Last day in my new favourite city

Thursday morning we awoke early with a mission! We were going to get a Cronut!

So as we dressed I looked out and saw that since it was already raining it wouldn't make any difference if I wear grey as it is already wet out there. Oh wow was I wrong.....

Subway down to Canal Street we walked up to the bakery. I had read a little bit about the Cronut craze and knew that people lined up early for the bakeries opening at 8am. We got there at 8am and saw this.....





And around the corner, this....





So we joined the line and slowly made it around the corner. People chatted and passerbys stopped to ask what was going on, "lining up for pastries of course!".

As people came out of the bakery they had wide smiles and held there bags of goodies close to their chest. As we neared the front we saw a couple with a couple of boxes. They were going up and down the line stating they had an extra box and did anyone want it. Yep, they were Cronut scalpers!

After waiting for an hour in the line, a bakery employee came out to inform us that we wouldn't be getting any Cronuts..... They were sold out! (Sorry mum)

So off to the Carnegie Deli again for breakfast and to plot the rest of the day.

Mum was still interested in going to MOMA and as I had a desire to head up to the Top of the Rock on top of they Rockerfeller Center, we went our separate ways and agreed to meet at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station.

The trip to the observation deck was uneventful and although wet, the view from the top across the city was spectacular.








The trip down to the bottom took a little longer and I got stuck behind a bus tour of seniors who seemed to talk more than walk however I eventually got back downstairs.

My next stop was to buy tickets for one last show on Broadway. I had decided that we would round out the trip with The Book of Mormon and 9 time Tony Award winning production cowritten by the creators of South Park.

Now remember how I said that wearing Grey would be ok since it was already raining? Well, seems I just made it worse. The rain was pelting down, the streets of New York were flooding slightly and the rain was actually bouncing back up. Somehow under and umbrella I got soaked through. The umbrella turned inside out at one point and I cursed myself for wearing grey.

After grabbing the tickets I walked back to Grand Central to meet up with Mum for lunch. Then as I was feeling a tad cold by then we headed back home to rest up before the show. And rest I did. Seriously I think we need a nap room at work.

Before the show we went to a place on 49th Street, Oceana, and what a find it was. It was a bar/restaurant and we just wanted a drink and bar snacks before the show and it definitely fit the bill.

I don't think mum had any particular expectations about the show however by the end of the second number she turned to me and said that already it was Number 1 in her book.

This completely politically incorrect show was fun and colourful with great song and dance numbers and a stellar cast (one of whom I saw in Spring Awakening on Broadway 6 years ago). We laughed the whole way through and it was the perfect way to end our Broadway experience.

We headed back to Oceana and the wonderful waitress simply asked "want the same again?" and brought us our drinks. It really is a great place and only in America could a dessert menu include a cookie plate.....





So that wraps up our last night in New York. We head home tomorrow and I will admit I'm a little sad. These two weeks with mum have been fantastic and have loved spending time with her discovering this city.

The blog isn't finished quite yet, I will be back to give an overall wrap up however I've got to go and pack now.

Signing off.......

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Blitzes, squirrels and museums

One of the main reasons for coming to New York was the museums. Mum had been to a couple of them however we hadn't as yet been to The Met.

Another item on our bucket list was breakfast at a New York deli. So off we went aiming for one of two, the Stage Door Deli and Carnegie Deli. The Stage Door Deli on Seventh was one that dad and I went to 6 years ago where the waitress figured I wanted potatoes and there was no telling her otherwise. However we soon found out it has closed/relocated. So Carnegie Deli it was.

Sitting surrounded by photos of celebrities, we ordered our big American breakfast. For those who don't know about the Carnegie Deli, they take big to a new level. So as you can imagine we didn't finish our breakfast (although the waitress was insisting we eat up or take it with us).

We got out of there without a doggy bag and set off on the 30 block walk up to the Met. Instead of walking up 5th avenue we decided to take the scenic route through Central Park.

Central Park was alive with colour and sound as family, kids, runners, cyclists and people in horse drawn carriages enjoyed the awesome weather.

As we were crossing one road, we found out that the local squirrels seem to understand the road rules when one started to cross however suddenly went back to the sidewalk to wait for a proper break in the traffic. Squirrels were everywhere and definitely friendly. I filmed one that came so close I was convinced it was going to start to climb up me!





At The Met we plotted our time there and tried to work out the map. We had a few exhibitions we wanted to see and decided to start at the top and move down. For those who have been to The Met you will understand, those who haven't....... Take a compass, water and a packed lunch just in case you get lost! The Met is a maze of rooms over 3 floors and it is very possible to get caught turning one way and coming out the other.

After seeing the red Carpet at the Metropolitan Costume Ball, I was interested in the Punk to Couture display and the clothing was incredible. Not a lot I would wear however I definitely appreciated it.

We found the Civil War displays and a few modern art exhibitions (after a few wrong turns).

After the Met we went to eat at the Boathouse however no luck. There was at least an hour wait. So it was time to go home and my usual afternoon nap (wonder if work will allow me to continue that habit when I get back....)

The play for the night was chosen before we started the trip on a recommendation from Neil and Pat, and it actually won Best Play at this year's Tony Awards. It was also one that mum had some difficulty in getting the name right. So we were off to see..

Sonya and Tonia and Chuck and Spike
Vanya and Tonia and Truss and Sonya
Vanya and Sonya and Marsha and Ted

No wait....

Vanya and Sonya and Marsha and Spike!

This comedy starred David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver and 4 of the actors were nominated for Tony Awards. It was a great show and definitely deserved the accolades.

Home time with the knowledge that we only really have one full day left......

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Is it possible to have a walk in New York without rain?

One thing in particular that Mum wanted to do while we were here was walk around the area known as SoHo.

The area is just south of the apartment so we set off down Greenwich Street without a cloud in the sky (I wasn't wearing grey today). As we were walking along we saw a couple of paintings on the side of a building that some how we just hadn't seen before.









There were two particular things that mum wanted to see in this area. A six storey high mural by Richard Haas on Greene Street. It was an incredible mural where a plain wall has been artistically painted to look like a lot of windows. We found it fairly easily however it was disappointing to see some graffiti on it.





Our next stop was the Singer Building, I particular it was the architecture and facade that Mum was particularly interested in. As we neared it, it became obvious that the curse of Clare had hit once again. Oops sorry Mum





We continued through the district which now houses a lot of designer stores and boutiques. I recalled that the bakery which was the home of Cronuts (a hybrid croissant/donut) so we went on the hunt for these little pastries. Finding the bakery was easy however there wasn't a Cronut in evidence.

Being lunch time it was time to tick something else off my New York eating list..... A New York Slice. And yep that's exactly how you order it, you simply ask for "a slice". And what you get is a small piece of pizza.......





As it was likely to be the last fine day before the storms rolled in again, we continued walking east and headed up the Bowery back north. We popped back into Strand Books (Mum reads a lot and quickly!), back to the Pop Pub and then home.

Tonight's entertainment was Newsies which one a couple of Tony Awards last year. I chose Newsies because I know that Mum is nota huge fan of musicals however does enjoy dance. Newsies won Best Choreography so I figured we were on a winner. And...... It was a hit. Great production and a lot of fun.

Wow, we leave in just a few days. This time is going fast......

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I found a sure fire method to ensure rain.....

Mum was heading off to Connecticut for the day so I was being left to my own devices. Mum left early, I fell back asleep only to be woke by sirens. Oh the joys.

So I got dressed and took my News Anchor hair and set off. Got downstairs looked out and......

Let's try this again.... So I got dressed, took my News Anchor hair AND grabbed an umbrella and set off.

First stop 50th street subway. Now I should explain, one thing I had not done to date was eat vendor food of any description so today was a "vendor food day". All food to be consumed was to be purchased from vendors. And before anyone points out that vendor food is perhaps not the best.... Museums are closed on Mondays and therefore Mondays must also be calorie free days. Makes sense to me.

So get off at 50th street and walk into the nearest Starbucks (ok it's not a vendor but come on, it's Starbucks!) As I was trying to work out how to order my triple shot grande latte with 2% milk, no whip and a shot of sugar free vanilla (I so could have done that a la Meg Ryan), I look up and the heavens smiled upon me. Right there on the board was "Skinny Vanilla Latte". Seriously did they know I was coming?

Next stop, pretzel vendor. The rain started getting heavier as I balanced my coffee and pretzel. I wandered to my desired breakfast spot....




After eating about a quarter of the pretzel, geez they are salty,

I continued up Fifth Avenue towards my next destination. I actually took a little detour and scooted over to Madison Avenue for a look around and stumbled across the Carlyle Hotel where one of the post Tony Awards parties were held however no celeb sightings. I headed back to Fifth and continued north towards 89th street.

Flashback 6 years......

I'm not a huge fan when it comes to museums. I mean I appreciate what I appreciate however I don't usually seek out museums. However the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum called to me for one reason and one reason alone, the building. An iconic structure I wanted to stand in front of its grandeur and when dad and I made the trip up Fifth Avenue that faithful day 6 years ago, I held my breath as we neared and saw this.....





NOOOOOOOOooooooooo........

So as I neared this time, I took a deep breath while trying to main some semblance of dryness is the increasing horrible weather. And......





Yay!

I decided to venture into Central Park and somehow came out the other side (seriously no idea how that happened) so I wandered up and down so,e of the streets of the West Side and then decided to wander back.

Outside the natural history museum I decided to grab the next course in my vendor food day, a New York hotdog





Ok let's keep going, got a long way to go. See my plan for the day was to walk back from 90th street to the apartment, approximately 80 blocks or 4 miles. I knew it would be easy however the weather seemed to have another plan. The rain started come in sideways and can as shoes and an ill timed step in a puddle meant that I was wet, the shoes were wet and new blisters were forming quickly.

So walking along streets like these ......




I made my way to the 59th Street subway and on my way home.

Now you'll recall I said I still had my News Anchor hair from the Tonys? Well um.....





That was with an umbrella! And that top, not that dark a grey when I started.

I finally got home, peel my socks off and wrung them out, had a hot shower and then a nap before mum got home.

For dinner, we scooted off to Charlemagne on the corner and then turned in for the night.

Tune in next time (and I promise to update soon), to find out what cronuts, pizza, scaffolding and newspaper boys all have in common....


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It's Tonys Day....... Need I say more?

We have now been in New York for a week and it is finally Tonys Day!
Our morning was spent in a very exciting way...... we did laundry. Yay for us! (No no really. That's a good thing)

We decided to eat in for lunch, seriously the sushi from D'Agostinos is pretty good. While we were there, I was was wandering around separate from mum and suddenly she came screaming up the aisle telling me to follow her as she had just seen an actress. I played it cool while we went back down the aisles scoping it out and when I'll played it cool just glancing around, Mum kind of poked me and whispered "there she is!" as Anna Kendrick walked by.

Couple of things:
1. Mum could not recall the name of the actress even though it closely resembles her mother's name, and
2. We will really need to teach her to play it cool when around celebrities or otherwise I'm going to be black and blue by the end of the Tonys.

Ok enough embarrassing mum stories.

Then it was time for our pamper afternoon. We were going to a salon just 2 blocks up that I found and booked online. Had absolutely no idea what to expect. We were shuttled into separate rooms and it started.

I had washed my hair to rid it of the city grime and it was still wet whenI got there. W discussed possibly a half up do and she started to dry my hair. She kept remarking that I had a lot of hair (Mel, my hair dresser would understand that statement as usually I have 2 people drying my hair). At one point she stated that I had about 3 times the amount of hair than the average person.

She then proceeded to put my hair in huge rollers before setting about doing my make up. I could hear mum chatting away in the other room. After the lady completed my makeup which was understated and really good, she started to take out the rollers and the decision was made right there and then to simply leave it out as, in her words, I had "news anchor" hair. Hair was just sitting right and looked great.

After mum finished up with her manicure and makeup, we headed back to the apartment to get ready and head to Radio City Music Hall.

As we neared the venue we could see the barricades and large police presence. The taxi dropped us off and we headed up to Del Frisco's (almost becoming regulars now) for a bite to eat before entering the venue.

I had never been inside the Radio City Music Hall and I was a little excited. Most of the people at the event had certainly taken the Black Tie requirement to heart with a lot of suits and beautiful dresses. The line moved quickly and before long we were in our seats in the second mezzanine. I guess the view was ok:




Just before the show started I popped out to grab a drink and the wonderful lady at the bar asked me for ID. For an almost 40 year old, I wanted to kiss her!

The Tony Awards ceremony was fantastic. Couple of comments:
* Neil Patrick Harris should host every awards ceremony around the world. He could make a career of just doing that.
* Opening number was electric
* being broadcast live there were ad breaks and as we came back we were told when to applaud (no cheesy "applause" sign just a voice over guy who seemed to like to keep himself entertained)
* do not wear an elaborately beaded dress if you intend to applaud a lot...... That hurts after a while
* saw plenty of celebrities but managed to escape relatively unscathed

After the ceremony and fighting through the crowds we headed towards our luxury transportation for the return home .... the subway.

We walked Jane Lynch to her SUV. Ok perhaps it was just a coincidence that we were walking in the same direction. Although she did smile at me, however have a feeling the it was a "please don't be a crazed fan" smile more than anything.

So that is the Tonys experience. It has cemented in me the desire to see more and more productions, plays and musicals and has also confirmed that I am a theatre geek.

Tune in for the next instalment to see what long walks and me wearing grey results in and also, the Guggenheim - did the scaffolding curse strike again.

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High Line and the High Life

After being lulled to sleep by the dulcet tones of a freaking loud storm, I awoke to...... blue skies and sun. Yes weather forecasters around the world are equally able to stuff it up royally.

After another lazy morning we headed off towards the High Line which is an old elevated train line that looked like it was going to be scrapped however has been turned into an elevated park and walk way above the city running parallel to 10th Avenue. The view all round was great and would be a great place to take a coffee and book (seems to be a few of those around here. Not bad for a "concrete jungle")

We the continued up towards Times Square as we had a matinee booked. As we were ahead of time we decided to grabbed a bite to eat. A bar called The Flying Puck caught my eye. I'd love to say it's because I like hockey.....

After lunch we continued up to W45th for today's entertainment, the Divine Miss M in I'll eat you last. It was a one woman show with Bette Midler on stage for an hour and a half. I had a women next to be who would have been 60+ wolf whistling and a guy behind mum who was laughing.....no braying.... at everything!

So 5 shows down and back to the apartment -we are subway queens now huzzah! I updated my blog thanks to some gentle prodding from people back home and then after a quick bid we walked the 2 blocks to tonight's play.

Mum liked the idea to going to a show in a local theatre and Reasons to be Happy fit the bill. The play starred Jenna Fischer, Josh Hamilton, Leslie Bibb and Fred Weller and I'll admit I didn't have high expectations for an Off Off Broadway show however I really liked it.

So here I sit, with a blog actually up to date in a New York Loft apartment, kinda liking this.

Show count - 6
Kilometres walked - 47 (Mum - 41)




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A little bit of rain won't hurt

Friday started off being a dreary kind of day and progressively got worse. We had made the decision to keep the day fairly quiet. We had no shows booked and so lazed around reading etc (ok ok I could have been updating my blog but, oh you know).

Lunchtime came around and we scooted off downstairs to D'agostinos to grab some sushi and salad and a couple of other things we needed.

After sustenance the Speedy Gonzales of reading aka my mum, had finished her books and to stop her cleaning, or worse making me clean I found the nearest Barnes & Noble was just a few blocks over. So armed with our umbrellas we went out, down the increasingly more familiar streets with the rain coming down and the wind picking up.

We got to the corner of W8th and 6th Ave to be faced with a closed Barnes & Noble. As I was started to think up suitable excuses as to why cleaning the oven is not a good idea, mum asked a passerby if they knew of a y bookstores. They point to a bookstore just 12 blocks away (12 blocks is nothing) and we set off again.

We walked through Washington Square park (I will be returning with coffee in one hand and book in the other before we leave) and up Broadway to E12th Street to the biggest bookstore I've ever seen. And when I say big, The Strand boasts 18 miles of books (that's 29 kms for metric people). That's a LOT of books.

As we entered I gave mum my watch and we agreed to meet back in 30 minutes, kinda figured it would be easy to get lost in this 4 storey store with shelves from floor to ceiling. Mum was in a little slice of heaven.

With gathered our purchases and braced ourselves for the weather and walk back. We turned down University Place in the New York University district and went into a little bar called the Pop Pub and had a small bite to eat (mini burgers to be exact).

Next stop was home and we were lucky. While sitting here mum received a Flash Flood Alert and we looked outside and then at each other quizzically. Um, it's not that bad out there. We turned on the news channel and we watched 12 minutes of storm coverage where they warned of puddling on the road. Puddling on the road?!?! That's a flood?

So we decided to stay inside anyway however hunger soon took over and we decided to scoot back downstairs to pick stuff up at D'Agostinos. Get downstairs and the rain was kind of coming in sidewards now. That's not good. It was pelting down and the wind was fiercely blowing. Turned around and decided it was cereal for dinner.

The reason for this weather was Tropical Storm Andrea that was skirting the coast and causing a little bit of havoc. Flash flood warnings were in pace until Saturday afternoon and the strong winds were buffeting the windows and making them creak and groan. Perhaps it was a little fierce out there.

We did head out during a lull to grab food and by the time we were heading back, we were drenched in the 50 metres we had to go.

Safe back in the apartment we plotted the next day and went to bed.

So that's it, we are already 5 days down and the Tonys are just a couple of days away.

Stay tuned ......


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Randomness of New York

Mum had been asked to bring along a gift for a friend's daughter, so Thursday morning we lazed around apartment In the morning (sans hangover) and it was worth the wait. Jacinta gave us the names of a couple of local places that she said worth really good.

We then headed off to have a wander down Christopher Street (think Oxford Street and I don't mean the fashion...). After hitting Bleeker Street we doubled back to find Buvette one of the places mentioned by Jacinta.

Now for those who don't know me the idea of a plate of prosciutto and not much else is my idea of heaven. Make that a plate of prosciutto AND Virginia Ham, I'm done! Mum had a Salade Nicoise and all the food in this cute little eatery was fantastic.

After lunch we wandered back up Bleeker Street (becoming regulars now) and headed back towards Hudson and then home.

As we were walking along minding our own business we saw yet another cyclist, there are a lot here including the recent introduction of 6000 rent a bikes. I did a double take as I realised that it was actually Phillip Seymour Hoffman casually riding his bike,turning into the street in front of us.

In unrelated news - the last time I saw mum she was running down the road chasing some guy on a bike.....

We had, or I should say I had, decided what shows we were going to and when so Thursday afternoon we headed back up to Broadway to purchase all the tickets.

One thing I had to date failed to do in New York was tackle the subway. Well let me tell you....... It's exactly the same as Sydney Rail. There's a line that goes from 3 blocks up right to Times Square, too easy.

So we went around, grabbed the tickets then...... Waited around for 3 hours we were a tad too efficient in our planning.

This evening's show was chosen for a very is simple reason. It would be the fourth stage version of this production I have seen. 4 cities and 3 countries. Yes ladies and gentleman we were off to Mamma Mia. I saw the first production 12 years ago in Melbourne, the second a year later in Sydney, third seven years ago in London and now is was New York's turn to wow me. And wow me..... It did 't. Usually with an all musical dancing production I kinda like to have people who can act, sing and dance..... Fair bit of that missing in this. So after searching far and wide, the Australian productions are still the best.

Back to the subway we headed and back to the apartment we went.

We are definitely settling into this New York life.

However can someone please tell me what of earth I'm supposed to do with all these pennies!





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Twenty blocks is a mile.....

Wednesday dawned bright, as did the hangover.

It's funny when I have hangovers when travelling, I don't like to just not do things or stop others doing things so I grit my teeth and get on with the day. I'll admit I'm not usually talkative or necessarily a pleasant person during this time however I'm at least out and about. (I must have done a fairly good job of covering it up though because mum didn't become aware of it until last night hehe).

Today was another walking day and we headed off down Greenwich street towards the financial district and Battery Park. The original intent was to visit the 9/11 tribute centre and Memorial however we decided the lines were too long and headed off to the South Street Seaport to grab the Water Taxi.

The water taxi was a great way to get back up Manhattan island with the added bonus of getting us as close as we could to the Statue of Liberty. The Lady is currently closed, as is Ellis Island, due to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.

By this stage I knew the only thing that was going to help my hangover was a greasy burger and the only thing really not helping was the choppy water we were currently on. After docking at the 44 St pier next to the Intrepid Museum, we made our way 5 blocks in and 6 blocks up back to the Del Frisco's Grille where my hangover was finally abated.

Here mum and I went separate ways. Mum went to the Frick and Whitney museums (have to be so careful when saying that as it has a tendency to come out as "Frick'n Whitney"), while I headed back to Broadway in the hopes of getting a ticket to Annie.

I am a self confessed Gleek and the thought of Sue Sylvester as Miss Hannifanfeally appealed to me. Also helped that Australia's own, Anthony Warlow, was Daddy Warbucks. As can be imagined, being a matinee there were a LOT of kids (thank god the hangover was gone!). The show was awesome and had great energy.

After the show I walked the 37 blocks back to the apartment to find put how mum's afternoon had been. When I got to the apartment I found mum with her feet elevated. Her ankles had swollen due to a slight injury before our travels and the large amount of walking we had done in a relatively short time frame.

However she did enjoy the museums and I'll let her recount her experience here. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Lynn Vernon to the blog *applause*.....

"The Whitney and the Frick have been on my list for years and did not disappoint. At the Whitney - they had a Hopper exhibition (one of my favourites) -14 notable paintings exhibited alongside the drawings and studies used in the development of the paintings - extraordinary access to his process. They also had the latest a Hockney video installation (another favourite).

The Frick is mind blowing - the collection comprises an amazing number of Old Master paintings and European sculpture and decorative arts all in a huge old Gilded Age mansion - itself a special tranquil and elegant space in which to view the art. The current special exhibition is of drawings by all the important Impressionists- interestingly the we several studies for some of the paintings we saw recently at the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition in Canberra.

.........together they were almost to much in to little time.....will probably go back again"

Ok I've wrestled the ipad back off mum, geez. Now back to me (because it is all about me!)

After a quick rest it was back up to Broadway for the next play and my 3rd Broadway show in 24 hours. We hadn't eaten so after grabbing a cab we went into a little place on the corner of 8th and W44th. We told them we wanted a quick bite and the waiter definitely looked after us.

After our snack we headed out and met with a sight I didn't like, a line a mile long...... Thank god it was for Phantom of the Opera not for Lucky Guy which we were heading to see in the theatre next door.

I booked Lucky Guy because it starred Tom Hanks and I had no idea what the play was about.

Not only did Hanks shine in this final work by Nora Ephron, a dramatised recounting of the career of journalist Mike McAlary, the cast included such greats as Maura Tierney, Christopher McDonald, Peter Gerety, Courtney B Vance, Peter Scolari and the list goes on. I can see why the play has received 6 Tony nominations.

While waiting for the play to start I was undertaking own of my favourite pastimes, people watching. My eyes fell upon an attractive man and I was thinking he looked familiar however shook it off and who on earth would I know in New York. My eyes then fell upon the equally attractive man he was with and I turned to mum, slapped her arm perhaps and little hard and whispered "That's Neil Patrick Harris!". The gentleman I had first seen was of course his fiancé David Burtka. Wow I was just a few rows back.

What I loved was the fact that there they were simple audience members being treated no differently to anyone else. That's New York for you. At the end of the play they were the first to their feet to give the cast a well deserved standing ovation.

We headed home (getting pretty good at finding taxis even in the heart of Broadway) and started to plan the next 5 shows we are going to see.

Well that's it all caught up. I apologise that the blogs are getting lengthy however we are starting to fit a lot into each day.

Til next time.......


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Surprises all around

The apartment we have is a loft apartment and I'm staying in the loft bedroom. Early Tuesday morning I heard mum gently calling up asking if I was ready to get up. I may have groaned a little before rolling over and calling down "Sure".

I came downstairs and started making the coffee as mum explained that she thought I would want to get up because it was almost 9am. I stopped what I was doing, looked up, looked her square in the eye and said..... "Um mum, it's 6:55am".

As her phone was still on Australian time she had seen what was almost 9pm and took that from 9am.... Oops.

We have worked out that little opens much before 10 so our mornings are developing into relaxed affairs. Today we were on a mission, to find my outfit for the Tonys on Sunday.

Now for those who have know Mum and I long enough would understand that the prospect of a shopping trip that involves Mum and I is a scary scary event. (Not only for each other but also for all those around).

After the mega walk on Monday and a little bit (read: a LOT) of aches and pains we grabbed a taxi up to Macy's. We headed right to the dresses, took a deep breath and plunged in.

Then a couple of things happened......

1. We found 2 dresses to try on within 2 minutes (that NEVER happens)
2. The first dress looked like it was a winner (um have we slipped into an alternate universe)

As I couldn't believe it could be that easy, I wandered around having a look at what else was there and after choosing a couple more we settled on one.

Now we have a slight problem..... That took us about 4 hours less than we had planned, now what?

We made our way up to Radio City Music Hall to pick up the tickets for Sunday's event and then wandered over to find lunch. We settled upon Del Frisco's Grille nestled in Rockerfeller Plaza (review to follow).

We also happened across another store, Anthropologie, and amazingly had another successful shopping experience.

I had decided that I was going to go to the matinee of Newsies so mum walked back with me to W41st. As we neared the theatre there was a weird high pitched hum in the air, we turned the corner and saw a line of children that snaked around half the block all heading into...... Newsies.

So with heads down we surged past the theatre and grabbed a taxi for home.

A little later that after, after making my feet presentable with fresh nail polish we headed back to Macy's to try on shoes. Um, this can't be happening, first pair of shoes are perfect!

We were off to see the first Broadway production for this trip, a re-imagining of Macbeth starring Alan Cumming. I was a little unsure of this as Macbeth was not exactly Mum's favourite, it was essentially a one man show and the main character was a patient in a mental institute.

So...............it was brilliant! Alan Cumming easily transitioned between the characters though small changes in posture and voice. The whole production was extremely well done.

(Mum and I however struggled a little as the 2 double drinks that we had at Hard Rock Cafe were making us a little sleepy).

Home time, a couple more drinks and bed time. Day two is done and dusted.

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The restaurant on the corner (a restaurant review)

When we were walking back to the apartment after our epic walk yesterday Mum noticed a restaurant on the corner that she decided we should try some time, so try it we did.

Upon walking into the restaurant I was impressed by the cozy feel. Seated quickly we were provided with a menu that was elegant and tickled our taste buds.

Although they don't serve "hard liquor", the wine list was extensive and we chose an Oregon Cabernet Franc.

The wait staff were very friendly and well versed in both the wine list and the menu. We ordered Halibut for Mum and aged rib eye for me accompanied by beets (which mum ate all of), broccolini with almonds and of course shoestring fries.

While enjoying a delicious meal we had a great chat and really started to settle into the New York life.

At the end of our meal, although our lovely waiter tried to convince us we declined dessert and headed off with every intention of coming back (although I have a feeling Mum will simply order a plateful of the beets).

Food - 4/5
Service - 5/5
Atmosphere - 4.5/5
Price - $$$


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Location:679 Greenwich Street, New York

Day one and the day's not done

Awake at 4:30am (dang it, no one will ever believe I'm not a morning person again). Thankfully the lovely owners of this apartment had the foresight to provide a coffee makers and ground coffee so had my morning coffee so I was at least a little bit human.

Mum and I stuck around until 7am before we wondered down the street. We decided to head across to 5th Avenue then head up towards Central Park. So down Barrow Street we wandered and down the rain came. Perfect day to wear a light grey shirt. Top half turned a lot darker very quickly.

As dodged raindrops (fairly unsuccessfully) we decided we had gone too far to head back and we were wet anyway. We continued up 5th Ave passing an array of stores and getting wetter (and more dark grey) at every step.

We ducked into AT&T so I could organise a SIM card for my phone to communicate we mum on the days we went our separate ways (ever need a SIM card in New York pop in and see Justin at the 590 5th store). Including helping us out with the SIM card, he suggested a breakfast place posited Grand Central station and after looking at the state I was in gently suggested a place around the corner where we could get a couple of umbrellas.

After purchasing umbrellas and checking out the breakfast place we continued our walk up 5th Avenue. We popped into Saks Fifth Avenue to see if we could find a dress for the Tonys however nothing jumped out. (However we still have a couple of days to look :) ).

I did however find a couple of tshirts for myself at both H&M and Gap. After a successful shopping trip to Bergdorf Goodman for Mum we hit the south end of Central Park.

It was at this time that simultaneously we decided to head back and our feet and legs started to complain a little. Heading over to 7th Avenue we started our wander back and it was during this that we passed through Times Square for the first time this trip. I didn't linger though, the magic just isn't there during the day.

So now after traversing 5th and 7th avenues we are back at the apartment just chilling until we decide what to do tonight.

I think a leisurely 12 km walk isn't too bad a start to the trip....... but ask me again later when I put my feet back on the floor.


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A surprise gem (a restaurant review)

After we settled in on our first night in New York, we decided to wander around and find something to eat before we collapsed into bed after our travels.

We set out on foot down Barrow Street and headed across Hudson Street towards Bleeker Street. We started to see various eateries nestled in amongst clothes boutiques. Walking north up Bleeker Street we got to the Magnolia Bakery and headed back towards Hudson Street.

As we hit the corner of Hudson and W 11th Sts, we heard the hum of the city, quite literally. There was a gentle thrumming that reverberated around us.

We turned the corner and a restaurant caught our eye and this is how we came across Frankies 570.

Frankies 570 is a traditional and authentic restaurant that provides fast and friendly service. It's range covers sandwiches, pastas and sharing plates including a great antipasto plate that I chose for my meal. Mum chose the pasta special of spaghetti, jalapeños and rock shrimp dressed with olive oil.

They brought out thick slices of bread with an olive oil that mum said was great. I settled in expecting a little bit of a wait and the next thing the food was on the table.

The food was great and the fast service meant we were on our way out the door quickly. I have a feeling that Frankies 570 will become our go to local eatery.

Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3/5 (a tad noisy and dark)
Price: $$

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Location:570 Hudson Street, Greenwich Village

New York here we are

The powers that be tried to tempt TC out of seclusion. Leaving Sydney we were delayed by the weather and knowing that there was a small window of error with our connect time in LA, I could feel the bubbling occurring however pushed her down.

As we were coming in for landing it became evident that not only did we have 50 minutes to get to the next flight but we also had to clear passport control, customs, recheck the luggage and go through security. Yep definitely the perfect setting for a little bit of tension and lost control. Add in the woman standing in front of me who had bugged me for the entire flight.

While waiting at security we chatted to a guy who was on our flight from Sydney and he spoke about his multi leg return trip which will end in..... Albury. Yep, I travel to LA to meet someone from Albury.

The good news..... We got to the gate just as the flight was boarding. Not today TC.

Now we are happily ensconced in our apartment in West Village after wandering the streets and having a quick bite to eat. (Check out my review in the next post).

Tomorrow our NYC adventure truly starts!

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And away we go.....

Virtually anyone can tell you that I'm certainly not a morning person. The hours between 4am and 6am have usually only been seen by me at the end of a very long night (or during infrequent bouts of exercise insanity). So the prospect of a 6am wake up to get to the airport to start this journey was fairly daunting.

So...... I awake at ..... 4:30am?!?!

After an hour and a half of lying there checking Facebook, twitter and Tumblr (that is one scary place!) my alarm went off and I bounced out of bed. (Seriously I am NOT a morning person).

After getting ready and heading off to the airport in my dad taxi, mum and I met up and started the checkin and that's also when "Travel Clare" started to make her appearance.

Perhaps I should introduce you....

TC is a.... hmmmm how do I put this, oh that's right, she can be a real bitch. On travel days she tends to raise her ugly head and god forbid anyone who gets in her way. She gets tense, stressed and lacks a fair bit of patience. Mum hadn't met TC yet however dad and I have prepared her for the day.

However it looks like she has matured a little and apart from a couple of gritted teeth she behaved.

Mum and I are now sitting 30000ft above sea level on our way to our chick trip. In about 17 hours we land. Just hoping TC behaves ;)





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Location:30000 ft above sea level