7th December New York to San Francisco

This morning was an early start...at least the earliest I have had in a while...I was picked up by the airport transfer at 7am and taken to JFK airport. It was self check-in at the United Airlines terminal...I hate self check-in! And they measure weight in pounds which makes no sense to me...but my bag was under the weight so all was OK! I went to a cafe at the airport for breakfast. I had French toast, maple syrup and bacon. They started boarding the plane at 10:15am but we didn't take off until about 11:20, so it was a while to wait. As I was getting on the air hostess was asking passengers to remove their coats from the overhead lockers until all bags had been stowed as they were running out of room. I think it had more to do with the fact that people carry two pieces of carry-on luggage here even though I'm sure I read on their website it says one! Here I am with my little bag....never breaking the rules...I think I might start!!!!! The seats on united airlines are narrow but there is definitely more room to comfortably stretch your legs out in front. You can also buy wifi...I didn't! I managed to find the airport transfer to the hotel...eventually! And then 'eventually' got to the hotel...almost two hours later...peak hour traffic San Francisco style and I was the last stop! My ears didn't pop on descent again, which I thought was going to happen. At War Horse the other night someone near me was wearing perfume that did not agree with me and my sinuses began to react immediately. I bought some Claratin but it always takes a couple of days to clear...and I didn't have a couple of days. I used the nasal spray, took the Claratin and chewed gum...but still they didn't pop...at least this time I knew how to pop them. By the time I got the the hotel I was exhausted, hungry and I had a huge headache. I dumped my stuff and went to find where my tour tomorrow was leaving from, which was just around the corner. I then headed down to the wharf to find something for dinner. There are lots of places selling clam chowder, crab and a range of different seafoods. I stopped at a place called Pompeii's Grotto and had the fried shrimp...and a glass of wine! I did feel a little better after I'd eaten so I went back to the hotel to get an early night. Tomorrow I go to Alcatraz! 

PS. Checked the hotel booklet...and found in the safety section about what to do in case of an earthquake! A bit freaked out by this possibility!

6th December New York

Today is my last day in NYC and I am a little sad...it has gone way too fast!!!! This morning I was booked into the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Centre. You have to reserve a timed place online before you go, they will not let you in if you have not booked. It costs nothing, although they do ask for a donation...and they are happy to take your credit card number! I think it's timed entry because they have so many people wanting to go to the site and they have airport like security that you have to go through and there is a lot of construction work going on in the area. I caught the subway to the World Trade Centre, picked up my ticket, waded my way through the many security checkpoints and eventually got into the Memorial site. They have created two big pools, the North Pool and the South Pool on the site wher the two towers stood. Around the edges are the names of all the people who died. It really is a beautiful memorial, very simple but I think that's what makes it so lovely. I heard a lady say 'what a sad place' but I didn't feel that, I thought it was a very peaceful and tranquil place and a fitting memorial for the people who lost their lives that day. 

On my way back to the subway I stopped at a store called Century 21, which stocks some designer gear, eg Guess, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein at discounted prices. Didn't see anything I liked so i headed to the subway and to Chealsea Market. I went to'the lobster place' and bought the 'Slider' which is three mini burger like buns with a filling. One was a lobster roll, a prawn one and a crab roll, the lobster one was my favourite. I then went to Fat Witch and bought a 'Wicked Brownie'...as in the musical... which was a peppermint choc chip brownie....delicious! I then went across to the post office to buy a box to ship some more purchases home...yep another box! I then went back to the hotel to pack it.

There is still so much I want to see in New York and as usual I get to the end of the trip and then try and run around the city like a mad woman! But now I've worked out the subway thing I'm doing it with subway assistance which cuts down travel time! I hadn't been for a walk through Central Park yet so I headed up to the Museum of Natural History where I thought I would begin my walk through the park (about half way down), knowing full well that I would only get to see a fraction of it. I had also wanted to have a look at the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural history but didn't think I had time, but standing out the front....I just went in! I knew it had to be a short visit so I headed straight upstairs to the dinosaurs. they also have a good display of a variety of stuffed African animals. I then headed for my walk through Central Park. While the city of New York is relatively safe, they did suggest not walking through Central Park at night so I was trying to make sure I got through it before then. This place is beautiful! In fact I think I found my 'happy place' in New York. It is just as well I left it to my last day here, because if i had come here first I don't think I would have seen anything else in New York! Personally, if I was looking to buy in New York...and I'm talking, had the money to buy anywhere I wanted...I would choose views over Central Park any day over views over the Hudson River. Now being winter here, most of the trees have lost their leaves, so this place would look very different again in the summer, but I thought the bare trees, as the sun was setting was spectacular. I didn't plan a route, I just took whatever path presented itself to me with the idea of making sure I was heading in the direction of the city. Along the way I stumbled upon lots of squirrels foraging for food as well as some lovely lakes and bridges, some of which I recognised from movies. I think there will be lots of movie watching when I get back home, because now I have a much clearer picture in my head of New York...locations will make more sense to me. there was a movie crew packing up while I was there but I'm not sure what they were shooting. I also stumbled upon Central Park Zoo...which I had forgotten was even there....and the seal show was on, so I took a couple of pics. There were lots of carriage rides waiting at the end of the park...but I just didn't have time...next time! I took a few photos of the Plaza Hotel and then headed back toTiffany's. no it wasn't to make another purchase...my chain is too short on my necklace so I went to see if they would lengthen it. Unfortunately they couldn't do it until 7pm and as I was hoping to go to a show I knew I didn't have time, but the lady said that the Sydney store would do it for me, although it may have to be sent away. In New York they can do it on site because as the flagship store they have jewellers there. I then made a quick dash across to FAO Schwartz...the toy store with the piano. I had a quick look through there...saw lots of things I could have bought Mia and the boys, but knew they weren't going to fit in the suitcase...so I settled on a Princess baby jumpsuit for Mia. I then headed for Bloomingdales, not to buy anything particularly, but just to say I had seen it. It was quite busy and they had some nice things but their Christmas decorations were very expensive for the poor quality they were...so I didn't buy one! I then headed to the TKTS stand to get a ticket for Jersey Boys. I had seen it in Sydney but was keen to see it here in New York...considering it had all began for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons not far from New York. 

I stopped at an Asian restaurant and gragged some dinner and then went off to the show. I was sitting next to a couple from New York who were very keen to have a chat. They were lovely and the man had been a photo journalist for a New York newspaper for 40 years, so they were telling me about the changes they had seen in New York over time. They were also fascinated that I had made the journey from Australia as they said that while they would love to go, the flights to Australia are just too long! Back to jersey boys....it was fantastic, in fact I think I enjoyed it more tonight than I did when I saw it in Australia, and the crowd loved it too...they were all on their feet applauding at the end of the show.

It was quite cold in New York today, it was a beautiful clear day with lovely blue skies but there was an icy bite in the air. It was really cold walking back to the hotel so I stopped at Starbucks to get a hot chocolate. Now I love chocolate....especially the Cadbury peppermint kind...but I rarely drink hot chocolate, I just prefer to chew my chocolate, but tonight I needed to warm up so that's what I ordered....and oh my goodness! Now I know I could not live in New York during the winter...because I would be drinking way too much hot chocolate! It did the trick and I was warmed up in no time. back at the hotel i packed my bags as I have an early pick-up from the hotel in the morning to take me to the airport.

5th December New York

This morning I headed to Pier 83 to take the Circle Line Sightseeing cruise along the Hudson River. It was a 75 minute cruise past some of New York's most memorable landmarks including the Space shuttle, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Due to Hurricane Sandy, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are closed indefinetly so I thought this was probably the best way to see the beautiful green lady! The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from the people of France. She is a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chair lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States...a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad. After my cruise I headed to Grand Central station and had lunch at Juniors...a branch of a famous Brooklyn restaurant who is well known for their cheescake...and it was divine!!! I then ventured onto the Subway on my own...I know, I had been a little intimidated by it till now, but my feet just couldn't stand walking so far anymore. I got off at Spring St and found the Kardashian's store called 'DASH' for Jess and Hannah (my two little Kardashian fans)...there were signs on the door requesting that only genuine clients enter! I then caught the subway again up to Penn station to shop at the One Direction store (I have a niece who likes them...not for me) and to also have a look at Macy's. I was particularly interested in their Santa section and then found myself having my very own Santa photo taken...let's just say it's been a while! After all that shopping I went back to the hotel to drop off the bags and then onto the Lincoln Centre to see War Horse. I have read the book, seen the movie, so decided to see it on stage. I was a bit skeptical as to how they were going to pull this off and I didn't really like the movie...I think the ending of the story was a bit ordinary. The stage production of this is AMAZING! It is coming to Sydney in March and I will definitely be going to see it again. The way they work the pupets is outstanding! I was sitting in Row C, so close down the front, which made the action at times tower over me, which may have influenced the overall impact of some of the action. I can't stress enough how wonderful this production is so if you do get the chance...go and see it!

4th December New York

Last night on the night tour the guide pointed out a few good places to eat. one of these was Pick-a-Bagel so i decided to go there for breakfast and try my first American Bagel. I chose the breakfast bagel with bacon and eggs and it also came with a coffee. It was really good, their bagels are so much lighter than ours. I then headed off to join the Uptown hop on hop off bus. This was one area I had not managed to get to at all yet and I had a few stops planned on this route. Along the way, the guide pointed out different celebrity homes, including where Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones live. I also saw where John Lennon lived and was shot and where Yoko Ono still lives. The tour guide also explained his opinion of the different inhabitants of Uptown New York. He said he has lived on both the Upper East Side as well as the Upper West Side, but he said he prefered to live on the west. He also felt that those that lived on the Upper East Side were far more snobbier and even knew people from there who wouldn't ever dare to dine on the westside. We went past the Cathedral of St John the Divine...nicknamed 'St John the Unfinished'...located in Manhattan's Morningside Heights. It claims to be the largest cathedral and Anglican church and fourth largest Christian church in the world. Then we drove through Harlem and saw the Apollo theatre, one of the oldest and most famous music halls in the US. It billed itself as the place "where stars are born and legends are made" and is famous for launching the careers of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, The Jackson 5, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey. I had been looking forward to seeing the Guggenheim museum in New York, to match my Bilbao and Venice experience, so I got off the bus at the Guggenheim Museum. The Solomon R. Guggenheim museum is renowned for its continuously expanding impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions throughout the year. They had a Picasso 'Black and White' exhibit on, the first exhibit to explore the remarkable use of black and white throughout Picasso's career. I have to say I gained a greater appreciation for the work of Picasso after seeing this exhibition, maybe it had to do with the audio guide commentary, some of which was given by his daughter who spoke very fondly of her father and the motive behind some of the pieces. Just down the road from the Guggenheim is The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)...and it is HUGE! It was way too big for me to really look around as my time was limited because I had a 4pm booking to do 'Top of the Rock', so I really raced through here. The Met is the largest museum in the United States with among the most significant art collections, its permanent collecton contains more than two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. And yes, I got to see more Van Gogh and Monet! I then headed to the Rockefeller Center to the 'Top of the Rock Observation deck on the 67th floor. The upper decks are 260m above the street and you get an unobstructed 360 degree view of New York City. You don't get an unobstructed view of the Chrysler building but you get a great view of the Empire State Building and Central Park. I then went to Tiffany & Co. to buy myself a little something! After that it was time to head to the Palace theatre to see Anthony Warlow in 'Annie'. It is Anthony Warlow's Broadway debut...hard to believe it took this long...and the show was great. I didn't particularly like the Sydney production but the New York production was great and I really enjoyed it!

3rd December New York

Today I decided to buy a hop on hop off bus ticket so I could get to see more of the city that I just would not get to on foot. I first took the downtown loop so I could connect with the Brooklyn Tour. Normally it departs from Battery Park, but due to Hurricane Sandy there is so much work going on down there that we joined this tour at the World Trade Centre. It was a two hour non-stop tour of Brooklyn which pointed out sites such as Fulton Mall, the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Bridge. As we passed the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens many fallen trees from the hurricane could still be seen.  We also drove through Chinatown in downtown New York which has the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere. We also drove past the dock area on the Lower East side which parts of are still closed after Hurricane Sandy.I also got a glimpse of the United Nations building....and I also got my first glimpse of the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. I was planning to do the 'Top of the Rock', which is going up to the observation deck of the Rockefeller Centre, to take in the views over New York. This was recommended rather than the Empire State Building because from the Rock, your view of New York includes the Empire State Building...and I figure I could always do that next time! By the time I got to the desk it was starting to get dark and there was going to be about another 30 minutes before I actually got to the top. The girl at the desk said she could book me in for 4pm tomorrow and then that way I could get daylight views as well as the sunset. the weather forecast was reasonable so I agreed to do that. She also said that a walking tour of Rockafeller Centre was just about to depart if I wanted to join that. After doing the walking tour on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh I agreed because on that tour so many things were pointed out that I had missed just walking there on my own. A very enthusiastic art student was our tour guide and I must say that I really enjoyed the tour. Again many things I had walked past over the last couple of days gained a whole new meaning. This included the fact that I had been walking past the NBC Today studio and I hadn't even noticed! We also stopped to watch the light show (a bit like Vivid in Sydney) on the Saks Fifth Avenue building. I decided not to go to a show tonight and instead joined the hop on hop off bus Christmas Lights tour. Again I thought I would get to see more this way than trying to cover it on foot. On the way home I stopped at the Cold Stone Creamery (our Cold Rock equivalent) and chose the 'Founder's Favourite'...sweet cream ice cream, pecans, brownie, fudge and caramel...mmmmmm! Tomorrow 'Uptown'.