My New York Holiday : Chapter Two

At the end of Chapter One, I had spent two days in New York, had met some new friends and had gotten a massive tattoo!  Lets continue...

In the morning I got up, unwrapped my leg (which had been wrapped in glad wrap post tattoo) and got ready for another big day out! 

I don't think this photo needs much of a caption.....

Today was my big day out with Daffny WITHOUT the kiddies!!!  I had some time to kill before I caught a taxi to Daffny's place, so I went and sat in Time Square and let myself get hypnotised by the lights.

Then I caught a taxi.  Lets just say that heat + no air conditioning + bad taxi driving + motion sickness does not make a healthy combination and I may have lost my breakfast.  No matter!  I was ushered into Daffny's house and given a spot in front of the airconditioner and plenty of water until I felt better, then it was off out for us!

Here is Daffny and I in front of her house.... well her neighbours house actually... but you get the idea!

After I confessed to Daffny that I was having trouble getting a decent breakfast (fruit doesn't last in your stomach for long...and when the next thing you can readily find to eat is McDonalds fries you know you have a problem!) our first stop for the day was Trader Joe's.  Oh my goodness how awesome is that place!!!  And so many gluten free options!  I basically cleared the shelves of a few types of fruit bars, and cookie bars, and I bought a box of chocolate chip cookies!  So good!!

Then it was on to Coney Island and the Boardwalk!

An important stop for anyone visiting Coney Island is Nathan's Famous - they have been selling hotdogs since forever (1916), and its also where they have that revolting hot dog eating competition every year.  This years winner ate 61 hot dogs in 10 minutes.  Ugh!

As a side note, did you know there is an International Federation of Competitive Eating???  I didn't.  And I'm not sure my life is any richer knowing that exists...  Anyway!

Daffny and her husband Andreas lined up for a hot dog each.  I could only look on as my coeliacs disease prevented me from trying them.  No matter, it definitely looked like they were tasty!!!

We also had a look at the rides.  But Daffny's fear of heights and my motion sickness meant that we didn't actually go on them...

This crazy looking thing is the Coney Island Cyclone, which is a roller coaster made mostly out of wood.  It shakes!!  No thank you!

And then we went for a walk on The Boardwalk!

Then the heat started to get to us, so we moved on to our next location - Brooklyn Farmacy, for a late lunch.

Can I just say, that if you are in New York or are going to New York you should go to this place.  Its an old pharmacy that has been renovated and turned into a Soda Fountain, and they have decorated it with vintage and antique pharmacy bits and bobs!  Its fabulous.

I love posing with a telephone!

I had the most delicious potato salad and a soda, while Daffny and Andreas enjoyed some fabulous looking sandwiches!

After a long and relaxing sit and a chat, we headed to East Village to visit Hannah in the store where she was working - a vintage shop called Dusty Buttons!  Its a little store, but wow did they have some amazing stock!  I maaaaaaaay have bought several dresses and a pair of shoes.....

It was such a wonderful day - good friends, good food, sunshine and shopping!  I slept well that night I can tell you!!!

The next day I headed back to The Met, but this time I had Hannah as a tour guide!

Yay Hannah!!!!!

I am completely in love with this painting.  Renaissance is my favourite artistic movement and I could have looked at this painting for days.  I mean, just look at that horse! 

After we looked at the art that I loved, Hannah took me to the armoury.  The Met has an amazing collection of armour - my favourite things were the european pieces.  Most of these things were worn into battle by the upper class, so were really decorative.  Or they were only used for ceremonial purposes.

This helmet was INSANE!

Ahem.  So you will notice that the statue in the next photo is missing an.... important bit.  Well, the story goes that when the Christians saw all the Roman statues they were so offended that they chiseled off all the penises and replaced them with plaster fig leaves!

Hannah says she likes to think that somewhere in the Vatican is a room full of marble penises... HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! 

After Hannah had gone to work (sad!), I went back to wander around the art.  I still didn't see all of it, but I did find this painting, and I decided that she was a lady after my own heart - wrapped in leopard fur.

Day four is not quite over yet.  The amazing Joy from Hot Couture arrived on the night of day four - but we had such an amazing time that I will have to save that for my next installment!

But wait!  On the way back to the hotel to meet Joy, I found The Naked Cowboy!!

So - have any of you been to Coney Island?  Have you entered a hot dog eating contest?  Enjoyed the delights of a Soda Fountain?  Got sick in a taxi?  Found the Naked Cowboy?

Beccie

xxx