CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK
Monday December 19, 2016 – Monday December 26, 2016
Hard to believe that it is a week out from Christmas. We had breakfast at our accomodation with Theresita and Roberto in Santa Clara Cuba. Their neighbour was going to give us a lift to the airport. We left our accomodation mid-morning. Just as well we arrived early to the airport, as our flight was an hour earlier then originally booked. The downside of not having access to email. But anyhow we got on our flight and 55 minutes later we disembarked at Fort Lauderdale. So happy to be back in the US, but not so happy with the 90 minutes to get through customs. Our flight to New York was delayed and as we sat in the departure lounge my neighbour shared his political views. Interesting to say the least to hear his version of America being described as a welfare state which he hopes the president-elect will fix. It was almost midnight when we emerged from the subway at Grand Central station for a short walk to our hotel.It was freezing cold and the road was slippy with ice. Tropics in the morning and freezing cold New York at days end.
Our hotel was a dream. So much better then I thought it would be. It was a mid-town studio apartment with its own balcony and fantastic views of the New York skyline including the specialy lit up Chrysler Building. After the general dilapidation of Cuba it felt like a dream to look out of our window and see this staggeringly beautiful city.
It was simply glorious to walk around and marvel at the beauty and the grandeur. It was cold and windy for the first few days but so nice to get back inside after getting frozen being outdoors. We braved the huge crowds to see the Christmas lights on 5th Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza on our way to a Christmas Eve dinner mid-town.
Christmas morning dawned to a dazzling clear blue sky. We ventured outside to walk through Central Park and were surprised to find 5th Avenue and sections of Central Park were almost as busy as the night before.
Overall a dreamy week in New York to finish our year of living differently.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Rockefeller Centre
Bryant Park
Apartment with a balcony, what a treat.
Union Square
The Highline
The Highline
Columbus Circle
Hewitt Museum of Design
Our fourth Jose Marti statue, top of Avenue of Americas
So happy you got to see and experience NYC during the holiday season! Where is that apartment you stayed in?? It looks amazing! Also delighted to see that the two of you walked the High Line. That has become my favorite thing to do when in the city. Are you back in Australia now? Happy New Year to you both!!
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Hi Leslie
So lovely to hear from you. We are back in Australia, got back yesterday. I am already trying to see when we can squeeze in a visit to MONA before returning to work. And of course we have plans to return to the PCT in 2017.
We stayed at the Shelburn Affinia hotel on Lexington Ave about 3 blocks south of Grand Central. They have studio apartments and apparently only one has a balcony. We felt so lucky that we somehow got this one. It was quite a nice way for us to finish our 9 months of homeless wandering. Loved NY in winter.
Happy New Year and thank you for staying with us.
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It was so much fun to travel vicariously with you! Wouldn’t it be fun if we could actually meet, face-to-face, when you return? Or, who knows?, I might find myself in your Aussie “neighborhood” someday soon. Tim is still commuting back and forth from Hobart fairly often. I might travel with him one of these times and I’ll let you know if I’m coming! Happy New Year!
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That would be amazing Leslie. We were just talking about plans for returning​ next year and maybe visiting San Antonio. I was reading the blog and reliving some of the days on trail. The comments section reminded me of how much it meant to us to be supported by so many wonderful people. Thank you for traveling with us. Hope we do get to meet in 2017.
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