Brighton Beach babushkas and a hundred happy hippies

Mr. Cb and I decided to hop on the subway yesterday and visit Brighton Beach, but we weren't sure exactly how to get there.

So I did what any self-respecting blogger would do...I asked bb! Actually, I had woken up early that morning and was sitting in the Starbucks on the corner reading the New York Times when it occurred to me that I could, should I so desire, text bb and invite her to join me for a coffee. So I did, and 20 minutes later, as God is my witness, bb sat down beside me. We enjoyed a wonderful chat while staring out of the window at the passing schoolchildren, when I casually mentioned Mr. Cb's overwhelming yearning to see the Russian-Jewish New York community. Bb immediately assured me that she had the information I needed, she took a pen out of her stylish bag and wrote a name on the palm of her hand. "J, my colleague, knows ALL about that, I'll ask her for details and email you." We parted at the corner and sure enough, within 10 minutes, I had both the subway directions and a restaurant recommendation.

Thankyou J! Thankyou bb! This post is dedicated to you both, with a special hug from Mr. Cb too.

Here we are on our way into the subway station:

The minute we got off the train, we knew THIS was the place we had been looking for (the sign alerted us to the presence of a dental clinic):

Look, a Life Extension Centre as well:

Might as well be in Russia, not an English sign to be found:

We strolled along the beach:

A buxom mermaid watched over us as we returned to the main street:

Enamel pots for sale. My mother-in-law is constantly bemoaning the lack of affordable enamel pots in Sydney.

Home cooking next door to the Internet Salon:

The trains kept rumbling loudly overhead:

Appetizers at Cafe Glechik (herring, boiled potatoes with dill, smoked salmon and assorted pickles, yes that IS pickled watermelon at the back!). We drank kvass.

Vareniki (boiled dumplings with a pototo and onion filling, fried lightly in butter with crispy onions on top):

It was a wonderful morning.

Because we are flying back home tomorrow I'll quickly get this into the post as well...........

This afternoon the 4 of us saw Hair on Broadway and we are all still humming and dancing. We sat in the fourth row and I was on the aisle. As you can see from the video below there's a lot of audience participation. I danced in the aisle with 2 of the male stars of the show, and at one point they both hugged me at the same time, they smelled really good and I could feel the tickle of their wigs and I touched their glowing, muscled arms. Ahem...sorry. Where was I? Oh. Yes. And at the end of the show they invite the audience to come on stage and dance with them, so I did, with Miss Cb, while Mr. and Master Cb stood and clapped for us. Mr. Cb put the flower a hippie-girl had given him behind his ear.

I'm addicted to New York and have no idea how I will be able to adapt to real life again. See you all in the southern hemisphere xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx