Olivespastavino is in New York City with The Man. The Man doesn’t go much on New York although he seems to be warming to it slightly. He doesn’t like the noise, the subway, the lumpy sidewalks (pavements for those who don’t understand the lingo)…AND…he especially cannot abide the tipping culture. He has moaned constantly about having to give between 15% and 20% on top of any restaurant bill.
It was beginning to get us all down and restricting us from going out for coffee or to eat because he was being such a ‘grumpy old man’ but, then we were saved by ‘The General Greene’ where the service was good, the food delicious and the guy behind the bar is from Liverpool and extremely helpful and liked proper football. So it was decided by The Man that perhaps tipping was okay in this establishment.
I hope we don’t get bored only visiting the one place over the next week or so…
But wait! The Man is going to watch baseball for a few days, a little mini tour; New York, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia…
Hoorah! (in the words of my friend Linda from Tuscany) we can visit a different bar and restaurant every day whilst The Man is away.
PS…why is it I’m always walking the dog in the rain? This morning (Monday 20th) Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn – taken by The Man who was also there, shivering and enjoying himself in his own inimitable way….
My raincoat hood would not stay put as it had no fastenings, hence I had to tie my scarf around my neck on the outside of the coat in a not very NYC style…(good job the rest of the population were sensibly inside!
it all looks very miserable indeed – and I understand that the fascist park police won’t even allow dogs off the lead (after 9am) when it is hissing with rain and there is no-one else in the park – save a couple of crazed English of course …
I would counsel your readers to avoid AT ALL COSTS a trip to the big apple – it would actually be better to pay someone else to go for you!!!