Bermuda Rails to Trails

On Earth Day, creative reuse is on my mind. I love the High Line, in New York City which turned an abandoned rail trail into an elevated park.

And last weekend, I ran on the Bermuda Railway Trail, a walking, running and occasional biking path in Bermuda.

Bermuda’s short-lived railway cut through the heart of the island, and from the trail, you can see parts of Bermuda that are off the tourist track. I peeked into gardens and backyards and saw a lot of chickens and crazy wild nasturtiums. The leaves of some of those nasturtiums were bigger than my hand.

The Railway Trail is a work in progress; on parts, you have to watch out for cars, and if you are biking, you might have to carry your bicycle over trestles or up stairs. For a few miles around Hamilton, Bermuda’s main town, the railway abruptly ends.

But I was staying at the Fairmont Southampton, which has a railway entrance on its property.

Be sure to bring water; there are no facilities on the trail. 

On my 50 minute run, I encountered true solitude (except for the chickens). Most the section I ran was inaccessible to cars, and on the section that allowed cars, only one passed me. I saw no people.

Note: I was a guest of the Bermuda Department of Tourism.

Earth Day Eyelashes

In honor of Earth Day, I began my trial of a natural growth serum, Fysiko Eyelash Serum, for my aging eyelashes.

When men age, the effect on their hair is readily apparent; a receding hairline and/or bald spot. For women, the effect is more subtle. Hair may grow coarser, and a bit thinner, and formerly lush eyebrows become brittle and sparse.

I have been correcting this irritating problem with my eyelashes with ever-increasing globs of mascara, but this can give more a raccoon appearance. Fysiko Eyelash Serum is designed to enhance eyelashes and decrease your dependence on mascara.

The serum contains healthy ingredients like grape seed extract, ginseng root and chamomile, along with vitamin E, olive oil, thyme and soy protein. But it is not approved for pregnant women or nursing mothers, or girls under age 16.

I was able to wear my contact lens after applying the serum – I just waited about 10 minutes, until my eyelashes were dry. You can also apply the serum a second time at bedtime, after washing your face.

Although Fysiko Eyelash Growth Serum is expensive, the $139 tube lasts for 6-8 months. And think of the money you will save on mascara.

Check out more testimonials.

Earth Day star

Rouge Tomate is an elegant restaurant on the Upper East Side that also walks the walk on sustainability. The restaurant’s philosophy is SPE, based on respect of ingredients and combining delicious food and nutrition. Rather than butter, Executive Chef Jeremy Bearman relies on pure flavors.

Rouge Tomate also supports local farms, fisheries, and producers who use sustainable practices.

Of course a restaurant with this commitment also has many options for those who shun meat. Inventive soups and salads, ricotta gnocchi, and tagliatelle with Oregon morels are great for those who won’t eat fish; there are also a number of fish dishes with no hidden veal stock or beef marrow.

On Sunday, April 25th, Bearman is cooking at the NYC Grows Festival at Union Square at 1pm. The family-friendly even, from 10am – 4pm, includes workshops on healthy living, gardening, tree planting and sustainable cooking.

Eat your veggies

The refrain ‘eat your vegetables’ is uttered worldwide, even if the moms are saying ‘coma sus verduras.’ Universally, it seems, kids have to be encouraged to eat vegetables.

In honor or Earth Day, Square 1682 in Philadelphia offers a six-course vegetable tasting menu. Since two of the courses are actually dessert, vege-phobes can rest assured that they would only need to eat four courses of vegetables. But this is the kind of food that will entice in the most inveterate meat eater.

Chef Guillermo Tellez is also offering organic wine pairings and an eco-cocktail, the “Green Squared,” with organic Square One vodka and cucumber. A drink that helps celebrate Earth Day? I can get down with that.

The vegetable tasting, only $40 is available April 22-24.

The menu:

Terrine of asparagus and petite carrots

Preserved mushrooms, carrot cardamom vinaigrette

Spring pea soup and bleeding heart radishes

Cashew butter, lime-mint granite

Petite vegetable medley

Celery root, red wine reduction, mustard vinaigrette

Roasted local mushroom tart

Brie cheese, pickled turnips, herb oil

Lemon curd napoleon

Almond cream

Valhrona dark chocolate pate

Coconut eggless custard

Earth Day vegetarian

Being a vegetarian is often associated with being ecologically correct. I am a fanatical recycler and believer in reusable products; sponges and rags instead of paper towels, Sigg water bottles instead of plastic. And I carry my own tote bags everywhere.

Where it can be difficult to be environmentally correct is in body and hair products. A couple of new lines make it easy. Ekoh cosmetics (such a great name!) just launched Pre-Party Prep a natural face scrub made with walnut shell powder, organic aloe, rosemary comfrey root, lemon, apple, green tea, pomegranate, and oil from olives, apricots, grape seed and orange peel. It sounds like a really interesting salad dressing, but the exfoliating facial scrub hydrates and nourishes the skin while removing impurities. Ekoh cosmetics are packaged in recyclable glass jars, with no wasteful outer packaging.

For hair, try the organic emmett cooper line, packaged in recyclable containers. Curl Define uses extracts of quince, flax seed, yucca, chamomile, cherry bark ad ginger to control curly hair and the Volumizer Lift is a non-aerosol hair spray that enhances flat or fine hair. The emmett cooper is also vegan.

For moms-to-be, the Edamame Spa at some Destination Maternity stores (including NYC, White Plains, NY, Livingston and Paramus NJ) uses gentle, natural ingredients for its spa services. The Absolute Pearl Facial uses crushed pearl powder, mulberry, licorice and lemon and aloe vera. At Destination Maternity, you can stock up on such natural body care lines as Burt’s Bees, Mustela and Basq.

Happy Earth Day!