Monday 11 November 2013

New York - Day 12

If you've missed any of the 12 New York blogs click the links below!


New York - Day 12

Our alarms went off at 5am, not for an early flight or pre dawn check out. I wanted a photo with the Wall Street Bull, without a million people crowding round it! The business district is very quite on weekends like in any city but the Bull constantly had people surrounding it.


Our 5am date with the Wall Street Bull

So with just one police car for company we took it in turn for pictures and a quick rub of the Bulls balls (it’s good luck, there are defined rub marks!) before heading back to our hotel to pack. Again, I mean Mike packed, carefully rolling up our clothes, protecting our gifts and trinkets. I on the other had fallen asleep in an armchair gracefully dribbling over my left shoulder - sexy!

Once I had woken, Mike had finished packing and we had checked out; we went to lovely restaurant for brunch and New York staple! For bloody Mary’s and Eggs Benedict! 

With a couple of hours until our airport bus would arrive, we went to the Hilton Hotel bar. Mike on his laptop me reading when I fell asleep with my head in the book that was lying on the table - where a now infamous phone was taken!

A tad sleep

Our bus arrived 2 hours early so we had a lot of waiting around in the airport even resorting to playing eye spy! When we eventually were able to check our luggage in United Airlines were atrociously bad mannered and unhelpful. The check in support woman proceeded to mock our accents (and not in a cute way!) and when we asked about checking in the wheelchair she told us it wasn’t her job and that being a member of their miles club was irrelevant even if I had prebooked support before making the trip.

We had time to kill and dollars to use up, looking for a few last minute bits, when I needed to use the bathroom and whilst in there a woman actually asked me “Don’t you people have your own bathroom?” bloody cheeky mare!

When we got to our gate we spoke to a lady called Laura who said she’d see what she could do since we’d been placed at the back of the plane with no assistance or paperwork for the wheelchair.

Annoyingly Laura came back and said that there was no where else for us to be seated and proceeded to look blankly at us. So a said “So.... how am I getting to my seat?” to which she replied “I don’t know” - Helpful!

I then asked if they had the aisle wheelchairs available and the United staff were like “Oh yeah, great idea” - I wanted to bang my head against the wall at this point.

When we eventually got to our seats and got comfy, my instructions to Mike were that I would be going to sleep, I didn’t want any food, drinks or loo trips. That’s exactly what I did, I slept the whole 8 hours home. Mike didn’t, he was awake all night watching movies trying to stay on US time as we were getting home Monday Morning and he was flying straight back to work in California the following day - poor dude!

We got to Heathrow and Mike’s Mum picked us up. Arriving home we had to unpack immediately so that Mike could repack all over again, no rest for the wicked!

On Tuesday Mike had left by 6am and I sat in our living room alone, thinking “A week ago I was sailing on the Hudson and sitting on top of the Empire State Building” I couldn’t help be a tad sad!

New York is an amazing city and we had the most spectacular time. I would highly recommend visiting such a vibrant and energetic place, it is very expensive but if you plan your trip and look up deals it doesn’t have to be so pricey. If you’re a movie or TV fan it’s so much fun to see all the places from your favourites.

Despite 12 days in New York there was so much more we didn’t get to do, Mike and I have decided to return to the city for our 35th Birthdays in 5 years for another big city adventure!


L x

P.S... I leave you with this awesome Squirl who was working his angles.....



 ....work it, my furry friend.... work it!

L x

New York - Day 11

If you have missed any of the previous New York Blog click the links below!

Day - 2


New York - Day 11


Day 11 - Our penultimate day in New York. After a epic 12 hour lay in we decided to leave the city and head for Brooklyn. After breakfast we made our way to City Hall and watched some street performers before trekking across Brooklyn Bridge. I loved that people left messages, locks and their twitter handles all over the walkway.


Brooklyns Locks of love
The bridges of New York are as iconic as the city it’s self. Brooklyn, Manhattan & Washington (A.k.a BMW) are very distinctive in design and my favourite was the Manhattan a majestic blue suspension bridge with three lanes, four subway tracks, a walkway and a bikeway.

We didn’t go far into Brooklyn, I have to admit I was a little worried as the streets were not busy and I had become accustomed to being constantly surrounded by the huddled safety of the other tourists, but we found it to be a lovely friendly place with really cute houses and cafe’s.  

Brooklyn Bridge
On Brooklyn’s river front there was a gorgeous carousel and beautiful seated/picnic areas where lots of kids birthday parties being held and families were flying kites. We watched several couples having their engagement and wedding photos plus there were several cute first or early dates taking place on tartan blankets with wicker baskets.

We stopped for some gelato, in between taking lots of photographs and already starting to reminisce about how great the holiday, neither of us wanting to come home!

We headed back to the city on the Manhattan Bridge; don’t expect to have a decent conversation as there trains are every few minutes, we walked mostly in silence, catching the last sunset in New York City.

Manhattan Bridge

We headed back to our hotel via a luggage shop to accommodate all books we had bought during the trip! 

City View from the Manhattan Bridge

We decided to have dinner at the Hilton Hotel restaurant; Mike had steak and I have a pear, walnut and salmon salad but made a very English mistake - ordering chips with my meal and of course a big bowl of crisps turned up - doh!

Back in our room, as much as I wanted to make the most of our last night in New York, my pain and tiredness got the better of me and we ate cookies in bed whilst watching another pay per movie - so rock and roll!


L x