In old New York

Tuesday 23 March

I farewelled the divine Miss Isobel, Ireland's national treasure, after a week of fantastic fun which included sunbaking on a row boat in central park, skulling free Veuve at the exclusive Soho House, lots of shopping, aimless but joyful meandering through Manhattan, coffee, cocktails, karaoke, nudity (calm down, it was Hair on Broadway), and just overall GOOD TIMES - Love you bird.

The joy of wearing singlets on a March weekend was replaced with the 'knew it wouldn't last' rain and cold by Monday morning, turning the colour scheme of my final days to a more muted grey on black. Now this was the New York I'd been expecting, so I wasn't bothered pulling out my Vancouver coat nor traipsing around with wet feet in my trainers.

It was the perfect weather for my long overdue visit to the New York Public Library. Now I, like most people, was suitably impressed when it survived the doomsday tidal wave in The Day After Tomorrow, but the building is even more amazing in person. Some people get off on the smell of new cars it's books that get me really excited!

The Library building itself is enormous, and straight away envelops you in a maze of hallways and high ceilings, work rooms with dim study lights and walls upon walls of books. Heaven! I enjoyed getting lost for an hour or so, and then decided that I should do something a little more productive. So I found a corner and happily typed away amongst the students and other randoms for the rest of the afternoon.


Tick!

For my last few days I was somewhat one foot in, one foot out. The long anticipatd reunion with special osteo man was only days away, and I was preoccupied in my thoughts. Which meant that the streets of New York were almost the best place for me to be, as I just roamed around with my head and heart in the clouds. In the end I was excited to be moving on, but I will always always *heart* the big apple mucho.