Time to go home........

Thursday - and time to head home...

Oh dear god what was I thinking going out until gone 4am again?!  And on the day that I have to pack up, check out and then keep occupied until around 5.30pm!
I think I was still drunk when I got up but somehow I managed to pack, shower, get ready and leave the room. H was on an earlier flight so she was just staying where she was until it was time to go to the airport.. and the jammy devil also had a 1.30pm checkout whereas we had to be out by 12.

J and Ilya were up and at it late morning and again, headed back up town to do some last minute shopping.
We left our stuff with Ronnie and then headed out for food. This time we when to Washington Square Diner which wasn't wildly different from the one yesterday but again, just what we needed.
Again, they had soup on and I had a bowl of this. Only today, it was a much bigger fight to actually eat it but I think the knowledge that I had no room to go back to or a sofa to veg out on made it all seem worse. I just wanted to be at home now and it felt so close... but so very far away!
After witnessing a bit of an altercation in the diner and the skinniest woman polish off more food than Dan and I could eat between us, we paid up and moved on. Dan really wanted to have a bit of a wander around Bleecker Street shops especially the record shops.
I was really coming round now so that suited me and off we headed. He was quite happy and managed to pick up 4 or 5 albums. By this time J and Ilya were back and so Dan and I, now ready for another sit down and some refreshement, found a little cafe called Grey Dog Coffee which is on Carmine Street. They joined us there and we had some drinks and I actually managed a sandwich which was delicious and I knew would work a treat. We whiled a way an hour or so in there with Dan hiding behind his sunglasses so he could doze off if needed!!
We were all feeling a bit frustrated I think with the lack of a hotel room and that we were just literally wasting time until the taxi came. To the point where Ilya was saying we should just order the mini-van (i got laughed at by Ronnie for calling it a Mini-bus) now and go!!~  I guess the fact that we were all so tired was the key thing as I'm sure we would have easily found ourselves something to do with the last of our time otherwise.
Anyway we went back to the hotel to make sure we pre-booked the van with plenty of notice. Ronnie was there and suggested we wait in their cafe rather than head off again in search of somewhere to land.. Great idea as it was lovely and cool in there and it was comfy.  Oh and they sold beer.. so yeah... of course I ended up having a couple!
Eventually it was time to leave and we had an interesting journey back to JFK airport. He took us a really different route as the driver was trying his best to avoid all the traffic given it was rush hour plus the pope was visiting Manhatten that day so there were lots of road closures.
We got there in good time and that was it.. time to say goodbye to J and Ilya and head off towards home.

Check-in and security seemed to take forever but before we knew it we were sat at a bar having a beer.  I had realised the day before that in 3 weeks of travelling I hadn't bought myself a single thing!  What was that all about.. i decided that I would like some new Sunglasses so whilst at the airport I went off to find some and did get myself a lovely new pair of Ray-bans.
From there it was a bit of a rush as our flight was being called so we dashed off and were thankfully in the first group to board..
It was a good roomy plane and in no time at all we were up in the air.. though I had actually fell asleep whilst we were still on the runway so it was no surprise I thought it was quick! Tbh it was good that I did as I then had no interest in having a drink on the flight and stuck with water. I watched Breaking Bad most of the way back between eating the yummy sandwich I had bought, picking at the highly tasteless veggie pasta dish that was provided and sleeping!
And then we were home.... WOO HOO!!
It all seemed a bit weird at first tbh... I found it strange to be driving on the left when we were heading back from the airport and walking in the house it all looked a bit odd.. Like familiar but from years ago!  Aaron and Abby (she has pretty much lived here whilst we were away) had done a decent job of keeping the house tidy  -  though a go of the hoover wouldn't have gone amiss!
Jesse came to greet us when she heard the back door open but then stopped in shock as she wasn't sure who I was... until I said her name and then she came bouncing over. She was still a bit skittish with us for most of the day tbh but we had cases and bags everywhere so I think it was the house being different as well that un-nerved her.
Aaron was out at work and Abby was upstairs in bed so I cracked straight on cleaning the bathroom, the cooker, re-organising the cupboard, sweeping the floor and putting a wash on!  Ha... ah well, it makes me happy... especially when I knew that I was about to get to sit down on my sofa with a proper cup of tea and some toast and marmite and await the arrival of my son.... Simple things hey and each one was wonderful but none as good as finally seeing Aaron again.. :-)

Hangovers and Hair(s) of the dog!

Wednesday.....
Woke up with one hell of a hangover!  Eugghhhh felt sooo rough and we had completely missed breakfast so I couldn't even stagger down and get some food and coffee...
I thought back over my drinking the day before and just had to laugh at myself for thinking I would be anything other than rough....  white wine, beer, red wine, ameretto, beer and then large vodkas (lots of large vodkas.. I swear as we got to know Sean h e just poured me larger and larger ones!)
I managed to drag myself together and get ready and Dan and I headed out. He was feeling fine which was annoying!  We headed to a diner just up the road - mainly as we just wanted somewhere that did a bit of everything but also because it was about as far as I could walk!
I was over the moon to see they had soup on for lunch and it was chicken noodle soup. It was like they knew I was coming with my hangover.  I'm never normally as bad as this I have to say, but I knew this was also a catch up off the past 19days - both drink and food - as it was my stomach that was making me feel the worst.
The soup was fab and I also had a sandwich.  It took me about half an hour to finish just half of it but with every mouthful I forced in, I felt better so I knew it was worth taking time over. The diner was great, proper traditional style diner - Waverley Restaurant I think it was called. Ronnie, the concierge type guy at our hotel had also recommended Washington Square Diner but we didn't spot that one!  Ronnie by the way is ace. He is really friendly (though Dan thinks he can be a bit too much at times but then Dan can be a bit of a grump at times so I take that with a pinch of salt. I think he is ace) and is full of tips and ideas and also has plenty of discount vouchers to hand. We used one the day before for Macy's and I'd passed this on to J & Ilya for them to get one also. He also had a good source of maps etc and was just fun! All guests seemed to love him.

Anyway, judging from the messages on our NYC IM group everyone else had got their lovely long lie ins and were up and about shopping and such!  I was quite relieved that no-one was jumping up and down to go out I have to say.  Dan and I discussed the going to Williamsburg plan and were both feeling that we would actually be more than happy to stay around Greenwich Village. Its a fabulous area that we had specifically chosen and we'd not really had a proper full night there... We agreed that we would throw the idea out there as an alternative to Williamsburg but would still go if that was what everyone else wanted to do.
We met up with J and I at 4pm at our hotel and we headed out. We found a great little bar (again around the corner) called Arts and Crafts. I managed to order a beer  - the only answer here was Hair of the Dog - and sat there nursing it whilst the others just laughed at us for being out until nearly 5am given we were both saying we were shattered when we left the Rockerfeller and at just how rough I was!
At this point I was fairly convinced that I wouldn't really be drinking much and would need an early night. Also, we were discussing what to do and  before we could say anything, Jason suggested maybe staying around Bleecker would be a better option. Oh I was happy that he also thought it and had actually said it.. That was it, we were all in agreement and when H arrived she was just the same. She knew how good the area was and that we hadn't really tried it out to its fullest.
Brilliant, plans made and we had a couple more.   We then pushed on so that we could get a bite to eat as H especially hadn't eaten since breakfast and she had been on the go since then.
J had found a cheese shop/restaurant on Bleecker prior to coming away so we all agreed that would be a good idea for a snack and as Dan had a hankering for Chinese, Ilya found a nice looking restaurant for later  (well it was still actually International Dan Day whether he liked it or not ;-) ).
We headed up to Murray's cheese shop and managed to bag a table in there. Oh by god it looked good and as I was really coming around now I was getting quite excited.The guys that served us was brilliant and there was some great banter between him and J. In fact, he loved us as a table and sent over some free starters for us to share!
We each had a little selection of cheese each with H and I opting for ones that were already defined and the boys all going for the 'CheeseMongers board' which is where you discuss your tastes with the lovely man that was serving us and he then goes off and selects suitable cheeses. You can also have these with meats on.
Our selections all arrived and I had food envy from the off. I wanted what everyone else had before mine had even arrived!!  But I had nothing to worry about.. though I remained envious of the amazing Roquefort that both H and Dan had on their selection. Lovely wine and beer pairings in there and it was a complete hit all round. A great find of J's and a definite one for the list of places to return to. However, we were all stuffed and didn't really believe that Chinese would actually be needed.. but then it was still only 7ish so who knew.
A little stroll was in order then and we had a nice wander around to find another bar. We came across a nice one (can't remember the name) on the corner of sullivan and 6th and settled in for cocktails. Bizarrely Nightmare on Elm Street was playing on one of the TV's? Why would you have that on in a bar?!    Needless to say everyone's eyes kept wandering to the film - except mine as I was sat at a funny angle so it wasn't easy to see,,, which all meant it wasn't the most sociable environment and as conscious as we were of this, eyes just keep wandering. I totally understand and probably would have been the same if sat elsewhere.
Anyway, Ilya, H and I went out for cig and during a conversation were approached by someone asking for a cig. Nothing new to any of us and we happily handed one over. This guy though was particularly grateful and wanted to shake everyone's hand, kissed H's hand and then gave me a big hug. Hmmm he hadn't washed in a long time so it wasn't the most pleasant situation. On finishing our cigs we all headed straight for the bathroom to wash our hands!  H came in with me to share the sink and whacked on the drier as I finished rinsing my hands.. Thing is, the drier was right over the sink so it just blasted the running water everywhere and I was getting a right soaking but couldn't understand why it was happening so was just having this massive 'fit' in the bathroom as I tried to escape  (it was a tiny bathroom btw).. Even funnier was that H wasn't getting wet so just saw me going bonkers all of a sudden with no idea as to why!  Of course, in seconds we both worked it out and I turned the tap off but we were in absolute fits of laughter both doubled up over the sink. I still had soap on my hands and I went to wash them again just as H set the drier off... Cue another soaking. SO funny..
We left this bar and made our way back to Bleecker  (like a street away) and came across GMT which Dan and I had been to on our last visit. Here we could sit outside and just properly enjoy a drink and chill on our last night. We all went a little cocktail crazy here and stayed for quite a few drinks. It was a great way to round up our time in NYC and we had a good laugh and a good chat. We did all try and establish what we thought was a favourite whilst in NYC but it was too difficult. We'd just had such a fabulous time and it was so brilliant to all be there together. At a push I said Chicago and Rockerfeller but only because I had SO wanted to do both of those and both exceeded my expectations.  My unexpected delight was the night in Russian Samovar I think and the rest was just a mixture of thoroughly enjoying the company, the new places we found (eg Stone St) and getting to go back to some old favourites too.
J was starting to get quite peckish now and I was thinking the same, so we cut round the corner to 'Joe's Pizza' which I knew was supposed to do amazingly good pizza slices.  And they were! ohhh yes, they were damn good  (and huge). We quaffed that and then set off to Blind Tiger so Dan could have a last one in there.. We all had a few more actually as the pizza had livened J back up and had also given me a nice boost too!
J and Ilya left us in there I think around 2ish and Dan, H and I all decided that it would be a great idea to go for lasties in Four Faced liar!!
I couldn't believe it when we walked up to the bar in the there and Sean already had mine and Dan's drinks waiting for us on the bar having spotted us making our way in!  Says it all really doesn't it?!  We introduced H and that was it, we got stuck into more vodka's! We also saw the Mexican guy that i had originally got chatting to the night before. After half an hour or so they were actually trying to clean up ready for closing so we were asked to go in the back part of the bar so we could carry on with  our drinks. There was only about 4 other people in there but Dan appeared to want to talk with them and just got up and joined them!!  haha. it was quite funny.. they were talking quite loudly tbh and I think we 'knew' one of them so it wasn't THAT random but neither of us are very clear on that detail, just that Dan went and sat with them.
H and I also got talking to one of the guys in there - I remember we said he looked like Zach Galifianakis when he took his hat off!  Dan decided he was rather drunk and had to leave but was quite happy for me to stay... which of course I did but the events I am afraid are rather hazy. I know that realisation hit me that I better leave soon given I was making my own way back (and it was around 4am) and I think I also thought that I was cramping H's style with her Zach lookalikee!!  Anyway, we left together and I shared her cab and then we said our goodbyes as she was heading home earlier than us the next day..
 I vaguely remember having one last ciggy on the steps of the house next door and then I fell into our room and to bed.......
A truly fun and fabulous last day in NYC.

High line, High views and high amounts of drinking....!

New York - Day 3 (Tuesday)
Getting really tired now and am struggling like mad to get up each morning.  Its no surprise really as we're 2.5 weeks in, we're having incredibly busy days, I've driven nearly a 1000 miles and I went to bed the other night at 4am (night we arrived in NYC) Plus, drinking every day even if only a couple of beers and eating food that is nothing like I would normally eat on a day to day basis all takes its toll.
That said, I'm happy as anything as I'm in NYC with just the best people and we're on the holiday of a lifetime.
Yesterday, we all agreed that Tues would be the morning for shopping / mooching individually so that we could get it out of the way really! Plus Dan was getting desperate for either new clothes or to get another load of laundry done.
Dan and I managed to make breakfast again though I think he'd rather I had stayed in bed as I was (once again)not being a very good morning person!
The breakfast at the hotel is pretty good I have to say. You can get extras but we've been sticking with the breakfast that is included as simple breads/cereals/fruit is what we need at the minute.
As always, I had said I am only going to shop at Macy's or one other store and am only really doing it for Aaron.
It was a fairly successful trip for us.. certainly for Dan and I managed to get some nice stuff for Aaron just not what he had asked for.. though I did manage a grey hoodie.
H headed off to the Met rather than shop as she did want to see the show that Lenny had told us about.J and Ilya were also shopping.  (Turned out that the show had finished.. such a shame but H said she had had a lovely time wandering around and had also covered some serious miles by the sounds of it!)
The afternoon was all about walking the High Line and as Dan and I were back first we headed out for lunch (everyone had eaten on their own travels anyway) and found A.O.C on Bleeker & Grove and gradually the others drifted in to meet us there.  The food was pretty nice in there - its French and I had a lovely Tuna Nicoise... Well, you would expect it to be good in a French  restaurant to be fair!
We set off to find the High Line which was about 4 blocks & 12 streets from Bleeker.
It was a lovely walk I have to say and its fabulous what they have done with the disused railway. It was interesting to see how many apartments were either already alongside it or being developed along with outdoor spaces that were completely overlooked by the high line - including one that was nearly finished and looked like it had a swimming pool about to be filled up. And we were all wandering past it and looking over at it.. Who would want to sunbathe or swim in that with hoards of tourists wandering past all day and night..?? Though as Ilya said, New Yorkers are all exhibitionists so it probably doesn't matter to them!  hahaha
The walk is roughly 2 miles long and we came out on 11th and 30something. We moved up a couple of blocks to 9th and then headed down towards 50th to find somewhere to eat (of course we found a little bar on the way and stopped in for a couple). J was laughing at me for my skills at understanding the grid system.. or perhaps he was laughing that he thought I was showing off a bit?!?  But I love reading maps so I grasped the grid quickly the first time I went and therefore understand the Avenue & Stree location names.  Not to say they didn't but I am of course much more vocal!
We ate at 'Etcetera Etcetera' which was on 44th and 9th (and almost opposite the New York beer company where Dan and I regularly went last time!).  The food was lovely and just what we all wanted.. We had a great waiter too who was obv in 'showbusiness' and was loving trying out his different accents and little shows on us - including rolling up a napkin to look like a penis!!  Bonkers.  I think we fell out of here a little bit tipsy (maybe not Jason as he stuck with water i think bar the huge Amaretto after dinner - which of course I also had) and then headed for a very quick one in New York Beer Company!  Well it had to be done.. Dan and I had had many a starter or interim drink in there so it would have been rude not to... From there we headed to Rockerfeller Centre where I had booked tickets for us all for 10pm to go to the 'Top of the Rock'.

We just sailed through with no queues or anything which was great. We stopped to do the cheesy pics on the girder along the way and then all fell out at the top. It was spectacular.  Top of the Rock at night was one of the few things I said I absolutely wanted to do and would have done it on my own if no-one else was bothered - though J had always been interested as he'd not been up before and knew it would be fabulous views.  When I had brought it up again whilst we were all in NYC everyone was really keen to also go up so I made sure that I booked us in..
Ahh and it was so worth it... it was so beautiful to see all of NYC lit up like that and of course to see my most favourite view with the Empire State in the middle.
Ilya found a new job as a tour guide for some random couple and not just about NYC but about their entire trip!  I think he enjoyed that more than the actual views..!!!  hahaha
After T.O.R we headed for the M&M factory as J was looking for some specific mix they do as a present and it was believed that it would be in the NYC shop - unfortunately it wasn't.  From there everyone piled into taxi's and headed back.. we were all shattered.
Agreement was that the next day would be a very lazy morning for everyone so they could try and get a good long lie in and we would all gather at some point in the afternoon and probably head over to Williamsburg.  (Wednesday had originally been designated 'International Dan Day' so that we could celebrate his birthday but it got mentioned so much over the course of the week that he got all hassled and stressed about it thinking that all focus would be on him all day esp to decide everything we did so we backed off with that one!)
Anyway, in the cab on the way home I asked D if he fancied a nightcap in our hotel bar. I knew it shut at midnight and it was now about 11.40 so just one drink would be fine. As it turned out, it was already closed and as we headed to the room instead, Dan offhandedly said that we could always just go round the corner for one..  Of course, I jumped at that and off we set.  Dan had a place in mind called 'Four Faced Liar' and we headed in there. It is just round the corner, just before Bleecker.
It was lively enough still and unsurprisingly we ended up chatting with others in the bar - well I say 'we' it was me!  I ended up getting this guys bloody life story all about his love of his life from England etc etc and then how she finished with him and then about the next love of his life and how that went all wrong.. Ahh it was a shame tbh but it was a bit much to be telling a stranger. Or is that the British way of thinking given how guarded and reserved we tend to be?
Needless to say this led to us chatting with more people including the bar owner. He had originally seemed like a stereotypical grumpy American bar tender but was actually very friendly and really interesting. His brother was also there and we got into a good old group conversation about life in America vs life in Britain and about travelling etc. We also found out that the bar owner (Sean) had written a book which was on Amazon and was ultimately about life as a bartender in NYC.  Brilliant - and I have it on order now. Btw, this bar had entertained the Gallagher brothers and Morrissey (who had entered with 5 minders, sat in the corner and barely acknowledged anyone's existence. Suffice to say, no-one was particularly impressed with him!  There was another big name that had been there too but I can't remember as I was really rather drunk by this time!  hahaha.. so yeah, this 'one quick drink' turned into 4.5hours of drinking and D and I finally made it back to our beds just before 5am! Shocking......but a great deal of fun was had which is all that matters!

Downtown and Staten Island Ferry fun

New York Day 2 (Monday)

We had drunkenly planned for H to come over to our hotel around 12pm and we would then take a wander right downtown and of course do a bit of a pub crawl!

The boys had been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a tour of Conde Naste in the WTC (Richard is friends with someone that works there) so they were doing that around 3pm.

That said, we did have a terrible mis-communication problem and they headed downtown midday-ish and were then waiting for us to cab it there and meet them as that was what they thought was agreed!
However, we didn't think that we were meeting the until after Conde Naste so we were just walking down as slow as anything and popping in places as we found them!  Of course we soon sorted it out and arranged to meet them after their tour was over so H, Dan and said that we would make sure we were fairly near them and settled somewhere so they could easily find us.
We mainly walked down Broadway but it's not the nicest of roads to perambulate to be honest so we were cutting down side streets too and taking roads that were parallel to Broadway.
We had a really pleasant walk (it is also very hot here) and a few nice drinks.  We went to the WTC and got to see the area all around there and then headed to Wall St. I've always fancied walking down there as I didn't do it last time. I kind of wanted it to be like it is in the films with lots of Gordon Gekko / 'Wolf of wall street' characters there! ha.. yeah, that wasn't the case, there were more tourists than anything.

 

We then wandered around to Stone Street which is a place I had found during all my research. Sarah that we met in Haight was quite dismissive of it as she said it would just be full of arrogant 'shirt sleeved' men and people who thought they were living a bit of Europe!
Given we were from Europe she didn't think it worth us bothering with... but we were right around the corner, starving, H WANTED to see shirt sleeved men (arrogant or not) and it was ideal for J & Ilya to find us too so we headed there. Its a cobbled street that is full of bars and food places and has the road filled with tables for each place and therefore no cars! (hence the Europe feel as that is not the norm in NYC or many places in USA I think)

It was really cool there and we were happy straightaway especially as we found a place called 'The Growler'!  Food ordered and inhaled and we settled into our beers!  (Dan was getting H into beers on our walk!)

The street was fairly busy but not over the top. I can imagine it can get ridiculous in summer or at the weekend. And you get table service too.. and good service at that AND you can smoke at the table! What's not to love!

As we were sat there having a cig, a man approached us to ask if he could buy a cig for a dollar which we refused and gave him a cig and a light. Straightaway he said that we must be visitors as someone from New York would have asked for 2 dollars and 40cents for the light!  Hilarious and a great opener to get chatting. He was GREEN with envy that H had just come back from Bordeaux! He was also impressed with us staying at Washington Sq hotel and said it was just quite simply an iconic building.. yay!

Anyway we chatted with him (Lenny) for a while and he told us how he had moved over here from Canada as he was in a show and stayed from there (30 years ago) as the job opportunities were much better (for his life in showbusiness!)  H absolutely loved him.  The boys joined us at Stone St and their tour sounded amazing. They were on the 41st floor of WTC!  They got lots of magazines and then after there they went to Hermes to get something and as it was a brand new store they just filled up J's arms's with all sorts of freebies!!  Amazing.

Lenny wandered by again later (he was now working in the bar next to The Growler) and we offered him another cig and he sat with us again chatting. This time though he was telling lots more about his life and the stories were amazing. He'd met so many legends and he used to go to Studio 54 which J was so jealous of!  Apparently he knew the special cocktail name too that got him into the basement where he would party with the stars. He also told us about time working for the mob - basically he was a bartender to support his training etc and he got asked to work a party at midnight. He was there and only about a dozen people turned up - all men in suits with briefcases. He was really confused and couldn't understand what sort of a party this was! They just did lots of paperwork and then left after about an hour!  He was then told that he was getting a ride home and that they knew where he lived.. it started to click into place then and he was quite worried that he was never going to make it home, rather end up in the river! They did, obviously, take him home and then he was handed a brown envelope with $300 dollars in it!  At this time his rent was $60 dollars so it sorted him out for a few months as well as his dancing and speech lessons!!  He continued 'working' for them for a couple of years then.  

H and I are now friends with him on fb!

After Stone St we headed over to get the Staten Island ferry as we were literally over the road and that was fab. The view was stunning and we were like a bunch of over excited kids on there.. Mainly due to alcohol I am sure! That said one of the other people on the ferry did ask us if it was our first time on it so I think we were being a bit giddy on there! I still can't believe it is free and I can't get my head around the fact that this view that we were going mental over is something that commuters and locals see day after day to and from work.. do they ever get bored of it and maybe don't even notice it anymore??  Can't imagine it .... 

From there we got a cab back to Bleecker St and went to Risotteria (somewhere J and Ilya had been before) Lovely meal in there and then we wandered to the little bar that we had been in the night before where we sat outside. Just had a couple in there and then we all headed back.... Another fabulous day..
 

Jazz hands and Russian hats

Sunday was really our first proper day here and we had a nice little lie in and then arranged to meet up around 12ish as today was 'Chicago day'!
I was so excited about actually seeing Chicago on Broadway --even though it was actually 49th street but you know what I mean.
We headed up to a cafe place (Mother Burger) on 48th and 8th and met Helen there.. It was ACE to see her and we're all a bit astounded that this actually has happened and we are all here together!
The service was pleasant enough but very slow. We were getting really angsty about it as we absolutely had to be at the theatre by 2.20pm latest and it was approaching 2pm and we still had no food.. I went and chased it up and they had it out with us in no time thankfully. Though we did have to ask for the bill at the same time as the food arrived on our table!
We wolfed our food down and then headed off to the theatre - thankfully it was only a block away.
Our seats were just fabulous, front row of the mezzanine - centre left (yay well done me!)... H had managed to get herself  a ticket for the row behind us so we could keep waving our jazz hands at her! Unfortunately for her she had a very loved up couple directly in front of her who kept snogging.. I mean really guys. No need.
The performance was amazing, I was enraptured from the off. I had to really hold myself back from singing and dancing my way through it!  Cell Block Tango was just sublime and I nearly cried I was so happy to be there, with my darling Dan and my wonderful friends actually watching Chicago in NYC. It was a proper pinch yourself moment.
The Ambassador theatre is really old and only has one set of toilets so the interval was a bit of a battle to say the least. Thankfully, I got tapped on the shoulder whilst at the back of this stupidly long queue and got taken off to the 'secret toilets' where there was only a handful of people queuing!
Made it back to my seat just in time and a lot more comfortable ;-) hahaha..
The 2nd half was just as fabulous as the first and Dan even enjoyed it too...

We had reservations at Russian Samovar - a place that Ilya and Jason had previously found and loved and had made good friends with a couple of the guys that work there...- but before then we went for a couple of drinks in 'West End bar and grill' , which was a little bar that Dan and I had previously found!  R.S was literally 4 streets away so we had lots of time to relax and catch up.
Finally headed off to the restaurant and J and Ilya saw their friend as we approached which was great. They had been a bit gutted that he wasn't actually working on Sunday so they were really happy to see him if only briefly and he took us into the restuarant and showed us to our table.
Its a really great place, Russian Samovar. They have a pianist in there and it feels quite classy and like a world a way from a standard NYC bar/restaurant.  Helen and I did some great chair dancing and singalongs to some of the tunes we recognised. I personally suspect the pianist thought we were murdering them but at least we were showing that we were listening!! They did also have a singer on who was very good but seemed to need to sing everything off an iPad.. yet she works there regularly and by all accounts sings pretty much the same songs!  Ilya mouthed along to a number of songs too which was an achievement we were told as he normally only knows one line of every song!!!
We were looked after by Moon (another friend of J & I's) and he was just so funny. A real character.. He got us all shots and even had one or two with us.. btw, this place makes their own flavoured vodkas. They are delicious and I think we did a very good job of trying most of them whilst in there!
The cocktails were flowing too as was the beer for Dan and Ilya!  and more and more and more shots ;-)
Ilya chose a selection of Russian


appetisers for us all to share, which were delicious and then we all had our chosen mains. I had the hen. Now those guys love their garlic to say the least!   Woooooo!
Thank god we all had very garlicky mains so no-one was a stinker on their own.. hahaha..
Ahh we had a bloody great night in there and stayed right to the end. They also have some military hats behind the bar so just before we got our Uber, we had some daft pictures with those on and a final shot of vodka too!  (I ended up with the horseradish one .... hmmmmm not one I would rush to have again thats for sure!).
Definitely a place I would head back to next time I come to NYC and definitely one I am going to recommend to people..
We certainly all went back to our hotels full, happy and rather vodka'd up!!!

NYC....

Journey from Vegas to NYC was pretty uneventful really - which is of course what you want!  My luggage arrived safe and sound this time and we got more or less straight into a taxi.
H was at T7 and stuck in hours of passport control queues (just like J and Ilya had been the day before) but because we were on an internal flight, we just sailed threw.  She sounded shattered and said that she was just going to go to her hotel and catch up with us the next day.

Our 'Washington Square Hotel' is lovely and in such a great location.  We checked in, freshened up and then headed straight out onto Bleeker St to the Blind Tiger bar..
It was heaving but then it was 11.30pm on a Saturday night!  We managed to find a table and then sat there in anticipation of being able to meet up with J and I....and then they arrived!  It was so exciting to see them as it always is but seeing them in NYC was just double exciting.
They had also met up with a couple of friends from Miami that they had met previously (via Johnna & Nina in Omaha)..  Erin and Richard were fab, really lovely and good fun.
We headed on from Blind Tiger to a couple of other bars (once they had let J in - he kept getting ID'd and didn't have anything on him) and ended up in a little bar called Arthurs Tavern. It was small, crammed full and loud but it was great. They had a live band on that played a bit of everything and played it very well.
We only had a couple of drinks in there as it was now pushing on past 3am and one by one we trickled off back to our respective hotels for much needed sleep..  though Dan and I did go via a sandwich shop as we hadn't eaten since the plane..!!

A day of bonuses..

After managing to get ourselves a lovely long lazy morning with room service breakfast and rubbish TV we set off out for our helicopter flight.

It was all so easy and slick we were most impressed. Pick up was bang on time then we got taken to Boulder City airport where we were very quickly checked in and then just waited to be called out. I think we had about a 40minute wait so were a little overtime for our flight but its not an issue. Its interesting watching all the helicopters and there is a cafe and shop at the airport.

Anyway we finally got called and met our pilot Eric. He advised us that there was a bit of a change to our flight plans and we were no longer going to be landing back at Boulder City. He also said that the flight would be about 1.15-1.20hrs... Hmm thought I.. that is over half an hour longer than I was expecting from the booking I made so this is looking good.....

Helicopter was really cool and whilst we didn't manage to get the front seats as requested (I think everyone puts their name down for front seats) we didn't mind at all when we found out that the couple that did get them were actually on their honeymoon!

Dan got a window seat and I was sat in one of the middle seats but you can still see everything really clearly. Its just a bit more of a fight for a picture perfect view!  However, Dan got those so its of no matter at all.

We were so excited neither of us having ever been in a helicopter. It was surprisingly roomy and we had to wear headsets and everything.

Anyway, after our safety stuff the pilot then explained that we were actually going to land at the top of the Canyon (BONUS) and we were going to finish the journey at Las Vegas airport so would be flying back past the strip (extra BONUS!)..  I couldn't believe it. They actually do a package like that which is over $100 each more than what we had paid (but without the landing on the canyon!)  Result.

 

Take off was smooth and then we were off. Oh my god it was just brilliant. (I am running out of words to use for all these sights and experiences!) The views were spectacular, the pilot provided us with loads of interesting bits of information and even had specific songs lined up to add to the experience!  We flew over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead (this massive lake is the main source of water for California and is currently at 34% lower than its highest amount of water and dropping all the time. It also sources Las Vegas and Arizona but LV takes only 4% of the actual water with 80% going on agricultural usage in CA. Theory is that in 10-15years it will be dried up altogether if the drought and the 'over usage' continues. Shocking)

Its a stunning looking lake and meets the mouth of the Colorado River...  We then flew up and over the Canyon and it is just as you expect.. breathtaking.  

We had our landing and the helicopter was re-fuelled so we just quickly wandered.

Then back on board for the journey back.  We came in towards Vegas and you could clearly see both the strip and downtown original Las Vegas ie Fremont Street. We turned in then and literally flew the length of the Strip.. it was ace and we even saw the Bellagio fountains again!  Smooth landing and a quick transfer and we were back at our hotel....  to only find James Corden filming for his Late,Late show and he was being one of the luggage guys! (another bonus!)

Couple of quick drinks, change and then back out. Tonight we were heading for Fremont St. We'd found out a bit more about getting there from chatting to a couple of the people on our flight so we got the bus all the way down the strip to Fremont.

Well Fremont St was certainly an experience. It seemed crazier than the strip tbh. There were hoards of people everywhere and it was all loud and lasers and neon lights! They really have made a proper experience now out of this almost forgotten stretch of Vegas.

Anyway, we then discovered that there was more to this craziness than first thought.. we'd only managed to stumble across Pride 2015!  That was why it was so electric and lots of giddiness in the air. We didn't really manage to see that much of the parade but what we did was fabulous.

We went to a couple of bars, had a wander and then headed back and went into the Bellagio for a drink. Whilst it is very opulent in there we weren't very keen. It was a bit up its own arse for me tbh and it was just TOO big! We did get a drink and I actually also took the drink that the bartender put down in front of me as I waited to be served. I thought it might be a complimentary drink or something that they did here... Think it was a whiskey and something, not that pleasant but I thought I'd drink it anyway.  Then the bartender shouted 'Ma'am... did you take the drink that was here..' OOOps... I rushed it back mumbled some crap about not knowing why I took it and dashed back to my seat. Apparently he threw it away and said 'are they pissed or something' to one of the others there!!  Anyway, after that we headed back to find something to grab to eat as Dan was starved and it was really getting on ... we were now conscious of the fact we had to fly the next day.. Shame as I was really in the mood for a proper Vegas night!!  But it was the right thing and I feel fine today... 

Just the small matter of a flight to NYC to deal with today.......!! 

First night in Vegas

I finally got my head around the fact that here in Vegas, you spend your time flitting in and out of the other hotels OR your own if it is a big one, getting drinks, eating & using the Casino's and so we set off to explore. 

Went and put our names down for a table at Gordon Ramsey's Burgr place and headed off for a drink. We went into the Mall thing that is part of our hotel and found 'Sin City'.  Had a beer in there and then it was time to head back for food.

I had ridiculously large chicken burger which was really tasty but I certainly couldn't finish it. I was stuffed. Dan had a burger but was OK with it and managed to finish it off!

Tbh after that I think i could have quite happily gone to bed as have been feeling shattered the past couple of days. I think its all catching up on me plus I feel 'dried out' with all the air conditioning! 

Not forgetting this week has involved a lot of driving.. We've been covering over 200 miles most days..

Anyway, i pulled myself together and we headed out onto the Strip and wandered over to the Paris hotel. The noise of Vegas is crazy.. it is loud with music, people talking and woop wooping and street artists playing drums and things!  The strip literally crawls with people and everyone is wandering around with a beer or a cocktail..  

Found a nice little bar in Paris and I just sat there people watching for a while as its just such fun. Pretty much every walk of life is here in Vegas and so many people that you just wouldn't think would be suited to a 24/7 crazytown.

Finished in there and walked through into Bally's and then up and over to Balaggio's where we watched the fountains. Then we wandered through and chose to go to Caesar's rather than actual Balaggio's. Found a nice bar in there and again sat back and did some more people watching. Both of us had started to come round again after stuffing our faces so we were quite lively now.  

Anyway, we did some more wandering from there and ended up back in our hotel. The bars in ours aren't quite as nice as the one's in the other hotels we visited we felt but I'm sure we'll try them again tonight!

I did attempt to have a play on the slots but I couldn't actually find out how to put any money in it!!  I just wasn't obvious at all and we tried to watch some others but it was hardly discreet so we just scarpered! Neither of us is much into gambling so it doesn't worry us.

Ended up getting some beers and taking them up to our room so we could just chill out as we were both feeling tired again. So old!  

Anyway we have had a really good night's sleep now and a super lazy morning so we can be all over it tonight!  No more driving to be done and its just a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon today....... Its a tough life hey.....

Death Valley and Vegas

Thankfully after our lock in last night we were ok this morning!
We went into town to get some breakfast at the local deli and get supplies for the trip through Death Valley..
We had a simple bagel each for breakfast and it was bliss!  Funny how you miss the basics really when you're away. Though tbh I hit my 'beans on toast' moment a few days back. Dan has also said he is missing my healthy cooking!  I am desperate for some Marmite!
The route to D.V was really straightforward and before we knew it we were in the park.
Like Yosemite, nothing prepares you for it. It is so vast, so stunning and so like you are on some alien planet (D came up with that one!)
We took one of the main routes through and did a few stops for pics but it was SO hot.. it got to 95degrees according to the car but i think it was hotter.
The roads were just like you see in all the pics, sooooooooo long and practically deserted. Though every now and again we did get stuck behind a winnebago or a coach.
Dan took over the driving at the Sand Dunes and he was off like a flipping racecar! It was basically a drive by photo shoot!  The problem was that I didn't have a clear view in my mind of specific sights - well I did but couldn't remember them all. So as I wasn't telling him where to look for, he just kept going  and bombed past one of the ones I wanted, but I only knew when I saw the sign and then it was there. Too late...
Also, I did get one particular spot wrong so I missed that too. Hey ho, it was a spectacular drive and I am glad we saw it.
We headed on then to Vegas - again, a simple route.  However, getting to find out where you park your rental car and then where the hell the actual reception is was not!  We ended up walking all the way through this 'Mile' Shopping centre that is part of the hotel but is not fun when you are laden with bags.
Finally found reception and joined the stupidly long queue for check-in and I went and sorted the car.
Room is lovely, really large and we actually have a pretty good view.   And even though whilst I write this we haven't even really stepped out onto the strip, I can say it is fookin mental here!
Dan's number 1 mission was going to the pool for a while and just chill out and that suited me just fine. We headed down and it was just so funny. We walked out to this banging house music and bodies everywhere - some looking like they needed to sleep off the booze and some in the pool just dancing around, woop wooping and attempting to make it into a little pool party. We were devastated and felt very old and naive to think we could just go for a chill out!
We went to the bar and had a drink and Dan kept saying he was sure there was more than just one pool and then finally he spotted it. We were so happy!
It was funny though watching numerous couples come through with clearly the same expectation as us and then having the same look of 'WTF' on their faces...
Headed over to the other pool which is more family friendly really, much quieter and was by this time fully in the shade. Suited us just fine.
We had a nice dip, finished our drinks and are now about to get ready and head out in the crazy town that is Vegas!!

Living it up in Lone Pine

Lone Pine rocks!
There is a bit more to it than I first thought but it is still a small town. Everything is on the main street.
There are 2 bars (sorry Saloon's) and about 3 or 4 places to eat including a Pizza place and a deli.
The first bar we went into was literally across the road from us and was called Double L Bar. I was not blown away by it at first to say the least. It was a proper big old place, stretched right back and was just like all the saloon type bars you see in the movies when set in little 'hick' towns  (I don't think this is a hick town at all, its just the only way I can describe it!)
There was an old western movie playing, one disgruntled looking customer at the bar and the bartender had a big beer belly and a massive moustache. There was a big juke box, 2 pool tables and lots of signs on the walls!  Seriously.
We had a couple in there and then moved on to the other bar - Jake's Saloon.  This had actual saloon doors too!
Similar sort of size bar but with a big shuffle board game thing down one side where a group of English people were loudly playing it. They did actually strike up a game with one of the locals and I honestly heard one of them say, as they were at the final point and were being told that the American would win if the guy didn't do this right... 'hmm we're in a 3rd World type city here, do we really let the foreigners win..'  My jaw dropped.  Is it any wonder the British get a reputation for arrogance and rudeness with ignorant asshole comments like that?
Thankfully one of the women in his group reminded him that here HE was the foreigner. He lost anyway.
We got chatting away to the bar manager and it turns out he was a big City fan!  He and Dan got very excited when that came out and Dan even went back to get his City hat to give him.
We pretty much got this guys life story over the course of the night (we disappeared off for dinner as well and then came back) including hearing about his Vasectomy and how the pastor was not impressed with him doing it!  He also had a nickname of pumpkin balls and some of his relatives were in singing songs to him about it.  Very funny. I am now also FB friends with him as he wants to come to England and travel so he'll keep in touch with  me for suggestions etc!
We got a lock in too which was fun. The bar actually shuts at 10pm and he was turning people away but kept telling us and some others that we were OK for 'just one more'... We had about 3 more and I was a little bit tipsy I have to admit.  We called it a day though around 11.30ish as we are driving when all said and done. Dan also got chatting away to some Swiss guy in there (who had got engaged in Mariposa but his now Fiancee was in a mood and she actually stomped off back to the hotel!) Dan was the fortunate one to have to sit and look at every last photo this guy had taken.. hahaha.. Don't think he minded too much though tbh.
It was a great, kind of random bonkers night!  Just what I needed really as I had been feeling a little bit 'sad' after chatting with Aaron this morning as I am really missing him.  This is the longest I have ever been without him in nearly 19 years!  But he's fine and I think secretly he is missing me too ;-)

Tioga Pass and li'l Lone Pine!

Another good early start today (though slightly later than intended as I managed to catch up with Aaron and we had a good chat).

We packed up (again)) and set off back the way we went yesterday to Yosemite only this time we were going to cut across and take the Tioga Road onto Tioga Pass, which cuts across through the overall Yosemite National Park.We've heard nothing but great things about this route and knew that today was just going to be all about the driving and the views despite it being a good 250+miles.

Oh not forgetting of course that we stopped at Sugar Pine cafe - a good old American Diner - in Mariposa for a proper breakfast.

We were served by the girl that works in Prospectors Brewing co which is where we drank on our first night in Mariposa.

This was a proper breakfast with grits and everything. Only they didn't bloody have any left which i was gutted about. I might have hated them but I at least wanted to try.

So we ate a lovely big eggs and the trimmings brekkers with unlimited coffed in a red, white and chrome decorated diner surrounded by white bearded men wearing stetsons or baseball caps. I mean, its all that you want isn't it really??!

so yeah, back on the journey we had no issue with our route again and were both just astounded by the views. You just don't think it can get any better and then you come around another bend and you find you were wrong!

What constantly blows my mind is the sheer size of the landscape. I tried and tried to capture it on my camera but I doubt that I have. Its quite intimidating in many ways, quite exciting otherwise. And there you are winding along this long, long road with hardly anyone else around. It's just wild!!

There is nothing I can even begin to compare it to in the UK that is for sure..

There were some beautiful lakes on the way too and we tried out the water at one.. with our hands, not like a full dip!  It was really warm and given we ourselves had been bloody freezing just 5 miles earlier (we were approx 9000ft up) it was mad! 

I think D would have been in for a swim if he could have gotten away with it!!!

So more views, more seemingly never ending roads snaking through the landscape and we arrive in Lone Pine. Took us approx 5hours incl stops.

Now this place is tiny. Like, you could drive through it and miss it!!  Just in the Motel now (proper, drive up to the door job, one storey motel. We got upgraded as well.. Seriously we got upgraded in a 1* Motel!!)  

We will head out now and check out what this place has to offer...............

Yosemite..

After a pretty rubbish night's sleep I managed to drag my sorry backside out of bed around 7am so we could have a nice early start for Yosemite Valley Park.

Stopped off for sandwiches etc in Mariposa at a great little place recommended to us last night by one of the locals.

The drive from Mariposa to Yosemite Valley Park is literally one road. It's a perfect location esp when you want to be saving a bit of money over staying in the actual park. It took us roughly an hour to get to the car park but you are driving through about 5 miles of the park also.

WOW the sights that you see as you enter are just amazing. It was a bit of a grey rainy day to start off with but it didn't diminish the views at all.

After parking, the best way around, aside from actually on your feet of course, is to use the free shuttle buses to get you to a particular point you want and then you just jump off and go wander. There are a range of trails and hikes ranging from just under a mile (for a particular sight) and easy to 4 hours and very difficult!  We weren't exactly equipped for the very difficult ones so stayed with the smaller ones. 

We reckon we covered a good 8-9kms on foot the rest on a couple of buses. The drivers are really knowledgeable and so helpful as you would expect to be fair.

Dan walking away!

I really don't know what I can say about Yosemite as I am just not eloquent enough to describe it. It is breathtaking and mindblowing. The sheer size of the mountains is like  nothing I have ever seen before. I did get a pic of Dan walking away so that you could get some comparison to him vs the trees vs the mountains! (still having issues putting my pics on here..Dan blames Apple! Anyway, he is in charge of getting some pics on this post now!!)
There's just not much more I can say about the place as it all has to be seen. But I know I will never forget it. Every bend brought a new vista.. every 'short cut' brought another one even of the same mountain(s). We saw a family of deer grazing and squirrels so tame they would come up to you!
The weather seemed to change all the time we were there too, from grey and rainy to just cloudy to sunny back to cloudy and so on.
Apparently it can take 6 days to climb El Capitan and the climbers sleep in little hammocks that they set up in the rocks??? Many don't make it and just have to give up.

I reckon though that today was the best ever view whilst eating lunch I have ever had.. ooh and a dam fine sandwich it was too!!

Lunchtime view..

We left the park after about 6ish hours and about 10 mins into the drive home I realised i was just too tired to drive. I pulled over and Dan had to take over - for the first time (properly) that he has ever driven abroad!  I was only just about to give him some pointers and tips before I crashed out!  I only dozed for about 5 minutes at a time but it meant he had to crack on and of course he was totally fine. Worked a treat really as he got over any nerves he might have had and really enjoyed it!

So back in Mariposa for the night we stepped out for a couple of drinks at 'The Alley' which was lovely and then went for dinner at Chester St Dinner house.. A proper good old American stylee restaurant. We had said all day we wanted basically an all round 'American' dinner.. you know a stereotypical meal. Dan had a burger (the size of which was ridiculous.. not like a piled up thing just one big mahoosive  burger with the trimmings) and I had country fried chicken!  Oh my it was delicious for both of us.. YUM!!!
We headed then to this little bar we had heard about called 'the hideout saloon'. This really was somewhere you had to know where to find (thankfully one of the guys last night explained how to find the entrance). hmm it was a bit bizarre to say the least.  The barmaid introduced herself to us and then told everyone (3 other people) who we were and then Dan got called straight over by this guy sat in the corner to try 'the strongest beer he had ever had'... It was a glass of port!!!??!!
Ha ha.. Then he starts saying how he wanted an English penny and it all culminated in me tripping over to join in and show them all the sterling coins in general operation (bizarrely I happened to have them all in my purse). We told them he could have them and he was bloody over the moon!
Many conversations ensued and I got some great tips for our next destination off one of the other guys.
Next thing we know the guy in the corner is demanding a beer drinking contest with one of the other guys which we were going to hang around and watch (well film!). Anyway, when I get told by his cousin's sisters brother in law (no joke) to only stay for a short while and then make a fastmove, you know its probably best to just leave especially as they were still 'discussing' the rules! So we did.....!!! Love Mariposa!!!

Leaving San Fran

Well it was tough but we left San Fran!!
Coffee and brekkers from Stella's below us again. Dan went and got his cleaning.
I loved SF and def want to go back. I feel like I did a great job of getting to know it but only scratched the surface really... Even sat in my room drinking coffee at 8am there were still such interesting things going on along Columbus.. like this guy wandering along in a Silver jacket crooning to people having breakfast!!
Taxi was easy and then we hit Hertz who kept us waiting for nearly 2 hours for a GPS and when we got it 'amazingly' it didn't work..hmm seems to be a bit of a pattern this...
Thankfully Dan had already researched the route and noted it down so we were OK.. One wrong turn only - which put us into the middle of a massive traffic jam due to an accident - but it wasn't so bad.

The route was such an odd contrast visually. For ages it was really quite industrial and just big and loud and then all of a sudden we were in what we would say was the countryside. Only this was bigger and more dramatic than I have ever seen. Oh and so barren. So stripped of life...
We had already been told (by Vernon on the Santa Barbara boat trip) about the terrible droughts but this was still a shock.
Massive expanses of pretty much wasteland that should be farms and orchards..So sad...

We found Mariposa easy enough which is a tiny little town that seems like it is a touristy place as in the buildings are all 'olde worlde' USA but it is actually really like that! So pretty and well, quaint.
It has a population of about 1,500  (I think the sign said 1796 and Dan thinks it said 1,296 so I'm going in the middle -ish !!)
It is a mile long only so nothing is difficult to find and most places are closed on Monday! Where do you get that kind of thing really. Well, yes, back home in some places but you just don't seem to expect it here.

Found a great little bar though and got chatting away to the people that run it and the locals (Prospectors Brewery) and went for a lovely meal at Savoury's. Really delicious..

Aiming for an proper early start tomorrow to hit Yosemite Park hence a very quick update as now off to bed!!

Fog and stuff stops play!

Today didn't go anything like how we'd planned!

Dan's hangover got much worse and he was feeling really quite ill. We think it was part hangover, part something he'd eaten.
So biking over the bridge was just not going to happen as he couldn't really leave the room. He knew how much I really wanted to see the bridge so with a lot of encouragement and persuasion from him, I set off to walk to it thinking it wasn't too much of a walk really judging by the map.
hmmm yeah, what I had failed to realise is that the map fell short of where the bridge is and where it said 'Golden Gate Bridge' was not actually where it was!  I noticed, well into my walk, that it also said (2.5miles) which I then understood was how much further it was on from where the map stopped!

ha.. well I am nothing if not determined and I carried on anyway.  The walk just went on and on but it was really lovely and again, I saw a whole new side of SF.  The route took me by the marina and also the beach.. I went through Crissy Fields too and along this really scenic route up towards Fort Point which is where I really wanted to see the bridge from.
As I'm striding along it hit me that surely I should be able to see the bridge by now but I couldn't see where it was.. hmm perhaps it was just round that bend.. or that one.. etcetc!  And I strode on..

Eventually I got right up to Fort Point and was practically walking alongside the bridge  (not literally but could see it up above and to the right of me) but still I could not see this amazing bridge sweeping out into the water...
I realised then it was hidden in the fog.. Fookin loads of fog so thick it was actually hiding a full bloody massive bridge!  haha.. can't believe I didn't realise earlier that was why I hadn't seen it like 2 miles back!

Ahh well, I enjoyed the walk and as I got to the end of the route I managed to glimpse a little bit of it, took some pics and turned right around to head back.
14kms all in, in just under 3 hours. Not bad going but I was a tad achy to say the least when I got back.
Dan was much better by the time I returned which was great to hear and we made plans for dinner. Found a lovely little Italian right round the back of the hotel which had great reviews. Key thing apparently was that it was much more real than many of the others in Little Italy....
It was absolutely delicious. Really lovely interior and an excellent menu - not too much to chose from but plenty of choice.
I had Burrata to start and Dan had Caeser salad. I then had the special of the day which was Spaghetti and Swordfish - in a tomato, parsley and caper sauce. Dan had the Gnocchi in a meat Ragu and we shared a divine Cannoli..
All enjoyed with a bottle of Red and then we headed back to the hotel for an early night ready for an early start tomorrow where we are heading off on the next stage of our trip and are going to Mariposa ready for Yosemite........
San Francisco has been absolutely amazing.. we've thoroughly loved every minute and I will def come back. It is AWESOME!!

Getting to know SF

Another excellent day in SF (Sat 12th Sept).

After a very lazy morning drinking coffee, eating brekkers and studying maps & stuff, we set off for a good old wander around Chinatown. It was really busy as it was shopping day where all the local Chinese people get all their groceries in and the place was just buzzing. 

We criss crossed between Stockton and Grant Ave to try and see as much as we could. Its a great place, really buzzy and lively. It is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia....

After we came out via Dragon's Gate we headed on towards Market St and the Haight district. We stopped in a really cool little bar called FarmerBrown where they served beer in Mason jars, brunch was what everyone was doing (incl a Brunch buffet!) and 3 teenagers played live jazz!  It was fabulous.  

Pushed on from there all the way down Market Street and really got to see a different side of SF. There were many more homeless people around, many more people just kind of loitering (perhaps with intent..) and just a different feel.

I can't say I felt unsafe but I was definitely more aware.

As we reached Haight Street it changed again as we wandered up into the hub of the original Hippy movement in SF.  We stopped at another recommended bar and got chatting to an Irish guy there who's table we crashed. He was travelling about on his own for a couple of days as he was over in Boston for work but actually lived in Sydney!

After there we carried on up Haight and just stopped wherever we fancied really. This was a good old walk I must mention, covering quite a decent area of SF which is what we love to do. Specific bars are kind of the main destination but that is good as it gives us a purpose almost, to head out and really cover some distance and get to properly see/know the place.. We were about 4-5miles away from our hotel I think by now. We diverted 'off track' to go to Bar Crudo (another recommendation) and it was fab. We had Oysters in there - first time Dan had ever had them and then I had a delicious Octopus and Chorizo dish, D had fish tacos.. 

On from there to our final destination of Magnolia Brewpub. We sat outside there and as always, got chatting to the couple that shared our table. They were great, she was also called Sarah. They had very recently moved from NYC! Sarah gave us some good tips on places to go in NYC (incl Rooftop bars) that aren't quite so touristy... She highly recommended the High Line and wasn't particularly enamoured by Stone St.. said that it would be full of guys in suits that thought they were being really cool dining and drinking in a European type of set up!  For us, as Europeans she said it wouldn't be that exciting....

Anyway, after they left Dan ordered himself a burger and I got some wings (which weren't all that good surprisingly).  It was dark now and there was just no way we were going to be walking back so we ordered an Uber cab and headed back towards our hotel. 

We stopped off at Vesuvio's (again) as I think it is one of our faves here and then very stupidly decided to have a couple more again in the cafe/bar next door to the hotel. I say stupidly as we were already a bit pissed and just didn't need anymore!  But hey, we're on holiday and we've only gone a bit daft here in SF so its all fine! 

hmmmm though as I sit here writing this feeling rather ropey I'm not really convinced by that last statement!!! 

We're having a super easy day today and once our massive sandwiches from Molinari's have settled down, we're just going to rent bikes and go over the GG bridge.. that is all we have planned today and what a nice last day in SF it will be.

Off to prison..

I'm slightly behind in writing this as we were out all day long yesterday and by the time we got back I was shattered.
So Fri 11th Sept -  we did have a bit of a hangover each after getting giddy on our first  night here but we managed to get up and crack on.. though D would have stayed where he was if I hadn't been firing out the orders ;-)
Stopped for brunch further along down Columbus at Caffe DeLucci which was delicious. I decided the only way forward was with a Bloody Mary but it was too spicy for me to enjoy so I didn't finish it. Couldn't finish the food either but given the portion sizes here its no surprise.
We headed down Stockton and along to Coit Tower via Filbert. Oh god that was a steep road - you couldn't even traverse it easily such was the gradient!  and on top of that you then have a shit load of steps to deal with to find you're not even at the frigging base of the tower! My thighs were burning I can tell you.. We dragged ourselves up more steps and then saw our first view of the Golden Gate bridge.. so it was more than worth it.  More steps again and we were at the tower with glorious views all around - incl Alcatraz, GG Bridge, Lombard St... We chose not to go in/up the tower as the queue was huge and we just weren't bothered enough to join it!
From the tower we meandered down to the waterfront coming out at Pier 39. It was like a  more classy Blackpool but on steriods!!  We got out of there fairly fast and moved round to Fisherman's Wharf.. Stopped for lots of water and then mooched on around and came across the cable car turning point. Massive q there which I was not happy about joining, preferring to jump one en route (plus I have zero patience in the heat esp!) Dan couldn't face more hills so I acquiesced and we queued. I think i stopped sulking after about 15mins ;-)  haha..
Cable car was good fun but we ended up inside and I got shouted at by this asshole of a man. My bag was knocking his wife apparently (I didn't know, they never said) and then he just shouted 'Ma'am you want to MOVE your purse..it is hitting my wife. DON'T let it happen again'... DICK.. I obv apologised immediately as I wouldn't want to be whacking someone around the face, but he still went on about me not doing it any longer so I snapped back at him..!  Cue uncomfortable silence on the cable car!  Anyway, the journey and the crazy steep hills that the cable car climbed and descended was too interesting to care about someone with an attitude problem and I got on with enjoying my mini roller coaster ride!

We took the car right to the end which was by Union Square. oooh that place deffo isn't for us. It's a crazy busy shopping place full of the big stores (Saks, Macy's etc) as well as bars/restaurants/hotels. Like the SF version of Times Square in its noise and busy-ness I guess.
Found a nice little bar further up, stopped for a couple and then got a different cable car line back. This time we jumped it en route and we both got to hang on the outside of it (on opp sides of) both smiling away like a pair of giddy kippers!!
Then it was Alcatraz time. Got the ferry over and we got to fully circle the island and really view it from the boat. The tour was excellent, really well carried out and whilst it was busy it wasn't too bad. Everyone was generous and made sure each got a turn to take pics or get in the ridiculously small cells. Someone said to me on FB that it was eery at night and they were right..  I cannot imagine what it was like with lights out there. I guess the fact that it is so old now and in  state of disrepair and crumbling paintwork adds to it but still.  It was also a much smaller prison than I thought too.. So glad I went, it was a really interesting tour/visit. The view back of SF all lit up was amazing but you can't help but think that this was also what these prisoners saw.. like SF was sooo close you could almost touch it - but not for them. I know they were there for good reason but that must have been tortuous..  you can see why escape was permanently on their minds.

Got the 8.40 ferry back and by this time it was bloody cold. D of course wants to be up top and I like an idiot followed him and was then a stubborn cow and wouldn't move downstairs/inside!
We got another cable car back up towards Chinatown and headed in for some food. However, the restaurant we really wanted to go to was closed - closed at 9pm. As were many of the others on 'our side' of Chinatown. I guess there would have been many more open if we had gone further downtown but it was getting to 10pm, we were tired and hungry and wanted to be closer to the hotel.

So as we were about to give up we found what looked like a Chinese version of a greasy spoon but was full of people...A moments hesitation and we headed in. So glad we did, the food was fabulous though we ordered a STUPID amount of food we discovered. It was a joke tbh when you saw the amount of food we had.. Such a shocking waste to leave it but we did do our best with it!  Even the guy running the place was giggling at us!  Dan got this bloody pigskin and fish balls dish as well.. ha when he ordered it the guy was questioning him and trying to explain what it was.. Dan was insistent though as he really wanted to have something totally different to the norm.  To be fair, he had a good go at it. The verdict was that the pig skin was definitely different, not something he could eat any more of but the fish balls and the sauce it was in were lovely!!
Stuffed stuffed stuffed after that we wandered back and realised we were quite simply shattered and didn't have it in us to fight our way into bars (Friday night so it's very busy), plus we had been out all day so were a bit minging. So we just headed back and crashed out!!  Great day...

San Francisco Baby!!!!

Managed a short run this morning (10 Sep) which was pretty tough going in the heat and with a cold, but I did it. And running along the coast is just slightly better than running around Ashton -on - Mersey Village I guess😉 ! 

Post run, we did brekkers and then fully packed up all ready for the next stage to San Francisco (Baby!) 

Journey was easy and was such a contrast of scenery and surroundings it just has to be seen to be believed... One minute you're in beautiful beach towns, the next you're surrounded by massive fields of vegetation with just some dusty little shop in the distance and hardly any cars on the road.  Then the next corner brings great big sandy hills and stunning colours of the local flora..
And boy did the temperature drop as we drove - only to about 65 degrees but after we've been experiencing temps of 95+ that was a big drop... but no surprise given the mist that drove in.
I enjoyed a good bit of country and western on the radio as we drive along! Dan found my driving dancing rather amusing but slightly scary I think. Not sure if that was through road awareness or just my jigging about!!
 We stopped at Half Moon Bay just because we could and because it sounded ace to both of us. No surprise but D found a brewery place there! No issue to me, main thing is we have an actual place to aim for/eat/drink..... I give over all responsibility for this once we arrive! I've planned/booked researched and now driven! It's the best way for me tbh!

The brewery place was lovely anyway with stunning views and we enjoyed a bite to eat there.
We headed back off then to SF.
I was a bit nervous tbh about driving into SF as its just such a major city. We had to go on the Interstate which is about 6 lanes wide and contains much more aggressive drivers than on the little Highway 1!  I felt my usual motorway persona coming back to me as I drove along there..;-)  Anyway, with a couple of missed roads and a quick U-turn on an incredibly steep road, we found the car drop off point. Got a full refund on the sat nav and then stepped out for a cab to get us to the hotel.
It was great being able to sit back and take in a few of the sights and sounds of the city. The hotel is fab.. it is old and quaint but so, so charming (spotless of course) and in the best location.
We unpacked etc and then headed out for a wander and a beer. We both had some bars in mind to head to that were far enough away to give us a good feel for where we were and what the place is like.
Walking out it was just the biggest assault on our senses after spending a week in pretty little beach towns. It was so big and loud and busy!  Brilliantly so of course as we do both love big cities but still a bit of a shock!
The weather was deffo cooler too and I actually needed my cardi (how old do I sound!)
We got chatting to a lovely couple who table crashed us. They had just got married and were on a little holiday and were experiencing SF for the first time too. They are from Kentucky or was it Missouri?  Can't remember.. haha.. they invited us to come over anyway and go to the derby I do recall that!  They bought us drinks as well just because we let them share our table - how kind. They were really fun and we found out the he (Matt) is a bit of an entrepeneur and has his own Vodka production company ;-).. he said he is hoping it will make a comeback... Errm when did it ever go away??! Anyway Kathy wanted to get me on FB so that she could send us a bottle!  What ACE people..  They only stayed for one drink as they said they'd had enough as had been on the cocktails all evening and they dashed off.
We headed right into downtown after that and had a great little wander. Ended up in a bar that had been recommended, had some lovely tapas and then headed back.. just a tad tipsy honest ;-)

Alcatraz next.. SO excited for that trip. A day of exploring the other end of where we are first then onto the boat and off to prison!!