We headed into the city on Amtrak. It is much more relaxing than attempting to drive there! The trip started out great but hit a bit of a bump when the train lost power…bummers. We actually ended up transferring to another (full) train and got to stand the last 45 minutes into town. Fortunately that was the only mass transportation hiccup for the weekend.
Once we made it to Penn Station, we spent some time doing the regular Christmassy tourist stuff. We checked out the store windows along Fifth Avenue, took a look at holiday decorated St Pats Cathedral, peeked in the windows at FAO Swartz, and watched the horse drawn carriages in Central Park. It was a fun afternoon. Then we braved the subway on our own (after double checking the route with Mike) and safely, uneventfully make it out to their place in Queens. It is a cool, diverse neighborhood with lots of interesting restaurants. We checked out a few of them over the next couple days. First; tonight, some great homemade soup and fresh baked bread.
Next AM, buckwheat pancakes a la Mike. Delicious.
Then we got to share the experience of buying a Christmas tree in the city. There are actually quite a few tree lots scattered around town filled with wonderful smelling fresh trees. Cool! We got to help decorate the tree and had some hot cider. That raised the holiday spirits a couple notches.
Our day was rounded out with a view of the sunset on the City Skyline from Queens and an enjoyable dinner at a local restaurant, Comfort food.
Some more good eats at Sunday brunch with the jazz of Dandy Wellington at the Astoria Room. I could so that every week. We returned to Manhattan to visit The Cathedral of St. John the Devine. It is an amazing bit of architecture that has been a work in progress since 1892 and looks more like the churches of Europe than those we typically see here. It even has tapestries. The sun shone brightly through the stained glass and scattered bits of light across the columns and walls. Beautiful. We checked out Riverside Park. It was a cool day to stroll but a great way to get a feel for another great green area in the city. After dark we joined the crowd to view the classic Rockefeller Center tree and decorations.
We wrapped up another fun day with dinner of new wave sort of cuisine with a Turkish flair. Another good choice. Great dinner great company.
Heading back to PA, but first, a taste of NYC at a quintessential delicatessen, Katz’s Deli. We didn’t sit at the table where Harry met Sally but it was a fun experience and a great pastrami sandwich. We made our way back to the Amtrak station. This subway thing is getting a little easier with every visit.