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Published: August 7th 2007
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Howdy folks,
First up, a little note about the blog site. It has been down for a few days due to some kind of server-crash-jiggery-pokery. Bad news is that we lost 35 blogs. I could have cried. Thankfully (due to the magic of internet) I have since found 31 of them and I'm currently looking for the other 4. I'll let you know when I find them and restore them all.
Anyway, you don't want to be bored with all that nonsense - you just want your 2 minutes of mild amusement to break up the working day.
We're in The Big Apple taking it easy and relaxing. It's our final stop (boo hoo) on our trip as we head home on Friday. I can't believe it has all gone so quick. New York is great. A lovely place. Although it's big, it's easy to get round and there is loads to do here. As we've got 8 days here we've been taking it very easy and having lie ins, breaking up the sightseeing with beer and shopping (mine & Mrs Deane's favourites) and generally slowing our frenetic travelling pace right down.
We had left LA early
and spent the whole day travelling (plus jumping forward 3 hours) so by the time we were settled in our gaff in the Upper West Side (just off Broadway) we were shattered. We managed a quick saunter out and got some Italian for tea before hitting the sack with plans for the next day.
You must remember that Mrs Deane is in charge of the New York itenerary so it should come as no surprise that the first couple days went a little like this:
Shopping
Went and saw Wall Street and the financial district with the stock exchange and all the posh financial bods scurrying about.
Shopping
Went to ground zero. Very poignant but also very hectic with all the building work going on.
Beer time. Took a break at the historic Fraunces Tavern which was very nice.
Shopping
Battery Park to check on Statue of Liberty details. We're booked in for Tuesday.
Beer time. In the evening we were at O'Connells which is our local on the next street up. Very nice little place that does jugs of beer for $8.
Sleep
Sightseeing down 6th & 5th
including the Rockerfeller Centre which is very posh but too expensive to have a trip up to the top. We'll save that for the Empire State.
Shopping
Beer Time. The Heartland Brewery on 34th is an excellent beer stop. Only serves their own beers which are decidedly tasty.
Rain. Movie rain style. ran to subway
Home to get changed for theatre....
I should point out that there was probably more shopping in there but we managed to pick up shoes, jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, etc, etc so we're already to hit the stylish streets of Mancunia.
Now, Mrs Deane had long ago booked our theatre tickets so we were off to Broadway. We went all dressed up, comfortably the poshest I've looked in many a day. I even had my new work shoes giving me blisters. We had dinner first near the theatre. I had an enormous rack of ribs and Mrs Deane had the healthy fish option. We were off to see Les Mis. It was a cracking show with really good seats only 10 rows back. The cast were great and the show flew by. Very enjoyable.
As the curtain came down
and the applause died down we could hear a rumble. We wandered towards the exit and heard more rumbles and claps and cracks. A storm. We stood near the entrance as we watched a deluge with a river forming in the street and drowned rats scurrying everywhere. Thankfully it let up after about 20 minutes and gave us a chance to get home.
Our third day in New York was taking in the ambience of the village. We headed down to Greenwich, strolled Washington Square, had sushi for lunch, visited a flea market, wandered the tree lined streets and took a little time to wander past the Friends building. We concluded that a jobbing actor, up and coming chef, financial bod, masseuse, paleontologist and a cafe waitress would never have been able to afford their gaffs here. Very unrealistic. We then visited the Hudson River Park area and had an ice cream on one of the many green spaces. Well, they would be green if they weren't entirely covered in toned, tanned hunks all wearing flourescent budgie smugglers trying to catch their piece of sun. Also seemed to be a lot of flexing and in line skating going on.
After all that tiring stuff we settled down in a little cafe for some beer and a rest plus a little people watching and a quiet evening.
Sunday was our rest day. Probably our fourth rest day actually. We were up late and just headed to a deli for some picnic items before hitting central park for the day. Really nice and relaxing. The sun was out, it wasn't quite as hot as the previous days and it was great. We strolled the lawns, looked out over the water and the skyscrapers in the distance. We stopped to watcha few games of baseball and even took in a couple of sights. The Guggenheim was brilliant inside, a real work of art. I'm sure the outside would be great too if it wasn't covered in scaffolding. We also went and saw the John Lennon 'Imagine' memorial and the Dakota building where he lived. A lovely relaxed day.
In the evening we went and watched The Simpsons Movie. It was good but nothing more than a long normal episode. The spider pig stole the show. Spider Pig, spider pig, does whatever a spider pig can... I need to get
myself a spider pig.
That's us up to date for the moment. Make sure you enjoy the final blog or so as there aren't many left. And then you'll have to fill that five minute gap in your day with something useful.
Dave & Mrs Deane
Beer 180: Dundee's Honey Brown, USA, Draught, 4.5%, 7.5, Both Mrs Deane and I liked it so a double thumbs up
Beer 181: Yuengling Lager, USA, Draught, 4.9%, 6.0, not bad but with a funny aftertaste
Beer 182: Heartland Brewery Indian River Light, USA, Draught, 4.0%, 8.5, excellent beer with a delicious orange kick
Beer 183: Heartland Brewery Red Rooster Ale, USA, Draught, 5.5%, 7.5, nice, nice
Beer 184: Brooklyn Lager, USA, Draught, 5.2%, 7.0, a pretty good people watching, sunny afternoon type drink
Beer 185: Samuel Adams Summer Ale, USA, Draught, 5.2%, 8.0, Summer ale good
Beer 186: Bengal Tiger IPA, USA, Draught, ?%, 7.5, I didn't believe it was a Yank beer either but it was nice
Beer 187: Brooklyn Weiss, USA, Draught, 5.0%, 8.0, Nicer than it's lager cousin
Beer 188: Black Dog Ale, USA, Bottle, 5.2%, 7.5, a good
hearty English style beer
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Work shoes ??
You mentioned those work shoes giving you blisters ??? Have you got a work to go to then ??