Wednesday 1st August - Coney Island
95 degrees+ !!! We were both pretty tired after one day (and a bit, if you count the going back 5 hours) of travelling and another of wandering round Manhattan, so we headed for Coney Island and the beaches - this city really has it all. It had the slightly run-down feel of a lot of beach resorts, crammed with souvenir stores and fast food vendors, but the view over the sea was stunning. After a very generous helping of mint ice cream we set our stall out on the sand and let the world pass us by for a while. The sand was scorching, so we had to keep our feet (and bums) to the towel. Eventually, the temptation to run into the sea, along with every other holiday maker on Coney Island, became too strong and we headed for a paddle. We then walked, hand in hand, towards deeper waters. "How romantic?", I thought, but someone, somewhere clearly wanted to destroy the moment because, after 10 minutes of splashing around and cooling down, a jelly fish decided to pay me a visit and deliver a sharp sting to my back. We left the water and Cody, being the gem that he is, ran over to life guard to ask for advice. We, naturally, followed the advice given (after all, these people surely have to deal with such things all the time) and splashed fresh water on the sting but this only seemed to exacerbate the symptoms. When later visiting the New York Aquarium we came upon an "Alien Stingers" exhibit where we saw an information board stating, "If stung by a jelly fish do not, under any circumstances, pour fresh water on the affected area as this will cause further stinging cells to be activated. Treat with vinegar instead." Anyway, my back had recovered nicely and the aquarium was extremely enjoyable. We were treated to some sea lion acrobatics in the outdoor theatre but it was refreshing to spend time indoors for the remainder of the visit...
Map of North-East USA
Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NYC. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 August 2007
Previous post continued...
Tuesday 31st August - Manhattan
Tuesday was the day we hit Manhattan on the New York subway. We crossed over on the train from Brooklyn and came out next to Carnegie Hall. I was keen to see Central Park so we made this our first stop. Although we were able to observe the immensity of the buildings from the park, I somehow felt a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and it certainly appeared to offer office workers an escape from the busy, humid streets; I hadn't expected to see such beautiful greenery and a sanctuary for wildlife in the centre of North America's largest city. It was here that I sighted a species, native to the U.S, in its natural habitat...the baseball player.
For the city that is sold to us Brits on its shopping opportunities and elevated skyline, it is exceptionally peaceful in places and I felt far less intimidated and hemmed in than I have on my trips to London.
5th Avenue, however, was something else - lined with shops you know you could never afford to enter and heaving with full-time, die-hard shoppers. The architecture truly is awesome (and I apply this word in the less frequently used British sense, to mean really AWESOME) though,
and for all that we hear about the Empire State Building, and despite it being the one thing that really does stand out when travelling away from the city, it was the Rockefellar Centre that particularly caught my eye at close quarters; It is very tall, narrow and less enclosed by other high-rise structures.
The humidity by early afternoon was suffocating, so we eventually retreated to a café, where we consumed slices of pizza as big as your head, and took a bit of a breather. We didn't climb anything tall but I hope to have the tall building experience, either in Chicago or on our return to NYC in a few weeks time.
Tuesday was the day we hit Manhattan on the New York subway. We crossed over on the train from Brooklyn and came out next to Carnegie Hall. I was keen to see Central Park so we made this our first stop. Although we were able to observe the immensity of the buildings from the park, I somehow felt a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and it certainly appeared to offer office workers an escape from the busy, humid streets; I hadn't expected to see such beautiful greenery and a sanctuary for wildlife in the centre of North America's largest city. It was here that I sighted a species, native to the U.S, in its natural habitat...the baseball player.
For the city that is sold to us Brits on its shopping opportunities and elevated skyline, it is exceptionally peaceful in places and I felt far less intimidated and hemmed in than I have on my trips to London.
5th Avenue, however, was something else - lined with shops you know you could never afford to enter and heaving with full-time, die-hard shoppers. The architecture truly is awesome (and I apply this word in the less frequently used British sense, to mean really AWESOME) though,
and for all that we hear about the Empire State Building, and despite it being the one thing that really does stand out when travelling away from the city, it was the Rockefellar Centre that particularly caught my eye at close quarters; It is very tall, narrow and less enclosed by other high-rise structures.The humidity by early afternoon was suffocating, so we eventually retreated to a café, where we consumed slices of pizza as big as your head, and took a bit of a breather. We didn't climb anything tall but I hope to have the tall building experience, either in Chicago or on our return to NYC in a few weeks time.
Friday, 3 August 2007
A tiny bite from the Big Apple!!!
Monday 30th July - First Impressions
I finally met Connor at around 6.30 Monday evening. I always find it fascinating to meet the siblings of those you are close to – picking out similarities and differences. In many ways Connor and Cody are chalk and cheese (apples and oranges) but they certainly share some common ground and it’s great to see how they get on so well.
Once we had discussed England, accents and the contents of malt liquor for a while, Connor took us for a guided walk of the area surrounding his Brooklyn neighbourhood, which included a beautiful stroll through the local park. We stopped for refreshments in an artsy café called the Habana, which I believe is run on solar power panels placed on the roof of the building. We were treated to a series of Burlesque acts, although I was struggling to spot the Burlesque element at times I’m afraid.
The first thing that struck me about America was the scale of everything, and I’m not just talking about the height of the buildings in NYC; Streets are wider, cars are longer, pavements are broader, parks are bigger (and it’s not because people are smaller - in fact there are a fair few who are considerably taller than me). In many ways it reminded me of large French cities; wide streets lined with cars and regularly placed trees separating pavements from roads. Even the style of road markings and traffic signs had a feel of France about them.
By the time we met up with Jess, Connor’s wife, our body clocks were on 3.30 am UK time but we still managed to stay up talking until 5 am (midnight on the New York City clock). I’m sure Jess must have been more tired than us though, since she is managing a full-time job and a nursing night class.
THIS POST TO BE UPDATED...
I finally met Connor at around 6.30 Monday evening. I always find it fascinating to meet the siblings of those you are close to – picking out similarities and differences. In many ways Connor and Cody are chalk and cheese (apples and oranges) but they certainly share some common ground and it’s great to see how they get on so well.
Once we had discussed England, accents and the contents of malt liquor for a while, Connor took us for a guided walk of the area surrounding his Brooklyn neighbourhood, which included a beautiful stroll through the local park. We stopped for refreshments in an artsy café called the Habana, which I believe is run on solar power panels placed on the roof of the building. We were treated to a series of Burlesque acts, although I was struggling to spot the Burlesque element at times I’m afraid.
The first thing that struck me about America was the scale of everything, and I’m not just talking about the height of the buildings in NYC; Streets are wider, cars are longer, pavements are broader, parks are bigger (and it’s not because people are smaller - in fact there are a fair few who are considerably taller than me). In many ways it reminded me of large French cities; wide streets lined with cars and regularly placed trees separating pavements from roads. Even the style of road markings and traffic signs had a feel of France about them.
By the time we met up with Jess, Connor’s wife, our body clocks were on 3.30 am UK time but we still managed to stay up talking until 5 am (midnight on the New York City clock). I’m sure Jess must have been more tired than us though, since she is managing a full-time job and a nursing night class.
THIS POST TO BE UPDATED...
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Monday, 30 July 2007
Taking the "A" train...well, almost!!
Well, we got here. After having to rush slightly more than we would have hoped at Manchester airport, we finally made it on to our Boeing 767, which left about an hour late due to a broken down tug hindering our progress along the runway. Much on board entertainment, with films and TV shows gallore. It was remarkably smooth and, apart from a few nerves, due to the big adventure (well, to a little English girl, anyhow) ahead of me, I handled it fine (although Cody will possibly disagree on this, I don't know!).
The first thing that struck me when we stepped off the plane was the humidity - it was like plunging into a hot bath. Moments after we walked off the plane Cody and I had to go our separate ways - Cody to the right of the passport barriers and me to the left. The queue (oh, we Brits love a queue!) for the non-U.S citizens seemed to go on forever. I had got myself a little anxious about passing through passport and security but in the end I got a very friendly guy who, when I announced I was on "vacation" (I'm having to go with the American terms now...when in Rome, which I'm not, blah! blah!) in the U.S for 5 weeks, he replied with a broad NYC accent and a cheeky smirk, "Jees, too laaaawng! Enjoy your vacation!"
The next two hours following seem like a bit of a blur now. I'm sat in the cool air of Connor and Jess's flat - trekking across to Brooklyn on the subway (requiring several trains, I think) with 3 cases, 2 back packs and 1 euphonium. Luckily, the people were instantly friendly and helped out a struggling English girl with very little muscle to speak of. Cody, however, managed to soldier on with his euphonium AND large case. We almost took the "A" train (I SO wanted to be able to say we took the "A" train, with "that tune" playing in the background) but we kind of went the wrong way and ended up on the "C" train instead...so, almost. Then I remember something about a cab and picking keys up, then walking and climbing lots of stairs...oh,I forget now!! Anyway, I'm now sat with my trousers rolled up, swigging iced water - phew!
I'm getting excited at every little thing that is new and different...like the buildings, with their fire escapes up the side, the cars, the traffic lights, tall things (although I haven't seen the giant stuff yet).
Anyways, I'm certainly getting to know the U.S the non-touristy way, which suits me just fine. I have yet to step on U.S mainland. Well,until next time...
The first thing that struck me when we stepped off the plane was the humidity - it was like plunging into a hot bath. Moments after we walked off the plane Cody and I had to go our separate ways - Cody to the right of the passport barriers and me to the left. The queue (oh, we Brits love a queue!) for the non-U.S citizens seemed to go on forever. I had got myself a little anxious about passing through passport and security but in the end I got a very friendly guy who, when I announced I was on "vacation" (I'm having to go with the American terms now...when in Rome, which I'm not, blah! blah!) in the U.S for 5 weeks, he replied with a broad NYC accent and a cheeky smirk, "Jees, too laaaawng! Enjoy your vacation!"
The next two hours following seem like a bit of a blur now. I'm sat in the cool air of Connor and Jess's flat - trekking across to Brooklyn on the subway (requiring several trains, I think) with 3 cases, 2 back packs and 1 euphonium. Luckily, the people were instantly friendly and helped out a struggling English girl with very little muscle to speak of. Cody, however, managed to soldier on with his euphonium AND large case. We almost took the "A" train (I SO wanted to be able to say we took the "A" train, with "that tune" playing in the background) but we kind of went the wrong way and ended up on the "C" train instead...so, almost. Then I remember something about a cab and picking keys up, then walking and climbing lots of stairs...oh,I forget now!! Anyway, I'm now sat with my trousers rolled up, swigging iced water - phew!
I'm getting excited at every little thing that is new and different...like the buildings, with their fire escapes up the side, the cars, the traffic lights, tall things (although I haven't seen the giant stuff yet).
Anyways, I'm certainly getting to know the U.S the non-touristy way, which suits me just fine. I have yet to step on U.S mainland. Well,until next time...
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