We Made It!

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We left Brisbane airport 29th October very excited and in high spirits but after 13 hours to LA (and 4 movies), 5 hours in LAX and 4.5hrs from LAX to JFK NY we arrived tired and emoitional, but in true Culey fashion we manged to check into our hotel (the Marriott Marquis Times Square), stop and stare at our fantastic view for 5 minutes before heading out for a great steak and potatoes at Frankie and Johnnie's.

Today we recovered from jetlag and got up around 11:30am NYC time (we're 14 hours behind you Brisbane-ites) and after getting ready we left the hotel at 1pm to checkout our surroundings. We found a shopping centre down past Tribeca called Century 21 which is soooooooooo good - great brands and even better prices. I picked up a few Ben Sherman business shirts for Dan for $25 can you believe, the kids all got a new pair of DKNY jeans and I bought a (very large) Samsonite bag for the trip home. We shopped hard but time passed fast and before we new it Mum had bought half the store and I was WAY over it so we left at 6pm.

After all that shopping we decided to head to church.....................ok, ok, we went PAST the Church of Scientology NYC - same, same but different - before getting reading for our reservation at Becco (Lydia Bastianich's restaurant) which is a pumping Italian joint not far from the hotel. Becco did not disappoint, Mum loved her whole fish of the day which they filleted for her after presenting it at the table, my porchecha was lovely and Dad's osso bucco, well it was the highlight of dinner and the first meal in a very long time that beat my Dad!

After dinner we had got a cyclo thingie back to the hotel (Dad's idea and treat) which was great and then had a nice pinot noir at the bar before Dad piked it and went to bed and Mum and I headed out for a lap of Times Square, which included M&M World and more shopping (can you believe some of the shops are open until 1am???). I'm eating pastel pink and blue M&M's while typing this too!

So tomorrow we're off on the tour bus and maybe Madam Tassaude's before the big Halloween Parade. Monday might be the helicopter tour, Central Park and Top of the Rock, Tuesday is Famous Fat Dave's Food Tour and the Brooklyn Bridge and Wednesday Mum and I are off to Mary Poppins. Bring it on I say.

Until next time.... XXX

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