The next few days I played tour guide for a friend for their first trip to this city.  The tour of Pittsburgh started off with the West End Overlook. This, IMHO, is the superior overlook in and of the city. You get that incredible "head on" view of The Point and the three rivers. You get a better sense of how close nit the down town area is relative to other cities due to the topography of the region. And, well, it's just prettier. It also happens to right up the hill from my childhood home in the West End (well, Elliott really), where my parents still live. I took my friend to my old street and home and briefly chatted with my dad. I ruminated over how I used to know every single neighbor. Childhood and family friends have mostly moved away. It's not the same cul de sac of my youth. I continued the tour with the classic explosive view you get from the Fort Pitt Bridge, I went a little out of the way to make sure we drove through the tunnel for that stunning view. We drove into Oakland where we strolled through the Nationality Rooms of the Cathedral of Learning. Pausing to admire the Gothic style architecture in the main hall, my teacher friend and I compared the differences in education systems between the U.S. and the U.K. We had rather different experiences in University. We walked through South Oakland to indulge in a favorite of mine for lunch. Burritos at Mad Mex. This was the first trip of many on this trip home. I never get tired of my favorite: the chick pea chili burrito with sour cream and guac. I know everything on the menu is good. But I always get that burrito. Anytime I order anything else, I always wish I had just gone with the chick pea chili burrito. I make a fairly spot on facsimile, having teased apart and experimented with the recipe a dozen years ago or so. If only I could find tomatillos here! But there is always something so much better about getting the dish there. Maybe it's the ambiance or the sangria, but to me, that is the ultimate comfort food. A trip home would not be complete without it. After lunch we visited more of my old stomping grounds and went to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. I was interested in seeing the renovations that had closed down a significant chunk of exhibits for two years. To be honest, I was disappointed with the new exhibit and space. In an institution where space is at a premium to every department, there seemed to be a lot of it wasted. After a brief visit to our home. Have I mentioned how I love to tell people what we payed for our awesome house with its hard wood floors, slate roof, 3/4" inch thick plaster walls, so much sweeter in the context of U.K. housing prices. Dinner was a trip into Station Square for a little fondue. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the Melting Pot is a chain. But it appeals to me in so many ways. I love being able to have a little bit of a lot of different dishes and the "Big Night Out" sampler with a group of friends is an excellent way to do that.