A very memorable long weekend

When you move to a city like New York, the concept of a staycation over a long weekend is never a trial.  In fact, you wear the goofiest of grins when the drizzly rain and thunderstorms clear out and you get bright sunshine soaking right through your skin and down into your bones.  Such was the experience for New Yorkers this long weekend, capped off with Memorial Day celebrations that herald the official start of summer.

I had a fairly low-key Saturday, filled with the sorts of errands that everybody puts off doing during the week.  Come Sunday though, I was ready to face the City and like most New Yorkers, that meant the most delicious of weekend institutions: brunch.

Alder is one of those tiny restaurants that line the stretch of Second Avenue in the East Village.  Blink and you'd miss it, but that would be a shame.  Their outdoor dining space is also small, but we snagged a great table in the sun, and shared the bacon, egg & cheese gyoza, and a serve of pickled beets, before I tucked in to my delicious pastrami hash, with a soft-boiled egg that oozed gooey yolk like liquid sunshine.  The barista at Alder knows a thing or two about coffees as well, and on that front I was not disappointed.

A few blocks away, the predominantly Puerto Rican community on the Lower East Side hit the streets on Avenue C to celebrate The Loisaida Festival 2014, a massive community street fair that stretched for blocks.  In a neighbourhood that used to be racked by drugs, violence, and gangs, fed-up local residents started the Festival in the mid-1970s as an attempt to rebuild their little corner of New York.  Over the years, the annual celebration has grown to embrace other Hispanic nationalities, but the Puerto Rican flags were still flying high yesterday.  There were little stalls selling grilled meats, roasted corn, and the most refreshing pina coladas for $5.  A large concert stage set up at the very end of the Festival showcased a number of bands that inspired couples of all ages to get up and dance.  My friends from Brazil and El Salvador could not stand still and I have to say, despite not having any salsa rhythm to speak of, I found it hard not to shimmy along.  If you can't beat 'em, join' em!

Regretting my decision to wear 3" heels, I left the Festival and hobbled a few blocks to Ninth Ward, a narrow and dark Louisiana bar back up on Second Avenue.  Walk through the dim, wood-paneled bar area and you'll find  the restrooms (unisex - and rather cheekily labelled "Sex", "Drugs" and "Rock n Roll").  Continue further on and you emerge into a beer garden that is a real treat.  The sun was still warm, the drinks were ice-cold, and our smiles were large.

It must have been the day for friends and cold beers, because after our refreshing pit-stop, we persuaded a lovely taxi driver to take us a few blocks south, just past Houston Street.  We called into Fool's Gold, which was having its "soft opening" yesterday - prior to its official launch on 1 June.  With a massive selection of craft beers, and very knowledgeable staff, we sipped our drinks and watched the sign-writer paint the brand-new gastropub's name on its front doors.  It's not often that you get to see a New York bar before the "welcome" sign paint even dries!

When my alarm went off this morning, and the sun was already shining on Memorial Day, I don't mind admitting that I cursed the impromptu bar crawl of the day before.  But I did not roll over and go back to sleep, because I'd made a deal with myself to head to the Upper West Side and observe the Memorial Day ceremony at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Riverside Park.  I'd never been up to this part of the Upper West Side, and on such a beautiful and important day, it seemed silly to stay under the covers.

So off to the Upper West Side I went, and with a cool breeze blowing off the Hudson River, just past the tree line, I sat and watched the crowd grow for the Memorial Day service.  Pipers were warming up not too far away, and the Navy band was in place and ready to go.

The Soliders' and Sailors' Monument was created in homage to the Civil War soldiers that served and gave their lives to protect the Union.  Then-Governor Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Monument in 1900 and it was dedicated two years later.  Now the monument comes under the care of the NYC Parks Department.  They completed a major restoration in 1960 and the plaza (where we sat today) was reconstructed in 2008.

There was a huge turnout today - hundreds of people came to pay their respects.  The old ladies in my row handed me a giant American flag and designated me the official flag-waver for our group.  At various points in the ceremony I was prodded to lift the flag high and wave it proudly.  The only time they gave me a break was during the Star Spangled Banner, which was just as well because I always get a bit weepy during that song.  I know, I'm not even from here - I can't help it.

The line-up of guest speakers for this morning's ceremony included a who's who of the City of New York.  Mayor De Blasio was there and delivered a stirring address, speaking quite personally about growing up in an Army household and the importance of always remembering the fallen.  The Mayor was followed by the Secretary of the Navy, the City Comptroller, the Borough President of Manhattan, and a Brigadier General from the 2nd Marine Division.

After a group of young cadets recited the Gettysburg Address, wreaths were laid in memory of those who had given their lives for their country.  Before long, the base of the Monument was a sea of lush green foliage and bright, colourful flowers.

The ceremony only last about 90 minutes but it was a beautiful tribute to past and present men and women in the armed forces.

Walking back through Riverside Park, I enjoyed the cool Hudson River breeze on my face, and just watched the families, joggers, cyclists, and dogs all out and about on this sunny public holiday.

My belly was growling for lunch by the time I reached the steps of The Boat Basin Cafe, which has finally re-opened for the season.  The hostess was kind enough to find me a table right by the water, and somehow I bypassed the 25-minute wait for tables.  My Australian accent wins again!  I had already had one of the most American days in living memory, so I continued the theme with beers and a burger - now that, my friends, is the real American dream!