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Flying for what seemed like forever ... sunrise over Los Angeles and then a spectacular sunset landing in New York City!! Best sight ever ... Erika walking towards me in the arrivals hall!!!! Yippee!!
We took guesses on how terrible our hotel would be ... both of us had researched and read how bad it was ... but the reviews did agree the location was GOOD and the price was GREAT! We were worried by the site dedicated to how many people had died there - Hotel Carter ... we love you!!! Ok your not new, your not fancy but your staff are funny and your beds comfy and you are in the BEST location!!!
Dropped our bags ... stood in awe looking at Times Square and then went to the Strand Hotel for cocktails and Tapas on the roof top over looking the Empire State Building... well that was the plan .. until we saw the sign in the lift that the cocktail bar was closed for a function until 11pm!! NOOOOOOO!!!! But there was a very cool restaurant just off the lobby area ... bookcases around the walls ... muted lighting ... cocktails ... the best salmon and scallops ... and a great waitress we chatted to at the end of our meal ... who liked our story of meeting in NYC so much so she rushed off to get us free cocktail vouchers for the rooftop!!! How nice!!!!!
Wandered around Fifth Avenue ... as you do ... waiting for 11pm .. then back to the bar ... yes it was a good view .. the cocktails nearly blew our heads off!!!! Then bed!!!
Friday 15/11
Breakfast at Star Dust Diner - where singers work as waiters and take turns singing to the diners .... fantastic!!!! Great singers ... waiting to be 'discovered!'
On up Fifth Avenue to Central Park and our Sex in the City Tour!!!!! Yep ... Mr Big, Carrie, Miranda & Co ... we saw all the locations ... we drank Comos where they drank them, ate cupcakes where they did and we know ALL the goss!!! Haha Good Fun!! Oh we didn't buy one if THOSE battery bunnies but we went in the sex shop where they sell them!!!!!
Next stop Central Park and a horse and carriage ride ... of course!!!!! Then ..... yes ... Tiffany & Co Fifth Avenue .... Erika's dream shop!! Five floors of lovely!!! So .. yes a purchase or three was made!!!
Across the road was Abacrombie & Fitch ... where the male shop attendants don't wear shirts ... hello photo stop!!!
Kate Spade didn't get left out ... then we raced back in a dodgy black cab with NYKer telling us all his medical problems ...
Quick delicious dinner at a Japanese Restaurant across the road .. green Tea Margaritas!!! Then dashed around the corner to see The Lion King!! Fabulous!!
Exhausted ... what a great day!!! We ❤️ NY!!!!
Saturday 16/11
Up for early start ... shopping at Jersey Garden Outlet .. quick bus ride to a great shopping centre ... all our favourite stores at ridiculous prices!!! Amazing!!!! Levi's $39!!!! Fun fun fun!!
Dinner at Les Halle's restaurant - made famous by Anthony Bourdain. Great mussels and Amish Chicken!!! Hmmm
Empire State Building - at night is spectacular - went right to the top!!
Exhausted!!!!
Sunday 16/11
Off early to Bike the Big Apple - bike tour through Central Park and Harlem!
There's about 14 bikers led by a Austrian and we head straight to Central Park via some beautiful brownstone houses ... The park is
so pretty - autumn leaves still falling ... we cycle along the pathways with other Sunday morning fitness folk jogging, walking dogs and riding or skating! We cycle right past a scene straight out of CSI .. police everywhere and CSI people in white overalls searching through a hillside .. maybe Central Park isn't so safe ... no not a TV show being filmed it was real. Scary.
We wind our way through the park and of course it starts raining!!!! Not too hard ..yet!!! We ride up through Harlem and the pretty houses give way to project housing .. our guide tells us it's 'fairly safe' here these days as some dude yells at us for whatever!!! We pedal faster!!!
Into a gospel church for some soul singing .. The ladies look great in their Sunday best with hats ... not sure about the lady with the 2 inch bright orange nails ... scary!!
The singing was good ... they get right into it!!
Next for some soul food at a local restaurant where most things seem fried and you pay by the weight of your selection! Lucky we will be burning some of this off!! The rain is getting serious now ... back into Central Park and to Strawberry Fields where the memorial for John Lennon is opposite the Dakota Building. A busker was sitting near the Imagine mosaic singing Imagine ..
We are happy to hand back our bikes and head to the subway to see the Statue of Liberty - don't want to miss that!!! Finally get to South Wharf ... Staten Island Ferry .... it's raining and it's really foggy ... but it's lit up brightly right????? Hmmm we cross over and miss it completely!!!! Cross back ... looking harder this time ... see a dim light through the fog ... ask a ferry worker is that it????? Confirmation ... well he said he thought so .... haha so much for that!!! Back on the subway .. we got a picture of a picture of the Statue of Liberty - kind of the same huh?!!!!
Back to a Times Square and dinner at Buba Gumps - my margarita/corona combination makes everything ok ....!!!! Who would have thought that would taste so good?!!!
Monday 18/11
Early start to Penn Station and a train to Montreal. Ten hours or sitting in one spot is kind of appealing after the last 3 days!!!
Waiting for the train we watched a detailed video demonstrating what options we had if someone started shooting in the station, flee, hide or act. Very sobering.
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