Talking to myself: Breakfast at Tiffany's & Central Park

We rolled out of bed on our first morning, exhausted but ready to see the sights of NYC. With only one full day in the city, we knew we had to move fast in order to see the most. Our first stop was Sarabeth's for breakfast, near the intersection of 5th Avenue and Central Park South, the street bordering the south section of the famed park. This location was carefully chosen in advance by me, convenient to two of the sites in the city that I was dying to see. The menu was delicious - I had the most scrumptous French toast with a pile of bacon, and Cory had a fluffy omelet. We dined outside, taking in the views of the NY street and the southern border of the park.

After reading Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's just recently (and then seeing the movie with Audrey Hepburn), I knew I HAD to see this famed and classic jewelry store. So after breakfast, we walked south on 5th Avenue and headed in, fully prepared to be snubbed. Instead, we (along with the throngs of other tourists) were given the red carpet treatment by all of the staff. We received warm welcomes all around, no judgment passed on our obviously midwestern attire, and had eager attention paid to us on the 3rd floor - the home of their silver collection and undoubtedly the "budget" stop for the store's less affluent customers. I am pleased to say I am now the proud owner of a pair of Tiffany Beads silver earrings - and am probably just as proud of that little blue box itself. By the way the saleslady acted you would think that I had purchased a Fabrege egg - she was so proud of her merchandise, even though I think it might have been the cheapest thing in the store. This company has been in operation since 1837 and I can see why.

We left Tiffany's and strolled up Fifth Avenue toward Central Park - the next place I just had to see (if you are feeling sorry for Cory, just remember that this whole trip revolved around our visit to Yankee Stadium, but more on that in a later post..). We descended the steps into the area around the Pond, and were immediately plunged into a different world. Almost instantly, the sights and sounds of this bustling city were obscured by the sounds and vistas of nature. We were both amazed at how beautiful and serene the park was. We spent the next few hours wandering about, admiring the Park's many statues and historic architectural elements. Many of the bridges and features were built in the 1860s, under the direction of Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, the Park's master architects. Neither of us was prepared for the immensity and beauty of this public treasure. We could have spent an entire day taking in this masterpiece.

Here I am in front of Bethesda Fountain.