MEM to RDU

Recently spent several days in North Carolina with my aunt and sister. A whirlwind of catching up, sightseeing, gourmet meals and just enjoying each other's company. Angie and I timed our visit with Durham's annual American Dance Festival. Since Aunt Patsy attends this each year, we trusted her to choose which performance to see – and weren't disappointed. The weekend's highlights:

• Visited Duke University Chapel, the church that Big Tobacco built, where a wedding rehearsal was underway. Since this historic chapel is a regular tourist attraction, this event didn't prevent going inside to ooh and aah at its marvelous architecture.

  Upon leaving Duke's campus, Aunt Patsy shared the story of Graffiti Bridge as we passed under it.

  
  Photo Credit: Liz Fabry

• Met friends at a fancy Greek restaurant that served exotic dishes like Tourkolimano Meltsanosalata, Tempura Scordalia, and others I can't pronounce. I wasn't adventurous enough to try the octopus.

  
  Photo Credit: Lunch Menu

• Spent an hour at Aunt Patsy's nail salon for the most amazing salon pedicure ever! My photos don't adequately reveal the nail tech's artistry, but I suspected she got her start painting grains of rice.

  

• Spent a rainy afternoon indoors playing Clue. Even after several games, I never got the opportunity to do my special Gloating Winner Victory Dance.

  

• And the weekend's main event, an evening American Dance Festival show at Durham Performing Arts Center, where we watched several outstanding performances by Paul Taylor Dance Company —

See Esplanade!