Friday 21 November 2008

A Trip To New York


My Mum and Me...
Just got back from New York with my Mum...it was the first time she had ever been to the States, and what a great time she had (I think)...I took her because she's had a tough

year health-wise and I so wanted her to have a good time...we did just about everything...hampered by my getting a painful blister on the second day - that meant we were confined to barracks for a couple of days...I think I must have swollen up a bit on the flight over and then the day after whilst putting my boots on and thinking 'oh, these are a bit tight...' then did not go on to make the brain connection 'well maybe I shouldn't wear them?'.. No of course I only thought the first part of the scenario, and only regretted wearing said boots a few hours after.
We arrived to virtual tropical temperatures (oh, ok, warmer than here at least) which was a bit funny because I had told Mum that it would be so cold that she should ONLY take warm clothes...there we were, trying to find the lightest warm clothes we had...ah well. We stayed at a fab hotel called The Bryant Park on W 40th, apparently a scene from the recent 'Sex and the City' film was filmed outside it (the part where Carrie hits John with her wedding flowers) (and if you haven't seen it, WHERE have you been?)...anyway - what a lovely hotel - and even nicer staff...highly recommended. The Delta plane was virtually empty on the way over which meant everyone got several seats to themselves and virtually a whole flight attendant to themselves too...

Me In Times Square - Note The Comedy Background - Mum's Photo! Hmmm...actually maybe its not that funny...

Manhattan in the Mist - on the boat to Ellis Island
We arrived to many of the citizens of the United States buzzing with excitement following the election of Barack Obama as their next President - everyone we spoke to seemed to have such great expectations, believing he is the great hope of the future...like the Americans, I hope so much he will bring good things to the country and the world in general.

How Long to Go? Oh No, Not THAT Long!

Above: The LOVELY Bryant Park Hotel, The Empire State Building


So...we went to Times Square (where I got the blister), we did the Empire State building,
we did Ellis Island, we did a fantastic night at the theatre where we went to see 'Wicked' (oh my goodness, it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!) We went to Central Park and we went to the Museum of Natural History to see a horse exbibition...we went for 'luncheon' at Macy's (wow), we did a fair bit of shopping (noo...you'd never believe that would you??)...we ate an awful lot of food...we walked and walked and walked...we saw the Statue of Liberty and went past where the twin towers once were, we visited Grand Central station and New York library, and we visted NoHo, SoHo and Little Italy.... the weather turned terribly wintry the last couple of days and we were finally appreciative of the warm clothes we had packed. We despaired of American television, and were so desperate to watch something that did not urge us to sue someone or dose ourselves up with some medication that we ended up having end-to-end 'Top Gear' on the TV ....at home I'd rather stick my head in a bucket of horse manure than watch that, but over there, it was what there was...strange how you end up doing stuff like that on holiday.



Above: View from The Empire State Building - towards the centre you can see the 'Flatiron Building', looking right down into the Financial Centre where the WTC once was - in the distance Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty.

Another View The Empire State Building - here you can see the Chrysler Building slap bang in the middle of the photo.

Pigeon's Eye View from the Empire State Building

I got to visit lots of craft and bead shops...oh never mind that I already own a bead shop, it doesn't stop me wanting to buy more...that is why the other site is called 'BeadAddict!'...and got some fabulous fancy cut Zircon...time to get to work, once I have got over the jet lag. The journey home was hideous...of course the Pound Sterling has tanked against the Dollar recently...which meant the plane was packed like a can of sardines, I swear there must have been people hanging on the outside too...anyway I was sitting in-between my Mum and this woman who had the most hideous cold and flu...aaaargh...one souvenir I did not want...AND...having taken Mum into the Delta Club Lounge on the way home and both of us having rather stupidly consumed some iffy looking Camembert, we both had mild food poisoning the day after. Still, going away was lovely and I am now planning our next adventure!!!





As always, I can never resist a horse....thjs one was almost as shiny as my own...funny, the police officer did not seem too amused when I told her that....


I arrived home to freezing cold weather (back to the mud at the stableyard!), the new (used) pussycat having installed himself at home...'Blue' is Burmese and four years old...photos to follow. I am working on sending out the orders received whilst I was away in the next day or so.