New Beginning?

Spring has finally sprung in the City and with it, it seems, my desire to continue blogging about my experiences here. Shorter posts perhaps, but updates nonetheless, is my intention.

To celebrate the mild temperatures and brilliant sunshine, I spent the entire weekend outdoors. Starting with Central Park on Saturday which was so busy that it actually looked like an amusement park with the entire population of New York City (alongside a fair share of bewildered tourists) seemingly milling around its numerous paths and crowding every single patch of green grass available.

E, C & I rented bikes for a couple of hours before settling down for a picnic. I love cycling in the Park. In a little less than an hour it is possible to cover its entire periphery and it's always fascinating to me to see how different it looks as you progress through it - from the crowded area around Columbus Circle, to the lush meadows around the 80s, the sparser expenses of the Harlem Meer and not forgetting the beautiful and serene conservatory gardens of course. I can't imagine ever getting bored of that ride.

On Sunday, I was feeling adventurous and headed to Brooklyn to hang out with L in Prospect Park. I have become a terrible Manhattanite and outer-borough trips are even rarer for me now than ever before. The hour long subway journey was actually not bad, especially as I had planned ahead and taken a few magazines to distract me. And if you discount the fact that a homeless person with a huge dirty blanket almost huddled against me (I didn't want to make him feel self-conscious by moving seats) for most of the trip, it was actually enjoyable. It was worth it regardless - compared to the madness of Central Park, its Brooklyn cousin was positively subdued and L & I wiled away the hours sipping Prosecco and watching entire families, with up to three generations present, playing ball games and enjoying animated barbecues.