Monday, July 15, 2013

Summer in the City

The country too.


Lame.  In my defense this old blog has been a bit neglected this summer, and I'm a little rusty when it comes to creating post titles.


We really were in the city this past weekend which I'll blab on about in a minute, but before the city there was the country.

England.

No we weren't there this weekend, but some friends we met while living across the pond trekked all the way to the Garden State for a visit. They're from Canada although he's originally from New Zealand, but we were all together in New Jersey for a fun few days.

Is anyone confused?

They arrived Thursday afternoon, and we managed to sit on the patio for a while after dinner, which was the only night we got to have a fire. I will refrain from commenting on the weather.

Friday was actually a good day to spend outdoors, because it was overcast and the rain and humidity didn't arrive until later in the day.

Oops, I mentioned the weather.


It was nice enough to have breakfast al fresco, which is my favorite way to dine. Afterwards we drove up to Highpoint and stood on top of the world.


Okay, we were only on top of New Jersey, but still the views are lovely.


We drove back to Tinytown for lunch and our friends got a glimpse of the sweet side of NJ wildlife-


If that were my tree I might not find this quite so sweet, but it wasn't so yes, it's sweet.

Saturday we spent the day in the city. It was raining when we left the house, but we forged ahead anyway, and the sun came out by the time we'd crossed the bridge. We were headed to the Met and normally you can just hop across the park, but Mariah Carey was having a concert that evening and there was no crossing the park.


Just ask these guys.

We had already attempted to go through, and did I mention the humidity?  I know I said I wouldn't, but walking around Central Park on a humid July day is not for sissies. We finally gave up and hailed a taxi.

Do people say 'hail a taxi' anymore?

We made it to the
 air conditioning
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and spent a few leisurely hours wandering the halls there. Absolutely one of my favorite museums in the world.

Afterwards we 'hailed' another taxi and headed all the way down 5th to Eataly. I've mentioned this spot on my blog before (here), but just know if you love all things Italian in the food and wine department you'll want to see it for yourself. It's a combination shop and dine experience, and we started in the cheese restaurant with a meat and cheese plate that was positively fantastico!


We eventually moved over to their seafood restaurant Il Pesce, and shared frutti di mer, fritto misto 'alla Ligure', and one ginormous, yet perfectly cooked flounder.


Course no trip to the Big Apple is complete without a stop in Times Square-

We went up to the lounge in the Marriott Marquis, and had a birds eye view of all the goings on down below. This view included a million and one different things, even a bride and her Marine groom.


As is always the case with weekends, this one went by way too fast. Once upon a time we sat at one another's kitchen tables in a village across the sea. We shared meals, sorted through stacks of pottery together, and compared notes on raising teenage daughters. We even put our car on the train and ended up in the picturesque seaside town of Le Touqet France one March weekend a lifetime ago.

The first year hubs and I were back in the states we made the drive north to their charming home on Prince Edward Island where we dined on mussels and lobster, and I stepped back into my childhood and the days of Anne of Green Gables.


So thankful for friends, that while the geographical distance may be great...


...the heart distance is always just a beat away.

20 comments:

  1. Wow, it looks like a fun trip! I hope to make it to NYC just once to experience it. And NJ is not what I picture in my mind. How beautiful. Thanks for sharing these fun pictures.

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  2. I love hearing about all your trips to New York. I don't know if I'll ever make it there, but even if I do, I don't imagine I'll come to know like you do. So it's really fun to hear about it from someone who is in the know.

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  3. Glad they got to come visit you- looks like you had a great time! I think next time sister and I come up I want to go to Eataly please.

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  4. Thanks for sharing the great times with your friends. Your pics are beautiful. I love it up there. The pics of the food make me hungry. One of the surprises to me about New York was the beauty of the state. We drove across from Niagara Falls to NYC one year.

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  5. What a contrast from the deer nibbling the tree to the wedding in Times Square. It all looked like lots of fun, especially since you got to share it with such good friends.

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  6. Oh, I love the ending bit about heart distance being a beat away...I may use that in a later blog myself! You're looking lovely by the by...despite the humidity!!

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  7. I loved traveling along with you on your week-end! What fun it looks like you had. LOVED LOVED LOVED the Anne of Green Gables series, and how I would love to see Prince Edwards Is land. Enjoy your week!

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  8. I love your ending, too! A wonderful post. Friends = next best thing to family. Great post. Love the photos! Thanks!

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  9. What a lovely visit; thanks for including us! :)

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  10. This does not speak well of me, but I'm glad you were in Eataly and not Italy because my jealousy would have been overwhelming. :)

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  11. How wonderful for you! And I truly understand what you're saying. We spend a weekend in Chicago last yer with some friends just like that that we met when we lived in Singapore. So sweet to be together.

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  12. What a sweet post about two wonderful friends. Your weekend with them sounds perfect. We won't mention the weather. I love the places you visited, especially Time Square! Hopefully I will get there one day.

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  13. What a great time with friends. My blog today was about time with friends. They are God's sweet gift to us, aren't they?

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  14. Oh, what fun and obviously a most treasured friendship!

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  15. What a wonderful weekend with wonderful old friends! So sweet!

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  16. So true! Friendships like that are such a treasure!

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  17. Looks like a lovely time. And if I ever come to the city, I want you for a tour guide. :)

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  18. The whole weekend looked like a whole lotta fun!

    It's a good thing to have a neglected blog in the summer. At least that's what I'm telling myself. It just means, we're havin' a life! :)

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  19. Sounds like a wonderful trip and visit! I'm still gazing at that wonderful shot you caught of the deer...as you said, not my tree, so it's lovely. ;)

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