that's amore

Have you ever been in a moment where life was just simply perfect? That's how this weekend felt for Me&Ry. From the second I picked him up at Penn Station, life was pure bliss. I savored every single second and truly lived in the moment. New York is such a magical place. The energy, the food, the people, the buildings, the lights.... everything. But it is so much more unbelievable when you're in love. We had such a great time over the long weekend... eating, shopping, walking, exploring, talking and laughing. Ryan loved it here! He finally understands what all my gushing and obsessing is about. The trip was way too short for my liking. Luckily, we did get to see and do so much in the few days we had together!

Ryan arrived early Friday morning after an exhausting red eye flight. After a nice nap we went to Rockefeller Center and took a tour of NBC studios.

We had lunch at Cafe Duke and did a little shopping at H&M. We walked down 5th Ave. admiring all the gorgeous storefronts and made it to Central Park. We leisurely strolled through the park watching runners, dog walkers, pretzel sellers and all the folk that congregate in the park on a warm sunny day. We came out of the park on the West side at 72nd street and stopped in at Trader Joe's. Ryan got a kick out of a grocery store with escalators. They even have special escalators for your shopping cart... He realized right away how unique New York really is. We stocked up on a few groceries and snacks to keep on hand. This girl does not do well in the city heat without provisions. We went home to freshen up for the night and headed out for a fun dinner.

We ate a delicious dinner at Patsy's. As we ate we watched cars drive by and the lights flicker outside the restaurant. At that moment, Ryan fell in love with New York's Italian food. 

Saturday we got to go on an amazing bike tour of Brooklyn.

(Thanks again to the Skousen's!)

We got to see battery park, the financial district, wall street, ride over the Manhattan Bridge, explore DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, the promenade, rode back over the Brooklyn Bridge and ground zero. We stopped to take pictures and admire along the way.

[the Manhattan Bridge]

[view of the Empire State Building through the Manhattan Bridge]

[love this skyline]

[Brooklyn Bridge]

[Lady Liberty]

After the bike ride we went out on the town.

We had Mexican food in Hell's Kitchen at Arriba Arriba! I am still thinking about their chips and guac...

We walked around Times Square holding hands...

Then we headed down to take a little ride on the Staten Island Ferry! 

We stood out on the windy deck and admired the skyline at night and the gorgeous Statue of Liberty. My skirt may have blown up in front of a crazy homeless guy and some teenage boys.

Sunday we spent a day on the Upper West Side. Ryan got to see the glorious i-house where I am staying and explore a bit of my neighborhood.

We walked up Riverside Drive along the park and headed to 

Columbia University.

This campus holds a very special place in my heart. I feel so proud when I visit my dad's Alma Mater. I love thinking about our young family what a great experience we had while he studied here. 

[Ryan was so excited to find Tom's Restaurant from Sienfeld!]

We ate a little lunch at Amir's Falafel.

Monday our biggest activity was a visit to the Museum of Natural History.

[We saw the source of my fear... the whale.]

[Ryan loves his Moai.]

[dinosaurs]

We explored The Village and Washington Square Park. We sat outside listening to street performers and enjoying the gorgeous weather.

For dinner we found Luigi's.. another amazing Italian joint. This little hole in the wall is one of the top rated pasta restaurants in New York. Ryan misses Luigi's more than anything else in the city, of course.

As you can tell we had the most amazing time in New York! I wish our time here never had to end... Oh how I miss him. I'm so happy Ry loved the city as much as I do. Let's just say we will definitely be back!