Page 212

who drink too much, but I drink Coca-Cola and only occasionally a little Chianti. Do you have any friends at the Waldorf? "

"Not really. We just go there to see what it's like." 

"It's a nice hotel. In truth there isn't that big of a difference between the Waldorf and the Barkley, except that Greta Garbo or the Scià de Persia don't get off at the Barkley, that's the difference. Let's see if it moves, this Rolls Royce... yes, that's it, here we go, here we are: 3 dollars and 50 cents, thank you."

After wandering through the various rooms, we sat in the main hall to watch the comings and goings and I always expected the Scià de Persia or Greta Garbo to pass in front of me but only normally poorly dressed Americans passed. Some Englishmen normally stiff, some Italians normally agitated and a couple of sheikhs.

We decided to take a taxi again. As we were close to it, we went out through one of the side doors. Just across the street, another large hotel door with a sign on it.

"Do you see what I see too?" laughed my mother.

"I think so. I see written: Barkley. We have arrived."

We crossed the street and rushed into our room to study the map. We had exited the Barkley front door, half-circumnavigated the block, and then continued around the Waldorf Astoria, back on 48th Street, where the main entrance was. To go around the two large adjoining hotels, due to the one-way streets, had taken us forty minutes and we spent 3 dollars and 50 cents.