Canon PowerShot-A3000 IS

I tend to buy snap shot cameras with little research. They are something I buy before going on vacation and replace every year or so. This time I bought a Nikon CoolPix. Nice camera, horrible interface. I gave It to my daughter and went to buy a Canon because I am use to the dial interface since I use a D300. BestBuy had the A3000 on sale for $130. I took hit home and started messing with it. Great interface. I can set the program to flash always and flick back and forth to full auto for various situations. Perfect.

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Cambridge Chemists, Manhattan

The final shopping stop we made was to Cambridge Chemists on Lexington.  This store has a much smaller selection but had a few soaps that Pasteur’s didn’t have.  They also had a nice phonebook shaped cabinet that had some restored vintage straights, safety razors and some scuttles.  The prices for these were a little high but it was nice to see them available to the beginner non the less.
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Pasteur Pharmacy & Surgical – 34th St. and Lexington

Our first shaving related stop on the New York trip was Pasteur Pharmacy & Surgical on 34th.  This was just a 10 minute walk from our hotel.  When we got there the owner told us it wouldn’t be open for half an hour so we went next door for some breakfast.  If you have the chance, I recommend trying Alices Tea Cup.  After breakfast we returned to Pasteur’s.
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Astor Wines & Spirits, Manhattan

Well after trying the absinthe Delaware Phoenix Distillery had to offer, we made are way to Astor Wines & Spirits.  This is a great liquor store and has a great selection and feel.  We got to try some new Mezcal (Nasty stuff) and chit chat with some knowledgable folks. We walked over to the wall of absinthe and found what we came for.  A  bottle of Delaware Phoenix Distillery “Meadow of Love”. Good times.  We loaded the bottle into my backpack and went on to our next adventure.

www.astorwines.com

 Please Don’t Tell (P.D.T.), East Village, Manhattan

The final stop on our absinthe tour, and the one that intreaged us the most was PDT. We called to a busy signal for 45 minutes the first night with no avail. The second night (Sunday) I got us a reservation. What makes PDT stand out isn’t it’s huge absinthe menu or cool fountains. It’s how you get in. You won’t find a sign to the bar on the street. What you do find is a quaint little gourmet hotdog joint called Crif Dogs. When you walk in you are greeted by a small little restaurant filled with people looking toward a vintage looking phone booth. Wait your turn, walk into the booth, pick up the phone and let the person who answers know your there. Someone will be with you when your reservation is ready. You walk in and have to remove your hat and jacket. We were seated and given a menu. Since we were there for the absinthe, that’s all we took notice of. It has a rather small selection. I ordered the Pernod aux extraits de plantes d’absinthe and Deeann ordered a glass of Emile Pernot “Vieux Pontarlier” Absinthe Francais Superieure. This is another restaurant that louches the absinthe for you. If you don’t want sugar, make sure you tell them up front. The Vieux Pontarlier was nice and Deeann enjoyed her glass. The Pernod was horrid. Nasty stuff. I had heard bad things about the Pernod but wanted to give it a go. When the waitress asked how everything was I told her. She quickly offered another absinthe. She said if your paying for something, you should enjoy it. I ordered up a glass of my favorite St. George Absinthe Verte and enjoyed it to the last drop. Read the rest of this entry