Gulliver's Tavern: Field of Dreams

Last Friday night I got to go to one of my favorite places on this Earth, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA. I've been around the world twice and there aren't a lot of other places where I feel so happy. A beautiful summer night in Western Pennsylvania, when you can smell the grass, hear the crack of the bat, feel the energy of the crowd, well...it's just heaven.

I went to the game with my Sister and a few of my friends. My sister and I spent the first few innings in our third base side seats but then wandered the ballpark taking the game in from different vantage points.

The view from the upper deck is probably the best. The city comes alive rising above the outfield wall with the Clemente Bridge drawing your eye to the skyline perfectly. It was while taking pictures there that we met a young Japanese fan who we asked to take our picture. He then asked if we'd take his and we had a nice chat. Our conversation then went something like this:

Me: Where are you from?
Him: Japan.
Me: Ah, yeah, but where in Japan?
Him: Oh this town called Yokohama.

Me: Oh cool, I've been there twice.
Him: What?! Really?
Me: Yeah, I was there back in 2006 and in 2013. I even got to go to a baseball game there in 2006 to see the Orix Buffalo.
Him: Oh my godness ...

He then pulled out his Orix Buffalo jersey. It really is a small world sometimes. He was in town because he was traveling across the USA going to different ballparks. PNC was his 19th and according to him, "The most beautiful of them all." So I guess it's not just me who knows that truth.

We chatted for a few minutes longer and then told him to go eat at Primanti Brothers sandwich. If Pittsburgh has a flavor it has coleslaw and french fries piled onto whatever it is. We wrote it down for him to go and visit and then went on our way.

Funny how when I was traveling in the foreign countries I did the same thing where I had locals write down places to go eat. You get sent to some really good places that way. And when you are lost you can just show someone the piece of paper and then can help get you there because the place is usually a point of pride for the city.

While walking through the outfield section of the stadium during the 6th inning break tragedy almost occurred. We almost missed the pirogi race! We darted into the closest seating section in the right field bleachers and we just happened to be at the finish line for the race. It's such a Pittsburgh thing to have pirogies race around the outfield I can only imagine what our Japanese friend must have been thinking while seeing it.

We continued around the park, took an inning from the rotunda in left field and then made our way back to our seats for the final innings. It was an exciting back and forth game that the Pirates sadly lost to the Miami Marlins but the outcome couldn't take away all the happiness I felt just being there.

I have some wonderful memories of when I lived in Pittsburgh and would go to the park quite frequently. One year I lived only a few blocks from PNC and it was a magical summer of baseball nights. I will always love it there and can't wait to go back soon.