Two huge days ...

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Hello everyone - sorry for break in communication - but we had no computer the cafe was down and they are getting few and far between now - you can have free wi-fi but we don't have a computer!! So much has happened since our last blog entry - so here we go....

"wicked" is WICKED - it is absolutely fantastically spectacular and the story is great - it is actually very funny and the singing was superb but boy the costumes - they were just something especially from front row seats - the Emerald City scenes the costumes were to die for - Lou wants some of the green boots with curly toes etc... Wakefields you must see this show !! The show was Firday night so Saturday morning ....

Off we go on the subway downtown towards the meatpacker district for a great tour arranged by the lovely Thel - the tour started at Chelsea Markets - and the guide was Kirt and he was a comedian by night and it was a very very funny 3 hours - we has lots of fun and tasted some great food. THe area is pretty crappy in some parts and then reonvated in others - it is the new "in" place so therefore the rents are now so high that most of the people that did live there are leaving. Chelsea Markets are housed in the original "Orio" biscuit factory - so they have kept them very rustic and open with lots of windows for viewing of people at work cooking, cutting baking etc - Thel was in heaven and it was pretty to watch!! The tour even took us to a brownstone private residence and that was special as the house was typical arhcitecture for that area - the house was enormous and had even retained the horse entry which is this little side tunnel that is part of the house - the backyard is enormous and rare for N.Y. Lou almost lost Thel tour when we went to this super funky japanese restaurant - oh the bathroom !! The toilet seats were warm and then you had all these buttons on the side wall - front wash - back wash - pulsating water - air dry - all you had to do was press - The tour guide had to get Lou to go and get Thel !!

After the food tour we went for a walk down to Battery Park and hopped on a ferry and went for a ride to visit that girl with the crown and the big torch - forgot to tell you that it was a blue sky day and the view looking back to the city was so clear - so pretty - the Brooklyn Bridge and the skyscrapers were fab.... we had 20 minutes to walk around the statue as we were on the last ferry for the day - we both got sunburnt as it was such a clear day. The trip out and back was really great ...... back to the city where Lou found a little boy - he was very cute and walking around on his own - no-one claimed him and Thel was insisting that she give him back and then the Mum turned up - not worried or stressed as much as Lou.... Then we walked and walked - heading towards the piers - where we sat and drank a strawberry daquiri (which is our new drink) and watched the people go by - it was nearing dusk and it was so much fun to watch the people - buskers seem to come out of the woodwork and there is always a crowd clapping or singing out to something along the way... We then found a Christmas shop and grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading back to apartment - it was about 11.30pm by the time we got home - don't need a torch - Time Square lights the way every time!!!

So bloody exhausted that we slept until 10am the next morning - even Thel!!!

Next day though - up and at 'em and off we went walking shoes on - grabbed the subway downtown and crosstown to UN Headquarters - it doesn't look very pretty without all of the flags flying - dead boring in fact... so then we decided to do some street zig zagging of the streets - it is so much fun and you find all sorts of surprises in every street - the first street we found this 8 block long market place - just in the middle of the place -so off we went - smelling food and shopping - Lou even had to buy another suitcase so that they could carry the stuff back to Oz.... then it was decided that the day would be a retail devotion day - and we found more and more shops - Maddison Avenue is the best people watching place - Lou in red shoes whit socks denim 3/4 pants mary poppins shirt and check hat was an absolutes standout when she went into Prada - but the man was very nice to her (probably thought she had some disorder and was out for the day)... the YSL, Dior etc etc Thel took a photo for Tracey of the CHannel sign -now Thel doesn't have to buy her the perfume - it was great fun... picture us pulling along a brown and electric blue spot suitcase just smiling and enjoying the day - Thel even asked a lady if we could take a photo of her jewelled boots - she said yes - she thought we were hilarious - the boots were something out of this world - bloody ugly but amazing...
All day both days we would see these huge cavalcades of cars - police escorts and black glass black cars etc - there must be some heavy diplomats still in town and these people are taking them to the airport - it is fascinating to walk by and in our case stand and watch the guys in suits with their little ear phones talking away and making sign language - fabulous city to see so many things all in one day!!! Sirens go non-stop and that is beside the sirens with the suits and black cars.

We found the Waldorf Astoria and went in to have a sticky and it is so "gorgeous" - no wonder Julia Roberts was overcome - it is flash !! sat for a little while on the comfy chairs (the doorman was very kind) and even went to the loo - OOH LA LA - powder room for princesses and fairies - it was cool... So then we went out and zigzagged some more and wandered down a part of town where Thel thought "the restaurant" from our last trip was - you remember the one that cost a fortune but was spectacular food - WE FOUND IT!!! so, have booked in there for our birthday and last night treat - so that will be fun...

After finding the restaurant Thel skipped to Central Park she was so excited - we spent some time wandering Central Park and when you get home and look at the map for central park - we have done this tiny weeeny little part - it is just massive and "gorgeous" Lou loves central park and has decided that squirrels are not what the signs mean when they say "do not feed the animals and birds"... Racoons have rabies so she is happy not to feed them - we saw one too... Octoberfest started in Central Park yesterday so lots of german foot slapping music playing as we walked around the park......

Home again - totally knackered ......................................more to come yet - so talk soon, leave us some hello notes - loveyasall ..... Thel and Lou xxxxx

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Comments

[Lyn B]

hello note .... number 1 ???
Hi Girls ... Just wondering how on earth you are going to adjust to the old G when you get back again, after the life you have been living? Thanks for email, yep so happy to get it, and doing even better now! Well news from home, going to be 30 degrees today, wonderful weather at the moment. St George and Roosters will play the grand final on Saturday and the AFL is going to be replayed after a draw last weekend ... great game too! Commonwealth Games due to start soon, and great big hoo haa over it, seems that their "emerging country standards" are not anywhere equivalent to what was expected and was lots of talk from lots of countries about withdrawing from games due to hygiene and safety concerns. So when you get back you'll be up to speed about what has happened while you've been away. Sean and his soccer team played the winner from the Coffs comp last weekend ... was a great game with Mr Sean scoring twice for his team, which ended up in a draw and lead to extra time, where they eventually lost. Sean's mum (she of little faith) thought they would get an absolute flogging, so she was silenced by their efforts. I'm off for an i/v this week with noretec ... (not yet she cries ... too soon) ... hmm lets see what happens. Sean here for the day while Sal at work ... in what she thinks are comfortable shoes, but has a back up pair, just in case. Nothing much else to report on. "The stick" has now gone into retirement, and I'm back on two legs now! ..... Love to you both ... and enjoy your last few days over there (as if you won't) ....... xx