September 2010 - New York - NuYorkers!

Christine and Joanne are two cool cousins from New York who I met in Pompeii 10 years ago. Since then, I've been to visit them once before in 2005, stayed with Jo in her lovely place in Hoboken (as in Crunch) in Jersey and visited Chris in fashionable Brooklyn and we had pomegranate magaritas and partied it up in some dive bar off Canal St.

I meet up with Chris and Jo, their partners and kids at the Bronx Zoo. We catch a few trains to the Bronx area and my first impression is that there isn't anything sinister about it - although there are a few more projects or housing commission buildings around. It was a record hot day in late September and the zoo was packed with families visiting. The only thing missing was a wading pool and I looked at the polar bears swimming in their icy enclosures with jealousy. It was great to catch up with the NuYorkans - Chris has a lovely little boy called Finn who was fascinated with the tigers and Jo has her little chubby baby, Jackson, who is just so adorable.

Over the next few days, I catch up with both girls for various lunches, dinners and even tea at a twee little place on the Upper West Side called Tea with Alice. We even visited Chris' work, the Sesame Street headquarters, near the Lincoln Centre and get to cuddle up to Grover and hang out with in Oscar's trash can. Pity i didn't get to meet Elmo, who i'm told was off on a busy book signing tour!

After dinner that night with the girls at Rosa Mexicana in the Upper West Side, we stumble on a scene shoot for Gossip Girl! You gotta love New York for celebrity spotting!!