Q = Queens

Just like Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, we were going to Queens to find our Queen. Well the Queen in our 26 Weeks deck of cards let's say, we've had so many Aces so it was time for a Queen.

I had a good feeling about this week's task. The day was stunning, lovely and hot and not a cloud in the sky. First stop Central Park for a little sunbathe and picnic then we jumped on the C line up to Astoria. We got out and had a good wander around, it was like being on the set of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, absolutely brilliant.

We popped into one of a lot of shops selling intricate dresses for little 'uns for their christening, veils for brides, amazingly detailed and big corsages. Three old greek women were working in the shop handmaking everything for sale, they weren't best pleased to have a couple tourists looking around but it was worth the disapproving looks.

We then discovered the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, a former Czech and Slovak social club and still a popular spot for Astoria's Czech and Slovak community. The huge beer garden was packed, actually full of a lot of pretty drunk students, all looking 18 or 19 years old, it brought back wistful memories of being that age, blowing off the student loan, fun times. The garden is great, line after line of tables full with big pitchers of beer, the perimeter is surrounded by huge old trees making it feel less parking lot and more real good old fashioned beer garden, they even do waitress service at your
table after 5pm, a nice little touch especially as the bar by that time was 10 people deep.


After a few merrymaking drinks in the fading sun of the day we walked up to Ditmar Boulevard, Greek restaurant central. We picked the one with the best Awards and the most Authentic menu, Taverna Kyclades (big thanks to Si for the research on this one). Happily we found it packed with the local Greek community waiting patiently for tables, a good sign indeed. We went for the Greek salad, a sharing plate of skordalia, tzatziki and incredibly fishy taramosalata, followed by whole sea bass and lamb chops. So much food and so good, washed down with a bottle of greek plonk, actually pretty tasty. The atmos was great, loud, full of families, everyone living it up on a Saturday night, a great experience.




We pootled home and polished off the night watching the Mayweather Mosley fight on the PPV, sadly Mosley lost, but today we won. Queens rules.