PPG PlaceLast night, some friends were over at our apartment, eating cookies and laughing at our cats trying to bat ornaments off of our Christmas tree, when someone suggested that we go ice skating over at PPG Place. I love ice skating there - it’s so cool to be in the middle of a city with all the skyscrapers and seeing everything reflect off the glass of the PPG buildings and watching families circle the big tree in the center. We immediately finished our cookies, bundled up and set out for the rink.

As we walked, we passed the small businesses in Market Square and admired their window decorations and stopped in a few of the stores to buy presents for people. Frank bought a toy food set for his younger cousin that included traditional Pittsburgh foods, like pierogies and kielbasa, at a store that only sells toys made by artists from Western PA. We popped into Jay’s Bookshelf (a new branch of the Jay’s Bookstall that’s been operating forever in Oakland) so that a couple people could buy books for people on their lists. And of course, no trip to Market Square would be complete without a quick stop in Chocolatiers, this small chocolate shop that opened a few years ago. The owners are immigrants from South America who import chocolate from around the world and make their own creations from all the different kinds they have.

After these little excursions, we arrived at the rink and rented our skates. I even managed to get Frank in a pair of skates and I think he even enjoyed skating (although I’m sure he’d deny it - he’s not the world’s biggest ice skating fan). All in all, a lovely December Pittsburgh afternoon.