It's a library, but you can't touch the books

For a book nerd like me, The Morgan Library & Museum in New York's Murray Hill neighbourhood is an absolute delight.  This isn't a lending library, but rather it's a wonderful museum that contains the enormous and diverse book and manuscript collection of American financier, John Pierpont Morgan.

The man we've all come to know as J.P Morgan commissioned the construction of his private library in 1903 and it took architect Charles Follen McKim three years to complete it.  Built of pink Tennessee marble, in the Italian Renaissance style, the building was situated adjacent to Morgan's home and it was an imposing and impressive addition to Madison Avenue real estate.

For many years the building was simply known as "Mr Morgan's Library" but is now officially called "The Morgan Library & Museum".  It was designated a national historic landmark in 2006 and underwent a careful restoration in 2010, just before I arrived in New York and promptly fell in love with it.  Every time I visit, I still love being in JP Morgan's private study, then passing through the beautiful rotunda, before exploring the three-storey walnut shelving of the breathtaking East Room (the original library).

Aside from some beautiful items from JP Morgan's collection that are permanently on display, including one of three of his copies of the famous Gutenberg Bible, The Morgan Library & Museum also has temporary exhibitions throughout the year.  I did zero research on these today, knowing that whatever the Library had chosen to exhibit would be wonderful.  Indeed, I was particularly taken with the "From Gatsby to Garp" collection, and the beautiful "Marks of Genius: Treasures of the Bodleian Library" (which I was not allowed to photograph).

I have probably told you a couple of times that I judge a museum or art gallery by the quality of its gift shop, and I certainly feel that the Morgan Library Shop is one of the very best in New York City.  I never walk out of this place empty-handed and today was no exception.  I am now the proud owner of a delightful (if not slightly morbid) book entitled, "Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to New York City Area Cemeteries and their Residents", and a fantastic little deck of NYC trivia cards called "What Happened Here?".  But if you're looking for books for children, or some great desk calendars, or beautiful photography books, the Morgan Library Shop can provide.  You will not be disappointed.

I know it's not as good as the real thing, but please take a look at the photographs from today's visit.  I've done my best to put descriptions against each one, so you know what you're seeing:

Post by The ABCs of NYC.

New York can be a real pain in the neck

When I moved to New York I developed a bit of an addiction (if there can be such a thing) to buying books about this great city.  My bookcase now strains under the weight of guidebooks about New York, photo anthologies of New York, and even short stories by New York writers.  I've also bought novels simply because they're set in New York.

 

Case in point, last night I completed Book 1 of "The Strain" trilogy, by acclaimed writer and director Guillermo del Toro (of the brilliant "Pan's Labyrinth") and writer Chuck Hogan, whose IMDB photo makes him seem very grumpy, but I'm sure he's not always that way.  As you'd probably know, the books have now been turned into a TV series but I haven't seen any of that yet - I wanted to read the books first.

Aside from being a creepy and, at times, graphic tale about vampires and the rampage of a vampire virus across the island of Manhattan, Book 1 was also a great tour of four of the five New York boroughs (poor Staten Island only gets a fleeting mention in this first instalment).  Book 1 is quite the New York tour guide.  One minute you're in the hustle-bustle of Manhattan, then you're on the quiet, tree-lined streets of Westchester, then the struggling areas of Flatbush in Brooklyn, and finally the crowded apartment complexes of The Bronx and Queens.
 
As I read Book 1, I was particularly excited to realise that much of the action transpired in places so familiar to me.  The headquarters of the New York chapter of the Center for Disease Control is around the corner from my apartment.  Face-offs with the vampires occured near the Ghostbusters firehouse in TriBeCa, where I was just last weekend.  And one of the book's heroes has his pawn shop in Spanish Harlem, on the same block wher I attended the great Italian festival earlier this month.  And these are just a few of the great locations that Del Toro and Hogan mention.  Some creepy stuff also happens in the abandoned City Hall subway station with the gorgeous tiled roof, which I learned all about on my visit to the Museum of the City of New York not so long ago.  I loved it.

I'm not sure how much detail the TV series takes from the book, but reading Book 1 definitely taught me more than I probably cared to know about the prevalence and behaviours of New York City's rat population too.  Shudder.

What with all the Ebola news dominating media coverage lately, I was a bit jolted by the speed with which the story's vampire plague spreads.  And I started to wonder whether I also ought to assemble a disaster preparedness kit ("go bag"), as one of the main characters has done - and as the Office of Emergency Management recommends we all do.  Now I'm no Doomsday Prepper, but I also don't want to be caught short when it all hits the fan, right?  My survival instinct during Super Storm Sandy involved leftover pizza and multiple bottles of red wine, but that is a story for another time.

New York is an obvious setting for books and movies, providing an endless source of inspiration for authors, directors, and more.  The longer I live here the more these stories resonate with me and I hope that feeling never goes away. All the same though, I think I'll take a bit of a break before starting Book 2 of The Strain trilogy.  As much as I enjoy a gory plot and heroic battles between good and evil, I really don't want to rush head-long into more stories about New Yorkers joining the ranks of the homicidal undead.  Real life in this crazy town can be stressful enough.

A new life demands a new outfit

When you find out you’ve got that great new job in New York, it's not a stretch to say that your life changes forever.  But to my mind, excitement tempers quickly when you’re overtaken by “life admin”.  Routine issues such as passports, visas, luggage allowances, accommodation, healthcare, bank accounts, tipping, transport, and how to make friends suddenly consume you.

And just when you think it can't get any worse, your first day of the new job is just around the corner.  Have you thought about what you’re going to wear?

Don’t worry, you’ve got this.  Allow me to share with you this alphabetical list of my go-to stores for 9-5 weekday wardrobe staples.  Some are actual stores, some are just online places, but they all offer a range of options for different budgets.  And when you’ve found your feet in this great shopping mecca (and it won’t take long), you’ll no doubt add your own.  Happy shopping!

Low to Medium

• Buffalo Exchange –Thrift store, so prices vary. Sells vintage and used clothes, shoes, and accessories. Accepts clothing donations.
• Century 21 – Low to medium prices. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Excess current season designer stocks at discounted prices. Get there early because the place is a jumble sale by the end of the day.
• Gap - Low to medium prices. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Sizing can often be large - try before you buy. Some office attire available (wrap dresses and shirts), but mostly better for smart-casual wear. Good range of athletic gear. Frequent sales.
• H&M – Low to medium prices. Often low to medium quality too. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Good for on-trend, seasonal clothing. Frequent sales.
• Housing Works –Thrift store, so prices vary. Sells vintage and used clothes, shoes, accessories, and limited furniture and homewares. Good bargains.
• Marshall’s –Similar to Century 21. Low to medium prices. Sells clothes, shoes, accessories, and homewares. Excess current season designer stocks. Good sales. Be prepared to rummage through the racks.
• TJ Maxx – Similar to Century 21 and Marshalls. Sells clothing, shoes, accessories, and some homewares. Tendency to become a jumble sale by the end of the day.

Medium to High

• Ann Taylor – Medium to high prices. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Stocks regular sizes, as well as Petite and Tall ranges. Work pants in different cuts (curvy, skinny etc). Frequent sales. See also Ann Taylor Loft - the sister store, which usually has lower prices and emphasises smart-casual attire, as well as quality office staples.
• Banana Republic –Medium to high prices. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Fits are often larger than normal – try before you buy. Special petites range. Great menswear too. Frequent sales.
• J Crew – Medium to high prices. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Beautiful quality. Has petites, regular, and tall sizes. Frequent sales. 
• Zara – Medium to high prices. Sells clothing, shoes, and accessories. Good sales. European and US sizing – try before you buy.

Department stores

• Bloomingdales – Department stores, so prices vary – but usually at the mid-high end. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Global designers. Frequent sales. Take your passport to Visitor Services before you start shopping, and get your 20% discount card. Great history.
• Lord and Taylor –Department store, so prices vary – but usually at the mid-high end. Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories. Global designers. Frequent sales.
• Macy’s – Department store, so prices vary – but usually low-medium prices. Sells clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, and homewares. The Macy’s on 34^thStreet is the largest department store in the world (make sure you ride the original wooden escalators). Global designers. Great sales. Good online store.
• Saks Fifth Avenue –Department store, so prices vary – but usually medium to high. US and global designers. Beautiful quality. Frequent sales.

Online only

• Bluefly – Medium to high prices.  Sells clothes, shoes, and accessories.  Online only.  Global designers. Frequent sales.
• Modcloth – online only.  Low to medium prices. Some clothing, particularly UK & American designers more expensive.  Sells clothing, shoes, accessories, and some homewares and furniture.  Sizing really erratic – check measurements carefully.
• Piperlime – great website. Medium-high prices.  Sells designer clothing, but also one-stop-shopping for Banana Republic & Gap too.  Sizing can be erratic though – customer reviews are usually very helpful.
• Rent The Runway – Medium to high prices. Rent clothing, shoes, and accessories. A great option for on-trend formal attire, when you don’t want to commit to buying a gown or cocktail dress for yourself.

With a bagel in my belly, I'm ready for my history lesson

The impressive entrance
to the Museum of the City
of New York

If you’re only in New York for a short amount of time, you’ll want to squeeze in as much sightseeing as possible.  More often than not, this will require you to skip the sleep-ins and hit the streets early.  But don’t worry, because I’ve found a place that actually rewards such good behaviour, and you won’t want to miss it.

From 10-11am each day, early risers who visit the Museum of the City of New York are treated to a traditional New York breakfast: coffee, a bagel, and a schmear (a bit of cream cheese, butter, or jam).  This tasty treat is included in the price of your admission.

After breakfast, before you tackle the museum's collection, you can watch the new video presentation called Timescapes, which covers the history of New York in just 22 minutes, and is narrated by Stanley Tucci.  A breakfast I love, followed by a New York actor I love, talking about the history of a city that I love?  Yep, I’ll get out of bed early for that - and so should you.

The Museum of the City of New York sits across from Central Park, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 103^rd Street, in East Harlem.  The impressive red brick building was built in 1929, funded by public donations.  The Wall Street crash delayed progress a bit, but the building opened for business in January 1932. Thirty-five years later, it was declared a NY City landmark.  Renovations completed in 2008 cost almost $30 million, but they expanded the museum’s exhibition space by over 3,000 square feet.  This was good news for the 1.5 million items in the Museum’s permanent collection – artefacts from the very beginning of New York’s history and landscape, through to the modern influences that define New York today.

One of the permanent exhibits at the Museum is the one on social activism, which opened in May 2012.  I really liked touring this exhibit and learning about the history of New Yorkers who, over the years, have fought for equality on a range of issues including electoral rights for women; occupational health and safety; fair wages; recognition of sexual orientation; and religious freedom.   For  something less serious, and for a bit of old-world bling, I couldn't resist the "Gilded New York" exhibition in the Tiffany gallery, showing me how the other half (and then some) sparkled back in the day. Such beautiful gems!

But the Museum also features a number of temporary treats, and it was these that spoiled me on my visit.   I particularly liked the "Palaces for the People" exhibition (on display until 7 September), which celebrates the clever artistry of Spanish immigrant Rafael Guastavino and his son, Rafael Jr.  The pair have been the brains and hands behind some of the most beautiful tiling work in modern times - all over the US and in Europe.  Obviously I was especially struck by their work in New York, which includes the Grand Central Oyster Bar, the City Hall subway station, and the Registry Room at Ellis Island.  

"City As Canvas"? Even the frame
is the canvas!

Finally though, I loved the "City As Canvas" graffiti exhibition, partly because I am a total sucker for colours - the brighter, the better.  That artists can create such vibrant and provocative work with just a spray can full of paint is really wonderful.  The graffiti exhibition is open until 21 September, so you need to stop by and see that one too.

I always judge a museum or art gallery by the quality of its gift shop, and I seriously think that the gift shop at the Museum of the City of New York is one of my favourites.  For books, trinkets, souvenirs, or even kids toys, this Museum has a gift shop to please everyone.  Of course, I didn't walk out empty handed on this visit.  I somehow lugged home a three-book anthology of Edith Wharton's New York stories.  There goes my social life!

If you can't get to the Museum yourself just yet, please take a look at my photo album by clicking here.

Welcome home, Mr President!

TR's Birthplace at
28 E 20th Street

Theodore Roosevelt is the only US President to have been born in New York City.  The country’s 26^th President was born in 1858 and lived with his family in a townhouse on East 20^th Street in Manhattan until he was 15 years old.  

The President’s childhood home was demolished in 1916 but when Roosevelt died three years later, the Women’s Roosevelt Memorial Association commissioned the impressively-named Ms Theodate Pope Riddle to rebuild it.   Ms Riddle was one of America’s first female architects and she drew upon historical records to faithfully reconstruct the property.  

The final design featured five period rooms (family bedrooms, a dining room, the sitting room, and the library), and also provided for two exhibition galleries, and an auditorium.  The completed building was then carefully decorated with many original furnishings donated by the late President’s sisters and his widow.  The top two floors of the brownstone, which originally would have housed the children's rooms, the bedrooms for servants, and the attic space, were not restored to their former glory.  They are now just used for office space, and are off-limits to the public.

A pennant flag from the
Presidential campaign 1904

The restored building opened as a museum in 1923 and was privately run for several years before being placed under the stewardship of the US National Park Service.   I was in the neighbourhood this morning and stopped by for a visit.  The downstairs area has a bit of a viewing gallery, with trinkets and black-and-white photographs of the President's career - right back to his early days as a cattle rancher in the Dakotas, the President of the NYC Board of Police Commissioners; Assistant Secretary of the US Navy; and Governor of New York State.

Bullet holes in Roosevelt's glasses
case & speech - reminders of an
assassination attempt in 1912

You start the tour by watching a 25-minute dramatisation of the President's early life.  I think it must have been filmed in the 1970s or 1980s, so you can just imagine.  But downstairs, you get a really good picture of how motivated the young President was to improve his physical and mental health, particularly to overcome childhood asthma and poor eyesight.  Once you take in all the memorabilia there, a representative of the National Parks guides you upstairs for a free tour of the "period rooms" so you can see how the Roosevelt family would have lived back in the day (the answer is very well, indeed).

I loved that the President kept a 4pm appointment every day so that he could play with his children, and he even invited senior White House officials to bring their kids along and join in.  But when he wasn't doing that - or running the country - the President was indulging in his favourite hobbies: hunting, jujitsu, and swimming naked in the Potomac.  I think I would have liked him.

Once upon a time in Central Park

In the early 1950s, the Danish-American Women’s Association of New York was looking for a special way to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen.  Each week, the Association would read the author’s fairy tales on NYC radio, and children across the city tuned in faithfully.  So the Association launched an early 'kickstarter' campaign and invited all the school children in New York to donate one penny each to help them fund a statue of the beloved author to be placed in Central Park. 

Pennies poured in from across the five boroughs (and some kids in Denmark even pitched in).  The Women’s Association and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation donated the extra funds, and Danish-American sculptor George Lober completed his bronze masterpiece.  The statue of Hans Christian Andersen was unveiled in Central Park in 1956, as a gift to the world from New York’s schoolchildren. 

The crowd gathers for storytime

The unveiling also launched the non-profit Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center, which still hosts free weekly readings of folk and fairy tales at the statue every Saturday morning at 11am, between June and September.  Storytelling is held rain or shine, and kids of all ages convene to hear the stories - and not just the Hans Christian Andersen classics, but tales from all over the world.  All the Directors and officers of the Center are unpaid volunteers, but the professional storytellers and the monitors are compensated for their work.  It is a wonderful organisation that has been going strong for 58 years.

In fact, the storytelling hour is one of my favourite things about the New York summer.   If I'm out of bed early enough on a Saturday, I'll take the subway to Central Park, grab a take-away coffee from The Boathouse and head over to the statue, just in time for the stories to begin. 

I usually sit off to the side on one of the Park benches, but last weekend I actually introduced myself to Laura Simms, the Artistic Director of the Center (pictured on the right here).  Laura has been on staff for over 40 years, which is a very impressive commitment.  I also said hello to Donna Jacobs Sife, one of their guest storytellers, who had flown over from Sydney to participate.  It was probably a little early in the day for me to be so congenial but perhaps I'm mellowing in my old age.

Over the course of the hour, we were treated to a very vivid interpretation of "The Emperor's New Clothes" (a Hans Christian Anderson classic); a Native American story similar to "Cinderella"; and finally two short stories that covered the themes of honesty and death.

 

At all times, the storytellers engaged the kids in the audience - through song, sounds, and repetition.  We were all encouraged to participate (and you know my stance on audience participation), but when you see the concentration on the faces of the kids, and the joy they derive from being so capably entertained, you know your weekend is off to a good start.

When the storytelling was over for another week, the spell had been broken and the kids descended once more upon the Hans Christian Andersen statue - climbing all over him and patting the Ugly Duckling on the head.  And as chaotic as that always gets, it gives me confidence that our collective love affair with one of the world's greatest storytellers will live on, happily ever after.

Lift from your knees, gents!

Brusciano is a small town in Italy, about 20 miles outside of Naples.  Each year the residents of Brusciano hold a big celebration called "The Dance of the Giglio" in honour of Saint Anthony, patron saint of lost things and finding people.  The feast dates back to the 1880s, and is celebrated in at least 6 communities around the world, including the vibrant East Harlem neighbourhood. A lot of original residents of East Harlem came from this small part of Italy, and they brought this wonderful tradition with them.

The Giglio (pronounced "Jeely-o") is a wooden tower about 75-85 feet tall that is decorated with a papier-mache face of Saint Anthony, flanked by painted flowers and decorations.  The tower is fixed on a wooden base and the whole structure combined weighs about 8,000 pounds, or 3,600 kilograms.

I went along to yesterday's Festa del Giglio in East Harlem and it was the most fun and vibrant celebration I've witnessed in a really long time.  The day started with a Mass at the Roman Catholic Church to bless the "Paranza" (the team of lifters who end up hoisting the giant Giglio structure on their shoulders, carrying/dancing it down the street).  After Mass, a couple of guys led a procession out of the church, holding a smaller Saint Anthony statue aloft, and we all followed them to where the Giglio had been set up, about a block away.  All the while, a jaunty band played tunes and we all clapped and sang.

After some speeches, the national anthems of the US and Italy were sung, followed by some Italian folk songs (which I loved), and then it was show time!  Men of all ages piled under the Giglio platform and raised it onto their shoulders, heaving and shuffling together in perfect teamwork.

This annual celebration doesn't just unite the little Italian community of East Harlem.  It reminds them that they are part of something bigger - a truly global network of Giglio Associations - and it was lovely to hear the repeated references to "our friends and brothers in Brusciano" and beyond.

I have always been a fan of public dancing and this celebration, the Dance of the Giglio, made my weekend.  You can see my photo album below:

Post by The ABCs of NYC.

Strawberry Fields, Shakespeare, and Story Time

I took full advantage of the beautiful summer weather this weekend and spent a fair bit of time in Central Park.

I first came to love this Park when I was training for the 2012 NYC Half-Marathon.  Twice a week, we'd meet for training at the beautiful Bethesda fountain, and we'd run along the roads and running tracks on the east and west sides of the Park.  It was really good practice for the race too, because the first six miles of the Half-Marathon are spent in Central Park and by then, we were all-terrain experts!

While I definitely finished the half-marathon (and came in well-ahead of the ambulances, which was always my goal), I suspect my race-running days are probably behind me.  Even still, I will never get sick of coming to Central Park for a look around.  In good weather and bad, there is always something to see and do here, and this weekend was no exception.

Please check out my photo album below.  I've even updated the descriptions on each image, so you'll have a bit of an idea what you're looking at, and why the Park means so much to me and millions of others.

Post by The ABCs of NYC.

Connecticut is one ghostly place

When people on New York TV or radio talk about events taking place in "the tri-state area", they're most often referring to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.  During my two weeks of vacation, I was pleased to have spent some time in each of these three states - but the road trip to Connecticut was arugably the most thought-provoking adventure of them all.

I've been through Connecticut by road and rail a couple of times, but until my recent visit I'd only ever stopped there once.  You can get from Manhattan to Connecticut in less than 2 hours, and the fact that it's also the 3rd smallest state in the country means that Connecticut is an ideal destination for weekend road trips.

Even before you reach Connecticut's bigger cities, or the quaint little towns on the lakefronts or backroads, you have to drive along freeways bordered by dense, green forests.  You pass underneath the most charming stone bridges that provide pedestrians with safe passage above the busy traffic lanes.  And all the while, you can see the sky, and the air is fresh and clear.  The whole effect is instantly calming.  Back in the 1630s when the English first settled here from Massachusetts, it must have seemed a home away from home, so it's easy to see why Connecticut makes up part of the country  known as "New England".

But you have probably guessed that I didn't come to Connecticut to appreciate the nature.  I actually came here to indulge a rather unusual interest of mine - the supernatural.  I know, but bear with me.

Located in the tiny town of Monroe, Connecticut you'll find Ed and Lorraine Warren's Occult Museum.  If you haven't heard of Ed and Lorraine Warren, you're probably not much of a horror movie fan.  But if you've ever seen The Amityville Horror and/or The Conjuring, you'll know that Ed and Lorraine Warren are perhaps the most famous paranormal investigators in the world.  The Warrens were high school sweethearts and life-long colleagues.  To ghost hunters and paranormal investigators around the world, they are absolute legends.

Ed Warren passed away in 2006 but now Lorraine manages the Occult Museum with some help from her son-in-law, Tony.  The Museum itself is located in the basement of the Warren home, and it contains hundreds of artefacts taken from the investigations, research work, and even exorcisms that the Warrens have engaged in or observed over the years.  Lorraine Warren is often quoted as saying to visitors that her house, and the Occult Museum in particular, is the most haunted place in the United States. 

"Warrenology" tours are conducted in relatively small groups (of about 25 people) and tickets cost $129.  That may sound steep but the evening is pretty comprehensive.

When our ticket purchase was confirmed we were told to arrive no earlier than 6pm, and our punctuality was very important.  As close to the start time as possible, we drove up and parked behind other waiting guests.  I recall being struck by just how unassuming Lorraine's house is. There aren't any signs or posters to advertise the Museum - it's just an ordinary house on a beautiful, quiet street.  We were allowed to get out of the car, so I took some photos in Lorraine's beautiful garden and generally just poked around as unobtrusively as possible.  When Lorraine's family said it was okay, we all filed inside and took our seats - on the family sofa, in my case.  Allergic as I am, I tried to ignore the cat and rooster that also live inside the house. The dog was a welcome sight.

Tony started the evening by giving us a bit of a lecture about Ed and Lorraine's career, and invited Lorraine to input some observations too.  Lorraine is in her late 80s now but she is quick to smile when she reminisces about her life with Ed, and the adventures they had together.  Even if you don't swallow the paranormal activity 'thing' hook, line, and sinker, it is clear that Lorraine loved Ed and she misses him terribly.  I warmed to her immediately.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been, but I was rather surprised to learn just how many fellow tour guests identified themselves as "ghost hunters" - and an almost equal number of people confirmed they had experienced some sort of paranormal activity in their lives.  My hands stayed in my lap.  Was anyone else in the room just curious, like me?

Tony then played us a couple of short videos, including an excerpt from an actual exorcism, and then led us downstairs to tour the Occult Museum.  The smell of incense is strong down there, and the old house lends just the right about of ambiance.  When you enter the Museum, there is "stuff" everywhere you look.  None of the exhibits are labelled either, so without Tony's lecture beforehand you wouldn't have much of a clue what you were looking at.  Some of the demoniacal souvenirs from previous investigations look pretty creepy (Ouija boards, pentagrams, books of spells), but other items look almost gimmicky - the sort of thing you'd find in a costume shop.  They're only creepy because of the backstory that Tony told us upstairs.

While Ed & Lorraine's careers took them around the world and introduced them to people of all ages and faiths, the majority of items in the Museum have been salvaged from cases across New England.  There is a lot of spirit activity going on in this part of the world.  Ghosts and demons seem to like hanging out here just as much as the living do.  Again, creepy.

Of course, the one item that most of us were there to see is the famous Annabelle doll, the story of which had a cameo in The Conjuring movie, and which is now the subject of a new film coming out soon (though this is a dramatised tale, and not based on what really happened).  During our earlier lecture, Tony had told us horror stories of previous visitors who had provoked Annabelle in the Museum and they had suffered awfully for it.  When I finally got to see the Raggedy Ann doll for myself, she didn't seem all that scary but whether it was the power of suggestion, or something else entirely, I'll admit I didn't feel like lingering in front of her display case for too long.

Once everyone had toured the Museum, we got back in our cars and drove (convoy-style) to the Stepney Cemetery in town, where Ed Warren's grave is located.  At the graveside - as macabre as that sounds - Tony gave another brief lecture about how ghosts manifest, and touched on the differences between ghosts and demons.  Tony then gave a lesson on "Psychic Photgraphy 101" and explained the most effective ways to capture spirit activity on film.  It was a shame that we didn't get time to practice our photography, but we had to get back in the car and move to the last phase of the evening.

Our Warrenology experience concluded with a delicious, 4-course meal at the nearby Italian restaurant called Roberto's.  Lorraine joined us for the dinner and from time to time I looked up to see her chatting amiably with the other guests, as well as the priest who lives at her house, and who rarely leaves her side.

After the meal, I asked Lorraine if she would autograph my copy of The Demonologist, which I had purchased a few days earlier and had only just begun to read.  Lorraine enjoyed my story about the bookstore salespeople who had misunderstood my pronunciation of "Lorraine Warren", and instead searched for a book about  "Rainbow Bomb".  Good grief, good help is hard to find.

We drove back to New York the next day, via brunch at the charming Old Schoolhouse at Cannondale.  There was so much to talk about on that journey home - the visit to the Occult Museum had raised more questions than it had answered for us. But however we felt about the Warrens and their life's work, we all agreed that Ed & Lorraine Warren's Occult Museum has to be one of Connecticut's more unusual charms.

I did take a couple of photos of my Connecticut adventure (sadly no psychic ones).  You can view the photo album by clicking here.

Go west, life is peaceful there

On Sunday afternoon I walked down through Chelsea, criss-crossed the Meatpacking District and spent a couple of hours wandering the beautiful West Village neighbourhood. 

The West Village is bordered by the Hudson River on the west, Sixth Avenue on the east, 14th Street to the north, and Houston Street to the south.  The neighbourhood has always had a distinctly bohemian, artistic vibe, and luminaries like Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac, Jim Morrison, and Bob Dylan were part of the neighbourhood furniture.  Against that backdrop, it just feels right that some of the city's best boutiques, vintage bars, top-class restaurants and hole-in-the-wall coffee shops can still be found in the West Village today.

It's very easy to get lost in the maze of crooked, narrow streets that characterise the West Village; but just gawking at all the beautiful architecture here will be worth the disorientation.  Everywhere you turn, you're treated to gorgeous brownstone townhouses, up against converted artist lofts, next to preserved historical architecture, alongside charming green spaces with impressive fountains and sculptures.

I just did a whistle-stop tour of the West Village on Sunday, but please take a look at my photos here.  You'll see I did my best to track down some of the historical sites along the walk, in between cups of strong, fair-trade coffee of course.  I even managed to resist a decadent cupcake at the iconic Magnolia Bakery too, but I did gaze longingly into the windows.

Delivering the goods

When I left Australia 10 years ago, online shopping wasn't really a thing.  By the time I got to the US, I learned that you could buy pretty much anything at the click of a button, and have it delivered anywhere without having to speak to anyone.  It was one of the most beautiful discoveries of my life.

One delivery service I have found especially useful since moving to New York is when it comes to food.  We've talked on this site about Seamless.com before, but every now and again I really do like to cook for myself.  I just find that the palaver of going into a store and browsing the aisles is often too much to bear, so I will frequently resort to online grocery shopping.

Most supermarkets and food outlets in Manhattan will do same-day home delivery - either from an online order, or if you just can't carry everything you've purchased in-store.  But I love the freedom to do my grocery shopping online whenever it suits me - even if that's at midnight.  I can place my order, pay for it in advance, and schedule delivery either the next day, or later in the week.  It just makes everything so much easier.

I've long been a devotee of Fresh Direct, not just for their own, local product range but also because they've now got a partnership with the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative which is based in Pennsylvania.  I can order a veggie box online, and I'm rewarded with an amazing array of seasonal, fresh and organic vegetables like these ones delivered to me today, without having to queue up at the supermarket or farmers market and choose the best items for myself.

Like all things though, online grocery shopping prices and product ranges vary.  If you shop around a bit, you might prefer to order directly from Food Emporium, Fairway Market, or even Whole Foods or your local D'Agostino.  And if you have to feed a family, or if you like to do a lot of cooking & freezing for later, it might be more cost-effective to buy from a place like Costco.  New York City is not light on options, that's for sure.

Other than food, there are also companies like Soap.com that specialise in same-day delivery of the household items and heavy cleaning products that we all need, but often can't carry in one shopping trip.  There's even Google Shopping Express that allows you to place an order from multiple stores (supermarkets and other vendors), but get all your products delivered at the same time on the same day that you ordered them.  For such convenience, I don't think anyone would mind paying the small delivery charge and gratuity that usually applies.

I know a lot of New Yorkers who hardly use their kitchens, other than for additional storage.  The kitchen in my itty-bitty living space is only small too, but when the mood takes me I find it quite relaxing to slave over the stove or to slow-cook something for myself.  I'm just hoping that I can do justice to today's vegetable box delivery by making a slow-roasted vegetable ratatouille.  And hey, if it doesn't work out properly, there's always Seamless.com, right?