Brooklyn Bridge & The High Line

Before we flew out on Sunday night, we made a point to wake up early to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and also walk along The High Line. I had really hoped we would be able to walk the Brooklyn Bridge just in time to catch the sunset, but time got the best of us the previous night, so we had to push the walk to the next morning. Surprisingly enough, I had never done either of these activities so I was really excited (and up way before our 7:00am wake up call). Here are a few more pictures from our last day in the city. As per usual, the trip ended too soon for my liking but it was a perfect weekend getaway, and just what I needed to help me transition back into full time studies after ending my summer internship. 

 

Piece of Paris

Not only did I have the chance to indulge in a taste of Italy while in NYC, I was also able to treat myself to a piece of Paris. I seriously have been so fortunate to have visited the city twice, but I still miss it terribly!  It has almost been a year and a half since I last visited my favourite city, so it was inherent that my mom and I would head uptown to Ladurée for some utterly delicious macarons. Nostalgia got the best as me as soon as I saw the beautifully crafted building, which brought me right back to my time in Paris. We browsed the shop and took our time choosing the eight macarons which we would devour later that day. Excitingly enough, our imaginary journey to Paris didn't stop at Ladurée! We also visited Balthazar and Ceci-Cela for the most mouthwatering croissants. A while back I read Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas, which is a great read, but really I enjoyed how she reveals the best pâtisseries not only in Paris, but in NYC. She doesn't miss a dessert: the New York cupcake, the Parisian macaron, the crème brûlée, the list goes on! Point is that I made mental notes of the best of the best and decided to check Balthazar and Ceci-Cela out. Just as Amy describes, the croissants were very comparable. But really, they will just have to do until I can get myself back across the pond!  

{found this gem on a side street waiting to be shown in a parade}

The Feast

To celebrate Italian immigrants and the patron saint of Naples, the Feast of San Gennaro, (it attracts around one million visitors per year) is put on every September in the heart of lower Manhattan- Little Italy. Naturally, my father (who is an Italian immigrant, although not to America) and his American family love to connect on these days to reminisce, and obviously eat the most delicious food. I am literally in food heaven- think streets full of pizza, rice balls, chicken parmesan, pasta and sausage. Ready for the best part? That doesn't include the dessert! As you'll see below there is a copious amount of food and desserts, notably: gelato, cannoli, sfogliatelle, torrone, and -my favourite- zeppole (confession: there is no photo as I scarfed these down so fast). If the food isn't your thing (I'm not sure why it wouldn't be!?), the people watching can be hilarious!  The years tend to get a tad repetitive, but I love going and embracing in the Italian culture! They don't call it a feast for nothing!