Walking Tour : Sauntering thru SoHo

     As frigid as it was outside, it couldn't have been warmer in our hearts!  The only "hiccup" in our plans was discovering that our chosen luncheon spot was out of business.  That is a plight of many businesses in NYC.  So, we opted to have Soup Dumplings at Deluxe Green Bo Restaurant on Bayard Street.  They make the BEST in the city.  The dumplings are succulently perfect to "warm you up" on a winter day!  

     To burn those calories, we headed north into SoHo, admiring the store windows, like this cake shop.

     We popped into Uniqlo in an attempt to replace my favorite (and expensive) triple-ply Scottish cashmere sweater.  Uniqlo's are only a quarter of the price, and they are made well!  As a pleasant surprise, their sweaters were on sale for $69, instead of $89.  Lewis picked out two new colors for me: "Cadet Blue" (which has a hint of spruce) and "Heather Grey".  

     Cold wind blowing between the skyscrapers encouraged us to warm up inside Dean & Deluca.  While humming Nutcracker music, I patiently waited for the cheesemonger, a lovely French woman, to get Lewis some bleu cheeses: a wedge of British Stilton (that earned Protected Designation of Origin status), and Valdeon (wrapped in sycamore leaves).  

     However, she made a mistake while ringing them up, and we got the more expensive smoked cheese at a much better price.  She caught her mistake and was about to fix it, but then she looked at us, smiled and said, "The error is in your favor.  You seem like very nice guys, so enjoy the cheese with a great discount!"  After a flurry of Merci Merci, we left.  I also got a lovely jar of Mincemeat.

     We admired the Christmas cookies.  None of the local Astoria bakeries make Christmas cookies: they just keep making things like Oatmeal Raisin and Chocolate Chip.  So, that was another hope answered!

     Cutting through the cobblestone streets, we admired a nativity scene outside a church.  Lewis observed that they withheld the infant Jesus probably until Christmas Day.  I remarked that, in that case, they should also omit the 3 Wise Men until the 12th Day of Christmas, too.  

     Taking the 1-train uptown, we visited the Fashion Institute of Technology's Museum.  It is Lewis' alma mater.  

Do you admire historical costumes or outfits?  If so, notice how humanity grew taller, since the turn-of-the-century!  Clothes before the 1800s and are so petit.  Could it be from modern growth hormones?  

     We exited the subway again at upper Madison Ave.  It was almost 6 o'clock, as we visited the Asia Society Museum's new exhibit: Iranian Moderne.  

     Earlier in the morning, I searched online for Handbell Choirs in NYC.  Despite such a massive overpopulated city, there are very few of them.  I discovered one at Christ Church on Park Ave & East 60th.  Calling their Church Office, a woman told me that I was "just in time" because they were having their Christmas Concert that night!  Thus, Lewis and I delightedly got to the church before it began.  Such a beautiful interior!

     The nave was almost full.  We occupied a pew near the center aisle.  The marble pillars and illuminated finials loomed upward.  The glittering tiled ceiling and darkened stained glass gave a homey effect.  The 30-person handbell choir rehearsed, and we savored each tingling note.  They ringed, dinged (with soft mallets), and "clucked" their bells.
     During the free performance, a brass octet accompanied the pipe organ.  The music was imaginative and stirring!  The choir sang one carol in Polish.  A perfect song for handbells is "Still Still Still", which they did beautifully!  "O Holy Night" had such soaring choir voices that it resembled the perfection of a Fred Waring version.  Credit went to the young organist, who's hands flew all over the many knobs! 
     It was admirable that those folks invested hours/nights for rehearsals… coming together from all parts of the city, after each person's days at work.  The whole idea was to share their talent with the community.  Performing Arts have such noble intentions.  

     Everyone stood to belt out "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "The First Noel".  Such gleefulness!  NYC has instances were total strangers collect together for camaraderie and then disperse.  
     Brimming with Christmas spirit, we boarded the subway and hurried into Sanfords for an impromptu dinner: a Manhattan (organic rye distilled in Virginia--a state named after the Queen of England: Elizabeth I, "the virgin queen"), locally-caught red snapper, and chicken cacciatore.  'Twas a nice surprise to see that a familiar bus boy had gotten promoted, and he did a fine job as our waiter!  (Good timing, too, considering NYC holiday-time tipping).

     Arriving home, we poured eggnog and cuddled in my darkened living room to admire our Christmas tree.  We hope that you keep your Christmas bright and gay, too!