The other side of the river...

I've been instructed not to look like a complainer in this post but then again anyone who knows me won't be too fooled by that! So, lets just say our introduction to Brooklynites has been less than perfect and at times utterly frustrating. Yes, the stereotypes about the occupants of the 'land of the free' tended to be on full display for the first two days of our visit. After listening to loud Americans wax lyrical at the same cafe two days in a row about the fascinating topic of their bike brakes/locks/chains etc for at least an hour at a volume so loud that you cannot have a conversation and finding that the task of buying a SIM card for your 'cell' is near impossible (I still don't have one!) and discovering that customer 'service' here translates to 'we can't help you with that' we retreated to our apartment for some respite... Happily we had a much better experience yesterday as we hopped on the F train to Manhattan East Village. Finally, people who chat, smile, indeed go out of their way to assist you (and this started in the subway). Perhaps the previous two days were just a bad dream? We spent an hour or so chatting with the lovely woman at 'Moo Shoes' and patting her cat we left with two new vegan shoes and a plan to eat at Caravan of Dreams just down the road. Almost every food store/cafe we past on the way boasted 'vegan food' proudly on their signs. After a nice but very expensive lunch we popped into Wholefoods on the way back to our apartment and stocked up on supplies. A quick train ride and a mid afternoon relaxation on our rooftop balcony with our squirrel friends followed by an evening in with a home cooked meal was just fine. Getting way too addicted to the crappy cable TV though! Today we are off to Williamsburg to the vegan cafe/bakery Champs and to Pine Box Rock Shop (a vegan bar) for post lunch/pre-dinner drinks. Brooklyn take two! Sharing our rooftop garden with the friendly critters of Brooklyn

Caravan of Dreams

Wild Rice and Cremini Risotto Croquettes

Chocolate and Acai Berry Pie

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