Day 2 - New Jersey

Continuing my day-by-day account of my June trip to the USA and Canada:

Saturday, 31st May, started with coffee and toast, and then more coffee! In the morning, I had my first ever visit to Trader Joe's (at Westfield).

Wandering around the store, it occurred to me that most of the prices (in dollars) were the same as we would pay here in pounds sterling. Thus this wine, at $3.99, would probably cost £3.99 (or more) in our supermarkets - but $3.99 is the equivalent of about £2.32 at current exchange rates. I don't think we could get Chardonnay or Merlot at that price anywhere in the UK (and don't even get me started on the price of gas/petrol either!)

 

In the afternoon, Liz drove me to Martinsville, to her sister Helen's home, and in the evening, Helen and I went to the Bridgewater Diner.

 

Ordering the meal became hilarious, with so many decisions to be made. First the appetiser: soup or salad? Followed by choice of dressing for the salad. Then the main course: I chose turkey, and had to decide between baked potato, mash and fries, red or brown gravy, and what vegetable - red cabbage or spring beans. Finally the dessert - rice pudding, tapioca or ice cream? Choosing ice cream involved deciding between strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, and then a choice of syrup. And that was just my meal!  By the time we finished ordering, Helen and I couldn't stop laughing.

But the meals were excellent!