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North America 2017
  • Danielle and Co travels
  • Danielle and Co travels

North America 2017

A 29-day adventure by Danielle and Co travels Read more
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  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Empire State decked out in Xmas clours
    Bryant Park Christmas MarketDinner venueBryant Park Xmas MarketBubby'sIan at Bubby'sDanielle & Angus at Bubby'sTime SquareTime Square

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    November 24, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 7 °C

    We left gorgeous Washington this morning, and had a short flight to the Big Apple. I sat next to an interesting women. She is an interior designer, who only has a few clients and who has lived in Italy for the past 17 years and really hates everything Trump stands for, and she can’t believe he was elected and that he is still in office. She was extremely passionate and wishes she could move all her family to Italy - unfortunately, their work keeps them in DC. Our taxi ride into Midtown was uneventful, and didn’t take too long. We then settled into our apartment, which will be home for the next 8 days. We did a quick shop at our local Wholefoods grocery store, and had a quick look at the Christmas Market at Bryant Park. We even did a load of washing!

    We had reservations at Bubby’s restaurant in Chelsea for dinner, and decided the walk there and back would be good for us. It took us about an hour to get there, mainly due to all the crowds around Midtown - once we fought through the throng it was an easier walk. We had a lovely dinner. I had baked beef ribs with mash and broccoli, and the boys had southern fried chicken with carrots and mash or fries. There was a really nice ambiance at Bubby’s, and the service was excellent. We even shared a piece of their famous pie (sour cherry) which was yum. We then walked back to the hotel via Times Square. We were all a bit tuckered out from the travelling today. Tomorrow, we will possibly head over to Brooklyn.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Brooklyn Bridge
    Brooklyn BridgeSign on the BridgeGrimaldi Pizza - huge crowd waiting we will return mid weekMcNicol selfie with the Brooklyn BridgeManhattan BridgeManhattan SkylineDanielle on the Brooklyn Bridge

    Brooklyn Heights - a well kept secret

    November 25, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We decided on a slow start to the day, and finally left our digs around 11 am. We fought through the crowds of Time Square, where we entered the subway system to head Downtown. We decided to get a 7-day unlimited metro card, as it will be cheaper than individual tickets every time we decide to take the subway. We are becoming quite proficient at navigating around the place. As it is a Saturday the red line doesn’t travel to Brooklyn, so we got off near the Town Hall in lower Manhattan and made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge with thousands of other people. I think it was particularly busy as it is a ‘holiday’ weekend, but we are learning to push our way through and maintain our ground amongst the throng (and we still seem to be more polite and considerate than most).

    As we made our way across the bridge the crowds thinned out slightly, which made the walk more enjoyable. On the Brooklyn side we headed towards DUMBO, and made our way to the Manhattan Bridge and then walked along the shore of the East River towards and then under the Brooklyn Bridge. We then did a self-guide walking tour of Brooklyn Heights. What a beautiful area, the architecture is lovely and it is so peaceful and quiet compared to the craziness of Manhattan. If we ever had the chance to live in NY, I think I would opt for Brooklyn Heights as it is a quick subway ride across Manhattan.

    On our way back from Brooklyn we stopped at Union Square and Broadway to locate a shoe store Angus was interested in called Flight Club. We found the store and I was impressed with the sheer number of runners on display - it was pretty crazy in there. They had some special runners in a glass case - I think the most expensive I saw was US$9,750, and they weren’t even that nice in my opinion. Angus tried on a number of styles before he found ones he liked and were a comfortable fit, so we had a satisfied customer. A couple doors down from Flight Club was another store that was very much to Angus’s taste - Forbidden Planet - full of comics, Star Wars, Simpsons, Marvel etc paraphernalia. Again, I think Angus was a little overwhelmed by the sheer size and range of things.

    We then headed back onto the subway up to Grand Central Terminus (which also has a Xmas market that I will visit later this week). We did walk through their fresh food market which was amazing - so much choice - filled with fresh produce and a range of other food stuffs. We then made our way over to 6th Avenue to the Whole Foods Supermarket to pick a few things, so that we could have dinner in tonight - very relaxing and good for the budget!

    Tonight we had Provolone, Prosciutto & Peas ravioli with a Napoli sauce, salad and baguette, accompanied by a Californian red (which I thought was pretty ordinary). We had also picked up some delicious cookies from Ben’s Cookies - so we sampled them tonight with a cuppa - very nice.

    Tomorrow we plan to head to Chelsea.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler

    Brooklyn Heights Photos

    November 25, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    We really enjoyed this part of Brooklyn. We met some friendly locals over lunch who recommended a Pizza and Calzone Restaurant in Cobble Hill, which one of them had been going to since she was a kid. We will try to get there during the week. They also recommended an Italian place on 46th street, which is only a couple of blocks from our apartment. I haven’t put captions on these photos as they were all taken in Brooklyn Heights.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Times Square
    Times Square in the morningEmpire State on the way to the High LineParking lot in NYStreet ArtIan and Danielle on the High LinePart of the "Mutation Exhibition" it is supposed to represent a handMore from the "mutation" exhibitionAnother view of the Empire State BuildingAnother installation from the "mutation" exhibition

    We walked the line.

    November 26, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Sunday in New York - we will get some steps in today but in may be difficult to beat yesterday’s total of 22,272 (a personal best). Another beautiful day = sunshine and blue sky, not that we see that much of the sun with the shadows of these skyscrapers! As we headed out this morning on our way to the High Line, there was a brisk wind blowing and not much sun to warm us. We walked the High Line, a linear park built on a disused rail line, admiring the scenery and the sculpture exhibition by multiple artists titled "Mutations". Some pieces were easier than others to work out ... there were even a few with explanations that I still didn’t get! Not sure if that is a reflection on me or the “art”.

    After the High Line, we headed to Chelsea Market for a bit of a browse and then had some lunch. We went to the "Green Table" restaurant who believe that the best food is grown, raised and harvested within a day’s drive of the table. The food we had was delicious and fairly priced. As we were leaving the market, we ran into the Greens who are also here on holiday, which was a nice surprise. We will catch up with them for dinner on Monday night.

    We caught the subway back up to 42nd street, and had a bit of down time before we needed to head out again for our first show on Broadway. We got up to the August Wilson Theatre only to find it closed, and no "Ground Hog Day". Apparently it closed in September after opening in April to rave reviews. The lady in the box office was very nice and helpful, and advised me that Ticketmaster would have refunded the money. I checked when we got back to our apartment, and yes it was refunded in late August. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t send an email to advise us of this. Very disappointing - I have now got a ticket to "Waitress" on Tuesday night, and the boys elected for a night in, so everyone is happy.

    As we had a free couple of hours, we decided to walk up to Central Park and take it all in. We watched with amusement as a guy let his dog off the lead and he then (the dog) had a stand off with a squirrel - the dog came off second best, as those squirrels can move at lightening speed. It didn’t deter the dog from trying to creep up on the next squirrel or bird in its sights. We also saw people ice-skating, and we may give it a go at the Rockefeller Plaza ( I used to skate when I was young, hopefully I is like riding a bike and it will all co e back to me).

    We then walked back to our apartment down 5th Avenue past Tiffany's, but I couldn’t persuade Ian to buy me anything🙁. Some of the Christmas decorations are now up and they look fabulous. We have again broken the 20,000 step barrier, and so we rewarded ourselves with a cuppa and shared a brownie from the Fat Witch.

    Tonight we went to a local restaurant (next door to our apartment) called "Un, Deux, Trois", which was very nice.

    Another big day planned for tomorrow so a good nights rest is required.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Central Park
    Dakota BuildingThe boys with AbeAfrican Mammals Exhibit - our favouriteFoyer of Museum of Natural HistoryTitanosaurMuseum of Natural HistoryArmoured FishElephant SkeletonEaster Island Statue (Dum Dum)

    A Day at the Museum(s)

    November 27, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    Today we are again very fortunate to have good weather, so headed off about 9.30, up Central Park West past the famous Dakota Building - where John Lennon lived until his death (he was killed outside the building) - to our first stop, the American Museum of Natural History. Here we spent a couple of hours going through many of the exhibits, including the African mammals, Asian mammals, Dinosaurs, the Primate display, Birds of New York, Wildlife of NewYork, Pacific Island exhibition and American Indian Exhibit.

    We then headed across Central Park to the East Side. In the Park we passed the Delacorte Theatre (where Shakespeare in the Park is performed), Turtle Pond, the Great Lawn, a statue of Hamilton, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. With all the beautiful autumn leaves, the Park is just spectacular at the moment.

    Once across the Park, we then headed to the Guggenheim Museum where we saw an exhibit on "Art and China after 1989: Theatre of the World". It was a collection of paintings, experimental film and video, installation and performance art - not really my thing, but we gave it a go. We were also fortunate to see the Thannhauser Collection, which included paintings by Cezanne, Picasso, Kandinsky, Monet and more. We also saw the Brancusi collection of sculpture.

    After the Guggenheim we headed to the MET, located close by, and on the way saw some dog walkers that were walking between 8 and 10 dogs. We also met a local lady who was walking her 7 month old French Bulldog called Marlowe, who was very friendly but overwhelmed by the large groups of dogs being walked en masse.

    At the MET we saw the Michelangelo and David Hockney exhibits, as well as the 19th century painters such as Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Manet, Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Gaugin, Matisse and others. It is amazing to see so many wonderful paintings under one roof. We also saw a number of Rodin’s sculptures.

    After that we were a bit over museums and so we started the long walk (36 blocks) back to our apartment, via the Magnolia Bakery, for a well earned cup of tea!

    Tonight we had dinner with the Greens at Cafe Balthazar in SOHO. We had a lovely evening and, after a delicious dinner, we headed off to the Empire State Building to view the city at night. The city lights are great but it was extremely cold out on the observation deck on the 86th level. We said our good-byes to the Greens - who are leaving NY on Wednesday - but we will meet up with them again in San Francisco next Monday.

    We then walked the 10 blocks home past the Lord & Taylor Christmas Windows. We also recorded the highest step count of the holiday (so far) of 28,104steps, which equates to over 20 kilometres - no wonder we are all knackered.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Elephants
    Snowy OwlRhinocerosT-RexCapuchin Monkey (Dexter)American Indian ChiefGiraffeDinosaur Skeleton

    Photos from Museum of Natural History

    November 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    So many exhibits to see - we only covered about a third of them! The taxidermy was of an amazingly high standard. Much of the work was done, or overseen, by Carl Akeley. Frank Chapman, a director of the museum, sent teams of taxidermists and artists into the natural habitat to ensure the dioramas were a true reflection and in my opinion this has been achieved.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Exterior of the Guggenheim
    InteriorDomed CeilingBrancusi SculpturePicassoPicassoPicassoDegasCezanne still lifePicasso

    The Solomon Guggenheim Museum

    November 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    An interesting building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that was completed in 1959. It has a beautiful interior with a spiral structure which creates a unique space to present art. You walk up a main ramp with rooms to the side containing artistic treasures.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Michelangelo
    MichelangeloDavid HockneyDavid HockneyVan GoghDegasRenoirMonetDegasVan Gogh

    The MET

    November 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    We spent the afternoon at the MET - we saw the Michelangelo and David Hockney exhibits and then just hung out amongst the impressionists. I never tire of looking at a Degas, Van Gogh or Renoir. I have included my favourite paintings in this post.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Ground Zero
    Eataly1One of the delicious pizzas from Eataly

    9/11 Memorial and Museum

    November 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    We headed out this morning a little later than usual, as we had had a late night after dinner and the visit to the Empire State Building with the Greens. We headed off to the subway to catch the red line downtown. We spent a couple of hours at the 9/11 Museum, which is very tastefully done. It is a very moving experience, reliving the attacks on the Twin Towers and watching the aftermath, and then reading about the victims and their families. I found the "September 11, 2001 Historical Exhibition" excellent - it was well laid out with a range of media used to retell the story. Some of it brought me to tears. Following the museum, we went to the reflection pool and found a name with a white rose, indicating it would have been their birthday today (we also found a couple with a white rose last year when I visited with my sister).

    Next we went across to the "Eataly" restaurant, and shared a couple of pizzas between us. We then jumped back on the subway and headed over to the Taglialatella Galleries, to look at the Burton Morris exhibition - Painting Playboy - and also looked at art by Andy Warhol, Banksy, Mr Brainwash, Keith Haring and Basquiat. It was a private gallery, and we just walked around and took some snaps - the guy who looked like he was in charge was showing pieces to a wealthy couple, and we were left to our own devices!

    We then walked the ten blocks back to the apartment to get our step total up. Tonight I am off to see "Waitress" on my own, and the boys are having a quite night in.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    One World Tower
    Trump Bobble Head1NYPD TransportationCat asleep in a shop windowAmbulances were everywhere this afternoon and so noisey!

    More photos

    November 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    Some of the other photos we took today around New York.

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler

    Taglialatella Galleries, Chelsea, NY

    November 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    This afternoon we went to a private gallery that we had seen advertised on the High Line. In addition to an exhibit by Burton Morris - Painting Playboy - the gallery had work by Andy Warhol, Banksy, Mr Brainchild, and many others. The owner/manager was attending to some cashed up clientele, and so we were left to our own devices! Some interesting and iconic pieces on display.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Snuck a photo as Jason Mraz was exiting stageGreat seat - 3rd Row Centre, OrchestraDiner set

    Waitress

    November 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    I went to see "Waitress" last night on my own. I was so disappointed when "Groundhog Day" was a no go I consoled myself by going online and securing a seat to "Waitress". The boys were happy to sit this one out!

    It was a fabulous show, with great music and performances. I had a great seat in the Orchestra (3rd row, centre), and I sat next to a lovely young man from Aberdeen - Stewart McLeod - who is a singer, and was in NY to sing at a launch party for the whiskey company he works for. He also works at the convention centre as a sound engineer, and recently worked with l’il mix.

    Anyway, back to the show. The cast included Jason Mraz (who was wonderful), Betsy Wolfe as Jenna (who was phenomenal), and a wonderful supporting cast including John Callum, who I recognised from Northern Exposure where he played Hollingsworth Vincoeur, Eric Anderson, who also looked familiar - he has been in The Good Wife, Law & Order, Alias to name a few. Fabulous show - definitely worth seeing.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Little Black Dress - ChanelLame JumpsuitCalvin Klein Silk Slip DressElton's ShoesNike - Air JordanPaco Rabanne - Aluminium Dress

    MoMA, Top of the Rock and so much more!

    November 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Today is our last chance to use our NY City Pass, and so we plan to get to a number of things over the day. We started out by heading up to 53rd street, to be there when MOMA opened at 10.30. On the way we noticed barricades being put up along streets from about 48th street and along 5th & 6th Avenue, and a large number of police around - it turns out it was all for the "lighting of the tree" at Rockefeller Plaza.

    The MoMA has an amazing collection and also had some interesting exhibits. We started up on the top level and saw the exhibition "Is Fashion Modern?" This depicted a range of clothes from the little black dress, t-shirts, shoes, boots, head wear, sneakers, turtle neck skivvies, etc. It was very interesting. We also went through the level where all my favourite impressionists are displayed, including Cezanne, Matisse, Van Gogh (The Starry Night & Portrait of Joseph Roulin), Picasso, Monet, Marcel Duchamp and Giorgi Chirico. We then saw some of the more modern works by Jackson Pollock, Rene Magritte, Phillip Gaston, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Frank Stella and Roy Lichtenstein.

    We also saw an exhibit by Louise Bourgeoise "An Unfolding Portrait". Her work was interesting and at time confronting; she painted until she was well into her 90’s, even though her eyesight was deteriorating. The last exhibition we saw was by Max Ernst - Beyond Painting.

    When we finished our exploration of MoMA we decided to have lunch in their cafe. This was a good move, because it wasn’t crowded and the food was delicious. We all had toasted paninis. After lunch we headed to the Rockefeller Centre to go up to the Observation Deck. It has been a fairly mild and very sunny day, so it was a bit difficult to take shots that faced downtown (into the sun). I think I got a couple of good shots, but the rest have too much glare. Once we had spent enough time on top of the rock, we headed for the subway as we wanted to go downtown to catch the Staten Island Ferry (which is free), get a closer look at Lady Liberty, and also get some shots looking back towards Manhattan and the Financial District. We went past the famous Bull Statue on Wall Street on our way to catch the ferry.

    We got back to our apartment just after 5 pm and had a little downtime before we headed out for dinner at Sardi’s, followed by "Hello Dolly" starring Bette Midler, and also David Hyde Price (he played Nile Crane in Frasier). He was excellent, as was the entire cast, and we had great seats and thoroughly enjoyed the show.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler

    Dinner and a Show

    November 30, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Tonight we had dinner at Sardi’s, and then we went across to the Schubert Theatre to see Hello Dolly starring Bette Midler and David Hyde Pearce. A fab show with a great cast - loved it.

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Grand Central Main Concourse
    Christmas Market at Grand CentralBryant Park Christmas MarketsFabulous BurgersGreenwich VillageBeautiful townhouse in Greenwich VillageGreenwich VillageGreenwich Village

    2nd last day in NYC

    December 1, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    We slept in a bit this morning as we were out quite late last night seeing a show. We had a slow start, and after breakfast Angus and I checked out the Christmas Market at Grand Central Station, and then looked at about a quarter of the stalls and the Bryant Park Christmas Market. We got a couple of things, and then headed back to the apartment to collect Ian and head down to Greenwich Village to do a self guided tour.

    We had lunch today at "Five Guys", a bit of an up market burger joint - their food is really, really, really good! After satisfying our hunger, we headed to Commerce Street to begin the walk. As soon as we stepped off the subway at 13th Street we found the area less crowded and less manic, with a really nice vibe. At the end of Commerce Street is the Cherry Lane Theatre. It was established in 1924 and is the city’s longest continuously running off-Broadway establishment - currently playing is "Pride and Prejudice". We then headed into Bedford Street, and at the corner of Bedford and Groves Street is the apartment block used as the fictitious home of the cast of "Friends". There was no Central Perk Cafe - that was not based on anything real.

    We then headed along Bleecker Street and into Perry Street, stopping at number 66, the facade and steps which were used as Carrie Bradshaw’s home in "Sex in the City". We then headed along West 4th street until we reached Christopher Park where two white, life-sized statues of same-sex couples stand guard. Close by is the Stonewall Inn, made famous by a group of drag-queens who were fed up with the discrimination they had to deal with, so they rioted for their civil rights. This was in 1969, and started the gay revolution. We then passed by the Jefferson Market Library - the spire was once used as a fire lookout tower. It was also used as a courthouse for some time. We then walked past Cafe Wha? where a number of young musicians and comedians got heir start, including Bob Dylan and Richard Pryor. Our stroll ended at Washington Square Park, where dudes challenge you to a game of chess and students from NYU hang out.

    We then headed back up Broadway to the Flight Club to look at sneakers. After this we caught the subway home. We ate in tonight - steak and salad with a nice glass of red (for Ian and I).

    After dinner, around 7:20 pm, we headed out to Radio Music Hall as we wanted to ensure we were seated before the curtain went up at 8 pm. It was chaos at Radio City, with people everywhere. Once finally in, we had great seats, front row mezzanine level. The show was very good, and we all enjoyed it.

    We then headed up to the Rockefeller Centre to see the Christmas tree in all it’s glory - the tree is nice but nothing special, and the crowds aren’t great. So we headed onto 5th Avenue, where we lucked upon the Saks 5th Avenue christmas light (and sound) show, which was absolutely spectacular.

    We have decided to go back to Brooklyn tomorrow, and hopefully have Juliana’s Pizza for lunch, and then explore Williamsburg.    Read more

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