I Love This City!!

Day 3 started like every day should, with wonderful fresh Italian food!!  Kira met us before 11 (the much needed sleep and late start to the morning was just what we needed), and we headed down to the Flat Iron District and a restaurant/grocery/fine foods place where I wish I could have ordered up a nice permanent corner and called it home.  It is called Eately Caffe, and it is Italian food heaven.  We entered through the grocery side and I fell in love immediately.  Kira just looked back at me and smiled, because she knew there would be an instant adoration.  Just look at all of this beauty!!

I could have spent hours and hundreds of dollars just picking out apples and tomatoes.  Never mind the olive oils, the canned tomatoes and jarred sauces, the fresh pasta, the rows and rows of pesto, the displays of chocolate, the kitchen wares, the cheeses and containers of antipasti, the everything!!!  It was so wonderful that I declared it the only place Kira has to look to find me a Christmas present.

The food was as good as it looked.  I ordered the margherita pizza, Kira ordered a fresh spaghetti with tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, and Mother ordered the lasagna.  All three dishes were amazingly fresh, and as good as I imagined they would be.

After finishing our meal with some gelato, because you just HAVE to, we headed to Washington Square Park.  I love this park because it is at NYU, and the arch is just beautiful.

After leaving there, we headed over to Grand Central Station, and apparently looked lost, because one of the  security guards actually said "you look lost."  I think I have this look of "I have no idea what I am doing," plastered across my face when I am in this city, because I always get the pity help.  I don't care.  I will take pity help any time I can get it.  He pointed us to the main concourse, and followed that with "I am about to take my post.  If you need me for anything, please let me know."  It's like he was expecting an SOS from me soon that might require some sort of emergency service.  We found the concourse, and it is just beautiful.  Train stations are some off the loveliest structures in any city, and Grand Central may be the granddaddy of them all.  Kira pointed out the brown spot on the ceiling, and its significance, and because I love to Google, I found out even more.

               Here is the photo with the brown square, and the explanation that I found behind it.

Very cool!!!!  Kira left us at Grand Central because she had to attend an event that she had already pre-scheduled.  I have to be honest.  I was a little nervous at Mother and I being left to our own devices, but all we needed was a Lyft app, and the ability to spot the car when it came for us.  One of the best inventions ever is that of Uber and Lyft.  It is so easy to use, and the convenience is immeasurable.  Sure, the subway is much cheaper, but it still requires walking up and down flights of stairs (occasional elevators), and having to walk once you get off.  Lyfts and Uber cost more, but you can't beat the convenience, and the drivers are really good at their jobs.  I learned today that the key to surviving the rides is to NEVER look straight ahead.  Look at the pretty buildings, or your phone, or just close your eyes and pray silently.

We went back to the hotel to rest up, and then headed to One World Trade Center, and Memorial Plaza.  I did not go when I was here before, and it is every bit as sad and poignant as I thought it would be.  We saw the Survivor Tree, and both reflecting pools.  We also took photos of the trade center and I was most impressed at the care the security personnel took in making sure everyone treated the memorials with the respect they are due.  I was also heartened at the many diverse groups of people who where there paying their respects.

I also got a photo of The Oculus, that is a transportation hub, and was designed to resemble a dove taking flight.  It is a beautiful structure.

After One World, we headed over to hop aboard the Staten Island Ferry to view the sunset and get some shots of the skyline.  There were so many people waiting to board, and I was surprised at how orderly and kind everyone was.  I really should not have been surprised because I have found New Yorkers to be kind people for the most part.  I had always heard how rude everyone is here, and I dismissed that the first time I came, and put it to rest completely this weekend.  There are always helpers, and we had plenty come to our rescue.  I know there are rude people here.  There are rude people everywhere, and some of the rudest live in my home state, but I have not yet met one here.  Okay, there was this one chick on the bus ride last night, but she was a tourist so she doesn't count.  People here are just in a hurry to get somewhere, and that is mistaken for being rude.  They also don't feel the need to talk to everyone, and I LOVE that about them.  It is an introverts dream city.  Anyway, it was crowded in the terminal, but everyone got on with no problem.

The ferry actually started listing to the right side, because that was the best side to take sunset shots, and photos of Lady Liberty,and everyone wanted to be over there. We managed to get a few shots in ourselves, and then headed inside and out of the wind.

We arrived in Staten Island, and then turned around to wait in line for the return trip.  We were a little hungry, so I headed over to get us a light bite to eat.  I ordered popcorn for Mother, two drinks and a Nathan's hotdog for me.  I got the drinks and the hotdog, but there was no popcorn.  The guy behind the counter waited on about 10 more people while I stood there and waited on my popcorn.  I finished my hotdog and still waited.  Here is the funny thing. There was a popcorn machine full of popcorn right in front of me, but he never made a move to go over there.  I finally deducted that the  popcorn in front of me was old and stale, and he was having someone make some fresh in the back.  It would have been helpful of him to have told me that, but he just let me stand there and wonder if perhaps he was visually impaired and hadn't actually seen the big popcorn maker sitting there in front of me.  He finally handed over the huge bag, and said "popped fresh especially for you."  New Yorkers can be such charmers and he suckered me in.

The views on the return were beautiful!!  I have always loved Atlanta's skyline, but nothing compares to the New York.

The ferry was definitely worth the wait to board, depart, and then board again.  The best part is that it is FREE!!!

After leaving the ferry, we hopped back in a Lyft, and returned to the hotel.  I am currently waiting on Kira to get here and then we will spend some mother/daughter time together before we have to leave  tomorrow.  This weekend has flown by, and I am going to be really sad at having to say goodbye.