BEA 2011 Highlights -- Thursday and Friday (Day 4 and 5)

You probably thought I was done with all these BEA wrap up posts because it has been a few days since I last posted one, but I still have a few more highlights to share with you!

Thursday was another insanely busy day -- not so much because I was attending the third day of the conference, but rather because I had plans for a tour of Greenwich Village and lunch with a very special lady -- Adriana Trigiani.

Kathy and I headed over to the Javits Center first thing in the morning so we could pack up and ship our boxes. I admit I almost had a heart attack when I received the final tally, but it's just a cost of attending BEA. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself (and my husband.) We managed to walk around the floor one final time and we did grab just a few more books....

Around 10:30, we decided that it was time to meet up with some fellow bloggers and take a cab to Greenwich Village for our scheduled tour. I was fortunate enough to be invited to do a walking tour of Greenwich Village hosted by Adriana's tour company. The day was absolutely beautiful and the tour was nothing less than amazing! In fact Nikki, our tour host, customized the tour to include spots from Adriana's books. We first visited Our Lady of Pompeii Church which was so beautiful that it took my breath away, and then we walked around the Village and saw a few buildings that were mentioned in Adriana's novels. I was especially excited to see the ones from LUCIA, LUCIA! We also stopped in the most adorable tea and coffee shop called McNulty's which I will be sure to re-visit (or at least order on-line) because they had some amazing teas like Apple Pie and Magic Spice Blend.

We met at Father Demo Square

Waiting for tour to begin

The Cherry Lane Theatre -- mentioned in LUCIA, LUCIA

Kathy smelling tea at McNulty's

Then we headed down to down to the Meatpacking District and learned all about the revitalization of this area. It's pretty amazing. Most of the buildings looked pretty rough on the outside, but inside they are very high-end restaurants and nightclubs. We also had the opportunity to go to The High Line Park. I had just seem the park from my cab window the day before and as thrilled that I would actually be able to walk around and see it. What a view!

View from High Line Park

And then it was off to The Standard Grill for lunch with Adriana! Adriana has been one of my favorite authors for years -- way before blogging. After meeting her a few times last year, I didn't think it could get any better. I was so wrong!

The Standard Grill -- where we had lunch

At The Standard Grill, we had our own private room. The decor was really nice and the food was excellent. I had some delicious carrot soup, a grilled eggplant sandwich, and cheesecake for dessert. But it was the conversation and company that definitely made the day. I was lucky enough to have scooped a seat right next to Adriana; and for the next few hours, I was mesmerized by Adriana's stories. She truly is larger than life!

Very Lucky Bloggers and Adriana!

Then it was back to the Javits Center by way the subway (and lots of speed walking) because we couldn't get a cab for the Book Blogger Convention Reception. Unfortunately, I was only there for a few minutes and missed out on talking to some friends. I was very bummed!

And then I had to rush off (again) to get to Atria Book's Blogger Party. They really did go all out and make us feel very appreciated. The food was catered by Aaron Sanchez, a chef who is coming out with a cookbook in the fall; and they even had quite a few authors there to meet like Lisa Tucker, Ellen Hopkins, Spencer Quinn, and Sarah Pekkanen. I picked up some wonderful books and had a blast!

After the party, Alison, Jenn, Candace, Kathy and I decided that we just wanted to chill. We headed over to Magnolia Bakery and got a few cupcakes and snacked on them next to a fountain. It was such a pleasure to visit with my friends and have some quiet time to talk.

That night, after Kathy and I got back to our hotel, I noticed a text from my husband telling me that we were "taking on water." ACK! I tried to call him and couldn't get through so I started to panic... just a bit. I eventually found out that we had experienced some awful storms, possibly a nearby tornado; and the rain was so strong that it came in through our dining room windows and ran down the walls. I figured there wasn't a lot I could do from New York, but I did feel bad for not being there to help... especially since they were without power for almost a day. (My husband kind of played down the damage until I arrived home. It wasn't awful, but we did have water damage in three rooms.)

On Friday morning, I was woken up bright and early by the vibrating of my cell phone. (And to think Kathy and I thought we could sleep in.) It was an automated message from the school district telling us that school was cancelled -- I told you the storms were bad! I decided then and there that I was going to have our scheduled lunch with author Sarah Pekannen and then head home a  few hours early. Kathy and I ended up having a nice breakfast at Junior's, and then we just walked around 5th Avenue and did some window shopping. We also managed to hit the Nintendo Store and pick up a few things for our boys.

Kathy and I met Sarah for lunch and had a fantastic time talking about BEA, books, and Sarah's next novel. After our lunch, I decided that I was going to head back home. I was torn because I loved my visit in New York and hanging out with my good friend Kathy, but I was desperate to see my husband and kids again!

Overall, it was just an amazing week!!!! Thanks for letting me share it with you!