I woke up to a beautiful Saturday morning. I was particularly excited because this would be a fun-filled weekend. Danielle and her boyfriend, Shane, are in town. Pierre and Grant booked a sail boat tour for us that would last two hours and it was THE perfect day for a sail. Considering how few clothes I brought with me, I felt quite nautical: white pants, a navy blue sweater, and blue sneakers. I was practically a yacht club member… or at least looked the part. Or, so I thought.
We were to meet where the boats are kept on Liberty Street. At first I thought I had an hour drive to get there but that’s because there is a Liberty Street in New Jersey. It was actually a 15-minute walk for me and it took me to parts of Tribeca I had yet to see. I cannot wait to go back and explore that area. I actually found the exact location where we were to meet. It was, in fact, right next to Le District, the very place I tried to find the week before. Mind you, this area is right in front of me. Unbelievable!
When we got on the boat I was actually just a bit apprehensive about getting sea-sick. I practically fell over when I got on the dock; I thought we were having an earthquake. Pierre reminded me that I was on a dock. Oh, yeah! Right. My other reservation was the fact that my biggest fear in life is that of drowning. Yes. Drowning. The odd thing is that I LOVE the water. I love the ocean with its waves, rivers and streams with their currents and swimming pools. The water, to me is always so consistent. It is something you can count on—it is always the same. I love the sound of water and I love the feel of water. However, the thought of not being able to breathe under water is frightening beyond belief. I have walked out of movies in the past showing deep sea divers go further and further into the abyss. One in particular was “The Abyss”; it was released in 1989 and grossed $89.8M, and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. You can imagine just why I had to walk out.
Our Captain was young, quite experienced and very pleasant. It sounded like he had sailed in many parts of the world, the Caribbean Islands, the Amalfi Coast, etc. For a certain distance the motor was on but once we got into more of an open area the motor was off and the sails were up in full force.
We sailed to the Statue of Liberty and then under the Brooklyn Bridge. Grant and Pierre made sandwiches and brought plenty of wine. It was truly the perfect Saturday afternoon. It was everything you would expect: great conversations, great food, great wine. So leisurely, so relaxed. Simply wonderful! Click on the videos below.
After the sail we walked through Le District and decided to go to PJ Clarke’s for a couple of drinks. We managed to get a table outside and it was perfect. Our next destination was a place I have been wanting to go to since I have been here, which is literally within a half mile from where I live: Fraunces Tavern. It is the oldest and most historic bar and restaurant in New York and is a national landmark building. It was established in
1762 and it is most famous because George Washington gathered a group of his officers, nine days after the last of the British troops left America, to thank them for their service and bid them an emotional farewell.
For dinner and Pierre made reservations at Haizea, a well-known Basque restaurant about two miles away from me in SoHo. It is a Basque and Catalan inspired restaurant featuring small contemporary plates. I must say the food was delicious and quite filling! More than dinner, this was an event in that it was different than most restaurants, especially Basque restaurants, I have experienced. The food is more on the order of tapas uniquely displayed. Each course was incredibly prepared. I do not recall seeing any tables and chairs. Rather, people sit at a slim bar just enough to hold the small pates and a glass of wine. I am thinking this is reminiscent of the tapas bars in Spain; most people don’t sit down—they are standing at bars helping themselves.
After dinner we parted ways. After all, tomorrow was another big day!
