Cincinnati's Newport Aquarium...Tom & Chee

I am pretty sure that this is a Moon Jellyfish, which I can understand from the eerie coloring, but I would have named them something like "Dreamscape" or "Illusion."

The jelly fish exhibit at the Newport Aquarium has soft benches in it so that visitors can sit and ponder these transparent wonders.  Classical music piped into the area and Beth and I really didn't want to leave.  It was very relaxing and completely unexpected to be in this lovely space after the hustle bustle of the other areas.  The jelly fish looked positively dreamy.  I wonder if they can hear the music?

After a big morning playing "school field trip," I was ready for a nice lunch.  I found a neat little spot in the outdoor shopping area (just outside the aquarium) called Tom and Chee, which is a temple for tomato soup and grilled cheese lovers.

I had a cup of homemade gazpacho and a half of a tomato/cheddar grilled cheese sandwich.  It was exactly what I was looking for on a hot Summer day.  Fresh, satisfying and fast.  If you are in the Newport on the Levee area of Cincinnati/Newport, this is a great spot to have a casual lunch. 

Eye Contact

Okay, I admit that reptiles rarely make the list of delight...but how could I not photograph this little guy (he's a little bigger than my hand) when he was giving me such great eye contact?

Ha! I knew you would think it was funny when you could see what I saw.  I think the cover of algae (correction: duckweed - thanks, Margaret!) makes him feel protected.  

I was visiting the Newport Aquarium (just over the bridge from Cincinnati, in Kentucky) with my friends and their kids last Friday and it was fun to look through at things through the eyes of a child for a while.

While the kids seemed to love the Shark Walk and Frog Bog the best, I was taken with this little guy.  More to aquatic delights tomorrow and a lunch recommendation just around the corner.

Cookies for 2012 London Olympics

Yet another reason to love the Olympics - theme cookies!  And I am happy to report that they taste as good as they look...I just ate the pink pig (the bakery is located in Cincinnati, which has long been associated with pigs) and I'm about to inhale the British flag.  That's the beauty of cookies; I have to eat them while they are fresh.

Dan and I just spent a glorious weekend with friends at their home in Louisville and when we first arrived, this adorable tray of cookies was in our room to welcome us. So thoughtful!  

With all of the exciting Olympic coverage lately, I wouldn't have been able to resist these beauties either.  Hats off to The BonBonerie for their enthusiastic collection of sweet treats honoring the Summer Olympics, which brings a little delight to the world every 4 years.  

Cincinnati Broomball

How do people from the Midwest amuse themselves in the Winter?  Apparently, some play Broomball (ice hockey, but with broom-like sticks and sneakers) at night in the freezing cold in downtown Cincinnati!  You can see that this area is tucked among the buildings in the downtown. Did you notice the red star? That star is 5 feet across and sits on top of the 65-foot Christmas tree that illuminated Fountain Square over the holidays.

Crazy, but fun, right?  I tell you, these people were having a blast participating in the HGC Broomball League in Fountain Square.  This is a major part of a Cincinnati Winter.  The link above shows that this league is comprised of 40 teams!  Amazing. 

We had just finished dinner at The Rock Bottom Brewery around eight o'clock and the lights and cheers of this game lured us over.  The announcers lively commentary (and the fact that the game was being broadcast on a jumbo tron screen) made the whole experience feel authentic.  I mean, if you are going to leave work, layer on a ridiculous amount of clothes to ward off the cold and give your all "out on the ice," you should at least have some fanfare, right?

I cringed over crashes and wipe outs, but I could tell that in Winter, this is where their heart is.  At Fountain Square, out on the ice.