Finale of the Bakery and Baby Tour

I arrived in NYC by bus in the late afternoon--The KAPPS had given me directions on how to get over to their Chinatown apartment from where the bus had cast me off into the street....I being the tourist I am grabbed a starbucks and hopped on the subway- made it there with no problems!

When I arrived I was greeted by two of my favorite adults- David and Cecily Kapp---both very talented artists who live in this gorgeous apartment in NYC. They also live in the summer in Friendship- and own my favorite spot on earth---Briney Brow cottage. But that's a different post.

After getting settled- I took a walk on Broadway for an hour or two and than came back to have dinner with them at the house--they are two of the best cooks ever, so this is no small thing.
The next morning I woke up (still very very sick with a cold)- and decided I was going to walk from Chinatown to Central park---about 1 hour walk in my world, and like 60 blocks in NYC language. It was 60 degrees out and beautiful and I enjoyed every second of it. I stopped at two bakeries on the way: Wild Daisy on Sullivan St. which had amazing bread- so I stalked up and got one for lunch and other meals.
I walked through the village- which is my favorite part of NYC- and stopped in Washington Square Park- which for reasons unknown is my favorite park in NYC.... I think it's because it's near where the KAPPS use to live on MacDougal St. and I have visited it like every 3-4 years of my life starting at age 12. SEE REFLECTION AT END OF POST.
Then I found CITY BAKERY somewhere on one of the numbered streets- i think like 14th street. It was beautiful and had one of the best scones I've ever had in my life--- and they let me take pictures as they found it amusing that a girl from Maine was taking pictures of things like muffins and cookies.
I eventually made it down to Central Park where I sat on a rock and watched Ice-skaters as I ate my roll from Wild Daisy.... I have to say that is so satisfying to be on your own schedule in a place that you love to visit-- you can do whatever you want and not worry about the other person you are with. I mean you do get lonely and wish for someone to go have a drink with or what not--- but it is so awesome to just lazily stop at bakery's or any odd store along the way-- and then wonder around Central Park and not ask yourself a hundred times if the other person is having a good time. But maybe that's just me- I have sort of a guilt complex.
I came back to Chinatown via subway and met up with Cecily who gave me the best tour of Chinatown ever--- we visited amazing tea shops, had a chinese massage (very intense), went into seafood/meat shops and grabbed a bubbletea....it was awesome- besides that fortunes we received from the Buddhist temple that weren't very good--we threw them away in protest!
- and than went out with the KAPPS + their son Arthur (who I've known since he was like 3 years old) for dinner in Chinatown.
The next morning it was raining so I was dragging my feet a bit--- i went to some weird store with Cecily that she thought I would like--- but I hated it, and had to politely tell her it wasn't for me and made my way back uptown- where later in the day I was to meet my friend Julianne.
I decided I would visit this awesome bakery since I was back up that way--- it ended up being my favorite- 2 Red Hens. Since I had accidently hiked for 2 miles- I ordered the biggest piece of Pumpkin Gingerbread available and had a cappachino to go with it. It was the best meal in NYC.
From there I visited the MET briefly before squeezing in a short visit with Julianne---(I don't recommend trying to squeeze in 6-8 months of whatevers going on in your lives in one short visit---it makes people ansy- even good friends like us). I went back to the Kapps after shopping for Christmas presents on broadway- and they took me out for some amazing food in the village for my last night.
The next morning I left for Maine---and very happy to finally be returning to my husband, and animals!

REFLECTION IN WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK:
As I was sitting on a bench in WSP on a warm morning- I couldn't help but think about who i was 10 years ago when I was sitting in essentially that same spot. At age 17 I was fresh out of highschool and wondering about what college would be like...I'm sure I was more insecure and less sure of myself-- but I was pretty much the same person just in a different part of my life- wondering what the next journey would be like. At age 27 I'm sitting analyzing things like starting a family, my house, and how the hell I am going to get this bakery business going... I'm still scared as I was at age 17- but I'm also excited, and more positive things will work themselves out. It makes me wonder what I will be like at age 37---what will I be thinking of then? Will I be there with my kids watching them run around- and being excited about being in a big city with so much going on? Will I have the same feeling of contentment as I did at age 17 and 27-- that I can travel from smalltown, Maine by myself and be okay in a big city. That I'm not an incapable person- that I can handle things on my own- but secretly wishing that Ellery was with me? I hope that I'm still so amused by life and the places it takes me- and things it throws my way. I hope this girl from Maine will always get a kick out of traveling to places out of her comfort zone.
CHEERS.

Babies and Baked Goods Tour Part 2- Washington D.C.

For the second leg of my journey I traveled from Baltimore to D.C on the MARC train--after meeting up with Ellery at the Baltimore airport (he didn't think it would be right if I met our nephew before him).
We got into D.C around mid-day and first thing met our new nephew- Ethan Russell Lankin. What an adorable baby- and usually I don't find babies adorable right off. I had caught a ridiculous cold about this time so I couldn't play with him much which was sad--- but it's not like babies at this age can play very well anyway. They mostly just sleep, or poo, or eat or cry. Sometimes though they look off into space all googly eyed and you are suppose to act very impressed-- and say things like: "Wow he just looks so intelligent", "my god is he smiling?"-- but mostly every expression on a newborn is because of some sort of bowel movement or gas.
Its still sort of new to Ellery and I being an aunt and uncle....like we know in several years that this will be a much bigger deal- and we can't wait to have him up to Maine to visit his crazy relatives and take him hiking, lobstering, fishing, etc. Throw him in mud-puddles and such--- things he can't do in the city. But for now we just sort of stare at him like everyone else.

We went out for some awesome Sushi in D.C on our first day--- and this was one of Ethan's first outings. His parents were surprisingly not as nervous as I thought they would be....he slept for a lot of it which helped I think. Oh plus Thalia and Josh are pretty awesome parents so far.
We made dinner in that night.
The next day we visited Georgetown cupcakes-- which is the new hip place in D.C. There is literally a line out the door, and they have dozens of flavors of cupcakes a day. Ellery and I waited in line and ordered: Coconut creme, gingerbread, Chocolate-Mint, and salted caramel. All very good- could of used more cake and less frosting though. I also have a hard time understand the cupcake fad--- I mean I get it- little personal cakes....but I think a thick slice of a truly awesome cake is better-- or pie or cookies. Cupcakes usually lack something.
We then walked around Georgetown for a few hours, spotted another cool bakery--- and then went and had some beers and pizza for lunch before heading back to Thalia and Josh's for rest and eventually a dinner made by the men! (i was shocked also.)

At this point- although very happy to have hung out with two very cool babies---I was ready to head to NYC and be on my own schedule--- which involved my own feeding and sleeping times, and lots of more walking around. I left Sunday morning by bus onward towards NY- as Ellery flew back home by plane.

Bakery and Baby Tour of the East PART ONE

2 Weeks ago I left to visit Baltimore, DC, and NYC. I wanted to do a solo trip to prove to myself that I can travel places on my own and survive. Ellery did however meet me in DC for two days- but besides that I did it entirely on my own, and I am pretty proud of myself.
Here's what went down.

BALTIMORE:

One of my best friends lives in Baltimore- I like to be all poetic and think that fate brought us together as friends, because we happened to be neighbors when we both lived in Blue Hill 3 years ago( before she moved away--tear.). Someone told me a Lone cabinet maker lived behind me who was older than me....I went and knocked on her door and found an awesome, young, hip red-head who was only like 4 years older than me. Glad I decided to knock on her door.
Brooke's the kind of friend I can text at 5am in the morning to whine about something that other people would find very bizarre-- and she will answer with something that always makes me feel better. She's also a kick-ass Mom who goes to school full-time.
Brooke has one of the cutest little boys I know--CADE. He's a real charmer--oh man that smile. Even when he is crying hysterically because he's tired, or hungry, or needs a diaper change (I learned this is the three main reasons babies cry) he is still cute.
Most of my time in Baltimore was spent walking around with Cade and Brooke--we visited the waterfront district, but we mostly stayed around Brooke's neighborhood which is pretty cool. Nice shops and restaurants and such. I visited two bakeries while in Baltimore- Boneparte Bakery and St0ne Mill. At Bonteparte I had a Croissant the size of my head that was pretty good--- St0ne Mill was sort of all hype- it looked like it had good bread, but the baked goods were nothing special.
We took a sort of late night walk down to 34th street where the entire section of road is just filled up with awesome Christmas light displays. ...All decked out with Maryland Crabs, or hubcaps, or bike wheels..very cool.
Brooke's awesome husband MYLES picked us up some Indian food on my last night that was realllly good. And than I had to leave to make the Journey to DC via the MARC TRAIN.

ALL in ALL I liked Baltimore a bit more after this visit (I have been once before)...it's def. not my favorite city- but there are some decent places to visit. And their WHOLE FOODS is pretty awesome so it can't be all bad:)