We laughed at this sign in Durham (which was built on tobacco). There are fading signs on building after building advertising old and new cigarette brands.
It's an odd place; very hip and arty, lots of great restaurants and outdoor spaces, students everywhere, of course because of Duke U, but with lots of remnants of past tobacco glory.
When Barbara got off work we went to visit Anthony her favorite bartender at Whiskey, a (gulp!) cigar bar down the street from her place. It's a nice place to sit around, in its dark paneled, leathery sort of way. Since it was only 5:00 PM and no cigar smokers had appeared, or drinkers either, for that matter, we had a long relaxed chat with Anthony over a couple of Sazeracs - I'd never heard of those, but they were interesting and tasty.
Friday we strolled, shopped and ate delicious Cuban food, which I neglected to photograph, alas. I also got a fabulous hat - a real sun hat that looks like it could lift me into the wind like the Flying Nun! You'll have to wait to see it.
And then, guess what??? We walked two blocks from Barbara's place to the Durham Preforming Arts Center to see, yes, Lewis Black in concert with his new show Running On Empty.
The theater was packed, very nicely laid out and we had great seats. John Bowman opened the show and we were laughing from start to finish.
I always worry Lewis Black will have a stroke while performing, but he never does. He's hilarious while being dead serious. Amazing.
OK. On Saturday we walked (three blocks) to the Farmers' Market where, along with the gorgeous veggies, buffalo steaks and baked treats, we got to watch the Cane Creek Cloggers! I love that stuff and so did the rest of the crowd! We ate a pint of strawberries, some spicy chicken-rice empanadas and watched the dancers.
There were lots of artisans in and around the Farmers' Market. It's in an area with little shops with groups of artists. We found some great jewelry and plenty of things we'd buy if our budgets were not restricted. Wait, I am supposed to be getting rid of stuff, now collecting it. Whew!
This performer was in front of one of the little shops we visited - I didn't get his name, but he had a delicious voice and a dancing James Brown doll.
We went back to Barbara's place to straighten pictures on the walls - she had lots of art and photos and I'd brought some of those rubber thingys to put on the backs to keep the frames from shifting and getting crooked. Ed and Josh did the real work when they helped her hang them all last month, but they didn't have the rubber thingys.
After going to the movies (Mirror, Mirror - fun) we had dinner on one of downtown Durham's many restaurant patios. I don't think Barbara could have found a better place to live. She is right in the center of town and everything you'd want to visit is just steps away. We had great calamari, a warm lobster and spinach salad and ravioli stuffed with shrimp and crab with a lobster sauce on top. I'm eating my way through the South!
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