That first trip was to Southern France - Frejus / St Raphael to be precise. We went back the following year, and I've been back to the same area a couple more times also.
This late introduction to foreign travel means that it is still not taken for granted and has a real sense of adventure. Nowhere more so until our trip to New York in November 2000. My first time across the Atlantic (and only, to date), first time in a Jumbo....
It was our tenth wedding anniversary, and was the first time since having our first son that we'd gone away without him (and only, to date).
We flew with Virgin, and were staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania opposite Madison Square Garden. All sounded very swish.
Flight was uneventful, and pretty comfortable due to getting bulkhead seats. Arrived at JFK late afternoon and made the silly mistake of waiting on the Hotel Bus transfer. Silly idea. Ended up waiting for ages!
When we'd finally boarded the bus and were heading into Manhattan, it was already getting dark. However, this was not all bad, as we suddenly came over a rise and there - laid out in front of us and brilliantly illuminated were the skyscrapers of the city. Absolutely stunning. Sadly camera wasn't to hand to take a pic, and wife was asleep, but the sight of this did actually take my breath away.
And so we came into the city and saw the sites you see in the films - yellow cabs, steam billowing from the ground, masses of people rushing around.
The hotel was - it has to be said - trading on past glories. The room was basic, with a view of the back of another part of the hotel, but the lobby to the lift beautifully framed the Chrysler Building (Ghostbusters!).
It must have been about midnight UK time, but the excitement at being here was too much - I wasn't tired at all (though Sharon was!).
A stroll down to Times Square was the solution. I was struck by the large numbers of police everywhere - with very few exceptions I never felt unsafe here.
Day 2 - Friday
The time difference meant we were awake ludicrously early and out by 7am local time. Breakfast in a diner just off Broadway, yes, the whole cliche was indulged in - pancakes, coffee, juice...!
Then a walk down Broadway, past the Flat Iron Building
You can see just how empty the streets were. We eventually arrived at Washington Square Park (recognized from When Harry Met Sally) and then through Greenwich Village to the City Hall and Woolworth Building.
We didn't actually DO anything at Staten Island Ferry Terminal, apart from wait for a ferry back. Well, I did call to arrange a helicopter trip, but we subsequently had to cancel this.
Next was a visit to the World Trade Centre. The plan was to have lunch at the Windows on the World restaurant. Not a great plan when you realise that the viewing decks were in the South Tower, and Windows on the World was in the North Tower. So we looked over at where we would have eaten, and instead ate in a fast food place (Sbarros, IIRC).
The picture below is a tilt-shift adjusted image of the East River looking over to Brooklyn.
Probably the most surprising aspect of the views was that an initial area of skyscrapers gives way to low rise buildings in Greenwich Village before the large Midtown buildings appear in the foreground of Central Park:
We then "braved" (although in fact it wasn't braving at all) the subway to take us back to the hotel. Sharon had a nap, while I went out to find a photography store, and have a coffee in a diner.
The afore-mentioned helicopter trip we cancelled as Sharon was feeling unwell (she was pregnant with the twins, after all), and she retired for the night very early.
Day 3 - Saturday
Again, an early start, and a very quiet Times Square - curiously anticipating Vanilla Sky!
Then to Central Park, where after an initial walk round we did the horribly touristy activity of a horse drawn carriage ride. Yes, no native would do it, but it *WAS* fun! The famous ice rink, Alice in Wonderland statues and lake were all on our list of sites here. Didn't make it over to Strawberry Fields for the John Lennon memorial though. We were also advised that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones were being married just over the road at The Plaza...
Bloomingdales next. An amazingly cramped store - not at all like my expectations. Bought a very nice snow globe here. Quick cable car trip to Roosevelt Island - nothing really to do, but a nice little sojourn!
Having been quite impressed with my celeb spotting the previous day, I was not allowed to forget who Sharon spotted a couple of tables away at the Oyster Bar beneath Grand Central Terminal - none other than Yoko Ono. I lose, but the chowder was excellent.
Whilst walking around NYC, the feeling is of being in a film set. There are so many iconic sights and images - the NYPD, subway, Tiffany's, Trump Tower, Radio City Music Hall. After a trip to Macy's (just down the block from us) we finished with a visit to the Empire State Building. Visibility that night was a mere 25 miles.
Day 4 - Sunday
Breakfast at Hotel - TV screens full of images concerning the whole hanging chads aspect of the 2000 Presidential Election.
Cab (with pre-recorded commentary from - I think - Arsenio Hall telling us to put our seatbelts on) to Battery Park -> Ferry to Liberty Island to see the Statue and then to Ellis Island to visit the Museum.
Walk through Financial District past the NYSE and cab over Brooklyn Bridge, ostensibly to find Brooklyn Heights that cab driver did not seem to know about. Still saw some great views:
Couldn't hail a cab back for love nor money, so walked back over Brooklyn Bridge, over into Chinatown where we had some strange glutinous substance in lieu of rice. A look at the markets around TriBeCa and then a final cab back to the hotel to grab our bags and head off to Newark Airport. One final film and TV reference here though - the famous opening scene of Tony Soprano taking a ticket at the New Jersey Turnpike.
I wish I could say the flight home was as good as that outward. It wasn't. It was horrible. No food for Sharon (despite being ordered). Me just dozing off when person in front decides to push their seat back leading to aching legs for rest of flight. Feeling absolutely shattered on arrival at Heathrow.
But that was a small price to pay. The trip was fantastic!
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