Avocado Tattoos and Jam Jar Gins

Yesterday was a super busy & fun day of exploring (and getting lost) in Brooklyn! 

I decided to book myself on a bike ride tour of Brooklyn as a way of getting to see different areas. I haven't been on a bike (other than the on at the gym) for years, so I was a little bit rusty. I had a bit of a wobbly start, when I say start, I mean the first 3 hours (out of 4!) and then just before the end of the ride, before we boarded the ferry, I fell off and went skidding across the gravel, with the contents of my basket flying everywhere! I even stopped the traffic as a guy got out his car to see if I was ok. Very embarrassing. But luckily I'm fine, just grazed palms. 

No, its not a fly on my lens, its a helicopter. 

One of the stops on the bike ride was a roof top 'farm'. Not really the kind of farms that I'm used coming from Devon, but it was an interesting and insightful visit all the same. Its not open to the public so it was a bit of a treat being able to visit it. The really crazy thing was seeing all the plants being grown on a roof with the back drop of the Manhattan skyline.

As well as the farm we visited and cycled through lost of other cool places in Greenpoint & Williamsburg; some of which I will definitely go back to explore further. We finished up in Dumbo where we had a coffee at Brookyln Roasting Company. This was much need after the shock of my fall! Then we headed back to our starting point on the ferry. 

Once helmets and bikes were returned I was left to roam on my own, which I thought would be fine as I had my trusty map & subway map of Brooklyn with me...or did I?  It turns out somewhere along the way I'd lost my map! Eek! I had no idea where I was or what was near me, so I wondered around for a bit until I came to some shop and managed to get direction to a book shop where I could by a map of Brooklyn (or so I thought). Once I found the bookshop, I discovered all their guide books and maps were of Manhattan! How ridiculous! After explaining my predicament to the shop owner he managed to dig out a crappy small  map of Brooklyn which I bought through desperation. 

This was written on the side of the Brooklyn Beer Brewery which I stumbled across whilst lost. 

Once back on track my next mission was to find a bar that I had been told to check out - Duck Duck Bar . Luckily I found it without much trouble and it was perfect timing as I was in need of a cocktail!

The cocktail was so good that I ended up staying for a second one and had a chat with the bar girl. She was really nice and had a tattoo of an avocado on her arm?! I asked her what the story was behind it and she said she just liked Avocados. Well I guess you can't argue with that. 

After leaving Duck Duck it was time to head to a BBQ I'd been invited to by some people I met in the the store last week. It was being held at a bar in Williamsburg call bar called Good & Co.  It was a really fun evening, the bar had a lovely beer garden which was where the food was served and there were lots of fairy lights and music which made a great atmosphere. And the G&T's were severed in Jam Jars!