New York to Kettering

Sadly today is our last day in New York, we'll be flying home tonight but not until nearly 7pm so what to do with our last few hours in New York. Of course, shopping!!! We head for the garment district, battling the early morning shoppers until the boys spot a sports shop followed by Macy's. Now as many of you know Macy's is huge, we or rather the boys, manage one floor before admitting defeat and retiring with their purchases. Lunch is needed they declare, but not until I've dragged them into H&M for a bit of girlie retail therapy. While they look at the tiny men's section (according to Tom) I manage to find some items to buy. Now the problem starts, my card won't work, so unfortunately for Dave he has to pay..

At last I'm removed from the shop, and taken to lunch at The Houndstooth Pub. We must have had some of the most well filled sandwiches in America. I have to resort to deconstructing the sandwich to eat them. It's time for the last dash back to the apartment in time for a shower before getting a cab to the airport. Now how amazing is this the cab driver used to live in near by Bedford!!  The traffic on the way to the airport is awful, the journey takes twice as long as usual. It's a good job it's a set fee for the transfer to the airport, we're very grateful to the major of New York. All checked in, the plane takes off slightly late but with a good following wind we land early in cold, grey London.

As we're too early for our train, we opt for the healthy breakfast, a full English cooked breakfast - sometimes it's good to be home. The train journey to Kettering is a struggle we're all jet lagged and struggling to stay awake, it's a good job the train terminates at Corby otherwise we might have made Sheffield before we woke up!! Good job one of us set the alarm on their phone.

Greenwich Village and the High Line Park

After last night's celebrations we feel a walk is in order today to work off all that food. The walk to the Metro takes a matter of minutes, but getting the machine to issue 4 metro cards takes considerably longer. During the time it takes all 3 boys to get the tickets, I've had a difficult conversation/consultation with another tourist in pigeon english about what metro card he needs, I'm not sure I was a great deal of help...

The Highline Park

We've become quite good with the metro now and navigate our way to Greenwich village area. The start of our walk down Bleecker Street is interesting with lots of bars, music venues and shops to look at. The rest of the history lesson seems to be lost on the boys, even the old speakeasy and the thinnest house in New York (only 9 feet wide). We head for the Highline Park. It's a converted rail track above the street and has been converted into a high level park. The clock of bells is interesting, with a bell from a different part of the city sounding every minute..

We stop for lunch at a diner, it's a typical New York diner. we're seduced by the special of the day - forgetting the belly busting meal last night and the whole reason for our walk. It arrives, soup, followed by a huge main course then dessert of jello or rice pudding. After all that we stagger out, roll our way up to Madison Square Gardens and Penn Station, back for a sleep before the last night out in America - Bleecker Street we reckon for some live music - and the band in the Red Lion are good. They're not the rock style Dave and Rob in particular would like but their music is good to listen too. Will they be the next big hit? Who knows

Happy Anniversary

Today is our Silver Wedding Anniversary, we're going to start it with a walk in Central Park. A slow stroll  up 9th avenue brings us to the Columbus Statue and the start of Central Park, it is enormous. We meander around the park, watching the New Yorkers go about their normal day, jogging, walking their children and dogs in the park or just enjoying the October sunshine. We pause at the boathouse restaurant for coffee, fascinated by the elaborate preparations for lunch.

On our way back to the apartment we take a detour to see the Dakota Building where John Lennon was shot before making our way back to the apartment. But not before Rob and Tom have bought a huge McDonald's for lunch, Dave and I settle for a chicken donner from a street stall.

All the boys are going to meet Martin to watch the Arsenal game in a local bar. I opt to stay in the apartment chilling out and sunbathing!! After a successful game (Arsenal won 5-1) Dave decides I'm banned from future games as the last one I saw they lost!

Us at Uncle Jack's

As tonight is our anniversary we're going out for a posh meal, after a couple of drinks we set off and meander towards Central Park. We find a great New York Steakhouse, Uncle Jack's. The atmosphere of the place is great and the food even better. The dry humour of the waiter persuades all the boys to have dessert, a great decision, as I get to try them all!!

Staten Island and Brooklyn Bridge

After yesterday's long walk we've decided today to invest in a metro card, so we set off for the subway. Now, we can master the machine combinations for what we want but persuading the machine to give us 4 cards that we've paid for is another matter!! Much stress later we eventually manage it and start our New York subway adventure, first stop Whitehall and the Staten Island Ferry.

The ferry embarkation terminus is crowded but once we all get on the ferry, obviously it's a quiet time. The commute is 25 minutes with plenty of opportunities for pictures of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhatten skyline but through dirty windows. The Staten Island terminus looms and we all disembark. My only request is to walk along the esplanade and see the 9/11 monument, the boy's agree, to humour me but when we reach the monument everyone is blown away by it. The memorial is in the form of a visual postcard from the people lost in 9/11 being sent on the wind to the site of the World Trade Centre. The personal messages attached to some of the plaques remind us that these are individuals and are so poignant.

The journey back to Manhatten is quieter on the ferry allowing more photo's, this time outside, so no dirty windows. We travel via the subway to the Brooklyn side of Brooklyn Bridge to walk across it. Now how can something so big be so difficult to find, especially as Dave and I managed to find it on Saturday!! It takes us 45 minutes to find the right entrance but our perseverance is worth it, the views of Manhatten and the Statue of Liberty are great.

For the evening we meet up with an old friend who works here now as a football coach and tour his facility. What a great place, and follow it with a great evening with him and some of his colleagues. This is our kind of evening a time spent with old friends while meeting new ones.

Broadway!!!!

We've decided today that we're going to Sunday brunch at 230 5th, so we set off to walk down Broadway to reach it. It's been one of my ambitions to say I've walked down Broadway, if only I'd known how far....I'd have limited the goal!!

Tom and Rob

We pass Times Square, Madison gardens, Empire State Building, Union Square, Grace Church and wander into Levis, American Apparel, Hollister to name a few. Shopping on the whole very enjoyable, if only they could turn the music down and the lights up in some of them it'd be fine (am I showing my age a tad...)! We reach the brunch stop, an amazing roof garden terrace with great views of the Empire State Building. The brunch was no less spectacular and the sunshine hot like a summers day.

Now I don't know who had the idea to walk to Ground Zero, it seemed a great idea at the time but we can all only say, it's a very long way. We did reach it, awed by the size of the site and the enormity of what happened here. The emerging memorial garden will surely be a great tribute to all and the world changing events, two huge square waterfalls, disappearing into the earth. We taxied back to the apartment, flopped on the sofa, footsore and exhausted, it took several hours before we were ready to set out looking for an Italian meal, we found one in Hell's Kitchen, were we the only family there tonight, quite possibly!!!

Finger Lakes to New York

It's early when we wake up, excited about the trip today and seeing our boys. We ring to check they're at the airport and they are checked in waiting at the gate, they sound as excited as us. We set of on the long drive to New York, it feels strange to think we're driving miles across country to reach JFK while the boys are flying even further heading for the same destination.

The journey is good, the temperature is gradually rising from a chilly 42 degrees Fahrenheit to 60 degrees. The scenery is as beautiful as ever, gradually changing to a more urban view and more traffic. Even Gerties enjoying the ride, until we miss one of her directions and some how end up in central New York City! By now Gertie is in melt down, she can't find where we are, above ground, below ground, travelling north, south, east or west. Stress levels in the car are rising rapidly, Jan is threatening a panic attack and Dave feels his eyes are on stalks trying to watch all the cars that constantly cut across us. More by luck - though Dave will say supreme driving skill - we end up going the right direction over Brooklyn Bridge!! In reflection Dave says he always wanted to drive down Broadway, through Times Square and over Brooklyn Bridge. I think he's just trying to make me feel better and certainly don't wish to repeat the experience....

View from the Apartment

After that, saying goodbye to the car and meeting Rob and Tom at JFK are happy experiences. The journey back to the city in the back of a yellow taxi full of happy laughter and excited exclamations about sights. We reach the apartment block, it is huge - 35 floors - we're on the 14th floor. Tom manages to conquer the lock and we fall inside. What a view, arriving after dark all the high rise lights are on, we can see the empire state building, the river and cruise ships!!!!

Tearing ourselves away from the view we go to find a bar and something to eat. A typical Irish bar provides the beer, and Gossips restaurant bar possibly the best burger and chips I've ever eaten.

Well roll on tomorrow for some more amazing sights!!

Trails and Waterfalls

Today is the day "inbetween", between moving from Toronto and then on to New York to meet Rob and Tom. We have no great expectations of this day but it turns out to be pretty special.

Watkins Glen

A brunch at Tobes diner preceeds us finding the Watkins Glen State Park. It is a fabulous gorge area walk. We start at the bottom, only one and a half miles and 800 steps to go to the top. We follow the gorge trail as it winds up along the side of the Glen river, each twist and turn reveals yet another waterfall and view. It is totally amazing and each new view needs another picture taking. We take so many that I have to stop and change the camera battery! The weather may be grey and overcast but the trees are doing their best to brighten the day by dropping their golden leaves like confetti over the gorge. At the top the leaves form a carpet of gold in the rest area. The way back down is via the gorge rim trail walked centuries ago by the indians. The trees again form a cathedral of trunks while the leaves continue to fall like confetti.

After all this walking we set off on a drive around Seneca Lake, beautiful but wet. Even though the lake is only a few miles wide as the rain intensifies we can't see the other side! As the scenery is closing in on us we brighten the day by going for a wine tasting at one of the many Seneca Lake wineries. At their suggestion we opt to share the tasting, just as well as we sip our way through sixteen wines!!

 Tonight is our last evening on our own so we'll find a nice local restaurant and prepare ourselves for family life and the frantic pace of New York.

Seneca Lake