Friday, May 19, 2006

Queens-NYC

We awake in the night to the sounds of wet streets. The bed sleep well even though it makes a funny squeaking sound. Rhonda says “bed feels so good”. Micky wakes us to say that in the news Cathay Pacific has filed for bankruptcy.

We ride the subway into NYC and get off at 14th street and walk to the Chelsea Market. On the way we stop in a kitchen store Chelsea Fine Custom Kitchens.They have some very neat stuff. Green glass counter top the brand is Effeti Cucine Uniche. The owner also told us about European Furniture.

It is pouring when we leave we are soaked to the bone in the block and a half to the market. Rhonda hitches a ride with a willing New Yorker.

When we arrive at Chelsea Market we discover that it is the home of the Food Network. We have breakfast/snack Rhonda and I have soup at Hale and Hearty Sam has Pad Thai at Chelsea Thai Wholesale

I shopped at several of the food markets. I discovered Taccole Pasta mini lasagna pasta shapes at Buon Italia. I think that they could ordered from the web.

2 PM
When we left Chelsea Market the sky had turned blue. We walked over to Union Square via some back streets. We stop in at Saint Lukes Chapel the 3rd oldest existing church in Manhattan built in 1821 on the way. It is empty and quiet. Unlike Union Square were I sat and walked the farmers market while Rhonda shopped Filenes Basement. I had a chocolate croissant from one of the bakery vendors.

From here we walked to Greenwich Village. There were lots of restaurants along the way, Chinese, Mexican, and Japanese. Lots of them looked and smelled good.

From here we took the subway to Times Square. When we emerged from the subway it was dark and raining, with thunder cracking all around. It rained for at least an hour. When it slowed we ran over to a Starbucks to get indoor shelter. After we had been standing around inside for a while one of the counter people offered Sam a drink that we miss ordered. A Mocha Frappuccino it was surprisingly delicious ice cold coffee drink. I could get to like those very much. The web site says it 420 calories and 16 grams of fat in the Grande size.

It finally stopped raining and we made our way to the Ed Sullivan Theater to see Rupert Jee at the Hello Deli . He is exactly the same as he is on the David Letterman Show, low key and a bit stand-offish. It was very uncomfortable being in the Deli and not buying something.

We went around the block to see our favorite Italian restaurant on 57th street it had recently closed. Then we walked past our favorite hotel The Helemsy Windsor which is also closed and turning condo. Around the block to the Plaza to discover that it is also turning condo or private residents as it was billed. Across the street we saw an Apple store in front of the toy store, where it use to be a GM something. When we get over ther it turns out that this is the grand opening in an hour at 6pm the line stretches around the block. The store is going to be open 24/365. . We decide that we would never get in so walk over to Crate and Barrel.

For supper we walk up Columbus Ave. to find something. I wanted to eat at somewhere we would not normally eat. We ended up at the City Grill . Sam had a Quesadilla, Rhonda had Penne Pasta, and I had Mushroom Ravioli. All of the dishes were very good, except that mine arrived late. They brought me a lasagna dish out firs, it looked good but was not what I had ordered. Form here we went to Café Ronda for desert. Rhonda had spotted it on our way up the street and thought that we should have a desert named after her, well almost. We had the Ronda Sundae for $7.00. Valrhona chocolate, Tahitian vanilla, dulce de leche ice cream, hot fudge, nuts and whipped cream. It was delicious!

From here it was time to go to the hotel. We traveled form 8:35 to 9:10. Then it was laying on the bed time. We had been on the streets for 11 and a half hours.