IS LIFE NOT
A THOUSAND TIMES
TOO SHORT
FOR US TO BORE OURSELVES?

Nietzche

Photography by Juliette Blasor

LOIZA STREET FAIR

EVERY city has at least one well-known street that attracts
people like a magnet either because of its stores, the bussling
life teeming along its sidewalks, or its character.

In New York city, Bleeker St. is famous for its high-end stores.
London's Oxford St. bustles with businesses and throngs of
people from all parts of the world.

In San Juan there is Loiza St. which, as streets go, is
rather plain and nondescript, but what character!

Along its sidewalks, small businesses of all kinds -- from
tatto parlors and thrift stores to pizza joints and pharmacies --
operate in pleasant camaderie, street vendors sell their
products and people stand outside stores at all hours of the
day to chat with friends or walkers by. The ambience is
easy going and mellow even as the street goes through the
inevitable changes brought on by time and progress.

In recent years, businesses along this corridor connecting
two of San Juan's main tourist zones (Condado and Isla Verde)
have upgraded their facilities to present a more spiffed up image
to the public and new stores have been coming in, including
vegetarian restaurants and retail stores.

But for all the trendyness of the new arrivals, Loiza St. retains
a welcome old town charm and the sights of its more
honky tonk past are still around to remind those familiar
with the street that even as change comes along, vestiges of
the past always remain.

There is much to celebrate about Loiza St. and a group of
residents last year kicked off a festival to do just that.
Hundreds of people and families with children flocked to
the street in what turned to be a mellow day of fun and
community celebration.

The festival is back on this year and will be held August 3.

On that Sunday, Loiza St. will be closed to traffic but only
the small section that runs from San Jorge St. to Cordero St.

There will be workshops, street vendors, booths providing
information on any number of city initiatives, a book fair,
guided tours to the area's historical buildings, and plenty of
music and art.

The musical entertainment includes Juan Castillo and his
group of typical Puerto Rican music, Los Chinchillos del
Caribe, Lado Vé de Velcro and Viento de Agua with a
special presentation of Mima.

The festival kicks off at 2 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m

Photography by Denise Blasor

"There could be no healing without pain,
no cauterizing of the wound
without telltale scarring."
Myriam Chancy
 "The Loneliness of Angels."

TAPAS & THE CITY

New York City -- Spain may be on the other side of the Atlantic
but for eight days, starting today, one of that country's most
popular culinary traditions will be part of the New York experience:
"el tapeo."

Tapas are those delightful aperitifs that Spaniards like to enjoy
ahead of or in lieu of dinner.  "Ir de tapas" or "tapeo" is simply
the custom of stopping by one or more bars on the way to a
restaurant to snack on a tapa or two (or more).

And to entice New Yorkers and tourists to try out this unique
custom a group of Spanish restaurants in the city have joined
forces in Spain's Tapas Trail: New York's Walk of Spain.

As part of the activity, more than 20 of the city's best Spanish
restaurants will be offering one special "tapa" and a glass of
Spanish wine for only $10.

This is the second year the activity is held under the lead
of Foods & Wines from Spain, a NY city-based agency that
promotes Spanish food products and wines to businesses and
consumers across the U.S.

So if you are in New York between July 14 and July 21, enjoy
a tapa. Participating restaurants include: El Cid, La Paella, Melibea,
Cadaques, Andanada, Toro, El Born, Bikinis, Cafe Riazon,
Donostia, El Colmado, El Porron, Solera, La Churreria, 100
Montaditos, El Quinto Pino, La Nacional, Marbella, Socarrat
East and Socarrat Nolitas.

http://tapastrailnyc.com

Photography by Denise Blasor

Love is a trap, when it appears
we only see its light not its shadows.

Paulo Coelho

  ⓒ 2014 by Lorraine Blasor all rights reserved✎