Joe has now graduated from his bread baking course at the International Culinary Center. He worked incredibly hard, got good grades, learned a ton and worked alongside the nicest classmates. I am so proud of him for following his dreams.
The icing on the New York cake was being close to our daughter Molly, son-in-law Jordan and darling 19 month old granddaughter Josephine in Boston. 'Grandma Greyhound' bused up to visit them every couple of weeks.
I cannot believe we’ll be back in Squamish tonight. It will feel surreal to be home after being on the road since the beginning of December!
I said to Joe that we will look back on this New York experience as one of the best times of our lives.
This city’s energy is palpable. I feel it the minute my feet hit the pavement outside the apartment building’s door. There is something different happening all the time.
Whether it’s a dad pushing a baby stroller down Avenue A wearing a full length floral skirt or a tall woman in traditional African dress smoking a fat cigar as she sashays down Broadway or a stooped elderly man defiantly pushing his oxygen tank and its tangle of tubes slowly down the middle of East 12th Street. I have loved it all.
Another thing I have loved was having so much time to explore New York City on my own. I had a lot of hours to fill as Joe was gone for ten hours a day, five days a week. Each week gave me 50 hours to myself. I enjoyed every minute spending time with 'me'.
“I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York’s skyline.” – Ayn Rand
Bethesda Fountain, Central Park
An underpass in Central Park has the perfect acoustics for opera.
Overlooking 10th Avenue from the High Line.
We were blessed to meet the kindest New Yorkers who had us over for barbecues, gave us tickets to off-Broadway plays, invited us to concerts, texted us tips and best of all became our friends.
New York's botanical garden was an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.
I took the subway every single day. I'm quite proud of my transit skills. I never got lost and always arrived at my destination on time.
Our time in Boston was precious. This baby called us Ma'am and Pop-Pop. Works for me!
Mama Molly and her baby on Mother's Day.
Big Mama Nanc and her baby on Mother's Day.
I don't know what it is about posing for photos, but toddlers just seem to love it! Mother's Day 2018.
A couple of hipsters at a local Boston coffee shop.
It was such a treat to see friends from home! Ashleigh and Rob were in NYC to celebrate their anniversary and we got together a couple of times for drinks, dinners and a play. We had so much fun. (Some might say too much fun.)
One of our evenings with Rob and Ashleigh was spent at 'Beauty & Essex' on the Lower East Side. The front of the house looked like a pawn shop until you entered a back door which opened up to a beautiful restaurant. Not only that, but Britney was pouring free champagne in the women's restroom. A bathroom with a bar is my kind of toilet!
The calm courtyard of the Frick Collection.
Graffiti is everywhere.
There are beautiful community gardens in and around the East Village. It was such a treat when we'd discover the gates were unlocked and could go in for a bit of a wander.
Most evenings found us at the Spotted Owl Tavern for happy hour.
It was a wet Loisaida Festival, but the rain did not dampen anyone's spirits.
There are a couple of times each summer when the setting sun lines up perfectly with New York City's grid of streets; 'Manhattanhenge'. Sadly, the sun went behind a bank of clouds just before it dipped below the horizon.
Even though Manhattanhenge was a bust, we had a great time crowding into the middle of the intersection with all the folks to take photos.
Beating the heat in NYC.
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.” – Simone de Beauvoir
The Washington Square fountain turns into a swimming pool on hot summer days.
The finest bread bakers in all of New York City.
(Photo credit: Javiera Montoya)
At the end of each school day, the students took home as much bread as they wanted. Joe stuffed as many baguettes into his backpack as he could. He soon discovered that his pack grew too heavy on his long walk back to the apartment every afternoon. To lighten his load, he gave his baguettes away to the people he met on the street. Joe named himself 'Bread Santa of East Village' and a new project was born. Joe figures Bread Santa gave away hundreds of baguettes over the course of 8 weeks.
Bread Santa and the Ladies Liberty.
I was lucky enough to be Bread Santa's elf on a couple of occasions.
These characters were happy to share a baguette in Tompkins Square Park.
Moe the butcher was one of Bread Santa's regular customers.
These two were all smiles when they ran into Bread Santa on the street.
Everyone seemed genuinely grateful for Bread Santa's generosity.
This woman couldn't stop giggling when she learned Bread Santa's story.
Bread Santa's biggest fan? His granddaughter of course!
Carnegie Hall was the location for the International Culinary Center's graduation ceremony.
The ICC graduates and their guests filled the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.
Joe receiving the coveted ICC wooden spoon.
Joe and his classmates were all smiles after walking across the Carnegie Hall stage.
Joe and his baking instructor Chef Johnson Wu.
It wasn't until after the graduation ceremony was over that I realized I didn't get anyone to take a photo of us. So we did what we always do and took one ourselves.
Thank you to everyone who made these past two months in New York so memorable, especially the city herself.
We both wish we were staying longer.
I cannot wait until we return.
“As for New York City, it is a place apart. There is not its match in any other country in the world.” – Pearl S. Buck
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