Start
spreading the news: I am leaving today. I want to be a part of it. New York,
New York. These vagabond shoes, they are longing to stray, right through the
very heart of it. New York, New York. I want to wake up in that city that never
sleeps, and find I'm king of the hill, top of the list, head of the heap, king
of the hill.
- Frank Sinatra
I woke to some awesome news – my mum messaged me to say that Australia has won the Ashes! I’m really hoping that I run into some English tourists in New York City so that I can rub it in! I remember how obnoxious they were after the last series, and how their press believed that we’d be the ones down 3-0 after three tests. Now, apparently, the British papers are turning against their players and Australia has the little urn. Yep, the world’s returned to it’s normal rotation.
Cricket seems world away from America –
literally and theoretically – where it’s all college football, pro football and
basketball at the moment. Oh, and Obamacare and weather. Barack’s opinion
rating is at an all-time low, according to the Washington Post this morning and
there’s another winter storm spooling up, before winter’s even really started.
The Weather Channel people are going crazy. People I know have said that this
December feels more like February, which is usually when the east coast is
assaulted by cold weather, snow and rain.
More bad news from Afghanistan: six
American servicemen were killed in a helicopter crash overnight, in the south
of that country. They’re all NATO troops, part of the transitional forces still
stationed there. Even after major conflict has ceased, men are still dying.
Having seen Arlington yesterday, it’s even sadder than it otherwise would have
been. That’s six more graves on the grassy slopes of the cemetery.
After a latish breakfast, we were going to
head down to the National Air and Space Museum, but didn’t get going quickly
enough to be able to look through the whole museum so we went down to the Post
Office Building, just across the street from the J. Edgar Hoover Building (the
FBI headquarters). It’s two elevators to the top, for the best views in
Washington D.C. whilst the Washington Monument is out of action.
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| Old Executive Office Building, White House, Treasury Building |
In the afternoon, we boarded an Amtrak
Northeast Regional train – 30 minutes late after an unspecified delay – for New
York City. Actually, we didn’t go quite that far, getting off at the station
stop for Newark-Liberty International Airport, where we’re staying to save a
little bit of cash. Why? Because New York City hotel rooms, across the board,
are some of the smallest in the country and they charge you like a wounded bull
for them, especially during this Christmas week.
We’ll catch a train from near out hotel
into Manhattan’s Penn Station. It’s a fair compromise, and we get a little more
room to stretch out. After nearly four weeks travelling, it’s possible that I
might kill Lauryn. Or is it the other way around? I know she’s reading. No, I’m
kidding. “LOL Jokes” as she’d say. I’m having the time of my life travelling
with her. I love being with someone who’s seeing everything for the first time.
I love New York City. There’s no place on
earth quite like it. I was pretty nervous the first time, but now I feel at
home, and coming back always puts a smile on my face. The views, the people,
the food, the shopping opportunities, and the history here makes it unique.
Where else in the world would a law be passed making it illegal for buildings
on Times Square to not put up giant
billboards and thousands of neon lights? New York City, baby.
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| Times Square |
After checking into our hotel, we headed
into the city. It’s a 45-minute trip from our hotel to Penn Station on Broadway
and 7th in Manhattan (just below the great Madison Square Garden)
and up through Times Square to Carnegie’s Deli, which a great and famous NYC
institution, a deli-café which has been frequented by hundreds of famous
people, everyone from presidents to sports stars and actors – Bill Clinton,
James Gandolfini, Michael Jordan, to name just one from each category – and
their photos, autographed and framed, as affixed to every single wall in the
restaurant. I’m sure they’re running out of space now.
The food is as good as the atmosphere. An old-school NYC deli, they’re not as big on vegetables (other than giant pickles) as they are on pastrami and corned beef sandwiches and delicious hamburgers. The size of the food at Carnegie’s has to be seen to be believed. I covered all bases, ploughing through a giant hamburger topped with corned beef, and an equally-big slice of apple strudel. The food is tremendous. I’m just gonna have to do some exercise when I get back.
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| Carnegie's Deli |
A big day tomorrow – Rangers hockey,
sightseeing and my first taste of ballet. Should be very…interesting!
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