Elaine and Chris in NYC - Part 2

I didn't have a the photo of Elaine and Chris on my camera, so you didn't get to see him in the last post.  Here they are:

Hanging out with Chris and Elaine in NYC

Elaine and Chris arrived on Friday to spend a long weekend in New York City. So far, they'veseen many things in a very short time -- the Empire State Building, Chinatown, the Brooklyn Bridge, and DUMBO in Brooklyn just to name a few. 

And last night, I was able to see them for some drinks and appetizers in Soho. I was so excited to see them! After many emails and photos, we were finally going to meet in person. (Unfortunately, Guillaume couldn't join us because he had to work.)

It was rainy and cold last night, but we managed to brave the weather and meet at Bar 89 on Mercer Street. 

Bar 89 (in photo at the left) is a spacious bar/restaurant that has a great menu of American comfort food. It also has a large art installation that changes monthly. This month it had many amarylis plants in pots attached to a metal frame hanging from the ceiling. 

What the place is really famous for are its unique restrooms, though. I won't spoil the surprise, but, if you are curious and can't make the trip to NYC, Elaine tells me you can see a video of them on Youtube. I recommend seeing it for yourself. ;)

But I digress. While walking to meet them at the bar, I was a little worried that I might not

 recognize Elaine and Chris when they came in. (Chris, where was the red, blue and yellow outfit?! Haha!)  They confessed to the same fear. But it wasn't a problem at all. I saw them when they came in and I knew it was them. (The picture that they sent me and that was posted here helped me to figure it out.)  

So, I waved them over to where I was at the bar and we got a table. We began to get to know each other as we looked at the drink menu. Elaine and I chose a big, pink, girly cocktail -- the name escapes me -- and Chris had a Stella.  Later, we splurged on another fancy cocktail -- a pomegranate martini. YUM! 

Even before the drinks came, we were chatting easily. Elaine and Chris are warm, funny, smart and personable.  Though we didn't really know each other aside from emails and our family connection, I felt immediately at ease.  I guess that's something that just happens with family, even if you are sort of distantly related.  Or maybe it's just because they are great people!

We traded stories about life in the U.K. versus the States. I offered a few tips on shopping and restaurants in the city. I learned that Elaine works with 16-18 year-old-students helping them get work experience for university. She told me about her famous shepherd's pie with lamb mince (can I have the recipe, Elaine?). Chris loves boats and was in the Navy and has seen so many cities all over the world. It was fascinating!

We also discussed their trip so far. I think they may have liked the festive atmosphere of Chinatown the best. They saw the dragons in the street and the fish market and even ate at a Dim Sum restaurant. I don't think they tried the chicken feet, though! They hope to do some more shopping and maybe hit a jazz club before they leave.

I asked Elaine about Danny in Scotland and she said that she met him in Edinburough, I think. Danny was my first connection to

 the extended family tree. He wrote a letter to my grandmother about 4 0r 5 years ago and gave her his email address. I wrote to him and he sent us many historical photos and a sprawling print out of the family tree. It was amazing. Elaine said she met Danny and Gillian for dinner and they are delightful!

I really wanted to continue talking with them, b

ut I had another party to attend that same night. I decided to be a little late to the party and we ordered a second drink and split some yummy appetizers. (BTW, the hot hot hot chips were delish and the buffalo chicken salad looked scrumptious. I couldn't try them both because I had to save room for the Shepherd's pie at the Australian place.)

After we were finished, I walked out with them  and we said our goodbyes from beneath our umbrellas. Then, Chris and Elaine headed to the subway back uptown to their hotel. I hopped in a cab and hightailed it to a bar/restaurant The Australian located near Penn Station to celebrate our close friend, Sofia's, birthday.

I hope that Chris and Elaine come back again soon. There's always more to see in New York City and maybe they could even journey out to NJ to see the (in)famous Garden State! 

A Big Fish

Here's another mystery photo. I'm not sure if this one was taken in Scotland or back home in Ohio. I'm not positive, but the background looks pretty American to me. Either way, if anyone knows who it is, let me know!

Two More Photos from Scotland

This is a photo of my great grandparents (Shirreffs), I think, at some waterfall in Scotland.

And one below of my grandpa Stan with my great-grandmother (left) coming down from the top of the rocks. Unfortunately, these photos were taken from pretty far away. I wish they had a good zoom lens back then. 

Stan and Tom visit a Waterfall

I've done further research about the sites around Aberdeen to see if I could decipher the pictures in the scrapbook that I have. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, but they are mostly photos of the famous sites that are around Aberdeen. So far, I recognise a photo of the "Bridge of Dee" in Aberdeen. I'm getting closer to figuring out which castles are pictured. 

There are many pictures of a waterfall. I can't figure out which one it is. There appear to be many waterfalls in the region containing Aberdeen. I saw photos of several smaller ones, but none of them seem as powerful as this one. I didn't pay much 

attention in geography class, so maybe others will have an idea of which waterfall is in the photos from the scrapbook.

Along with the pictures of the sea and the waterfall are several pictures of Stan, Tom and, I think, their parents. In one photo (left), they are wearing the rain gear that you 

get when you visit a waterfall. They look a bit odd in that 

picture.

After that, you see them clamoring up the rocks to take photos there. There's one of my grandfather alone, one of his parents, and one of their mother with the two boys.  

In each photo, they are posed proudly.

The photo showing my great-grandparents has a lot of character, too. My great-grandfather is posed very proudly with his wife at his side. 

 The one with Tom  (at the right) looks like he is checking his cellphone, but of course there were no cell phones then. He's fixing his coat, but someone snapped the picture too quickly.  He wasn't ready.

They look very happy in these photos! It must have been an excellent family vacation. Judging from the stories I've heard, it probably was. If anyone has any information about these photos, let me know!