Last night we headed out to 'Love', by Cirque di Soleil. 'Love' is the story and music of 'The Beatles'. It was really great, such a production! You've got to wonder about the minds of the people putting these things together.
From there we headed to the 'special' club that I had gotten free entry to. Ros started talking to a guy called Jason and his girlfriend Melissa, we were having such a great time with them that Jason asked us to go along with them to another club, but we wouldn't have free drinks there so we declined.
We moved onto the outdoor area and started to talking to two different groups of people. We had lots of fun, but then I went up to the bar and the free drinks had just finished, so I had to pay $12 for a vodka that I didn't even finish! We left and got a bite to eat then headed back to the Bellagio.
This morning we checked out and were left with a few hours to kill before going to the airport. We went to the shops in Caesar's palace, where I bought a shirt from Abercombie and Fitch and stocked up on more Mac makeup as well as another top from Banana Republic. Then, because I had been searching in every glasses store for my beloved Serengetti, with no luck, I thought it high time to select another pair. After deliberating and probably annoying the hell out of the poor guy in the store for a good half hour I was debating between a $330 pair of Kaenon or $180 pair of Maui Jim. Then the salesman (because I was leaning towards the more expensive pair) said that he could give me a 20% discount, but only with a discount voucher that I could go pick up. I told him I would use that time to decide.
Returning to the store I had pretty much decided on the Kaenon, but then spent another 20 mins deliberating (again), and more out of feeling an obligation to buy something from the poor fellow I had tortured, I walked out with the Maui Jims! I think I am happy with them, but I am still going to seek out the Serengettis online when I get back home. I love those glasses...you know when something is just perfect for you...
Killed more time walking around, got a bite to eat then did some people watching in the front of the Bellagio before getting our bags and catching the shuttle to the airport. As we were waiting, we met 'Bill the Bus driver' who told us he was on series 2 of America's got talent. And then he serenaded Ros with a song. I think she was smitten. You should youtube him. Go on!
The shuttle bus driver was female, and you should have seen her get our bags onto the back of the bus. I asked her how she hadn't dislocated her shoulder yet. On the bus, and she was just a hoot. These African Americans just have the best sense of humour!
At the airport, and we started talking to the lady checking us in. I don't know if she was lonely, but she started to tell us her life story, but she was also really interesting, and when she started talking about her mother and father, she actually brought tears to my eyes. I am completely taken aback by the beautiful people I have met on this trip. In fact she said herself that essentially everyone has three things in common, love, sadness and laughter!
We are now just waiting to board the (small) plane to LA. It has been an amazing trip.
I will likely blog one more time to jot my summary of what I have seen/observed of this wonderful country. Not least my attitude towards it and its people.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
11 September 2011
10 September 2011
Oh David, say it again.
This morning I slept in after being awake until 2.00am this morning. I really was itching to be out on the town last night, but my feet wouldn't let me stand up. Oh well, maybe tonight.
Ros went out to the pool, but I was already feeling the heat too much so I went out to the strip for breakfast and a wander. I ended up back at the Venetian (Palazzo) where I purchased a Thomas Sabo charm, and inquired about Serengetti sunglasses for the 50th time this trip. The company was bought out and taken over by a company that now supplies them to Walmart. Apparently the quality won't be the same anymore, but Maui Jim (the ones everyone is recommending to me) just don't fit the same...sigh. Think I will try getting them online when I get back home.
I then went to the Mirage and from talking to a girl in a specific shop, ended up getting wrist bands for me and Ros to get into the club at the Mirage for free tonight. We will have free drinks...yay!
Met Ros back at the hotel and we headed out to the Northbound shopping outlet. I bought a dress and some Mac makeup for dirt cheap.
We got back on the express bus to get back to the hotel, and the (exceptionally good looking) guy who sat behind me asked if he was on the right bus for the strip. I said yes and Ros made a comment about an American asking the Aussie...turns out the guy was from Sydney. I noted his accent sounded British, and he said that yes, he was from London but now lives in Sydney. We went on to discuss each other's travels and then (at the next stop), a buxom lady sat down next to him. She then started to talk to him and asked him where he was from. Then she said "Just keep talking, the alphabet will do". David said that would be boring, she said "for who?". She was clearly in lust.
Well the banter between these two started and went on and on, until the entire front of the bus were laughing at nearly every line being said. Especially when 'Carla Lewis' (yes we found out her name), said "where are the chapels?". We were all talking to each other and then Carla looked at a gentleman who had been laughing along and said "and what's your name" (in a kind of "what you looking at" voice). He said Harrold, Carla asked him about his day and he revealed that it was his birthday. So Carla starts half the bus singing "happy birhtday".
This was seriously the funniest bus trip I have ever been on.
Carla at one stage introduced David to her father and step-mother sitting behind them, and said when we get married you can stay anytime. Her father mentioned "Gerald", and Carla responded with "Gerald who - I don't see no ring on my finger" in her Atlanta drawl. The bus in fits once again.
It really was a fun fun trip, we were literally laughing all the way until we had to get off. Me and Ros even took photos, and so Carla pulled out her mobile phone, took a photo of David and said "wallpaper". Again, an uproar of laughter.
Just resting now before heading out. Will report back later.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Ros went out to the pool, but I was already feeling the heat too much so I went out to the strip for breakfast and a wander. I ended up back at the Venetian (Palazzo) where I purchased a Thomas Sabo charm, and inquired about Serengetti sunglasses for the 50th time this trip. The company was bought out and taken over by a company that now supplies them to Walmart. Apparently the quality won't be the same anymore, but Maui Jim (the ones everyone is recommending to me) just don't fit the same...sigh. Think I will try getting them online when I get back home.
I then went to the Mirage and from talking to a girl in a specific shop, ended up getting wrist bands for me and Ros to get into the club at the Mirage for free tonight. We will have free drinks...yay!
Met Ros back at the hotel and we headed out to the Northbound shopping outlet. I bought a dress and some Mac makeup for dirt cheap.
We got back on the express bus to get back to the hotel, and the (exceptionally good looking) guy who sat behind me asked if he was on the right bus for the strip. I said yes and Ros made a comment about an American asking the Aussie...turns out the guy was from Sydney. I noted his accent sounded British, and he said that yes, he was from London but now lives in Sydney. We went on to discuss each other's travels and then (at the next stop), a buxom lady sat down next to him. She then started to talk to him and asked him where he was from. Then she said "Just keep talking, the alphabet will do". David said that would be boring, she said "for who?". She was clearly in lust.
Well the banter between these two started and went on and on, until the entire front of the bus were laughing at nearly every line being said. Especially when 'Carla Lewis' (yes we found out her name), said "where are the chapels?". We were all talking to each other and then Carla looked at a gentleman who had been laughing along and said "and what's your name" (in a kind of "what you looking at" voice). He said Harrold, Carla asked him about his day and he revealed that it was his birthday. So Carla starts half the bus singing "happy birhtday".
This was seriously the funniest bus trip I have ever been on.
Carla at one stage introduced David to her father and step-mother sitting behind them, and said when we get married you can stay anytime. Her father mentioned "Gerald", and Carla responded with "Gerald who - I don't see no ring on my finger" in her Atlanta drawl. The bus in fits once again.
It really was a fun fun trip, we were literally laughing all the way until we had to get off. Me and Ros even took photos, and so Carla pulled out her mobile phone, took a photo of David and said "wallpaper". Again, an uproar of laughter.
Just resting now before heading out. Will report back later.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
09 September 2011
Perspective
Because I had an early night last night, I was awake early this morning. We got up and figured we would go to the pool, so neither of us showered, we just went straight out for brekky. We went to Paris for crepes! Yummo!
Came back to the Bellagio and changed into our bathers and went down to the pool. It was already hot at 10.00am.
After I had had enough of that I showered and changed and headed out. Today I thought I would explore the North end premium shopping outlets.
That would have been a good plan if I had gotten on the right bus. After going out to Oodiwoopwoop, I got off the bus and headed to the nearby transit terminal and got on a Bus back to my hotel, because by this time it wasn't going to be worth going (time-wise). I got off the bus, but thought I should at least go get the 'Love' tickets (cirque de soleil - with music by the Beatles) for tomorrow night. So I made my way to the Mirage, which is only two hotels away from the Bellagio (and the bus stop). But, it is difficult to comprehend the size of these hotels, they are so huge, that they don't look it. It took me 25 mins to get there, and I walk fast.
Bought the tickets and headed back to our hotel, and on the way grabbed a hot dog and drink. For $13 dollars. Have I told you how bloody expensive it is here? Nothing on The Strip is cheap!
Today was our Sunset Helicopter ride out to the Grand Canyon. We got picked up at our hotel in a limo and were taken to the airport. After formalities we were finally on the chopper, and we were off! It took 45 mins to get to the Canyon itself from the airport, and we were also flown over the Hoover Dam, which in itself was spectacular! Once we were flying in the Canyon, it was long before we landed, took some photos, had a small picnic and champagne too.
Chatting to the pilot I asked what speed he had been going as it felt as though we were going quite slow until we were approaching to land, where it felt as though he was going faster. Well, quite the opposite! He said the speed was 150mph, and that he slowed to 60 on approach. It is the sheer scale of the landscape that messes with your head so that you lose all perspective. And it truly is magnificent. The colours are also wonderful, and it was greener than I thought it would be!
On the trip back we were picked to sit in the front with the pilot and this was awesome. I was able to take photos with some gorgeous colours in the sky. I had been teasing Ros that the pilot would do some trickery with the chopper and that he would do a nosedive. So at one stage on the flight back I hand signaled to Ros that a nosedive was coming up. The pilot saw this, as well as Ros' reaction and he winked and nodded at me to show that he would. Unfortunately he didn't though, so that was a disappointment.
Closer to Vegas, the view of the city lights was great and then we flew in to the right of the strip before coming into land.
The whole trip was fantastic. And whilst we were in the Canyon, a British guy asked his girlfriend to marry him!
Back at the hotel, we decided to go out. We got ready and had a cocktail downstairs, then we thought we would go to the mirage for a drink, but we didn't like any of the bars. We were going to check out Caesar's Palace, but saw that the Venetian was across the road so we decided to check the hotel out. Amazing, kitsch and stunning, all in one...
With all the walking between hotels though, even though I was in the mood to go out, my feet were killing me.
Back at our hotel and Ros went straight up to bed, but I decided to hang around and watch some gambling. Saw one guy playing $1000 chips, and losing them. Another guy at the same table was playing $200 rounds, lost all his chips and just flicked out another $1000 as if each $100 note was worth $1. I couldn't do it, but I suppose that requires perspective too.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Came back to the Bellagio and changed into our bathers and went down to the pool. It was already hot at 10.00am.
After I had had enough of that I showered and changed and headed out. Today I thought I would explore the North end premium shopping outlets.
That would have been a good plan if I had gotten on the right bus. After going out to Oodiwoopwoop, I got off the bus and headed to the nearby transit terminal and got on a Bus back to my hotel, because by this time it wasn't going to be worth going (time-wise). I got off the bus, but thought I should at least go get the 'Love' tickets (cirque de soleil - with music by the Beatles) for tomorrow night. So I made my way to the Mirage, which is only two hotels away from the Bellagio (and the bus stop). But, it is difficult to comprehend the size of these hotels, they are so huge, that they don't look it. It took me 25 mins to get there, and I walk fast.
Bought the tickets and headed back to our hotel, and on the way grabbed a hot dog and drink. For $13 dollars. Have I told you how bloody expensive it is here? Nothing on The Strip is cheap!
Today was our Sunset Helicopter ride out to the Grand Canyon. We got picked up at our hotel in a limo and were taken to the airport. After formalities we were finally on the chopper, and we were off! It took 45 mins to get to the Canyon itself from the airport, and we were also flown over the Hoover Dam, which in itself was spectacular! Once we were flying in the Canyon, it was long before we landed, took some photos, had a small picnic and champagne too.
Chatting to the pilot I asked what speed he had been going as it felt as though we were going quite slow until we were approaching to land, where it felt as though he was going faster. Well, quite the opposite! He said the speed was 150mph, and that he slowed to 60 on approach. It is the sheer scale of the landscape that messes with your head so that you lose all perspective. And it truly is magnificent. The colours are also wonderful, and it was greener than I thought it would be!
On the trip back we were picked to sit in the front with the pilot and this was awesome. I was able to take photos with some gorgeous colours in the sky. I had been teasing Ros that the pilot would do some trickery with the chopper and that he would do a nosedive. So at one stage on the flight back I hand signaled to Ros that a nosedive was coming up. The pilot saw this, as well as Ros' reaction and he winked and nodded at me to show that he would. Unfortunately he didn't though, so that was a disappointment.
Closer to Vegas, the view of the city lights was great and then we flew in to the right of the strip before coming into land.
The whole trip was fantastic. And whilst we were in the Canyon, a British guy asked his girlfriend to marry him!
Back at the hotel, we decided to go out. We got ready and had a cocktail downstairs, then we thought we would go to the mirage for a drink, but we didn't like any of the bars. We were going to check out Caesar's Palace, but saw that the Venetian was across the road so we decided to check the hotel out. Amazing, kitsch and stunning, all in one...
With all the walking between hotels though, even though I was in the mood to go out, my feet were killing me.
Back at our hotel and Ros went straight up to bed, but I decided to hang around and watch some gambling. Saw one guy playing $1000 chips, and losing them. Another guy at the same table was playing $200 rounds, lost all his chips and just flicked out another $1000 as if each $100 note was worth $1. I couldn't do it, but I suppose that requires perspective too.
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Trash or Treasure?
I am writing this in the morning as I was too tired last night.
When we checked in to the airport yesterday morning, we we told we were actually going to Vegas via Chicago, so we saw the Chicago airport!
When we got off the plane in Vegas, we walked into the terminal and what do we see? Pokie machines! I would never have believed it if I didn't see it for myself. We got our baggage and found our transfer to the Bellaggio.
My immediate thoughts as we were driving towards and through the strip is that Vegas is just an amusement park for adults. I thought it was pretty trashy actually. That it was all a big joke, and therefore the joke was on us. I suddenly realised why all New Yorkers smirked every time we mentioned we were going to Vegas, but they would qualify it by saying everyone has to go once, and that we were staying at the best hotel there!
When we got to the hotel we couldn't yet check in yet, so my burning need to get some sleep would have to wait. My next priority then was to get some food so we walked across the road to the shopping centre. Even the shopping centre though is like an amusement park. Part of the roof is painted as if it is the sky, and the lighting also changes at this point and it actually feels as though you are outdoors at dusk.
After eating, we walked through some of the hotels and casinos, Paris and Caesar's Palace. Words cannot describe these places. And there are people swarming the place, lapping it all up. The pool at Caesars is amazing - there was even a replica of the Statue of David in the hotel.
Back at the Bellaggio and we check in and to our room...literally walking a kilometer to get there. We are on the 16th floor and overlooking the pool. The room is spectacular and so is the bathroom. Then the phone rings about a minute after walking in the door, and it is the tour company confirming our Grand Canyon chopper flight!
We draw the curtains to have a nap, but after 20mins I find I am not sleeping so I go and run the bath instead.
After my bath, I arrange to meet Ros back in the room at about 6.00pm and I go out for a wander. At the front I see the bus that takes you across the strip and to the North and South end shopping outlets. I decide to get on, and as I was waiting I saw two guys trying to sell their CD. I had a chat to them and bought one.
I got on the bus and went to the South end outlet and once again went mental and purchased a few (ok many) things.
On the bus back I spoke to three Aussies from Tasmania and they gave me heaps of tips about what to do, and not to do. Got back to the hotel and told Ros that I had to have an early dinner otherwise I would just fall asleep, so we went downstairs and ate. Got back and I think I was asleep before 9.00pm. Slept like a baby til 7.00am this morning. Awesome!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
When we checked in to the airport yesterday morning, we we told we were actually going to Vegas via Chicago, so we saw the Chicago airport!
When we got off the plane in Vegas, we walked into the terminal and what do we see? Pokie machines! I would never have believed it if I didn't see it for myself. We got our baggage and found our transfer to the Bellaggio.
My immediate thoughts as we were driving towards and through the strip is that Vegas is just an amusement park for adults. I thought it was pretty trashy actually. That it was all a big joke, and therefore the joke was on us. I suddenly realised why all New Yorkers smirked every time we mentioned we were going to Vegas, but they would qualify it by saying everyone has to go once, and that we were staying at the best hotel there!
When we got to the hotel we couldn't yet check in yet, so my burning need to get some sleep would have to wait. My next priority then was to get some food so we walked across the road to the shopping centre. Even the shopping centre though is like an amusement park. Part of the roof is painted as if it is the sky, and the lighting also changes at this point and it actually feels as though you are outdoors at dusk.
After eating, we walked through some of the hotels and casinos, Paris and Caesar's Palace. Words cannot describe these places. And there are people swarming the place, lapping it all up. The pool at Caesars is amazing - there was even a replica of the Statue of David in the hotel.
Back at the Bellaggio and we check in and to our room...literally walking a kilometer to get there. We are on the 16th floor and overlooking the pool. The room is spectacular and so is the bathroom. Then the phone rings about a minute after walking in the door, and it is the tour company confirming our Grand Canyon chopper flight!
We draw the curtains to have a nap, but after 20mins I find I am not sleeping so I go and run the bath instead.
After my bath, I arrange to meet Ros back in the room at about 6.00pm and I go out for a wander. At the front I see the bus that takes you across the strip and to the North and South end shopping outlets. I decide to get on, and as I was waiting I saw two guys trying to sell their CD. I had a chat to them and bought one.
I got on the bus and went to the South end outlet and once again went mental and purchased a few (ok many) things.
On the bus back I spoke to three Aussies from Tasmania and they gave me heaps of tips about what to do, and not to do. Got back to the hotel and told Ros that I had to have an early dinner otherwise I would just fall asleep, so we went downstairs and ate. Got back and I think I was asleep before 9.00pm. Slept like a baby til 7.00am this morning. Awesome!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
07 September 2011
SuperShuttle...not so super
Am blogging this whilst waiting for security to open up at the airport.
The alarm went off at 1.50am and by 2.10am we were in the hotel lobby waiting for our 'SuperShuttle' transfer to the airport.
2.20 - call shuttle company, they say they will be there in under 15mins.
2.35 - no shuttle
2.45 - shuttle arrives
2.50 - shuttle has arrived at 93rd and Broadway (our hotel was at 94th and Broadway - yes we have moved one block) after going around a few blocks and picking up no one.
3.02 - shuttle has arrived at 94th and Broadway after picking up one passenger.
3.28 - two more passengers are on board and we are leaving the East side and finally on our way to the airport.
3.40 - arrive at La Guardia
WHAT THE FUCK?????? It literally took 12 mins to get to the airport.
3.41 - Ros identifies her bag in the back of the van for the shuttle driver.
3.42 - driver is struggling to pull Ros' bag out
3.43 - driver pulls out Ros' bag...with another, which is inextricably linked to it.
3.44 - Ros steps out in the rain to help the driver disentangle the two bags.
3.45 - Ros is getting soaked and leaves the driver to it, and proceeds to tell me to go help him. I said no. (He is a man, he created the problem, he can fix the problem).
3.46 - Ros can't bear to see the driver still struggling and once again goes to assist.
3.47 - Driver seemingly gives up, but assumingly goes to get a knife or some other sharp article to cut the bags apart. He leaves Ros fighting the battle.
3.48 - I decide I can't bear to see a perfectly good bag damaged and go to help Ros.
3.48 and 10 seconds - I determine the two bags have been twisted in one of the former processes and I untwist them by lifting the stranger's bag to a standing position.
3.48 and 15 seconds - I determine Ros' zipper has hooked into fabric of stranger's bag.
3.48 and 20 seconds - I have disengaged the two bags.
FUCKING GENIUS HEY!
FOR FUCK'S SAKE
4.35 - airport security opens
I COULD HAVE BEEN ASLEEP UNTIL 4.00AM
FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The alarm went off at 1.50am and by 2.10am we were in the hotel lobby waiting for our 'SuperShuttle' transfer to the airport.
2.20 - call shuttle company, they say they will be there in under 15mins.
2.35 - no shuttle
2.45 - shuttle arrives
2.50 - shuttle has arrived at 93rd and Broadway (our hotel was at 94th and Broadway - yes we have moved one block) after going around a few blocks and picking up no one.
3.02 - shuttle has arrived at 94th and Broadway after picking up one passenger.
3.28 - two more passengers are on board and we are leaving the East side and finally on our way to the airport.
3.40 - arrive at La Guardia
WHAT THE FUCK?????? It literally took 12 mins to get to the airport.
3.41 - Ros identifies her bag in the back of the van for the shuttle driver.
3.42 - driver is struggling to pull Ros' bag out
3.43 - driver pulls out Ros' bag...with another, which is inextricably linked to it.
3.44 - Ros steps out in the rain to help the driver disentangle the two bags.
3.45 - Ros is getting soaked and leaves the driver to it, and proceeds to tell me to go help him. I said no. (He is a man, he created the problem, he can fix the problem).
3.46 - Ros can't bear to see the driver still struggling and once again goes to assist.
3.47 - Driver seemingly gives up, but assumingly goes to get a knife or some other sharp article to cut the bags apart. He leaves Ros fighting the battle.
3.48 - I decide I can't bear to see a perfectly good bag damaged and go to help Ros.
3.48 and 10 seconds - I determine the two bags have been twisted in one of the former processes and I untwist them by lifting the stranger's bag to a standing position.
3.48 and 15 seconds - I determine Ros' zipper has hooked into fabric of stranger's bag.
3.48 and 20 seconds - I have disengaged the two bags.
FUCKING GENIUS HEY!
FOR FUCK'S SAKE
4.35 - airport security opens
I COULD HAVE BEEN ASLEEP UNTIL 4.00AM
FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
New York I love you, but you're bringing me down (part 2)
Got up a bit earlier this morning as I wanted to make the most of our last day in New York. Went for coffee at the nearest Starbucks and came back to confirm our hotel transfer to the airport in the morning. Our flight leaves at 6.00am and when I rang they said they would pick us up at 2.10am. Excellent!
I broke the news to Ros who stated "well we're not fucking going to sleep then!".
It had been raining when I went out for coffee so I grabbed my leather jacket and figured 'that will do', and we made our way to the subway - off for a visit to the United Nations. We caught the train to 5th Avenue, but we had to walk the rest of the way to 1st Avenue.
At the UN, we had to go through security as tight as any airport but once inside we quickly arranged a guided tour. We were all given headsets that we could hear the tour guide through and off we went. First point of interest was the room where the Security Council meets. And did you know that they meet every day? And that because of that, all 15 members (delegates) live in NYC? The guide spoke about how members are elected, and which members have veto power etc.
We moved onto the General Assembly meeting room, which by the way, is now represented by 193 delegates since the independence of South Sudan. This is the room you always see on tele. The meeting is held in six languages, and if your country sends representatives that don't speak any of the six languages, then you must provide your own interpreter. Each seat has an earpiece and you just turn the dial to 'tune in' to the language of your choice.
Th guide went on to show us work that the United Nations do, and how it functions. Things like clearing land mines is high on the agenda, peace corps in Haiti, school in a box, etc. It made me want to work for them, or at least re-think my career choice. I really do feel useless since I left social welfare.
For those of you who are reading this, do me a favor? When you finish reading here, promise me you will go to freerice.com and play a game or two.
Thanks.
Anyhow, by the time we finished up at the UN, it was raining pretty heavily, so Ros decided to buy an umbrella. I decided I wouldn't bother. I may have looked like a drown rat by the time we made it back to Grand Central station, but meh, whatever.
We headed back to Times Square and grabbed lunch from Chop't. Then Ros headed off to find a Pandora store, I walked around for a bit, found a plastic headscarf in a shop and then walked around with that on my head before waiting to meet Ros. When she saw me, she said I looked like her nonna. I said I didn't care what I looked like....however, she has just now demonstrated what I looked like by tying it around her head, and I have to admit it looked pretty dodgy, but very funny.
Because it was still pissing down, I suggested that we needed to sit down inside and eat a piece of New York cheesecake. Ros asked the security guy standing near us where we might find a good slice of cheesecake and he told us where to find the best, just a few blocks away at 'Juniors'. He said his mouth was watering just talking about it.
And it was pretty darn good. Really light and fluffy and yummy! I also ordered coffee, but I don't really know why. It was the size of a large soup mug and tasted like shite. Ros ordered a hot chocolate which was the same size except had a mountain of fake cream on it. At least the cheesecake was divine.
Because the rain was relentless, and neither of us were dressed for it, we decided to go back to the hotel and have a nap (rather than explore Greenwich Village). And after I slept for five minutes, and was raring to go again, I decided to go get a pedicure. Whilst I was there I decided I may as well also get a manicure. All set for Vegas now!
Grabbed a slice of pizza for dinner at the corner cafe, and solved the world's problems by 9.00pm and now we're just getting ready to get up at 1.50am.
Or stay up.
It is still raining. New York I love you, but you're bringing me down.
And don't forget, freerice.com....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I broke the news to Ros who stated "well we're not fucking going to sleep then!".
It had been raining when I went out for coffee so I grabbed my leather jacket and figured 'that will do', and we made our way to the subway - off for a visit to the United Nations. We caught the train to 5th Avenue, but we had to walk the rest of the way to 1st Avenue.
At the UN, we had to go through security as tight as any airport but once inside we quickly arranged a guided tour. We were all given headsets that we could hear the tour guide through and off we went. First point of interest was the room where the Security Council meets. And did you know that they meet every day? And that because of that, all 15 members (delegates) live in NYC? The guide spoke about how members are elected, and which members have veto power etc.
We moved onto the General Assembly meeting room, which by the way, is now represented by 193 delegates since the independence of South Sudan. This is the room you always see on tele. The meeting is held in six languages, and if your country sends representatives that don't speak any of the six languages, then you must provide your own interpreter. Each seat has an earpiece and you just turn the dial to 'tune in' to the language of your choice.
Th guide went on to show us work that the United Nations do, and how it functions. Things like clearing land mines is high on the agenda, peace corps in Haiti, school in a box, etc. It made me want to work for them, or at least re-think my career choice. I really do feel useless since I left social welfare.
For those of you who are reading this, do me a favor? When you finish reading here, promise me you will go to freerice.com and play a game or two.
Thanks.
Anyhow, by the time we finished up at the UN, it was raining pretty heavily, so Ros decided to buy an umbrella. I decided I wouldn't bother. I may have looked like a drown rat by the time we made it back to Grand Central station, but meh, whatever.
We headed back to Times Square and grabbed lunch from Chop't. Then Ros headed off to find a Pandora store, I walked around for a bit, found a plastic headscarf in a shop and then walked around with that on my head before waiting to meet Ros. When she saw me, she said I looked like her nonna. I said I didn't care what I looked like....however, she has just now demonstrated what I looked like by tying it around her head, and I have to admit it looked pretty dodgy, but very funny.
Because it was still pissing down, I suggested that we needed to sit down inside and eat a piece of New York cheesecake. Ros asked the security guy standing near us where we might find a good slice of cheesecake and he told us where to find the best, just a few blocks away at 'Juniors'. He said his mouth was watering just talking about it.
And it was pretty darn good. Really light and fluffy and yummy! I also ordered coffee, but I don't really know why. It was the size of a large soup mug and tasted like shite. Ros ordered a hot chocolate which was the same size except had a mountain of fake cream on it. At least the cheesecake was divine.
Because the rain was relentless, and neither of us were dressed for it, we decided to go back to the hotel and have a nap (rather than explore Greenwich Village). And after I slept for five minutes, and was raring to go again, I decided to go get a pedicure. Whilst I was there I decided I may as well also get a manicure. All set for Vegas now!
Grabbed a slice of pizza for dinner at the corner cafe, and solved the world's problems by 9.00pm and now we're just getting ready to get up at 1.50am.
Or stay up.
It is still raining. New York I love you, but you're bringing me down.
And don't forget, freerice.com....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
06 September 2011
New York I love you, but you're bringing me down
It is true what people say, you actually can't find a decent coffee in America. Last night Christi had agreed that it was very difficult to find a decent coffee, and she suggested I try and find 'Art of Joe'. I googled this morning and sure enough there was a couple on the west side, and one only 10 blocks away. I went there and ordered a coffee, it was the right size and the right temperature, accompanied by the perfect almond croissant, and yet, it wasn't great. It certainly was better than any coffee I've had to date, but not great. Cibo Pirie St awaits me!
This morning we headed out to the Guggenheim Museum. We started in the rotunda where the exhibits are, and Lee Ufan was showing. Now, I know I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to art. But I know what I like, and then, well, there are some things I just don't get. Between the rocks, paintings, cotton wool, rubber matting.....bizarre.
We quickly moved on to find the permanent collection. And this was really quite spectacular, albeit small. It contained works by; Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Monet, Manet, and a couple of my favorites were Picasso's Woman Ironing, and Fernande with a Black Mantilla (from his blue period).
From there we caught the train downtown to City Hall and walked part way across the Brooklyn Bridge. Speccy!
Then we walked towards Ground Zero. We went into St Paul's Chapel which has survived the great fire as well as Sept 11 (7 buildings in total were destroyed that day). The firemen and other workers used the church for respite and many could be found tossing and turning on the pews trying to get a bit of shut-eye. Inside the church is now like a museum, but I could only read about a few stories before being too upset to read anymore.
From there we went to happier things - shopping, at Century 21. We both did more damage to the credit card! Grabbed a bite to eat and got back to the hotel and repacked the bags ready for our 6.00am flight out of here on Wednesday morning.
Today, when it suddenly dawned on me that we only had another day to go here in New York, I genuinely felt heart broken. I love this city and I need more time here, time to just explore the quirky places, the little gems, whether it's food, shops, parks, apartments anything. I mostly want to stop being a tourist here, and just 'live' New York for a bit. Feel it. Get lost in it. I want to talk to more New Yorkers and explore every last inch of Central Park. I want time to find that decent cup of coffee.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
This morning we headed out to the Guggenheim Museum. We started in the rotunda where the exhibits are, and Lee Ufan was showing. Now, I know I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to art. But I know what I like, and then, well, there are some things I just don't get. Between the rocks, paintings, cotton wool, rubber matting.....bizarre.
We quickly moved on to find the permanent collection. And this was really quite spectacular, albeit small. It contained works by; Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Monet, Manet, and a couple of my favorites were Picasso's Woman Ironing, and Fernande with a Black Mantilla (from his blue period).
From there we caught the train downtown to City Hall and walked part way across the Brooklyn Bridge. Speccy!
Then we walked towards Ground Zero. We went into St Paul's Chapel which has survived the great fire as well as Sept 11 (7 buildings in total were destroyed that day). The firemen and other workers used the church for respite and many could be found tossing and turning on the pews trying to get a bit of shut-eye. Inside the church is now like a museum, but I could only read about a few stories before being too upset to read anymore.
From there we went to happier things - shopping, at Century 21. We both did more damage to the credit card! Grabbed a bite to eat and got back to the hotel and repacked the bags ready for our 6.00am flight out of here on Wednesday morning.
Today, when it suddenly dawned on me that we only had another day to go here in New York, I genuinely felt heart broken. I love this city and I need more time here, time to just explore the quirky places, the little gems, whether it's food, shops, parks, apartments anything. I mostly want to stop being a tourist here, and just 'live' New York for a bit. Feel it. Get lost in it. I want to talk to more New Yorkers and explore every last inch of Central Park. I want time to find that decent cup of coffee.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
05 September 2011
Mouthgasm
This morning we got up and went out for a decent breakfast as we were catching the train back to NYC later. We opted for a place just down the road from our hotel that we had walked past yesterday morning and the place was full and there had been a line of people waiting to get in. We figured it must have been an excellent breakfast spot. As we were up a little earlier today, we got a table straight away, but not long after we were seated there was a string of people waiting.
I love sweet things for breakfast and so I ordered the pancakes, and Ros had scrambled eggs. The food was ok, but nothing to write home about and I am still perplexed as to why so many people would line up to get into this place and just not go somewhere else.
On the train back to New York (which we nearly missed because we were looking for the train heading to NYC, but should have been looking for the Washington DC train), we bagged seats right at the front on the first carriage because we were in business class...nice right? Wrong! It was so fucking cold that I had a jumper on my legs (over jeans), a jumper around my neck, a jumper on my feet, AND my brand new leather jacket, AND I WAS STILL FUCKING COLD! It wasn't until 20 mins out of NYC that I realised that half way down the back of the carriage was a darn sight balmier! I don't know if you've ever felt that sort of cold where you wanted to jump out of train, but that's what I wanted to do today.
Back in New York, I insisted to Ros that we would be better off catching the subway back to the hotel rather than a cab (despite us having to cart all our luggage around), and besides the fact that I feel like I dislocated my shoulder dragging 20+ kilos across stations...I do believe we got to the hotel a hell of a lot quicker and cheaper.
Back at the hotel and we debated for some time what we were going to do for the evening. In the end we decided on getting the list of restaurant recommendations that was given to us the other night when we were at the Riverpark restaurant. We opted for something that was NOT near us, 'Griffiti' on the lower east side. I rang them and made a booking, they said they could fit us in, but we would need to leave by 9.15. I told them we eat fast.
When I had looked up the address on the web, I saw that the chef had been a winner on "Iron Chef". Are you impressed Mark Woolston and Graham Dudley? I need to go back and research some more, I don't know whether it was the American show or the Japanese one. And the site also mentioned something about Martha Stewart. Am I supposed to be impressed? Didn't she go to jail?
To get to this restaurant by train, I had to study the subway map for a bit. The journey would have to involve three different lines, but I was pretty confident we would manage just fine. And we did. And once again, I got asked by a stranger for assistance and I was able to help the good looking, shy, young lad from the UK.
When we got to the restaurant, Ros and I were seated side-by-side, not opposite each other, at a square table, set for four other people. The dining area itself was tiny, as the restaurant was in a renovated lower floor of an apartment. It would not have sat more than 18 people, and NOT comfortably either! Later on in the evening I went to use the bathroom for the sole purpose of seeing how small the kitchen was. I had to wait for one of the staff to close the dish washer door before I could squeeze past. There were three staff in the kitchen and I had to sidle past all three to get to the loo. It was smaller than my kitchen at home, which is a small kitchen for a standard three bedroom home in Oz. Probably, if you think of a standard sized bathroom in a home in Australia, then chop it in half lengthways, you will have the size of this kitchen.
Anyhow, we were given a menu, and it all looked unusual, so I just picked the shrimp, and Ros chose the burger. We ordered, and as we were waiting for the food, four people came in and were seated with us. Christi immediately introduced herself and her friends (given that we would be dining together). Her partner's name I didn't catch, and her partner's friend from college, Keith, and his partner Tiffany. The friends were visiting from Chicago.
Our meal arrived and well, I think I have just had the meal of my life!
Don't ask me what we ordered exactly, don't ask me what it tasted like (I wouldn't be able to describe it) or what the flavours were (besides it being fusion I could taste Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Indian), or what the theme was. But every bite was sensational!
Christi and her partner were able to tell us a bit more about the chef/restaurant - the chef is Egyptian, and worked as a pastry chef for one of the best chefs in France. They also mentioned the Iron Chef and Martha Stewart connections.
The food was so good, on a whim we decided to order another main as recommended by Christi, it was a pork dish, in a type of bun/flat bread with cornflakes on top! It was AMAZING!
As per the night at the Riverpark restaurant our new found friends said that they couldn't believe foreigners had found the place. Christie said she was shocked when she first heard our accents. I had to admit that I couldn't take the credit for this one, that the recommendation had been from a local.
After the main had been served, we decided to see the dessert menu, and whilst I was leaning towards the strawberries with truffle, and pepper ice-cream...we actually decided on the chocolate caviar cupcake with something something ice-cream (sorry, I just can't remember).
MOUTHGASM!
Just give me a moment.
Seriously, when I took the first bite, not only was I speechless, but my eyes welled up with tears of joy. I am not lying to you. And I barely said a word as I devoured the rest of my plate. This guy knew his desserts!
For me, this has been my favorite evening in New York, and the US so far. The meal was excellent, and once again I have been pleasantly surprised by the generosity and friendliness of the people. Tonight I was especially surprised at how similar our sense of humour is, we had a barrell of laughs tonight.
This night will be etched in my memory for a very very long time.
So happy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I love sweet things for breakfast and so I ordered the pancakes, and Ros had scrambled eggs. The food was ok, but nothing to write home about and I am still perplexed as to why so many people would line up to get into this place and just not go somewhere else.
On the train back to New York (which we nearly missed because we were looking for the train heading to NYC, but should have been looking for the Washington DC train), we bagged seats right at the front on the first carriage because we were in business class...nice right? Wrong! It was so fucking cold that I had a jumper on my legs (over jeans), a jumper around my neck, a jumper on my feet, AND my brand new leather jacket, AND I WAS STILL FUCKING COLD! It wasn't until 20 mins out of NYC that I realised that half way down the back of the carriage was a darn sight balmier! I don't know if you've ever felt that sort of cold where you wanted to jump out of train, but that's what I wanted to do today.
Back in New York, I insisted to Ros that we would be better off catching the subway back to the hotel rather than a cab (despite us having to cart all our luggage around), and besides the fact that I feel like I dislocated my shoulder dragging 20+ kilos across stations...I do believe we got to the hotel a hell of a lot quicker and cheaper.
Back at the hotel and we debated for some time what we were going to do for the evening. In the end we decided on getting the list of restaurant recommendations that was given to us the other night when we were at the Riverpark restaurant. We opted for something that was NOT near us, 'Griffiti' on the lower east side. I rang them and made a booking, they said they could fit us in, but we would need to leave by 9.15. I told them we eat fast.
When I had looked up the address on the web, I saw that the chef had been a winner on "Iron Chef". Are you impressed Mark Woolston and Graham Dudley? I need to go back and research some more, I don't know whether it was the American show or the Japanese one. And the site also mentioned something about Martha Stewart. Am I supposed to be impressed? Didn't she go to jail?
To get to this restaurant by train, I had to study the subway map for a bit. The journey would have to involve three different lines, but I was pretty confident we would manage just fine. And we did. And once again, I got asked by a stranger for assistance and I was able to help the good looking, shy, young lad from the UK.
When we got to the restaurant, Ros and I were seated side-by-side, not opposite each other, at a square table, set for four other people. The dining area itself was tiny, as the restaurant was in a renovated lower floor of an apartment. It would not have sat more than 18 people, and NOT comfortably either! Later on in the evening I went to use the bathroom for the sole purpose of seeing how small the kitchen was. I had to wait for one of the staff to close the dish washer door before I could squeeze past. There were three staff in the kitchen and I had to sidle past all three to get to the loo. It was smaller than my kitchen at home, which is a small kitchen for a standard three bedroom home in Oz. Probably, if you think of a standard sized bathroom in a home in Australia, then chop it in half lengthways, you will have the size of this kitchen.
Anyhow, we were given a menu, and it all looked unusual, so I just picked the shrimp, and Ros chose the burger. We ordered, and as we were waiting for the food, four people came in and were seated with us. Christi immediately introduced herself and her friends (given that we would be dining together). Her partner's name I didn't catch, and her partner's friend from college, Keith, and his partner Tiffany. The friends were visiting from Chicago.
Our meal arrived and well, I think I have just had the meal of my life!
Don't ask me what we ordered exactly, don't ask me what it tasted like (I wouldn't be able to describe it) or what the flavours were (besides it being fusion I could taste Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Indian), or what the theme was. But every bite was sensational!
Christi and her partner were able to tell us a bit more about the chef/restaurant - the chef is Egyptian, and worked as a pastry chef for one of the best chefs in France. They also mentioned the Iron Chef and Martha Stewart connections.
The food was so good, on a whim we decided to order another main as recommended by Christi, it was a pork dish, in a type of bun/flat bread with cornflakes on top! It was AMAZING!
As per the night at the Riverpark restaurant our new found friends said that they couldn't believe foreigners had found the place. Christie said she was shocked when she first heard our accents. I had to admit that I couldn't take the credit for this one, that the recommendation had been from a local.
After the main had been served, we decided to see the dessert menu, and whilst I was leaning towards the strawberries with truffle, and pepper ice-cream...we actually decided on the chocolate caviar cupcake with something something ice-cream (sorry, I just can't remember).
MOUTHGASM!
Just give me a moment.
Seriously, when I took the first bite, not only was I speechless, but my eyes welled up with tears of joy. I am not lying to you. And I barely said a word as I devoured the rest of my plate. This guy knew his desserts!
For me, this has been my favorite evening in New York, and the US so far. The meal was excellent, and once again I have been pleasantly surprised by the generosity and friendliness of the people. Tonight I was especially surprised at how similar our sense of humour is, we had a barrell of laughs tonight.
This night will be etched in my memory for a very very long time.
So happy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
04 September 2011
Boston
Yesterday we caught a train to Boston. After we checked in we went for a wander. Across the road from our hotel we saw some spectacular architecture poking out over the trees, so we headed in that direction. In front of the main building was a massive water feature/pool thingy... When we got to the building, we found it was some Christian science institute... Then we stumbled across one of the main strips and we went into a couple of pubs for a few drinks. There was a baseball game on at Fenway park and everyone was in their red sox gear.
This morning we got on a hop-on/off bus for a tour around Boston. It is a truly beautiful city, and I quickly started to regret not spending more time here, to get a real feel for the place. We stopped off at one of the many piers where there was a market underway, we also had lunch there. Then we stopped at Boston Common and briefly walked around the park, and went through a few of the suburban streets (so gorgeous), and then the Cheers pub (from the TV series). It would have been great to have had time to walk around the cemetery, and to go to City Hall, but time was precious and I wanted to get to Harvard.
Got to Harvard and the feel of the place changes again as soon as you enter Cambridge precinct. Harvard students undertake walking tours of Harvard, so we did one. Our guide was Adam, and whilst he was studying Economics at Harvard, he actually wanted to be an actor, and let me tell you he was thoroughly entertaining! And I expect to see him on the big screen one day. Again, if any of you are fortunate enough to get to Boston, this tour must be on your to do list. It was only a shame that we couldn't go into some of the buildings.
We missed our last bus back so we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then caught the subway back to town. The trains and stations are quite clean, new looking, and not so stuffy. And the whole city of Boston, but especially the Cambridge area seems very young. I suppose that's stating the obvious though.
When we got off the train, Ros went off to do some shopping and I headed back to the hotel, but then I remembered that I wanted to go to the observatory at the Sheraton. So I had a quick shower and headed out again. Unfortunately, as with most observatories, they are glass enclosed, and whilst I know why, it really annoys me as glass will ruin a good photo. On the way back to the hotel I stopped at the Christian Science place again for some more night photography and got a few decent shots there.
Tomorrow we only have a few hours in Boston before having to get on the train back to New York. Definitely not enough time in Boston.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
This morning we got on a hop-on/off bus for a tour around Boston. It is a truly beautiful city, and I quickly started to regret not spending more time here, to get a real feel for the place. We stopped off at one of the many piers where there was a market underway, we also had lunch there. Then we stopped at Boston Common and briefly walked around the park, and went through a few of the suburban streets (so gorgeous), and then the Cheers pub (from the TV series). It would have been great to have had time to walk around the cemetery, and to go to City Hall, but time was precious and I wanted to get to Harvard.
Got to Harvard and the feel of the place changes again as soon as you enter Cambridge precinct. Harvard students undertake walking tours of Harvard, so we did one. Our guide was Adam, and whilst he was studying Economics at Harvard, he actually wanted to be an actor, and let me tell you he was thoroughly entertaining! And I expect to see him on the big screen one day. Again, if any of you are fortunate enough to get to Boston, this tour must be on your to do list. It was only a shame that we couldn't go into some of the buildings.
We missed our last bus back so we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then caught the subway back to town. The trains and stations are quite clean, new looking, and not so stuffy. And the whole city of Boston, but especially the Cambridge area seems very young. I suppose that's stating the obvious though.
When we got off the train, Ros went off to do some shopping and I headed back to the hotel, but then I remembered that I wanted to go to the observatory at the Sheraton. So I had a quick shower and headed out again. Unfortunately, as with most observatories, they are glass enclosed, and whilst I know why, it really annoys me as glass will ruin a good photo. On the way back to the hotel I stopped at the Christian Science place again for some more night photography and got a few decent shots there.
Tomorrow we only have a few hours in Boston before having to get on the train back to New York. Definitely not enough time in Boston.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
03 September 2011
No entry
For avid followers, thank you for following and I apologise for the lack of a post yesterday, but last night we got back to the hotel at midnight, and I knew I would have time to blog on the train to Boston today.
Yesterday morning we both slept in after the night before's shenanigans. When I finally got my ass prepared, I went straight into midtown and left Ros behind to do my washing! I grabbed a breakfast of fruit salad and juice because I was still full from the previous evening.
My first destination was the photography institute, I figured that there would be an exhibition that I could see. Now if anyone knows about my trip to Japan last year, you would know that I had earmarked a couple of photography places to checkout, but everyone one I went to was closed on the day I was there. So I find the place in NY, only to see that they were installing a new exhibition so the place was shut except for the shop. Unbelievable! It reopens on the 9th, just after I leave.
My next port of call was the Morgan Pierpont library - the famous banker collected treasures, mostly books, and his residence is now a museum. I went straight to his library when I got there. If any of you ever have the opportunity to come to New York, you simply must have this on your list of things to do. But then I am a lover of books, and I place a lot of value on them. More than art. The library, besides being fabulously ornate was wall to wall books (lower half wall only), then there was a hidden room behind a secure door, something like a massive safe where the more valuable books had been stored. This room had a ladder in it as the book shelves went up to the ceiling.
On display behind glass, were books such as the Gutenberg bible (the man owned three of them); drafts of the constitution to end slavery; and the collection had also been updated to include letters to/from people like Matisse, Pollock, Voltaire and even a letter from JD Salinger to one of his children.
I checked the museum's store to see whether they had a book for sale that showcased the collection, but it is out of print as they are updating it. I will have to seek this out online in future.
From there I headed back to Times Square to meet up with Ros again. When I got there I had time for a quick lunch. I ventured into "chop't", a salad bar. One can either choose from the menu or make your own. You select the type of lettuce, other ingredients, dressing, and they chop it all up in front of you. It was a great salad!
I met Ros and told her she could not leave New York without seeing the Morgan library. Whilst she did that, I went and purchased tickets for the Jersey Boys. Then I headed towards another library I had read about back in Oz, apparently it is another must-see - The University Club Library. It is located on 5th ave so I trek all the way back there only to find that only members or guests can enter! However the building itself was certainly a fine piece of architecture.
Because I was on 5th I decided I may as well head further up and go to the famous toy store with the big piano. You can take one home yourself for a mere $200,000! The staff there have the best jobs as they just show kids the toys, there was one grown up kid just on a skateboard going up and down the aisles.
I was due to meet up with Ros again at 5.30pm but I literally couldn't take another step, so I rested on the seats in front of the gorgeous Plaza hotel and Pullitzer fountain and then caught the train back to Times Square on a line I hadn't used before.
We went back to the hotel and rested for a bit before heading out to see the Jersey Boys. Another amazing theatre production! When that finished we grabbed a quick slice of pizza and headed back to our hotel for a well earned rest!
Waiting for the train to come, there was a busker singing and playing guitar.
Anyone who has been in any subway at any day, time or season would know that it is the equivalent of stepping into a sauna. So I figured this guy had already earned a dollar just for being there. I watched a few people drop him some cash and then I did. He STOPPED playing, much to my embarrassment, and called Ros over and asked whether he could please keep me. Whilst I am a sucker for the odd musician, Ros thought it best that she keep me because I am her navigator and she would be lost without me..... Aaawwwww, it's nice to be wanted by many....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Yesterday morning we both slept in after the night before's shenanigans. When I finally got my ass prepared, I went straight into midtown and left Ros behind to do my washing! I grabbed a breakfast of fruit salad and juice because I was still full from the previous evening.
My first destination was the photography institute, I figured that there would be an exhibition that I could see. Now if anyone knows about my trip to Japan last year, you would know that I had earmarked a couple of photography places to checkout, but everyone one I went to was closed on the day I was there. So I find the place in NY, only to see that they were installing a new exhibition so the place was shut except for the shop. Unbelievable! It reopens on the 9th, just after I leave.
My next port of call was the Morgan Pierpont library - the famous banker collected treasures, mostly books, and his residence is now a museum. I went straight to his library when I got there. If any of you ever have the opportunity to come to New York, you simply must have this on your list of things to do. But then I am a lover of books, and I place a lot of value on them. More than art. The library, besides being fabulously ornate was wall to wall books (lower half wall only), then there was a hidden room behind a secure door, something like a massive safe where the more valuable books had been stored. This room had a ladder in it as the book shelves went up to the ceiling.
On display behind glass, were books such as the Gutenberg bible (the man owned three of them); drafts of the constitution to end slavery; and the collection had also been updated to include letters to/from people like Matisse, Pollock, Voltaire and even a letter from JD Salinger to one of his children.
I checked the museum's store to see whether they had a book for sale that showcased the collection, but it is out of print as they are updating it. I will have to seek this out online in future.
From there I headed back to Times Square to meet up with Ros again. When I got there I had time for a quick lunch. I ventured into "chop't", a salad bar. One can either choose from the menu or make your own. You select the type of lettuce, other ingredients, dressing, and they chop it all up in front of you. It was a great salad!
I met Ros and told her she could not leave New York without seeing the Morgan library. Whilst she did that, I went and purchased tickets for the Jersey Boys. Then I headed towards another library I had read about back in Oz, apparently it is another must-see - The University Club Library. It is located on 5th ave so I trek all the way back there only to find that only members or guests can enter! However the building itself was certainly a fine piece of architecture.
Because I was on 5th I decided I may as well head further up and go to the famous toy store with the big piano. You can take one home yourself for a mere $200,000! The staff there have the best jobs as they just show kids the toys, there was one grown up kid just on a skateboard going up and down the aisles.
I was due to meet up with Ros again at 5.30pm but I literally couldn't take another step, so I rested on the seats in front of the gorgeous Plaza hotel and Pullitzer fountain and then caught the train back to Times Square on a line I hadn't used before.
We went back to the hotel and rested for a bit before heading out to see the Jersey Boys. Another amazing theatre production! When that finished we grabbed a quick slice of pizza and headed back to our hotel for a well earned rest!
Waiting for the train to come, there was a busker singing and playing guitar.
Anyone who has been in any subway at any day, time or season would know that it is the equivalent of stepping into a sauna. So I figured this guy had already earned a dollar just for being there. I watched a few people drop him some cash and then I did. He STOPPED playing, much to my embarrassment, and called Ros over and asked whether he could please keep me. Whilst I am a sucker for the odd musician, Ros thought it best that she keep me because I am her navigator and she would be lost without me..... Aaawwwww, it's nice to be wanted by many....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Broadway,New York,United States
01 September 2011
Korean or some shit
This morning started off like any other. I got up before Ros, showered, dressed and went out for coffee/brekky and a walk. Got back and we headed downtown once again. This morning we were booked on a bus trip across to the Woodbury Common outlet stores in New Jersey.
We got there after 12.00pm and agreed to split up and meet again at 4.15pm for the 4.20 bus home.
One of the first shops I went into was Kenneth Cole where they just had a flat 50% off everything in the store, and whilst I need another watch like I need a hole in the head, I purchased another Kenneth Cole watch for something like $35. Then into Calvin Klein and $340 later.... I pretty much decided at that point that enough was enough, and time to focus on the nieces and nephews. Found Adidas and got Sabrina her tennis shoes, but am completely panicked about whether they will fit her or not. Got Nikolas as AWESOME pair of sandshoes from Nike, but am completely panicked about whether he will like them or not. Then to Osh Kosh B'gosh and found some clothes for the other three.
I had so many bags, my arms were sore from carrying them.
I was proud of myself for not going into more shops, and the amount of money I didn't spend!
Met up with Ros and waiting for the bus we started chatting to two young guys from Melbourne. One of them worked for Estee Lauder and had a work trip to the US, so his partner came along for the ride. We sat adjacent to them on the bus and chatted about things we had or hadn't done in NYC, and joked about things like getting fries with your breakfast.
The bus trip home took 45mins more than the trip over, and so by the time we got back to the hotel we were already running late for a dinner booking at the Riverpark restaurant. I rang them and they happily changed the booking to 8.45pm.
After showering and getting ready, we decided to cab it to the restaurant, (first cab since we've been here). We flagged a cab and I gave the cabbie the address, but as we got closer, we could tell he was struggling. Next thing we know the cabbie is trying to reverse down a one way street. He was trying to tell us that we were at the end of 29th St...anyway we convinced him to go further East and I instantly knew we were in the right place because I saw Tom Collicchio's rooftop garden. We paid the cabbie, and tipped him FFS!
The meal was amazing, for entree I had Marscapone Ravioli and for main I had prosciutto wrapped trout. For dessert we shared some chocolate pot thingy which was just amazing. It was all amazing. Ros fell in love with our waiter Nathaniel, and he served us a complimentary glass of moscato. Yum!
As Ros and I were chatting about how amazing the meal was, and the incredible view, the lady sitting next to us interrupted and said that she couldn't help over-hearing and that obviously we were visitors and she wanted to know how we had heard of the restaurant. She said that Riverpark was still an unknown "hidden gem" in New York City, and she was so impressed that we had found it!
This woman 'Lisa' even complimented me on my haircut. Erm HELLO, I come from little ol' Adelaide!
We ended up chatting with Lisa and her friend Rich for some time, as well as the waiter Nathaniel. The waiter had given us some other restaurant suggestions, and then Lisa attacked the list and said "no, we need to give them a much broader view of New York, like, Korean and shit".
She was clearly a smart woman, because then she realised that in Adelaide we would have ample access to Asian flavours, so she wanted to recommend something completely different.
We had a wonderful meal, wonderful conversation, and walked away with a swag of foodie recommendations. Ros insisted we all have a photo together. It was an awesome evening. (I had even spotted fireworks across the Hudson during the evening).
I can't believe how many wonderful people we have met along this trip. It has been a learning curve and a pleasant surprise.
In my head, I am already planning my next visit....
Oh, forgot to mention, on the subway after our shopping trip, three guys asked me whether they were on the right train for China town. With some confidence I was able to reply, that they had the right train, but were going in the wrong direction. I do believe I have mastered the subway thank you very much.
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We got there after 12.00pm and agreed to split up and meet again at 4.15pm for the 4.20 bus home.
One of the first shops I went into was Kenneth Cole where they just had a flat 50% off everything in the store, and whilst I need another watch like I need a hole in the head, I purchased another Kenneth Cole watch for something like $35. Then into Calvin Klein and $340 later.... I pretty much decided at that point that enough was enough, and time to focus on the nieces and nephews. Found Adidas and got Sabrina her tennis shoes, but am completely panicked about whether they will fit her or not. Got Nikolas as AWESOME pair of sandshoes from Nike, but am completely panicked about whether he will like them or not. Then to Osh Kosh B'gosh and found some clothes for the other three.
I had so many bags, my arms were sore from carrying them.
I was proud of myself for not going into more shops, and the amount of money I didn't spend!
Met up with Ros and waiting for the bus we started chatting to two young guys from Melbourne. One of them worked for Estee Lauder and had a work trip to the US, so his partner came along for the ride. We sat adjacent to them on the bus and chatted about things we had or hadn't done in NYC, and joked about things like getting fries with your breakfast.
The bus trip home took 45mins more than the trip over, and so by the time we got back to the hotel we were already running late for a dinner booking at the Riverpark restaurant. I rang them and they happily changed the booking to 8.45pm.
After showering and getting ready, we decided to cab it to the restaurant, (first cab since we've been here). We flagged a cab and I gave the cabbie the address, but as we got closer, we could tell he was struggling. Next thing we know the cabbie is trying to reverse down a one way street. He was trying to tell us that we were at the end of 29th St...anyway we convinced him to go further East and I instantly knew we were in the right place because I saw Tom Collicchio's rooftop garden. We paid the cabbie, and tipped him FFS!
The meal was amazing, for entree I had Marscapone Ravioli and for main I had prosciutto wrapped trout. For dessert we shared some chocolate pot thingy which was just amazing. It was all amazing. Ros fell in love with our waiter Nathaniel, and he served us a complimentary glass of moscato. Yum!
As Ros and I were chatting about how amazing the meal was, and the incredible view, the lady sitting next to us interrupted and said that she couldn't help over-hearing and that obviously we were visitors and she wanted to know how we had heard of the restaurant. She said that Riverpark was still an unknown "hidden gem" in New York City, and she was so impressed that we had found it!
This woman 'Lisa' even complimented me on my haircut. Erm HELLO, I come from little ol' Adelaide!
We ended up chatting with Lisa and her friend Rich for some time, as well as the waiter Nathaniel. The waiter had given us some other restaurant suggestions, and then Lisa attacked the list and said "no, we need to give them a much broader view of New York, like, Korean and shit".
She was clearly a smart woman, because then she realised that in Adelaide we would have ample access to Asian flavours, so she wanted to recommend something completely different.
We had a wonderful meal, wonderful conversation, and walked away with a swag of foodie recommendations. Ros insisted we all have a photo together. It was an awesome evening. (I had even spotted fireworks across the Hudson during the evening).
I can't believe how many wonderful people we have met along this trip. It has been a learning curve and a pleasant surprise.
In my head, I am already planning my next visit....
Oh, forgot to mention, on the subway after our shopping trip, three guys asked me whether they were on the right train for China town. With some confidence I was able to reply, that they had the right train, but were going in the wrong direction. I do believe I have mastered the subway thank you very much.
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31 August 2011
From ladette to lady
This morning I got up and went for what is becoming a regular morning coffee and walk, exploring the few kilometers in the radius of the hotel. When I got back we got ready to go out for the day as we had the 'Sex and the City tour booked for 11.00am. We got the subway to dowtown and got off at 50th, which also brings you out to Columbus circle and the south west corner of Central Park.
Because we had a bit of time to spare, we wandered through the south end of Central Park. We saw the duck pond, which I assume is the one mentioned in JD Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye". Stunning, 'but where do the ducks go when the pond freezes over in winter?'
We ventured out of the park at the south east corner, which also happened to be the meeting spot for the tour, in front of the Pulitzer monument (and the Plaza hotel).
The tour was good, but not great, although the tour guide earns a mention, she really knew her stuff and was quite impressive.
We then wandered down to Bryant Park where apparently fashion week is no longer held. (It's now held at the Lincoln Centre.). And I had a salad of grilled asparagus, beetroot, goat's cheese and greens, and it was absolutely delicious! The park was full of people, and it was just beautiful sitting there in the sun, in a lovely park, in a metropolis. This life is for me. And besides the small hurricane that passed through here on the weekend, the weather has been perfect.
After that we went back to the hotel for a bit, then went out to a local Thai restaurant called 'Charm' that had been recommended to Ros by a local Aussie expat. It was also a delicious meal.
Got back to the hotel to get ready to go see "Mary Poppins". We even used an iron on our clothes! The show was playing at a theatre on 42nd St, and our seats were in the second row, which I was very impressed with, but apparently the front row seats in a theatre are not the best seats. We started chatting to the Mother and daughter sitting next to me. They were from South Carolina, and the daughter was going to live in Spain for 6 months on a University exchange program. They were so, so lovely, I'm sorry that we didn't have more time to talk.
Mary Poppins was amazing (actually I've never seen a production that wasn't). And whilst the actress who played Mary Poppins was by far the star of the show, the little boy 'Michael' stole my heart. You should've seen him move in the 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' song! At the end of the show Mary flies away, much to the delight of the audience on the third tier, right up to them.
The ladies to my left wished us well and us them, probably never to see each other again. Sadly.
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Because we had a bit of time to spare, we wandered through the south end of Central Park. We saw the duck pond, which I assume is the one mentioned in JD Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye". Stunning, 'but where do the ducks go when the pond freezes over in winter?'
We ventured out of the park at the south east corner, which also happened to be the meeting spot for the tour, in front of the Pulitzer monument (and the Plaza hotel).
The tour was good, but not great, although the tour guide earns a mention, she really knew her stuff and was quite impressive.
We then wandered down to Bryant Park where apparently fashion week is no longer held. (It's now held at the Lincoln Centre.). And I had a salad of grilled asparagus, beetroot, goat's cheese and greens, and it was absolutely delicious! The park was full of people, and it was just beautiful sitting there in the sun, in a lovely park, in a metropolis. This life is for me. And besides the small hurricane that passed through here on the weekend, the weather has been perfect.
After that we went back to the hotel for a bit, then went out to a local Thai restaurant called 'Charm' that had been recommended to Ros by a local Aussie expat. It was also a delicious meal.
Got back to the hotel to get ready to go see "Mary Poppins". We even used an iron on our clothes! The show was playing at a theatre on 42nd St, and our seats were in the second row, which I was very impressed with, but apparently the front row seats in a theatre are not the best seats. We started chatting to the Mother and daughter sitting next to me. They were from South Carolina, and the daughter was going to live in Spain for 6 months on a University exchange program. They were so, so lovely, I'm sorry that we didn't have more time to talk.
Mary Poppins was amazing (actually I've never seen a production that wasn't). And whilst the actress who played Mary Poppins was by far the star of the show, the little boy 'Michael' stole my heart. You should've seen him move in the 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' song! At the end of the show Mary flies away, much to the delight of the audience on the third tier, right up to them.
The ladies to my left wished us well and us them, probably never to see each other again. Sadly.
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30 August 2011
MoMA
Today we headed out to organise tickets for the Sex in the City tour and Woodbury Common shopping outlet. With that organised, Ros headed to Madame Tussaud's whilst I made my way to B&H, a well know camera superstore. How I walked out without purchasing anything is quite beyond me.
We met up again and made our way to the Museum of Modern Art. Most museums you go to are relatively quiet, but this one was a hive of activity.
I suggested we start at the top and make our way down, and I'm glad we did, because all the paintings were on the 4th floor. There were works there by Cezanne, Monet, Van Gough, Matisse, Picasso, and a swag of others.
The third floor was contemporary art and I saw a piece by Jackson Pollock. I have to say, not as fantastic as "Blue Poles" in Canberra!
The second floor was architecture, design and photography, and that's where I saw my first real life look at an Ansel Adams photo! Awesome!
On the way back to the hotel, some cute guy starting talking to us, and gave us a couple of tips for places to go. And now we're going to head to "Top of the Rocks" (Rockefeller Centre), to see if I can't challenge some of those photographers in MoMA with a work of art myself. Highly doubtful.
10.50pm Update:
I'm no Ansel Adams. That is all.
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We met up again and made our way to the Museum of Modern Art. Most museums you go to are relatively quiet, but this one was a hive of activity.
I suggested we start at the top and make our way down, and I'm glad we did, because all the paintings were on the 4th floor. There were works there by Cezanne, Monet, Van Gough, Matisse, Picasso, and a swag of others.
The third floor was contemporary art and I saw a piece by Jackson Pollock. I have to say, not as fantastic as "Blue Poles" in Canberra!
The second floor was architecture, design and photography, and that's where I saw my first real life look at an Ansel Adams photo! Awesome!
On the way back to the hotel, some cute guy starting talking to us, and gave us a couple of tips for places to go. And now we're going to head to "Top of the Rocks" (Rockefeller Centre), to see if I can't challenge some of those photographers in MoMA with a work of art myself. Highly doubtful.
10.50pm Update:
I'm no Ansel Adams. That is all.
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29 August 2011
Nothingness in New York
Overnight hurricane Irene hit New York. It was fierce but down graded once it hit landfall to a category 1. We are staying in midtown Manhattan, and are up on higher ground, so I was only really afraid of winds breaking our hotel window.
Anyway, last night my lower back had been causing me grief so I took two painkillers that Ros had, before going to bed. That, coupled with no real decent sleep since I had gotten to the US, I pretty much zonked it. Despite the fact that wind and rain was rapidly increasing and pounding the window. I was genuinely scared for, oh, about 10 seconds before I fell asleep!
I got up really late this morning and eventually wanted to go out and get some fresh air. For some reason I thought I would do my hair properly today, that is until I burnt my hand on the hair straightener. F&@k me, the pain! I sent Ros out to find some ointment, then ice when she came back saying the pharmacies were shut.
So we've been pretty much in the hotel all day. All trains aren't running, shops are shut and so are all the museums. The weather was foul so it would have been good to at least spend the day in a museum, but alas it was not to be.
We will get back to the sightseeing tomorrow, although it is questionable whether we'll be travelling by metro, or some other means.
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Anyway, last night my lower back had been causing me grief so I took two painkillers that Ros had, before going to bed. That, coupled with no real decent sleep since I had gotten to the US, I pretty much zonked it. Despite the fact that wind and rain was rapidly increasing and pounding the window. I was genuinely scared for, oh, about 10 seconds before I fell asleep!
I got up really late this morning and eventually wanted to go out and get some fresh air. For some reason I thought I would do my hair properly today, that is until I burnt my hand on the hair straightener. F&@k me, the pain! I sent Ros out to find some ointment, then ice when she came back saying the pharmacies were shut.
So we've been pretty much in the hotel all day. All trains aren't running, shops are shut and so are all the museums. The weather was foul so it would have been good to at least spend the day in a museum, but alas it was not to be.
We will get back to the sightseeing tomorrow, although it is questionable whether we'll be travelling by metro, or some other means.
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28 August 2011
C'mon Irene
This trip will be talked about for years to come I think.... Hurricane Irene is making its way towards us, and it has already caused deaths and damage in North Carolina.
This morning I was conscious of needing to go out and get some supplies before the rains came in. It seems that even if it's not such a severe hurricane, that it could cause storm water flooding and power outages. (Our hotel is on high ground though.) So we needed to prepare for two days of no power or being able to go out. I showered and got dressed and went out for brekky, Ros was still asleep.
Back at the hotel, all the lifts in the hotel were not working (or so we thought) and up seven flights I went. After Ros got up we went out before it started to rain hard for supplies. The one dollar plastic raincoat I had brought with me from Oz turned out to be useful, but the rain was gentle then stopped. With our supplies we marched up the stairs. Most standard hotels in NYC don't have fridges so we couldn't buy perishables. It's peanut butter sandwiches and fruit for the next two days.
After a while in the hotel, and a nanna nap (bad nights sleep again), I needed to go out and get some exercise (14 flights of stairs is not enough). I grabbed my iPod, one dollar raincoat, shoot-and-point, and made my way to Central Park. The subway had been shut down from midday so we couldn't get around and most shops were either shut or shutting. Perfect opportunity to explore Central Park.
I wandered across 94th, taking a few shots of the lovely apartment housing, then to the park. The size of it is just mind-blowing. And it is just so pretty. I found the reservoir and walked along that for a while. There were plenty of other walkers and joggers (and dogs).
When I got close to 84th I saw a police car. I took my earphones out, and sure enough, the people were being told to evacuate the park. I had been enjoying it so much that I was walking around like an idiot with a big smile on my face because I couldn't believe I was THERE, in Central Park FFS, and now I was being told to leave! Three hours later and it is still relatively calm outside. I could have still been there.
On my return back to the hotel, I saw a swag of Japanese firemen and one Swedish one from memory. They are reassuring for some reason. Then I noticed the other set of lifts! Hah!
We were supposed to go out to dinner at the Riverpark (Tom Collicchio) tonight, but I just checked the website, and it is located in Zone A so is shut. I quickly booked us in for Wednesday night instead. I don't want to leave New York and not eat there. It's peanut butter sandwiches for dinner tonight though.
I am not so worried yet about the hurricane but I suspect, in the middle of the night, when it's due to hit us, it will be a different story. I don't expect anything too scary to happen, but I know the noise alone will be unbearable, and I don't suspect we will get any sleep once it starts. I also worry that my mum will be worried, so I hope my family lie to her about my exact location.
I will report back later, and fingers crossed that that bitch Irene turns east.
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This morning I was conscious of needing to go out and get some supplies before the rains came in. It seems that even if it's not such a severe hurricane, that it could cause storm water flooding and power outages. (Our hotel is on high ground though.) So we needed to prepare for two days of no power or being able to go out. I showered and got dressed and went out for brekky, Ros was still asleep.
Back at the hotel, all the lifts in the hotel were not working (or so we thought) and up seven flights I went. After Ros got up we went out before it started to rain hard for supplies. The one dollar plastic raincoat I had brought with me from Oz turned out to be useful, but the rain was gentle then stopped. With our supplies we marched up the stairs. Most standard hotels in NYC don't have fridges so we couldn't buy perishables. It's peanut butter sandwiches and fruit for the next two days.
After a while in the hotel, and a nanna nap (bad nights sleep again), I needed to go out and get some exercise (14 flights of stairs is not enough). I grabbed my iPod, one dollar raincoat, shoot-and-point, and made my way to Central Park. The subway had been shut down from midday so we couldn't get around and most shops were either shut or shutting. Perfect opportunity to explore Central Park.
I wandered across 94th, taking a few shots of the lovely apartment housing, then to the park. The size of it is just mind-blowing. And it is just so pretty. I found the reservoir and walked along that for a while. There were plenty of other walkers and joggers (and dogs).
When I got close to 84th I saw a police car. I took my earphones out, and sure enough, the people were being told to evacuate the park. I had been enjoying it so much that I was walking around like an idiot with a big smile on my face because I couldn't believe I was THERE, in Central Park FFS, and now I was being told to leave! Three hours later and it is still relatively calm outside. I could have still been there.
On my return back to the hotel, I saw a swag of Japanese firemen and one Swedish one from memory. They are reassuring for some reason. Then I noticed the other set of lifts! Hah!
We were supposed to go out to dinner at the Riverpark (Tom Collicchio) tonight, but I just checked the website, and it is located in Zone A so is shut. I quickly booked us in for Wednesday night instead. I don't want to leave New York and not eat there. It's peanut butter sandwiches for dinner tonight though.
I am not so worried yet about the hurricane but I suspect, in the middle of the night, when it's due to hit us, it will be a different story. I don't expect anything too scary to happen, but I know the noise alone will be unbearable, and I don't suspect we will get any sleep once it starts. I also worry that my mum will be worried, so I hope my family lie to her about my exact location.
I will report back later, and fingers crossed that that bitch Irene turns east.
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27 August 2011
New York City Cops
For some reason my sleeping pattern is completely out of whack and I only achieved a few hours sleep last night. And this morning we had planned to do some laundry, so Ros went and did that and I went back for a nap.
When the laundry was done, we decided to make our way high into the skies and visit the Empire State building. Stunning views of the city skyline, and the magnitude of this place can only be seen from up high.
From there we decided to walk the part of 5th Avenue that we hadn't seen yesterday. We also went into the New York City public library. Another gorgeous building that takes your breath away. Note to self: the lions out the front are called Fortitude and Patience.
We made our way uptown on 5th gasping at the stunning fashion, and went into Saks and saw all the top designer clothes for sale. It was like watching the red carpet on Oscar's night. We also went into De Beer's and Tiffany's!
When we reached the top of 5th we walked across town past gorgeous hotels such as The Plaza, with Central Park on our right.
We had a burger for an early dinner on 46th, then I went into the Levi's store in Time's Square and got measured for a pair of jeans. First time I've ever tried on a pair of jeans that fit and didn't require hemming! Oh, and did I mention they were only $70! Bonus!
Caught the subway back to our hotel for an early night in, and to find out what is going with Hurricane Irene. We are not in an area of high alert and some people are saying that it won't be serious at all. Let's hope so. I had booked us in to eat at Tom Collichio's restaurant tomorrow night, and I have seen on twitter that he has closed his other restaurant and bar for tomorrow night because of Irene, but no news on Riverpark yet. The news is saying that the metro and bus systems will be closed and many shops will be as well as other services. We can only wait and see what happens... If something does happen, New York City is currently hosting the Police and Firemen's games, so there are plenty of capable human resources to rescue us! There are buff men everywhere and the Japanese firemen are staying in our hotel. I never even saw a buff Japanese man in Japan, but I did in NYC.
Oh, forgot to mention that we quickly went into the Apple store at the top of 5th and there was all this cheering and clapping, and so many people you couldn't move. So I asked one of the staff what was going on. He said in the most droll voice "Someone's leaving.". Right, thanks for all the info about what's going on FFS! So I don't know if Steve Jobs was in the store...
I also thought I saw Chris Martin walk straight past me, actually I'm quite certain it was him, and I also thought I saw Ben Folds the other day/night.
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When the laundry was done, we decided to make our way high into the skies and visit the Empire State building. Stunning views of the city skyline, and the magnitude of this place can only be seen from up high.
From there we decided to walk the part of 5th Avenue that we hadn't seen yesterday. We also went into the New York City public library. Another gorgeous building that takes your breath away. Note to self: the lions out the front are called Fortitude and Patience.
We made our way uptown on 5th gasping at the stunning fashion, and went into Saks and saw all the top designer clothes for sale. It was like watching the red carpet on Oscar's night. We also went into De Beer's and Tiffany's!
When we reached the top of 5th we walked across town past gorgeous hotels such as The Plaza, with Central Park on our right.
We had a burger for an early dinner on 46th, then I went into the Levi's store in Time's Square and got measured for a pair of jeans. First time I've ever tried on a pair of jeans that fit and didn't require hemming! Oh, and did I mention they were only $70! Bonus!
Caught the subway back to our hotel for an early night in, and to find out what is going with Hurricane Irene. We are not in an area of high alert and some people are saying that it won't be serious at all. Let's hope so. I had booked us in to eat at Tom Collichio's restaurant tomorrow night, and I have seen on twitter that he has closed his other restaurant and bar for tomorrow night because of Irene, but no news on Riverpark yet. The news is saying that the metro and bus systems will be closed and many shops will be as well as other services. We can only wait and see what happens... If something does happen, New York City is currently hosting the Police and Firemen's games, so there are plenty of capable human resources to rescue us! There are buff men everywhere and the Japanese firemen are staying in our hotel. I never even saw a buff Japanese man in Japan, but I did in NYC.
Oh, forgot to mention that we quickly went into the Apple store at the top of 5th and there was all this cheering and clapping, and so many people you couldn't move. So I asked one of the staff what was going on. He said in the most droll voice "Someone's leaving.". Right, thanks for all the info about what's going on FFS! So I don't know if Steve Jobs was in the store...
I also thought I saw Chris Martin walk straight past me, actually I'm quite certain it was him, and I also thought I saw Ben Folds the other day/night.
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26 August 2011
I'm in a New York State of Mind
For today, our first real day in NYC, I had arranged a bus tour just so we could see some of the sights, and not have to go out of our way to go find them. It was a little bit disappointing in some ways because we didn't go into a lot of the buildings, but the five hours was consumed fully nonetheless. It certainly gave us lots of information and we have a better understanding of how to fill the rest of our time in the city. A good way to start.
We saw sights such as:
Statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
Rockefeller Centre
Central Park and Strawberry Fields, and where John Lennon was shot
Flatiron Building
Washington Park
5th Ave
Wall Street
Ground Zero and the Freedom Tower
New York Library
Chrysler Building
Trinity Church
Trump Tower
Brooklyn Bridge
To see the Statue of Liberty we did a Ferry Cruise. Seeing her was one of the highlights for me. Just imagining all those thousands of immigrants arriving from far away lands, running away from poverty or war in the hope of a better life. Can you imagine the feeling they would have got upon seeing that picture of freedom? Just amazing.
The other highlight was seeing ground zero. For this we went into one of the adjacent buildings to a viewing level. Hearing the guide talk about the event and the rebuilding, brought me to tears. Thankfully I wasn't the only one. On our tour was a gentleman who was in the third building on the day itself and he told his story of escape. The Freedom Tower still under construction is going to be stunning. It is being built at the rate of one floor per week.
After the tour ended it was time for a coffee break, then we picked up our City Explorer tickets. We then decided to walk the length of 5th Ave. I made a purchase at the Banana Republic, but otherwise contained myself.
We went into St Patrick's Cathedral, which was absolutely stunning, irrespective of religion. It was probably one of the most beautiful Cathedrals I have seen outside of Italy.
5th Avenue is a long short street.
From there we got a bite to eat in Greenwhich village (on the way I saw a lomography shop, but resisted the temptation to go in and buy), and got on the train back to our hotel.
Of course I checked the news and it's confirmed that New York is expecting a hurricane. I await with baited breath.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We saw sights such as:
Statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
Rockefeller Centre
Central Park and Strawberry Fields, and where John Lennon was shot
Flatiron Building
Washington Park
5th Ave
Wall Street
Ground Zero and the Freedom Tower
New York Library
Chrysler Building
Trinity Church
Trump Tower
Brooklyn Bridge
To see the Statue of Liberty we did a Ferry Cruise. Seeing her was one of the highlights for me. Just imagining all those thousands of immigrants arriving from far away lands, running away from poverty or war in the hope of a better life. Can you imagine the feeling they would have got upon seeing that picture of freedom? Just amazing.
The other highlight was seeing ground zero. For this we went into one of the adjacent buildings to a viewing level. Hearing the guide talk about the event and the rebuilding, brought me to tears. Thankfully I wasn't the only one. On our tour was a gentleman who was in the third building on the day itself and he told his story of escape. The Freedom Tower still under construction is going to be stunning. It is being built at the rate of one floor per week.
After the tour ended it was time for a coffee break, then we picked up our City Explorer tickets. We then decided to walk the length of 5th Ave. I made a purchase at the Banana Republic, but otherwise contained myself.
We went into St Patrick's Cathedral, which was absolutely stunning, irrespective of religion. It was probably one of the most beautiful Cathedrals I have seen outside of Italy.
5th Avenue is a long short street.
From there we got a bite to eat in Greenwhich village (on the way I saw a lomography shop, but resisted the temptation to go in and buy), and got on the train back to our hotel.
Of course I checked the news and it's confirmed that New York is expecting a hurricane. I await with baited breath.
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25 August 2011
New York City
We have arrived to New York. The place this trip was all about!
Last night we experienced a 3.9 earthquake. I had been fearing this for SF for months. They are well overdue for a biggie and given I had travelled to Japan AND New Zealand last year, I was well and truly worried. Thankfully it wasn't a massive one, and it was across the other side of the bay too. Poor Washington DC got hit though. I hope there wasn't too much damage.
Last night was another sleepless night for me. I think I got two hours in before the alarm going off at 3.45am, that's when Ros wanted to get up. I got up at 4.45am and still got downstairs before her!
Really there is nothing to tell in this post. We spent most of the day traveling, there was a debacle at the airport trying to find the shuttle. Hardly surprising given the size and throughput of the place.
We got into our hotel, made our way to Times Square and wandered around, even managed some souvenir shopping. The place takes me right back to Tokyo actually, except I have struggled more with the metro here than in Japan, just a lack of information I think. I am sure I will master it soon though with a bit of practice.
Oh, our shuttle bus driver took us the scenic route to our hotel, past Central Park. You can't believe how massive it is until you see it. 60 traffic lights long he reckons. That was when I got the butterflies in my stomach and the excitement of being in NYC hit!
I have booked us on a day sight seeing tour for tomorrow, and that should get this party started!
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Last night we experienced a 3.9 earthquake. I had been fearing this for SF for months. They are well overdue for a biggie and given I had travelled to Japan AND New Zealand last year, I was well and truly worried. Thankfully it wasn't a massive one, and it was across the other side of the bay too. Poor Washington DC got hit though. I hope there wasn't too much damage.
Last night was another sleepless night for me. I think I got two hours in before the alarm going off at 3.45am, that's when Ros wanted to get up. I got up at 4.45am and still got downstairs before her!
Really there is nothing to tell in this post. We spent most of the day traveling, there was a debacle at the airport trying to find the shuttle. Hardly surprising given the size and throughput of the place.
We got into our hotel, made our way to Times Square and wandered around, even managed some souvenir shopping. The place takes me right back to Tokyo actually, except I have struggled more with the metro here than in Japan, just a lack of information I think. I am sure I will master it soon though with a bit of practice.
Oh, our shuttle bus driver took us the scenic route to our hotel, past Central Park. You can't believe how massive it is until you see it. 60 traffic lights long he reckons. That was when I got the butterflies in my stomach and the excitement of being in NYC hit!
I have booked us on a day sight seeing tour for tomorrow, and that should get this party started!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
24 August 2011
Foodie tour of America?
Before I start today's blog, forgot to mention a story in yesterday's. As we were walking to catch the ferry to Alcatraz, we were making our way along the very wide kerb and I was on the right of Ros. It didn't seem strange that whilst all the street lights weren't decorated with shrubs, that the one we were approaching did have a very large shrub at its base. When we were about oh... 20 cm away from it, the shrub opened up and yelled "boo" at us. scared the living bejesus out of us!
I fully expect that we will appear on "America's Smile, You're on Candid Camera".
Also, Ros says she has learnt something about me. That I am not a morning person. I have learnt that Ros asks a lot of questions.
And today we found out that the 'seedy' area where we got off the bus yesterday is called "Tenderloin". It is one of the poorest areas of SF, but it sits right beside one of the richest. Giorgio Armani sits on one corner and literally one or two blocks away is Tenderloin. The contrast is obvious to the average observer.
So, today we got up (again after another night of not sleeping for me) and had the same breakfast as yesterday. After breakfast I went for a walk while Ros got ready. I wandered into Giorgio Armani and Ghiradelli (and got a caramel chocolate sample - yummo!)
Then we made our way to the bus stop for the hop on/off tour. When we had booked our tickets, the kind gentleman had strongly recommended we stop off at City Hall. So we did, and I'm glad we did. Such a stunning building, and the dome at the top is the largest outside of Washington. We walked all around that building and even witnessed a wedding. (The dirty stop-out was preggers!)
The next stop we actually got off at was little Italy, and we had the best pizza and a tomato salad. I hadn't had a pizza like that since I was in Italy! And the tomatoes are obviously in season here, and they were heirloom tomatoes. The best!
We drove past Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world), but didn't get off. It was too hot, and uphill all the way (not sure why the bus doesn't just drive to the foot of that street).
The next stop we got off at was Pier 39. This had great zany shops, and excellent views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge (although, haven't seen it absent of any fog the whole time). And also saw about 50 seals all huddled together.
We got back to the hotel and started to get organised for our departure tomorrow. We have a 7.00am flight and the grumpy concierge reckons we need to leave the hotel at 5.00am. Personally I think it is a conspiracy, he doesn't like any of his guests and this is just a game he plays. I am sure. However, we thought we should go out for dinner early to try and get to bed early.
We had decided we would go to "Little Saigon" for dinner if we could find it, but my sense of direction was failing me, and I couldn't seem to get us back to the area where one of the guides had told us about. As we were walking along, discussing our options, a less-than-desirable looking man, with missing teeth asked us what we were looking for. He pointed us in a direction and added "but it's expensive". Given we couldn't find anything else, and Vietnamese food was on our brains, we decided to check the place out. All I can say is WOW! It was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. The restaurant was called "Le Colonial"' and in 2009 had been awarded Michelin approval. The meal took me right back to the meals I had eaten in Vietnam. Stunning!
I can honestly say that I was expecting to be disappointed by the food in America. But for two nights in a row we have had exceptional meals and I am loving it!
The weather was magnificent today, apparently we are very lucky!
I heard about the earthquake on the East Coast today...this doesn't fill me with joy... Is this La Nina at work again?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I fully expect that we will appear on "America's Smile, You're on Candid Camera".
Also, Ros says she has learnt something about me. That I am not a morning person. I have learnt that Ros asks a lot of questions.
And today we found out that the 'seedy' area where we got off the bus yesterday is called "Tenderloin". It is one of the poorest areas of SF, but it sits right beside one of the richest. Giorgio Armani sits on one corner and literally one or two blocks away is Tenderloin. The contrast is obvious to the average observer.
So, today we got up (again after another night of not sleeping for me) and had the same breakfast as yesterday. After breakfast I went for a walk while Ros got ready. I wandered into Giorgio Armani and Ghiradelli (and got a caramel chocolate sample - yummo!)
Then we made our way to the bus stop for the hop on/off tour. When we had booked our tickets, the kind gentleman had strongly recommended we stop off at City Hall. So we did, and I'm glad we did. Such a stunning building, and the dome at the top is the largest outside of Washington. We walked all around that building and even witnessed a wedding. (The dirty stop-out was preggers!)
The next stop we actually got off at was little Italy, and we had the best pizza and a tomato salad. I hadn't had a pizza like that since I was in Italy! And the tomatoes are obviously in season here, and they were heirloom tomatoes. The best!
We drove past Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world), but didn't get off. It was too hot, and uphill all the way (not sure why the bus doesn't just drive to the foot of that street).
The next stop we got off at was Pier 39. This had great zany shops, and excellent views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge (although, haven't seen it absent of any fog the whole time). And also saw about 50 seals all huddled together.
We got back to the hotel and started to get organised for our departure tomorrow. We have a 7.00am flight and the grumpy concierge reckons we need to leave the hotel at 5.00am. Personally I think it is a conspiracy, he doesn't like any of his guests and this is just a game he plays. I am sure. However, we thought we should go out for dinner early to try and get to bed early.
We had decided we would go to "Little Saigon" for dinner if we could find it, but my sense of direction was failing me, and I couldn't seem to get us back to the area where one of the guides had told us about. As we were walking along, discussing our options, a less-than-desirable looking man, with missing teeth asked us what we were looking for. He pointed us in a direction and added "but it's expensive". Given we couldn't find anything else, and Vietnamese food was on our brains, we decided to check the place out. All I can say is WOW! It was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. The restaurant was called "Le Colonial"' and in 2009 had been awarded Michelin approval. The meal took me right back to the meals I had eaten in Vietnam. Stunning!
I can honestly say that I was expecting to be disappointed by the food in America. But for two nights in a row we have had exceptional meals and I am loving it!
The weather was magnificent today, apparently we are very lucky!
I heard about the earthquake on the East Coast today...this doesn't fill me with joy... Is this La Nina at work again?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
23 August 2011
Alcatraz
Once again last night I woke up in the middle of the night then couldn't get back to sleep. So then this morning I couldn't wake up to save my life, however, I got myself out of bed and ready for breakfast by about 10.00am. Breakfast was on the hotel, but at the restaurant next door, and anyone that knows me, knows that I crave sweet things in the morning. The restaurant delivered an amazing Belgian waffle with syrup to more than satisfy that yearning.
So the plan for today, given we hadn't achieved much to this point was to get our asses to Alcatraz, but first we made our way back to pier one to make a special purchase - some pottery from Heath Ceramics. Check them out at heathceramics.com. Stunning stuff! We both purchased a few pieces and shipped them back to ourselves. F*ck carrying that sh*t half way around America!
Despite being sore from the day before, we had walked down to the pier, and after having made our purchase decided to walk to Fisherman's Wharf to get our Alcatraz tickets. Now, I won't go into the details, but I had tried to purchase Alcatraz tickets myself from Oz a few weeks ago, but with no luck. And all the signage was indicating that there were no tickets available until the 28th. But perseverance pays and not only did we get tickets, but we got them for cheaper than we expected! Bonus.
We walked backed to pier 33 and caught the ferry across to the island. I won't go into detail other than to say that you get given headphones for an audio tour. It was amazing! So interesting, and the precision detail of that audio tour was as if someone was actually watching you and saying "now turn left". If you ever get to San Francisco, a visit to Alcatraz is a must.
Both of us being physically worn out, we decided to find some public transport to get us back to Union Square. This seemed easy enough, but given I didn't hear the instruction to "get off at 5th", and Ros just assumed I had heard, and to this point had left all directions to me, was waiting for me to give instructions to get off the bus. When things were looking a bit seedy, we got off the bus and had to walk back a few bocks, saving our legs nothing in the end.
Back at the hotel, we decided on seafood for dinner. The concierge recommended a restaurant called Fallaron just a block away. Well, can I just say I've had one of the best meals with a brilliant glass of wine. It was fantastic. Pity the coffee sucks here.
Lastly, having now spent a couple of days in San Francisco, I have to tell you this place is just stunning. Gorgeous streets, beautiful buildings and architecture, pretty parks and hanging flowers everywhere. I could easily spend another week here just exploring the city and surrounds. The financial district in the city is mind blowing, and clearly that is where the money is. But in steep contrast, the homeless problem is real and in your face. It is sad to see.
We are booked to finally do the hop-on-hop-off bus tour tomorrow, just to catch as much as we can of this lovely city before leaving for New York. Because of this horrible jet-lag we have had, we don't have time for the planned day trip to Napa Valley : ( Yosemite is also definitely out.
NB. Had the best nectarine today. I love summer fruits.
Also picked up the camera connector for my iPad at the San Francisco Apple store today, only to find I need my USB camera cable....sorry no photos folks unless I take them on my point and shoot.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
So the plan for today, given we hadn't achieved much to this point was to get our asses to Alcatraz, but first we made our way back to pier one to make a special purchase - some pottery from Heath Ceramics. Check them out at heathceramics.com. Stunning stuff! We both purchased a few pieces and shipped them back to ourselves. F*ck carrying that sh*t half way around America!
Despite being sore from the day before, we had walked down to the pier, and after having made our purchase decided to walk to Fisherman's Wharf to get our Alcatraz tickets. Now, I won't go into the details, but I had tried to purchase Alcatraz tickets myself from Oz a few weeks ago, but with no luck. And all the signage was indicating that there were no tickets available until the 28th. But perseverance pays and not only did we get tickets, but we got them for cheaper than we expected! Bonus.
We walked backed to pier 33 and caught the ferry across to the island. I won't go into detail other than to say that you get given headphones for an audio tour. It was amazing! So interesting, and the precision detail of that audio tour was as if someone was actually watching you and saying "now turn left". If you ever get to San Francisco, a visit to Alcatraz is a must.
Both of us being physically worn out, we decided to find some public transport to get us back to Union Square. This seemed easy enough, but given I didn't hear the instruction to "get off at 5th", and Ros just assumed I had heard, and to this point had left all directions to me, was waiting for me to give instructions to get off the bus. When things were looking a bit seedy, we got off the bus and had to walk back a few bocks, saving our legs nothing in the end.
Back at the hotel, we decided on seafood for dinner. The concierge recommended a restaurant called Fallaron just a block away. Well, can I just say I've had one of the best meals with a brilliant glass of wine. It was fantastic. Pity the coffee sucks here.
Lastly, having now spent a couple of days in San Francisco, I have to tell you this place is just stunning. Gorgeous streets, beautiful buildings and architecture, pretty parks and hanging flowers everywhere. I could easily spend another week here just exploring the city and surrounds. The financial district in the city is mind blowing, and clearly that is where the money is. But in steep contrast, the homeless problem is real and in your face. It is sad to see.
We are booked to finally do the hop-on-hop-off bus tour tomorrow, just to catch as much as we can of this lovely city before leaving for New York. Because of this horrible jet-lag we have had, we don't have time for the planned day trip to Napa Valley : ( Yosemite is also definitely out.
NB. Had the best nectarine today. I love summer fruits.
Also picked up the camera connector for my iPad at the San Francisco Apple store today, only to find I need my USB camera cable....sorry no photos folks unless I take them on my point and shoot.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
22 August 2011
Sausolito
So we got into SF yesterday and arrived at our hotel at 2.00pm. We could have gotten into our room, but we opted to wait until 3.30 when we could get a room not facing the street, and therefore a much quieter room. We were really knackered but wandered around Union Square for a bit. Our hotel is right in the heart of Union Square.
At 3.00 we got into the room and both of us just zonked it. Woke up a bit later feeling like crap but I went out again for another walk. Ros stayed back. I don't think I have ever felt so awful after an international flight. It really took it out of me. Dinner was a hotdog for me, and a soft pretzel for Ros, that's how much we cared! I think I was asleep by 8.00. However, at 2.00am I was very much wide awake, and then at 3.00, so was Ros. We took the opportunity to sort out wireless connectivity for the iPad (the concierge had secretly given Ros the password), and Ros rang Optus to sort out her phone issues. I think I fell asleep around 5.00am.
Woke up at 10.00, Ros at 11.00. After getting ready we made our way to Sausolito. Found a great foodie market at the pier then got on the ferry. Spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Sausolito. Just stunning.
On the return trip the ferry docked at Fisherman's wharf. We wandered around there, then shared a sourdough bowl of Clam Chowder. A San Francisco must!
Decided to walk back to the hotel despite feeling like we'd walked enough. Got a bit lost but literally collapsed on the beds on entering the room. We are both physically exhausted.
Oh, Ros nearly made a cyclist come off his bike in Sausolito, she crossed the road looking the wrong way for traffic...
Photos will be posted as soon as I've got a connector for the iPad.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
At 3.00 we got into the room and both of us just zonked it. Woke up a bit later feeling like crap but I went out again for another walk. Ros stayed back. I don't think I have ever felt so awful after an international flight. It really took it out of me. Dinner was a hotdog for me, and a soft pretzel for Ros, that's how much we cared! I think I was asleep by 8.00. However, at 2.00am I was very much wide awake, and then at 3.00, so was Ros. We took the opportunity to sort out wireless connectivity for the iPad (the concierge had secretly given Ros the password), and Ros rang Optus to sort out her phone issues. I think I fell asleep around 5.00am.
Woke up at 10.00, Ros at 11.00. After getting ready we made our way to Sausolito. Found a great foodie market at the pier then got on the ferry. Spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Sausolito. Just stunning.
On the return trip the ferry docked at Fisherman's wharf. We wandered around there, then shared a sourdough bowl of Clam Chowder. A San Francisco must!
Decided to walk back to the hotel despite feeling like we'd walked enough. Got a bit lost but literally collapsed on the beds on entering the room. We are both physically exhausted.
Oh, Ros nearly made a cyclist come off his bike in Sausolito, she crossed the road looking the wrong way for traffic...
Photos will be posted as soon as I've got a connector for the iPad.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Geary St,San Francisco,United States
21 August 2011
ADL-SYD-San Francisco
Well flying really sucks. We all know that it's the destination that matters. But I'm bored, tired, can't sleep and so may as well do something with my time. If I'm going to keep a travel diary, now is as good a time as any to start.
Warning to any readers, I do usually keep a travel diary, but never before have I made those diaries public. But the diary is for my benefit, not yours. So apologies if I bore you with the mundane sometimes, but I want to read back in years to come and be reminded of the things I had forgotten about, mundane or not.
So here goes, just a few random notes about the trip so far:
Left the house this morning, got a text to say flight had been delayed half an hour. Mild panic attack before the brain registered that it was only half an hour and that was still plenty of time to make the connecting flight.
On the flight to Sydney, sitting adjacent me and Ros, was a mother and toddler. I was pleasantly surprised about how placid this child was. No tears with cabin pressure; no issues with boredom; no hassling mum the entire flight and; no interaction with other passengers. I didn't hear any other children on the flight either, so you can imagine my surprise when, the plane landed and the mother got up and I saw she had another child on the other side of her, also under the age 3! To whom does one credit such behavior? Mother or child, (nature vs nurture)? Both? I'm sure many parents would love to know the answer.
Astoundingly, I have realised that on the international leg, that I haven't heard one child cry or whinge, and there is at least one baby on board. Wow!
So anyway, Ros, for some unknown reason decided to put all her toiletries in her carry on luggage. This is quite a mystery to me because only weeks ago she reminded me that you can only have a small bag with no more than 100ml bottles of liquid in each. So when we got to Sydney we did a bit of re-arranging of bottle contents into smaller bottles, but that cost us time. Went through to the international airport, decided to grab a bite to eat, seemingly unaware of the time... And all I can say is, lucky the flight to SF was delayed, else I doubt very much we would be on it!
Going through the bag check was still a debacle, they confiscated one of Ros' bottles, but allowed her to put some bottles in my bag, so the rest came through. Much to Ros' relief.
I don't like when the seatbelt sign comes on mid flight.
I think economy is luxurious. I can't begin to imagine what those people in first class are doing with all that room. Then again, I'm sure none of them will be undergoing a hip replacement on arrival.
We are flying United, so all the crew have American accents. That put a big smile on my face when I first heard it, but I really dont know how I'll cope when I'm surrounded by it, all day every day.
Watched Arthur with Russell Brand, that killed some time. And just finished watching a movie I think was called Thankyoupleasemore....but I can't be sure of that. I enjoyed it despite it being a chick flick. I forgot to load movies on my iPad so I had little choice.
Who invented noise cancelling headphones? Bloody genius.
I will post this uneventful piece of writing when I get some wireless connectivity... Whenever that will be.
Are we there yet?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Warning to any readers, I do usually keep a travel diary, but never before have I made those diaries public. But the diary is for my benefit, not yours. So apologies if I bore you with the mundane sometimes, but I want to read back in years to come and be reminded of the things I had forgotten about, mundane or not.
So here goes, just a few random notes about the trip so far:
Left the house this morning, got a text to say flight had been delayed half an hour. Mild panic attack before the brain registered that it was only half an hour and that was still plenty of time to make the connecting flight.
On the flight to Sydney, sitting adjacent me and Ros, was a mother and toddler. I was pleasantly surprised about how placid this child was. No tears with cabin pressure; no issues with boredom; no hassling mum the entire flight and; no interaction with other passengers. I didn't hear any other children on the flight either, so you can imagine my surprise when, the plane landed and the mother got up and I saw she had another child on the other side of her, also under the age 3! To whom does one credit such behavior? Mother or child, (nature vs nurture)? Both? I'm sure many parents would love to know the answer.
Astoundingly, I have realised that on the international leg, that I haven't heard one child cry or whinge, and there is at least one baby on board. Wow!
So anyway, Ros, for some unknown reason decided to put all her toiletries in her carry on luggage. This is quite a mystery to me because only weeks ago she reminded me that you can only have a small bag with no more than 100ml bottles of liquid in each. So when we got to Sydney we did a bit of re-arranging of bottle contents into smaller bottles, but that cost us time. Went through to the international airport, decided to grab a bite to eat, seemingly unaware of the time... And all I can say is, lucky the flight to SF was delayed, else I doubt very much we would be on it!
Going through the bag check was still a debacle, they confiscated one of Ros' bottles, but allowed her to put some bottles in my bag, so the rest came through. Much to Ros' relief.
I don't like when the seatbelt sign comes on mid flight.
I think economy is luxurious. I can't begin to imagine what those people in first class are doing with all that room. Then again, I'm sure none of them will be undergoing a hip replacement on arrival.
We are flying United, so all the crew have American accents. That put a big smile on my face when I first heard it, but I really dont know how I'll cope when I'm surrounded by it, all day every day.
Watched Arthur with Russell Brand, that killed some time. And just finished watching a movie I think was called Thankyoupleasemore....but I can't be sure of that. I enjoyed it despite it being a chick flick. I forgot to load movies on my iPad so I had little choice.
Who invented noise cancelling headphones? Bloody genius.
I will post this uneventful piece of writing when I get some wireless connectivity... Whenever that will be.
Are we there yet?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:2761 kms to go til destination
08 August 2011
Is there anybody out there.
Hello?
I might, just might resurrect the blog in a couple of weeks, for a few weeks... Watch this space. If you're watching at all.
Ciao for now.
Nina
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I might, just might resurrect the blog in a couple of weeks, for a few weeks... Watch this space. If you're watching at all.
Ciao for now.
Nina
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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