travel – Sharon's Iconic Travel Photography Blog

Duke of York Pub Signs

These signs are from two different pubs of the same name in London, The Duke of York. According to pubnames.co.uk there are 52 Pubs named Duke of York.

The pub pictured above I believe is in Mayfair, London. One of the more famous Duke of York’s was King Charles brother, James. According to history.nycourts.gov, Charles laid claim for New Netherland by granting James a patent to the colony. James sent a fleet of ships to New Netherland and the Dutch surrendered. The English took over New Netherland and the colony was renamed New York. I am guessing that is who is depicted in the sign, but I could be wrong. Paintings I see of him online do not resemble this sign.

Duke of York Pub Signs – Fitzrovia, London

The pub sign pictured above is at The Duke of York pub in Fitzrovia in central London. According to londonletter.substack.com, Prince Andrew gave permission for his likeness to be used in this sign. They say it is the only pub in the world that has a living member of the Royal family on it. Not sure how I feel about that. The reigning monarch’s image is on the pound notes as well as coins. Some may say having Prince Andrew’s image on a pub sign is controversial.

What do you think? Should a living person be depicted on a pub sign? Have a great rest of your weekend!

Northern Lights

The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, happens when charged particles from the Sun get captured in Earth’s magnetic fields, and move towards the poles. They interact with Earth’s atmosphere, releasing energy that produces these lights that can appear to shimmer.

Thanks to a friend who let me know about an aurora website for NY and her inviting me to meet at a location, I was able to capture these. This event was even visible this past Thursday for about 20-30 minutes with the naked eye.

My camera is not good for night images, they recommend other camera models for that. These are better than I expected for my camera. Others arrived at the same location and showed me their phone photos, which were much better.

The colours changed. It started in one area then appeared in another. The sky seemed filled with colours on the northern half.

It was so powerful that people saw them from a busy shopping street and many posted images of buildings and bridges that were lit up and the aurora was in the background.

Hopefully I will get more chances to see this closer to sunset or sunrise on the weekends. I know, am I asking too much? Word is we may be able to see this from time to time through March.

In one direction a deep purplish colour was visible for a time, then seemed to switch to a reddish colour.

Several times we saw green closer to the horizon. Small aircraft were buzzing back and forth. I would like to see the pictures they got from up there.

I remember my father pointing out the northern lights when I was a child. It was a thrill to be able to see them again with the naked eye. Were you able to see the aurora/ northern lights in your area?

Pop-Eez Smoke

I do not make restaurant posts too often. I love off the beaten path or hole in the wall places as I usually find the tastiest food there. The place I stopped at last weekend is off the beaten track and has great food. I think Pop- Eez Smoke deserves a shout out.

My GPS took me on a different route from New Paltz to another destination than it has before. When I passed the signs for BBQ and brunch on a farm, I knew I had to turn back and see what it was about. Pop-Eez is located on 2098 Bruynswick Road in Wallkill, NY. Pop- Eez is open weekends 10-3 from May- November. They also do catering for events.

Their kitchen and walk up ordering window is in the red building, while the indoor seating is in the green building. The offer outdoor seating at picnic tables behind the green building.

As the first signs show, Pop-Eez is on the grounds of the Patchwork Quilt Farm and Inn at the Ridge Bed and Breakfast. The inn was built in 1796 and is furnished with pieces acquired from that time period and shortly thereafter.

The Food

I was told no seed oils or processed sugar are used when they cook. They use local maple syrup or honey. They use apple wood to smoke the meats. In addition many of the vegetables they get from the farm or source locally in season.

They advertise as Texas style smoked BBQ. I lived in Texas a few years and found when I returned I had difficulty locating restaurants that offered food authentic to what I tasted in Texas. Pop-Eez’s smoked chicken sandwich tasted authentic, which is a rare find in New York. It is on a farm, and as their sign says organically grown. The chef, Sal, I was told was in the first graduating class of the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America. Sal and Bev run the inn. Sal’s son, Justin, runs the farm and restaurant.

I ordered the smoked chicken sliders, which came with slaw and they threw in zucchini. I also ordered the vegetable dumpling that comes with scallions and mustard. All were divine. I appreciate restaurants that include good quality vegetables with the meal. As you can see I decided to eat at one of the outdoor picnic tables which come with umbrellas.

Other offerings on their menu include: smoked brisket sandwich, smoked brisket tacos, or shiitake tacos. They also have meals that include cornbread which include smoked brisket and smoked pork ribs, or meals with smoked sausage or hot dogs with brisket. Desserts include pie, pastries, and cornbread with berries.

On another trip I ordered the cornbread with berries for dessert. They use hand whipped cream made on the premises for this dessert.

The chef makes and sells his own hot sauce, which is on the lower end of spicy hot. The house sauce, I’m told, is what started it all. It is cayenne based, fermented hot sauce. No cooking is involved in making it and there are no additives. As you can see in the picture of the bottle, the seeds and skins of the pepper are in the bottle.

The Location

The grounds behind the restaurant are lovely with views of ponds and the Shawangunk Mountains. The Adirondack chairs shown above are on a pond with lotus flowers currently in bloom.

This is a resident rooster, Champion, who wanders the grounds. He is harmless and even posed for some pictures. They have more chickens penned up near the inn.

This is Chuck, the resident pit master, greeter, Maître d’, and crumber. This dog is very friendly, greeted me at my car, sat next to me while I ate (most likely on crumb duty) and posed for pictures. No worries, he is very well behaved.

Supporting Veterans

This restaurant, farm, and inn support Heroic Food, an organization that helps veterans by training them in agricultural trades and farming in preparation for jobs in the food sector. The farm has employed people in this program.

If you are into Texas style smoked BBQ, want some farm fresh food included in your meal, a meal overseen by a CIA trained chef, or want to support a business that helps veterans stop by Pop-Eez BBQ. The views from the property are the added bonus.

For more Info

For more information click on the link below to see Pop-Eez on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1699934723676381

House Signs of Rye

In England it is not uncommon for people to name their houses. This custom started with gentry naming their castles and manors. Later the common folk would adopt the practice. Rye is close to the sea, so words related to ships and the ocean are popular to use. These are just some of the house signs in Rye.

One way people may name their house is by what is on the property or near the house. This one is close to Landgate in Rye so hence the name.

This house may have been named after the Arbella that was one of the first ships that carried about 20,000 English to New England between 1630 and 1640. The Arbella traveled from Southhampton, England to Salem between March 22 and June 12, 1630. The ship was named for a prominent puritan, Lady Arabella Johnson, who was on the ship traveling with her husband.

Smuggler’s Cottage may have been the site of a smuggling operation or it could just be a name that was picked years ago.

Some houses are named after what the former purpose of the building was. This one is named Old Stable so it may have been a stable converted into a house. The name Stables is in the top 50 names of houses in England with 549 houses using that name.

This house was most likely old meeting house of the quakers. The Old Rectory, The Old Vicarage are two of the top 50 names in England of houses.

Are there any of these names or signs you like the best? Would you name your house if you had the option to do so?

The History of Coffee

Coffee is a popular morning drink in many places throughout the world. Where did it originate? Who discovered it? There may be different stories about the origin, but this is one I found. Some people I know at work who are from Yemen say this is the story they know.

The History of Coffee. Ethiopia and Yemen

Some say the first coffee was brewed in Yemen. There is a story of a Yemeni man traveling in Ethiopia who discovered coffee. The story says he came across some birds eating a plant. The birds were energetic. He decided to try the beans from the plant himself as he was exhausted from traveling. He discovered the beans gave him energy as well. The coffee beans were taken from Ethiopia to Yemen and later Yemeni traders brought the coffee plants to Yemen to grow them there.

Coffee became very popular in Yemen where people drank it in qubveh khaneh or coffee houses. Coffee houses were place where people listened to music and played board games like chess. When coffee drinking spread to other Arabic countries people would discuss political ideas and news at coffee houses.

The History of Coffee. From Yemen to Turkey and Beyond

Originally coffee was called qahwar in Arabic, which means wine of the beans, Yemenis introduced coffee to other Arabic or Middle Eastern countries. When coffee made its way to Turkey it was called kahve in Turkish and later it was called koffie in Dutch when it was introduced in Europe.

In the top picture is an Arabic coffee set. I learned from co-workers how to make it the traditional way: cooking it in a pot over a burner while stirring it. The coffee seems to be ground finer than other coffees, but I am not a coffee drinker.

People still drink it today for the same reasons the first person saw value in the plant: it gives you energy. This no doubt is from the caffeine. Coffee seems to be important the world over as a morning drink. What’s your favourite kind or way of making it?