strawberry fields forever

After the craziness of Thursday I had to wonder what yesterday would bring, based on what I had seen through airport transfer bus Windows, on subway cars and at the game, all I had to look forward to were bustling crowds of people with no time for anyone outside their current life and high prices....back in London so soon??? 😝

I set out with not so high hopes, but having had a pep talk from Rach about why New York is amazing and a shortlist of things to do I was gonna give it a shot. Jumped on the E train into town and got out at port authority bus station where I had been dropped by the airport transfer the day before and went for a semi structured wander around. First impressions where essentially... London with taller buildings and more neon (I realise how cynical and grumpy I'm coming off here but stick with it, I untwist my knickers pretty soon). Made my way over to times square, as I posted on Facebook...don't get it, lots of adverts and....i hate to be the one to tell them...not even square.

I decided I would head north and find the park, maybe some trees and grass would sort me out.... Boy did it, wow, central park is amazing, if I decide I like nothing else in New York(which I think is massively unlikely), central park in the sunshine makes the whole trip worth while. I walked down past some old guys doing batting practice like they thought they still might get a try out for the Yankees, a young kid being taught to pitch like he might one day play for the Metz, an all welcome kickball game that was in the process of teaching some Japanese tourists the fundamentals, a couple of volleyball games with an atmosphere dead centre between top gun and family fun day out, horse and carriage rides through the park with chatty drivers and a ton of smiling faces and beautiful scenery....and just like that New York began to sell itself to me.

I spent most of the rest of the day in the park, with a brief exit to find some lunch (fish tacos and a couple of beers) and won't bore you with every minute of it but my highlights have to be sitting on a secluded bench next to the pond, alternating between reading and staring out over the water and the recommendation from Rach to go to strawberry fields... For those of you like me before yesterday, that have no idea what strawberry fields is, it's a small memorial garden for John Lennon on the edge of the park right next to the Dakota where he was assassinated. I ... Like pretty much everyone I've ever met... Love the Beatles and have specific memories from growing up triggered by some of their songs, so to wander round with their music playing in my ears and imagine coming on in between was actually quite emotional. All up, yesterday Google tells me I walked just shy of ten miles.

The evening was pretty chilled, met my airbnb host and she drove us out to a new park area in queens for a beer and one Hell of a view and after a quick stop off at the local market I decided to chill with a couple beers and some chips and cheese salsa and watch some tv... It was on the sofa drinking said beer and eating, and I kid you not, "maple bacon" flavour crisps (designed rather successfully to taste like bacon with maple syrup) and giggling to Jeff Foxworthy stand up, that I fell asleep.

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