Ah Paris

We arrived in Paris quite late at night, and still recovering from jet lag we went straight to the Hotel room and caught up on sleep.

We are staying in the north of the City - this is an area that has lots of cheap hotels... and not much else.  Our room is... well, it's not much, but it's in Paris, so that's probably good enough.  So far the TV has died, only one of four lights works, we don't have face cloths, and the wallpaper is being held in place by selllotape.

Still, it has a lovely little balcony overlooking rather lovely buildings.  It's close to the train stations which is also good, and the Wifi's good, so I can keep up to date in the evenings.

On Tuesday morning we wandered around town, and just got our bearings and a look around.  Down by the Seine, the city is everything that you'd expect it to be - truly beautiful.  Everything is built with a sense of grandeur - while New York is big, Paris is Grand.  Everywhere you turn you see another beautiful building or elegant monument.

We also went and had a look around inside the Notre Dame Cathedral - at nearly 850 years old, it really puts New Zealand history in context!  This is an old city, with lots of surprises to it!

Le Notre Dame

Day two we decided to dedicate to Le Louvre.  A converted palace made up of three huge wings, even giving ourselves the whole day was probably not enough:  You begin to develop museum fatigue after a few hours.  I'd suggest choosing a few galleries you want to go see and concentrate on those - if you feel fine afterwards you can continue wandering, otherwise come back another day if you want to see more.

After the Louvre we went back to the Hotel then went out to meet one of Nick's friends for drinks.  We met him at Canal St Martin (The same canal that appears in Amelie!) and sat and drank Piquante Pints before going to dinner in Belleville. C'est superb!

Yesterday, we got real touristy and did what everyone should do on their first visit to Paris - Le Tour Eiffel.  We took the metro there, so we came up from the station, turned the corner and there it was, straight out of the post card.  The massive steel structure that you see in every representation of Paris.

So of course we had to go up.  Unlike other monolithic structures that we've taken on which I've felt relatively secure on - the Empire state, the Sky Tower etc., you have to remember that this is essentially a steel exoskeleton of a building, so everything is open.  Thus going up to the top is a rather unnerving experience, especially as it gets thinner and thinner as you go up.

Still, kept it under control, and it was well worth it at the top.  The views out over the city are magnificent, and you can see all the structures that make Paris so special.

Back down, and happy to have my feet on the ground, we had a quick lunch then swung by the Hotel des Invalides.  This is Napoleon's tomb, but also has a fascinating collection of armory - swords, pistols and suits of armour.  Highly recommended.  The tomb itself is rather grandiose, but well worth a visit.

Then off to Musee D'Orsay.  This is a converted train station that's been turned into a museum filled with art and sculpture.  Well worth a look - the collection of van Goghs is amazing, as is the impressionist wing.

Then Nick and I weren't feeling well, so came home early and had a bit of a rest.  We went down to the local market for dinner and made baguettes with stinky cheese - very French!  I did all the ordering in French (with a little help from Nick) and got what I wanted, even better!

So, we are now chilling out before we head off.  Final thoughts for our rather whistle-stop tour of France.

This is a truly stunning city, especially down on the banks of the Seine.  The sheer grandeur of the buildings really shows you what can be done when you have an unlimited budget and history behind you.  You can spend hours just wandering through side streets and take a turn which leads you to another magnificent building or priceless sculpture.  Even the lesser streets have a very historic feeling to them - brick lined streets, old apartment buildings, very beautiful.

Although it is not a particularly clean city, especially away from the tourist areas.  Our boots both gathered quite the layer of dust, and smoking appears to be much more regular than anywhere else, even cigar smoking.  The difference between wealth and poverty is more noticeable than anywhere else I've been so far.

If you came with an unlimited budget, the shopping that could be done is overwhelming as well!  This has definitely been a highlight of the trip so far, and will definitely be somewhere we return before too long.

A bientot Paris, nous reviendrons.

Next stop, Belgium.  Will update blog next time I can get online.

Je suis arrivé en Europe

Well, it took a while, but we are now over the jetlag and settled into our stay in Paris.

We have pulled yet another red-eye flight, this time across the atlantic.  So of course this means yet another night with not enough sleep (probably two hours sleep over a 30 hour period - have only just recovered from the jet lag today).  We flew from JFK in New York to Frankfurt.

Frankfurt is an amazing city.  Very small and easy to get about, but the most marvellous feeling about it.  After being in NYC, you notice how light and fresh the place feels - you don't get the kind of claustrophobic feeling you get from NYC.  A rather refreshing change of pace.  Plus it's so clean!  On top of this, the old part of the city has an almost fairy-tale like feeling about it, all the old houses, factories, bridges and churches give the city a real feeling of character.

Suggested things to do:

• Wander around old town, soak up the atmosphere of the Opera House, the Cathedral, the Museum Row on the other side of the river
• Eat lunch either in the old town square or outside the malls in the newly renovated part
• Enjoy all the public art work
• Take the ride to the top of Main Tower and orientate yourself in the city.

All in all, a great but short visit.  We would have liked to have spent a few further hours exploring the city - hopefully we'll get an opportunity to go back.

Then that evening we boarded a train and headed to France, still quite jet lagged and having yet to get any real sleep.  Still quite a nice train ride, and the train got up to 300+ KPH.  It would appear that trains are the way to go... a great way to get from country to country in comfort and speed. 

We arrived in Paris very late Monday night and went straight to sleep.

Next post - Paris day One and Two.

Last few days in NYC

Well, our time in NYC is coming to an end.  I'm currently in the Lobby of the Hotel just doing some final updating before the ride comes, wishing that I hadn't had fish for dinner last night.  

I'm feeling a couple of pounds heavier around the waist and a couple lighter in the wallet, but NYC is absolutely fantastic, nonetheless.

Anywho... the below is pretty much just a quick update to let everyone know what we've been up to.

High Line Park

Thursday 
Thursday started with purchasing some lunch from Westside Market (Highly recommended - delicious li'l deli-style supermarket on the Upper West Side - recommended over Whole Foods any day of the week, then a wander through Chelsea Market (finally a good coffee!), a foodie's heaven.

Then we went up to the High Line Park - an old raised rail line that has been converted into a city park.  This was beautiful, they've put a lot of work into this and it's paid off, a great way to spend a morning chilling out.

Then off to the Museum of Natural History.  Once again, this is a massive museum, you probably want to give yourself a whole afternoon for this place.  The highlights for me were the African Mammals hall, with a huge stuffed elephant display, and of course the Fourth Level - dinosaurs.  These amazing skeletons give you an idea of how huge these creatures would have been.  Highly recommended.

Dinner from Westside Market - delicious American cheesecake for dessert!

From where you'd rather be!

Friday
Friday started with some Coney Island goodness!  It's a bit of a train ride out to the Park (about an hour from our Hotel) - end of the line.  But once you're there it's old-school carnival-ey goodness!  

Make sure you have a hot dog from Nathan's - these are the BEST hot dogs we've tried since we've arrived in the US.  Amazing.  However, make sure you get a small drink, even the mediums were huge!

Then we watched the rides (didn't really feel like taking any on ourselves) and walked along the boardwalk and the beach.  It's been amazing weather here, and it was a great day just to walk in the fresh air.

After the ride back into town, and we caught up on a few things we hadn't seen - the Ironside Building and the front of Grand Central.

Then dinner at an old-school diner, complete with striped leather booth seating and back to the Hotel.

Saturday
Yesterday was pretty much just a shopping day.  We started off with breakfast at an IHOP.  The pancakes are good albeit a bit sweet for my liking, everything else just avoid.  The eggs are rubbery, the meat is tasteless, coffee is weak - best to just go to a local diner or breakfast spot instead.

Then shopping - more to experience the New York retail world than anything else.  We went to Macy's (the world's largest store, apparently...), nine floors of shopping goodness, fantastic.  Although the problem with living on the road is anything you buy you either have to use or carry, so we can't really buy much.

Quiet dinner on Broadway, then back to the Hotel.


So that's it, New York is done!  We've had an absolutely fantastic time in the City.  Some tips for future travellers:

• The Subway is your friend.  The services run frequently and quickly throughout the city and they're not as scary as you might think.  Purchase a multi-day pass (say, 7 days) and you'll save yourself money and time.  Still do a little research beforehand.
• Don't try to fit too much into one day.  The city is huge and many of the attractions do take longer to get to and to take in then you'd expect.  Give yourself plenty of time
• With this said, don't do too much planning.  Set yourself one thing to do per day, then once that's finished make a decision about what you want to do from there.  Do attractions by location however.
• Talk to locals - bar staff, wait staff about what they'd do on a free day.  Locals might have suggestions you might not think of.
• Comfortable shoes are your friend - you will be walking a lot.

Finally, give yourself at least a week to see the city.  We've had an absolutely amazing time.  This city has something for everyone - we didn't really attempt to see the night life, as we got so much done during the day, we were often very tired at night.

Next step on the Epic voyage - Frankfurt for four hours, then Paris.

Europe here we come!

New York, Days 5 & 6

The armory at the Met

I’m getting New York.  I understand why people move here from all over the country and the world.  Other cities might have a few things going for them.  Wellington is the seat of parliament and arts for New Zealand.  Auckland is the hub of business for the country.

New York has it all.

No matter what you’re after, what you want to achieve, what takes your fancy at any time, you can find it in this city.  You can do it, you can experience it, you can be it.  The aesthetic is a mix of old and new, but still everything fits in.

Tuesday began with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  This place is massive.  You need to give yourself AT LEAST four hours if you want to make any progress on this place, but I’d suggest a whole day.  Unfortunately we didn’t get see as much as we’d like, but we did get through quite a bit, including the Ancient Roman/Greek and Egyptian sections.  Huge sculpture halls filled with artefacts.

Then I had my first experience at a Laundromat!  Yeah, I know it’s a li’l thing, but all about the American experience!

We then found a great outdoor bar with views out over the Hudson river in the Westside Park and had a quiet beer.  Magnificent.  Followed by dinner at a cute Mexican place in the Upper West Side.

I'm on a Boat

Wednesday started off with a visit to the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked in the Hudson which has been converted into an air and space museum.  The Aircraft Carrier is amazing, and it was cool to see the Concord as well.  This is something I’d suggest doing if you have a few spare hours, not something to go out of your way for, unless you’re very interested in crafts.  Also – book tickets in advance to avoid huge queues.

Lunch was at Hard Rock Cafe off Times Square.  Great atmosphere, VERY expensive food.  But still a great experience.  The walls are laden with rock memorabilia.  Spend a few minutes in the lobby just looking around all the goodies on the wall.  Done now, wouldn’t do it again.

And that evening, it was time.  The moment I’ve been waiting for for over 14 years, Phantom on Broadway.  To see the Chandelier swinging over the stage, to ear the overture, the mask, the songs.  I was soooo happy I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the evening!  Then we topped off a fantastic day by heading up to the top of the Empire State Building.  At night, the city is truly stunning.  The building is currently the tallest in New York, so the views are the best in the city.

Time is beginning to run short in New York, still a lot to do in very little time!

New York, Days 3 & 4

You know what?  I think you know where we are...

It’s rather lovely to be able to sleep in.  I know we’re in the City that Never Sleeps and that we should try and get as much as we can out of the day, but it’s nice to not have to get up and start doing stuff until you’re ready to face the world.  I could get used to this.

Sunday started late, as all days have since we’ve arrived in New York.  We took the Subway the length of the City to Battery Park.  Like most major sites, we had to go through security and we were then on the Ferry.

If nothing else, the Ferry gives you a great view across Downtown New York.  The sheer magnitude as it rises from the Island reminds you are in one of the greatest cities in the World.

And then the ferry approaches Liberty Island and the Statue itself.  It was also the first day of Air Force Week, so we also got a flyover formation by the Airforce as we approached the Island.  Pretty cool!

The Statue stands, staring out towards the Harbour, her hand raised with her golden torch above her head.  She is magnificent, a symbol of the City and the Country’s fight for independence.  Everywhere you look in the City are references to her, and it’s surreal to see her in person, but totally amazing.  It reminds you of what can be done with a touch of patriotism and a decent budget!  Unfortunately they’re doing some work on the statue at the moment, so we were unable to go inside.  Still very worth it just to walk around the island.

After the Statue, we headed out to Ellis Island to look around.  Apart from the history of immigration in the States, the history of the building itself is fascinating.  After the immigration centre was shut down, the island lay abandoned for years.  The photography of the ruin and its restoration in the late 90’s is beautiful and the building itself, especially the Main Hall, is truly a wonderful achievement.

After coming back into town, we purchased some dinner from Whole Foods and sat in Central Park and ate a picnic dinner on the Grass.  

Times Square Craziness

On Monday, we started the day by heading to Grand Central Terminal.  As you come out of the tunnels, you are confronted by the most amazing terminal.  There appears to be nothing that this city doesn’t try and do bigger and better than anywhere else!  The ceiling depicts the signs of the zodiac viewable in the night sky, and presides over stunning brickwork.

This was followed by the Museum of Modern Art New York (MOMA).  This is a huge facility that hosts a number of amazing works, including originals by Monet, a huge collection of Picassos, Kahlo, Dali, and my favourite piece there, The Starry Night by van Gogh.  To stand in front of it, to see the brush strokes of the Master himself, absolutely stunning.  The galleries on design are also quite interesting, every day objects examined for their design elements and aesthetic.

Then off to the Rockefeller Centre, and to the Top of the Rock.  On the ground floor, we visited the Lego Store (off course we did) – cute, but not worth going out of your way for.  Then up to the Top of the Rock viewing platform.  This is one of the best places in New York to figure out the layout of the City.  While it’s not the tallest building in the City, its location gives you a glorious view over the City, with Central Park to the north, the two rivers on either side and mid-town and Lower Manhattan to the South.   I’d suggest this being one of the first sights you see in New York to get yourself acquainted with its layout.

Next, Times Square.  This throws you for a six the first time you see it – just the sheer noise and light, the multitude of people moving in and out, the advertisements flashing at you from every angle, it blows you away.  While there, we popped into the M&Ms store – brilliant!  Bought some peanut butter flavoured candy, om nom nom!

Then off to dinner in Little Italy, for dinner followed by my first cannoli. Delish!

Next post – more New York-ey goodness!

New York, Days 1 & 2

NY Pizza-ey Goodness!

 It’s very difficult to begin this post.  New York has been the inspiration for so many times by so many different writers, singers, artists, designers, it’s really hard to express anything that hasn’t already been put down before.

The emotions, the feelings, the initial impression as you drive into the city, it’s difficult to find something to say, the zeitgeist for New York is already huge that I’m not sure I have anything else to add.

Still, here goes.

Wow.

That about covers it.

We drove into New York City from the South, coming in via New Jersey, and, apart from the sheer size of the city the first thing you notice is the Statue of Liberty sitting to the right of the city.  That pretty much sets the scene for the rest of your experience.  Immediately you get a sense of the sheer immensity of the Empire City experience, how people have been inspired over time as they’ve seen this site throughout the years.

Still, after not sleeping very well the night beforehand, I took a nap when we arrived, then went for dinner at Sal and Carmine’s Pizza (as reviewed in Zombieland – look it up!).  I’d highly recommend it – big tasty pizzas in a... shall we say ‘authentic New York’ (read:  dingy) diner.  Still, absolutely awesome.

Our hostel is in Upper West Side, on Broadway near Central Park, so after pizza we headed back to the hostel for an early night.

New York Rocks! Hah, I'm so punny.

The next day, we jumped on a Subway and headed downtown.  This really helped put everything in context – it’s a half-hour subway trip (and those trains move fast) from uptown to downtown.  The subway stations themselves are straight out of the movies – white tiles with tiled artwork and signage, although very hot and sticky.

Downtown, we managed to achieve quite a bit the first day, including:

• Greenwich Village:  Unlike San Francisco, this has a more gritty, urban feel to the gaybourhood.   The rainbow flags are around (and we walked past Stonewall), but it feels more... real than the Castro in San Francisco (and we managed to find a good cuppa!), almost as if the Castro was more of a film set.
• The Brooklyn Bridge:  Sitting on the banks of the East River looking back feels like Rhapsody in Blue should be playing.
• Wall Street:  Quite a bit darker than I thought it would be, the high buildings block out all the natural light.  I’m sure there has to be a metaphor in there somewhere
• Battery Park and booked our tickets for the Statue cruise the next day
• The 9/11 Memorial.

The Memorial a very sombre location.  Two huge cubic waterfalls mark where the two towers once stood amongst pristine gardens.  You get a real feeling of the sheer scale of what happened on that site and, while I can’t begin to understand what the People o the States must have been going through, as an outsider you can sympathise.  It also begins to set the stage for ensuring that people don’t forget, and that they start to rebuild.  The new towers are beginning to rise over the city, and I look forward to perhaps one day returning and seeing the completed site.

Completed with delicious Chinese food in Chinatown and back to the Hotel

Next post... Statue of Liberty and Top of the Rock.

Overnight in the City of Brotherly Love

Dinner of Champions - Philly Cheese Steaks all around!

We were only in Philadelphia overnight really, so this will be a very short blog post.

From what we saw of the city (driving around and snapping photos from the car), it seems like a very nice place. Not really a great deal different than the places we’ve seen so far, but it does have some redeeming features.

First and foremost, Philadelphia is the home of the Philly Cheese Steak!  This is an absolute delicacy – finely shredded steak served on a bread roll with American cheese (or cheese whiz!  We decided against this option) and onions.  Yes, I know it sounds simple, but when you get something this right, you don’t want to screw it up!

If you’re ever in Philadelphia and would like the best Philly Cheese Steak in town, I’d suggest Jim’s Grill on South Street.  Amazing.  South Street by itself is well worth checking out – like Cuba Street in Wellington on crack – I’d more compare it to Newton in Sydney.

Then, after that we did a whistle-stop tour of Philly, taking photos and ooh-ing and aah-ing at: 

• The Town Hall:  Biggest municipal building in the States 
• The Philadelphia Art Museum:  Beautiful building, featuring the stairs from Rocky (also a statue dedicated to the character)
• ‘Love’ Park (Officially the JFK Plaza) featuring the work of Robert Indiana 
• Ben Franklin Bridge

Before heading down to the Waterfront for a quiet walk along the river – very nice on a summer’s eve.

The next day, we went and looked around Philadelphia’s old town, including the Liberty Bell Centre.  It’s quite a humbling feeling to be standing next to such an important piece of the Nation’s history.  What I think makes the bell unique is not necessarily it ever being in the right place at the right time, but instead the meaning that its citizens bestow upon it – from the battles for independence against the British, to the Civil War and the fight to end slavery, to the establishment of Civil Rights, the Bell has been a part of all of it as a symbol for liberty.  A truly unique representation of one of the founding principles for the Nation, it means what it needs to at any given point in history.

Or maybe I’m just reading too much into an old cracked bell...

Next stop, New York baby!

Baltimore

Take me out to the Baaall Gaaaame

 It’s been an interesting couple of days in Baltimore.  This was the one city that people have been asking, “why are you going there?”

They were wrong.

Baltimore has been a thoroughly interesting city.  It’s a really interesting mix of old and new – The Battle of Baltimore is the origin of the Star Spangled Banner at Fort McHendry, plus, of course Hairspray!!!

Then you have a new and everchanging waterfront with new and old – the Factory Building on the Waterfront is beautiful and you have new, well designed buildings which fit in quite well with the older structures.

We arrived in Baltimore late in the day on Tuesday and went and watched our first ever baseball game at Camden Park – the Baltimore Orioles vs the Boston Red Socks, and the local team won 7-1.  It was a great game, we had seats right behind home plate, so right in the smack of it.  Ah, the Great American Pass Time – we had hot dogs and beer at the Stadium.

Then off to a funky li’l restaurant for after-game debrief between us.

Wednesday morning we headed down to the Waterfront and after having a look around and going on a few historic ships including a submarine, we went through the National Aquarium.  This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience – sharks, puffins, and a dolphin show, this is a huge complex, I’d recommend giving yourself a good few hours to explore the three buildings.

In the evening, we headed out to Annapolis, the capital of Maryland.  This is a colonial heritage area with beautiful old buildings.  One of the things you should do while in Maryland is have some Chesapeake Crabs – we ordered two dozen crabs and a pound of shrimp – surprisingly enough there’s not a lot of meat on a crab, but they were absolutely delicious!  And this is the first time I’ve had to use a mallet to eat dinner!

Miss Baltimore Crabs!

Before heading home from dinner, our host took us to the local news room where he worked, and we got to take photos of ourselves in the newsroom!  Super-cool!

This morning we headed out to Fort McHendry where we had a look around and learned about the history of the Star Spangled Banner.  Nick and I actually felt slightly patriotic while standing for the National Anthem, rather odd!

Baltimore is an amazing mix of different suburbs and styles – funky areas and real working class neighbourhoods.  The people are very friendly and the city can put on a real charm offensive. 

Next blog post – Philadelphia, PA

US Foods tried so far...

• Twinkie:  Calorie Overdose!  Sweet, sugary, full of things that are sooo bad for you.
• Po Boy:  A sandwich, traditionally chicken, southern cuisine.  Very good
• Ben & Jerry's ice cream:  Om nom nom
• Fish and Chips on Fisherman's Wharf:  Very fresh, very tasty!
• US Coffee:  General rule, avoid unless you know what you're doing.
• Purchased bread from supermarket:  Has added sugar. WTF??