Just giving these diary entries sequential titles makes it all easier.
Today didn’t seem easier. I brought clothes for “mild” weather and for dressing relatively “nicely,” but it’s been quite warm (mid-high 80s) and so black pants and a black shirt … well … not “cool.” Today Jyoti and I left late morning, walked toward East Harlem but turned south at Central Park and walked through the park until we existed at the south end and on the east side at 5th Avenue. Alone the way we walked along bikers and joggers and skaters; we walked around part of the big lake in the middle and I got some near-panoramic shots of the skyline; we went up to the little “castle” near the (Shakespeare) stage; we saw the Alice ind Wonderland statue; and we walked past/through the zoo area, stopping first, at noon, to see the clock-carousel.
Thereafter it was time for the shops along 5th Avenue, including but not limited to FAO Schwarz and the wonderful Apple Store. There was Bloomingdales (we went all the way up), we went to Macys, we saw Tiffany & Co, went into Trump Tower, walked past Carnegie Hall, and then ate a far too expensive lunch almost next door at a “Brooklyn Diner” (a chain) — we’d been looking for a cheap place to eat, couldn’t find one, and then we went in there, got seated, saw the menues, gasped (entries starting around $15 … I found soup for $8, but there was a $15/person minimum so I got a malt shake as well), and decided not to walk out. We were tired, thirsty, hot, and hungry.
In the afternoon after lunch we went down Broadway, saw lots of cheaper places to eat only a few blocks from where we’d eaten (!) and made our way to Times Square. We also took a detour through “Little Korea” on our way south toward Chelsea, and from there we went toward Washington Square (the famous arch in the part; I remember it from When Harry Met Sally), NYU, and the West Village. We had a drink (iced coffee for me, lemonade for Jyoti) at Cafe Reggio, which is where Jyoti and Zeke had their most recent “date.” From there we walked a few blocks, caught a few minutes of a pick-up basketball game, and took the subway home.
Later in the evening after resting we went to a nearby gelato place, but since it’s Memorial Day they were closing early (9pm) and so we called Ana again and instead went back to the Hungarian Pastry Shop. Ana came by a bit later with her roommate, Constanza Castro, from Colombia. Constanza is reading/studying Benjamin at the moment. We chatted, joked, relaxed, Constanza left early, and the remaining three of us strolled a bit and then ended up at a pricey local market (between 110th annd 109th? or 109th and 108th) to get a few things; I bought nothing. Soy milk was 2-3 times Madison prices; milk was double. I think I ended up committing to baking an apple pie for them (Jyoti and Ana).
We parted (after too much silly talking at 112th and Broadway) and came home. Time for bed!
