In which I am home!

Oh, darlings, I am home at last and, goodness me, but I'm tired! It was an exhausting, exhilarating, and fabulous time. Here are a few of the highlights--and if you're planning a trip to NYC soon, a couple of things you might want to check out.

Bottega del Vino. Lovely restaurant with a superb wine list just a wee bit down from the Plaza. Really great service and be sure to finish up with some lemon sorbet.

Savage Beauty--the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met. A complete OMG moment here. It was stunning. The pieces themselves are breathtaking, and the Met's care in mounting the exhibit is just stupendous. They aren't displayed as clothes, they are works of art, and in the context of the exhibit, it's absolutely apparent. Unforgettable, but GO EARLY! We got there ten minutes after the Met opened and went straight up to the second floor. By the time we finished, the exhibit was already roped off with the line stretching back for two galleries.

The Cloisters. The Met's branch of medieval European art and architecture. It's uptown. FAR uptown, as in you take the subway as far as you can and then walk further. We took the bus from the Met and the ride was over an hour. We took the subway back to midtown and it was 20 minutes, so the subway is definitely the way to go. Just don't underestimate how long it's going to take either way. And it's a wee hike from the subway station, so wear comfortable shoes. That's the grim part--having said that, it's completely worth it. The museum is one of those jewel-like pocket museums, easy to take in even if you only have an hour. Much of the magnificence comes from the architecture, and since it is medieval architecture, the effect is restful and serene. It is as much about the space as it is the tapestries, a particularly relaxing feature if you've just had a bit of art overload. Do not miss the Treasury, in particular the needlework pieces. There are a few unfinished samples, and I was amazed to find that medieval artists would sketch directly onto the fabric before it was stitched by embroiderers--almost exactly what we do today. (It was particularly amazing to compare the tiny, precise stitches with those we had just seen in the McQueen couture an hour earlier.) There's a small cafe in the museum if you want a snack, but we stopped at the New Leaf in Tryon Park for the juiciest hamburgers you've ever seen! Oh, and if you're at the Cloisters, make a point of joining the garden tour. It takes about an hour and covers the unicorn tapestries as well as the various gardens. The guide was hugely knowledgeable and it was well worth the time.

Afternoon tea at the Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel. Oh, my. I've only done this once before, and I was SO happy to go again! The Plaza is just old New York, luxurious and hushed and elegant. It is one of those places that I think you have to have in a city as buzzy and hectic as New York. You walk in and after one breath of that fragrant air, everything just seems to melt away. The staff are very discreet--you hardly know they are there! They arrive with tea and delicious things to eat and slip away again, leaving you to your conversation and the soft piano music in the background. There is NEVER a rush on their part to get you out of there. If you want to stay for two or three hours, they are happy to have you. (And the velvet chairs are so comfortable, it may take you that long to bring yourself to leave...) Don't miss the portrait of Eloise, and be sure to snap a picture of the recently-installed zodiac sculptures just outside the front door.

Alright, this next bit is going to involve some name-dropping, and I apologize in advance. I got to have drinks at the Yale Club with Lauren Willig. I know. Believe me, I couldn't get past the door if I weren't with Willig! But she breezed us right in and we settled into some leather wingbacks for drinks and writer chat and it was divine! All dark leather and quiet tones and toile wallpaper in the ladies' room...if you don't happen to know someone with Yale connections, the Algonquin Hotel is also a lovely place to have some drinks and a cozy chat or even tea if the Plaza is not your thing. If you're there, keep an eye out for the Algonquin cat, Matilda!

I was also--yeah, more name-dropping, sorry!--lucky enough to have a late drinks date with Kristan Higgins. From her books and videos you might expect her to be charming and funny and incredibly sweet. You'd be wrong--she's even better. I was so happy to spend a bit of time with her and catch up! I had drinks in a few different places during BookExpo, and I think my favorite was probably Bar 10 in the Westin. It's just off of Times Square and VERY comfortable with low, squashy banquettes and a fireplace.

Phew! That's it for now, I think. I'm home, I'm catching up, and I hope all is great with y'all!