It all began at 4am on Oct 11 in Nettleham driving to Manchester airport, mostly in the dark, much of it on congested narrow lanes in Derbyshire. After standing in the cold air waiting for the shuttle bus to take us from the long stay car park we were ready for a hot cuppa. We barely had time, it had taken so long to get there - four hours all up.Mercifully the Continental flight was good, crew amenable and the food delicious, take that QANTAS!
Couldn't help thinking what a wasteland the USA looked from the train taking us from Newark NJ to Penn Station in Manhattan. Of course I was comparing it with what I'd just left behind, green verdant hills and grazing animals. At least the weather was good, 23 degrees.
The marathon trek began the next day with breakfast at George's Diner round the corner from Krista's flat in Brooklyn.
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| Safety message at George's Diner |
Before leaving for Coney Island, (one of my 'must dos') we sidetracked into a local Chinese dollar shop. I experienced deja vu, it was just like my local shops in Campsie.
Took the train to Brighton Beach, connotations of Neil Simon plays and Woody Allen films running around in my head. Sure the boardwalk was there but devoid of crowds and the bigwheel (yet another one!) had no gondolas. We'd planned to eat a hot dog at Nathan's (home of the famous hot dog eating contest) but we were still full of George's breakfast so passed.
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| Coney Island in the rain |
After a short respite at the Brooklyn studio we took the Q to Atlantic avenue (a dry run for getting to the airport the next day) then headed for Brooklyn Heights. Saw the street of brownstones where part of the film Moonstruck was filmed; had a huge delicious cheeseburger at the famous Five Guys Hamburger joint (fries made by Washington state potatoes that day); saw the statue of Liberty from an angle I hadn't experienced before, and a part of Brooklyn I didn't realise existed.
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| Being casual in Brooklyn Heights |
Central Park was another of my 'must dos' so off we went. Only managed a small corner of it but it was lovely. We explored the Plaza Hotel's food court, very small and in the basement but pricey (crab sandwich $18.00.) Didn't stop to eat but tried out the loos.
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| The Plaza Hotel |
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| Guave mojitos |
Well oiled, we went to see 'Mrs Warren's Profession' at the American Airlines Theatre. What a terrible name for a theatre. Where's the romance, the drama? I slept through some of the first half (all that walking, not to mention the booze) Stayed awake in the second half. I liked Sally Hawkins but thought Cherry Jones overdid it.
Arrived in Brooklyn with aching feet and hips, a record day on the pedometer, 17,631 steps!
The next day in New York (on our return from the road trip down south) we also covered alot of ground but we didn't have Kathie's pedometer to measure it. She'd left for Seattle. After a quiet morning, we left Maxine's suitcase at Krista's office and set off to find a quilting material place. It was on 25th and we were on 14th. We took the circuitous route, taking our time at Fish's (a funky crockery place) and lunching at a salad bar, by which time I was getting cranky. I don't like to be hungry.
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| Window display at Fish's |
Maxine was looking for material to make a quilt to auction at her gardening club back home. About an hour later she left the shop with yards of potatoes, garlic, onions, oranges, carrots, apples, and much more.
We found another material shop - a health and safety hazard if ever there was one. The material bales stood from floor to ceiling, all mixed up and with the narrowest of passages to walk in... then the biggest surprise. I saw a figure in black propped in the corner. His face was white and eyes closed. I thought he was dead until I saw his chest move. I imagined he was one of those owners who insisted on attending the shop every day even if he had to be wheeled there (which I suspect he was.) I would have loved to have taken a photo but you can't can you. Besides the flash might have killed him!
A trip to Target found me a USDA approved lock for my suitcase (the orginal had disappeared somewhere between New York and Atlanta.) We had an hour's rest at Starbuck's with coffee and a croggy then made our way to the New Yorker, a hotel I'd stayed at in 2002. Then it had been full of visiting firemen and women from the UK to commemorate the first anniversary of the Twin Towers disaster. Now we headed for Coopers Tavern, killing time until we caught the train from Penn station to take Maxine to the airport. We caught the 7.01 to Newark, then the 7.30 skytrain, said a quick goodbye to Maxine and were back In NY by 8.30 for Pizza at Sbarro's.
I left from JFK the next day, trying not to notice the defibrillator stations there, and psyching myself up for the 21 hour journey back to Sydney!
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| Brooklyn Bridge |
