BACK IN THE USSA

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BLOG NO 2 USA 2008

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC, - ARRIVAL JFK USA

WOA !!!! THE CONTRAST !!!
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LOVELY SLOW PACE, ROLLING COUNTRYSIDE AND THE WONDERFUL LACONIC HUMOUR OF THE BRITS??? --
WE NEEDED TO ADJUST REAL QUICK!! -WELL AT LEAST UNTIL WE HIT OUR NEXT DESTINATION.
MADE OUR WAY WITH ALL OUR “EXPANDABLE” LUGGAGE, (I’M SURE IT’S GROWN SINCE WE LEFT HOME ?------ BUT WE ONLY BOUGHT 10 PAIRS OF M&S UNDIES FOR OUR E?!) INTO THE SKY RAIL FOR A QUICK ACROSS AIRPORT TRIP, TO THE VAST SELECTON OF RENTAL CAR OFFERS. AFTER SOME PRICE COMPARISON’S WE SETTLED ON A DEAL, INCLUDING OUR EAST COAST VERSION OF “BARB”-THE NAV, TO HELP US FIND OUR WAY, JUST COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT HER!
FOUND OUR DODGE AND OFF WE WENT ON THE WRONG, OOPS RIGHT SIDE OF ROAD, HEADING ON TO THE INTERSTATE 278, AND THROUGH THE PENNSYLVANNIA TURNPIKE ONTO ROUTE 501, DOWN TO LANCASTER COUNTY. $16 LATER IN TOLLS! WE MADE IT INTO THE HEART OF THE DUTCH PENNSYLVANIA COUNTRY, TO CATCH OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE AMISH AND MENNONITE WAY OF LIFE AND FOR C ---- “TO DO THE QUILTS.” SUCH A LOVEL THING TO DO AT THIS STAGE OF ONE’S LIFE!
WE’D BOOKED FROM HOME OUR 2 NIGHT STAY IN A B&B IN THE HOME OF AN AMISH FAMILY,THE STOLSFUTZ’S WHICH TURNED OUT, TO BE IN A REBUILT BARN (I THINK THE BARN STAYS ARE GETTING TO BE OUR THING, THIS TRIP!) OUR ROOM, HAD BY FAR THE BEST BED WE HAD SLEPT IN SINCE WE LEFT HOME,- A KING, WITH OUR PREFERRED CUSHION TOP AND COVERED, WITH A BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE QUILT.
TWO GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP TO READJUST THE BODY CLOCKS WAS JUST WHAT WE BOTH NEEDED!! AND THAT BED WAS GOING TO BE A GREAT HELP !
SARA, OUR AMISH HOST MADE US SCRUMMY HOME MADE MUFFINS EACH DAY FOR BREAKFAST, NAUGHTY BUT NICE.
THE FIRST MORNING, WE TOOK A 2 HOUR TOUR WITH A MENNONITE LADY, LOIS, THE TOUR WAS TAKEN IN OUR CAR WITH LOIS SITTING IN THE BACK, SHE GAVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE CUSTOMS AND THE HISTORY, EXPLAINED THE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE AMISH AND MENNONITES, TOLD US ALL ABOUT THEIR CURRENT WAY OF LIFE, AND THAT THEIR NUMBERS ARE GROWING.
IT WAS FASCINATING !! HERE WE ARE 3 HOURS FROM NEW YORK ETC ETC, AND THERE IS THIS TOTALLY, OTHER WAY OF LIFE GOING ON THAT BEARS NO RESEMBLANCE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, LET ALONE AMERICA. THEIR LIFE IS ENTIRELY ABOUT THEIR LOVE OF FAMILY, THEIR LOVE OF GOD AND THE LOVE AND CARETAKING OF, THE BEST KEPT FARMLANDS WE HAVE EVER SEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, THEIR IMMACULATE HOMES AND PROPERTIES ARE RUN WITH NO ELECTICITY, SOME USE OF SOLAR AND OIL DRIVEN GENERATORS.
THEY STRIVE VERY HARD TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT AND ALL THE FAMILY WORK THE LAND, BY HAND OR WITH THE AID OF MULES. THEY GET AROUND EITHER ON SCOOTERS, BICYCLES OR HORSE DRAWN BUGGIES. THERE WERE MANY MAGICAL MOMENTS WE GOT TO SEE, AS YOU WOULD SPOT THE WHOLE FAMILY RIDING ALONG IN THE BUGGY. THE FAMILY SIZE, RANGES BETWEEN 8 AND 16 MEMBERS! (UNFORTUNATELY THEY DON’T TAKE KINDLY TO PHOTO’S.)
NO CONTRACEPTION AND ELECTRICITY !! CLOTHING IS ALL VERY PLAIN, HOMEMADE OF COURSE AND THE GIRLS AND WOMEN ALL WEAR BONNETS, NO MAKEUP. THE BOYS AND MEN WEAR STRAW BOATER STYLE HATS, BRACES TO HOLD UP THEIR TROU. ALL MARRIED MEN HAVE BEARDS,
THEY ARE VERY SHY, GENTLE PEOPLE, WHO JUST ALWAYS APPEARED TO BE BUSY GETTING ALL THEIR CHORES DONE. BUT NONETHELESS WOULD ALWAYS GIVE YOU A WAVE AND LITTLE SMILE, AS YOU PASSED BY.
THEIR LIFE IS SIMPLE, WITH MANY STORIES OF THEIR VERY STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
LOIS’S TOUR WAS SO INFORMATIVE AND SHE WOULD ANSWER ANY QUESTION ALONG THE WAY.

THEIR FOOTPRINT ON THIS EARTH IS WORTH US ALL TAKING NOTE OF.

THAT AFTERNOON WE SPENT IN ‘BIRD IN HAND’ AND ‘INTERCOURSE’ , C DOING THE QUILT MUSEUMS AND EXPLORING THE CREATIVE SIDE IN THE SHOPS ( THEY WERE FANTASTIC, FABRICS HALF THE PRICE OF AT HOME) AND E AT THE LIBRARY, DOING THINGS, THAT NEEDED DOING ON THE COMPUTER. (PENNIE, THOUGHT OF YOU SO MUCH, YOU WOULD HAVE LOVED THE MUSEUMS AND SHOPS)
THE QUILTS RANGED FROM $500 TO WELL OVER A $1000, MANY WERE ANTIQUE, WITH SUCH BEAUTIFUL WORKMANSHIP, LOTS IN PLAIN CLRS.
NEXT MORNING WE DID A MOVIE AT THE INFORMATION CENTRE, TO GAIN AN EVEN GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR WAY OF LIFE, WHICH WAS ALSO VERY INFORMATIVE.
AND THEN BEFORE HEADING OUT C SPENT AN HOUR AT THE FAMOUS LANCASTER OUTLETS (THANKS PAM, THEY WERE GREAT!) ONLY BOUGHT ½ DOZ TSHIRTS AND SOME SOX, BUT ALL SO CHEAP AND CHEERFUL!
SO PLEASED WE GOT TO SEE THIS UNIQUE LITTLE POCKET OF THE WORLD.
NOW IT’S TIME TO READUST AGAIN.
----3PM AND WE’RE OFF TO THE BIG APPLE !!!!!! SOOOO EXCITING!!--

HOW ABOUT OUR E, ABOUT TO DRIVE INTO NEW YORK WOOOOOA!!!?
THANK YOU LORD FOR MAKING HIM SUCH A GOOD, PATIENT AND CONFIDANT DRIVER, SO VERY, VERY,HELPFUL AT TIMES LIKE THESE --------

YOU SEE, --THIS VERY EXCITING LITTLE DRIVE THAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN, BASED ON GPS MILEAGE,-- LETS SEE ---? ABOUT 31/2 HOURS, MAX! BUT WE HAD NOT PLANNED FOR AMERICA HAVING ONE OF THEIR VERY FEW LONG WKDS AND TO ADD TO THAT WE HAD OMITTED ONE QUITE IMPORTANT LITTLE POSTCODE INTO BARB, SO SHE SENT US INTO 65TH EAST ST, BUT -------------- ALAS IT WAS INTO ONE OF THE DARKER SIDES OF BROOKLYN INSTEAD OF THE EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN!!!!!
IAN’S INSTRUCTIONS ---“CORRIE, JUST LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD,NO LOOKING AT ANYONE, OK?!” IT WAS HARD BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS PROBABLY A VERY GOOD IDEA!!
SO AT 11.30PM (71/2 HOURS LATER) WE HIT OUR 65TH EAST MANHATTAN B&B STYLE ACCOM, AND THEN IT WAS UP THE 5 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS ( WITH OUR EXPANDINGGGGGGGG LUGGAGE)----WELCOME TO FINDING CHEAPER ACCOM IN DOWNTOWN NEW YORK !!!

TAKES A LOT TO PHASE US, BUT BY NOW WE’RE STILL SORT OF TALKING? BUT JUST A LITTLE OVER IT ALL !!!!
AND THEN TO TOP IT OFF, WE WALKED INTO “THE GEORGORF ASTORIA” BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IS WITH A QUOTE FROM GEORG HIMSELF, ON OUR DEPARTURE “ IF YOU LIKED IT HERE PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS, IF YOU DIDN’T PLEASE TELL YOUR ENEMIES”, WE WON’T BE HANDING IT ON TO ANY OF YOU,----- OUR GOOD FRIENDS!

FOR US IT WAS OK, YOU SEE, WE ONLY SLEPT THERE.
WE WOULD HEAD OUT AS SOON AS WE COULD AND COME HOME AS LONG AS WE COULD STAY OUT, YOU COULD SAY IT WAS THE IDEAL ACCOM FOR A WEEK IN NEW YORK !?

IT WAS AN INEXPENSIVE EXPERIENCE, THAT WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
BUT IT MADE ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE TO OUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH NEW YORK!!!
WHAT WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER WHEN WE THINK OF OUR STAY IN NEW YORK, WILL BE ALL THE COLORFUL MELTING POT OF PEOPLE WE SAW AND MET (INCLUDING GEORG) AND THE EXCESSIVE ABUNDANCE OF ENERGY ALL OVER THE CITY, “THAT NEVER SLEEPS”.
AND WE WILL NEVER FORGET TO BRING OUR COMFY RUNNERS IF WE’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO COME BACK.

WE HAD A BALL, BUT TO DO IT WE WALKED AND WALKED AND WALKED, BUT THAT’S NEW YORK!!! AND IT’S WORTH EVERY STEP!

IN SUMMARY WE DID ALL THE HOT SPOTS, BUT WE RAN OUY OF TIME TO DO THE OTHERS, THERE’S JUST SOOOOO MUCH TO DO, IT’S JUST ONE OF THOSE VERY SPECIAL CITIES OF THE WORLD WE’RE SO LUCKY TO LIVE IN.

YOU WHO HAVEN’T BEEN NEED TO PLAN TO !!!

OUR HIGHLIGHTS WERE -----

CATCHING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND JUDE AT HER NEW HOME IN HARLEM AND MEETING, HER SWISS MATE GERHARD.
BASEBALL GAME AT THE YANKEE STADIUM (THEY ALL GOT UP AND SANG GOD BLESS AMERICA) YANKEES VS RED SOX 4-6.
RIDING THE METRO AND WALKING AND WALKING EVERYWHERE.
MORNING TEA AT THE WALDORF ASTORIA, LOOK IN AND USE THE LOO AT THE PLAZA, CAUSE WE COULD!
ST PATRICKS CATHEDRAL -WOW!
LUNCH AT SAKS 5TH AVE, BEST EVER SEAFOOD CHOWDER
4TH JULY FIREWORKS ON THE HUDSON RIVER DOWN IN ALPHABET CITY
STANDING AND SOAKING IN TIME SQ - IN DAYLIGHT
EMPIRE STATE, STATUE OF LIBERTY, GROUND ZERO, WALL ST
BROADWAY SHOW- PASSING STRANGE - BIT STRANGE
STANDING AND SOAKING UP TIME SQ AT NIGHT
DINNER AT TONY’S ON 43RD, OLD FAMILY ITALIAN !
CHATTING WITH JANET HOLMES A COURT AT THE METROPOLITAN
LUNCH AT THE FAMOUS KATZ DELI, WITH TERRY THE WAITRESS. WHERE SALLY MET HARRY----“E HAD WHAT C WAS HAVING “.
HORSE RIDE THROUGH CENTRAL PARK, SO ROMANTIC, 90F !!!!
2 DAY HOP ON OP OFF DBLE DECKER BUS TOUR, ONLY $49 VALUE !
DINNER IN SOHO AT BALTHAZAR IN SPRING ST.& LITTLE SHOPPING !
BROADWAY SHOW - IN THE HEIGHTS - SUPER, TODAY’S WESTSIDE STORY, HEY, STAR SPOTTING SUSAN SARANDON AND HUBBY AND THE KIDS, 2 ROWS IN FRONT, LOOKING GOOD, HIM TOO!!!
LAST FIX OF TIME SQ BY NIGHT !!! TAXI HOME TO GEORGORF !!!!


AND THAT WAS ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS !!!!!

SORRY JILL AND JOHN WE DIDN’T GET TO THE HARLEM GOSPEL SINGER AND ONLY MANAGED 4 HOURS AT THE MET, NO TIME FOR THE FRICK OR MOMA, WILL UST HAVE TO GO BACK !!! BUT THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE TIPS.

AND ONE DAY IN BETWEEN IT ALL WE DID SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL
GOT UP AT 4.AM AND DID A DAY TOUR TO THE MIGHTY NIAGARA FALLS !!!
HONEYMOON CAPITAL OF THE WORLD !
THANKS PAM FOR ALL YOR TIPS.
WE DID BOTH THE US AND CANADIAN SIDES PLUS THE EXHILERATING MAID OF THE MIDST BOAT CRUISE TO THE BASE OF THE FALLS, IN THIS BOAT YOU SWIRL AROUND IN THE EVER MOVING CURRENTS, WITH THE WATER CRASHING ALL AROUND YOU, AN INCREDIBLE FEELING!!! WE STOOD RIGHT UP FRONT ON THE BOW OF THE BOAT --- BECAUSE WE COULD !!!!!!IT WAS REALLY AMAZING !!!!
IT WAS SUCH A BREATHTAKING AND WET EXPERIENCE , WITH JUST SO MUCH ENERGY ALL AROUND US!!
10.4 BILLION LITRES OF WATER GOES OVER THE FALLS PER HOUR, NO WONDER WE GOT WET!!
AND THAT’S AFTER THAT SAME AMOUNT HAS ALREADY BEEN DIVERTED FOR POWER IN US AND CANADA.

THE WATER THAT FLOWS OVER THE FALLS COMES FROM FOUR OF THE FIVE GREAT LAKES, ERIE. HURON, MICHIGAN AND SUPERIOR AND THEN INTO NIAGARA RIVER, LAKE ONTARIO AND EVENTUALLY INTO THE ATLANTIC, THESE 5 LAKES ACCOUNT FOR 20% OF THE WORLDS WATER.

WE REALLY LOVED OUR DAY AT THE FALLS, THE SHEER MAGNITUDE AND THE POWER, COMBINED WITH THE BEAUTY OF THE WATER, MAKES ONE FEEL QUITE EMOTIONAL AND JUST EVEN MORE IN AWE OF NATURE !!!!


AS YOU CAN TELL OUR TRIP UP TO HERE HAS JUST BEEN, ONE AMAZING DAY AFTER THE OTHER, WE ARE BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES AND DOUBLY SO TO DO THEM TOGETHER.
WE DO FEEL BLESSED !!

FROM NEW YORK WE FLY WEST TO SAN FRANCISCO, HIRE A CAR AND DRIVE DOWN TO BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIA TO PICK UP OUR RV AND TRUCK. WILL BE A BIT TO DO TO GET OUR SELVES SET UP AND A LITTLE ADJUSTMENT, FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS OF OUR JOURNEY.
WILL BE IN TOUCH WHEN WE ARE CAMPING UP THE WEST COAST SOMEWHERE, ENROUTE TO VANCOUVER.

BYE FOR NOW, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR LATEST NEWS.
THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SENT EMAILS, WE LOVE TO HEAR HOW THINGS ARE BACK THERE.

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Comments

[Holger]

Having a ball....well several different balls!
Hi you two....seems that you are discovering, discovering and then enjoying! Life here in dull Derby is ...well dull and oh so wet! Biggest event was Sophs graduation day attended by me, Gaye and Gayes Mum Diz! We where all so proud on the day and the joined Kris and Delaney for celebration Dinner in Manchester......a day I only dreamed about when she was knee high....soooo got both graduated now and one can relax....I wonder! Continue to have the best of trips and take good care...ok!