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.
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