Getting To The Core Of The City...

Having arrived back late from New York and going straight into classes I haven't had chance to write up the rest of the trip. So, here we go.

Friday



We started by going up to the Natural History Museum, anticipating a day of rain, but aside from a shower whilst we were inside the day was warm and dry. From the museum we walked across Central Park to meet up with Katri and Sophia outside the MET. Then they went to the Plaza Hotel and we went to a great little restaurant famed for its burgers called J.G. Melon. After food we walked a way down 5th Avenue to the Rockefeller Center to see the shops and the plaza in the daylight. 

Deciding that a rest was in order, we went back to the hotel and chilled out before heading out for food with everyone at the Times Square Hard Rock Cafe. The food was great as always and after shunning the photo opportunity as a new money-making scheme, we discovered that the photo was actually pretty good so we all bought a copy. 

Saturday
Saturday was shopping day in the morning, beginning with Forever 21 - not my idea. When I was looking at garments on the rack and utterly lost as to what possible purpose they could serve I decided that it was time to clear out. Moving on, we went around several more stores and I actually bought a few items of clothing (because they were on sale). After shopping we went for food at Murray's Bagels - a many award-winning eatery with the best bagels ever. Before going to drop our stuff off at the hotel, we made a stop at Grand Central where I discovered an Apple Store had popped up on one of the balconies of the main hall - they will literally get everywhere. 

In the evening, we went to the Top of the Rock, crossing our fingers for a short queue. Our prayers were answered and within 20 minutes of buying our tickets we were on the observation decks and looking out across the brightly lit Manhattan skyline. By this time the bagels had worn off and so meeting back up with Lenka's friend David, we found a pub in Times Square not automatically IDing people at the door and went in for food - I had my first fish and chips since arriving, newspaper and all! Not to rain on the others' evening, I headed back to the hotel whilst they went out for drinks, arriving back at the hotel an hour later - New York needs more frequent subway trains. 

Sunday
The final day was spent walking along the waterfront first thing and taking the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty under blue skies and sunshine. With separate plans of action, I rode with the others on the metro and then walked across to the highly recommended Public Library. 

From there I got lost on the way to Grand Central on a continued but doomed search for a Christmas decoration. With no luck and a deadline to meet back at the hotel, I got lost trying to find the subway line in the station. Boarding the right train I took it back to Fulton Station and then got very lost finding my way back to the hotel. Lesson: for some with as bad a sense of direction as me, a map or GPS would have been really useful. However, I got back in plenty of time. Lesson: men, you really don't need to ask anyone for directions if you don't want to. 

After some hanging around for the coach, we boarded for Chestertown and began our drive away from the Big Apple and a very busy but thoroughly enjoyable Fall Break.