Day 9 - 30 hours by train

Amtrak train - not disability friendly!

View in my cabin



Upstairs and down



Breakfast in bed

It snowed today!!!  I was so excited - about the only one in NY who was I think as everyone else is over the cold.  It is officially the first day of spring (depends on weather not being 1 March).  It was really wet and freezing cold so spent the morning packing and sending emails.

Great news, got a reservation at a restaurant/cafe in Richmond, London called Petersham Nurseries.  An Australian girl is the head chef and recently got a Michelin star.  I booked a table for Katrina and I when we spend the day in London together on 20 April. Az has also sent me confirmation that we are going to Lords on June 6 for England vs Sri Lanka.  Yippeeee!!

Packing for New Orleans was not easy as it is freezing cold in NY, but about 25c during the day in New Orleans.  Anyway, got the job done and headed to Manhattan to catch the Amtrak train...a 30 hour trip all up.  Kitty thinks I am mad...maybe I am.

The train is fabulous!!!  I have my own sleeper cabin with lounge seats on the lower level, a toilet and wash sink.  a bed then drops from above so I can sleep on the top bunk.  Henry and Pat (American couple from Massachuttes - spelling?) are in the cabin next to me and are very friendly.  They had a travel book on New Orleans (they are going there too) which I borrowed to read up on the place.  I had grabbed some magazines (only approx $4.00 each, so cheap!!) and chilled out and watched the scenery go by. 

Dinner in the dining car (all meals included in cost of $310 ticket) consisted of salad, Southern fried chicken with mashed potato and beans, then sorbet for dessert.  Henry and I were civilized and had a wine each.   What a great way to travel.  Our trip takes us through Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC,  and Atlanta (only town names I recognised!)

Funny moment: 

On the subway to Manhattan, at a stop, a black woman (it is alright to say black, can also use African American) woman stood up to leave the train, and quietly said to the white woman sitting opposite her (and next to me) to "close your legs, you can see your undies".  The white woman said "thank you" and did as suggested.  Priceless!  My question is, would you have seen this in Australia or England??