Hitting the town

To help combat the jetlag and recover from our journey we had a fairly leisurely start to the day. We began by embarking across the Brooklyn Bridge - a truly wonderful experience and one I'd highly recommend to anyone visiting NYC.

From there we headed to Ground Zero. This was particularly odd for me as my last visit to Manhattan was pre-9/11. Somehow the footprint sized fountains seemed smaller than I imagined yet still incredibly haunting. Kate informed me that on every victim's birthday a white rose is placed on their name. Perversely the first two names we came across with this touching commemorative gesture were Jacqueline and Barbara - the names of our Mothers. If we weren't already feeling morose - we were now!

On to Battery Park and to the oft-mentioned Staten Island Ferry - NYCs FREE ferry ride which gives a fabulous view of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Meanwhile, I am humming Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack tunes as I think about our planned visit to the Empire State Building at night.

Once back in Battery Park, Kate happily let me indulge in a beautiful carousel ride - see pictures! Easily one of the magical highlights of the day. Needless to say we were not the only adults on it!

Having already walked over 10,000 steps it was time to hit the subway down to Central Park (near Bow Bridge) for a bit of exploring and dinner at Shake Shack. I smirked at the incomprehensible subway announcements as referenced in various film and TV shows. The heat by this point was a little too much to bear and the cold delicious milkshakes were much appreciated. We meandered slowly towards Fifth Avenue and Times Square. En route we stopped in McGee's- the Irish bar that supposedly inspired McLarens in sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Needless to say as with most film set inspirations - I was not overly impressed.

Times Square was typically busy. We explored the Hershey's store and Disney - what ever happened to Hershey 'Hugs'?! I'm not just imagining them am I? They did exist?

After the severe attack on the senses that Times Square brought us and the attack of jetlag and heat exhaustion we opted to hunt down Serendipity - a charming little cafe around the corner from 'BLOOMIES'. This was a film location which exceeded expectations and I thoroughly recommend it. The frozen hot chocolate (their speciality) was delicious and the decor and service very charming.

From there, it was time for home. Needless to say this took longer than hoped due to a couple of subway errors but thankfully friendly people along the way helped us to find our way back to our cosy Brooklyn pad.

Tomorrow I am going on a bit of a Norah Ephron pilgrimage and I can't wait. #ohmydreamsitsneverquiteasitseemsRead more