weekend mini bike tour
the weather was springtime perfect last saturday so i was on my bike early riding atop the williamsburg bridge, off to manhattan. first stop was the farmer's market at union square to grab a quick bite and a wheatgrass shot. though typically cat food, wheatgrass when juiced actually provides chlorophyll and tons of antioxidants to the body. an 2 oz shot of WG juice actually provides the same amount of vitamins and minerals of 4 lbs of fresh green veggies. not too bad for something that doesnt taste like crap. another great thing at the market was the deal i got at the cheese stand. got a nice small fresh cheese wedge and the seller cut a dollar off simply coz it was irregularly shaped, or maybe coz i looked like i didnt have that much cash on me.
the next stop was the hudson river park for a nice quick piss stop. aside from the much-needed release, it was great seeing a lot of people enjoying the nice weather and seeing some energy to the once hibernating new yorkers. drove on along the hudson river to eventually land at the third stop, central park. biked around the whole jogger's route. again, great to see everyone seeming so happy with the first real taste of spring time (almost summery) weather. joggers, bikers, sunbathers, tourists all over the place. not all that chill though coz first thing that had greeted me was a crazy biker in spandex running after a pedestrian teen who probably crossed the street when he wasnt supposed to. nothing more new yorker than hearing "come back here you F-in A-hole!!!" to start off a park bike ride.
after doing one full bike round of central park, i stopped at one of the boulders near the main bridge where the ducks usually are to expose myself a bit more to the cancer-causing sunrays and to catch a bit of a breather before i trekked back to b'burg. once again, it was great to see the signs of new yorker life. people with other people, people with smiles on their faces—rarities to this greatest city in the world.
on the way back, i drove through the east side, dodging taxis and pedestrians. and on the b'burg bridge, dodging jewish families. once in the neighborhood, i dropped off my wheels at the local bike shop for a much needed annual check-up and tune-up. got a nice protein shake at the nearby cafe. and by the time the bike was ready to be picked up, was on the phone inviting friends over for a night out in manhattan. ditched the bike and took the subway instead. great turnout for quite an impromptu planning. 7 of us hit some personal faves—meeting at cafe esperanto, dinner at cascata cafe italiano, coffee at veniero's, and some fine booze at cafe deville. with a matching bombay gin and tonic to cap a great day of smoothness with a kick.
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on sunday, the weather was no longer as springy and it was a shorter bike ride for me but a great one nonetheless. i drove 5 minutes to a polish neighborhood in greenpoint bklyn bit north of the apartment to meet with jamie and cathy for a nice authentic polish lunch. we ate at lomzynianka (pronounced: wom-zhee-nyan-ka). and feasted on truly foreign cuisine absolutely satisfying and filling, fit for a polish hunter (which probably explains the ominous deer head in the place. i got a polish platter which consisted of kielbasa (spiced polish sausage), pierogis (dumplings), bigos (the country's national dish, a hunter's stew of meat, cabbage and sauerkraut), a cabbage wrap and mashed potatoes. great meal and find. i hadnt known i lived that close to authentic homestyle polish cooking. not sure though how soon ill be back coz up til now, im still quite full from all that rich good food.
after lomzynianka, we walked down to the heart of b'burgh and hipsterdom. very nice atmosphere. quaint shops, small cafes, local galleries, personal not-too-commercial neighborhood feel. quite a european vibe actually. and almost felt like i was walking through amsterdam, except no rain, no cobble stones and no canals (i sense an email coming saying that amsterdam's still THE real city, ha... fair enough). it was great realizing how close all that life was to the apartment. a few more places to add to the must-hit regularly list.
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next sunday: the weather forecast isnt that great for biking, but i sense some jersey day ride adventure coming. we'll see if it happens. hopefully the saturday night HO wouldnt be that bad.
posted by jason pacheco @ 23:42
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