ANOTHER BIG BITE OF THE APPLE, NEW YORK

We have another very full day in New York City planned, starting in Central Park. A short walk from our new accommodation it’s quite beautiful to see such a large green area in the middle of this land of skyscrapers.  It has a varied design and we take it all in from one lake to another, discovering bridges and pathways through playing fields, play grounds and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and winding through the more intimate natural part of the park, our favorite.  People are walking, running, sitting, sleeping, riding bikes and sitting in carriages pulled by those poor horses.

We pop out of the park for a visit to FAO Schwarz Toy store, great fun, and then back to the park for our picnic lunch.  Time to move on so we jump on the subway and head for the High Line park.  This is a fantastic area on the Lower West Side that was once a train line.  The ‘park’ has been ingeniously reinvented.  It is a long line of elevated landscaping that has incorporated many spots to sit, relax and watch the world go by.  There are lounging seats all the way along in gorgeous modern but comfortable designs, easy on the eye and the body.  The train track is incorporated into the clever native plant landscaping including an infinity water feature. It is great to observe the streets below from this elevated position and also taking in the sculptures and murals along the way. Fabulous work NYC, one of our favourite things so far.

Dragging ourselves away from the peaceful environment we take to the streets again to walk to the Empire State Building.  We arrive about 5.40pm and skip the ticket buying queue to start our accent to the most amazing view.  We learn along the way all about the building from it’s first conception to the amazing 11 month building project that saw the completion of the tallest office building in the world.

We spend time taking in the day time view N, S, E and W and then find our spot on the rail to watch the sunset.  WOW.  We have chosen the perfect time to be here, a clear sky with just a few clouds to give a spectacular orange sun something to shine on.  It is one of the best sunsets I have ever experienced but that is not all we are waiting for.  As the skies turn black NYC slowly turns on a light show that is just gorgeous.  This is a slow process as each building flickers into life, spectacular, and just to top it all off it is a full moon hanging in the East skies, a huge yellow orb. It really couldn’t have been more perfect to take in the view from all directions again, Time Square from this angle is spectacular too.

From the ground this building is amazing, pointing out of the skyline, but it is not until you are up there that you can fully appreciate the height and sheer splendor of this structure.  Built in a time when occupational health and safety obviously didn’t have much influence, we see photos of men just hanging out of this steel structure without even a rope around them 1250 feet from the ground.  This was a building erected ahead of its time and a testament to mans ability to stretch the imagination to build something that has stood the test of time to still be awe inspiring today. It so tall that the curve of the Earth can be appreciated and you feel like you’re higher than anyone else in the city.

We have spent two and half hours up the top imprinting into our minds the gorgeous view of New York City.  Our trip back to our room is punctuated with a quick stop for a gourmet hamburger and another ride on the subway (the easiest we have yet had to navigate in any big city) and a stroll through the night streets where we feel perfectly safe, all the time reliving an amazing time in this amazing city.  We have loved every minute and have been helped by countless New Yorkers with their unmistakeable accent.  It is a city with a reputation to live up to and it delivers ten fold.

Our last day starts very late, waiting for the hotel hot water supply repair and still we all have to have cold showers.  Not everything is perfect but it all seems to add to the fun and the experience that is NY.  We take in a few more of the local shops, Marshalls and Barneys before lunch and supply top up at Zabars then we are on our way out of town in a shocking traffic jam.  We don’t get very far very fast and we are exhausted when we find a very nice hotel to just relax in.  It is luxurious, spacious and quiet, just right to recharge in, phew.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NEW YORK.

We are now in The Badlands and what an amazing part of the country this is!!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!!

Its another of those pinch me moments.  There we were in the good old town of New York City.  We settled into our Lower East Side flat for the first couple of nights.  Just standing on the streets is amazing, we are close to the Empire State building, wow.

Our first day is a quick trip downtown to take the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty, pinch me again.  Great day admiring this great lady from all angles and taking in the Lower Manhattan skyline, so well known around the world, and still just awe inspiring. After a lot of photos and and great audio tour around the island we set off back to the mainland and the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial.  Here we soak up the aura of what was the worst day in the lives of all in NY and possibly around the world.  The magnitude of this attack touches everyone and it is so poignant and invasive.

A conversation we have had with Kathy in the last few days comes to mind.  In all our travels we have learned of the wars raged against and between our fellow human beings.  We have wondered and thought that peace was the natural way of our race and why have we not managed to find it and learned the lessons taught by all this blood shed.   Could it be that conflict is our natural way and peace is the outcome only some of us want to achieve.  It has helped to look at this new perspective to try to understand the massive loss of lives we continue to wage against each other.  One day maybe we can achieve Peace? I surely hope so.

We walk on to the Brooklyn Bridge, another icon, all those nuts and bolts holding together a magnificent structure. The moon is out and almost full, another beautiful sight. We find the subway again and ride to Times Square where we emerge into the night, lit up as we could only imagine before.  Soaking up the experience of neon flashing advertisements the size of buildings, busking by various talented people (including an almost naked man with a guitar and a cowboy hat) and browsing through the toy shops the atmosphere is electric, pardon the pun. We sit and people watch for a while and enjoy our first real NY hot dog, yummy.  Our very full day is starting to pull us to bed so we wind our way back through the streets to Lexington and 37th for a well earned rest.

Our second full day of adventure begins.  We drop in to purchase our Empire State tickets to avoid queues later and decide a sunset ascent will be best.  Off we go to the Morgan Library and the NY Public Library, both are gorgeous in their own ways. We’re treated to a special surprise out the front of the NY Public Library, Amanda Seyfried is shooting Ted 2, very exciting!

It’s then time for a little retail therapy as we pop in to Century 21, a discount designer store.  Look at lots but only come out with a couple of gifts and head back to our apartment to move to our new hotel on the Upper West Side.  This sounds very simple but not all goes to plan.  I head off to pick up the car, having struck a deal with the parking complex the day before I arrive and the deal seems to have been forgotten. It costs me twice as much as agreed to collect Jetson, annoying to say the least.

It gets worse when I turn out of the car park on a one way street and find I am heading into a tunnel, can’t be good.  My dread level continues to rise as the tunnel is long and at the end is the usual toll barrier.  Now after having just forked out an excessive parking bill I am not going to pay another two tolls to get back to Manhattan.  I don’t even know where I am at this point!  I decide to pull up in the middle lane beside the witches hats (orange cones) and jump out of the car to get some help.  Mistake number two, a police woman advises me to get back onto my seat in no uncertain terms.  By chance another vehicle has stopped beside me going the other way so three police stride toward us both.  Once I am sitting back down again the woman returns to her post and the other 2 take one car each.  I beg my case in my most convincing Aussie accent and talk my way out of paying the toll. This includes the removal of the witches hats and the police holding up the traffic for me to do a ‘U’ turn back into the tunnel, phew. Thank you Mr Policeman for being so kind!

I am now back in Manhattan and manage to navigate back to the apartment to find the girls wondering where the hell I have gotten to. Mikayla’s wondering if I am lying shot somewhere, she is a little dramatic sometimes.  Luggage loaded we head off to our new ‘digs’.  Its a very old place but very clean and perfectly acceptable.  It is a long story why we had to move, all about a double booking, but I think it all worked out for the best.  We are now on the Upper West Side and love the atmosphere, and a bonus, free (and safe) parking. The weather forecast for the night is for rain so we put the Empire State Building on hold.

I take to the streets to see if I can spot any more stars and although there’s no more famous people I really love the vibe of this side of town.  I shop for some yummy supplies at the famous Zabars before returning to our apartment to dine and crash ready for more exciting adventure to come in New York.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NEW YORK.

PARIS TAKE TWO

Another day, and what would be our last for this trip, of exploring Paris on foot. Starting with visits to the Church of St-Sulpice and the Church of St-Germain Des Pres, both old churches that are in disrepair though there seems to be some restoration work going on. It seems The Notre Dame gets all the attention but these churches are worth a look too, especially if you read The Da Vinci Code first!

Moving on from here our walking took us through some yet unseen parts of town, to another large church whose name I can’t recall, past some modern street sculptures and water features and to the bazaar Center Pompidou, built with it’s insides outside. Touting the best view in Paris we can only assume they mean the art inside because what could be better than the Eiffel Tower? All a bit sick of art (gasp) we decided to give the inside a miss and took off again in search of somewhere nice to have a very late lunch.

We ended up finding a fantastic little crepe restaurant on Rue Jean du Bellay, Ile St-Louis, and had a scrumptious three course meal finished with delicious crepes, salted caramel for Mum, apple and cinnamon for Mikayla and chocolate and banana for me, yum! We would definitely recommend this place. We hadn’t anticipated desert and had planned to go to Bathillion for ice cream so we stuck to it, until we got there. Bathillion is famous for having 70 flavours of delicious ice cream, they lie, there were only ten, of the most boring, flavours on offer, very disappointing so we gave it a miss. We didn’t need it anyway!

A brisk walk back to Vincent in the rain, this time with our rain coats, and we decided it was time to move on. We were so proud of Mum as she navigated the traffic towards and along the Champs Elysees and around for one last look at the Arch de Triomphe, until next time.

From here we got stuck in a traffic jam for about three hours and spent the time discussing how annoying it is when people stare at us in Vincent like he has one way glass and we can’t see them and how everyone would get so much farther much quicker if the drivers weren’t so selfish. We were in a dark, gloomy place at that point in time!

When we eventually got out onto the open road we were much happier, as was Vincent’s gear box, and we ended up finding a cute little camping spot next to a play ground near Giverny, our next destination.

In the morning it was straight to Monet’s Garden where I went crazy with flower photos. So much variety of beautiful blooms it took me ten times longer to get around the garden than Mum and Mikayla who had to wait for me before entering the water garden via the underpass.

The immortalized water garden is just as beautiful as you would expect and we visited at the end of the optimal time of year. Row boats sit amongst lilies and willows at the edge of the pond and the quaint bridges are picture perfect, funny that!

Monet’s house is also brilliant and just as exciting as the gardens. My favourite part was Monet’s office/living room where he painted in the later years of his life and where the walls are literally covered with paintings on canvas. I loved the kitchen as well. You can also see Monet’s collection of work by other artists and the view from the second story is pretty special.

The town of Giverny is gorgeous too, with it’s cute little homes and sweet gardens, we would have liked to have spent more time relaxing here but alas it was time to move on. If you’re looking for a photogenic town this one makes the cut.

The next day was spent driving again, broken by a stop at Beauvais Cathedral that we spotted from the main road from miles off, it’s that tall. This cathedral is extraordinary in that the roof is so high, pretty much the height of the spire. Inside the ceilings are just as high, which makes room for double the stained glass windows and a tremendous effect. Unfortunately it seems the architect was a little too ambitious as parts of the floors as sinking and scaffolding holds up parts of the ceiling. There is also a grand astronomical clock here, one of the best and most detailed we’ve seen, so we definitely put Beauvais Cathedral on the must see list.

After a log drive we ended up camping near Arras ready to get stuck into what would be a week or so of World War I and II history again as we moved along through France and Belgium.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album PARIS (for photos of our previous visit) and BACK TO FRANCE (for this visit).

BACK TO FRANCE – REIMS AND INTO PARIS

N.B. As you may have noticed we are very behind on our posts. Too much traveling, not enough writing! The post we’re writing now are a progression through our last weeks in Europe though we are currently touring around England. Hopefully we will be up to date very soon but in the meantime our posts are flashbacks and we’ll let you know when we’re back to our current travel.

In Vincent some days are just driving days and lucky for us there’s usually something interesting to see along the way. The view is always changing and when it’s average we console ourselves that this is a means to an end. Though we didn’t have to this time as we were driving through the very pretty champagne region of France.

We love France for so many reasons, the food, baguettes, crepes, pate, the cute little towns that you drive through frequently, Paris, chateaus, and most of all the people, some of whom we’re lucky enough to call friends. We also love that Mikayla and I get free entry into most “tourist attractions” because we are citizens of the EU, lucky, and France is one of the only countries that do this.

We arrived in Reims in the early afternoon and went straight for the Cathedral here, the Cathedrale Notre Dame, the venue for Royal coronations when they were still being performed and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s been heavily restored since it was bombed during World War I. It’s very similar to the Notre Dame in Paris that I would recommend seeing instead.

We also spent some time at the museum next door where we learnt a bit more about the Royal coronations, got to see some crown jewels (not nearly as extravagant as expected), and had a giggle at the very feminine poses of the French Kings through the ages. Next was the Basilique St-Remi, another UNESCO World Heritage Site with an accompanying museum that contains an ancient relic collection to rival The Vatican.

The next day, on the way into Paris, we stopped at an English War Memorial and cemetery. These are always moving places and we were set to visit a lot more to come.

During our first visit to Paris earlier this year, new to wild camping, we stayed in a camping ground on the outskirts of the city. This time we went for it, driving straight into the city center, along The Seine and by the Eiffel tower before finding a suitable spot to park Vincent next to Cimetiere du Montparnasse, near the famous Le Catacombes. Quiet though pretty busy pedestrian wise we thought he’d be safe here to leave during the day and stay in at night, thankfully we were right!

Our first day in Paris we walked through Cimetiere du Montparnasse and attempted to see Le Catacombes but when we saw the line, stretching around the block, we decided we would try again another time. So, it was on to Paris’ Pantheon where we walked straight in with no queue to explore the expansive artworks on the inner walls and the sculptures surrounding them. The crypt here is also very interesting as it houses the tombs of famous historical figures, a few being Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Curie, among many others.

Usually extremely lucky with weather (I can say this because I am writing overlooking the Sound of Raasey from the Isle of Skye, Scotland and there isn’t a cloud in the perfect blue sky), we saw more rain visiting Paris in summer than we did in winter. Stuck with no raincoats we left the Pantheon, running between the shop fronts until the rain subsided.

Into the Jardin Du Luxembourg, deserted and drenched, we made our way through towards the Rodin Museum pausing briefly to admire the Palais Du Luxembourg. The garden is more like a big park with water features and large expanses of grass to picnic and play on. We would have spent more time here had we not been afraid of getting rained on again.

We arrived at the Rodin Museum and had to wait in our first line of the day. Though we didn’t wait very long we decided that visiting the sites in Paris is much better in Winter when there are no lines.

We started in the lovely gardens while the rain was holding off and were greeted with The (famous) Thinker, contemplating away, before moving on to see more sculptures like The Kiss, Balzac and The Burghers of Calais. Inside the museum shows a collection of finished works as well as drafts of the famous sculptures in various sizes and materials. As you walk around you notice that the subjects in the sculptures are tortured beings, reason being they are all included in “miniature” on Rodin’s Gates of Hell. After visiting the Rodin Museum we loved spotting the sculptures out on the streets around Paris too.

To finish the day we walked to the foot of the Eiffel Tower, seriously considering going up again, before realizing we probably wouldn’t see that much through the fog anyway. Strolling back in the direction of Vincent through the Parc de Champ de Mars we couldn’t help but stop and look back frequently, Paris and The Eiffel Tower really are special parts of the world.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album PARIS (for photos of our previous visit) and BACK TO FRANCE (for this visit).