04 September 2008

Manchester to JFK on good old British Airways. Pleased and proud to say that they flew the flag magnificently on this transatlantic service. There again, a Nintendo DS helps too. New York! New York! Well, it’s such a fabulous, awesome sight you have to say it twice and pinch yourself to believe you are really there. Checked in to London NYC on West 54th. To our delight a suite overlooking Central Park, spacious, lounge and bathroom with not one but two showers - what more could we want? Well actually, a bath tub for soaking away those tourist tired aches, apart from that disappointment we settled well in our holiday home. And so to….… shopping! We had been in training for this! We hit 5th Avenue, window gazing and purchasing - c’mon, how could you resist? There’s every designer you can think of - Lacroix, Tiffany’s, Prada - to our amused amazement we had to queue to get in the Abercrombie & Fitch store!!! Carrie would have been proud of us! Back to our hotel having shopped - we dropped…… into bed with a call to room service. Zzzzzz Up for an early morning walk in Central Park, having left a sodden Britain behind us it was fabulous to feel warm, and to enjoy the bright sunshine. Was it just a fanciful memory but the day reminded me of how yesteryear British Summers used to be. And what a wondrous place Central Park is – it has to be one of the most utilised urban spaces in the world – a zoo, baseball, bandstand, carriage rides, memorials to famous musicians, playgrounds a plenty, and yet it’s an oasis of calm with acres of tranquillity to spare. Unbelievably - right in the middle of one of the world’s biggest cities. Feeling refreshed we head back for breakfast – wonder if there’ll be a stack of pancakes waiting? Want to lose yourself for a day? Macy’s at your service - OMIGOD! The phrase “shop ‘til you drop” had to be first uttered in Macy’s. I thought I was in the actual store but I was just in an annex! Its one whole block and six floors high, and an awful lot on your credit cards. After a sensory blow out like Macy’s we needed to chill down – so off we ventured to the Village. This excursion made a refreshing change to the swirl of the city. It has a different ambience entirely; pavement cafes and a selection of restaurants make it a diner’s delight. The great aspect about a trip to NYC is that you can pick and mix your interests. From frivolous pursuits, to paying your respects to one of the most audacious events of modern history. A visit to Ground Zero near Wall Street, in the financial district is an essential stop on the tourist trail. It’s a sobering sight even with a cool beer in your hand. Awesome is the only word that I can think of for the expanse of area that once housed those towering structures that we last saw that fateful day now coded for evermore in history as 9/11. Top Tip - the 3rd floor bar in the Millennium Hilton is a great vantage point! We lift our sombre moods (and how!) by joining 45 Sex in the City obsessed female fans on the yep, you guessed it SITC coach tour. Forty five women and two men - us! Ok, we loved the series & the film a bonus! This is a fabulously entertaining way to see the city too. It saves wear and tear on the Manolo’s (so we were told) and of course you get to see various SITC film sites, and best of all….… you do it all sitting down! Last day - more shopping of course! We hadn’t gone on that SITC tour and learnt nothing… Top Tip - leave a good 3 hours if not more to get across to the airport – it seems to take forever on the way out. Perhaps subconsciously you don’t want to leave? We had the most amazing and awesome time so could our last hours in NYC possibly end on an even higher note? Well… we were booked into World Traveller Plus with BA so that we could relax and sleep peacefully for a few hours before heading back into work on the Monday. Upgraded into Club – bonus - sweet dreams are truly made of this…