One of the people we were to meet at last returned a cell call. This is a classic Eastern European restaurant at 10th and 2nd Avenue.. Then it was time for a hellish run to the Port Authority, both needing to find a bathroom and desperate to catch the bus in time to make it back to Jersey and a long-arranged night with the family at the Scots-American social club.m. Back in Jersey, Manhattan was a vision across the water again. New York is teeming with picturesque side streets with tiny cafes, shops, galleries and what not. But the break was over. John's brother-in- law Joey kept the wine and beer going as it was his night to tend bar, but after the night before we kept it light. We met my friend for drinks at another "guys' bar" with an after work crowd culled from Wall Street. Solemn moment. More of a beer and scotch place I guess.I got stuffed cabbage and borscht and even went for dessert. John had a White Russian that seemed to be made with maple syrup. We arranged to meet him in midtown and walked all the way (40 blocks or so, but John the native assured me they were the short blocks, not the crosstown blocks). We ended up at Veselka around 2 p.We fell into bed and slept blissfully - though by morning's light we discovered the room was tiny. Well, eating was going to happen, but first some great walking and a truly wonderful cup of coffee at a place we ducked into. John pointed out the view from our window and what it was missing - the World Trade Center. Didn't this used to be an old SRO hotel? They certainly didn't increase the room size when it was converted to a profit center. Okay, I admit it, we turned the phone off for hours so as to be unreachable.I persuaded my native hosts to go back to Manhattan the next day, this time to hit the Natural History Museum. The walk took us across the strange diagonal which Broadway becomes and I started to get a feel for the geography of the city, something that's hard to do in a cab, bus or car. We read the NY Times at our window China eco friendly cellulose sponges wholesale manufacturers table and watched the world go by. I mean, ahem, conserve the battery. Don't ask me the name. We got a late check out and debated what to do
