NYC: Day 2

The next morning Mandi again had class. But instead of going, I chose to strike out on my own for a bit. I made a large circle around the campus and walked for a while down Broadway, peering in windows and taking in the city.

I met Mandi just as she got out of class, and we headed to Ino, a cafe and wine bar west of campus. It was downright amazing. We split truffled egg toast (so good!), a trio of bruscetta, and the best americano I've ever had. The atmosphere in Ino blew me away too—a brightly painted and cosy little place.

From there, we sought the nearest subway station and headed uptown to the American Natural History Museum. There was an enterence straight from the subway platform. Unfortunatly, the fourth floor, which held all the dinosaur bones, was closed, so we paid a bit less than the "recommended" entrance fee to compensate. We managed to see everything in the museum that was open, from the origins of the universe to the various ecosystem and wildlife exhibits.

We exited right onto Central Park, and walked south to stop by the "Imagine" mosaic, dedicated to John Lennon's death. Mandi suggested we take the public bus back so I could see more of the city. I have to admit, it was a great idea; we went straight down Broadway, then 5th Avenue, past Time Warner Center, the Empire State Building—which I would return to the next day—and the heart of the city.

That night, I took Mandi out to a semi-fancy French place called Resto Leon. We were celebrating her acceptance into the NYU Paris Creative Writing Program (taught by one of my favorite authors, fucking Jonathan Safran Foer!). We got a bit lost getting there—completely not my fault; New York City street addresses are confusing. The place was very cosy and romantic and we decided to split three appetizers: escargot, squid, and a warm, goat-cheese salad. It was delicious, particularly whatever sauce was on the escargot.