Trotters

New York is big. London is also big. But the grid layout in NY encourages you to walk, thinking - '10 blocks isn't so far'. But when you add blocks here and there, it adds up 5 hours of walking on Wednesday and about 8 hours of walking today (on and off).

My trotters are killing me!!! And my Olympic Games Maker trainers don't know what has hit them...

Yesterday I went around 5th Avenue, Central Station and to the Rockefeller Plaza. 

Good things: a butterfly and a view of Central Park at the Top of the Rock, Giant Fraggles and Lego figures in FAO Schwarz, lunch in Bryant Park and the Apple store on a balcony in Central Station.

Not such good things: Central Station - it's nice, but St Pancras beats it hands down; the Big Piano (from the movie Big) sooooo much smaller than I thought it would be; not being able to see the Chrysler building properly from the Top of the Rock :-(

In the evening we did a night time tour of downtown, with a trip over to Brooklyn so we could get some photos of the bottom of Manhattan Island. The view was great but overall the tour was not. The guide insisted on saying 'obviously' all the time, and sharing rubbish anecdotes and was by far the worst of the Gray line tour guide we have had.

Today we were up bright and early for a downtown bus tour, then walked over Brooklyn Bridge which was being refurbished. Apparently this is Johnnie's fault as wherever he goes in the world it ends up being refurbished* note to self avoid any further sight seeing with Johnny! 

 Boat ride first across the bay for the beautiful Statue of Liberty. I have always admired this statue, mainly for how gorgeously her gown folds and genuinely looks like material when you get close. 

Then Ellis Island for an audio guided tour of the Immigration Centre. This was fascinating, and only 2% of the 12 million people who emigrated here in the late 19th, early 20th century were turned away. If only I had come over here by boat over 100 years ago, chances are I could have stayed!!!

I am starting to regret staying such a short time in this fabulous city. 5 days is not enough. I can safely say I am enjoying it 50 times more than the last time I came here after camp back in 1998. It is awesome!

I am now relaxing in the most amazing reclining settees ever with a large Gin and Tonic in my hand, which is helping the pain in my feet no end!