A Girls Getaway...Without Going Anywhere: Day 2

There's nothing like waking up with your best girlfriends by your side, bursting out of your sleeping bag and running to the kitchen to whip up some buttery scrambled eggs, syrupy pancakes and bacon. American brekkie at its finest (or fattiest depending on who you ask) and for us it was an essential way to kick off Day 2 of our Manhattan Girls Getaway.

Of course, we ate breakfast in front of the boob tube, something I haven't done ever since I removed my television from my bedroom in a quest to simplify my life. So there I sat, fork in one hand, remote in the other, watching the remnants of the movie we had started the night before but as per usual, I was asleep before the opening credits were finished rolling. I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit what movie we chose (with resounding unanimity) to watch...it was none other than The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. The title makes me giggle, reminding me of the first time I visited my one-time lover in Italy, showed up to the airport in black leggings (as pants), and in his broken English and clear disdain for the leggings he questioned, "Are those your travel trousers?"

I assume he was secretly and mildly entertained by my traveling pants, just about as much as I was entertained by the film. Most entertaining was Kostas, Lena's young Greek lover from Santorni. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I'm a glutton for a delicious European love affair, fiction or non.
So after Kostas re-kindled his burning desire for Lena and they ran off into the deep blue Mediterranean together, it was time to get back to reality and figure out what our itinerary would be for Day 2. As an avid and sometimes menacing bike rider, I convinced the girls to take South Street/Battery Park bike tour with me as guide. They agreed, and a short subway trip later we were at Bike and Roll Rentals, located along the water near the Liberty Island Ferry. For a modest $12/hour we scored some awesome beach cruisers with super comfy seats and locks. Some scenic shots along the NYC Greenway en route to South Street Seaport:
South Street Seaport was even busier than usually because a certain Prince, President, and sandcastle contest got in the way...


But with our bikes we whizzed by the chaos and fled to a more sane spot...the brand new South Street Seaport Farmer's Market, setup in front of the fish vendor stalls. It's a delightful addition to the SSS neighborhood. See for yourself:



Making a quick stop to show the girls Stone Street's (I'm a sucker for cobblestones), we raced each other back over to the Hudson and directly to my favorite Battery Park Italian cafe, Inateso, for THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE IN MANHATTAN. I talked it up the whole way over, but the girls vowed that I was right. Look how content we are:
Next up...the park, Sunday brunch, and the secret garden.