dc escape

looking for a quick getaway? try the lorien hotel & spa in alexandria, virginia. it's a beautiful 4-5 star escape that you can often book for 150 a night (with breakfast); sometimes you can find it for 110. in the morning, you can read the paper in the living room with coffee and tea; i like to do that en route to the gorgeous gym with everything you could want, including a peaceful room for yoga (dvd's included). they also have a cheese, and wine shop (isnt that the point of going to the gym?) that's perfect to pick up picnic supplies to enjoy in the park on the alexandria waterfront. the hotel is also close to the metro for jaunts into dc (almost all the museums are free and you can catch a ride to amtrak or the airport), but my favorite way to enjoy it is to pop down for an overnight on a saturday morning with a mind to hit my favorite indoor enormous antique and flea market in chantilly, virginia that happens every third month or so. the flea market is run by d'amore promotions and is filled with friendly, vendors from the east coast who are happy to make a deal. fun finds include scandanavian silver jewelry from the 70's; a vendor with stacks of vintage louis vuitton trucks, bags and suitcases; and a booth filled with hundreds of metal chocolate molds--very martha stewart.

if you have time on saturday, enjoy strolling in old town alexandria. i loved (and got some vintage rosenthal china) at chinoiserie, random harvest is always fun (for vintage furniture), red barn mercantile (almost bought a huge homage a duchamp metal wine rack there, but couldn't figure out where in nyc apt to put it so even my object lust has limits, apparently!) and misha's is an awesome coffeehouse with giant slices of cake and delicious coffee. if you can, catch a movie at the old town theater, so un-multiplex . for a delicious dinner, try vermillion (roasted olives and the mixed tomatoes with burrata are especially delicious) or eve (try the very flavourful bouillabaisse and eat at the bar if it's full).

next stop, baltimore big flea, october 24-25 another d'amore promotions show that the vendors in dc swear by for shopping (bargains good enough for resale even); that one includes vendors from europe and take two days to go through, they say. i'm hoping to go to obrychi's or another crab shack (no such thing in nyc and i miss the hours of salty, spicy fun with flying crab shells, beer and conversation).

query de blog: did i invent the terms blogalicious and blogalarious (not as regards this blog, btw, but think i invented those reading another blog)?

peace out, flatsie

dc escape