My gratitude journal was bursting with entries, during the weekend. Sunshine glimmered, and Lewis and I stepped out to savor the day.
Emerging from the subway at the southeast corner of Central Park by Fifth Avenue, we decided to hike through the park to Lewis' apartment on the Upper West Side.
It was approximately 40 blocks to trek--made enjoyable by the park's lush surroundings.
Passing the pond--which becomes a gulch of tourists from filthy Fifth Avenue--we went straightaway to The Mall.
I intend to revisit it during the apex of autumn colors! Also called Literary Walk, its wide tree-lined lanes conclude at Bethesda Fountain.
Feeling adventurous, we walked left and crossed the lake via Bow Bridge.
I intend to revisit it during the apex of autumn colors! Also called Literary Walk, its wide tree-lined lanes conclude at Bethesda Fountain.
Feeling adventurous, we walked left and crossed the lake via Bow Bridge.
Touching land again, we immersed ourselves in The Ramble.
At a "fork in the road", I let Lewis choose, and we followed the unpaved paths for more natural scenery.
We discovered something that we never knew existed: a waterfall!
Enjoying the stone steps and rustic bannisters, we climbed to see where the water spilled from, but we never found the source. That area had fewer people and was serene. Excited bluejays swerved through the branches right above us--each looking so dashing!
At 81st Street, pedestrians must converge in a few places to get over the crosstown traverse (positioned below-grade to reduce noise pollution).
We strolled along the west embankment of The Reservoir. It covers 106 acres with reflective prettiness.
Pausing to peer into the water, we spotted a school of small fish (seen below), which a pair of waterfowl swam underwater to eat!
We passed Bridge #28, full of graceful curves. The iron beauty was built in 1864.
Next, we passed the tennis courts. Alas, due to NYC's typical neglect, the public lavatories are atrociously third-world. It doesn't seem right for the biggest park in America's richest city.
We encountered more vehicles at the 97th Street Traverse.
Our route transitioned into the North Meadow, which is dotted with softball and baseball fields.
Soon, we found ourselves in the 40-acre North Woods. It's the city's largest woodland.
Just past the equivalent of West 102nd Street, we crossed "Rustic Footbridge No. 30" and stumbled upon another thing that we never knew existed: a second waterfall!
It gets water from a manmade pond named The Pool that is near the intersection of 101st Street and Central Park West.
Water cascades into a rivulet under Glen Span Arch.
Inside the tunnel, there's a grotto... for artistic effect.
Amongst the outcroppings of Manhattan bedrock, a cute-tushed guy did handstands.
The waterfall was beautiful, reminding us that Mother Nature pervades all landscapes--even urban ones.
What made that discovery astonishing was that Lewis lives several blocks south of it, yet he never discovered it until today!
Exiting the spacious park, we walked on the stone-paved sidewalk that abuts the park alongside Central Park West.
The Catholic grade-school that his Buddhist parents sent him to is located two blocks from the park, so he took me there to show it to me. (It was better than the public school). NYC's diocese closed the school--among many others--but the corresponding church still stands. Knowing that Lewis was Buddhist, the school's nuns and clergy never coerced him to convert.
A quick walk brought us to Citarella Gourmet Market. I like one-stop-shopping where they put all the good stuff together!
On their second floor, we snatched up their last summery rhubarb/orange pie! Indeed, summer symbolically ended. Lewis ventured for a new French cheese--similar to gooey Epoisses.
Leaving Lewis' apartment, we headed for the midtown ferry slip that would take us to my home in Astoria.
As I paused to take a photo of the sunset (seen above), Lewis urged me to hurry--fearful that we'd miss the ferry that departed in 10 minutes. It was 7 blocks away. We walked quickly and arrived with two minutes to spare.
More efficient, clean, accurate, and friendly than the MTA's subways, the independent ferry service was a delight! A ride costs the same as the subway.
Each ferry is new and has lovely accommodations, as you find on European and Asian trains: cafe and bar, seats with cupholders, televisions, and roof-deck seating with tables.
Smartly enjoying the mild night, Lewis chose to sit on the breezy roof to admire the city skyline twinkling around us.
It was our first time seeing the underside of the cantilevered Queensboro Bridge, and a stranger politely directed our gaze to the full moon glowing over the East River. (The bridge is named for the Queen of England of 1683).
The next morning, I went to Astoria Coffee for a latte and blueberry scone. Seen below, the scones in America are always the incorrect shape and consistency, and that is an inexplicable problem. It's not hard to follow a recipe. (Go to the United Kingdom for proper scones; they're delicious)!
*To read about the perfect scones that Lewis and I ate in London, please use this link:
When I placed my coffee order, I was the only person there. But after that, a long queue of customers appeared! Thankfully, I was done before that. Perfect timing!
Lewis spent that time jogging, but he met me and wanted Bubble Tea. We arrived at The Teapsy, which started in Astoria, NY and has grown locations around the globe! It has a shop in Taiwan--the birthplace of Bubble (Boba) tea!
ONCE AGAIN, a long line formed right after we picked up our order! Gratitude to Buddha for more great timing!
Per Asian customer service, they don't "milk" you for extra money for non-dairy milk. I always found it insulting that coffeeshops charge $1.00 extra to give you almond or oat milk. The whole carton costs $3.00 at a supermarket, yet they charge customers $1.00, each--for a mere trickle! Thus, I was very happy with The Teapsy's generous attitude...
Suddenly, our friend Yvonne messaged me, inviting us to the local park to walk her dog. With a fondness for dogs and cats, Lewis accepted. She drove from her penthouse in Long Island City to pick us up and take us to Socrates Sculpture Park. Her remarkably well-behaved dog, Dumpling, adores Lewis... and vice versa!
Luckily, we saw migrating Monarch butterflies before they were gone! Admiring the pre-autumn foliage, we peeked with curiosity at the next wave of art installations being erected in the park.
It's always fun watching them be put together and guessing what they might turn into. Yvonne wanted refreshment for herself and Dumpling, so we crossed the street to the doggie-friendly cafe called Chateau Le Woof. One half is a regular cafe, with foods made on the premises. Through a glass wall, you can admire customers in another room with their dogs.
Accompanying Dumpling gave us our first time sitting in the other half of the cafe--with dogs.
We bought an assortment of pastries for $1.99, and they offered us complimentary wine (leftover from a previous party)! Talking with the counterboy, Yvonne was delighted with their Dog Spa menu and made an appointment!
As dusk approached, Lewis and I went home and changed clothes for our dinner reservations at Gastroteca. We like its open-air ambiance and authentic Iatalian recipes. That night, we joined Lewis' friend named Foo, and his husband, Craig.
We had the friendliest and most-attentive server, which made the Italian food even better: calamari, burrata with pesto, rice balls, and tapas of speck and prosciutto. It prompted Lewis and I to regale our friends of our separate trips to Italy (done before Lewis and I knew each other). The way that Italy legally mandates/protects quality is amazing and worth experiencing.
*To see the trip that Lewis and I took together to Italy, please use this link:
Our bottle of wine and banter segued nicely into our shared plates of house-made pumpkin ravioli, pork loin over polenta, crispy sea bass, and hammered veal. Perfecto!
For dessert, we shared a serving of powdered beignets. Wishing our friends Goodnight, we sauntered home and counted our blessings from such a rich and rejuvenating weekend.
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