The Plan: Thursday, June 27th

Today – it’s ALL about the Lower East Side (LES) of Manhattan!

The LES is located on the southeastern part of the island, and it used to be a traditional, working class, immigrant neighborhood, back in the "old" days of NYC.


The LES is about "5:00" on this map....


I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY couldn’t wait to explore this area, as it is STEEP in not only history, but culture and good food, as well.

With this in mind, here was our plan for the day:


10:00 AM Lower East Side Food Tour (3 hours)

1:00 PM Explore the Tenement Museum

1:30 PM “Hard Times” Tour – 1 hour

2:30 PM “Shop Life Tour – 1.5 hours

4:45 PM “Sweatshop Workers” Tour – 1 hour

6:30 PM “Behind the Scenes” Tour – 1.5 hours

8:30 PM Dinner at the Meatball Shop

9:35 PM Dessert at the Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery


How did we do?

Well…for the MOST part, The Plan worked. And everything was AH-MAZ-ING. I know it looks INSANELY busy - but keep in mind that the four tours - beginning with the 1:30 PM tour - are ALL at the Tenement Museum. In other words, ALL afternoon would be spent at the same location - just exploring different areas of the building.


However…dinner was NOT at the Meatball Shop. Details to follow. And we did NOT make it to the bakery.

I know. You’re shocked.

So…stay tuned, because we are going to have some FUN, FUN, FUN on the LES!!!

Review: "Mamma Mia!"

...the one in which we dance in the aisles....

After our dinner, it was just a short walk down the street to the Winter Garden Theater, where we had tickets for the 8:00 pm showing of "Mamma Mia!"




The theater occupies an old horse exchange, built by William K. Vanderbilt in 1896. In 1911, the exchange was converted into a theater, and has been in existence ever since. For many years, Al Jolson was the theater's biggest star...although other actors/shows over the years included Fred Astaire, Fanny Brice, the Ziegfeld Follies and Barbra Streisand (in Funny Girl in 1964).


The theater in 1932....


The exterior of the theater now:




The interior of the theater is much like an English garden...very pretty, but not too ornate:



Our seats were in Row C...third row, dead center of the row. We could almost touch the stage, which was a bit disconcerting at first. We were so close, I swear we could see the nose hairs of the actors. Of course, we PAID for this...privilege...(???) Three tickets cost us a whopping $414.00...and that doesn't include the steep rip-off service fee...Gah.


So...the show. Really. What can one say about "Mamma Mia!"? It you've ever seen the Meryl Streep movie/adaptation of "Mamma Mia!" - then, you've seen this show. Free-spirit Mamma's daughter is getting married in beautiful Greece...three men who could potentially be daughter's daddy show up...hilarity ensues...much singing...much dancing...and much young people running around in swimsuits and cute clothes. The lead actress, who plays "Mamma", had an AMAZING voice - she alone was worth the ticket.

I had chosen this show because the three of us enjoy the music of ABBA, and the fact that the show is kid-friendly. The costumes were a bit cheesy; the set was cheesy; but hey...can anyone ever truly have too much cheese in their life?

I don't think so.


It was fun. I would give it 6.5 stars out of 10...definitely worth seeing if you enjoy dancing and singing along. And Daughter most DEFINITELY was singing along...I apologize if any of my Dear Readers were sitting near us, having to listen to me constantly "shhhhh" her. Or perhaps she was "shhhhh-ing" me....???!

After the show, we browsed in a little souvenir shop along Broadway, where I was tickled - and yet SHOCKED - to find this:


They spelled my name right!!!! Do you know how RARE this is??!!!



And of course...Daughter's best impression of her "Mamma Mia!" laugh, as seen on the poster behind her:


She should be on the stage herself...look at those acting skills....


And so ends another day in beautiful Manhattan.

Peace.

Review: Fig & Olive Restaurant

...the one in which we...um...eat. Sorry. That's all I got.



After our emotional afternoon spent at the World Trade Center site, it was somewhat of a relief to hop on the subway and head back to the hotel, where we could rest up for a little bit before heading out for the evening. We had 6:00 pm dinner reservations at a restaurant that I had always wanted to try while visiting NYC - Fig & Olive. Why had I always wanted to try this place? I have no idea. Really. I don't know where - or why - I'd heard of it, but once I get something in my head, there's NO gettin' around it. (Ask my Hubby.) We were going to Fig & Olive.



It just so happened that one of their locations was about 3 blocks from our hotel - at 10 East 52nd Street - and right on the way to the theater, where we'd be seeing a Broadway show later this evening. How convenient, right?! I couldn't have planned it better if I'd planned it myself. Wait. I think I DID plan it myself. And it was PERFECT! Obviously!




We arrived promptly at 6:00 pm, and were immediately taken upstairs to one of the dining rooms. The restaurant was not too crazy busy at this time, which was nice...I assumed this meant we would be treated to better service, perhaps.

Hmmmm.....I assumed wrong.

I'm not saying our waiter was horrible. He wasn't. BUT.

He seemed to have one of those "snooty" attitudes - the attitude of, "Oh...lovely. Look. I get TOURISTS. Lucky me. Not." Remember the infamous snarky French waiter in "National Lampoon's European Vacation"?


Yeah. A bit like that.


Trying to get our order taken was a monumental task - let alone trying to get our drinks. He seemed to move in slow motion when it came to us, and yet...he picked up his pace while serving other tables. Was it because we had a 13-year old with us? I'm not sure...but it was annoying, to say the least.


Daughter had the Zuchini Blossom & Goat Cheese Ravioli:



Why, oh why, did she order this? The girl can't STAND goat cheese...and so...she wasn't a fan of this. I think all she saw was "Ravioli" - and she's thinking, "Oh, I LOVE Chef Boyardee canned ravioli - so this will be good!" Sigh. I give her props, though, for TRYING something new and different.


Hubby tried the Mediterranean Branzino, a fish glazed with fig, balsamic vinegar, and snow peas:



He liked it...but he didn't RAVE about it.


As for me, I went with the Riviera Organic Salmon, with grilled asparagus and cauliflower puree:



The salmon was good...however, the cauliflower puree was GREAT. Noms. I wish I would have just had an entire plate of it - it was delish.


For dessert, Daughter ordered the Chocolate Pot de Creme, while I ordered the Chocolate Souffle. Soon, my souffle arrived...but no pot. I thought this was odd - that they would set down one dessert, but not the other. The waiter had hurried off so fast that I hadn't had a chance to initially point this out...but when I FINALLY got his attention - he admitted that he had forgotten to put in the order for the Chocolate Pot.

Did he apologize? No. He just scurried off and we had to wait another 10 minutes for Daughter's dessert to arrive.

Sigh.

I didn't take photos of our delicious desserts...as we were now in a bit of a hurry to get out of there and make it to the theater on time.

Our meal ended up costing - BEFORE tax and tip, mind you - a staggering $133.00. The food was good - but not great. The service was average - perhaps even below average. This is NOT a place that I could recommend...although, with a different waiter, someone else's experience could be totally different.

Up next: Mamma Mia!!!

9/11 Memorial Site

...the one in which we are moved to tears....

First, I must apologize for the long delay in my blogging...what with the death of a friend, and then trying to get the family from Florida to Kansas City, and then getting ready for school - yadda, yadda, yadda. You know how it is. Gah.

Anyway. Back to our NYC adventures...and today's post continues on with Wednesday, June 26....We left our intrepid travelers exploring the lower end of Manhattan - the Financial District. After an interesting (to Hubby, at least) tour of Wall Street, we'd just finished up a delightful lunch....It was now time for our next stop - a visit to the September 11 memorial site.



If you haven't yet visited the site where the World Trade Center buildings were brought down in the terrorist act on September 11, 2001 - I should probably first explain that - although it's most definitely worth a visit - they don't make it easy to visit. Nope. Not at all. Security is tight, understandably - and at this time, you can't just "stroll" to the area where the buildings used to stand. You have to have a ticket - which are free - but the whole process of obtaining the tickets can be cumbersome.

I don't do cumbersome.

I like easy.


So...with that in mind...I pre-booked a guided tour (that included our tickets) with the 9/11 Tribute Center. Our tickets were $20 apiece, which included admission to their 9/11 Gallery, as well as a guided walking tour of the Memorial Site. (I should note here that the 9/11 Tribute Center Gallery is NOT the official museum - which is still under construction at the actual site) The Tribute Center was located just one block from Zuccotti Park, which was extremely convenient for us. The Center is just opposite the World Trade Center construction site, and is easily located.


Upon arriving at the Gallery, we spent some time wandering through the exhibits...which are extremely moving and poignant. The first exhibit focuses on the construction of the World Trade Center, and a brief film shows what life was like in and outside the buildings.

There is then a timeline of the events that unfolded on September 11, interspersed with items and artifacts that were found in the debris. Keys. A fireman's coat and helmet. A cell phone. An identification card. Common, everyday objects that are now tied in with one of the nations' worst tragedies.


What's the story behind these? You wonder what happened to the people who these items belonged to....



Part of one of the airplanes....


You then encounter a wall that is covered with the "Missing" signs that sprang up immediately after the attack, when the desperate residents of NYC were searching for their lost family members, friends and co-workers. Knowing that their search was in vain, it was heartbreaking to read the almost-frantic, pleas for help - any help - in finding their loved ones.


An entire 10 x 30' wall is plastered with heartbreaking photos of the people that were killed in the attack. Although the museum was somewhat crowded, you could have heard a pin drop as people looked at the photos:



Again, this isn't the 'official' museum...but wow. It's powerful. It's very well done. It sets the story so that when you finally DO walk over to the actual site of the attack, it will be just that much more meaningful. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend you visit this.



If I can't convince you, I encourage you to read this short blog from a fireman who was encouraged to visit the Tribute Center - and then wrote this moving article about his experience. Click HERE for his beautiful story.


All-too-soon, it was time for us to head out in front of the Tribute Center to meet up with our tour guide and group. The thing that I like about the 9/11 Tribute Center is that they use tour guides who have a personal connection with the World Trade Center. They're not just random strangers that they pulled in off the street...these are people who either worked at the buildings, or had a relative who worked there. In our case, we had this gentleman, who worked for many, many years in one of the upper floors of Tower 1:



We had a group of about twenty, and each of us were given a headset, so that we could hear Jim as he explained where we were going, and what to expect when we got there. Our first stop was literally just around the corner from the Tribute Center, at the FDNY Memorial Wall, located at Firehouse 10, directly across the street from WTC site:



A 56-foot-long and six-foot-high bronze memorial, bolted to the side of the firehouse, and a beautiful tribute to the 343 firefighters who died on September 11th. The memorial depicts the flaming towers, as well as weary men laying down hose lines. Underneath the memorial are the names of every firefighter who died that day.


Daughter and I...as well as our group...listen to the story of the memorial....



We left the FDNY Memorial Wall, and then walked towards the WTC site. Here is where it can get VERY confusing, and why it can be helpful to be part of a tour group. Jim explained what would be happening - and his directions through our headsets were invaluable. We not only had to go through airport-like security (x-ray machine, etc), but we had to show our 9/11 Visitor Passes not once...not twice...but THREE times to security guards. THREE TIMES. It's crazy. It's chaotic. There are people everywhere - and it was a blessing to have Jim be our shepherd, leading us lost sheep. There was another guide, Theresa, who was stationed behind the twenty of us, to insure that none of us got lost or separated during this crazy process.


Once we had gone through all the checkpoints, we walked into the site....It consists of a complex of various things - the waterfalls, where the original towers stood, as well as the new museum under construction - and it took a minute to take it all in. Jim first took us to the site where the original North and South towers once stood:



Jim described what it was like to work in the buildings, day-to-day...and he then had us spellbound with his own survival story that day...of feeling the building sway...of going down endless stairs...the sights...the sounds....

He then told us of the waterfalls...their design...their purpose...and the plans for the future of the site. He mentioned that it's a fitting tribute to touch the water...and then touch a name on the base:


Touching the water...DON'T lean over to touch, but go underneath....



Touching the names....



As if his story wasn't emotional enough...Miss Theresa then began her story. She is the mother of firefighter Michael D. Mullan...who was killed on September 11th while trying to evacuate the Marriott Hotel located at the World Trade Center site. Here, she tells us of how he died that day:



Oh. My. Goodness.

I cried. Daughter cried. Hubby cried. I think all twenty of us cried...and who could blame us? She spoke with such love, such pride, for her son...and she then passed out pocket-sized, laminated cards to each of us, so that we would "always remember" her son.



As if we could ever forget.


Soon, it was time to say goodbye to both Jim and Miss Theresa...but not without some hugs. We took our card and went on a hunt, determined to find Michael D. Mullan's name on the waterfall and pay him tribute:





Could we have done the memorial site on our own? Yes.

But.

Wow.


-----

After spending a few more moments at the waterfalls, we walked over to take in the new "Freedom Tower", or, as it's officially known, One World Trade Center:






1,776 feet high...pretty impressive....

Still under construction, it's now the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Take that, Osama Bin Laden.



Speaking of "tall"...as we were heading out of the area, we noticed a bit of a commotion...television cameras, people swarming...and then realized that several young men were visiting the memorial site and attracting a bit of a crowd. Obviously, from their height, we assumed (correctly) that they were basketball players:





Turns out that the NBA Draft was being held that evening in Brooklyn...so some of the young draftees were visiting the Memorial Site that day.


Alex Len (who was drafted 5th) and Otto Porter (who was drafted 3rd)...towering over their handlers....



All-in-all, we had a very moving and emotional afternoon. How could you not? But - the added stories from our guides were pretty amazing, and I'm SO glad we invested the time - and money - for that added bonus. Daughter was particularly moved, and for that - I'm grateful.

------------

Because it's a bit confusing, I'm going to re-summarize your options on visiting the World Trade Center site:

Option #1: You can click HERE for FREE passes that can be picked up at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site at 20 Vesey St. (Although, they DO charge a $2.00 fee for online reservations) I visited this site in February, and wasn't that impressed with their "museum." Not much to it...but...it was free.


Preview Site....


Option #2: You can click HERE for $20 passes that can be picked up at the 9/11 Tribute Center at 120 Liberty Street. This is the one I HIGHLY recommend, as you not only gain entrance to their museum - which was EXCELLENT - but you get the guided walking tour of the site itself.


Tribute Center....



Option #3: Your last option is to go with a guided tour from an outside company, such as Greyhound or Viator. There are numerous tour companies online that will take you to the site and get you in.

Remember - you CAN'T just show up and expect to walk right in to the site. You MUST have a pass.

Choose Option #2. And take Kleenex.

Trust me.

Thursday This 'n That: Dog Days of Summer

*Frankly, it's just downright difficult to write a snarky, humorous blog after the death of a friend...it's taken a week for me to even THINK of trying to get back to blogging....I still cry when I think about Sue, but I know her spirit lives on.


*Another friend has passed away...this time, an older gentleman who I met through the Red Cross. When I say, "gentleman", I truly mean "gentle man." Mike was one of the most sweetest, caring people I ever had the pleasure of working with, and I was saddened to learn that he passed away a mere three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. When he wasn't raising money for worthy causes, he was passionate about his horses...so Happy Trails, Mike. You will be missed.


*We spent last weekend prepping the Florida house for future hurricanes, and then flew back home to Kansas City on Sunday. While I'm always happy to be "home" - with my pets, my family, and my friends - I already miss the gulf breezes and sandy shores of Fort Myers. It's a relaxing, peaceful place that always does wonders for my soul....


*School starts in a week...needless to say, I'm more excited than my 8th-grade Daughter is. We've spent the last few days getting her schedule, squeezing in last-minute violin lessons/tune-ups, haircuts, school supply/clothes shopping, and organizing. Whew. I need a vacation. Florida, perhaps? {grin}


*After much wishy-washy debate and effort, I am now fully committed to a gluten-free diet. My efforts began in earnest this week, after a pretty miserable and painful last few weeks that I can only blame on my poor eating habits. I've found a company here in Kansas City that will deliver natural, affordable & delicious gluten-free/vegan meals, and I already feel better. More energy and less pain - that's my goal. (Let me know if you want the name & website of the company...I think the food tastes great!)


*This is a truly wonderful time of the year - perhaps my favorite...not only does school start in a week (oh, did I already mention that??!!), but pre-season football starts this weekend. Top this off with the continuing season of baseball, as well as the fact that our own Kansas City Royals are on a hot streak, it is truly awesome....


Here's to enjoying the Dog Days of Summer, everyone!


Peace.