Cruising, 'Friends' and friends

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Today's plan was fairly simple:

Circle Line Cruise = 1 hour

Empire State Building = 1-2 hours

Afternoon and dinner with Steve and Judy in the West Village

The plan went awry the minute we sat on the boat and were told the 1 hour cruise I thought I'd booked was actually a two and a half hour cruise. We soon arrived at Plan B and decided on postponing the ascent of the Empire State until later in the evening and get a night time view of the city instead.

So, the day started with a walk along 42nd Street and I can't tell you how impressed I am that the second she saw the sign for 42nd Street, Izzy's first reaction was to start singing a Bryan Adams song - I have taught her well! Finding seats on the open deck, we sat and scorched in the sun for half an hour before seeking shade at the bough for the remainder of the cruise - true Aussies we are! An hour and a half would have been long enough but the commentary guy (who looked remarkably like the old man from the movie 'Up') managed to keep us entertained with his witty and sarcastic narration.

With our change of plan, we managed a quick trip back to the hotel, via the New York Public Library (scene of one of my favourite books) before heading to the West Village to meet up with Steve and Judy, family friends who Bruce and I haven't seen since I was pregnant with Lily. It was great to catch up with them after so many years and visiting New York with true New Yorkers enhances the experience somewhat. We met outside the White Horse Tavern, a stomping ground for the literary community since the 1950s. Dylan Thomas was perhaps its most renowned patron famously drinking himself to death here after downing eighteen shots of whiskey. It was also a regular gathering place for the Beat writers, Ginsberg and Kerouac. A beautiful Italian bakery, Pasticceria Rocco provided our afternoon coffee fix and a sweet treat in the form of a mini Napoleon. (A type of vanilla slice with chocolate icing) It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up and we followed it with a short wander around the village ( a place I could spend days just meandering around). Steve, a fountain of knowledge on all things NY, took us along quaint little streets showing us the Cherry Lane Theatre - opening in 1924 this playhouse has featured plays by Fitzgerald, Eliot and Pinter along with a distinguished group of actors including Barbra Streisand, Tony Curtis and Kevin Bacon.

Our next stop was the famous apartment building at Grove and Bedford, a place our 'Friends' loving family was keen to see. Monica's apartment was a must see on our trip and my inner Monica felt right at home. A tiny, narrow Thai restaurant provided an excellent dinner - two courses and a drink for $15. The food was beautiful, although our stomachs haven't adjusted to American portions yet and we couldn't manage to eat it all! (I know that doesn't happen often!) Roasted Pork Butt was highly recommended by Steve and Judy and proved a big hit with Bruce and the girls. I chose sesame encrusted mushrooms which were delicious, followed by a crispy chicken and five seeds dish, full of crunchy nuts and kale. A few beers later and it was time to say goodbye and head off for the Empire State Building to view the Big Apple from a different perspective. We reached the top at sunset, along with a million other people all jostling for the best position. The observatory provided a spectacular view of the city lights and a loud cheer and clapping behind us indicated a proposal taking place. It was standing room only at the top so to get down on one knee would have been quite an achievement.

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