Day Two

 

My feet are sore because I walked and walked today. I took cabs to and from yesterday's sights because I was rushed for time. Today began with a breakfast in a place in the theater district. Nothing fancy. I picked it because it was sunny and they had outside seating. All the wait staff were Greek, although the food was bacon and eggs, American-style. I think the restaurant is owned by a Greek family. After breakfast I returned to my room and got gussied-up to have an author "head shot" taken. That is part of my positive thinking strategy. I'll add it to this blog when they send it to me. Then it was out to wander the city. Of course the skyscrapers don't let you see the angle of the sun, so its hard to know which way is north, south, east, and west. But as I mentioned before, the numbering system helps. After heading off in the wrong direction once, I got the hang of it. Portland's motto is, "The City That Works." However, I think it could be New York's, because they have figured out how to keep the streets clean and the traffic moving. (almost no garfitti and no tents). Everywhere you look people are moving with a purpose. The streets are clean or in the process of being cleaned. On my walk, I only went into three businesses. First was MOMA's gift shop. The one with artistically-styled household items. Many temptations, but I only purchased a little pencil sharpener that looked useful. I toyed with the idea of browsing the museum, but I opted to walk on. I walked east and south. I went into "Saint Barts," (Bartholomew's) the historic Episcopalian Church in the city. I lit a candle in remembrance of  my family, and looked at all of the beautiful stained glass, wood carvings, and mosaics. Then I continued on to Grand Central Station. I had coffee in the balcony cafe over looking the floor and looking up at the famous constellation-decked ceiling. I wish I could have hopped on a train. All I could do was look down the tracks. I wound up my wanderings with some fabulous food in the basement restaurant, The Oyster Bar. The restaurant opened one hundred and ten years ago. Lines from Lewis Carol's poem The Walrus and the Carpenter kept running through my head as I gobbled up my dozen oysters.

"because they'd eaten every one."