Victory Tour

This week was Jerry’s birthday, and he didn’t want a party or celebration. So we thought, why not head out of town for a couple of days. It would be a test run to see how I do traveling in hopes of taking longer trips further away in the future. We decided to go to Pittsburgh. It’s not too far away but far enough to make us feel like we were taking a real trip. And I had never been and Jerry had been years ago on business so it would be new for both of us. The first thing I did was get on line and make reservations for Jerry’s birthday. He might be trying to ignore it, but I was determined to celebrate. I had an infusion on Tuesday so we decided Wednesday would be a good day to go, with a return on Friday. I found what looked like a cute B and B for us to stay in, so we were set. We had hoped to do some sightseeing on Wednesday, but other than take a walk in the city, that was about it. We found a very nice restaurant for dinner. Eleven is in what they call the Strip District. It is full of food stores— Italian, Greek, Mexican. Chocolate stores, coffee shops that not only serve great espresso but will repair broken machines. Strolling in that neighborhood was fun, and dinner was wonderful. Unfortunately, the wine manager was not there that evening, and I think we were steered a little wrong on the wine. There was a Priorat wine on the menu and we were led to believe it was what we have come to expect in those wines— earthy, full bodied with that granite background. While it did have a little granite, I’d hardly call it full bodied, but it was pleasant enough. And dinner was very very good. The following day was a big day, especially for me. After a very nice breakfast prepared by our inkeeper, Ed, we headed out. We started the day by heading up the incline. It is free for seniors, so Jerry got to take advantage of his birthday. At the top we took in the sights and then walked around a bit. Then off to the Carnegie Museums. We focused on the Natural History Museum, which was stunning. I will admit it didn’t take long for my feet, especially my left foot, to start to bother me. Walking slow and standing still, which is what one does in a museum, are hell on feet with neuropathy. I found myself sitting down periodically and rubbing my toes. Not sure it really brought any relief, but it did give me a break. We also took a lunch break, which helped, and I was ready to tackle more of the museum. It was worth the pain! After that, we headed to a craft center that had a striking ceramics show. The pieces were exquisitely crafted as well as being thought provoking and at times, disturbing. After that we headed back to the B and B, rested a bit and drove to Paris 66, the restaurant I had chosen for Jerry’s birthday. It did not disappoint. We felt we were in a neighborhood bistro in Paris. We ordered a very nice Rhône wine, and Jerry had his favorite, cassoulet. This morning, we had planned to go to the National Aviary on our way out of town, but for some reason it was opening at noon, instead of 10. Instead, we headed back to the Strip District, where I had a very good coffee and we got a panini to go. Then off to the airport. We ateare our panini, then Jerry readied the plane and we headed home. While my feet still hurt, I felt my energy and strength increasing every day. I don’t think I could have made this trip even a couple of weeks ago! I did not get dizzy at all during the trip, and I felt as close to normal as I have in a long time. If that’s not Victory, I don’t know what is!