Unfortunately Mardi has become quite unwell. Add to this is today’s weather, some heavy rain, wild winds and very cold. So a day indoors is in order. We watch some TV, wacko game shows, do some reading and Mardi sleeps and rests.
I go for a walk in the afternoon. I wander 5th, 6th and 7th Avenues. Cutting up and down the 40s. The tree at the Rockefeller Centre is now visible, although unlit. It’s massive and there is plenty of activity as people battle the elements preparing for the official lighting in a few days.
I wander home with a couple of hot chocolates. Mardi is a little better, so we confirm our plans and meet Bob and Cathy for dinner.
We meet them at Barn Joe, Korean cuisine, on 14th St. It’s pouring with rain still.
As we enter Bob and Cathy are there. Bob describes the day as “raw”, he’s right on the money. We take our seats, discarding coats, gloves, beanies, umbrellas. It’s a bit of an exercise. But we settle in to catch up. We’ve developed a great relationship with Bob and Cathy over the years and we sit down like we’ve had dinner every week for the past 12 months. We share photos of our pets and home and catch up on Cody, their grandson. We talk about our trip, our passion for New York and the things that keep us coming back.
We have some favourites we do each trip: Bosie, Eleven Madison, the High Line, Still Hunt. Then there are new things, like the subway tour we did, different broadway shows, exploring new areas such as Hudson Yards, the Vessel, the Lower East Side, Staten Island and the Upper East. We really feel part of the City and enjoy our time here. Dinner is delicious, a combination of Korean dishes from dumplings to chicken wings, noodles and bibimbap. We chat and eat, eat and chat for a couple of hours. After dinner we head to Bread, a bakery around the corner for cookies. We then part ways and head home. The weather hasn’t improved.
