East of Eden-Buffalo Part 4

Sunday was a very lazy day, and I was glad for it. We all slept in late, then had a wonderful breakfast of toasted cinnamon raisin bread, which B1 had made, and coffee. Eating breakfast with B1 & B2 made me miss the community breakfasts we would have at GF, and even just the breakfasts that would happen at Topside when a few of us were off in the morning together. Funny how food can have so many memories wrapped into it.

We set off in the early afternoon towards Eden, NY, where B1's parents live, stopping in Lackawanna along the way so that B1 & B2 could show me Our Lady of Victory Basilica and National Shrine (this site has a really cool moving panoramic picture which allows you to look around the church).

I have to say that it is the most beautiful Catholic church I have ever seen in the United States, both inside and out. The stone carvings depicting the 14 stations of the cross are amazing, each one chiseled out of stone, the effort taking nearly 2 decades to finish. The stain glass windows, originally thought to be brought over from France, the tour giude told us, were discovered to have been made by a local Buffalo artist. And the stain glass was some of the most remarkable work I have ever seen. So detailed and clear. Simply striking. The wood work on the old fashioned confessionals was astounding, the marble carved altar areas were breath taking. It is definitely worth a stop if you are ever in Lackawanna.

After stopping at B1's parents, where we ate a hodge podge of snacks including Saranac beer (native of Utica, NY.-I love local stuff!), home grown beets, potato chips, and ice cream, the five of us set out for B1's aunt and uncles' house a few cities over, just east of Eden.

Spent the afternoon chit chatting with some of B1's fam at her cousin's going away party, and regaling the group with our bat adventures. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon eating and talking, and watching the rain from under the cover of the porch, which as B2 predicted had turned into something of a "soaker." Sweatshirts were passed around, as it was a cool day, and eventually most of the party had moved inside, and we took this as our sign to skeedadle.

We made our thanks and goodbyes and were off again to Buffalo.

Back in Buffalo we lazyed on the couch, watching tv and cat napping, and I dreaded my return back home. It was hard to say goodbye after arriving only two nights before, but I was grateful for the weekend with B1 & B2, and the ability to be a stranger in a new city. It was with heavy heart that I headed back over the Peace Bridge, through hours of Canadian country (once missing my exit and driving 40 miles out of my way, which added another hour onto my trip), back through Sarnia, into Port Huron, onto I-94, onto M-59, and into my sleepy subdivision; where all of the houses were dark, and I found as I crawled into bed-road weary and legs stiff-that my thoughts were still in Buffalo.

I did not use B1 & B2's real names-obviously-and B1 is most displeased that I called them by these names, since as she said, "those are the names of those creepy bananas in pajamas." I could not resist then, posting this picture. (Look Amos, you made it into the picture to!)

Pictures were taken from the Our Lady of Victory site.
For more information on the Buffalo, NY area.