From the Italian connection to the beach

After 2 very well deserved lazy 2 days where we hardly got up off the couch and just “caught up”

We didn’t realise just how much we all needed this after the last 12 non stop days. 

With cooking, drinking, laughing and reminiscing from 13 years ago, the days passed quickly and gave us time to recover 

Saturday arrived and we all bundled into our cars and headed to Federal Hill. This is one of Jen’s special places and has lots of Italian shops, eateries and other cultural experiences. 

We looked around a bit, stopped for lunch at a pizza place, and looked around some more. 

There was ice still everywhere from the recent snow, which kept the kids entertained as we wandered the streets. 

The following day, Tracy and myself bundled into the car and went visiting the port of Providence whilst the kids stayed behind with Jen and Jay. We went for a walk through the town, then down the back streets to the waters edge where we were lucky enough to see an eagle devouring what looked to be a squirrel it had caught.  

There were some huge mansions along the waters edge, some of which looked like they had been converted into multiple dwellings, whilst others seemed to be still sole occupied residences. 

One of the strangest things we have discovered throughout America - and especially back in NY, is that there are NO public restrooms (toilets for us Aussies). It is the weirdest thing for so many people to not have access to basic amenities. Many of the cafes, Starbucks etc have them, but either can only be accessed by a code on your receipt after buying something, or have a security guard stopping you using them if you haven’t bought something from the store. 

This little seaside was no different, and despite pretending we were shopping in various stores, there was not a restroom to be found - not even at the fuel station where I did fill up the car. 

So we raced back home, did our business, had lunch with the kids, then went back out again to a local beach only 15-20 minutes up the road. 

It is kind of weird seeing a beach with great big areas of ice on the sand and rocks, however this simply gave the kids an extra bit of fun seeing as their boring parents wouldn’t let them go into the sea (something to do with the 2 degree air temperature, no towel or bathers and a bit of common sense).

 

We found some public toilets but this time they were locked. We later found out this is because during winter the water pipes freeze and burst and the patronage is low, so the council just locks them. 

To avoid any embarrassment, we chose to frequent one of the local cafes and buy ourselves a bag of donuts and use their amenities as part of the price. Worth every cent I say. 

This evening then became the night we all decorated our own stocking ready for Christmas morning. This was simply using a range of glitter glue in a bottle from the dollar shop and squeezing out whatever came to mind and was within our non-arty ability. This is far from any activity we would normally choose to do ourselves, however with the strong American influence from Jen, we found it to be a really fun time together as a family, albeit a little competitive between whose looked the best. Not sure how that argument started as mine was always going to win 😎. 

Goodbye Crazy life, hello relaxation

Our booked transportation to the rental car place was its own little nightmare - as with everything else here. 

We can’t take a taxi because we have 5 suitcases. 

We can’t take the subway because we value our lives. 

We can’t catch any other type of bus service because we don’t have 6 hours to spare. 

So we had to book an airport shuttle that is only allowed to pick us up from a hotel and deliver us to the airport. 

We packed our selves up and walked the 100m up the road to o a hotel and stood out front in 2 degree but sunny weather. This time the shuttle was a reasonable 20 minutes late, however it turned out we were also the first passengers ( it takes about 12-14 people.) This meant that we got a full sightseeing and traffic experience of New York as he negotiated the stupid traffic to pick up another 8 or so people. One family was actually 20 minutes late and caused him to get a parking ticket which he was rather annoyed at - as you would be. 

We finally got to the airport. Now we had to get onto the free monorail that will take us back away from the airport to the rental car location which is about 8km away. 

The whole saga was actually quite good in the end and worked out exactly as we needed it to. 

We were in our car and on the road by about 1pm. An hour later than we had hoped, but we got there. 

The drive was a bit chaotic for the first hour as we tried to get out of the city, and finally hit the freeway that was to get us to Rhode Island. 

The landscape very quickly changed to what I would describe as typical USA country charm, with snowy forests of leaf-less trees with houses dotted amongst them and every 10 miles or so a town could be seen just off the freeway. 

We got to Jen & Jays house just before 5pm in the dark. Still getting used to sunset being before 4:30pm here. 

After a very warm welcome, we were also greeted to our first real snow fall. 

It was as exciting for me as it was for the kids. This is the first time I have ever been in a snow fall. The minute amount we experienced in NY was still not classed as enough for me, so this was a unique and great experience. 

New York - World Trade Centre and Statue of Liberty

This morning greeted us with another wet NY miserable weather pattern. Wet, cold, windy and generally miserable. We took our lives into our own hands once again and found our way underground onto the Subway, heading down to the World Trade Center and the memorial for the Twin Towers. 

After lining up outside in the rain for 30 minutes, we eventually got our tickets and passed through security equivalent to passing through LAX Airport. 

The memorial and exhibits were fascinating and horrifying. The damage and coordinated attacks and how they were all pieced together was one of the more sombre things I have seen this holiday, yet was so intriguing in the same breath. 

No photos allowed inside, and being actually right next to the foundations of the original Twin Towers was kind of eerie, yet incredibly interesting 

We got out mid afternoon and headed a little bit further downtown to the ferry to Staten Island and Ellis Island. 

The rain was still coming down, the wind had picked up a bit and the overall weather was still pretty miserable. 

It didn’t deter us however and we still got on the boat and headed out to see the Statue of Liberty followed by the fascinating buildings on Ellis Island. Due to both the lateness and the weather, we chose to not get off the ferry , which was a handy decision considering it was the second to last one that we could catch to get back onto mainland. 

One more bravery award was redeemed when we got on the Subway for the last time to get home. 

Tonight was pizza night. We ordered enough to feed the whole of Cambodia, yet somehow, there was none left 30 minutes later. 

We leave tomorrow for a much more relaxed Rhode Island visit with our good American friend Jen and her partner Jay, along with Jen’s 2 adult children. 

We are all secretly looking forward to a much more relaxed few days in the build up to Christmas. 

New York - Bryant Park & Madame Tussaud’s

Dylan has been hanging out to go ice skating in NY, so this morning is his day. 

But first, breakfast in New York style. 

There was a little restaurant around the corner that had been recommended to us for their unique hosting style, so we were up early and at the Stardust Cafe at 7:15am. Only to join the queue of 20 other people waiting to get into the already full establishment. 

We waited for about a further 15 minutes and finally got our turn. 

At US$18-$22 per breakfast plus another US$6-$8 for a drink, it turned out to be the most expensive breakfast we have ever had!  

The big difference with this place is that the waiters / waitresses are all broadway wannabe’s and are continuously singing and dancing with a microphone as they walk around the tables serving meals. Was a very entertaining morning for everyone except my wallet. 

Our experience seeing Rockefeller rink yesterday and some suggestions from others saw us heading to Bryant Park instead for the ice skating today. This rink is actually 2-3 times bigger and seemingly populated by half the number of people. And free - except for the skate hire. 

The beaming smiles from all 3 kids told us that we had made the right decision in doing this, and it gave Tracy and I some time out in the sub zero temperatures to “chill” for a short time. 

They lasted about an hour and a half, and then we went for a long walk to visit the lower end of Manhattan in search of some Australian champagne to take to Rhode Island with us in a few days. 

Whilst on the walk across town, it actually started snowing a few times , albeit very lightly. Dylan’s inner 6 year old surfaced and it was amusing for us seeing him jumping around trying to catch the fluff in his open mouth. It was just as amusing watching New Yorkers walk around him without a second look as if he was not even there. 

Next stop was Madame Tussaud’s. Tracy and I had been there 16 years ago and felt it was such a unique experience that we just had to do it again with the kids. 

We finally escaped and could hardly stand on our aching feet anymore. We headed back to the sauna for some dinner and rest, before collapsing in readiness for another big day tomorrow. 

New York - Rockefeller, The Ride and Dumbo

The intent was to get to Rockefeller early today for Ice Skating for the kids. After sleeping in till 9 o’clock because I didn’t set the alarm, the definition of early had to be varied. 

And upon arriving at the centre, the line up of people allowed us to change plans and go up to the top of the building for the lookout instead. 

It still makes me shake my head at the organisation required (and the fees involved) simply to catch a lift to the top of a building and look out over this sprawling city, however I do admit it is well worth it. 

The wind picked up whilst we were up there and became completely unbearable, so we cut the viewing short and headed down town to our next experience which was called “The Ride”. This is a great big modified bus where you all sit sideways staring out at the buildings and footpath and spend the next 75 minutes being entertained by the two hosts and some not so random actors on the side walks. 

Apart from the very funny and entertaining hosts, it is so interesting seeing a person on the side of the street suddenly break out into dance and/or song on the footpath, all the time with the rest of New York walking past as if they weren’t even there. 

I am pretty sure that even Tyler smiled a couple of times during this tour. 

Our next step was possibly one of our bravest. We ventured down underground and caught the Subway to Brooklyn. We did manage to survive the trip and so far, believe we have not caught any unnamed incurable disease. 

We escaped out into the sunlight above and spent the next hour exploring the quaint little eateries dotted around the area known as Dumbo. 

We eventually settled on a burger joint and got ourselves a years worth of unhealthiness in one meal. 

By the time we had finished, it was dusk and our walk home began - which was the whole intent of this trip. 

We joined a few thousand other people and walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge, watching the city light up before our eyes. 

We took our lives into our own hands again and caught the Subway back up to 50th street. 

This gave us a 5 minute walk back to our steamer where we could finally sit back with our feet up and enjoy a quiet drink or two. 

New York - finding our way

Orientation of your surroundings is a key part of surviving in a place like The Big Apple. And despite spending the day walking at least 20km, I am still lost at every corner. 

It’s not like you can say “walk up to the Starbucks and head East”. That would mean you would be walking around the same block for the entire day as there is literally a Starbucks on EVERY corner. 

We started off leaving our Hells Kitchen apartment and cooled down on the way to Central Park. There was a local market on which took up the 1st hour of our morning, then we just started heading across town, down town, across town again, up town, mid town, then finally home. 

The buildings are amazing, the amount of people walking the streets is amazing, and the number of drivers ignoring the beeping horns from the car behind them was amazing. 

Deputes if being our first day, we braved the odds and ordered some street food. Which was absolutely delicious. 

I don’t care what food standards are not followed..... I would eat there again and again. 

We mixed in some shopping for the kids, a visit to Times Square and a general look at many of the fascinating buildings. 

When our poor feet could take no more, we headed back and collapsed again (after opening the windows again to let some icy weather cool down the roasting inside heat). 

More exploring tomorrow. More tired feet. 

New York New York

The time had come to get to the Big Smoke. 

We somehow managed to get the hire car dropped off at 6am after finding a local fuel station and driving into the wrong hire company and missing the turnoff and getting stuck behind a slow bus and........

Anyway, I managed to de-stress once we had got our bags checked in and passed through airport security with very minimal fuss. 

We were all actually impressed with the United Air flight and the screen entertainment. The kids classed it as “better than Qantas “. It was admittedly very comfortable and a nice big screen with 100+ movies to choose from. It certainly helped pass the 4 hours flight time. 

Getting off the plane, we were hit with typical winter NY weather. About 1 degree C and light showers. 

We had a shared Airport transfer bus booked so we headed to the waiting area and prepared for the 10 minute wait. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

40 minutes later we were advised that they would be here in 10 minutes, so we prepared for the 10 minute wait. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

40 minutes later and a barrage of complaints fro Tracy and the other people waiting, the bus arrived, completely oblivious to our frustrations and the apparent lateness of his arrival. 

We were now in the middle of peak hour traffic, so our 45 minute trip was set to become a 90 minute trip and get us to our unit in the pitch black. 

Thankfully we did get dropped off at our doorstep, however with the thin streets, too many people, drizzling weather, 4 suitcases and a lockbox with a key code that wasn’t working, our (ok - my) patience was wearing thin. 

Once we eventually got into our sauna, I mean slightly overheated single room unit, and found a resting spot for all our luggage, we all crashed onto the one couch and bed that was to be our accommodation for the next 5 days. 

We had to do our best to turn the heat off, but these stupid old fashioned boiler radiators only seem to be able to be turned down - not off. 

I am guessing we are the only New Yorkers who have two windows wide open when it is -3 degrees outside and 35 degrees inside to try and get it to an ambient temperature closer to 20 degrees.   

We have some huge days ahead with many miles of walking and some very early mornings - all in the name of of a holiday.