A Spring Fling in Hudson
If I was only back in Hudson this am! Snuggled deep under the duvet in the yellow bedroom with Raimond (a pug!) snoring by my side. What an idyllic weekend we had (not me and Raimond, me and Lucy, Juan and David!).
I am very greedy with my trips to Hudson. I want them often and I want them to last as long as possible. I think Juan made a big mistake when, after copious amounts of gin one night he told me I could come up whenever I like. Needless to say I am constantly bugging them for dates. Luckily we made one for last weekend and as an extra bonus Lucy McIntyre was also on board for a visit. Even though I feel like Lucy and I were separated at birth, we haven't spent too much time together besides wild nights out and a business lunch here or there. She was the one nice enough to hook me up with that suite at the Standard New York! (See older posts for that blow out). We are now practically married and have to many inside jokes to count...
We arrived by train at 8pm on Friday night after watching the sunset over the Hudson the entire journey up.
We hadn't even dropped our bags when Juan was serving cocktails (Gin Rickey? I can't recall) and then we headed off to The Red Dot for dinner. As Lucy aptly put it, The Red Dot is like stepping into slapstick British comedy show. Everyone there is a character and by the end of the night the staff and the customers are all a messy bunch. A highlight was when we found an Obama life size cut out and proceeded to have our way with the poor thing.
The next morning was rise and shine since at The Red Dot we had promised to visit two places BEFORE noon. By 10:45 we were bumbling into The Inn at Hudson (http://www.theinnathudson.com/), a Jacobean style home that is now a B&B owned by a former drag queen named Musty Chiffon (!) Only in Hudson people. Well Musty and her darling partner have turned the home that was most recently a nursing home into a dazzling and quite cozy show house. If Juan and David ever kick me out of their maison I know whose door I'm knocking on.
Next up was a visit to Tom Swope's new gallery (http://www.tomswope.com/), which was quite grand for Hudson and more like a museum than a pop in shop. I really need the 1st century AD Roman hard stone set in weighty 18kt gold in case anyone is wondering...
We were about to putter out as hangovers came creeping back but we decided to carry on and head out to OMI Sculpture Park for a picnic (http://www.artomi.org/). The art was great and we strolled around the amazing grounds for a solid hour before collapsing into a champagne picnic on a grassy knoll. Unfortunately Raimond was not as pleased with some of the artwork and let us all know it!
Now that we were fairly buzzed why not visit a sheep farm? We doddled through dirt roads and winding paths until we reached Old Chatham Sheepherding Company (http://www.blacksheepcheese.com/) based in a pile of beautiful red barns. We left Raimond in the car as we toured the place, watching sheep getting milked, wool being bundled and little wee lambs being fed. It was heaven! We then bought piles of yoghurt and a cheese wheel that we still can’t stop talking about. Order one now!!
After such a full day we came home for a glass of wine and a bit of rest before our big movie night- Grey Gardens!
Lucy and I dressed in head wraps while Juan and David made shrimp cocktail and grilled scallops for dinner. Yes, we were being completely spoiled.
After dinner we jumped onto the big sofa and were glued to the tragic tale of the Beales all night. Of course Lucy and I woke up the next morning recounting dreams of sheep and revolutionary day wear....
Sunday was supposed to be downpours and cold, PTL it was warm and bright sunshine! Juan made another amazing breakfast and as soon as our plates were cleared Lucy was ready to shop up a storm on Warren Street.
People... I had no idea how serious she was. She bought something in almost every store we entered! And we went into loads! But how refreshing to shop with a girl who doesn't try things on or him haw over a scarf. Oh no, she entered with gusto and walked out victorious with amazing finds! She is my new favorite shopping companion.
Not to say I didn't buy a couple of things, but she certainly took it to another level. Once we maxed out our cards we headed back to the casa for empanadas, Corona's and more sheep yoghurt before packing up the car and zizzing back down to the city.
Another glorious weekend in Hudson!
Thanks Juan and David!
