Day 23

Regan has left for home today.  We head for our early morning coffee then wander uptown managing to do some last minute shopping on the way.  Did I mention GAP are having a great sale?  I wanted to visit the Broadway shop, which we did, and then we headed to Carmine's for lunch.  What a great dining experience.  They serve everything in massive proportions!  We decide upon upon linguine fruit de mer ... delicious ... and huge.  We also decide on 'Chocolate Bread Pudding'.  I tell the waiter that I am not a fan of 'bread pudding' but he insists I will love this .... he's not wrong!  But again, it is a huge serving - enough to feed four!  Well, we are on holidays for another day or two :)

We then head to Times Square to buy tickets for the theatre tonight - "Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder".  Next stop, the M&M shop. where, apart from the huge bag of M&M's I buy, I also purchase some printed with my name and birthday wishes to put away till August!  Do you think they'll last?

Back to the hotel for some R&R before spending our last night at the theatre.  It's Friday night and there are people everywhere.  Walking through Times Square you are assailed by a sea of 'characters' wanting you to take a photo with them .... at a cost of course.  People tempting you to see their shows or go to the local comedy club, tourists, locals, a plethora of different languages, sirens, street performers ..... there really is no other place like New York in the world.

Tonight we saw "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder".  In the style of vaudeville, this was such fun and the actors were amazing.  Unfortunately this show finishes on Sunday so really pleased we saw it.

We went straight home to the hotel tonight ... no food (who can eat after what we demolished at lunch?) and not even a drink!  (although Gordy did have a couple of wines at the theatre.

This is our last night in New York .....  

Day 22

Regan arrived today and we are going SHOPPING …. Yaay!  Just the two of us J    Yaay!  No men!  Yaay!

Headed down to Macy’s and went from top to bottom but bought one top only.  Then we head uptown where we have far more success J  GAP have a sale plus another 60% discount.  H&M get a show and a stop at Sephora.   Eventually the boys meet us and we head to an Irish pub for lunch and a few vinos. 

After lunch we headed up to America Girl – I still can’t believe that shop.  Four floors of everything to do with dolls.  You choose a doll, skin colour, hair colour – you can choose glasses, ear piercing, hair styles …. You name it!  Slightly creepy ;(

We all depart for our hotels and then a little later in the evening, Regan came over to the Strand so we went downstairs for a drink before heading around to Keen’s.  We had to drink for about an hour and a half before we were able to get a table.  Great food in 36^th Street.

Day 21

It has become quite chilly today, down to below freezing but NO snow.  We have a quiet start to the day, heading to UO Café for coffee then down to Times Square where we buy tickets to the matinee today for ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’.

We stopped at Saju Bistro – a French restaurant on 44^th St. before heading to the theatre.  Authentic and delicious.   The play was amazing based upon a young 15 year old protagonist who is autistic and his daily struggle that begins with the death of the next door neighbour’s dog.  Wonderful staging, lighting and sound.

We went to ‘Aladdin’ tonight and it was fantastic!  Great costumes, so much energy, wonderful songs.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.  Then we stop, again, at the restaurant on 39^th St, Parker and Quinn,  for a late night snack.

Another day – life is so much different in New York!

Day 20 DC to NY

Off to Union Station and a train trip back to NYC.  Love Washington DC – it really is a lovely place.

Unbelievably historic - plenty to do with so many museums and galleries - great restaurants.  Our hotel, the Hay-Adams, was beautiful.  Also a wonderful history.  Barack Obama stayed there for two weeks before moving into the big house across the road.  Great position.  Restaurant was wonderful and the bar downstairs was also great.

Tonight we went to see “Something Rotten” – a very witty, rollicking and funny show.  So well cast – maybe not a classic but great fun.

We then went to Le Bernadin for dinner – beautiful food and impeccable service!  Purported to be some of the best food in the world.  Don't expect much change out of $500 for the basic meal ... but you only do it once though :)   Only mistake we made was to take a “bike cab” to the restaurant - $96!  Insane – DO NOT DO IT!

Day 19

Our last full day in DC so we head over to the White House and just in front of the Left Wing is the Renwick Gallery.  They have the most amazing installations happening.  Only about eight art pieces but really worth seeing.

After the gallery we take a taxi to Old Alexandria and visit the old Torpedo Factory which now houses dozens of working art studios.  The artists are ‘in situ’ so have a place not only to work but to also sell their creations. 

After a quick promenade by the water we then head up King Street.  It’s a very looong street and we stop for a bite to eat before ‘attempting’ to catch a train.  The train was delayed and we waited and waited and waited, in the end decided to take a cab to Georgetown.  Should have done that in the first place!

We are meeting Regan at Martin’s Tavern – a very famous tavern frequented by many of the nation’s political elite.  JFK proposed to Jackie there while still a congressman.

A late night drink at Ebbitt’s and then a nightcap at our hotel bar!  I am NOT drinking when I get home!

Day 18

What the ....?  17 degrees today!

Rather than stop for breakfast this morning and take up more time, we grabbed a ‘coffee to go’ then headed off to the Washington Memorial to see if I could get tickets for today – done and dusted for the 2pm journey to the top.

We then headed down to the Newseum.  This is a fairly recent museum and, as the title suggests, it’s focus is journalistic achievements of the past and present and how the delivery of news has shaped society.  Really worth seeing and very well set out.  While there, we viewed a 4-D presentation of news through the ages.

I have four tickets for the Washington Memorial so as Regan has just arrived in DC, we have arranged to meet for the 2pm tour.  The memorial is 500 feet tall, 555 with the pointy bit on top!  With the two windows on either side of the obelisk you get an unbelievable view of Washington.  We then set off for the Air and Space Museum and spend the remainder of the afternoon there until closing time.  GC and I went in to watch a couple of the IMAX shows – I think I woke myself up when I started snoring, then it was Gordy, then it was the guy across the aisle J

A taxi back to the hotel.  Getting a teeny bit chilly and we just can’t be bothered walking.  The city blocks here are HUGE!   

Off to Oyamel Cocina Mexicana tonight for dinner.  This guy owns the Zaytinya and this is his Mexican version – very tasty, so would recommend.

A nightcap back at the Hay-Adams now it’s time for bed!