New York News - the end of a journey

New Yoooork!

Out of all the places and cities we planned, New York has maybe the one we've heard the most about in genereal. Both Åslaug and myself are huge fans of the sitcom "Friends" and ecpecially the one and only "Sex and the City", which takes place in NY. There was a lot of excitement, it also being the very last stop on our journey, when we landed on Newark airport. We had booked a hostel West 63rd street so close to Central Park we saw it from our window. Not the nicest room, but the it was the most expencive accomondation on our entire trip and the area was great. On our first day we started walking and rather randomly we ended up in Times Square (or maybe all the roads goes to Times Square?) Just as shiny and full of everything and everybody, as expected. One thing led to another and suddenly we were watching the broadway version of "Phantom of the Opera". A very beautiful experience I highly recommend.

The Phantom is present

Times Square at night

We did alot. A lot of walking, and a lot of tourism and some things not so touristy. Jogging in Central Park, walking around the Village, Soho, Wall Street, Brooklyn Bridge, etc. The 2 km long queue kept us from taking the ferry aorund the Island but we did of course see Lady Liberty. Walking from the Guggenheim Museum we figured we'd just keep walking and see the area. As we kept climbing the street numbers, someone told us we could take the train from 125th street, it became more and more different from what the rest of towm seems like. Someone shouting "white girls" after us and seeing no others who could be mistaken for tourists we realised we had entered the spanish/latino part of town. We enjoyed it and weren't scared at any point, though we were glad we were two. Blake told us later he would have advised us not to go beyond 100th street.

We got a makeover at Barney's by the NY brand Sue Devitt

Sunset

Outisde Magnolia Bakery

Inside The Guggenheim museum

Blake is a relative on our dads side (the only one we visited that we're both related to). He and his wife Jennifer lives in Fairfield, Conneticut with their lovely golden retriver, Skyler. The daugthers Laura and Emily are a couple of years older than me and Åssi. They were amazingly welcoming and let us stay with them. Among other things, we visited Laura where she studies in Amherst, Massachussetts.
Taking the train from them to Manhatten only takes a little over an hour, and we're so grateful for all the pick-ups and drop-off. 4th of July was celebrated in NYC watching the fireworks over the Hudson River from the top of Rockefeller Center. Amazing! I'm so glad we got to do that.

Skyler!

Laura and Åslaug

In the Yellow sofa where Laura sings on open-mic on fridays! (Laura's song areawesome! Witness, right here!)

New York is it own kind of thing. There's still much to see there. But it's a lot of people crammed into not so much space and I think the fact that we came during the high season for tourists, affected at least my own impresion of the city. Our first cousin from Norway, Synne, happened to be in NY with her boyfriend when we were there, so we had lunch in Bleeker street. We rarely see her in Norway, so it was kinda ironic, kinda awesome, seeing her there. The cupcakes at Mognolia Bakery, the sunset over Empire state building, Grand central station, my gorgeous new DNKY shoes, the list goes on, and now (almost two months later - i'm sorry, i suck) I find myself smiling thinking back. It was the perfect place to end our little trip around the world. On our last night, Blake and Jennifer brought out the Champagne to celebrate. And I've got to say I think it's worth celebrating. We did good.

I'ts an end of a journey - a journey we will never forget..