A View From Above

We woke and were greeted with another chilly New York morning, however the weather man did deliver on his promise of a clear fine day. With Fraser setting the pace we walked briskly towards the Rockerfella centre where we found ourselves in the line for the Jimmy Fallon show guest staring none other than Nick Offerman  (OMG Ron Swanson), much to Sam's delight. After some confusion and redirection we were soaring 70 floors up to the Top of the Rock. The wind whipping around us could not detract from the stunning views of Manhattan, the Husdon and East rivers, Central Park and Empire State building.

Mid morning refreshments were found at coffee shop Dean and Deluca before continuing on to Central Park. While Fraser delivered on his promise to Vickie on a horse and carriage ride Sam and I opted for hiring bikes to see the sights. It was a fantastic way to spend a couple of hours and we were easily lost in the serenity of the park. The Sheep meadow offered an amazing backdrop for photos of the central west buildings, Strawberry fields, a tribute to John Lennon and The Fountain (featured in Friends) were amongst some of the parks attractions. It was an absolute oasis in the middle of New York City. The main roads of the park had heavy foot traffic with visitors absorbing the sights and locals using it as a recreational exercise area.

A late lunch at Goodburger somewhat under delivered on expectations but provided the fuel we needed to take on 5th Avenue. A short detour led us to a compulsory visit to Bloomingdales, well as far as Vickie and I were concerned...the boys I'm not so sure. It was a highly stimulating hive of activity. There were 11 floors packed with designer clothing, cosmetics, fragrances, jewellery, furniture and housewares. Aside from the overwhelming quantity of consumables there where more people per square metre than I thought possible, the visit was short, but fascinating none the less. The trip down 5th Avenue saw us scouting the designs of high end fashion, including, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Tiffiny and Co (All six floors), Hugo Boss, The Apple store and my personal favourite Cartier. At some stage in the journey Sam and Fraser tagged out preferring to head to a bar for a late afternoon beer. Their absence was somewhat of a blessing allowing Vickie and I to take our sweet time.

After a short break at the hostel to reconnect and rest our weary feet we headed out for a simple and satisfying dinner of steak and salad at Ruby Tuesdays a convenient one block from the hostel. Our last opportunity to get night photos and soak up the atmosphere of Times Square and all it's glory. I also managed to convince Sam to have a street sketch of the two of us by a very talented little Asian man. I must admit it looks like it could be a slightly Neanderthal Sam with some other bird but I appreciated the impressive rack and upmarket handbag he gave me. We completed the day with some late night shopping at Saphora European cosmetics shop in which Vickie and I could and likely will at some stage spend hours. Does anyone want a Reese's Piece??

Written by Amy

Beer of the Day:
Goose Neck IPA - Off tap Pint Glass - Caramel malts, citrus hops, good carbonation. Went down a treat but then anything would have after trudging around 5th Ave on the girls coat tails.