Weekends, good friends and Riverside Park...

I spoke to Tatiana today (well, I do most days, actually) and she told me that she now understands a bit more what my life on the road is really like. Y'see, she moved to Geneva, Switzerland, last weekend (as I came back to New York) and she's had two weekends on her own. She has four more months there before she can go back to Newcastle and I think she won't make it, to be honest. She loves her house and being around her own stuff too much. And she's already homesick. Plus, she's so worried about me.

When I was back in the UK, I had a heart attack. It wasn't the first, in fact. It appears that I've actually had three, so I'm told. But because I'm asymptomatic (I didn't have any of the usual signs so wasn't aware that I was having heart attacks) I just wrote the first two off to a bad reaction to Jameson's whisky!

The first two were here in the US. I collapsed in the subway on the way back to my apartment the day before I headed back to the UK. But the last one was almost perfect... I had it in the doctor's surgery! So, I was rushed into hospital where I spent a few days as sick as a dog because of the clash of drugs I had to be administered.

Anyway, I'm back on my feet and back at work and not about to start thinking I'm ill. And that's what worries Tatiana. She thinks I should have stayed in the UK to rest up a bit more. But, y'know, I'm absolute crap at doing nothing. I have to have something going on or I die of boredom in 4.2 seconds.

So, Geneva has been having a cultural period celebrating Russian...er... Russian something-or-other. And last night it ended with a fabulous firework display on the lake. My wife had a fabulous view of the whole thing and thoroughly enjoyed the Russian atmosphere around (although she's quite pissed with the whole Georgia thing, it has to be said). But she told me that it was very hard to really enjoy something so spectacular when you're on your own. A bit like a huge erection, I suppose.

Well, I'm very lucky, in that, I have such great friends here in New York. And they need neither fireworks nor erections to pop round an keep me company. I spend a lot of time at the Boathouse in Central park It's a nice spot. But it's very touristy and weddingy (people getting married). So, when the ever so debonair Matt McGowan (a neighbour just a few blocks away) told me that Riverside Park had been all spruced up, I thought I should take a peek. After all, it's only one block away from me.

It's wonderful!

So, it's my new place to hang out. That being the case I went there Saturday afternoon, to a great little cafe on the pier at 72nd for a pitcher of refreshingly fruity Sangria.

And there's only one thing that makes a beautiful summer day on the river with a pitcher of Sangria even better... Having some of your best pals around.

The legendary internet marketer who is Larry Chase (and best buddy) was in town. And no less legendary (or friend) Rebecca Lieb joined for a wonderful Mediterranean lunch followed by drinks in the park.

This cafe/bar is wonderful and literally a five minute walk from where I live.

I can't quite figure out why the woman in the front of the shot (a complete stranger) felt she had to hide herself. Does your husband read this blog honey? Should you have been somewhere else? And the guy on the right who looks like he fell straight off the ceiling most certainly had been drinking Sangria :-)

The pier is very long and gives great views of the river, New Jersey and all the water sports going on.
Larry and I decided to walk up to the boat basin on 79th Street. Larry had once considered buying a boat and living there. What a lovely old hippy he is :-)

There's actually a fabulous (mainly tourist free) cafe/bar at the boat basin... And it's called... Wait for it... The Boat Basin Cafe!

It sits right over the river and has a great atmosphere right now, in Summer. You should go there when you're in New York. But shush!! Don't tell the tourists :-)