NYC - Saturday in Manhattan

I had a few hours this morning before my train back to DC, so I set out to make the most of a Saturday morning in Manhattan.  After a quick breakfast at Dean & Deluca (consisting of orange juice, a banana, and a chocolate chip scone), I headed down to the Union Square farmers market . . . 



and then to nearby ABC Home & Carpet. 

ABC Home & Carpet is a six-storey interior design paradise, and I was hoping to find some good things to go with my new Moroccan purchases.  Alas, nothing quite fit what I had in mind.  Plenty of beautiful (and exorbitantly expensive) items, but nothing that I could envision adding to my current apartment.

So.  Off to the Strand Bookstore.  Nothing like a giant used bookstore to boost the morale after a disappointing shopping trip. 

From there to Le Pain Quotidien for a turkey and avocado tartine.

After lunch I still had enough time for a detour through Washington Square park, which has been thoroughly renovated since I lived there four years ago.  It’s as wonderful and vibrant as ever.  I sat in the sun watching people play in the fountain and listened to a really good dixie-land jazz trio play nearby. 

When the sun became too warm, I moved to the shade and found another jazz trio – this time where the lead trumpeter managed the astonishing feat of playing two trumpets at once.

Definitely hadn't seen that before.

After that it was time to collect my bags from the hotel and board the train back to DC (and back to real life, which I fear is waiting for me in the form of work for the rest of the weekend…).