Escaping the New York blizzard in favour of Frankfurt

As the plane taxis out on the runway and rises into the air, there is a cheer from the passengers on board. We are the last plane cleared for take-off before they close JFK airport due to the blizzard. If relief is a tangible thing, you could virtually touch it in the cabin, as every passenger smiled at being one of the lucky ones to get out, not having to kill time in a metropolis shutdown by a blizzard.

My seat mate on this flight is a young European guy returning home to the Black Forest in Germany after his first visit to New York. It is something we have in common – first NYC trip - and we start a conversation which lasts the entire flight from New York to Frankfurt. Sharing stories of our New York adventures, the conversation moved onto a wide variety of topics, and also included his ‘local’ advice for my trip in Europe.

It’s a funny thing, getting hints and tips from other travellers. Sometimes we can get the inside story on a place and enjoy some great experiences as a result. Other times we spend time and money to go somewhere or do something based on their recommendation, but it just doesn’t hit the spot. Goes to show we all have different ideas of “must see, must do” when travelling. But part of the journey is taking unexpected side trips and learning about a place as you go.

The key is being open to trying something different and willing to accept it if the experience does not live up to our expectation. We put so  much pressure on ourselves when we travel, itinerary in hand rushing from place to place, trying to extract maximum  value from every dollar and hour spent. This trip, my first solo adventure around the world, is about me taking baby steps to learn a new way to travel, where the value is in what I learn and who I become as part of the experience.

So anyway, the plane lands in Frankfurt. I ask the ‘local’ about the train from airport to city. “Oh I don’t think there is a train,” he says, “you will need to get a taxi.” I’m sure I read somewhere about the airport train, but it’s been a 10 hr flight and I have not slept a wink, so I go for the easy option and pay stupid money for a taxi. I have booked into a cheapie hostel for a couple of nights and the cost of getting a taxi, just took any saving I made from that accommodation choice. Cest La Vie. Go with the flow.

For a cheapie hostel it turns out to be a pretty good deal. A huge private bedroom with double bed and ensuite. Sure, I had to walk through the red light district of Frankfurt to get anywhere, but that in itself was an interesting experience. One place looked like a western saloon bar with different paper-mache people on each little balcony. Others had neon-lit entries, like some strange cross between Hong Kong and Las Vegas, right in the heart of Frankfurt.

First morning in Germany I had a real pretzel. Yes, my seatmate on the plane laughed when I said I ate a pretzel at Grand Central Station in New York. “Pretzels are German! You have not had a real pretzel till you have had one in Germany!” he declared. So the challenge was on. Compare pretzels. And yes, I have to agree. German pretzels taste better, fuller flavours, and much fresher.

Being the largest finance/commercial city in continental Europe, and host to many large international trade fairs, Frankfurt is not a big tourist destination in and of itself. But its central location in Europe makes it a huge transport hub, with planes and trains from many other countries connecting here.

Still, despite everyone questioning why I would actually stay in Frankfurt, I spent a few nights here which allowed me time to take a leisurely stroll along the Main River and through the streets of the city.

The medieval feel of the architecture at Romer Square was fabulous.  I met a charismatic local who owned a cafe overlooking the square. He was a movie star about 30 years ago. He'd written a book and gifted me a copy with a message of L’amour inside the cover.

While in that cafe I decide on my plan of action for the next part of my journey. A German Rail Pass, with a side trip to Amsterdam. I enjoyed catching the Eurostar several years back and want to experience more European train travel. It beats the airport palava hands down. Rock up ten mins before, board train with bag, stow bag and choose a seat. Get comfy for the ride and enjoy the view.

On the way back to my hotel room, I walked via the station and organised a German Rail Pass. Tomorrow I would take a train ride to Amsterdam!

New York City – visiting each district

There’s a reason they call it the Big Apple. It is big, in fact it’s freakin’ enormous, and it’s juicy, so much to get your teeth into. I was chatting with a friend one night and said, NYC is like Melbourne or Sydney on steroids. There is so much to see, do, experience, it’s hard to know where to begin. Luckily a friend gave me the tip to do things in districts. Even provided me with an itinerary sheet his mum made a few years ago which covers the main things to see in each area, along with her notes on personal observations.

With so much information, maps, websites, it was a godsend to have this simple little document as a starting point. As a reference for myself for later, and for anyone else researching a trip to NYC, I’ve added my own points of interest with observations and am sharing it below.

NEW YORK 
Pop: 8 mil         Greater NY 19 mil

1524 1^st visitor; 1625 Dutch established 1^st trading post; 1^st Black slaves from Africa; 1664 British ousted Dutch;   1754 French & Indian wars begin-ends 1763 (British gain control of N.America); 1776 War begins – US win independence 1783;  1789 George Washington 1^st president;  1861 Civil war begins;  1931 Empire State Building finished-world’s tallest.

MIDTOWN

Circle Line, Yachts, Pier 83, W.42^nd St 42st Metro – 3hr trip circumnavigating Manhattan – best trip. A more comprehensive overview of NYC from the water than the free Staten Island Ferry.

Times Square, 5 blocks from Pier 83 along 42^nd W. Star sight – Tower built 1906 (25 storeys). Spectacular sideshow, glowing neon theatre bill boards and newswire – safe and vibrant – the costume characters try to get in your photos and then want a tip. So if you want a free experience of Times Square give the photo with Mickey Mouse or Cookie monster a miss. There is an NYPD station right onsite in the square, so there are plenty of policeman around if you want a true New York photo:-)

Algonquin Hotel, 59W 44^th  Metro  – 1920s best known lunch club for literary folk – Interior fussy and detailed with ambience inside.

New York Yacht Club, 37W 44^th St, 42^nd Metro , 1899, look for carved sterns of (16^th Dutch galleons in the 3 bay windows and sculptured dolphins & waves).

Diamond Row, 47^th  St bet  5&6^th Aves, 47^th-50^thMetro – every shop gold & diamonds, Hasidic Jews from Amsterdam pre was (1930s) to escape Nazis.

Radio City, 6^th Av bet 50&51^st Interesting – nostalgic –can only be seen by doing a tour.

Rockefeller Centre – W 49^th near Ave of Americas Metro 47^th -50^th. Top of the Rock observatory on 67^th-70^th floors. Dizzying panorama. Great view of all incl Empire State Building. As good a view as Empire State without the queues. 
The square surrounding the Ice Skating rink is lined with flags from around the world and makes for a colourful photo opportunity in the middle of winter. It was also fun watching the skaters, many who had obviously not skated before provided much amusement for onlookers.

LOWER MANHATTAN

Staten Island Ferry and of White Hall Street –South ferry, free.  Great close up of Harbour, statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan. There is a small outdoor deck area you can go to on the stern (back of the boat) to get pictures without dirty window scratches, spots and water drops to muck up your photos. There is WIFI on the ferry but you should try and log in quickly to tap into it before the hordes board.

Ellis Island – Circle Line ferry from Battery Park, several times a day – Bowling green Immigration depot 1892-1954. 12 mil people passed thru. Museum – see dormitory, baggage room, great hall.

Statue of Liberty – see from Staten Island Ferry or circle Line - Gift from French to USA 1886. must book if you wish to visit and climb. 93metre high, frame designed by Eiffel (Paris).

Cunard Building 1921, 25 Broadway, Metro Bowling Green. To commemorate shipping line. Ornate facade, brass doors, wrought iron gates – elaborate domed Great Hall.

Wall Street – named for wall that kept enemies and Indians out of Manhattan – Stock Exchange 1792 (20 Broad St), “Seat” costs $2mill. 17 Trading Posts – 22 groups of traders and technology.

Federal Hall – 26 Wall St, *Star Sight, George Washington took oath of office in 1789. Later building-fine classical.

Trinity Church – Broadway at Wall St- Met Wall St-Rector St between 2 skyscrapers – Steeple 86m. 1846 Gothic and now an excellent museum of 9/11.

One World Trade Centre Site – bounded by Liberty, West, Vesey, Trinity Place, Met.Cortland St.  WTC Church St. 27 years to 2001. Home to 450 Companies & 50,000 employees – see St Pauls church in front and old graveyard.

The water memorial was a poignant place.  Two huge water installations, surrounded by the names of all those who lost their lives in the tower on 9/11. 

I remember my dad calling me from America on the day and telling me to turn the TV on. “The world is never going to be the same again” he said. 

Visions of people leaping or falling out of the top stories, the fireballs as the planes crashed through the building, the smoke smeared faces of fireman and policemen, and the fear stricken faces of people in the street running, away from what exactly they were not quite sure as it was happening. Those images are etched in all our memory. 

Going to the site moved me more than I expected it to. Definitely worth a visit.

World Financial Centre, West St- Metro many lines. Modern Architecture – 4 Office towers. Dazzling Winter Garden (vast glass and steel space – 2000 panes of glass replaced after WTC attack. Piazza and Marina on Hudson River, 16 palm trees inside.

Battery Park City and Park, on waterfront near WTC Site -Met.Rector St.- Restaurants, apartments, sculptures, gardens, great views to Stat of Lib (1-2 mile walk along river). Hidden gardens and coves – Amish market on Park Place, salads & prepared foods. Buskers etc. It was cold and wintery while I was there, and few people down on the waterfront. But it had a beauty that comes from solitude and spaciousness, that probably can't be capture in Summer. 

UPPER EAST SIDE    MUSEUM MILE

Frick Collection – 1 E 70^th off 5^th Ave Metro 6 to 68th St. Priceless art in residential setting. Furniture in opulent setting.

Met Museum of Art – 1000 5^th Ave Metro 86^th St, Some say it is the best art museum in the western world but its NYs version of the Louvre.  The crowds on the day I went were so horrendous it was not worth going. I thought the crowds at the Louvre in Paris were crazy but the Met was like shuffle and glimpse, shuffle and glimpse.

Guggenheim Museum – 1071 5^th Ave at 89^th- Metro 86^th St – Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In form of a spiral. Elevator to top and walk down.  Closed Thursday. Sadly the spiral was closed the day I visited as an exhibition was being installed. However I was introduced to the work of an Indian artist,V S Gaitonde, whose work really moved me. 

Temple Emanu-El - 1E 65^th St near 5^th Ave –Metro 68^th, 63^rd – largest synagogue in the world. Wealthy worshippers. Bronze doors of the Ark - Great. Wheel window on the 5^th Ave facade.

Carl Churz Park & Henderson Pl. – Metro 86^th  St (6 blocks E) along E river. White promenade. Fine vista of river and turbulent waters of Hells Gate (where river meets Long Is. Sound) Henderson Pl at East End Ave – cluster of 24 Queen Anne Townhouses.

CENTRAL PARK – 1858 – 340 ha, hills, lakes, meadows, 30 bridges, 500,000 trees and shrubs. For S corner Metro 5^th Ave 59^th- 60^th St. Best section for walking is bet 59^th-79^th St. Also wander along E of Central Park.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir This is in the northern half of Central Park, between 86th-96th St. I walked around the reservoir to get to the Guggenheim. Stunning scenery even in winter with the water frozen over. 

The Dairy – Visitors Centre-pick up pamphlets Met 5^th Ave, 59^th -60^th Sts. Victorian Gothic Stone.

Strawberry Fields – most visited – in memory of John Lennon (his apartment overlooks) – 161 species of plants.

Bow Bridge – cast iron arch 18 above lake.

Bethesda Fountain – Metro 72^nd St. Formal terrace overlooking lake and wooded shores of the Ramble. Spanish style detailing – sculptured double staircase, tiles friezes.

The Ramble – wooded area – 15ha – lots of birds.

Belvedere Castle – Met 81^st St – from roof and terraces, unequalled views of city and park. Tower & Turrets.

Skating Rink in Central Park. A good viewing point is from the rocks up above the rink, to the north.

LOWER MIDTOWN & CHELSEA

Grand Central Station – E 42^nd St at Park Ave – Met Grand Central. 1913, Beaux Art Gem – soaring main concourse, 3 arched windows. Concourse, grand staircases, central information bureau, see chandeliers, food court underneath. 

I chose to get a pretzel from a street cart and munch on that as I wandered through the concourse and hallways. The pretzel was as big as my head, had been warmed up but was not very fresh. 

My seatmate on the flight from NYC to Frankfurt laughed when I said I had a pretzel in New York. He said that was just wrong LOL as pretzels come from Germany. Having now tried a German pretzel I have to agree they have more flavour and are fresh and delicious, not stale and chewy.

Chrysler Building – 405 Lexington Ave, Metro 42^nd St – Grand Central. Stainless Steel Art Deco Spire (like a car grill – radiator, caps wheels) 320m 77 storeys, stunning lobby, patterned marble and granite.

Daily News Building – 220 E 42^nd St. Art Deco, revolving globe in lobby 1930 (rows of brown and black bricks)

UN building – 1^st Ave & 46^th St – Metro 42^nd & Grand Central. General Assembly , security council-see rose garden along E river, lectures films.

Macy’s 151W 34^{th -}  Metro 34^th St, Penn Stn. World’s largest store covers square block. Wooden escalators, see facade on 24^th St. Great bargains.

Empire State Building – 350 5^th Ave near 33rdW – opened 1931 tallest in NY. Steel framework, 6500 windows, 10 mil bricks, 443m with mast, 86 floors. Observation deck – great views – see 5^th entrance lobby – see at sunset-night.

Harlem-Central Park – Check tourist info – grand central re tour – Sunday includes a stop to hear gospel choir At Abyssinian Baptist Church and ends with a brunch at Sylvia’s Harlem’s best known restaurant – cost $95 - $45 on Wednesday without brunch.

The Museum of Sex, Changing installations and exhibitions exploring sexuality, of humans and animals. Some installations are interactive and require a playful attitude, other exhibits are more mainstream with didactic boards and wall mounted artwork etc.

This is the museum you go to for some low brow art, after you’ve filled up on high brow art at MOMA, The Met and the Guggenheim. There's a great little bar at the back of the museum for a pre-or post-tour snack and drink.

UPPER MIDTOWN

Churches, synagogues, clubs museums, grand hotels, famous stores, skyscrapers, luxury living, 5ht Ave, Madison Ave, Park Ave.

Plaza Hotel – 5^th Ave & Central Park S - Metro 59^th St. Re-opened 2008 as 80 room hotel – was 800 rooms. Resembles French Renaissance Chateau on a larger scale.

Trump Tower – 725 5^th Ave – Metro 5^th Ave-53^rd St. 1983, very expensive office tower and apartments. Lavish 6 storey atrium – pink marble, waterfall, mirrors, glitz. I had lunch in the Trump Bar, the atmosphere was nice, service terrible, and a few hours later I had a case of food poisoning. It wasn’t cheap, so buyer beware….

Fifth Avenue – Metro 5^th Ave & 53rd St. 183 William Vanderbilt built his mansion, many followed. Luxury goods stores – Tiffany’s, Cartier, etc.
Tiffany’s was beautiful. I found a couple of pieces I would have loved to own, but they were beyond my budget. Later on I found the Wholesale Jewellery strip on Broadway and walked out with a bag full of trinkets for a 10^th of what one thing at Tiffany’s would have cost. Yes, I know, the quality is so not the same LOL, but its all about priorities I guess. I could enjoy the rest of the holiday, or spend a huge wad of cash on one Tiffany trinket and sleep on park benches for the rest of the trip J

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) 11 W 53^rd St bet 5^th Ave & Ave of the Americas – Metro 5^th Ave-53^rd St. One of world’s finest.  

This was my favourite art gallery (or museum as they call it) in NYC.

Fresh modern contemporary art, including installations, digital media, and even a surprise – Van Gogh’s Starry Starry Night. I expected to see that at The Met, not MOMA. But being a fave I was happy to see it regardless of where it was hanging. I know this is about New York, but for those into art, as a proud Aussie I have to say that MONA the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA, beats MOMA hands down overall. For architectural magnificence, content and placing on the Derwent River. I’ve been to the Louvre, the Getty and now MOMA in NYC, but MONA in Australia beats them all hands down. I’m not kidding. I went to Hobart for a weekend for the sole purpose of visiting MONA and it was totally worth it. OF course, MOMA in NYC was great and I really enjoyed the works on display there. MONA is more cutting edge though. Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi  -  LOL 

American Folk Art Museum – 45W 53^rd St – Metro 5^th Ave-53^rd St – 2001 – 8 levels.

St Patrick’s Cathedral – 5^th Ave & 50^th St – Metro 51^st St & 5^th Ave – Magnificent Gothic revival. Largest in USA – seats 3,500 people. 1878, great bronze doors, great organ, rose window, lacy chapel.

Waldorf Astoria – 301 Park Ave – Met Lexington Ave & 53^rd St – Old world elegance, art deco. Covers 1 block. Duke & Duchess of Windsor lived in twin towers.

Sutton Place – Metro 59^th St Lexington Ave or 51^st Lexington Ave – 4 long blocks E along E River.  Posh neighbourhood – elegant townhouses. 3 Sutton Sq is residence of Sec Gen of UN – Look beyond Sutton Sq and 59^th St for glimpse of Riverview Terrace (private street of 5 ivy covered brownstones fronting the river). Tiny parks at end of 55^th St and jutting out at 57^th St – views – of river and Queensborough Bridge. See also Beckman Place (N/S) bet E 48^th St and E 50^th St – also along river (Gloria Vanderbilt, Rex Harrison, Irving Berlin and Rockefellers).

Roosevelt Island – Metro 59^th St –Lexington Ave – Train departs from 2^nd Ave at 60^th St (4 streets W of river) – thrilling but not much on island. Swiss cable car across E river– views – of city and Queensborough  bridge. The cable car must only run in warmer weather.

SEAPORT & CIVIC CENTRE

 Imposing architecture. South St Seaport called “Street of Sails” in 19^th Century many ships moored here. Met Fulton St or Chambers St. Cobblestone streets
.

Woolworths Building – 233 Broadway – 1913 Gothic headquarters. Was tallest building until 1930. Interior rich – high glass time mosaic ceiling – see lobby.

South St Seaport – Metro Fulton St – Shops, restaurants, museums, tall ships – take photo of tall ships against skyscrapers. Wall St workers come here to eat and drink. Can take ferry ride from here.

Pier 17 – 3 floors – Impressive steel and glass pavilion. From top floor great views of Brooklyn Bridge and historic ships.

GREENWICH VILLAGE

 – Metro Houston St, Varich St or Christopher St – Sheridan Square – Began as country village (escape from yellow fever 1822). Crazy quilt of streets (early farm boundaries or streams). Bohemian haven, artists, writers, gays, students, trendies. Expensive. Old fashioned narrow streets, charming row houses, hidden alleys, leafy courtyards – looks good to wander.

St Luke’s Place – Metro Houston St, Varich St. 15 attractive row houses, 1850s Italianate-looks good.

Jefferson Market Courthouse – Metro Christopher St-Sheridan Sq – 425 Ave of the Americas. 1877 Venetian Gothic style – spires and turrets. 5^th most beautiful building in USA. Was a market-courthouse-library.

EXTRAS

Upper West Side – residential, cultural institutions – not as interesting?

Lincoln Centre – 1959 Dance, music, theatre – Metro 66^th St – sit around fountain and people watch. Contemporary Architecture. Opera House (cafe on top of Lobby- wonderful views of plaza) Inside see curved white marble stairs, miles of red carpet and chandeliers.

Twin Towers of Central Park W – Metro 59^th St, Columbus Circle, 72^nd St, 81^st St, 86^th St. Built 1929-31 pre Depression – most highly sought-after residences with famous owners. (eg John Lennon).

Riverside Drive & Park – Metro 79^th St 86^th St, 96^th St – most attractive street, broad, shady, lovely views of Hudson river. Opulent original townhouses and newer ones .

The Cloisters – not Monday – Metro A to 190^th St (exit via elevator) about ½ north (10 min from subway) where Dutch settlers established farms. Quiet – collection of Medieval Art housed within original Euro buildings. Cloisters excellent even if you are not religious – Herbs in garden – 300 varieties of Medieval Plants. Fragments of 12^th & 13^th French Monasteries. Nearby is Fort Tryon Park – beaut terraced garden with great view of Hudson and the Palisades in New Jersey.

Soho & Tribeca – Art and architectiure, especially cast iron between W Houston Canal Sts.

Green Street – SW/NE 50 buildings 1869-95 – cast iron facades with Corinthian column on cobblestone streets.

Singer Building – 1904 at 561-563 broadway (SW/NE) – 12 storey glass & Steel terracotta beauty. Wrought iron balconies. Original Singer Sewing Machine building. (only worth a look if you are passing by)

LOWER EAST SIDE

Immigrants settled in late 19C. It is Chinese, Jews, low rise buildings. Chinatown is over running Little Italy grocery stores, gift stores, 100s of restaurants.

Little Italy – Metro Canal St. Streets around Mulberry St. 1^st  immigrants lived in squalor – apts so close together – no sunlight into windows or backyards. 40,000 lived in 17 small unsanitary blocks. TB rife – population now only 5,000.

Chinatown – Metro Canal St – streets around Mott St. Early 20th pop was male (from Californian goldfields). Relaxed by playing mahjon. Secret organisations – criminal element “The Tongs”.

Engine Co. No.31 – Metro Canal St, 87 Lafayette St. 1895 Fire Station resembles a Loire Chateau.

IN GENERAL

Excellent shopping for ladies wear – Talbots – excellent for shoes; Aerosoles – both have many branches  -clothing and shoes are cheap compared to Sydney prices.

BROOKLYN

Ultimate cultural and creative melting pot – West Indians, Arabs, Hasidic Jews, Italians, Russians. Lovely shopping strips. Historic residential districts of Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights. Catch the East River Ferry from Pier 11 (end of Wall St) the north or south Brooklyn stop and then walk through the district to the next ferry stop and catch the ferry back downtown.

Walk Brooklyn Bridge –1883, 16 years to build. Central span is 486 metre long – 1^st bridge to be constructed with steel. 1km long – great views of NY skyline – be VERY aware of bikes – they wait for no man.

Park Slope – Historical District – streets from Prospect Park W below Flatbush Ave. Beaut Victorian townhouses 1880. 2.5 storey houses late 19^th Cent – some with turrets, towers.  Just a short walk to Jo’s house from Army Plaza

The Brooklyn Art Library – 103A N 3rd St, Brooklyn  One of the key reasons for my visit to New York was a pilgrimage of sorts. My rhyming-prose hand-illustrated story in a journal is in the permanent collection here. My art made it to New York before I did, and I had a dream to go see it in situ myself. Such a merchandise junkie, I bought the t-shirt and the bag LOL.

Grand Army Plaza – Plaza St at Flatbush Ave. Grand oval 1870s as gateway to Prospect Park. Bust of JFF. In June, Plaza is centre of Welcome back to Brooklyn Festival. Small farmers market on certain days.

Prospect park – Metro Grand Army Plaza – designed by architect of Central Park 1867. Broad lawns, grand vistas, pools,  lots to see as it is some 21 hectares housing a Tennis House, Band Shell, 5 Baseball Ovals in one section, a Lilly Pond, Boathouse, Music Pagoda, Carousel, an Historical House of note with an interesting replicated garden and Wigwam. Most of the buildings are the originals, and I might add this was only in the small area we managed to see.

Greenwood Cemetry – It would need a few hours to do it justice. 500 25^th St just SE of Prospect Park on S side of Prospect Expressway. 1838. 8,000 trees, 4 lakes. 70 victims of 7/11-famous people eg Tiffany, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Morse, Lola Montez and gangsters. Headstones range from Angels, obelisks, sinking ships, fire hydrants, wrecked trains.

Dizzy’s Diner – 511 9^th Avenue, close to Prospect Park W – voted best NY diner – busy.

Botanic Gardens – 900 Washington Avenue – Met Prospect Park – 20 ha. 1920 Elizabethan style knot herb garden, rose garden, Japanese garden, ponds. Walk the Celebrity Path near Jap Garden. (eg Lauren Bacall, Arthur Miller) Hard to read but they are there. Guided map available.  This is also a short walk from Army Plaza Metro with Brooklyn Museum of Art & Brooklyn Library next door.

Brooklyn Museum of Art – near Botanic Gardens. 2^nd largest museum in US. 1.5mil objects. Best Egyptian art in West Hemisphere 1897.

Brooklyn Academy of Music – 30 Lafayette Avenue – Met Atlantic Ave, Nevins St. – 1858 – SUNDAY AM “Sounds of Praise” : gospel brunch $40 and music - runs from 2-4pm – this could be a good alternative to Harlem.

Williamsburgh – Metro Broadway & Hewes (6 stops from Brooklyn Bridge (N/E). Home of orthodox Jews  - near corner of Lee Avenue and Hewes St – Kosher delicatessens, restaurants and bakers. Feels like Euro Middle Ages. Although once considered not safe it is now a very sought after “yuppie” district. I caught the Eastern River Ferry from Pier 11 up to Brooklyn North then walked down through Williamsburgh and Brooklyn before catching ferry for return trip. Great sunset photos available from the ferry stop, looking under the bridge to Eastern Manhattan skyline silhouetted at sunset.

WHERE TO STAY

With literally thousands of options….I can share what I did – but the best accommodation and area is so dependent on individual preferences, budget and style of travel.

If you are like me and enjoy seeing a place through locals eyes, Airbnb is a fantastic option www.airbnb.com With options ranging from renting a complete property from a local to a spare room in their home, there is something for everyone.

I stayed in New Jersey in an artist studio loft. A funky place full of psychedelic art and creative people. Walking a few hundred metres down the street gave a panoramic view of West Manhattan skyline. Transport options were bus or train, a local bus had me in at the Central transit station within 15 minutes, the train had me at the World Trade Centre in under half an hour.

The second part of my NYC stay I moved onto Manhattan island itself and stayed in a hotel near Times Square that was quite unique in its fitout design and service. Like boarding the star trek enterprise for a flight, Mission Control was reception, there was a robotic luggage porter and the rooms were so well designed with remote control beds and special storage solutions to make a smaller space feel more spacious than many standard hotels. I booked it the night before using a discount accommodation portal that sells off empty hotel rooms at hugely discounted prices at the last minute. 

New York arrival

Continuing the theme of firsts, this is my first visit to New York. In fact everywhere I go on this trip is somewhere I've never been before. I've been to USA before, but not Hawaii and NYC. I've been to Europe before but not Netherlands, Germany and Greece. And I've never been to Sth East Asia before. (Yeah I know, unheard of for an Aussie right LOL)

I'm going to be pretty open and honest here. As the plane flew into Newark airport, in New Jersey on the western side of the river that surrounds Manhattan Island, I took one look at the sheer size of the skyline and had a little panic. OMG, its enormous. No one can ever prepare you for it.

Catching a cab to my first accommodation was quite an experience. The driver was following the GPS, but not very well, he kept taking wrong turns an getting lost. No drama though as the price was pre-calculated and fixed before I left the airport. We drove past somewhere I thought was the address. I pointed it out and he said, "No, the GPS will get us there."

So we are on this road, on the edge of the river, looking straight across to the city skyline. There is a steep cliff down on one side an a steep cliff up the other side. Houses are way up the top. The GPS tells him to stop at an old cobbled laneway, really steep going up the hill. It looks like a strange place. But hey, look, there's an artist painting a big mural on the wall there, and guess what, I'm staying in an artist loft I found on Airbnb. So I pay the driver, jump out, and start lugging my suitcase up the steep hill over bumpy old cobblestones.

The artist gives me a quizzical look, but smiles and says hi. "Are you Eric?" I ask. "No." Oh dear. "I'm looking for a warehouse at 208". He points me up the hill and says that's up the top. So off I go clattering over cobblestones. At the top of a hill is an old building with a door in the wall. No number, but painted in the most amazing graffiti and colour. I knock on the door. And wait. No answer. I try again.

Hmmm, at this point I curse myself for not getting a local sim card at the airport. There is no wireless out here on the street. So I wander the local streets till I find a café that has wireless. Eric tells me the cab driver delivered me to the wrong part of the street. The studio is a mile back up the hill. Yep, the original spot I suggested to the driver was my destination. Sigh.

But hey, it was worth it. Look at this! Exactly what I hoped for. A real live working artist studio. Full of weird and wonderful stuff.

As Eric calls it, The Chocolate Factory is like a Willy Wonka warehouse

for creatives. If you wanna find out more about his work,

and the dream he has for this space, go here .

Sydney to Honolulu

Sydney-Honolulu

 

There’s a first time for everything. Generally we remember firsts, they stand out in our memory because those moments or experiences are unique. Today I was reminded of the time my 18-year-old nephew first drank from a straw. He only was about 8 months old then, and my sister and I were in a pub in Alexandria, having just connected at Sydney Airport. Dad was with us, and the Bathurst races were on.

That’s how we found ourselves sitting in a pub in Alexandria, teaching an 8 month old how to sip fizzy from a straw. Dad wanted to watch the start of Bathurst. As my nephew  sucked up through the straw, his little face wrinkled when the bubbles effervesced up his nose and tingled his tongue, and we realised it was also his first fizzy drink.

Seventeen years later, I’m back in Alexandria in a funky restaurant with a real live macaw as front of house greeter, plants covering walls and ceiling, soft water misting through the plants, and a cool soundtrack matched only by the on trend menu served up by hip staff.

Today is another first. I’m on my way to the airport to fly out on a 3-month round the world adventure, and I’m travelling solo. A few years ago I would never have imagined it, but here I am. Having a farewell lunch with sister and step-mum before I jet away.

Sometimes the universe makes it clear when it’s time to make a change, do something different, take a chance, and get out of the comfort zone. Late last year saw three things line up to suggest it was my time. A 12 month contract I was working ended in December, my landlady decided to renovate and sell so gave me notice to vacate in December, and my country property sold and financial settlement completed after a 24-year marriage. The triple closure meant it was a time of taking stock, re-assessing priorities, deciding to be brave and do something different. And here I am now, at 37,000 feet, on my way to Hawaii. Wow.

One purple suitcase in the hold underneath, contains three compression bags. One full of clothes for mild temps of Hawaii in winter (15-25), another full of clothes for winter in New York City, Germany and Greece, the final one full of clothes for the tropical humidity of Thailand and Bali. Coming in at just under 20kg, I’ve done well considering the huge climate variations I travel through. 

My carry-on bag weighs 7kg and holds my new tablet/laptop, noise cancelling headphones, a travel towel, change of clothes (always be prepared in case the airline loses your luggage),moisturising eye drops, frequent flyer tablets, passport, tickets and some foreign currency.

Let me just say, the noise cancelling headphones are the best investment ever! Crystal clear sound to watch movies or listen to music without the drone of the engines, and also doing a great job of muffling sounds of coughing, kids crying or extroverts yacking to their seat mate in the wee hours of the morning.  If you’ve ever wondered about the value of these tech gadgets, they are worth every cent, as long as you get good quality ones and make sure they have “active noise cancelling” not just “passive”.

So I determined to be open and go with the flow on this trip. To make no predetermined judgements about fellow travellers, destinations or experiences. To simply take each one as they came. This new intention hit home fast as I met my first flight seatmate. She was slim and tanned and looking gorgeous with full makeup. I felt every bit my age as I sat down in my stretchy travel clothes. Then we started chatting and my jaw dropped as I heard her story. Just out of hospital after a double mastectomy because of cancer and she was going to Hawaii to rest and recuperate. As her story unfolded, a life of challenges and tears, she displayed the most beautiful spirit and attitude.

Connecting with this young woman was inspiring, humbling and the most amazing way to start my journey. The universe always tests us when we say we are going to do a certain thing. Meeting this wonderful young woman on the plane tested my intentions and smiled on me when I chose to meet the challenge and not take someone at face value. We are so quick to judge others, we like to quickly label or categorise them, put them in a mental box and then move on. There are so many wonderful people and their stories, to hear about, witness and learn from.

Arriving at Honolulu, we each went our own way, her to recovery space and I to the windward side of Oahu Island. Three days at Kailua Beach with unseasonably warm weather and clear blue skies was the best introduction to Hawaii.

I met this group of giggling Japanese girls on Kailua beach. Everyone else on the beach was watching them from afar. Not wanting to miss a very cute photo opportunity, I went straight up and introduced myself. They were so excited to have someone interact with them and even though my Japanese consists of a couple of words and their English was the same level, we shared a fun few minutes on the beach, laughing, taking photos and amusing all the other beachgoers.

Central Coast Christmas - Sydney NSW Australia

First stop on my Round The World (RTW) trip was somewhere very familiar. Central Coast NSW, 1hr north of Sydney. Beaches, Rivers, and the place I called home for awhile when I was younger. Back then none of my family lived here, now for various reasons quite a few of them have gravitated here, so its been a busy time of reconnecting with family and friends I hadn't seen for awhile. 

The Christmas lights display at Hunter Valley Gardens is nothing short of spectacular (its much much better than it looks on their sad little webpage, trust me!).  Sadly we were rained out after only an hour and a half there. Still it's a brilliant display of both lights, music and gardens. The fragrance of flowering plants releasing their perfume into the balmy summer night air added another dimension the experience and if you're ever in the area when it's on, GO.

    

Sometimes girls just wanna have fun, so that's what we did late one afternoon, hitting the local summer fair, for sideshow alley attempts to win big stuffed toys, a ride on the rotor and some fairy floss (after the ride) to prove I was still just a big kid at heart. After trying our luck on the clowns and the lucky numbers board, we finally won a big green frog for my niece. It now sits happily on her bed as a reminder of those crazy memory making  moments at a summer sideshow fair by the lake.

Here in Australia its just not Christmas without a hit of cricket on the beach or in the backyard. Its a fun and easy way to work off the post gluttony stupor of a massive meal. Catching up with aunties, uncles and cousins I haven't seen for ages - nice to connect with family again before exiting the country for my big OS adventure. 

Walking around the world

Yes you read that right. I am going to walk around the world. As much as possible I will be using my feet to take me places. A big believer in slow travel, the art of wandering, and exploring little laneways, tucked away places, things that call to my curiosity - the antithesis of the Lonely Planet traveller. But then I guess that's almost a cliche thing to say now too.

Now don't get me wrong, I will be flying between continents, but am planning to put some frequent walker miles on my feet too. A pair of ankle boots for Europe (think classic fashion, not doc martins or hiking boots) and some walking sandals for Hawaii and Asia will hopefully help me stride out in style and comfort.

I love exploring a city on foot. Its a pace that allows for discovery. Time to wander aimlessly and follow my nose to what smells, looks, sounds interesting. All my favourite most treasured memories of travel are those experiences which were simply stumbled across, not on a planned itinerary of ticking off the 10 most popular spots to visit.

For instance, in Paris, yes, I went to see the Eiffel tower, even though it was snowing, and you could see it from many vantage points around the city - my favourite being from Montmartre and the Sacre-Coeur.

Eiffel Tower from Montmartre, original pic by KBQ

And I had another reason to go to the tower. Ten days before I left my remote island in Australia's largest inland waterway, someone planted a travelbug in a geocache right near my house. Finno the Frog wanted to get to Paris. Oh Wow! Count me in. Those were the days when I was a mad cacher.

Finno the Frog gets to see the Eiffel Tower,
before I hid him in a cache at Jardin des Tuileries.

But I didn't actually go up the tower. Quelle horreur! But quite frankly I was not prepared to spend half a day in a line waiting to get a view not dissimilar from the steps of Sacre Coeur.

Walking around a city allows you to see the real place.
Like the local Parisian lady taking her pooch for a walk. 

When in the States I loved visiting Amish Country. A highlight was a ride in one of their buggy's and the dear gentle man allowed me to take the reins and try to drive his pride and joy in the traffic. Much laughter as the horse refused to follow my lead and we ended up bumping over the gutter at one point. So, i got a big fat F as as a buggy driver..... but what an experience. Those guys know all about the simple life. And for a day it was lovely to step into their world.

Last year I created a mini vision board and one of the elements that has really stuck in my consciousness were the words: 

"You see a lot more travelling at 2 kms an hour". 

Let this be my mantra.

One month in the US (Hawaii, New York City)

one month in Europe (Germany, Netherlands and Greece)

one month in Sth East Asia (Bangkok, Bali)

bon voyage?

bring it on babe!