Welcome to BrookElyn

Ok, so I said on Brooke's blog that i'd write updates on mine and then I never did, and she DID, after saying she wouldn't. So it all works out in the end. BUT--i do have pictures! So i'll write a recap of the trip according to the pics.

Here is Brooke in the subway. Woohoooo!


The first thing we did was see the cloisters, which shows medieval European art and architecture. It was pretty cool. Here we are in the catacombs...


Just kidding, that's a lie. It was the weird tunnel we had to go through coming out of the subway station you'd think would have come from the medieval period as well. Maybe it's to get us in the medieval-y mood,I don't know. Here's some cool medieval wall art.



Here are Sean & Brooke reading up.



It really was a beautiful place.




Oh, here is one of Brooke with the George Washington Bridge in the background. You know, because Brooke loves GW and all things related. She demanded that I take this picture. I was like "Geez, Brooke, it's just a bridge" but she was vehement.


We also visited the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. They are pretty. I like them. This is Sean and Brooke in the Shakespeare garden, I believe. All the flowers are mentioned in one of S-peare's works. Brooke will probably have some pics of this.


We walked around the Japanese garden and saw like 5,000 fish all trapped in this little pool. We could see their fins flapping outside of the water, it was so shallow. It was weird but interesting, and slightly alarming.


Look at the pretty tree.


This was a cool garden maze thing. Sean was interested in the pattern, of course.


Brooke and I visited several cool places, one of which was Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington allegedly stayed and said farewell to his troops. According to Brooke, anyway, and we all know what her reliability as a source is. We also got some delishes food here.



We also visited some very old churches including Trinity Church, or as I stupidly kept calling it, Trilogy Church. I have problems. This was a cool door.


After many many hours of walking, we were extremely fatigued and had achy feet. Or maybe that was just me. Either way, I demanded we rest and capture ourselves in our exhausted state. Enjoy this treasure I like to call "Jen's Amazing Vanishing Chin."


On the train to Grimaldi's of pizza heaven, we were delighted by the sounds of some lame-o's crappy MP3 player music he thought it was cool to play outloud for all of us to enjoy. I tried to capture the expression on our faces to portray exactly how we felt about this dude but it took a couple of tries. Brooke's were good, but my look wasn't coming out at all how i wanted. Take One: (i actually was looking right at the guy) "I am so...bored."


Take Two: "what? why did you wake me up? jerk"


Take Three: Finally, we got it right:


I'd also like to point out that we took a ga-ZILLION pictures of ourselves, all of which i'm pretty sure were so butt ugly. And then finally, the last picture of the trip, we took one more and captured the miracle picture, the only good one. We were shocked that it turned out pretty decent. I think Brooke has that one.

Here is Brooke enjoying some good pizza. I politely yet sternly advised we get the plain pizza w/no toppings because that's just what you do here. I don't eat toppings anymore. They just mask the fact that the pizza is crappy. If your pizza is good, all it needs is good sauce, mozzarella, and basil.


There are a ton more pictures of the trip but check out Brooke's blog for more. I think she got a more comprehensive record of the trip. These final four pictures are of our dinner at a super yummy french place called Bandol Bistro.

Brooke's shrimp with risotto


My "Branzini" which is like striped bass, i learned. It was tasty and very light.


Here is a weird dessert we got called a Charlotte something or other. Weird fruity mousse stuff with lady fingers. It was good.


But here was the souffle a la perfection. Cut into this bad boy and gooey chocolate oozes out to greet you. "Hello... you are most welcome," we said.



After taking Brooke to the train station, i wrote this poem on the train home:

The subway ride is long and lonely,
I feel an absence and I hang my head.
Many people are all around me,
But I wish I had a Brooke instead.

sniff. thanks for the good time and all the laughs, brooke. And remember: You ALWAYS use the restroom when there's one available!! Now you stay outside until you learn this lesson. No! i won't let you come home until you've learned and are dying to go!!