Appendix

Reflections 13 Years Later

Fast-forward to June 2025—13 years since our trip to NYC, yet the memories remain surprisingly fresh. Though we haven’t returned to NYC, it’s not for lack of enjoyment; we’ve simply explored other cities instead. If given the opportunity, would we go back? Definitely. Would we do things differently? Absolutely.

Travel & Accessibility—What We Learned

Perhaps one of the most significant and lasting takeaways from that New York adventure was a much deeper, more personal understanding of the challenges faced when travel involves limited mobility. At the time, if I’m honest, I didn’t fully appreciate the critical importance of details like consistent lift access at subway stations, or the daunting nature of a wide gap between the train and the platform. Looking back, these are aspects that definitely deserved more forethought in our planning. Still, that trip powerfully reinforced what could be achieved in a day, even with those hurdles. It spurred us on, encouraging us to travel more, because we learned that despite the accessibility challenges, there was almost always a way forward, a solution to be found.

The Changing Skyline & City Evolution

New York, more than many places, is a city that never stops evolving; it’s in a constant state of flux. The spectacular skyline we admired from the Top of the Rock on that special night has undoubtedly changed in ways we can’t yet fully picture. Landmarks from our 2012 journey have vanished into the annals of city history – Langans pub, where we enjoyed a couple of memorable meals, is long gone, and the hotel we stayed in, I believe, has since been rebranded as The Square Hotel (if my detective work is correct). These shifts are a poignant reminder that cities breathe, grow, and transform over time. It’s this very dynamism, this sense of a place always reinventing itself, that has drawn us back to another city we visited more than once – but that, as they say, is a story for another journal.

How NYC Shaped Our Future Travels

That first foray into the Big Apple genuinely set a theme for much of our travel in the years that followed: exploring the great cities of the U.S. became a real passion. Given our personal circumstances, long, rambling countryside walks were never really going to be a practical option for us, so urban exploration, with its manageable pace and accessible attractions (mostly!), became our preferred way to see America. This trip also ignited a far deeper passion for documenting our journeys – not just through scribbled notes, but through more considered photography and, later on, video. What started as a purely personal endeavour to remember our adventures gradually evolved into something bigger: first a blog, and eventually a dedicated website portal to house all our travel stories.

From Journal to Legacy—Growing a Creative Project

When I initially conceived this appendix, I imagined it would be a fairly quick update, a brief note on how I felt about the trip all these years later. It’s safe to say it’s become rather more involved than that! What began as roughly 7,000 words of loosely gathered notes and memories from 2012 has transformed, through this process of rewriting and reflecting, into a journal nearly double that size. And it hasn’t stopped there. Over the past few months of working on this, I’ve found myself thinking about how to take these travelogues even further – perhaps turning them into eBooks, maybe even building another website specifically for them, complete with audio versions. This time, though, I’m challenging myself to code it all from scratch (albeit with a little friendly AI assistance along the way!).

Rediscovering Memories Through Writing

The act of reading back through this journal, of re-crafting those original, sometimes sparse, notes, has been a fascinating journey in itself. It has resurfaced memories I’d completely overlooked in my initial draft, moments and feelings that were lurking just beneath the surface. It’s remarkable how recollections can sharpen and gain clarity with the passage of time – not just the factual details, but the emotions attached to them. Revisiting these reflections now, I can see so clearly how much that first big trip to New York shaped not just our future travels, but also the way we choose to remember and preserve those precious experiences.

Con 2025

Afterword

New York City—a place of boundless energy, alive at every hour, a city that never sleeps.

Reflections on The City

Standing in the heart of Times Square, in a place we had dreamed of for so long, was unlike anything I had imagined. You try to picture it before you arrive, but nothing truly prepares you. The sheer scale of the city, the crowds that seemed to stretch endlessly, the subtle cultural differences—all of it was both overwhelming and exhilarating. Yet, amidst the chaos, we discovered a surprising calm, pockets of quiet within the rhythm of the city, something we came to deeply appreciate.

We thought that with so much packed into a relatively small area, we’d have no trouble seeing everything—even with Hurricane Sandy making an uninvited appearance prior to our arrival. But looking back, I definitely overestimated what was realistic for a first trip abroad. That said, when plans shifted, it led to unexpected moments—ones that may never have happened otherwise.

A couple of defining moments stand out. Walking out of our hotel and stepping straight into the sensory overload that is Times Square—the sights, sounds, and smells merging into a vivid, unforgettable first impression. But if I had to choose just one memory that will stay with me forever, it would be standing atop the observation deck at Top of the Rock with Jane my wife, looking out over the city. In that instant, everything felt surreal. The skyline stretched before us, glittering in the night, and it was as if the entire adventure had been leading to that magical moment.

I may have taken far too many photographs—an understatement, really—but in the end, they proved invaluable when piecing together this journal. With so much happening each day, note-taking took a backseat, and I hadn’t even considered creating a blog before the trip. But as I sorted through those photos, revisiting each memory, I realised something: this journey didn’t just give me experiences, it sparked something bigger. It inspired me to start documenting our travels in a more intentional way, to create something lasting, something that would allow these moments to live on beyond fading recollections.

So that was our seven days in the Big Apple. Time seemed to slip through our fingers, disappearing faster than we expected. But it wasn’t just a trip—it was the start of something new. A shared dream that became reality. And with that, we found ourselves planning again, already setting sights on the next adventure, armed with everything this one had taught us.

"Some journeys change where you’ve been, but the best ones change who you are."

Jane & Con

Arrival at home

Our flight touched down pretty much on time, around 7:30 in the morning UK time. Then began the familiar, seemingly endless trek through the airport – first to immigration, then a lengthy wait at baggage reclaim, followed by yet more walking to find where the National Express coaches departed from. You always forget how much traipsing is involved at either end of a flight!

Journey Home

Now, we’d decided to play it a bit safe with the coach tickets back home and hadn't booked them in advance. There seemed little point locking ourselves into a specific departure time; if our flight had been delayed, we’d have missed the coach, and those tickets are usually non-refundable and non-changeable. It felt like a gamble we didn’t fancy taking after a long transatlantic flight. Worst-case scenario? No seats left, and we'd be stuck shelling out for a much more expensive train ride home.

Luckily, it seemed the travel gods were smiling on us that morning. Not only were there spare seats on a coach heading our way, but we only had about a 30-minute wait before we were on board and trundling west. Three hours on the coach got us to Portsmouth, then it was onto the ferry for the quick hop across the water, and finally, a short taxi dash home. By the time we stepped through our own front door at 11:30 a.m., it was almost exactly 24 hours after we’d left our hotel room in New York. We could definitely feel every single one of those miles in our weary bones! A quick trip to the local shops to stock up on essentials was managed on autopilot, and then, it’s fair to say, sleep came very, very easily that night.

What an absolute whirlwind of an adventure it had been! It’s wild to think back on how much we managed to cram into such a relatively short space of time, especially considering it was our very first trip abroad. Navigating the complexities of international travel, figuring out subway systems, and just generally finding our way around a completely new and enormous city – it was exhilarating, occasionally chaotic, and utterly unforgettable.

Going away is always exciting, full of new experiences and memories made. But, as much as we loved our New York escapade, there’s truly nothing that beats that wonderfully familiar, comforting feeling of walking back through your own front door and being home.

Farewell NYC

And just like that, today was the day we had to bid farewell to this wonderful, whirlwind city. Seriously, where had the last seven days vanished to? It felt like we’d blinked and the week was over. Still, before we could get too sentimental, there was the small matter of the final packing. After a bit of strategic squashing and perhaps some minor miracles of spatial engineering, we’d managed to cram everything we’d accumulated into our two cases, the newly acquired small rucksack, and, in true British holiday style, the obligatory overstuffed carrier bag. Ready for the off!

Penn Station Palaver

Penn station Double Deck Train

With our bags successfully (if somewhat creatively) packed, we headed onto the subway to catch the downtown Number 1 train, destination: Penn Station. It's not too far to walk once you're inside the station complex, but then came the familiar challenge – trying to buy a ticket to Newark Airport. It’s never as straightforward as you’d hope, especially when you don’t instinctively know that the airport is referred to as "EWR" on those evil self-serve ticket machines. Yes, those blasted things were back to haunt us one last time!

After a bit of head-scratching and probably some muttered curses at the unhelpful screens, we eventually triumphed. We then navigated our way through the rather gloomy, sprawling station and onto the correct platform where our train awaited. Unbeknownst to me at the time Jane was wrestling with the machine, the tickets we’d acquired were for one of those shiny, double-decker Amtrak trains – a definite step up from our arrival journey!

Getting onto this one was a lot easier too; the gap between the platform and the train was much smaller, and the accessible spot was conveniently located right by the doors, between the upper and lower levels. This made life so much simpler for Jane with her crutches. However, once we were on board, it became apparent that all the designated accessible seats were already occupied. Just as we were wondering what to do, a rather fearsome-looking train guard appeared behind us, clearly there to assist. She took one look at Jane, then at the folks comfortably settled in the priority seats, and declared in a voice that brooked no argument, "If you haven’t got a disability, then you’ll need to move!"

This pronouncement was met with a sea of blank stares from the seated occupants. But this was clearly not a train guard you wanted to mess with. "Move out of the seat, or move off the train," she repeated, her tone leaving no doubt she meant business.

Airport

About fifty minutes after leaving Penn Station, with the seat-hoggers duly sorted by our no-nonsense train guard, we arrived at the Newark Airport railroad station. We then started to make our way to the upper level to catch the Air-train to the terminal, but we hit a bit of a snag with the lift. We were stood there patiently, but the lift, despite clearly serving levels below us (presumably staff-only areas), just kept whizzing past without stopping. Just as we were starting to wonder if we’d ever escape the platform, the biggest transit cop I’d ever clapped eyes on ambled over. This bloke was enormous! He explained that the staff have a special key that allows them to bypass the public calls for the lift, so they don’t have to wait. Seeing our plight, he then kindly used his magic key to summon the lift for us, so we didn’t have to wait any longer. What a star!

It was all to much for me

By now, it was around 1:30 in the afternoon, and our flight wasn't scheduled to depart until 7:25 in the evening, so we had a fair old wait on our hands. After hanging around the landside area of the terminal for a bit, we realised there wasn't much to see or do – no shops or anything interesting to browse. So, we decided to bite the bullet, check our bags in, and head through security to the airside part of the terminal.

Once through all the security faff, I had a bit of a wander around the shops, but then, all of a sudden, the last few hectic days seemed to catch up with me all at once. My energy levels just plummeted, and to top it off, a banging headache decided to make an unwelcome appearance. I managed to find some painkillers and even found a quietish spot to try and get some kip, successfully nodding off for an hour or so. I was definitely feeling a bit rough.

Gate Lice & Flight

We eventually made it to the departure gate, and as expected, the usual bun fight kicked off once the boarding announcement was made. Our boarding passes put us in group 7, but thanks to Jane’s disability, she was quite rightly allowed on first, even before the first-class passengers. I could have gone on with her, seeing as we were travelling together, but in a moment of blissful ignorance, I didn’t realise this until it was far too late. Another valuable travel lesson learned for next time!

When general boarding started, it quickly descended into organised chaos, with the usual suspects trying to jump the queue and board well ahead of their group. I've since learned these eager beavers are rather unkindly referred to as "gate lice." Amidst this scrum, I noticed a bloke waving his hat about, trying to push his way through the throng. He then ducked around the back of the check-in desk, at which point the gate staff spotted him and, it’s fair to say, they weren’t best pleased. It turned out this rather flustered chap was actually the pilot, and apparently, he should have been safely tucked away in the cockpit long before passengers started to board! The next thing we knew, he was kicking everyone off the plane again – everyone, that is, apart from Jane, who was already comfortably settled. It was a right kerfuffle, but despite all this last-minute drama, we still somehow managed to leave on time.

Unlike the almost personal jet we’d enjoyed on the way over, this return flight was on a large jumbo jet. As far as I could tell, once everyone was crammed in, it bore a closer resemblance to a flying cattle truck than a luxury liner. Still, it was getting us home.

What we’d gained in the time difference coming to New York, we were now set to lose on the way back. So, even though we took off around 7:30 in the evening, we wouldn't be landing in the UK until 7:30 the following morning. The flight itself was actually a bit shorter on the way back, only around seven hours as opposed to the eight it took us to get there. There was precious little chance of getting any proper sleep wedged into our seats, so we pretty much spent the entire flight catching up on movies we hadn’t seen before, letting Hollywood transport us across the Atlantic.

Midtown day

Sadly, this was it – our last full day in the whirlwind that is New York City. We’d managed to pack an incredible amount into such a short space of time, zipping from one iconic sight to another. Of course, we could have crammed in even more, but that’s not really our style of holiday. Our idea of taking it easy isn't about lounging on a beach all day; it’s more about still getting out and exploring, just at a slightly more relaxed pace, without a military-precision schedule. So, for our final day, the plan was to do just that – take things a little easier and soak up the last of the Big Apple atmosphere. 

Madison Square Park

True to our plan for a gentler day, we hopped on the subway and popped down to 34th Street. Our destination was Madison Square Park – that’s the actual green park, by the way, not to be confused with Madison Square Garden, which is the massive arena where the Knicks play basketball and they hold big concerts, a bit like our O2.

Flatiron Building

The first thing that grabs your eye as you enter the park area is, of course, the iconic Flatiron Building. It’s such a uniquely shaped structure, a true New York landmark. We had a good stroll around, taking in the atmosphere of this lovely green space amidst the towering city. Eventually, hunger pangs directed us towards the Shake Shack located right there in the park for a spot of lunch. And maybe it’s called the Shake Shack for a very literal reason! You place your order, and instead of shouting your name, they hand you what looks suspiciously like an old TV remote control. Then, when your food’s ready, the gadget starts vibrating – or shaking – like mad, and your order number flashes up. Rather nifty, we thought!

Sitting there with our burgers, we had a good chance to admire some of the other wonderful buildings surrounding the park. You get one of the best, relatively unobstructed views of the majestic Empire State Building from here, and you can also catch a good glimpse of the gleaming, art-deco spire of the Chrysler Building. It made us think, though; in a city so jam-packed with tall buildings, and with new ones shooting up all the time, it must get progressively harder with each passing year to actually see some of these grand old skyscrapers that once dominated the skyline.

Macy's

After our leisurely lunch in Madison Square Park, it was back on the subway again for a short hop to Herald Square. First order of business upon arrival was, naturally, an all-important coffee refuel. Caffeine levels suitably topped up, we headed round to the legendary Macy's – that iconic, and famously rather pricey, department store.

Macy's

Our mission inside, apart from a general gawp, was to find a small rucksack-type bag. By this stage of the trip, we’d somehow managed to accumulate enough souvenirs and assorted bits and bobs to officially run out of luggage space. However, when we clocked the price tag of 120 dollars for a fairly modest little bag, we swiftly decided to look elsewhere! Price aside, Macy’s is a fantastic place to wander through. It covers a staggering eleven floors, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, every single one of them was already decked out in full Christmas splendour. They really do get into the festive swing of it early over there. A lovely touch was riding one of the original, beautifully restored wooden escalators that still glide gracefully up to the top floors. One very good, and rather modern, thing about Macy’s is their super-fast free Wi-Fi, so we made good use of that to check a few things online, and then made our exit.

Empire State Building

The area around Herald Square itself is really vibrant, chock-a-block with shops, bustling bars, and plenty of cafes. There’s even a lovely little park, beautifully planted, where you can just grab a seat and watch the world whizz by. It honestly felt like we’d stepped straight into one of those Christmas movies you see on the Hallmark channel – all very festive and atmospheric.

As well as the high-end shopping, there are plenty of other shops in the vicinity catering for us mere mortals with slightly less deep pockets. These places sell everything a tourist could possibly desire, so we indulged in a bit more gift buying for folks back home, and, of course, picked up more than a few extra souvenirs for ourselves. Crucially, we eventually found a suitable small rucksack to accommodate all the "junk" we had acquired. Shopping mission accomplished, it was back onto the subway and off to the hotel for a bit, as we were planning on heading out for our last proper meal in this wonderful city at our now-favourite Irish pub, Langans.

Sausage Fingers

Later, we took a slow stroll through the early evening bustle to Langans for our final supper. We were lucky enough to snag a booth, making it feel a bit more special. I honestly can’t remember for the life of me what I had to eat that night, but Jane, rather adventurously, opted for fish fingers. Now, these weren’t your typical flat, rectangular fish fingers; they were round, more like little fishy sausages. Very odd, but apparently quite tasty!

Last meal in Langans

Dinner done, it was time for our last proper mooch around Times Square. We were on the lookout for some replica New York police vehicles as souvenirs, and then we couldn't resist dropping into the dazzling Hershey’s chocolate shop. It was there we found the adorable Kisses bears – three of them in total, a red one, a brown one, and a blue one. The big decision now was which one to buy. In the end, after much deliberation, we settled on all three. We just couldn’t bear (no pun intended!) to split up the little family.

With our final purchases made, and our chocolate bear quota fulfilled, it was time to say a slightly sad goodbye to the bright lights of Times Square. We headed back to the hotel to face the inevitable challenge of trying to Tetris everything into our bags and hopefully catch a bit of sleep before what was undoubtedly going to be a very long day of travelling home.

Downtown & Top of the Rock

We didn't have a massive list of things planned for today, but the few items that were on the agenda were set to be absolutely cracking – properly TOP-notch, if you catch my drift (that’s a little hint for you). The morning, however, didn't exactly get off to a flying start weather-wise. It was one of those grey, grumpy sorts of mornings: cold, decidedly dull, and with a wind that had a real nip to it. Rubbish, to be honest. Luckily, as the day wore on, the clouds began to break, and things started to look up, which, as it turned out, made the evening all the more special. But more on that later…

Battery Park

First, we took the C train to Fulton Street, where we transferred to the 4 or 5 train heading toward South Ferry Station. This route bypassed the closed station, instead bringing us to Bowling Green—a stop on the very southern tip of Manhattan Island.

After our earlier change of plans, we found ourselves emerging from a subway station right across the road from the impressive National Museum of the American Indian. It's a grand, imposing building, and I’m pretty sure it’s the one they often used as the courthouse in the TV show Law & Order. You know the one – where characters always seemed to get dramatically shot as they walked out onto the magnificent front steps. You’d think after the first few times, they’d have sussed out using the back door!

Lady Liberty at sunset

From there, we crossed into Battery Park, a large, sprawling green space right on the shoreline. It was clear this area had taken a bit of a battering recently, which explained why the Castle Clinton National Monument was closed. The "Castle," as they call it, is actually a sturdy circular fort built way back in 1808. It once stood proudly on a man-made island, but over the years, the land around it was filled in, eventually joining it to the rest of Manhattan. Both the park and the fort were badly hit by the flooding when Hurricane Sandy came calling. Luckily, being mostly open space with very few buildings, once the waters receded, there was thankfully less permanent damage than there might have been.

This is also the spot where you catch the ferries to the Statue of Liberty. Unsurprisingly, that was all closed off too. The real kick in the teeth for them was that the ferry service had only just reopened the day before Sandy struck, and then the hurricane caused massive damage to the docks and all the surrounding infrastructure. We hadn't actually planned on going over to Lady Liberty anyway; at around $50 each at the time, it felt a bit pricey, especially when you learn that entry to the Statue itself is free – you're essentially just paying for the boat trip and the airport-style security rigmarole.

The Sphere

Despite the closures, this whole area was incredibly peaceful to walk around. Strolling along the waterfront, we had a fantastic view of the new One World Trade Center, which was nearing completion back then, soaring into the sky about a mile away – a powerful symbol of resilience. On a more sombre note, Battery Park was also the temporary home for "The Sphere." This enormous, 20-ton bronze sculpture originally stood in the plaza between the Twin Towers from 1972 right up until the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It’s incredibly moving to see this massive piece of art, scarred and dented but essentially intact, having survived so much destruction. It really makes you pause and reflect.

Top of the Rock

Tonight was the night for one of our big, pre-planned treats: we had tickets to go up to the Top of the Rock, the observation deck at the Rockefeller Building. Now, it might not be the absolute tallest building in New York City, but we’d heard on the grapevine that it offers the best all-around views of the sprawling cityscape. We’d pre-booked our tickets to avoid any lengthy queueing, which is always a bonus. After navigating the airport-style security – where, of course, I was the one to set off the metal detector and duly received my customary public groping –before we were shown around to the lift area.

Rockefeller Building

I’d never even heard of a "multimedia lift" before, let alone been in one, but wow, what a ride it was! When the doors slid shut behind us, nothing happened for a few seconds, lulling you into a false sense of normality. Then, plunged into darkness, heavy bass music started thumping, and an array of flashing lights above your head instinctively made you look up. The ceiling, initially an opaque, milky colour, came alive with swirling patterns of light while a booming voice announced, “Welcome to Top of the Rock!” Just as dramatically, the swirling lights stopped, and the entire ceiling turned crystal clear. That’s when the magic really happened: the entire lift shaft above us lit up with thousands of small blue lights, stretching all the way to the top. Then, whoosh! We were off, ascending at an incredible speed – 800 feet in less than 30 seconds – yet it was so smooth it barely felt like we were moving at all. It was an amazing sight, watching those blue lights race past.

Awsome view from Top of the Rock

Stepping out of the lift, we arrived at the first of three observation decks, perched about 800 feet above the twinkling street level. This level is fully enclosed in glass, which, while keeping the wind off, made nighttime photography a bit tricky due to the reflections. But the view? Absolutely breathtaking. Millions of lights stretched out in every direction. There were plenty of seats to just sit and soak it all in, and they even had free, superfast Wi-Fi access, which was a nice touch.

We took another lift up one more floor, passing briefly through the "light room"—an interactive space where the lights in the floor and ceiling shifted colour in response to movement. Whether you were young or simply young at heart, it was a fun place to dash through. This level was open air at each end, adding to its unique atmosphere.

Jane taking is easy at 800 feet up

From there, a set of doors led us up one more floor. Normally, we would have taken the stairs, but they allowed us to use the lift for accessible access, bringing us to the highlight of the night—the fully open-top viewing deck.

Standing 850 feet above the city, the air was crisp but not overwhelmingly cold. The uninterrupted, 360-degree panorama stretched before us, with the city shimmering under the night sky—a truly breathtaking sight. At that late hour, around 11 p.m., the deck was nearly empty, making the moment feel even more intimate. Just sitting there, taking in the incredible vista with Jane beside me, was pure magic.

That night, and those memories, are ones we’ll cherish forever.

Finally, before making our descent, we nipped into the gift shop at the top to buy a few mementoes of our visit. Then, we headed back down to one of the lower, enclosed floors to warm up a bit, make use of the Wi-Fi again, and just take a seat for a while, savouring the last moments of that incredible view. After soaking it all in one last time, we took the lift back down to the main lobby and headed for what we thought was the exit…

Rockefeller Plaza

Get your Skates on

Once we were back at street level after our amazing trip to the Top of the Rock, we found ourselves navigating through yet another gift shop. It was then we discovered that if you venture down another level, there's a whole network of shops tucked away in the basement. More excitingly, this lower concourse also opens out onto a viewing area for the famous Rockefeller Center ice rink. Being so close to Thanksgiving, the rink was absolutely alive with activity, a classic New York winter scene buzzing with skaters, even at that time of night. It was fantastic to stand there and watch everyone gliding around, and then, right before our eyes, we saw someone drop to one knee in the middle of the ice and propose!

A huge round of applause erupted from everyone watching from the balcony area just above the rink, so we safely assumed she must have said yes. It was another lovely, feel-good moment to add to an already special day.

The only slight downside to the whole Rockefeller experience was that they hadn't quite finished putting up the enormous Christmas tree. We could see it, partially constructed, but it wasn't the fully decorated, spectacular sight that famously has its own televised switch-on ceremony. Still, you can't have it all. By now, it was nudging 12:30 a.m. or so, and even for us, it was time to start thinking about heading back to the hotel.

What we hadn't quite appreciated, though, was that the area beneath the Rockefeller Center is a bit of a rabbit warren. It’s not just under the main building; these corridors and passages extend out under the roads too. I’ve since found out you can actually walk a fair distance underground and pop out a block or so away. 

Amazing view of Top of the Rock

Of course, with our usual impeccable sense of direction, we managed to get completely disorientated. After wandering around for a while, encountering several frustratingly locked doors, we bumped into a friendly janitor. The poor bloke must have seen the bewildered looks on our faces because he immediately took pity on us. He led us to a service lift, which he said would save us the walk back through the maze we'd just navigated. Using his "magic key" to operate the lift, he told us to just turn left when we came out. I half expected to emerge on another basement floor, but to our surprise, the doors opened directly onto a quiet side street! It definitely made me wonder what other secret passages and mysterious doors are hidden away behind the scenes in big cities.

So, yes, this was another very late night for us, but an incredibly memorable one, from the breathtaking views at the top to the unexpected proposal and our little subterranean adventure at the end.

Planetarium

Today was all about taking it easy. With no grand plans, we simply headed back to the museum and planetarium to catch the exhibits we missed yesterday. Nothing too eventful, but after all the rushing around, a slower pace was a welcome change. 

Back to the Natural History Museum

Our mission for the day was a return to the magnificent American Museum of Natural History. We caught the same subway line as the previous day, aiming for a direct hit this time. Or so I thought. In a moment of classic "are we there yet?" enthusiasm, I confidently declared we were at our stop, only to realise, just as we emerged onto street level, that we’d actually overshot by one stop. Oops. Still, it was only about three blocks to walk back, and frankly, that seemed like less faff than navigating our way back down into the subway and then up again. Another minor navigational triumph for Team GB!

Despite arriving a little later than planned, thanks to my subway stop miscalculation, we dived straight back into the museum. It was amazing how much we’d managed to miss on our first visit – the place is just so incredibly packed with wonders. We happily spent the entire day there all over again, wandering through halls we hadn't even glanced at previously and re-visiting a few favourites.

Con and Teddy Roosevelt

During our explorations, I even managed to have my photo taken with President Theodore Roosevelt. He sat on a bench rather imposingly, I must say. He didn't have much to say for himself, mind you, but then again, being made of bronze probably makes holding a conversation a bit tricky.

By the time we finally stumbled out of the museum for the second time, it was almost dark. The timing, however, was perfect for a spot of photography. The grand old building itself looked brilliant illuminated against the darkening sky, and the all-glass structure of the Hayden Planetarium next door was a real spectacle, glowing invitingly and reflecting the city lights around it. It was a cracking end to another fascinating day.

Evening walk

Columbus Circle Neon

As I mentioned, it had been a pretty full-on day revisiting the museum, so we kept things low-key once we were done. We just grabbed something to eat on the way back to the hotel – nothing fancy – and then settled in to watch a bit of telly for the evening. Jane decided to call it a night fairly early, but I still had a bit of energy left, or perhaps just a touch of restlessness.

I initially popped out just for a bit of a walk around our local area, but then I got the idea to hop on the subway. I ended up taking a trip back uptown to Columbus Circle, fancying my chances at getting some decent photographs of it all lit up in the dark. I had this vision of how it might look, all dramatic and glowing. In reality, though, it wasn't quite the photographic goldmine I'd imagined. It was lit up, sure, but it just didn't have that 'wow' factor I was hoping for through the lens. Oh well, you can't win them all, can you? Some things look better in your head, or just to the naked eye, rather than on camera.

Late night pub drinking

After the slightly underwhelming photography session at Columbus Circle, I had a classic "sod it" moment. There was no point heading back to the hotel just yet. Instead, I hopped back on the next subway train, making a beeline for 47th Street and that friendly Irish pub, Langans, where we’d had a decent meal the other day. By the time I strolled in, it was already 11:30 p.m.

I knew pubs and bars kept late hours around here, but when I first walked in, it looked like they were just about ready to call it a night. There were only about five or six people dotted along the bar, nursing their drinks. I found myself a vacant bar stool, ordered a beer – which arrived complete with a little napkin underneath it, a nice touch – and settled in, feeling quite relaxed. Fast forward to about 1:30 a.m., and after my second beer (or was it my fourth? Things were getting a little pleasantly hazy), the place suddenly started to fill up. Streams of people started piling in. I leaned over to the bloke sat next to me and asked if this sudden rush was normal. "Yup," he said, "all the theatres start kicking out around one o'clock, and everyone heads for a beer afterwards." Another New York mystery solved, Scooby!

This particular pub, I learned, didn’t actually close its doors until around 4:30 in the morning. By now, it was probably somewhere between two and half-past two – as I said, that bit’s a tad fuzzy. Given that a beer was setting me back $7 (a fairly hefty £4.40 for just over a pint), I wasn’t in any mad rush to be ordering them by the dozen, but equally, I wasn’t in any hurry to leave the lively atmosphere. Eventually, though, leave I must. Sigh.

It was actually lovely strolling back through Times Square at that time of night. Although it was still buzzing with light and a surprising number of people compared to, say, a British city centre at that hour, it felt practically deserted compared to its usual daytime or early evening chaos. The sheer volume of people had thinned out enough that you could actually appreciate the scale of the place. I took some time to sit on those big red TKTS steps, just soaking in the atmosphere, watching the giant billboards playing their endless, silent adverts to the quietened streets. It was a perfect, peaceful end to a long and varied day.

Columbus Circle & The Natural History Museum

We eventually surfaced and set off a bit later today, around 10:20 a.m. I think, embracing a more leisurely holiday rhythm. We wandered down to the subway entrance at the other end of our road to catch the uptown C train. Our destination was Columbus Circle, a bustling roundabout that sits right on the south-west corner of the magnificent Central Park. It’s quite the hub, this spot, with plenty of shops buzzing around its perimeter, including the rather swanky Time Warner Center, a colossal glass structure glinting in the morning light.

Chicken Soup & Chainsaws

Chainsaw sculpture

Once we emerged from the subway, we made a beeline for one of the many food kiosks dotted around the edge of the park. Brunch was calling, and I opted for a comforting pot of chicken and noodle soup, which came with a crusty bread roll, all washed down with a large coffee. Perfect for a slightly crisp New York morning. While we ate, we couldn't help but admire the impressive skyscrapers that frame this part of the city. Many of them are these incredible edifices of glass and steel, acting like giant mirrors reflecting the older buildings around them and the blue sky above, creating a dazzling, almost futuristic cityscape.

We had a good stroll around the area for a while, just soaking it all in. Then we came across a rather unexpected bit of street theatre: a group of people expertly carving intricate ice sculptures, not with delicate chisels, but with roaring chainsaws! It was quite the spectacle – a blend of raw power and surprising artistry, and certainly not something you see every day. We stood and watched them for a good while, fascinated by the skill involved in turning a block of ice into something beautiful with such an aggressive tool.

Dino’s and Dumb Dumb

Old Bones

With the ice sculptures duly admired, it was time to move on. We hopped back on the subway, heading further uptown to the American Museum of Natural History – or AMNH, as those in the know call it. Now, it wasn't the cheapest attraction, setting us back $18 each to get in, but honestly, it was worth every single cent. The place is absolutely colossal inside, a sprawling labyrinth of knowledge with something like 30 different halls to explore. You could genuinely get lost in there for days.

Jane & Dumb Dumb

One of the early highlights, and clearly a massive draw, was bumping into "Dumb Dumb," the giant Easter Island head statue made famous by the Night at the Museum film. We, of course, had to have our photo taken with him. I’m pretty sure they used the grand exterior of the museum for some of the opening shots in that movie too. It was hilarious watching pretty much everyone who walked into that particular hall; "Dumb Dumb" was the first thing they saw, and almost without fail, they’d immediately start re-enacting the "You give me gum-gum!" scene. Brilliant! After a good deal more walking, admiring everything from towering dinosaur skeletons to intricate dioramas, our stomachs started to rumble. We decided to try the cafe inside the museum for some lunch and a well-earned beer. Big mistake. It’s not a place we’d be rushing back to. The food was seriously overpriced for what it was, and let’s just say it wasn’t the tastiest meal I've ever had. Still, silver linings and all that – I made very good use of their free Wi-Fi while we were there, catching up on a few bits.

Hayden Planetarium

By this point, it was getting dangerously close to closing time, and we realised we hadn't even managed to cover two-thirds of the museum. It’s just that massive! We made a quick dash to have a look at the Hayden Planetarium, which is an impressive structure in itself, before conceding defeat for the day. We’d definitely have to make another trip here, either tomorrow or at least before we headed home; there was just too much amazing stuff to miss. It was becoming clear that my well-organised, meticulously planned daily schedule was, for the most part, completely out the window. We seemed to be rearranging our plans on the fly most days, but hey, that’s half the fun, isn’t it?

Time Square Squeeze

When closing time finally rolled around at the American Museum of Natural History, we somehow managed to exit the building and walk straight into what felt like the entire population of the museum simultaneously trying to cram themselves into the adjacent subway station. It was absolutely heaving – I suppose it was to be expected, with everyone being turfed out at the same time (how very dare they stop us from looking at old bones!). We squeezed onto a train heading for Times Square, blissfully unaware of what awaited us.

Now, I’ll say this for Times Square on a Saturday night: if you’re not a fan of crowds, it’s probably not top of your list of relaxing places to be. The place was utterly, overwhelmingly packed. You could barely shuffle along the pavement without having to engage in a bit of polite (and sometimes not-so-polite) barging. At some points, you just got swept along in the human current, a bit like trying to swim upstream in a river made entirely of people. I genuinely thought I’d lost Jane on a couple of occasions in the sheer crush of bodies. Our plan had been to find something to eat before heading back to the hotel, but that was proving to be a mission in itself.

All the decent-looking restaurants were, predictably, full to bursting with queues snaking out the doors. In the end, we admitted defeat on the sit-down meal front and ended up grabbing some sandwiches (and, crucially, a few tins of beer) from a corner shop. It wasn’t exactly gourmet, but it meant we could retreat to the relative sanity of our hotel room to eat.

A little later, I decided to dive back into the chaos and head out to Times Square once more. The mission? Secure some of that glorious free Wi-Fi. I had updates to share, emails to check, and absolutely no intention of handing over twenty dollars a day for the hotel’s overpriced internet.

Twenty bucks for something invisible? Daylight robbery. So, I found a spot amidst the madness, connected to the digital world, and let the city swirl around me.

Wall Street and Brooklyn

We surfaced around ten o'clock, ready for another day of exploring. One of the brilliant things about our hotel was that a subway entrance was quite literally on our doorstep – super handy for getting around. The grand plan for the morning was to hop on the subway and head right down to the southern tip of Manhattan. However, it turned out Hurricane Sandy had other ideas, even weeks after she’d blown through. The South Ferry station, which would have been our stop, was closed for the foreseeable future.

You might remember seeing it on the news at the time; there was this unforgettable, dramatic footage of water absolutely gushing down the station stairs like a raging river, completely swamping the platforms below. It was a proper deluge. And the real kicker? The station had only recently reopened after a massive refurbishment before Sandy decided to give it another makeover, this time with a few million gallons of seawater. So, our straightforward trip south was going to need a bit of a rethink.

City Hall and Wall Street

Jane on the Subway

No worries about the South Ferry station being out of action; we were seasoned travellers by now (well, sort of) and quickly switched to Plan B. This involved a change of trains and a new destination: City Hall. Our original thought was to have a wander around nearby Chinatown, but on a quick assessment, the neighbourhood didn't look entirely like our cup of tea for a morning stroll, so we gave it a miss. Instead, we ambled around the impressive City Hall building itself and found a little plaza area dotted with snack stalls. Jane spotted a Korean kiosk and managed to get a lovely, steaming pot of chicken and noodle soup for only a couple of dollars, which she declared delicious. I just grabbed a coffee, taking in the city bustle.

One Police plaza

While Jane was enjoying her soup, we made friends with some of the local wildlife – a gang of surprisingly large and brazen squirrels. They weren't shy at all and happily relieved us of a bag of crisps, one by one. Entertainment over, we dropped back down into the subway and made our way to Wall Street. Taking a walk past the New York Stock Exchange was quite something; the whole area was a hive of activity, with serious-looking people striding about and more security than we’d ever seen in one place – very imposing.

Next on our loosely-formed agenda was the Police Museum, which was only a short walk away. I had a feeling this part of Lower Manhattan might have been affected by the hurricane a few weeks back, even if the streets themselves looked remarkably clear. The museum, I believe, was housed in a former police precinct building. Thinking it wise, I nipped ahead on my own to make sure it was actually open before we both trekked over. Good job I did. Despite the building looking perfectly unscathed from the outside, it was closed. Not a sausage about it on their website, which was a bit of a shame as I’d read it was a great place to explore. Apparently, all the staff had been temporarily redeployed to help with the massive clean-up effort across the city.

It was astonishing to see the sheer scale of work unfolding across Lower Manhattan. Just weeks after Sandy had hit, the cleanup and restoration efforts were already in full swing, an operation as vast as the damage itself. Everywhere you looked—cranes towering overhead, workmen scattered across construction sites, the constant hum of rebuilding—the city was charging forward, a true testament to its relentless, get-on-with-it spirit.

Brooklyn Bridge

Just a short walk from where the Police Museum wasn't, was something I’d genuinely always wanted to clap eyes on: the Brooklyn Bridge. And let me tell you, what an absolutely incredible sight it is when you're standing right there, ready to set foot on it! The sheer scale and intricate design just takes your breath away.

Now, I had no grand ambitions of walking the entire length all the way across to Brooklyn – that’s a proper trek! My plan was to venture as far as the first magnificent stone tower, and even from there, the views looking back towards the Manhattan skyline were simply jaw-dropping. Standing on that wooden boardwalk, you can't help but marvel at how on earth they managed to build such a colossal structure way back in 1883. It was the very first bridge to span the East River, a true testament to the engineering genius of the day, with its iconic Gothic arches and intricate web of steel cables.

The Brooklyn Bridge

Unlike most bridges, the Brooklyn Bridge features a unique elevated pathway running down its center—about 15 feet above the road—rather than along the sides. But don’t let the scenic walk lull you into a false sense of security; you’ll need to stay alert. The path is shared with a cycle lane, marked only by a thin white line, and it’s quite narrow in places—not that it’s particularly wide overall. Wander into it at the wrong moment, and you’ll quickly learn just how seriously cyclists take their space. It was highly entertaining watching them passionately shout, "Out the way!" at any unsuspecting pedestrian who dared to drift across the line.

After spending far too much time leaning over the railings trying to capture the perfect photograph (and probably getting in the way of a few cyclists myself), we headed down towards the edge of the river. It actually felt a lot warmer down there, with the glorious sunshine bouncing off the water. And the views back to the city skyline from that vantage point? Simply amazing.

Wall Street Pier

We found ourselves at a pier where a couple of ferries were docked. One was clearly a tour boat, doing the full commentary circuit, while the other looked more like a functional water taxi. We ambled over to a little kiosk to ask about getting a ferry across to the Brooklyn side. The woman inside, however, seemed utterly intent on selling us tickets for the expensive tour boat and wasn't the slightest bit helpful when we tried to ask about the simpler commuter ferry. Still, never ones to be easily defeated, we managed to work out the timetable for the one we wanted, discovered you could pay cash onboard (bonus!), and soon enough, we were setting sail. We chugged our way across the East River, heading for a place in Brooklyn called DUMBO – which, we learned, is rather unflatteringly short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Classic.

Dumbo

The ferry trip across the East River was a quick hop, probably ten minutes at most. Getting Jane off the boat at the DUMBO pier was a bit of a manoeuvre, as it wasn’t the most accessible setup, but blimey, it was definitely worth the effort once we were on solid ground.

Brooklyn Bridge From Dumbo

The first thing that strikes you in DUMBO is just how incredibly close the Manhattan Bridge looms. It’s practically on top of you, even straddling some of the old warehouse buildings that give the area its character. It's a fascinating jumble of cobbled streets and trendy converted spaces, all sitting literally "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass." The oddest thing was the temperature. Back on Wall Street, surrounded by those canyons of skyscrapers, we were freezing. But out here on the Brooklyn pier, and later in Brooklyn Bridge Park, it felt a good 10°C warmer. Finally, some direct sunlight on our bones! We sat for a while in the park, and the views back to the Brooklyn Bridge, glowing a magnificent red and gold in the late afternoon sun, were just stunning. Looking south, the Statue of Liberty stood proudly in the distance. Naturally, I took far, far too many photos.

All that fresh air and sightseeing had us starting to feel a bit peckish, so it was time to hunt for some grub. A fair few places in DUMBO were still closed due to the flooding from Hurricane Sandy, and you could tell it was a bit of a tourist hotspot price-wise. Still, when you’re hungry, you can usually sniff out somewhere decent without too much trouble.

Medium Grimaldi's Pizza

And boy, did we get lucky today! We stumbled upon an Italian place called Grimaldi's, famed for its coal-brick oven pizzeria. We dived inside, eager to refuel. I don’t think either of us had ever seen a pizza that enormous outside of a cartoon. For $14, plus $2 per topping, it was looking like fantastic value. We opted for a "medium," which turned out to be a whopping 16 inches across! That's a serious amount of pizza when it lands on your table. The best bit was that the kitchen, complete with the all-important coal-fired oven, was right there in the bar area, so you could watch your magnificent creation being tossed, topped, and baked right before your eyes. It took some serious effort to get through it between the two of us, and even then, we had to admit defeat and leave two slices. All this, including drinks, tax, and a tip, came to just $27.

The bloke who served us seemed a tad put out that we didn't want to take the leftovers with us in a doggie bag. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with it – quite the opposite – but neither of us are big fans of cold pizza. We could barely move when we finally heaved ourselves up to leave, Grimaldi's is definitely one place we’ll be making a beeline for on our next visit!

With that epic meal over, and Jane's leg starting to remind her it had been a long day, it was time to start thinking about making a move back towards the hotel. The journey back, however, turned into a bit of a palaver. To get the subway under the East River from Brooklyn, you have to go down fairly deep at High Street station. There were a lot of steps for Jane to navigate, with no lifts in sight and an escalator that moved at warp speed, making it impossible for her to get on safely.

Our original plan was to catch the C train. But when we eventually made it down to that particular platform level, we could see the tracks were clearly flooded – a rather unwelcome souvenir from Hurricane Sandy. Frustratingly, there weren't any signs further up warning you not to bother heading down there. So, it was back up the mountain of steps we went, and time to figure out a different route. This, unfortunately, involved changing trains at a station called Chambers Street. It’s a massive, sprawling interchange, all underground, and it felt like we walked for miles through endless tunnels and up and down countless flights of stairs. I’m pretty sure it would have been quicker, and certainly easier on the legs, to go up to street level and come back down again at a different entrance.

Eventually, after what felt like an age, we found our way to the Number 1 line, which would, thankfully, drop us off right near our hotel. We finally stumbled out of the subway around 8:30 p.m. grabbed a few bits from the local shop for a late-night snack, and retreated to our room to chill out and recover from our unexpected subterranean obstacle course.

Neon Nightmare

Giant baubles

Later that evening, with Jane presumably enjoying a well-earned rest, I decided to head out on my own again, back into the electric embrace of Times Square. I’d always fancied having a proper go at capturing those iconic photos of the dazzling neon signs, the kind you see splashed across travel magazines. Armed with my camera, I wandered into the heart of it all, ready to create some photographic masterpieces. Turns out, it’s not nearly as easy as it looks! Wrestling with reflections, judging exposure times with all those constantly changing lights, and trying to get a shot that wasn’t just a blurry mess of colour was a real challenge. I can’t remember exactly how long I spent out there, wandering from one glowing billboard to another, trying (and often failing) to get those perfect, iconic shots.

I got back to the hotel at a much more respectable hour this evening, feeling like a semi-professional photographer, or at least a very persistent amateur. We still had the window open. We’d finally managed to wrestle the room’s heating into submission and turn it off, but it was still a bit on the warm side. Speaking of the window, the view wasn't exactly one for the postcards. I think we were on the fifth floor of what was probably a twelve-storey building, and our vista consisted mainly of other hotel room windows across what must have been a small, rather unglamorous courtyard below. The star attraction of this particular panorama? A fine collection of dumpsters. Still, you can't have everything, can you?

It's funny, though, just lying there with the window open, listening to the unfiltered sounds of New York City. It’s a constant symphony of cars swishing by, the wail of sirens in the distance (which always makes you wonder what drama is unfolding), and the incessant hooting of car horns. They seem to hoot their horns all the time here, day and night. I honestly don't think anyone knows who’s hooting at whom most of the time; it just seems to be part of the city’s natural background hum.

With my photographic ambitions temporarily satisfied and the city serenading us from outside, it was finally time to crack open a couple of those tins of beer, stick the telly on for a bit, and look forward to sinking into that big, comfy bed. Another New York day done and dusted.

Grand Central Station

By the time we surfaced the this morning, it was nudging nine o’clock. I suspect the infamous time difference was beginning to make its presence felt, or at least that’s what I was telling myself. It definitely couldn’t have been the fact that I’d sat up half the night, nursing beers after a 3,000-mile flight, could it? Nah. We didn’t feel particularly shattered, but motivating myself to actually get up and go took a bit of doing. Eventually, about an hour later, we finally emerged from the hotel, grabbed a quick bite to eat from one of the countless delis, and began our walk towards the legendary Grand Central Terminal.

A Stroll to Grandeur

New York Public libarary

Our route took us past some classic New York sights. We ambled by a rather impressive fountain display – I think it was called Lilholts Pooley Pool, or something equally memorable (great name, that!). It was one of those wonderfully over-the-top Christmas decorations you see in American cities, with giant, brightly coloured baubles in the water, looking like escaped ornaments from a giant’s Christmas tree. It certainly brought a smile to our faces.

Pressing on, we skirted past the famous Rockefeller Plaza, already buzzing with that unmistakable festive energy, before finding ourselves on the grand expanse of Park Avenue. Strolling down this iconic street, flanked by its towering, stately buildings, you really get a sense of the city's power and architectural ambition. It’s a world away from the flashing lights of Times Square but every bit as New York. Our destination, Grand Central, was drawing ever closer, and I couldn’t wait to see if the inside lived up to its monumental reputation.

Cathedral of Commuting

Grand central Terminal

From the outside, Grand Central Terminal doesn't scream "colossal." It’s impressive, sure, but it cleverly disguises its true scale. Then you walk in. Wow. The place is absolutely vast, a veritable cathedral dedicated to the art of getting from A to B. It unfolds across three main levels. Down in the depths are the platforms where the trains lurk, alongside a scattering of coffee shops for the commuter. But the main floor, the Grand Concourse, is the one you see in all the films – an immense, echoing hall bathed in a soft light, bustling with people and home to the grand ticket windows.

The upper public floor, where you often enter at street level from Park Avenue, offers these brilliant elevated views down onto the main concourse, particularly of the majestic staircases. You get the distinct impression that half the people there are, like us, just soaking it all in and taking photos, rather than actually catching a train. One of the most striking features for me was the way the concourse gently slopes downwards towards the lower levels, with these enormous, almost chandelier-like light fittings hanging from the high ceiling, guiding the way.

And speaking of ceilings, if you head into the main ticket hall and cast your eyes upwards, you’re in for a treat. The entire vaulted ceiling is an amazing celestial panorama, a beautiful teal sky painted with golden constellations. Apparently, for donkey's years, you couldn't really see this masterpiece properly; it was hidden under layers of grime from decades of cigarette smoke. When they finally restored it, they cleverly left one tiny, dark patch on the original paintwork untouched, just to show you the difference. It’s a fantastic touch.

Vending machine vendetta

While we were marvelling at the architecture, we decided to sort out our travel for the week and get the 7-day MTA cards. These offer unlimited travel on the subway and buses, and at $27 each, they’re absolutely cracking value for money. The only snag? You have to buy them from a vending machine. Now, Grand Central is a hub for several different rail services – Metro-North, Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road – plus the local MTA subways. And it seemed to us like each of these services had its own army of little ticket-selling robots, all stubbornly refusing to acknowledge each other. It was like yesterday’s train ticket palaver all over again, but this time with uncooperative machines instead of unhelpful staff.

After a bit of trial and error, we finally located the correct MTA machine, only to discover it had a personal vendetta against card payments. So, we ended up feeding our precious smaller notes into it, which I was trying to avoid as getting change for a $50 bill can be a right pain in the arse. A word to the wise about these travel cards too: they’re made of surprisingly thin cardboard and feel like they could bend or snap if you so much as look at them sternly. You do get charged for the card itself, as they're re-loadable, so best to treat them with a bit of care.

Fifth Avenue

Radio City

With our travel cards sorted and Grand Central thoroughly explored, it was time to brave the outside world again and hunt down some lunch. We emerged and set off for a stroll along the famous Fifth Avenue. Now, Fifth Avenue is lined with all sorts of posh shops and impressive buildings, but finding somewhere that appealed for a quick, casual bite with somewhere to actually sit down inside proved surprisingly tricky. Plenty of places offered food, but nothing quite hit the spot or looked like it would offer refuge from the biting wind.

Speaking of the wind, it was a real force to be reckoned with. With all those colossal skyscrapers channelling it down the avenues, and the low winter sun keeping the streets in permanent shade, that New York cold cut right through you. After a while, with our stomachs rumbling and the chill setting in, we spotted the golden arches of McDonald's. "Well," we thought, "when in Rome..." or in this case, when freezing on Fifth Avenue, so we dived in.

And you know what? It was a revelation, definitely not like anything you get back in the UK, that’s for sure. We both went for a rather lovely Aberdeen Angus burger topped with Swiss cheese, which came with a mountain of large fries and what can only be described as a bucket-sized soft drink – all for about $7 each. It was surprisingly tasty and did the trick perfectly.

Warmed and refuelled, we had a bit more of a stroll around the shops, still battling the cold. We even found a 99-cent shop, which felt a bit out of place amongst the ritzier establishments. It was a life saver for me, though, as I’d typically managed to forget my woolly hat and scarf, so I quickly acquired some new, very reasonably priced headgear. After a bit more window shopping and generally soaking up the atmosphere, we decided it was time to head back to the hotel for that essential afternoon nap, to recharge the batteries for whatever the evening might hold.

When we got back to the room, we discovered a new, unwelcome feature: the tap in the bathroom was leaking quite enthusiastically. We reported it, and soon enough, a maintenance chap turned up. It didn't take him long to fix the pesky tap, thankfully. The real entertainment, though, was listening to him getting what sounded like a right earful from reception over his handheld radio. I can't speak a word of Spanish, but there was a lot of rather animated shouting going back and forth, especially when he announced he had to turn the water off for ten minutes. The ensuing "flood" of calls to reception – no pun intended – from other guests apparently caused quite the stir. Just another quiet afternoon in a New York hotel!

Time Square Wander

Time Square Neon

While Jane was enjoying a well-deserved nap, I decided to embark on a little solo mission. My objective? To recce the local subway situation and generally have a bit of a stroll around Times Square on my own for an hour or so. I didn't plan on venturing too far, but I was keen to see how the infamous New York subway compared to our own London Underground.

There were a couple of stations conveniently located on either side of our hotel, so I popped into one. First impressions? It’s nothing like the Tube, where you can spend what feels like half your life descending miles into the earth on escalators just to travel a quarter of a mile. Here, it was just a couple of flights of stairs down from the pavement – much more immediate. I only travelled one stop, more out of curiosity than anything, and also to make sure Jane would be able to manage the stairs, as lifts seemed to be a bit of a rare luxury in this particular area. It’s a funny thing, those shallow subway lines. As you walk along some streets, you can hear the trains rumbling right beneath your feet through the metal grates in the pavement. In a few places, if you time it right, you can even catch a glimpse of the tops of the carriages flashing past. Definitely a different experience!

One Time Square from the Tickets steps

I got back to the hotel around six o’clock, had a quick breather myself, and then it was time to think about rustling up some dinner with Jane. We had absolutely no plan, so we just headed out for a wander. It's not like you're short of places to eat around Times Square; the challenge is sifting through them all to find somewhere decent that doesn't require a second mortgage. Eventually, tucked away on 47th Street, we stumbled upon an Irish pub called Langans. It turned out to be a cracking find – the food was lovely, proper hearty stuff, and really good value for money.

Once we were suitably fed and watered, we decided to walk it off with a browse around some of the model shops in the Times Square area, soaking up the still-bonkers atmosphere. During our wanderings, we even managed to snag a couple of free energy drinks. Some poor bloke's trolley, laden with them, tipped over, and cans went rolling everywhere. We helped pick a few up, and he insisted we take a couple for our trouble. FYI, they tasted absolutely vile, which probably explains why they were being given away as free samples in the first place!

We finally made it back to the hotel around one in the morning again, caught a bit of telly, and then crashed out. Another day in New York was over, just like that. But we were definitely starting to get the hang of the place now, finding our way around without any major dramas, which felt like a small victory in itself.