The Last Big Adventure

Before I get to our final trip to NYC, first some pictures from this week's happy hour at Chevy's. Since it's getting late in the summer, and since our project deadlines are quickly approaching, many people are no longer interested in attending happy hours, so this past week there were only a few of us.

Doesn't Ting look beautiful in her new dress?!

Stephanie, Svenja, Ting, and Nele - four of the girls in my office

Edith and Catherine

Margarita and her boyfriend Carlos (he flew in for 10 days from Mexico City)

The group

Okay, now to get onto the NYC trip. The goal for today's trip was to casually walk through parks - Riverside and Central - and to enjoy our last trip to the city. We started with a walk around the Columbia University area.

Catherine likes Seinfeld and wanted to see the Restaurant sign.

Close-up of St. John the Divine

Statue in the garden of St. John's

Building behind St. John's

The Columbia library

The old library

The Alma Mater

The three ladies in front of the Columbia lion - Nele, Catherine, and Svenja (a.k.a. Spnina - this is what the Starbucks lady wrote on her cup)

Teachers College - I had to take a look!

Union Theological Seminary (from Columbia University)

Beautiful sunflowers at Columbia

After walking around Columbia, we headed over to Riverside Park. It was hot, so we just started at 116th (we didn't walk up to Grant's tomb at 125th).

A soccer field

A volleyball court (and rings for swinging) and some girls brought out their umbrella for sunbathing

A walkway in Riverside

Besides seeing a park, the other point of walking through Riverside was so that I could see the 91st street garden (the last scene in You've Got Mail) - I love this place! Although this probably wasn't the best time of year to see the flowers, there were some beautiful ones!

Candid shot of Nele, Svenja, and Catherine - they were planning our afternoon while I was taking pics

I believe this is a soldiers memorial

After walking through Riverside and passing the garden, we realized we were getting hungry so we stopped for a bite to eat at a yummy restaurant (that has a name I can't remember).

My tomato, mozarella, and basil "sandwich"

Catherine and Svenja

Svenja's vegetable quiche and salad

Nele and I

Catherine's smoked salmon salad

Nele's goat's cheese and arugula salad

After lunch, we took the train to the northside of Central Park to see part of the jazz concert.

Nele and I sat in the grass and saw (and heard!) the pool - the kids were loud and the lifeguards were constantly blowing their whistles

Beautiful sights from where we were sitting

We wished we were swimming like the duck... it was HOT today!

Ducks sunbathing

After a little while, we took the subway to the middle part of Central Park and saw some lawn bowling games in progress.

Lawn bowling

Croquet court

The great lawn

The fountain

The restaurant on the water

After walking around some more, we decided we were hot and tired and needed ice cream! So I looked on my iphone, saw a Haagen Dazs, and we headed in that direction. However, we got there and either it was no longer there or the iphone lied (I think it wasn't there anymore?). Luckily, it worked out fabulously because there was a delicious gelato place and it was yummy!!!!

Then we headed to Lincoln Square to look around before getting on the subway.

Poor Svenja didn't have sunglasses!

Then it was time to head back to the train. On the train we saw the stadium that we've seen everytime we head to and from Princeton to Penn Station. Not sure what stadium it is though! :)

Smile: These trips to NYC have been fun!

Frown: I think many of us are really starting to get homesick! Thankfully we still have our project deadlines to keep us focused, however, I still think a lot of us are anxiously counting down the days until we leave (I will be in Texas in two weeks!!!).