As I've suggested before, we are travelling to New York today, by car. We're told that this could take between 3.5 and 9 hours depending on traffic and road condtions. We're also told that we will be allowed just the one toilet stop (as if!).  

Because of the recent problems with flying and luggage we have had to look carefully at how we might pack to return home and today is something of a trial run. It's not going well!

We had a cracking ride down and stopped en route for a coffee (at a town I forget the name of). We're staying in Woodside, in Queens and have just returned from a small cafe called Aubergine - which was nice. 

We didn't do much after we arrived in Queens. I had a walk around the area, to pick up some milk and some tea while Sharon and Betony just sat and read in the appartment. Gail had gone to her hotel and we knew that Jaime (our hostess) would be back about six. We stayed in the rest of the evening, ordered in an Indian meal and played Articulate. Although warned by Jaime that visiting Brits often find the U.S. versions of Indian food "awful" - we found it to be really nice. The only downside was that the universal Chicken Tikka Massalla was as unusual as it universally is! It was made with unadulterated Heinz tomato soup! No kidding. 

[also see http://www.britshoppe.com/heintomsoup.html]

Friday

We had a relaxed start to today, meeting Gail and TJ at one of the train stations en route to Manhatten. We bought a day-long 'fun' pass for $7 each. This would allow us as much subway use as we needed in the day - a normal trip is $2 each. Just beware if you try this - you cannot buy multiple tickets in one transaction and each machine only gives a maximum of $6 change (so don't use a $20 bill!)

Our first stop was a Starbucks just outside Battery Park. Much of this area is under a great deal of repair (I've no idea what they are doing - looks like a new roadway), but it's where you have to catch the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry is free to ride upon and from its side you can catch close-up glipmses of the Statue of Liberty and of Ellis Island - which Betony was keen to do. I'd always been intrigued by the ferry since hearing John Lennon mention it in the lyrics to a song called New York City (1972).

After 'doing' the ferry we moved uptown to take a Deli (Lenny's) on board, close to the Museum we were to visit.  Jaime, our hostess, works at the American Museum of Natural History on 79th Street and Central Park West. Jaime had arranged for us to visit the Museum and to attend some of the exhibitions. Sharon and I went to the Imax cinema to view a film on Caves and everyone else visited the Darwin Exhibition. Then, when Jaime had finished work we went 'Downtown' to Washington Square Park, so that Gail could introduce Betony to NYU and The Village. Mind you, she also wanted to show her a Fluevog Shoe shop too! While everyone else trooped off to find the shoe shop, Sharon and I wandered off to look out for a beer and a sit down. We eventually found the Slaughtered Lamb pub deeper into the village. 

We'd hoped to get up the Empire State Building by twilight but had by now missed the chance, so we all went off to a Japanese restaurant to eat. 'All' now included Ben - an 'ex' of Gails and someone we'd met before in England.

Marumi is easily found and quite tasty. Our American guides all eat here regularly. Betony wasn't as keen and managed to fit in a roadside Taco as we left the train back in Woodside!

Saturday

Gail has been staying at a hotel down the road and popped up to join us for breakfast about 9.30am. The local bakery is delightful, with croissants, danish and all kinds of cakes and bread ready to go. We've eaten from here both days so far and have not been disappointed.

Jaime was out running in Central Park (although she got back just as we left) so we took our leave of Gail and TJ, who were driving down to Deleware immediately after lunch. We were going to 'do' as much of Manhatten as we could in the short time left to us.

We headed straight for the Sony Wonder Lab on Madison because it was one of the things we'd both agreed we should take Betony to see. We spent a good bit of time here and then went Downtown by subway to show Betz the City Hall (Spin City) and to experience one of the super Delis down there. 

We then took the subway back up (mid town?) to thirty somethingth stree to try and find the Empire State Building. It's easy enough to see if you look in the right direction - even when you are right underneath it. There was no way Sharon was coming up again because it's frighteningly high, but Betz and I were off and up it pretty quick sticks. Well - quick isn't a word you can use when discussing this building - in real life Tom Hanks would have remained Sleepless in Seattle and Meg Ryan unfulfilled because the queues are enormous. We Q'd to get to what looked like the ticket desks, but werein fact a screen hiding the security desks behind. Another queue to go through airport-like security (I don't have a problem with this - just saying how they avoid you seeing a huge queue), then a shorter queue for the lifts. The lifts take you to the 80th floor (6 floors short of your destination) and then you queue again for the final lifts. But this time you also have your photograph taken! 

All in all we spent 90 minutes going up, looking and coming back down. And we wouldn't have missed it for the world. $16 for me and $14 for Betz.

Sunday

We had a lazy moring, a late breakfast and phoned for a taxi about 2.30pm (about half and hour from now!). Anything out of the ordinary will be reported later, but for now - many many thanks to all those of you who we've met and all those of you who have looked after us, especially Gail and Jamie in Connecticut and Jaime here in New York.

Thank you XXX