Pleasure in Pittsburgh

This past weekend, Mal and I had an adventurous time in Steel City. We went for a long weekend to celebrate the marriage of my dearest friend from high school.

I was so pleasantly surprised by the beautiful city of Pittsburgh. Having never been, I had this image of it being run down and dirty. I'm not sure from where the preconceived notions derived, but they were instantly crushed when our car drove through the tunnel of 376 and into the city limits. Leading up to the city one would never guess that a thriving metropolitan is just around the corner. The roads leading into it are mountainous and plush with grass, corn and other crops. Large farms line the winding roads and welcome travelers to Steel City. A tunnel separates the farmlands from the metro area. As one exits the tunnel and enters the city, the skyline changes. The green hills become rivers filled with boats, bridges cross the rivers and the bustle of city life replaces the slower pace on the other side of the mountain. The transformation truly is like none I've seen before.

We stayed at the Sheraton Station Square, which is right on the river and in the middle of a cozy downtown area of shops, dining and entertainment. Our first night, we took part in the rehearsal dinner festivities at an Italian restaurant called Buca di Beppo, where we were served a family-style dinner. After the meal we went on a riverboat cruise where we learned tons of facts about Pittsburgh. Did you know it has the most bridges of any city in the world, beating out Venice, Italy, by three bridges with a total of 476? It also used to be so dirty (due to their steel production) that some days they would have to turn on the street lights at 2:00 in the afternoon for people to see their ways around town. It's the home of Andy Warhol, Fred Rogers and Rachel Carson. Also random FYI: all of the sweaters Fred Rogers wore on his show were sewn by his mother.

Day two was full of wedding fun. The first part of the day was spent celebrating in the traditional Indian way. I'd never been to an Indian wedding, so it was really awesome to not only be a witness, but also be part of the festivities as a bridesmaid. I got to wear a saree, lots of gold bangles, a bindi and flip flops while walking down the aisle. :) Mallory acted as photographer and got some really fantastic photos of the happenings. We each watched from our seats as the priest talked and chanted for about 1.5 hours without once consulting a sheet of paper. He did the entire service from memory and I learned that many times the priest will learn from his father and it's a profession passed along throughout generations. Priya and Jeremi did a great job leading those of us who couldn't understand the language by providing programs that described each part of the ceremony and the meaning behind what was taking place.

After the Indian part of the wedding, we had a few hours to kill before the reception so Mal and I explored Pittsburgh. We went up the Monongahela Incline, which was only about a block from our hotel. From the top of the incline we enjoyed the breathtaking view of Pittsburgh in her glory.

 

After coming down from the incline, we readied ourselves for the reception, which was very much like a traditional Western reception with the bonus of Indian fare! The food was delicious, wedding gown beautiful, toasts tear-jerking and music bumping- it was delightful! It was also wonderful to see some friends from high school that I hadn't seen since shortly after graduation and even meet some of their spouses that I'd never seen in person.

The whole weekend was filled with firsts. Mal and I made some great memories. I'd definitely go back to Pittsburgh and explore more of the sites there. We were sad that we had to leave without getting a chance to see more of the city and the Frank Lloyd Wright house, which was just south of it. Another trip, perhaps!?