Day 1 - 13 March 2011

Inside St Pat's

Great billboard in Chinatown

Kitty and the Charging Bull

The Statue

Times Square

Kitty took the day off work to give me a tour of NY. 

We started off with the Staten Island Ferry (should say we and hundreds of other tourists), to freeze our butts off whilst going close by the Statue of Liberty.  Fingers were so cold, hard to take photos!!  Didn't stay on Staten Island, took ferry right back.  Statue is an amazing sculpture, was great reading about it afterwards ie 31 tons of copper, 20 years to create).  From the southern point of Manhatten we headed north past the 'bull' sculpture in the financial district. and walked whilst it snowed (yes, only very lightly but was definitely icicles in the air!!!!), past US Customs House then to Ground Zero.  I was amazed by all the construction works at the site, so many construction workers, security, police and such a vivid reminder of the event.  Enough said.

After lunch in Chinatown (Kitty's shout as I won a bet), we wondered through Little Italy, then onto Times Square.  All the colours and activity is amazing during the day - will go back one night to see what it is like then.  Got Davo's first Hardrock Cafe fridge magnet, then we walked along to the Rockerfeller Centre (not just one building, it is more like a business/social area, including an ice skating rink....brought back, memories of Phil's skating ability!)  Kitty took me into St Pat's Cathedral...what a brilliant place.  I took loads of photos - combination of crafted wood, marble and stain glass. 

By this stage it was about 4pm and I was getting really tired.  We finished off walking via Waldorf Astoria and Helmsley Building to Grand Central Station..what a building.  The architecture is so amazing, and it is clean and cared for which is great to see.  We came 'home' (Queens district for those who know NY) via the 7th subway which is above ground and gives a good view of Queens and the Met Stadium.

Quiet night in tonight as both of us tired from a big day.  First impressions - amazing architecture, incredibly diverse cultures living/travelling in the area, the wind chill is really cold, prices are really reasonable (week travel card for trains and buses is $30), more food than I would know how to manage, and the streets are quieter than I thought.

Note to all..don't think I will write this much every time...just in the mood to share :-)