Friday No plans and Dyckman Farmhouse

Last night, for the first time in 3 weeks ,  I went to sleep with no idea  of what I would do today.  I do have a list of 'must do' and 'like to do' s though. This morning, after a slow start and less planning than normal I set off north along Central Park West on the bus to find some of the scattered remaining bridges. Several buses later and I was still travelling north on the bus and got off at 125 th street – the old traditional heart of Harlem. I had been warned that it was full of cheap chain stores. That it was. I had not planned the timing properly  , nor taken my emergency supply of nuts, needed food and could see nowhere to get food. There must have been – I had the choice of 4 directions to walk in and , instead of asking someone, chose to get the subway further north to my destination, Inwood, on the northern tip of Manhattan.

I emerged from the subway at Inwood and could see no food places.  Normally I am pretty good at spotting places to eat.  Then I saw nearby a mother with a pram enter a place that , when I got nearer,  I saw said ‘Lunch and Dinner’  - that was the only sign I could see on the outside. I followed her. It was like a time warp. 1960’s country. I had a mushroom omelette which came with fried bits of potato and toast.  There was no salad on the menu.

The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum is at Inwood. It is the only Dutch colonial homestead in Manhattan.  Jan Dyckman established a farm here in the 1660’s. It was destroyed in the Revolutionary War and rebuilt in 1784 by his grandson William. It seemed typical to me of old farmhouses everywhere. The only thing a bit  Dutch-like was the front and back doors had an independently opening  top and bottom  half.. I wandered around, chatted to the nice young lady who worked there, sat on a bench in the grounds and then caught the subway back here. 

Later:

It is now 10.15 pm and I have just arrived home via subway( crowded train)  and foot ( other people about) after having a drink and dinner with the cousin of a friend with whom I went to Staten Island last weekend. It was most enjoyable.