Post by RICHARD PLANTAGENET on Aug 1, 2011 15:29:39 GMT -5
DAY ONE
Having been on the lookout for a sign saying ‘New York’ pretty much since the trip started, it was of great disappointment and frustration to me that I didn’t actually get a picture of the sign (my camera and I have a tempestuous relationship sometimes, I’m afraid). I did, however, manage to get some fuzzy pictures of the Manhattan skyline (speaking of which, just to clarify, my NY holiday was two days and a bit in Manhattan…then again, to many, Manhattan IS New York). I’ll also say here and now that I managed to get pictures of all the ‘RC sites’ (as I dubbed various places) I wanted to see...more on those later.
Having found the way to our hotel, we (that is to say myself, parents, younger brother, best friend and her mum) discovered the place had had a power outage due to the use of AC in the city as late and there was no hot water. This we deemed would be problematic however all was well when we got all the cases unpacked and sorted out. Soon we were out and about in New York City for the first time (cue Nessie madly taking pictures of almost everything she sees).
Our hotel was brilliantly located just off Times Square, barely a five minute walk. In our wanderings around the area we stopped to munch on a genuine New York pretzel, which was yummy, as is to be expected (we were so obviously tourists it’s not even funny). Soon after this we went to the Hard Rock Café for lunch which was very exciting as there was lots of Beatles memorabilia around (and I love the Beatles). Despite having been in Philly the week before, the Brits among us (that is to say, Nessie and family) were still not quite used to US portion sizes and consequently had to split meals.
Soon after lunch we traversed to a theatre (Broadway, OMG) to see ‘How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying’…starring DANIEL RADCLIFFE (OMG!!!). Nessie doesn’t normally abuse punctuation so you can probably tell how exciting this was. XD Not only was seeing Daniel Radcliffe (only an inch taller than I, and I’m 5’4!) but the musical itself was absolutely brilliant, not to mention the fact it was a show ON BROADWAY. After the show (and an insanely long standing ovation for Dan) we trooped outside to wait with the crowds to see the actors emerge from the stage door. It took Dan ages to come out (and sadly we were on the wrong side of the street to get his autograph) but before he did other people came out, one of whom was carrying a box, prompting my Dad to cry ‘He’s in the box!’ to the amusement of fellow standers about (I personally thought he might have just dissapparated). Speaking of Dad, when he went in to pick up the tickets he’d automatically said ‘tickets for Daniel Radcliffe’ rather than the lengthy name of the show. According to him people clamoured at him, asking if he was a friend of the Potter star. Ah, British accents. Gotta love ‘em.
After the show we continued our wanderings, seeing Fifth Avenue and Central Park as well as a few other sites (there was actually a man playing guitar as we entered the park, reminding me of Lady Catherine’s encounter with Roger Davis). Fifth Avenue itself sparked off my Lady Catherine muse, what with Saks, Tiffany’s and all that jazz. I also bought some really cool pictures for my wall at boarding school next year – one of Times Sqaure and one that reads New York City but the letters are filled in with pictures of various sites such as Lady Liberty and others. (:
DAY TWO:
Today was what I like to call RC Site day. Before I discuss that, I just want to point out that, at the McDonald’s we stopped at for breakfast there was a series of models of important buildings in the city. On the Times Square model there was a poster for Lord of The Rings (with a certain Mister McKellen on it). No sign of Mister Molina anywhere. XD (Excuse this, Kay, but I found it amusing).
We took an open top bus tour of the city (which was hop on, hop off all day) enabling us to see sites such as Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street and others. We got off at the City Hall stop and I’m very glad we did…not only did I get some close up pictures of the place where Ricky used to reign supreme but I also discovered City Hall is enclosed within a park. Somehow I never realized that in all my time at RC. Unfortunately, this park means my pictures are obscured by trees a great deal. ): Ah well, the only way to get a truly decent shot would have been to sneak in the Authorized Personnel Only bit and there’s no way I was doing that (especially not with Hector in the top spot!)
We walked from City Hall to the World Trade Centre site and others, and as we did so I observed the buildings nearby. Strangely enough I could just see the late Edward Plantagenet nipping over the road to Dunkin’ Donuts (that’s the sort of thing I see him doing) and funnily enough there was also a pizza restaurant called ‘Little Italy Pizza’…coincidence? I think not, Mister (sorry, Mayor) Tormei.
After going from City Hall to see the World Trade Centre, the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park and a couple other places we hopped on the bus again to find lunch. Lunch came in the form of the famous Carnegie Deli – this meant insane portions of food, including a slice of cheesecake the six of us couldn’t finish! I think that indicates how crazy the portions were. =P
Having visited the Deli of Madness we traversed onwards (unfortunately the rain had started, leading to a rather soggy Nessie being unable to take pictures during the afternoon tour (though luckily no sites on her list were missed, trivial as this may sound). Bedraggled but pleased with the day’s touring we arrived back at the hotel to freshen up before going to see Phantom of the Opera which we had bought tickets for earlier in the day (my best friend and her mum went to see Chicago instead, having seen Phantom before or something). Needless to say, the show was absolutely amazing and I have new love for Leffie’s portrayal of the opera ghost.
Unfortunately I had no clue of Leffie’s wish for me to tell this particular Phantom actor how much she admired him, so having seen the show Nessie and family traversed back to the hotel once more, stopping at Times Square to get some photographs of it at night (it was, needless to say, crowded, hence the insanity of the pictures that followed).
DAY THREE (ISH):
I say ish as it was only half a day before we went our separate ways; Dad and my brother back to Philly for some father-son bonding, myself, mum, my best friend and her mum to New Haven then Boston. We started off the day at a deli to get bagels before hopping on the bus once more as we hoped to do the Brooklyn Tour (yes, I know, we haven’t seen Brooklyn yet. /mega fail).
Unfortunately we never did as it would take two hours and we hadn’t the time. Instead the group separated; my parents and brother went on the Staten Island ferry while myself, my best friend and her mum went on the subway (good grief, Mutilated Body Found On Subway Platform and all that) in search of the apartment building from the TV show ‘Friends’ (of which we are both fans). After getting somewhat lost in Greenwich Village (a surprisingly pleasant experience considering the temperature Nessie isn’t used to) eventually we found it and took lots of pictures.
Thereafter we nipped into Starbucks for a quick drink before getting back on the subway and heading back to the hotel. There we finalized packing, bundled into the car, and left the city that never sleeps. Well, the city may not, but I do. And on that note, I bid you goodnight.
xxx
Sites Nessie Saw (Among Others):
. City Hall (Need I explain this one? XD)
. Brooklyn Bridge (Dreams Can Become Reality - Ricky and Anne's first thread a married couple)
. Wall Street (The site of Chandler Enterprises)
. Fifth Avenue (Where one can usually find Lady Catherine de Bourgh)
. St. Paul's Cathedral (Harry and Richard first met here)
. Broadway (Where Richard and Claudius often go to take in a show)
. US Armed Forces Recruiting Station (That wasn't specifically on the list, but I figured Ricky would have gone to such a place before the Gulf War)
. The Museum of Modern Art (Where Hector hosted his election bash)
. The NYT HQ (Conveniently located in Times Square)
Other Random Pictures That Don't Really Fit In The Trip Report:
