it be fun to go to the Jazz Age Lawn Party? Check out these gorgeous pictures from last year by Jamie Beck!

We saw One Man, Two Guvnors on Broadway this week (CM got us half-price tickets at the TKTS booth's "Plays Only" line). I haven't laughed so hard in a long time—you should see it if you can! I loved this article about the star, James Corden.

Looking through these photos of the Olympic athletes is so inspiring.

The best performance we saw during our Summer o' Opera was the world premiere of George Benjamin's Written on Skin at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. If you're interested, you can stream the performance we saw online. It's not to be missed (and it's in English).

Our friend Simon takes the MOST beautiful photos. His portraits are gorgeous, but I especially love his travel shots. Check out his USA pics!


I'm feeling a bit Houston homesick. Here's a pic I took last week at David Adickes's studio:

Hope your weekend is full of park lounging, BLTs, and girl time! xoxo LMB