Final Sunday with Marlena and Nick

At the City Market

I was up around 7:15, to an empty house, a gray sky, and much cooler weather.  It is supposed to clear up later but for now, it's what I like to call Chautauqua gray.  Today's agenda has little on it, perhaps a trip to Costco for Evie to get her fix, then lots of football, as the Chiefs play tonight, perhaps a hike in the woods for Marlena and Nick, and a cookout of some sort, as Tom wants to do a roast.  We plan on leaving early tomorrow, Monday, and it's hard to believe it's all ready time to head home.  It seems like we just arrived.

Spices

Marlena buys Paper White Bulbs for her Room

Relaxing at Market

Yesterday morning, we slept in a bit and didn't head off to the Central Market until about 10:00, a bit early for Nick on weekends,  I know, but he was a trooper and got up without a fuss.  We met Tom and Mary downtown about 10:30, as they had stayed downtown in a hotel after the wedding reception the night before.  Both looked like that had a very good time if you know what I mean.  Coffee was necessary.  The market reminded me a little of the West Side Market in Cleveland, lots of vegetable stands, both outside, with open sides but roofs and inside, usually in front of some kind of store or restaurant.  Instead of the usual mix of Eastern European stalls and shops, KC's market had a more world feel, with Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Italian stores and restaurants.  The Asian influence was mostly in vegetables, the Middle Eastern had interesting stores and spices, the Italian, the usual great delis, with Italian sausages cooking outside on a grill.  There are also lots of shops around, the usual in touristy areas, knick knacks of Kansas City, tee shirts, jewelery, things like that.  We did find an amazing old hardware/gardening store; it was huge, with amazing collections of bulbs in one part, gardening tools in another, bird houses in a third, large feed items in a fourth.  It looked as though it was prospering and had been their for years.  There were also interesting looking upscale restaurants and bars, so it was an area that we would enjoying returning to the next time we visit.  These kinds of shops and restaurants are right up my alley, reminding me a bit of Istanbul.  Evie bought some freshly made naan, put grated cheese on it when we got home, baked it briefly and it was wonderful.

Playing Hang Man at the Bar

At Stewy Mc Brew's in Lee's Summit

We lazed around the afternoon as Tom and Mary were still quite tired; then, we headed off to Nick's favorite wing place, a downscale bar in Lee's Summit, crowded and noisy with revelers from the Missouri/Kansas football game.  Nick got two orders of wings, the rest of us tacos and beer.  It was a good place for food and noise, much like a neighbor bar with all ages mingling though there were no kids other than Nick and Marlena.