Home a week

Well I have been home a whole week and it feels as if it was a lifetime ago. School is back in earnest with full days and lunch at school (I have a new lunch bag courtesy of Macy's) so that was fun.
This weekend Dad and I went to the beach to see mum who has been there for the week. It was nice weather and I took some stitching but ended up making a ball for my sister in law Cathy and trying out a new pattern today. Not certain if I will make another one or even teach it but it was fun using some different colours. have to think about how the bottom will be finished.

Purl Soho - nice shop lower manhattan

Just thought I would put a couple of pictures from new york on here for all to see. We went to the 9/11 memorial site - very security conscious and long way to walk but it will be incredible when all the new buildings are finished.



Stephanie with new World Trade Centre Tower 1 being built.

From the Empire state down to WTC Plaza

Empire State, WTC from Rockefeller Centre.

On our way home

We are on our way home. Travelling in the airport shuttle and seemingly doing a tour of manhattan as well. Had text from Ewan and his show for Apple has gone well so pleased. Weather here on our last day is -6•C so good to get home to the warm.
Been flying 3 hours and old fashioned plane with one movie screen so not watching but listening to music instead. Nice earphones we have as well which seem to drown out noise quite well. Have to buy food so we prepared with muesli bars but not actually hungry today, thirsty and drinks keep coming around.
New York taxi drive landing in LAX which was fun. Walked across to terminal two and into koru lounge so currently having a cups and a snack.

Home again. The flight was not too bad, quite a nice temperature without being too hot so that we both got some sleep. The earphones were just great and really meant that the air noise was drowned out almost completely. Could not believe how noisy it was when took them off. Watched a couple of movies Kung Fu Panda2 and Crazy Stupid Love plus episodes of Glee which was good. So nice having own video to watch.
Andrea met us at international with a giant sign (about six inches square). Drove over to domestic and checked bag in, had coffee and waited for flight to New Plymouth. Pleased to be home and nice not to have crowds around. Weather is warm.!!!!!!

Holiday was wicked

Today was our last day so we decided to visit a section of the city called Canal Street as we had to find the Bose shop for friends of stephanie's. Purl Soho was also down this area, so we managed to call in there also. Got two skeins of wool for her. Had a real Italian lunch which was a delight. Bought a pile of presents today, shopping with a vengance today. Bused uptown to Macy's for shopping and bought a Macy's lunch bag, very cute. Onto NHL shop via HBO and more last minute gifts. Back to dead sea scrolls exhibition, which was a nice reflective end to our holiday.
Back to the hotel and commencement of the packing saga. Mostly done and downstairs to happy hour where we spent time talking to a couple from Pennsylvania. Out at 7pm to go to the Gershwin Theatre to see "Wicked". It was fabulous and a fitting end to our holiday. Back to Times Square, visit to Walgrens to get last minute chocolates and pack the bags. Last night sleep and up in the morning to have the last breakfast and airport transfer in the morning.
Thanks Stephanie for a great holiday.
Diane

Day three New York City

Blog notes
16 Jan: mum and Dad wedding anniversary. Went early and did washing. Tried porridge for brekkie but not nice. Booked tickets to wicked for Wednesday. Caught bus to water taxi and to Battery Park to visit 9/11 Memorial. Really cold day today.
Walked along wall street - cut off from traffic then water taxi back to pier 88. Bus M50 to Madison ave and walked up to 71 to Laduree shop. Bought macaroons to take home. On bus to carriage ride talking to ladies about a Sotheby's exhibition. Needlework samplers.
Carriage ride fun but cold, wandered to display centre afterwards, then bus on 6th/m42 to times square.
Did Madame tussauds nice but not crowded. Just photo op things rather than displays.
17 Jan; today was a wet day so we had decided to visit the museums. Got to the metropolitan museum of art and straight in as not too many there. Wandered the Egyptian section and was suitably amazed at the range of artifacts. Found ourselves having a restorative cup of tea and then into the impressionists and other paintings. So nice we like the same paintings. Contact with Ewan so we walked up to the Guggenheim museum and met him for lunch. Went to Lexington grill and had pastrami on rye with a snapper. Nice!!
Around the Guggenheim and was strangest artwork we have seen this trip. Back to the mma for a view if the 9/11 quilt and then hotel for a rest before hockey. More on that tomorrow.
Only one day to go and we will nearly be home.
Diane

New York disaster

Lost my iPod with all blog updates that u had not posted but can say that rest of time in Paris was great. Did lots more walking and we seemed to find metro stations with the furtherest interchanges possible. Musee d'Orsay was fabulous on Wednesday morning and saw heaps of new paintings that had not been on my radar before. Train trip back was food until we got to Ashford.
Here are some photos of Paris to keep you happy as they are of us with the Eiffel tower.

1500 steps and counting

A broken night with a txt and then a false fire alarm meant that the first night in Paris was fun. Up and finding a patisserie for breakfast, then to the Trocadero for Eiffel Tower visit. Cloud meant we caught the bus to the place de la Concorde instead and did the Tuilieres Gardens. Great walk through and into the pyramid-shades of da Vinci code. Queue time was about 20 minutes and then off to find the treasures which were amazing. Looked for Vermeer's Lacemaker and all there was was the mark on the wall.
Once we left and onto the bus again via notre Dame and champ de elysses. Photos then hotel for recharge of all batteries and back on the metro fort Notre Dame. Great photos and dusk bought more shots. Metro again and back to the Arc de Triomphe to climb to the top with a sustenance stop at McDonalds. Macaroons and more steps bought us back to the hotel after a full day of marvels and wonders.

Sacre Coeur and Eiffel tower

A most wonderful day as we travelled on Eurostar to Paris for three days. The train no sooner left Ashford than we seemed to be in the tunnel and on our way. France seemed much drier than England but our arrival in Paris was just after our quick lunch. A taxi to our hotel, check in, txt to Melissa and a cuppa while we waited for her. At 2pm we met in the foyer and went off exploring.
A decision to walk to the Montmartre and Sacre Coeur found us looking at all the artists and their works in the square. We both purchased a watercolour to take home. The basilica was fabulous and our first sight of the Eiffel tower was the realization that we were here!!!!
We caught the Metro to Trocadero and it was dusk so the tower was well lit. Many photo angles later we had crossed the Seine and were standing underneath. Wandering around it was time for Melissa to leave us and we parted. Such a pleasure to see her. Stephanie and I then wandered our way along the Seine, crossed and found a metro station to return us to the hotel. Dinner was at a local Lebanese which was nice. Back to the hotel and the sound of trains to send us to sleep. A great day in gay Paree!!!!