Brunch was incredible! The place was tiny (only about six tables), and it appeared to be staffed by a family. I ordered what were billed as banana pancakes with dulce de leche. Instead of being flat, like every other pancake I have ever encountered, I received three pancakes that were actually cooked in little fluted pans. These were then turned upside down and covered in diagonally sliced bananas. The dulce de leche was served in a small dish so that I could add what I wanted, like you would use syrup. Absolutely delicious! It was all I could do to force down the last couple of bites, but I wasn't going to waste it.
We then Ubered down to Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Strawberry Fields is a memorial to John Lennon, who lived and died at the Dakota, just across the street from where the memorial sits. The central mosaic, with the word "Imagine" in the center, was a gift to New York by the city of Naples, Italy. Every day there are flowers placed there, and on this day, it was a peace sign made of white tulips. There was a musician playing guitar and singing, and he happened to be singing "Imagine" as we approached. The area is very quiet and beautiful. In the warmer months, they say it is filled with flowers. After listening to the singer for a bit, we walked down to the Bethesda fountain. The lake and the fountain, with its surrounding terrace, was originally meant by the park's designers, to be the centerpiece of the park. The statue on the fountain is the only one in the park that was commissioned by the park designers, in fact. We went across to the area they call The Mall. There was something going on nearby, so Megan and I went to investigate while Cathy decided to sit and wait for us to wander back. The attraction was a group of young guys doing what I would call acrobatics and dance. What they mostly did, though, was talk. They were entertaining and engaging - and also very interested in gathering as much money as possible from the crowd. We kind of walked up on the end of it, so it wasn't long before we went back to where Cathy was. It was such a pleasant day that we just sat in the sun for a bit. Then we saw another group of guys setting up for a show right by where we were sitting. Turned out, it was different guys with a different name, but the same act and patter (obviously part of the same group). During the show, some Guardian Angels came by! I didn't know they still existed. They are a volunteer group of "guardians" who roam around public areas in case of trouble. We watched the whole show, then made our way out of the other side of the park, going back to Megan's to get ready for dinner before our show. We had a really nice time just sitting in the sun, people-watching, but ultimately we had to go back to Megan's to get ready for going to the theatre.
After getting back and changing clothes, we headed out into the neighborhood to have dinner at a BBQ place that they had been to before. It was absolutely delicious! It was kind of a Route 66-themed place with a bar in the front and restaurant part in the back. Then we scooted on downtown. We had kind of planned to go past the UN and then to Grand Central Station just to see it, but we were too tight on time, so we walked through Times Square and ducked into Grand Central just for a quick look around (which is all I really had in mind, anyway). Then we went to the theatre to see "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical". Some while back I had ordered the cast album, so I knew the songs. What I really like best about seeing shows on stage, though, is the set design. I love to see how they change one thing into another. Before it started, I took a picture of the piano that was onstage, whereupon I was admonished by an usher that there was no photography allowed. I deleted the picture, but really? It was a piano. (Funnily enough, though, I discovered later that Google+ uploaded it the instant I took it, so I still have it.) The show was really, really good! Afterward, we ordered an Uber and stood around waiting, and having pedi-cab guys offer us rides. They weren't as keen when they discovered we were going to Harlem, some 50+ blocks away. :) It looked like our car was stuck somewhere, but when he called us, we discovered that we had misread the map and were waiting at the wrong corner. Instead of going around again, though, he canceled us - and then charged me $10!! I immediately protested it and Uber gave me a $10 credit (which I used the next day for my share of the trip to the airport). Megan then flagged down a cab and we went back that way, instead. So I have learned a lot about how to do city stuff - buying a Metro card, taking all sorts of public transport, paying a cab with a credit card, splitting an Uber fare with someone.
After getting back and changing clothes, we headed out into the neighborhood to have dinner at a BBQ place that they had been to before. It was absolutely delicious! It was kind of a Route 66-themed place with a bar in the front and restaurant part in the back. Then we scooted on downtown. We had kind of planned to go past the UN and then to Grand Central Station just to see it, but we were too tight on time, so we walked through Times Square and ducked into Grand Central just for a quick look around (which is all I really had in mind, anyway). Then we went to the theatre to see "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical". Some while back I had ordered the cast album, so I knew the songs. What I really like best about seeing shows on stage, though, is the set design. I love to see how they change one thing into another. Before it started, I took a picture of the piano that was onstage, whereupon I was admonished by an usher that there was no photography allowed. I deleted the picture, but really? It was a piano. (Funnily enough, though, I discovered later that Google+ uploaded it the instant I took it, so I still have it.) The show was really, really good! Afterward, we ordered an Uber and stood around waiting, and having pedi-cab guys offer us rides. They weren't as keen when they discovered we were going to Harlem, some 50+ blocks away. :) It looked like our car was stuck somewhere, but when he called us, we discovered that we had misread the map and were waiting at the wrong corner. Instead of going around again, though, he canceled us - and then charged me $10!! I immediately protested it and Uber gave me a $10 credit (which I used the next day for my share of the trip to the airport). Megan then flagged down a cab and we went back that way, instead. So I have learned a lot about how to do city stuff - buying a Metro card, taking all sorts of public transport, paying a cab with a credit card, splitting an Uber fare with someone.
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