Aug 10 2019

Lee, MA


Lee, MA 02138

Lee is a small town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with a population of 6,000. It began in 1760. Lenox is bigger. Alpamayo Restaurant is one of the restaurants on their main street – Main St. We stayed at Super 8, a last second reservation which turned out to be really nice.

Do they look like Paul C


Aug 10 2019

Alpamayo Restaurant


60 Main St
Lee, MA 01238

This Peruvian seafood eatery is on Lee’s main street. We went in to grab a late late lunch at nearly 4pm after KBT hike and before the concert. The restaurant was empty with one table of four people by the window. The hostess sat us in the back in the tiny booth for two, which I won’t mind if they’re busy. By the time we left, a couple came in and were treated to the more spacious booth. The food was ok, overly salty – for someone who loves salt. The Cusque


Aug 10 2019

Keystone Arch Bridges Trail


Middlefield Road fm Route 20
Chester, MA 01011

It’s a moderate out and back trail. Although I enjoyed it but won’t return.

A few facts on the arch bridges: Major George W. Whistler was the engineer who surveyed for the Western Railroad of MA in 1830s. It was the first railway to cross mountain, and made the WRM the world highest, at 1458 ft (444 meters) and the longest at 150 miles (241 km). It was so impressive, Czar Nicholas I invited Whistler to build the 400 miles (644 km) railroad,  Moscow – St. Petersburg, which is part of nowadays Trans-Siberian Railroad. However, daddy Whistler was less known than his artistic son, James MacNeil Whistler (1834-1903)

The sub contractor Alexander Birnie built 27 bridges, ranging from 65 to 70 ft (21 meters) in height, with Chester Blue granite, without mortar. The weight of the train was 12,000 pounds in 1840. More than a century later, in 2002, the average weight is 415,000 pounds. The bridges are still standing tall and proud.

the arches and bridges

The arches are difficult to see: you walk on them. The few photos here are taken when I went down a little: be careful, it can be dangerous. Most part is along the creek and during our hike, which is on August 10th, the water flows rather rapidly and the sound of it is very soothing.

The stones 

 

The two sign posts. There is one by the entrance but is facing down on the ground. 

  

Some more …

 

Getting there: Google map isn’t accurate – perhaps it’s remote and less frequently visited. My cell phone has no service starting from Route 20 onto Middlefield Road. Actually big part of Round 20 has no cell signal. So be mindful to download info you need before heading in.

Parking: the lot is really small on a slop that leads into the trail. It could accommodate about ten cars. When we came out, we saw one car parked on the trail (came down further than most) and few cars were parked on the road.

Things to see: emmm… other than the difficult to see arches, there is nature.

At the first fork, there isn’t a sign post. We turned left and came upon the rail. To the left is CSX no trespassing sign and if you turn right, it will get you back to the trail. We doubled back and luckily saw a couple of hikers headed to the right. We followed and began to see the blue KBT signs on the tree. On our way out on Middlefield Road, we saw a train coming toward us. Not sure it uses the same tracks we just walked on …

With a little walk in LeeTanglewood, I did 6.8 miles. We didn’t use bugs repellent. There were small bugs flew into my eyes a few times.

KBT 这些蓝花岗石拱心石桥建于1830年代. 没有用砂浆. 高65-70尺 (21米)有些是火车轨. 当时的火车只有12000 磅重 但是到2002年时已经是415000 磅了。铁路安然无恙. 工程师的儿子比较出名 James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) 是个画家

1841 沙皇尼古拉斯一世请老爸建了400哩莫斯科-圣彼得堡铁路 (跨西伯利亚铁路)

多数的石桥看不到全貌 只能走在上面.


Aug 9 2019

Beethoven’s weekend, 2019

A musical weekend at the Tanglewood in the Berkshires, MA. On Friday, the 9th, we had his violin concerto and Sunday matinee his 6th the Pastoral. A heavenly weekend with wonderful program. This music venue is in the expansion mode: next to the Seiji Ozawa Hall, the Linde Center has just opened in this past June.

Before heading up, we stopped at Innisfree Garden. We hiked the Keystone Arch Bridges Trail on Saturday before the candle night concert, visited Lee, market in Lenox; Stockbridge (with Red Lion Inn) and West Stockbridge (Shaker cafe & bookstore) before the matinee on Sunday – the Pastoral. Shopped at Nejaime’s, market and lunched at  All was great and wonderful, except the traffic nightmare


Aug 9 2019

Beethoven’s violin concerto 2019

Yoohoo my most favorite piece opens up our weekend. The Koussevitzky Music Shed was filled to the brim on this Friday evening. Temp drops to 60s. The Red Oak tree is our favorite spot. After the concerto, the ground still looks pretty and clean.

 


Aug 9 2019

Nejaime’s in 2019


We tried Bread & Butter Pinot Noir 2017, which is pretty good. Again the duck. Their eggplant is a little bit too sweet for me but is ok. The Mouse de Foie duck with Port is really good. The two cheeses: Castello Blue soft ripened and

Loved them all.


Aug 9 2019

Linde Center


pic is from Berkshire Eagle
3A W Hawthorne Rd,
Lenox, MA 01240

2020

This is new venue @ Tanglewood, next to Ozawa Hall opened in June, at the cost of $33 million. It’s named after Edward Linde was from Boston who passed away in 2010. Unlike other stages in the compound, this one is heated – so looking forward to their year round events. Cindy’s Caf


Aug 9 2019

Seiji Ozawa Hall in 2019

The handsome hall that is named after the BSO long time conductor Seiji Ozawa at the Tanglewood. It opened in 1994. A new venue, Linde Center is opened this June next door.

The program, however is so so …

   


Aug 5 2017

Olde Heritage Tavern


12 Housatonic St # 201,
Lenox, MA 01240

Rocking chair, decent food, nice wine glass, but SLOW service. Oh boy. It’s Saturday and they have only one girl working outside. We were thinking to go to Cork n’ Hearth again didn’t want to spend a lot of time, so picked this one.

Many restaurants close after 2:30 in Lenox, even on Saturday. Oh well.

   


Aug 5 2017

Yoyo Ma @ the Shed


Koussevitzky Music Shed @ Tanglewood is the major venue, which is named after the Russia-born conductor Serge Koussevitzky (wiki, 1874-1951) who spent 25 years (1924-49) with BSO.

We take in the Friday evening concert @ 8 pm and Saturday morning rehearsal @ 10:30 am. Both are great, and we’re pretty lucky with the weather – foretasted as raining.

They’ve added many amenities – eateries to building. The compound is nicely kept – thanks for us too -:) we keep it clean as much as we can – after the performance, look, how clean and green it is!

The ushers are mostly volunteers. One older lady I spoke with, she was doubting her outfit, oh boy. She looks so put together, to me. The old fashioned bell and bell ringer.

       

David Zinman, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello

MOZART Symphony No. 25
SCHUMANN Cello Concerto
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2

Watching David Zinman diligently working, arms flying and all, I thought he looks like a hand-pull noodle maker 手拉面.

Ma Yoyo is world renowned cellist. I used to see him often in the past, when he played the classical pieces, as vs now, in 2010 and after, more of modern pieces. Emanuel Ax used to be his piano man for many of his recording.