Granny Week 1

 

Well we hit the ground running…

Costco for ribbons

Michaels for paint brushes for girlfriends

Borders for calendars

Stews for food

Kitchen for cooking cooking cooking

Finally we got to Friday and we took off for NYC.  Picking up my friend Joyce we headed into the city.  While looking for the FDR Drive we discovered the construction site under the Whitestone Bridge, then we worked out that the FDR drive ends at Staten Island Ferry Terminal so we back tracked up to Canal Street, made friends with the car parking man and with backpacks on we headed out.

First stop was 2 doors down

FABULOUS place for yarn, tassels (ready for Annie’s class) and seam binding. We ooo’d and rrr’d at the wonderful Chinese bakery, promising ourselves to return at the end of the day for take home treats.

The outdoor markets of fruits were wonderful.  Check out these grapefruits and the wonderful Dragonfruits

We discovered this really cool shop with lots and lots of Jewels…(Mum was in heaven)...

We bargained over pashminas, Beanies (that Mum kept calling Tea cosies), and tasted the chocolates.

But the find of the day would have to be where we ate lunch.  I have always complained that you have to go “off Broadway” to find somewhere to eat.  As I said this yesterday, I looked up and saw…

The French Culinary Institute…apparently they have been in this place for 45 years…but on extra quizzing we found out that the awnings were new!  So well done Awning Man!

What an exquisite place to have lunch. 

Appetizers

Tuna tartare

 

Calamari stuffed with Italian sausage

Pate

Beetroot Terrine

Mains….

Venison and Baked pear

Salmon consommé

Desserts were to die for…

and all for $28 per person!!! BARGAIN

But of course we had to leave our thrones and head back out into the real world … crossing the road to my favorite store of all NYC

 

Pearl River Mart where there is something for everybody.  I just love the color and the texture.  The atmosphere is lively and happy.  You can buy virtually anything in this store and of course we all walked away with our treasures.

It was at that time that we received a phone call from Flossy…it seems her mother had forgotten that she needed to be picked up from film club…oops!

So we gathered our treasures and headed back…a couple more “tea cosies” for mum to take home…a few more jewels and we were once again back in the car only to discover we had forgotten to go back to the bakery.

We agreed that Neil would survive and vowed to return another day, bringing the girls for another NYC treat.

I had forgotten the joy of being a tourist but once again the flame was ignited and this time I am promising myself to breathe, to live in the moment and to remember that a girl can never have too many pashminas.