Flashback: Jacqui and Jackie at Penn Homecoming

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

It’s Homecoming Weekend at Penn this weekend, and for the first time in a long time I will not be there. Today, the campus will be full of alumni, parents, friends and families walking through College Green on the way to a lecture, art show or the football game. There will be Red and Blue everywhere and hopefully crisp fall weather.

Here is a post from a few years ago, when I met two lovely women who met at Penn and returned to campus many years later, still the best of friends.

I hope everyone has a fantastic time on campus this weekend. And let’s cheer for our Penn Football team – Beat Princeton! Let’s Go Quakers!

This post originally appeared on the Frankly Penn blog on October 26, 2012.

Jacqui and Jackie at Homecoming

By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

In case you didn’t know, it’s Penn Homecoming Weekend! The foliage is blooming, Locust Walk is abuzz and alumni young and old are returning to campus to experience and participate in the Arts & Culture at Penn (as well as a little Penn Football and other athletic contests – Go Quakers!).

As I sat at the Homecoming registration tent (on Locust Walk right across from the Sweeten Alumni House), I met two enthusiastic alumnae, Jacqui Schneider, CW’47, G’49, and Jackie Wiegand, CW’48. They met at Penn many years ago, and remain friends to this day. Jackie said she was the maid of honor in Jacqui’s wedding, and Jacqui was the matron of honor in her wedding.

They were looking for Van Pelt Library, so I pointed them in the right direction, but they also wondered about Bennett Hall – is it still here? Yes, it is, but now it’s Fisher-Bennett Hall, and since its renovation a few years ago, it’s in wonderful condition. Jacqui remembered a coffee shop that used to be at 34^th and Walnut that’s long gone. They wondered about their old dorm. They were looking forward to seeing the woman that was the Dean for Women when they were students – she’s going to be at the Old Guard Brunch tomorrow morning.

Jackie asked about Smokey Joe’s – is that still around? Yes, it’s now at 40^th and Locust Streets. She then told us that her brother took her there when she was a freshman and she had her first alcoholic drink there…I bet she’d still get carded today!

Welcome Home Jacqui and Jackie, and welcome home to all Penn alumni, who always seem to be young at heart when they return to Penn.

And, Go Quakers! Beat Brown!

Travel Treasures: Gin and Whisky from Fortnum and Mason in London

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

During our trip to London this summer, we visited Fortnum & Mason, the classic English department store with warrants from Her Majesty the Queen and His Majesty the Prince of Wales. Fortnum and Mason is popular for their afternoon tea, although we did not take tea there, I wanted to show Dave’s mom the store, especially the main floor with a seemingly endless selection of teas, biscuits and candy.

We explored the main floor, then ventured upstairs to the makeup, perfumes and accessories. Perfumes were on display in an upside-down chandelier, which I thought was quite creative.

Perfume display at Fortnum and Mason

And the hats, or fasteners, were beautiful works of art.

I particularly liked the blue one with gold feathers.

Browsing the handbags, I saw these beautiful purses by Launer and thought they looked familiar. It turns out Queen Elizabeth is a fan!

Launer handbags. I wish I took a picture of the two-tone styles – they were my favorite!

Eventually, I wandered down to the food hall in the basement, and asked about gin, specifically gin that I would not be able to find in the United States. Immediately, the sales clerk suggested Short Cross Gin from Northern Ireland. I had already purchased some Short Cross when I was in Ireland earlier this year, so I asked for additional suggestions (Short Cross is quite good, and I do recommend it!).

The sales clerk offered me a taste of some of the gins on offer, and another shopper joined me in sampling the gin. We were tasting different gins and comparing what we thought of each – it was nice to try the gins before purchasing any and to see the subtle differences in each brand. I decided to purchase Hammer & Son Old English Gin – I liked the look of the bottle as it was packaged differently than the other gins. I think it might be available in the United States, but I liked it so why not purchase some when it was right in front of me?

As you can see, there is quite a selection of gin to choose – going to our local liquor stores here do not offer this selection! I saw Plymouth Gin on the bottom shelf here – I purchased some of the Plymouth Sloe Gin when I was at the Plymouth BlackFriars Distillery in April (read about my visit here).

Some of the gin at Fortnum and Mason (the Plymouth Gin and Plymouth Sloe Gin are on the bottom shelf on the left and the Hammer & Son Old English Gin is also on the bottom, fourth from the left).

Even more gin!

While enjoying the gin samples, the sales clerk asked if we liked whisky – of course we do – and would we like to sample some? We tried some straight, and then he added just a drop or two of water to our cups, which provided a different and deeper taste. We were having quite a lot of fun – soon another couple joined us. The Highgrove Organic Single Malt Whisky was to my liking, and I purchased a bottle.

As the Fortnum’s website describes it:

This single malt whisky was selected and bottled exclusively for Highgrove. The whisky is distilled from Scottish organic malted barley, grown in Inverness-shire and matured in a single, numbered, first-use Bourbon cask.

It was closing time at the store, so our tasting came to an end, the clerk wrapped my bottles in Fortnum and Mason tissue and sent us on our way.

These bottles made it back to Los Angeles, tightly packed and cushioned in my checked luggage. I have yet to open them but when I do, I will remember the lovely tasting experience at Fortnum and Mason!

South Bay Scenes – Week of October 25, 2015

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Enjoy scenes from the South Bay (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach) for the week of October 25, 2015.

The first half of the week I was in Austin, but when I returned home, the weather was still warm although the nights are finally starting to be cooler. The sunsets and early mornings were beautiful at the beach. There was a high tide warning in effect in the morning, and there were bigger waves which the surfers seemed to enjoy.

For the first part of the week, sunsets were slightly after 6:00 pm, so the days are much shorter than in the summer. On Saturday night the clocks “fell back” an hour for daylight savings time, so tonight the sunset was at 5:00 PM.

Manhattan Beach Pier, October 29th.

Sunset October 30th.

Manhattan Beach Pier October 28th.

Warmer than usual Southern California temperatures, October 29th.

October 29 looking east on Manhattan Beach Blvd. from the pier.

Walking to a costumer party, Hermosa Beach, October 28th.

Surfer at sunset, Manhattan Beach, October 30th.

Sunset from El Porto, October 30th.

Beach life: surfers and beach volleyball, October 30th.

Waves, October 30th.

Waves, morning October 30th.

Morning, October 30th.

Looking south to the Manhattan Beach Pier and Palos Verdes, morning of October 30th.

Morning view looking north on the bike path on the Strand, October 30.

October 30 morning.

Post morning walk with the boys – a Paradise Bowl and a front row view to watch the waves.

The boys looking dapper after their morning walk on October 30.

Heading down a walk street to The Strand, Manhattan Beach, October 30th.

End of Rosecrans Avenue, Manhattan Beach, October 30th.

At El Porto Beach looking south, October 30th.

Sunset October 30th looking north.

Final sunset to end the week, November 1st.

Meeting Formula 1 Driver Alexander Rossi Before the US Grand Prix in Austin

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Yesterday I arrived in Austin from Los Angeles, excited to visit this fun city, spend some time with my sister and her husband, catch up with friends from high school, and….attend the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas this weekend!

We attended the first USGP (U.S. Grand Prix) at COTA (Circuit of the Americas) in 2012 and had a blast. Our schedules have not allowed us to return, until now.

When I arrived at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport yesterday afternoon (a really cool airport, by the way. Live music, a Longhorn fan store, free WiFi for 1.5 hours, lots of plugs for charging and eats from The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que and Amy’s Ice Creams to name a few highlights), I was greeted with ads from Mobile 1/Honda/McLaren.

I like this one on the stairs leading up to the airline club lounges. Note also the Dell signs to the right. Apparently there’s a Dell conference of some sort this week (Dell headquarters are in Round Rock, north of Austin), and their ads were quite clever.

After I picked up my bag, I checked my twitter feed and I saw something about Manor F1 driver Alexander Rossi cooking/serving at the Chi’Lantro BBQ truck starting at 2:00 PM. I still had to retrieve my rental car, but I thought I might be able to get there.

I rushed over, arriving slightly after 3:00 PM to learn that the truck was closed for the day. Bummer. But, sitting at the picnic tables in front of the truck was Alexander Rossi.

Recently, Rossi, who was a reserve driver for the Manor F1 team, was named a driver for Manor F1 at several of their final races for this season. There has not been an American F1 driver since 2007 when Scott Speed raced for the Toro Rosso team. As this is the US Grand Prix, there is a quite a bit of excitement for an American driver to race in front of American fans at Circuit of the Americas!

Meeting Alexander Rossi

Rossi was talking to the crew from NBC Sports as they had just concluded an interview with Will Buxton and Jason Swales. I was able to chat with him for a few minutes before he had to leave for more PR engagements, and we talked about the sound of the new engines. He said that you can hear different things now that the engines are quieter, like the tires. I’m excited to hear the cars tomorrow during the first two practice sessions.

He graciously posed for a picture with me – I couldn’t believe how tall he is once he stood from the table. He said he’s 6’2″!! That is quite tall for a racer.

I also asked to pose with Will and Jason, who were fully decked out in Texas attire!

Three years ago at the first USGP, Will hosted, “Buxton’s Big Time Bash,” at a local bar. It was a fun time meeting fellow F1 fans before the race weekend. I was excited to meet the man behind the fake Charlie Whiting twitter account, and I also met Will! It was fun to see him again yesterday, and he said that we must attend his fourth annual bash as there are many drivers planning to attend and surprises in store. The bash is tonight at the Rattle Inn. More information can be found here.

Here’s a photo of me and Will at the first bash in 2012.

To cap off my drop by Chi’Lantro, I met Blair Soden, the executive producer of the NBC Sports show, “Off the Grid,” and a Penn alumna! We had a bit of a moment when Will asked us about Penn State!

Needless to say, but I was quite excited to meet all these folks yesterday afternoon. We are looking forward to the Formula 1 Fan Forum and Will’s bash tonight, and then tomorrow the fun begins on the track with practice sessions (fingers crossed the predicted rain holds off).

Sharing Weddings Around the World for #FriFotos

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

This Friday is the last #FriFotos. The weekly twitter trending hashtag was started five years ago, and the #FriFotos hosts decided that it is time to end this weekly fun. Each week a theme was announced on Tuesday and everyone on Twitter was encouraged to share their photos around the theme. I always enjoyed thinking about my travel photos in a new way – instead of gathering all of my pictures from one particular trip, the theme made me think about things I saw on many trips. For the final #FriFotos, the theme is #memories – get your photos ready to share on twitter – and to see the memories that others share as well!

Back on July 10 of this year, the theme was weddings. It’s always a happy time when you see a wedding party no matter where you are, and I especially love spotting weddings when I am on a trip. Here are some of the photos I shared in July – some are from weddings of friends here in the U.S. In all of them, everyone is very happy for the couple and their life journey ahead.

A happy couple after posing along the water in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005. It was a beautiful summer day and there were brides and grooms everywhere taking photographs. If you look behind this couple, right along the water, you can see the white of another bride’s dress.

St. Petersburg, Russia with Peterhof in the background.

Here is another couple on that same day in St. Petersburg.

Kissing along the water in St. Petersburg, Russia.

When I was in Hong Kong for business in 2006, I wandered around exploring the city and by chance came across city hall. There, there were wedding parties everywhere! The entire courtyard was full of brides, grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen and family and friends. As you can see from the photos below, every where I turned was another wedding party!

Here are some photos of my friend’s weddings.

My high school friend married outside in Park City, Utah on a lovely summer evening.

My dear college friend Marianne married in the fall in a castle in Maryland.

The picture is blurry, but I love how happy Marianne and Jon are as they make a toast.

While preparing this post I remembered some additional wedding photos I snapped while in Italy in 2013, and I thought it would be still fun to share them here.

We saw this couple in Naples posing for photos with a photographer and videographer.

Bride and groom in Naples with their camera and video crew.

In Positano, we saw this couple as they exited a church as newlyweds and then posed for photos.

Happy couple in Positano leaving the church.

Posing on the steps in front of the church in Positano.

This couple is almost hard to spot on the Spanish steps in Rome, until they pose for the photographer.

Can you spot the bride and groom on the Spanish steps?

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein. Remember, the LAST FriFotos is this Friday, October 16, 2015. The theme is MEMORIES!

#FriFotos was started on 15 October 2010 by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Jonathan is the President and Owner of Celebrated Experiences, a company focusing on travel to the UK and Ireland. He is passionate about photography, his favorite hobby. Each week Jonathan cohosts #FriFotos with Stephanie Diehl (@TravelDesigned), Charles Yap (@CharlesYap), and Spencer Spellman (@SpencerSpellman). Jeffrey Epstein (@jeffreyinmotion), CEO of HBIM was a key advisor in the creation of #FriFotos and continues to assist in the Forum’s growth and success.

Flashback: A Toast to Penn in Northern California

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Fall in the Northeast conjures images of brightly colored leaves on trees, cool nights, pumpkins and warm apple cider. Fall in California means it’s a perfect time to visit a winery!

Here is a post I wrote about a wonderful event organized by the Penn Club of Northern California – a wine tasting at the private winery of alumnus Phil Schlein – back in 2012.

Enjoy!

This post was originally published on the Frankly Penn blog on October 4, 2012.

A Toast to Penn in Northern California

By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

A few weekends ago, I traveled one bright sunny Saturday afternoon to the wine country north of San Francisco. There, the Penn Club of Northern California hosted a wine tasting made possible by the generosity of Phil “Spike” Schlein, C’57.

Spike opened his family vineyards and gardens in Oakville, Napa Valley, for touring and a wine tasting. The Schlein family (Spike’s children Kathy, C’83, and Ted, C’86, are also alumni) honored the club with a similar event three years ago, and were happy to welcome local alumni again.

Spike helped facilitate the wine tasting, and shared his story of becoming a winemaker, and the history of the vineyards that he’s owned for over thirty years. Everyone enjoyed the garden setting and delicious lunch buffet. Beth Topor, W’80, vice president of membership and communications for the club, shared information about upcoming events, and club co-president Tom Eliaz, ENG’02, encouraged alumni to share their ideas for future events and to get involved with activity planning. Alexandra Feinson, C’11, undergraduate admissions counselor for Northern California, attended and spoke to the group about Penn admissions. After lunch, Spike led everyone through a tour of the vineyards.

The Penn Club of Northern California thanks Phil Schlein for opening up his winery and all the alumni who attended and contributed to our Club Book Scholarship Program. They raised $1,855 and with Phil’s generosity providing the food and beverages, 100% of the proceeds goes to scholarships for local Penn students! We also thank Arthur and Lindsay, two of their past scholarship recipients who spoke on the value of your donations. If you were unable to attend the event and would like to contribute to scholarships, click here, every dollar helps!

What a treat to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in a beautiful setting and enjoy the conversation of fellow alumni.

Here’s a toast to Penn! And a toast to Phil Schlein!

Hurrah, Hurrah!

Click here to join the Penn Club of Northern California, sign up for their email newsletter and get involved with the club. You can also find the club on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @NCPennClub.

For more information on Schlein Vineyards, click here.

This post was originally published on the Frankly Penn blog on October 4, 2012.

Mass in Central Park with Pope John Paul II

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Watching the news coverage and seeing so many social media postings of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States this week, I am remembering the first time I saw the pope. It was Pope John Paul II, twenty years ago, when he visited New York in October, 1995, and said mass at the Great Lawn in Central Park.

Surprisingly, I found a picture of my friends that attended the mass and the altar where Pope John Paul II celebrated the mass. My friend Nora was able to secure tickets to attend – not an easy task as everyone wanted see the pope – and I was so honored and grateful that she invited me to join her and her friends Christine and Jen.

I asked Nora if she remembered how she was able to find tickets, and this is what she wrote, “I had a theory that they mailed out tickets and some of them had to have been returned due to wrong addresses and whatnot — turns out I was right! I called the Diocese the day before and got four tickets.”

I must admit I do not remember much about the entire experience other than needing to get there early, it being a bit chilly, and the crowd chanting, “John Paul II! We love you!”

Nora shared a funny anecdote. She asked me, “Remember the guy on his cell phone talking about the Ave Maria?” I had to admit I didn’t. She said, “It was this big guy and in the middle of one of the prayers he called someone on his cell and was bragging about being at the mass and hearing the Ave Maria (sung by Jon Secada???) it was totally annoying and rude!”

I wonder now if the big guy she’s referring to is the man in the red jacket and baseball cap in my picture up above. I have one other photo of the altar, and he is squarely in front of it, blocking the view.

I do remember the distributing of the body of Christ – how we were all in sections on the lawn and priests came to each section and the whole process went much more quickly and orderly than I imagined it would.

I also remember it being a joyous feeling. Everyone was peaceful and happy.

Here are some articles I found recounting the visit. The NY Daily News provides an overview of his visit to greater New York City, while The New York Times reports on the mass itself which brought back many memories for me. And, to confirm Nora’s report of Jon Secada singing, The Baltimore Sun reported,

“Yesterday morning as the skies lightened, the music began. Roberta Flack sang “Amazing Grace.” Natalie Cole appeared with the Boys Choir of Harlem. Placido Domingo sang during Communion. Latino pop singer Jon Secada followed Kathy Triccoli, a Christian pop star.

But the star, the crowd made clear, was Pope John Paul.”

I also found this video on YouTube, shared by John Saffire, at the start of Mass with the Ode to Joy playing.

It is hard to put into words what being in the presence of the Holy Father feels like, but watching Pope Francis on television, my heart is filled with love, and I can not help but tear at the grace, beauty and joy that you can see in everyone’s faces.

I hope that everyone that sees Pope Francis during his visit, either in person or on television, remembers it for many years to come.

A Lamborghini for the Pope

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

Pope Francis touched down in the United States yesterday afternoon to much fanfare. I saw this photo essay by the Los Angeles Times highlighting some of the “Popemobiles” that the pontiff has used for travel over the past hundred years. I particularly liked the first photo showing Pope John Paul II in a Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet.

That picture reminded me of a papal golf cart I saw in the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini several years ago. We were in Italy to watch the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Monza, and decided to visit Motor Valley in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, home to Italian auto manufacturers Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati to name a few. I booked a full day tour with MotorStars that took us to the Lamborghini Factory, Ferrari Museum, and Pagani Factory. One of the stops on our car tour was to the privately owned Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini (note the museum moved to a larger location in Funo di Argelato in 2014; we visited the old location in Dosso di Sant’Agostino). This museum is distinct and separate from the Museo Lamborghini which is attached to the Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese. We visited the Lamborghini factory and attached museum on our tour too, but the Pope’s golf cart was in the private museum.

Outside the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini. Fabio Lamborghini, Ferruccio’s nephew, is on the right. He gave our group a tour of the museum.

While the highlight of the museum for many is the Countach and Miura on display, there were also other interesting vehicles to note, including some of the early tractors Lamborghini built.

The Lamborghini Muira (on the left) and Countach (right) on display under a photo of Ferruccio Lamborghini.

And, there was this little golf cart made for Pope John Paul II.

If you zoom in on the front seal it reads, “Papa Giovanni Paolo II.”

From the side, you could see a Poland scarf draped on the seat, honoring Pope John Paul II’s home country.

The museum provides an interesting look into the history of Lamborghini and showcases not only cars, tractors, and unique vehicles like this golf cart for the Pope, but also family photos and Lamborghini memorabilia.

If you are a car enthusiast, a visit to Italy’s “Motor Valley” in the Emilia-Romagna region is a must. The tourist website for the Emilia-Romagna region has information about the museums and private collections to visit, along with other places of interest.

I found a more detailed review of the museum (at its new location) by Mark Smyers on the LamboCars.com site here.

So far the photos of Pope Francis’ visit have shown him in a Peugot in Cuba and a Fiat after landing in the US though his official popemobile for his visit will reportedly be a Jeep Wrangler.

What is your favorite popemobile?

Spotting Advertising for #FriFotos

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

As I gather photographs to share for this week’s #FriFotos theme of Great Britain, I look back to a #FriFotos in June (June 26, 2015 to be exact) when the theme was Advertising. I shared a few photos from my travels in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Stockholm along with a photo from closer to home in Hermosa Beach, California. I like to snap quick photos of ads when I’m traveling – it is always interesting to me to see how ads for global brands are often the same as in the United States but in a different language. It is also interesting to spot ads that are unique to the region I am visiting.

In the Spring of 2006, I visited China for the first time. Tiananmen Square was a short distance from our hotel, and as an Olympics fan, I was excited to see this large clock counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to the start of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. As you can see from the bottom of the clock, it is also an advertisement for Omega watches, the official timekeeper for the games.

Countdown to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in Tianamen Square

Countdown to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in Tiananmen Square

On this street near our hotel, I was interested to see big signs adverting stores and products, much like you would see in other large cities (New York, for example), around the world.

Street advertisements in Beijing.

I took the subway back to my hotel and saw this advertisement for the cosmetics company Estée Lauder.

Beijing subway ad for Estee Lauder.

During my 2006 trip to China, I also was in Hong Kong for a few days. The signs in Hong Kong reminded me of the huge billboards in New York City. Here is a large ad on the side of a building for Konica Minolta.

Huge street ads in Hong Kong.

Switching continents to Europe, I was struck by this simple ad in Stockholm, Sweden. It says, “Where is the clock?”

Simple ad in Stockholm, Sweden.

In the United States, it is impossible to attend a professional sporting event without seeing advertisements. The AVP beach volleyball tournaments are no exception. There are many ads courtside, especially in the courts with larger stands. This is a photo from the Hermosa Beach Open several years ago. Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treanor are on the far side of the court (Misty is leaping for the ball here), playing against Nicole Branagh (I think). There are advertisements everywhere – courtside, on the tents, even on the net!

AVP Beach Volleyball has ads alongside playing courts.

Here is a favorite photo from Vancouver (full disclosure – I did not share this on Twitter on the #FriFotos day). My colleagues and I always had a laugh at the Dos Equis “most interesting man in the world” ads and commercials, so when I saw this on a bus stop in Vancouver, I had to take a photo to share it with them.

Stay Thirsty my friends.

New to #FriFotos? Here’s a quick guide on the rules by Jeffrey Epstein.

Dreaming of Monza!

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Kiera Reilly

The first Formula 1 race I attended was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 2007, and I was fortunate to attend again in 2009. It is a very special race. Every year when I am watching the practice sessions, qualifying and the race on television at home, I wonder why I did not make plans to attend.

It is quite a sight to see the tifosi, Italian fans supporting Scuderia Ferrari, in person. Their presence in Ferrari attire, walking around the track with Ferrari flags on poles or draped across their shoulders certainly adds to the event.

I wish I was in Italy right now so we could head to the track at Monza this weekend. It is sure to be a fantastic weekend.

Forza Ferrari!

This photo from 2007 shows the podium after the race, with the tifosi and other fans on the race track. Fernando Alonso, driving for McLaren, placed first, with his teammate Lewis Hamilton placing second. Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen placed third.

The 2007 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix podium with the tifosi in the foreground.

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Meeting Alexander Rossi

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