Of Apples and Landmarks, Day 1

As anyone who knows me is probably sick of hearing, and as I've mentioned numerous times on this blog, this summer myself and my friend Rosita spent 10 days in New York. Admittedly I intended to relay the events of each day on here a lot sooner. But with moving into my new University house, and staring my final year of study I've found myself with a lot less time than I'd hoped for. So here I, belatedly, go.

The holiday got off to a delayed start when after being loaded onto a plane, we were told it was not suitable for flight then unloaded and given a delay and a food token as compensation. Considering I hadn't been on a plane for around 8 years I was a little apprehensive but the flight was fine, only a little bit of turbulence and some pretty awesome views from the window and I also got two films watched, The Lucky One and Wrath of the Titans as well as the first 20 minutes of The Avengers before I decided I could do something slightly more productive (it was my fifth viewing, and purely based upon the novelty of watching it in the sky). We arrived in the city at around 9pm, and so got a taxi to the hotel, got acquainted with said hotel and then went to sleep. Enter Day 1.

We kicked off our first day by visiting Ground Zero. I should mention that up until this point I had (perhaps semi-conciously) been unaware of the plans for the Ground Zero memorial site and so arrived completely unaware of what I was going to see. What architect Michael Arad has created is two stunning fountain/pool hybrids surrounded by bronze parapets into which are engraved the 2,983 names of the victims. Being at the site was unexplainably surreal, but so peaceful. The sound of the water, and even the smell, create an extremely calm and relaxing place to be, which was surprising considering it's being surrounded on all sides by the loud, busy city. I could have stayed there for hours, it really is a wonderful memorial.

After Ground Zero we spent some time simply soaking up the city and visiting shops, one of which was completely dedicated to Halloween. Now, as in a few posts time I'm sure you will find out, I bloody LOVE Halloween, and so to see a store  that all year round is dedicated to the holiday was great fun. The store also had disposable plates and similar party related cutlery in almost every colour known to man, a trend that Britain definitely needs to catch on to, small things small minds and all that! For lunch we headed to a great place called Pop's of Brooklyn, where I had an incredible Berry Chicken Salad with a side of the best onion rings I have had, ever. We then made our way back towards the hotel via the High Line. An old freight rail line converted to a public park, the High Line is a wonderfully scenic route which had a halfway point with great food and drink stands and featured numerous pieces of beautiful art on the walls of the surrounding buildings. To finish the day off we headed to the nearest cinema for a showing of Total Recall, where we sheepishly discovered that we had to purchase tickets from a box office outside of the main building and found that some Americans are fond of leaving the cinema before the trailers are even over.

It was a great first day surrounded by some beautiful scenery, topped off with amazing food and decent film.

I'm Still Here...

So ten days ago I was on a British Airways flight to Heathrow, returning from New York. I had such a brilliant time in the city, saw some amazing sights and had a number of truly incredible experiences. I fully intend to relay the entire ten day trip back to you all, through numerous blog posts filled with a handful of the 1,000+ photos I took whilst there.

We did slightly overestimate how
much alcohol would be required for
three of us.

Since I've been back in the UK my time has primarily been comprised of overtime at work. Of the ten days I've been back, I have spent seven behind a till, dealing with customers and yawning all the way through. The art of remaining conscious is something I still have to master. I also spent one day with two friends, catching up and having cocktails before they both head off on holiday soon. As a result of this I haven't really had enough time to dedicate to bringing you quality posts, but know that I have a lot in the pipeline for this little blog. I am consistently watching films in my spare time, and continuously putting together my reviews, as well as much much more.

Hopefully as my schedule clears up over the next few weeks I will get a chance to finish up as many of these posts as I can to keep this blog active after a near three week hiatus. The start of my final year at university is also drawing ever closer so be assured you can expect a number of general posts detailing my battles with a dissertation and assignment deadlines. Things are going to get crazy around here very quickly.

Until then,

Start Spreading the News...

For around three years now I've had a hit list of places I need to visit, consisting of Paris, Barcelona, Venice, New York and Berlin. I am very happy to tell you that one of those locations is about to get crossed off of the list. This August I will be headed to New York City with the lovely Rosita Langley, for ten days of pure unadulterated tourism.

I'm genuinely shocked that possibly the biggest name on that list is the first to be ticked off, but I couldn't be more excited. New York is the setting of so many films and TV shows I adore, so naturally the list of places we're going to visit is steadily growing longer and longer. Here is a run-down of the things I'm most excited to do. These aren't necessarily huge must-see locations like the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty, but they're the things I can't wait to do when I get there.

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's

A cliche, but a given. I may substitute the bagel for a croissant and the coffee for a hot chocolate, but I will be spending at least one morning outside the infamous store eating breakfast and channeling my inner kept-woman.  It's one of my all-time favourite films and I cannot wait to live it out.

2. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

This is a fairly simple one. THE bridge. It's a focal point of the city, and will be a focal point of one day in our trip. Walking across that beast will be such a surreal experience I'm sure, but I'm very excited to do it.

3. A Day in Central Park

One entire day spent in Central Park, where we just soak in our surroundings and enjoy one of the most famous parks in the world. Its big enough that we won't get bored, and in this city there will no doubt be ample opportunity for some good old fashioned people watching. Secretly have my fingers crossed Autumn will come early so I can enjoy the orangey browns, a la When Harry Met Sally.

4. One Night. No Sleep

Again with the simple goals. We will be in 'the city that never sleeps', so it stands to reason we should take on the challenge. One whole night where we don't sleep, don't go back to the hotel, and see as much of the cities nightlife as two people can. Alcohol may make an appearance.

5. Lunch on the Met Steps

Gossip Girl. Anyone who has watched it will understand this one. I was a late bloomer with GG, in fact it was Rosie who first convinced me to give it a watch in our first year of Uni. Needless to say I absolutely adore the show, and lunch on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a must-do, along with actually going inside the museum, obviously. I fully intend to Blair Waldorf those steps. 

Of course this list is nowhere near exhaustive, the absence of Broadway alone will send off some alarm bells, but these five things will undoubtedly enrich the holiday in so many ways. I could not be more excited. Any suggestions for other things to do are welcome!

Check out Rosie's blog here.