And All That Jazz

The weather on our final day in New York was much more cooperative, and we set out early to enjoy our last hours before I had to head to the airport for my 5pm flight.  We packed up, checked out, left our luggage at the front desk, and spilled out on to the sidewalk in a rush to enjoy the last of our time in the city.  After a quick and yummy breakfast at le Pain Quotidien we came upon a farmer's market and wandered from stall to stall, bemoaning the fact that we couldn't buy any of the beautiful bounty because we were getting on planes/buses later that day.  We did, however, buy several delicious baked goods to enjoy while we meandered.  What, you don't eat cookies at 10am?  You're missing out.  Next to the park was a flea market set up on the grounds of an elementary school, and we walked from stall to stall, picking things up and then putting them back down, wanting to buy everything but walking away with nothing.  The last day of a vacation is always a little wistful for me; the feelings of grasping at every last moment and dreading the inevitable return to the real world combine into a melancholy feeling that's hard to shake.  We finally headed to Central Park, and came upon Belvedere Castle, which D swore up and down he'd never been to, even though he spent hundreds of hours in the park as a child.  When I reminded him he has a terrible memory, he said "Believe me, Marisa, if I had played in a castle in the middle of Central Park as a child there's no way I could ever have forgotten that." 

After many many pictures from the observation deck we wandered away, just as the bright sun was becoming unbearable.  We came upon a trio of older gentleman putting on an impromptu Jazz concert, and they were marvelous.  I don't usually like Jazz but they were so talented we couldn't help but stop and enjoy them for a bit.  You could tell they'd been playing together for ages, and I would have just loved to have a cup of coffee with them and hear their stories. 

By then the din from the National Puerto Rican Day Parade was becoming too much to ignore, and we went to see what we could see.

We had to go up and around the parade route, a detour that took us far out of our way, and somehow we got trapped on the opposite side of the parade from where we wanted to be.  Our plans called for a trip to the zoo but as we were running out of time and in the wrong place, we just shrugged our shoulders and enjoyed the show.  And it was quite a show, let me tell you, those Puerto Ricans know how to party.  There was so much loud, festive music and lots and lots of Puerto Rico flags.  It was a sight.

 

With heavy hearts we started back to collect our bags, grab a quick bite, and head out of town.  I hadn't had any New York style pizza yet, so we got a few slices at a tiny hole-in-the-wall place on the Upper West Side and ate and talked about New York.  I've decided that although it's expensive and crowded, I love that city.  I love the grid and the fact that it's so easy to get around.  If I lived there I would never drive again.  I love the tempo of a bustling city, and that there's so much to see and do.  It's like Chicago on steroids.  If we had jobs that paid well enough to afford it, and the opportunity to move, I could definitely see us living there.  Maybe not forever, but for a few years while we're young and energetic and used to living like paupers.  I don't know if we'll ever have the opportunity to be New Yorkers, but for now I'm content to visit it as often as I can.