Day 11 NYC

You may recall that my last visit to Brooklyn came to a premature end with my getting soaked. This time the weather app did not lie. The day was perfect for exploring a beautiful park and neighbourhood on foot.

We took the subway to Grand Army Plaza which commemorates the Civil War with a triumphal arch. Prospect Park, just off the Plaza, was designed by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead who, my card tells us, viewed it as their best design. The Plaza and entrance to Prospect Park has a decidedly French feel to it.

After wandering through Prospect Park with its tree-lined paths and open fields, Shirley and I entered the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This garden is quite different from the New York Botanical Garden. There has been much less intensive cultivation of the space, leaving more areas looking as nature planned. It’s a peaceful and lovely place to wander or to just sit and admire.

From the Botanic Garden we followed another walking card through the Park Slope neigbourhood. We had high expectations of finding cute boutiques and exciting little cafes for lunch, but found neither. Was this because it was Sunday? Not everything was open. We did see some impressive brownstones though.

We put together a lunch of carrots and fruit and snack bars from a local deli and found a couple of seats outside a coffee shop for lunch.

I know there’s more to Brooklyn. I will have to find it on another visit.

Day 12 NYC

Today is the day I return home. I have collected so many great memories of New York.

Since I am hopeless at taking selfies – maybe that’s why I post so many photos of people succeeding at that – I had a caricature drawn in Times Square. It’s so awful that Shirley took a photo of me on the roof of her apartment building. I agree, it’s a big improvement!

I love the friendly people who happily gave me directions when I couldn’t figure out where I was going. From the Secret Service agent (advertising his job on his bullet proof vest), to the older woman in Brooklyn, to a young man who walked me to the subway station I couldn’t find, everyone was so friendly.

I love the subway. It rocks and bumps and sways, and creaks and groans and screeches, and gets me to where I want to go. I always felt completely safe taking the subway.

I love the interesting neighbourhoods my walking cards took me to and the beautiful parks and gardens and the wonderful old and new buildings. My walking cards gave me a pretty good survey course of New York. I highly recommend them.

I REALLY love my sister Shirley who so generously loaned me her apartment and accompanied me on some of my walks! I’m sure I would have loved a bagel if I had gotten around to buying one. Next time… 🙂

I hope you have been entertained by my trip. I so enjoyed sharing it with you!