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canoeing, kayaking and other adventures

canoeing and kayaking adventures born in the Southeastern U.S. and now centered in Scotland...

Thursday, January 03, 2008

New York, New York - 21/12/2007 - 24/12/2007

Brian and I spent the second weekend of our trip in New York! In my list of homes, New York is at the top. I consider it home for ancestral reasons -- I was born there, as were my parents. I'm always happy to spend time there and I was even more excited for a long weekend there.

The first half of the trip was excellent. Our hotel room in midtown sort of overlooked Times Square and the other taller buildings around. We enjoyed a wander around the city, visiting Grand Central Station, Fifth Avenue before the glut (and only during the rush) of shoppers, Rockafeller Center and St Patrick's Cathedral before catching up with Alane for a few off-the-beaten-track sites in Greenwich Village and the East Village. After dinner at a vegan cafe called Angelica's, we caught a show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. The group was the Stepfathers and they were ok but not spectacular. I finished my Christmas shopping at Macy's also before the glut of shoppers. Thank you 24 hour shopping, even if it is retail hell.

Saturday day was wet and foggy. Our plans for seeing New York from the top of the Empire State Building were thwarted. We wandered more of the city, saw the city from the Top of the Rock, which wasn't as bad as the Empire State Building. We took the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on a free harbour cruise. Lady Liberty was easy to find but Ellis Island wasn't nearly so bright to see. I could make it out on the return cruise.

Saturday night began the unfortunate part of our Christmas holiday. I got a sore throat which became the flu for both of us by Sunday morning. We spent Sunday in bed hoping to ward it off but to no avail. We slept and watched lots of rubbish TV that I don't remember. Mercifully.

Monday morning, we were due to head back to the burbs but first took advantage of the break in the weather for a clear trip up the Empire State Building. Sniffling and hacking, unfortunately, but we did get to commune with some brave pigeons up there and tell the fake photographers to leave us alone. After a trip to B&H Photo, we caught the express train to NJ where my father got to drive the plague wagon home. We went back to bed to continue our efforts to sleep it off, but unfortunately not quickly enough. We still have a lot left to see of New York, but return trips are inevitable.

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