broccoli florets and served on paper plates. To complete the picture? The
pizza was served wrapped in tin foil, such finesse! Around us we observed a
real cross-section of New Yorkers - from youths to suits. It really felt like we
were living like natives, especially when someone ordered some "quaffee".
Like classic tourists we decided to "do" New York in six days. Now, you
cannot "do" any decent sized city in six days, but we gave it a go - walking
about 40 miles and visiting 15 tourist attractions in that time. Emma’s feet are
still undergoing rehabilitation following this gruelling schedule.
Starting with the Empire State Building we visited: the Intrepid - Sea, Air
Space Museum, the Guggenheim, the Natural History Museum and Ellis and
Liberty Islands. We walked through Central Park and Times Square and in or
by various famous buildings including Grand Central Terminal and the
Rockefeller Centre. We also saw these famous sites by air in a helicopter and
by river via ferry. What connected these "attractions" was not just the souvenir
shops - which sold the same stuff as each other as we expected - but the
shadow of September 11th 2001. Increased security when we were entering
museums or boarding ferries was not even the most striking aspect of 9/
aftermath. What was remarkable was the number of references to that tragic
day - from displays and memorials in the museums to snatches of
conversation almost everywhere we went. The most touching of these
occurred on our third full day in the city.
We spent the evening on a boat cruise to see the Manhattan skyline by
day and night. Being November it was not very warm, and once we were out