Published Sunday, December 8, 2002
Christmas spirit
Herald Staff Writer
Over three rivers and through some 'hoods didn't take me to grandmother's house, but to a city that has an old-fashioned holiday style in the shadow of its skyscrapers.
A visit to the 'burgh with Herald photographer Salena Carr and copy editor Kim Curry brought us Thursday afternoon to the Omni William Penn Hotel for an elegant High Tea hosted by the Office of Cultural Tourism of the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau, as they touted their town of twinkling holiday lights and events.
But after we explored the tinsel town for ourselves, we realized that the long-named tourism bureau did not have to wax long-windedly to convince us that the city is, indeed, "dressed in holiday style" with a Christmas spirit to match.
It was something as simple as walking the streets, replete with slushy snow (they had just gotten 5 inches of snow that morning) that put the three of us into a merry mood, replacing the Scrooge-like worries of a snow flurry of bills in January.
Stopping at picture windows in stores like Kaufmann's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lazarus, were children of all ages looking at doll house displays, prima ballerinas on the tips of their nutcrackery toes, and toy trains. Window shopping takes on a whole new meaning when you see one magical display after another slowly tempting you to come inside and warm your fingers and lighten your bank account.
We continued our walk to the outdoor ice rink that is supposed to be larger than the one in Rockefeller Center. Skaters circle around the Christmas tree in the center -- some with graceful strokes, some a wee bit wobbly, but all taking part in a holiday public relations coup for their city without even realizing it. There's nothing like skaters gliding to the strains of "Winter Wonderland" that brings out the Currier & Ives in onlookers.
Later in the evening, the three of us had the opportunity to view a dress rehearsal of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's "New Nutcracker," promoted as a "classic with a fresh Pittsburgh twist." The performers were wearing brand new costumes and dancing on brand new sets to the tune of $2.5 million. I had seen the PBT's "Nutcracker" last year prior to the changes of this year. The classic was performed beautifully last year, but seemed to last a little too long.
This year, the energy that seemed to come from the new look put an excitement in the air between the viewers and the performers. Though we only watched part of Act I, it was with extreme interest for the innovative performance. No doubt the revamped duds and sets created a new interest for the dancers as well.
Later that evening, dinner at the Penn Brewery was a cheerful celebration during their annual St. Nikolaus Celebration, which gets their holiday on tap. We listened to the Heimat Klang Band sing hearty German carols as loud as any night club music and watched while children and adults did the polka and caroled.
We enjoyed some hearty appetizers with a German flair and it didn't take much to fill us up. A taste of their holiday brew, St. Nikolaus Bock, was as hale as their hospitality.
Friday found us at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and we had the pleasure of talking with a volunteer guide who happened to be a Westminster College alumna circa 1955, which happens to be my alma mater as well.
After some collegiate reminiscing, Mrs. Odie Cowden talked with us about the theme of the 2002 Winter Flower Show, which is Flower Fairies. Created by London resident Cicely Mary Barker in the (very) early 1900s, the artist, who had epilepsy, is still studied today by botanists and entomologists.
We were told that her delicate paintings of the plants surrounding the flower fairies were botanically correct.
The wings of the fairies were actual moth or butterfly wings and were also anatomically and artistically correct.
Pretty amazing for an artist who was in her teens when she began to receive acclaim for her work.
The floral fairies were sprinkled throughout the gardens along with a Christmas array of colorful poinsettias. Plum pudding was the name of a new raspberry-colored poinsettia that was very pretty.
One of the last places we visited on our two-day holiday (Excuse me --- hard-working news trip, Mr. Raykie) was the Hall of Architecture at the Carnegie Musuem of Art with dazzling tree decorations reflecting five American artists, including Georgia O'Keeffe and Andy Warhol.
A hallway nearby had trees creatively designed by local personalities such as Kevin McClatchey, Fred Rogers and Lynn Swann, which were up for silent auction with proceeds to benefit local children in need.
As we three sat in a Starbucks Coffee shop in Wexford afterwards discussing religion, good hot chocolate and our experiences, we all agreed that our trip to Pittsburgh during the holiday season put us all in the mood for Santa, decorating and maybe even filling out some Christmas cards. I was grateful once again for the gift of our friendship, which needs no holiday to shine brightly like a certain star.
For more information, check www.visitpittsburgh.com