The photo above is of the (coffee stained) reservation book at Cipriani Downtown. It’s covered in countless names and scribbles from numerous people and pencils. I’ve always had a weird infatuation with it. To me, it blends seamlessly with the work of Peter Beard that adorns the walls of the restaurant. It also reminds me of Peter’s travel journals which have somewhat of a similar accidentally-chaotic beauty about them.
After dinner, I stuck around long enough to spend a little while upstairs saying hello to old friends. The most notable (and unexpected) reunion was with Winston Lapham - a friend whom I have not seen for nearly a decade. It’s funny how boarding school builds friendships that extend so far beyond the allotted time spent there. You can lose contact with someone for years and it feels like days.
After leaving Cipriani, I briefly ventured to Rose Bar before calling it a night. Bland ending, I know, but I was exhausted.
