The Big Apple, New York - New York, NY
New York, NY
Having managed to snow blow our way out of Toronto, we arrived in JFK and headed for downtown. We were staying with Kim's Canadian cousins, Bill and Michelle and their two kids, Rhianna and Liam. We were greeted with open arms and were thoroughly looked after. By pure chance, we happened to get to New York the day before their Thanksgiving holiday and so on the Thursday, we spent time playing games with the children and watched the infamous Macy's Parade on TV. We did think about going to see the real thing but temperatures were meant to be below freezing and a bitter Northerly wind was forecast and so we opted for the comfort and warmth of the apartment. Seeing as Bill had flown in from London that day following his British Citizenship ceremony, the decision was made to have the traditional Thanksgiving turkey on the following day. Both Bill and Michelle are excellent cooks and Bill had the turkey marinading overnight. We had a huge turkey with all the trimmings! What a feast!!! On the Saturday, we had hoped to visit the Statue of Liberty but unfortunately, all the tickets were sold out for the day. Instead, we headed over to the Museum of Natural History. It was a fab exhibition with thousands of specimens on display including a special exhibit of live frogs from all over the world. Rhianna and especially Liam were intrigued by their weird and wonderful shapes, sizes and bright colours. The following day, the six of us headed out to Liberty Island to see the old copper statue. We did an intriguing audio tour that was very informative indeed. During the tour, we found out the most hilarious, ironic fact of the entire trip...did you know, that when the statue of LIBERTY was unveiled, women were banned from attending the ceremony! How stupid can Americans be??? As some Canadians might say, what a bunch of dumb asses! After the statue, we hopped on to the ferry and nipped in to have a peek at Ellis Island where, once upon a time, thousands of immigrants lined up to register to enter the USA. For the two remaining days we had left, we spent the time wandering around the great city, taking lots of photographs from Central Park, the new Freedom Tower, and our favourite, Grand Central Terminal. We spent a fair amount of time here people watching and taking some cool shots. Michelle and Bill took us out for the most fantastic meal we have ever had! We went to the Stanton Social. This restaurant is full of round tables, and we had fantastic cocktails, and beautiful food. Instead of ordering one dish each, you order a selection of smaller dishes, tapas size, to share and engage in a more 'social' dining style. We ordered, among other things, (incase anyone else goes here) French onion soup dumplings, red snapper tacos, macaroni cheese, pork belly carbonara, and our favourite, cider and bourbon BBQ pork ribs. We each had two fantastic cocktails in the restaurant then headed upstairs to the bar for a third. Then Michelle starting feeling ill and we jokingly laughed at her and teased her for being drunk... She was actually at the start of a three day bug that also got Rhianna and Liam, and caused them to be off school for two days each! Oops! Sorry for laughing at you Chelle! A few days later, as the both of us and Bill had managed to avoid 'the bug', we went for a meal in a cool Japanese noodle house the day before we flew home. A great little place, full of atmosphere where you'd sit shoulder to shoulder with a total stranger and enjoy some great grub! That evening, we went over to Brooklyn Bridge and took some interesting arty ***** photos of the cityscape. Our last day was spent as a duvet day with the kids and Michelle who were all at home feeling unwell. We also managed to finish getting a few stocking fillers and packed our huge bags for the last time (sob)! We said our goodbyes, left the apartment mid-afternoon and took the train to JFK. We had a flight to Iceland and a stop-over there. It was amazing seeing how the planes were able to land and take off despite the absolutely freezing conditions, ice and 'freezing rain'. It was early December but looked like the depths of January out there. Our flight between Reykjavik and Gatwick was delayed by one hour, and we landed in Gatwick around 11am. Typically, in London it was raining, windy, and cold, and even more typically, the trains were delayed. Despite landing in London at 11am, we actually got to Judi's at 8pm. Our journey from New York to London was shorter than London to Gloucester! Despite this, we were so happy to be home for Christmas and could not wait to have a 'proper' Christmas - with family, friends, turkey, pigs in blankets, the classic quiz, and a whole load of festive cheer! We had told Gareth's parents that we'd return in January and so when they came home from work to find us sitting in front of the fire, their jaws almost dropped to the floor! We wish everyone a fantastic Christmas break, and a very happy 2014! 2012 and 2013 have given us wonderful memories, introduced us to fantastic people, enriched our worldly knowledge, and made us even more grateful for our family and friends at home. We have had the time of our lives and are aware of how lucky we were to start our married lives in such spectacular fashion! We hope you have enjoyed sharing our journey with us, hope we have passed on some of our travelling bug, and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year. All our love, Gareth and Kim XXXXXXX For those with an interest in travelling, read below for a summary of our recommendations: Except for China (no English spoken), anyone can travel independently and easily to the places we have been. But beware... Once you start you WILL get the bug!!!! In no particular order... - See the Great Wall of China... don't go to the touristy parts right outside Beijing... go to the original, ancient parts of the wall... It may take three hours to get there, but there is nothing like this scenery in the world. - There is no place like Borneo. It is extremely cheap, and encompasses unspoilt mountains, rainforest and beaches. It has THE best scuba diving in the world... Sipidan Island. (This is the place we most want to go to again). - Go to New Zealand. Spend more days in the South Island. Go to Queenstown and play frisbee golf and eat a Fergburger. Sky-dive over lake Taupo. Swim with dolphins in Kaikoura (THE HIGHLIGHT of our 18 month trip). New Zealand is so well equipped for campervans - stay at DOC campsites. - Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah are fab - a must-see during your lifetime. Just as beautiful but less touristy than the Grand Canyon. - Try to see 'O' by Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio in Las Vegas - but one day is enough in Vegas. - Yosemite National Park during the fall is beautiful. You don't need to be fit as gentle cycling can be enjoyed around the area. The Ahwahnee is a fine-dining but expensive restaurant. - Vancouver is expensive, get out to Gibson's and explore New Zealand-like scenery. Try some salmon fishing. Watch out for bears here! - In Toronto, see an ice hockey match, go to the Clarkson Pump and order wings, go up the CN tower on a clear day, and visit Niagara Falls (but don't stay in Niagara). Visit Niagara on the lake. - Go to Australia but get out of the tourist hubs. We enjoyed our time in 'real' Australia the most. The people were sooooo welcoming and we could not be more grateful to them. They were like a family to us while we were on the other side of the world. Go to the Great Ocean Road and see wild koalas, visit Melbourne (not in the winter) and explore DeGraves street and the Queen Vic market, go to Hervey Bay during whale season and see the humpbacks, go to sydney for NYE followed by a relaxing few days in the Blue Mountains, go to Fraser Island (with the nomads 4x4 tag along tour if you're young, or young at heart), visit the Whitsundays on a 2 night boat trip (snorkel rather than scuba here), visit Brisbane for a maximum of two days (go to a restaurant called The Verve), visit Cairns and relax by the towns outdoor swimming pool (avoid the sea - crocs and stingers!!!!), visit Port Douglas and the Daintree river. - In New York visit grand central terminal, the Statue of Liberty (paying extra for the audio tour is worth it and great for adults and children), Central Park, Times Square, Brooklyn bridge, and eat with family or friends at the Stanton Social. - Buy the best camera you can afford before you go to capture the memories of a lifetime. Enjoy!!!