We had missions today to capture the KN place, (Matt bumped into some vloggers), find the “Museum in an Elevator” was closed, walked around ChinaTown, and waved at the Supreme Court, walked across Brooklyn Bridge and get the subway back and then hunted down the FlatIron building. I was pretty much done.
Mission successful.
On the way I had Cranberry muffins (they were super tasty), and devoured a good portion of the book authored by James Patterson.
Dinner was courtesy of McDees
It was a proper exploring day. We jumped on two trains, the first down to 42nd, and the second to Coney Island. It was a pretty warm day out considering but my hat was still needed.
We circled the streets first, a lot of construction work is going on, then headed to the beach to walk along the sea front where it was surprisingly busy. I have taken hundreds of photos but none have yet made it to the blog.
We went armed with a beautiful bag and Matt filled it to the brim with books. We found one that was like Saul Lighter, but wasn't, but was still epically good.
Matt’s leg is still dodgy, but we did walk quite a way, probably more than the day before.
The only thing for it was to soak the leg in alcohol, so we did - Matt picked his leg in Whisky, I pickled mine in Strawberry Tequila. A good night was had by all.
It’s Jack’s first day here but we left them to bimble and went into Town. The plan was to explore. Each time we get lost (and found) we call it an Adventure.
Today our Adventures took us to the World Trade Center, and it is very different since the last time we visited. There are now four towers and One World Tower was a mighty 101 floors high. We booked tickets and then explored the Oculus (the white feather dome under the towers)
We had an ear popping ride up the elevator and glimpses before being left loose (I call this crowd control). The views were mighty and we stayed hours and hours and had a late lunch on the 102nd floor. I had spaghetti and it was perfect.
We didn't get home until late and sofa flopped.
Woke up to the sweet sweet sound of the fire alarm - Matt was killing sausages. I put my grumpy cat face on (that reminds me that I need to feed the feral cats that have taken up shelter outside our back door. The owner Karen feeds them when people are not staying here, so I feel that they still need feeding.
Ice rain is predicted until about 1pm. So put the kettle on, pulled up a blog and started tapping.
We will go out later, and be indoors. Heading to a museum - will report back later.
It is actually warm (well anything is warm when it’s above freezing) Not the minus -11 so pretty toasty. We sucked in more NYC smells and feet slapped around Harlem, then back home for coffee. Near to lunchtime we were rocking on the 1 tram heading into the beating heart of Manhattan. We jumped out at Franklin street and took a series of photos at the Ghostbuster’s fire station, picked up a 99c slice of pizza (that is so going to bite me later) and pointed our toes at Battery Park but we hung a left somewhere (leaving the park and waving at the green lady for another day).
We ended up in a Village - Greenvillage and a bike store with a café smack bang in the middle of it. I had cherry cake and lemonade, Matt fell into some coffee and Max was convinced that he was given giant slices of cake smothered in avocado and seeds. We then separated so that Max could fall into a few high end clothes stores, we went book shopping and swept into the Mysterious Bookshop (which not surprisingly) was a tower of mystery books . Thousands of them with high shelving and ladders to each the top.
We then had our Best Coffee So Far (well technically for me it was Tea as I have given up on sour coffee) at a coffee shop in the shadow of the One World Tower.
We met up with Max, who then scooched off to the Airport to pick up Jack.
ps.. the Pizza didn’t bite me. The evening salad did.
Jane can’t crawl to the pc right now please leave a message for her feet after the Beep.
I walked Jane everywhere today, we started off at a leisurely pace with three things to check off the list. First was The Strand Bookstore with 18 miles of books where she picked up a “Fuck off, I’m Reading” mug, devoured a healthy salad bowl for lunch and then I walked Jane to the Hospital - no, she didn’t fall over. See I can even read people’s minds - tis a curse of mine. There’s this hospital drama she likes called New Amsterdam and it’s shot in a beautiful hospital on 1st Avenue. It was like walking onto a set - we had a nice chat with the guard who has worked there forever.
We then picked up a whole handful of Milk Duds, this made Jane incredibly happy (nearly as happy as the Hospital visit).
Finally we went to Grand Central Station and looked up at the gorgeous ceiling. Headed back to Time Square and then hopped on the No.1 tram.
Jane will be back to normal tomorrow, she is just tapping out this evening.
Love from the Swollen Feet Kicking Ass across NYC
We’ve bought 33 dollar weekly travel cards and making the most of them. We ventured out first thing, it was minus 6 and a tad nippy. We fed the fridge a few more bits to tide it over.
Our young Max put on 6 layers of clothes. We bimbled downhill to the park and fuelled by weak coffee, watched the tail end of an ice skating competition then jumped on the Number 1 tram into town.
The day passed in a blur of hours and hours of walking, having a great burger, buying some lovely Sketchers on 5th Avenue, dipping into Trump Tower which is barricaded and everything you carry is scanned. I met what I thought was a young police lass who must have looked like she was 15, but no - she was secret service.
I was amused by the lift attendant repeating “oh no oh no oh no” when someone handed him a small lost bag… he freaked a little, called for backup where three of his colleagues turned up to escort it to the scanners and the secret service girl took control of it. A young chap came looking for the bag and was pointed back to the scanners and the police made him stand still while he, and the bag was inspected. All the while I watched the drama all unfold from a bench waiting for Matt to return from exploring.
Now at home with cartoonish throbbing feets and a gorgeous pot of Tea and a bottle of Blue Moon Beer.
There’s much to be said for being picked up early-o’clock in the morning, but it does mean your brain doesn't switch off for fear of missing the pick-up. My day ahead is fuelled by one gorgeous hour of sleep (I also blame Pluralsight - it is chock full of brain candy and I downloaded soooooo many courses and started to dig, so that didn't help in getting in any real sleep).
It was the most stress-free arrival at the airport and we glided through fast-track and blinked when seated in front of a veggie/hashbrown sandwich.
I think I had the best seat on the plane, tucked into a corner with two windows and no foot traffic and I pressed every button and switch around me. I am #NotAPrincess but will now only fly If I can lie down flat. Matt saving up those Airmiles for at about four years finally paid off. #StrawberriesDippedinChocolate, #Icecream offered from a basket on waking up and oodles of #EarlGrayTea in ChinaCups.
Arrived at the flat, way up on 147th Street in Harlem full of Brownstones. Broadway is the main road lined with bodegas and dollar stores. Our street is super steep, each foot fall is like climbing stairs, if we had let go of our suitcases they would have wobbled down the road and then bobbed into the Hudson River at the bottom of our street. Without glasses it looked like a giant field. It’s way too cold for glasses so I am going to blurry for a few days until it warms up. Filled up the fridge with cheese and then went into Town. We spent a few hours criss-crossing streets between 35th and 47th streets (so Madison Square Garden where Elton is playing, Time Square, sports shop after sports shop (as Max hunted IceHockey Gear) and we glimpsed Radio City and the Empire State Building where sunlight bounced off the buildings but never soaked into the skin. Within a few hours I was more than asleep on my feet and time to head back to the flat after our first exciting adventure.
The tram lines were decorated with icicles and my face felt like had been grated. By 6pm I was back at the flat and snoring for 12 gorgeous hours not long after 7.
Tomorrow my socks need socks and my hat needs an under-hat. I should start my own clothing brand. Hot Head to Toes.
So on Holiday but not yet on the move. It was a “Me” day. Me Days are going to catch on.
I woke up at 8am, so much sleep. By 8:30am I had checked flights online, checked in and sent boarding passes for printing. Made Matt a bacon butty and then threw my shoes on and hopped into town to pick up two things…. I returned an hour later with three full bags to fling into the suitcase. Job done.
Checklists nearly crunched and by 7pm thinking about pouring wine and sofa surfing.
The day starts tomorrow at 4am, in the air by 8.25am and arriving at lunch.
The Highlight of my Day: Vegan Sausage Roll (surprisingly good)