I start my Sunday with a local brunch at the diner across from the train station. Most of the entertainment came from watching the Mexican guys man the grill plate, turning out huge pancakes and really decent omlettes - I opted for the latter and couldn't get through it - interrupting occasionally to cheer or moan depending on where their bets lay on the game they were following on the radio. Sadly the cappuchino that came with my breakfast was undrinkable.

Today I am walking through the financial centre of manhattan and one of the first stops I made was la colombe. - a really decent expresso bar that made up for the other bad coffees I have had. For those who need to know - its on the corner of canal and church st TriBeCa.

I winded around the streets of TriBeCa, it's a funny neighbourhood on a Sunday, it's peppered with interesting restaurants and shops, including the lovely handbag shop in the photo, but the real estate is mostly commercial so it's strangely deserted. I'm sure it's different midweek. I stopped in the park opposite the woolworths building to admire the building, and continued onto St. Paul's church, a beautiful old church and graveyard in its own right, but now more famous as being the triage point during the world trade centre attacks. Building is rapidly continuing on the world trade centre site but I will return with Jane to actually visit the memorial in a week.

Century 21 is a block away, and for shoppoholics this is the place to come for heavily discounted clothes handbags etc. Vikki I know you would have found good things here - but all I bought was a really nice votive candle holder that I needed for $4.

I have made a start on mums shopping list for loccitane products, prices are matching so far but sales tax is on top! I haven't done much shopping for myself yet, but it's almost as much fun shopping for others.