Sisters...

When I get back to my old hometown I have a chance to catch up with a few friends...  but always with my family.  My sister lived in NYC and the Philadelphia area from the time she graduated college until she retired and came back to our hometown.  My brother still lives here, but travels quite a bit, so I haven't caught up with him yet.

One thing I always plan is a day with Cynthia.  We almost always do the same thing...  drive about 40 miles or so to Marietta.....  a riverboat town.  It's at the confluence of the Muskingham and Ohio Rivers...  it's the oldest town in the Northwest Territory and was settled in 1788.  It has managed to keep it's historical value even after all these years.

We drive along some of the residential areas and look at the magnificent houses.   This old residential area is within walking distance of the downtown area and also Marietta College.  There is an old cemetery which even has an ancient Indian Mound (burial site) from centuries ago.  

The Hotel Lafayette has been there since 1918...

Despite being flooded several times, it is still a gorgeous place to stay...  or like us, just to wander around in the lobby and look at and read about some of the history.

There are lots of interesting stores along those city streets...  art galleries, antique shops, boutiques and the like.  But I have a destination in mind...

Rossi Pasta started their business in Athens (my hometown) in 1981.  I used to go to their shop on Columbus Road and buy various pasta.  Then you could even see the various pastas drying on lines right in the sales room.  Since then they moved to Marietta and it's a lot more upscale these days.  

Above are my purchases....  

These are a real treat as we seldom eat pasta these days.  But I'm already thinking of dishes like shrimp scampi or a seafood pasta mix...  olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs....  oh yes!

Right around the corner is the Levy House....

The outdoor tables overlook the Ohio River....  and the bridge carrying traffic over to West Virginia.  The menu always has something interesting....  and the deserts are outstanding!

We each had a grilled chicken/Greek salad and we split a key lime mousse for desert.  We even took a slice of Orange souffle cream cake (or something like that) home as a treat for Bill.

That's my sister in the lower right...  

We found a couple of geocaches....  wandered around a bit and headed back to Athens.

It was a great day....  

Thank you, Cynthia, for lunch, but most of all for great conversation, and for our memories of Ma and family.  

We'll do it again next year.

That's All For Today!