New York Baby!

Check this often as this is our last entry as we have decided to stay in New York for the whole two weeks as it is great!

Arrived about 10pm on Saturday and headed for the hotel.  Dumped the bags and went off to find my brother and Nicola.  Not surpisingly, they were near a pub, so we headed inside for a few New York drinks!  Got back to hotel at 2am a bit tired.

Day 2 shopping!  A good breakfast to fuel us for a day of Macy's and Bloomingdales to name but a few.  On the way to Bloomingdales we had a cartoon moment when Jo disappeared down a hole!  Not Joking!  Trying to cross a very busy road and Jo's foot slips into a hole about a foot deep.  We picked her up and Paul recovered the sandal- yes sandal that she is still very in the freezing cold!  Anyway, Jo's foot seemed ok, but after a couple of hours walking, then a sit down, it stiffened up and she couldn't walk.  We have taken it easy since then and she's been resting it.  It seems to be ok as the swelling has gone down and she is walking around better.

Day3- after resting 'the foot' we all went to a basketball game.  Tickets right at the top of Madison square gardens arena and it was brilliant.  You don't just have a basketball game to watch, but dancers, small children singing and a drumming group between every quarter or time out!  My favourite was when the dance catapulted free T-shirts into the crowd.  We bought a sponge finger to wave and there was hot dogs and beer.

Almost forgot.  Before the game we had a little walk past the MTV studio and saw none other than a mr Marshall Mathers III, or Eminem to you and me waving at us!  Now we know we're in New York!

Day 4: Foot up date - all is well, swelling has gone down considerably and I am walking about without a limp!  Today we took the subway to battery park.  It was freezing cold but the sun was shining.  We had a good walk up to Ground Zero and we spent some time in St Pauls Chapell where alot of the memorials were.  Being here really challenges you to try and comprehend what happened that day, which really wasn't easy.  The chapel was a sad and a hopeful place all at the same time.  We then popped into Century 21st (designer Discount Store) and Nic picked up a Calvin Klein Coat for a mere $60.  Headed back uptown on the subway and then met Paul and Nic for supper and Mary Poppins!  It was great we had good seats right up on the balcony and we loved seeing Mary Poppins fly and singing along to all the songs.

Day5:  BOAT TRIP!  Not another one I hear you say!  We took the ferry all along the edge of Mahattan Island and then out to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.  It was a great trip and we saw Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Staue of Liberty etc and loads more.  We then all took the subway up to the Natural History Museum and spent the afternoon there.  It was huge, slightly expensive we thought as Nic and I are used to free museums.  Then to finish off the day we took a cab downtown to Little Italy and ate in Grotto Azzure which was Frank Sinatra's Italian Restaurant of choice!

Only 8 days until we head back people.  Missing everyone heaps but their are many many shops here to keep us occupied well into next year so don't worry.

Day 6:  After updating you all, we headed for the empire state building which is the tallest building in New York since 9/11.  We headed straight for the top and took lots of photos for you all to see.  Met Paul and Nic for dinner at yet another Italian restaurant called the Olive garden.  Drank too much, investigated Hooters, which was closing, so went to our favourite Irish bar (where we are now recognised!) for a few more drinks.

Day 7: I (Nic) feeling a bit rough after all the drinks.  Everyone else is fine.  Paul and Nic even got up early to do more shopping before they left for the airport.  After waving them off we headed for Grand Central Terminal.  It is a very beautiful building and they had a market place and a kaleidoscope light show being projected onto the walls, as well as being a busy station building.  We had a look around a few shops, including FAO Shwartz, where they filmed the piano scene in 'Big'.  We then had thai food and headed back to the hotel for an earlier night, than the previous few!

Day 8: We were meant to check out today but we extended our stay and have a bigger room.  Headed for Macy's sale which was mad.  After fighting our way through the crowds, we made a couple of purchases.  That took most of the day, so we had a rest, then went for an Indian meal- nice!

Day 9:  Up earlier today, slight shock to the system.  Went to a diner for breakfast where all of the waiting staff take turns to sing whilst serving you as normal.  I went off to the restroom and missed the waiter sitting next to Jo singing 'my girl'!  We then went on a tour of film and TV sights around New York, which was excellent.  It took us to lots of different parts of Manahattan that we may not have seen otherwise.  It included: Friends, Sex and the city, Seinfeld, Will and Grace and lots and lots of films.  I was the Friends trivia expert!

Jo's foot is much better.  Feel free to e-mail us in our last week slackers (thank you Joyce and Bernard)

Day 10:  Got up did a bit of shopping , which is begininng to bore us now, and walked up to the time warner centre and across central park to catch a horse.  We participated in the parade of carriages around the south west corner and our guide told us many interesting facts, though we're not sure about the authenticity as they contradicted what we'd heard on our tour on Sunday.  We then took a walk to the strawberry fields which we're fenced off for construction work, but we saw the 'imagine' mosaic and stood outside the Dakota building where John Lennon was shot and where Yoko still lives.  We then found the fountain which inspired a smaller version for the fountain on the opening credits of friends so we danced around a bit in that.  Then did more shopping!  We were quite tired after all that so we taxied back and had a quick bite to eat before having an early-ish night.

Day 11: Up and away and today we headed for the Metropolitan museum of art.  It was beautiful.  We only really managed the 19th century european gallery and a Cezzane - Picasso Exhibition but it was great and Nic enjoyed looking at reall art for a change.  We had hoped to visit their musical instruments collection but it was closed so we opted for a coffee in the presence of some lovely tiffany stained glass and some works also in glass by Frank Lloyd Wright.  After a quick visit to the shops we went to see the Wedding Singer our second broadweay show of the visit.  It was good fun and after starting off in the back row, we were able to creep further forward so that we had an unhindered view.

Day 12:  Up so early you would have died.  It was 5:45am!  Only Oscar gets up at that time I think.  The reason, was that we booked to visit washington DC.  It was a 4 hour drive but well worth it.  We saw loads of memorials and visited the white house, capitol hill, the smithsonian air and space museum and finally the roosavelt memorial which was mine and Nic's favourite as it wasn't a war memorial.  Washington DC was really pretty and it was a welcome break to all the shopping.  We had a late supper as we didn't get back until late and then we chekily managed to buy a few pairs of shoes each.

Day 13:  All day we have been thinking we go home tomorrow.  It was slightly distracting.  We didn't want to do anything in particular so we headed off to greeewich village and mooched.  We then found a friendly Irish pub and had a few drinks before recalling some of our more interesting adventures to the locals.  It was nice.  We are just off to pack now before we go for a posh supper in the revolving resaurant on top of the marriot hotel.  (Don't be too jealous Paul!)  Last day tommorrow.  If we get he chance we shall update you at the airport before we fly home.

Day 14:  We got up and packed by that time, we were ready for lunch in the Pig and Whistle.  We then walked to the Rockefeller Centre and took the elevator to the top.  It was an amazing view which I would recommend to everyone visiting NY but I have no pictures as forgot to take the camera with us.  On the way back to the hotel we chanced upon the naked singing cowboy who is a s his name suggests almost naked and he sings! Very bizzare.  Then took a yellow cab to the airport.  A bit hairy when they told us that our flight was cancelled but all was re-arranged and we headed to heathrow via washington.

MUM - I am looking forward to seeing you and Dave.  Don't be late to pick up Sandra because Nic misses her as much as I have missed you and we can't wait to see you all at te airport on Saturday.

THE REST OF YOU - Feel free to call us or pop in and visit at the weekend.  We are very excited to catch up with everyone and tell you all about our adventures.  Make sure you state whethere or not you are happy to be bored by the endless photographs or you would prefer not to be.

Lots of Love Nic and Jo xxx