Blizzard hits NY

We had dinner in last night, and watched the white flakes falling. At midnight Michelle & Liz went out to Times Square. There were large snowdrifts all over, still a few cars driving around - no chains. The snow was still falling, it fell until 4am.

In the morning the sky was clear and all around was white. The cars were still driving, slowly, single lane. Saw many people digging out their cars as they got stuck driving along or had been parked on the roadside. The wind came up and was blowing snow off the tops of buildings.

Our 11am flight to Montreal was canceled, we were moved to a 1pm flight, which was then canceled, as was the following 3pm flight. At this stage we are on a flight at 5.30pm. So currently we are waiting to see if the airport is reopened at 4pm.

It is the second largest December snowstorm since 1896! Certainly some record to be here for.....The wind is stronger now than it has been during the snowfall. It is whistling around the windows here on the 19th floor. It is -4 outside, with the wind chill -12C.

Christmas Day & Boxing day in New York

It was a cloudy day when we awoke. We had breakfast, and at 11am walked to catch the bus to Penn Station. From there we took the train out to Long Island to visit friends of Michelles who live about 1 hour 20 minutes out from Manhatten. We started Christmas dinner at 3.00pm and finished dining about 9.00pm - certainly not the way the Hokitika Pfahlerts do Christmas dinner! However it was very nice and the 4 friends (Maria, Larry, Jean & Lisa) were very good company. Traveled through the delightful (not) town of Hicksville on the way out and back. The train home was uneventful. We unwrapped our present and we were in bed by midnight.

Today we went shopping at Macys, Lord & Taylor and Century 21 - an absolute circus with everyone wanting to get "specials". I got a couple of new jerseys and shirts and Liz a new jacket and gloves. It started snowing late morning and we now have blizzard conditions outside - the first snow of the year. We had a few trips in the falling snow traveling between the various shops and subway stations.  They are promising 18" to fall tonight so we are keeping an eye on our flights tomorrow to see if we can get out to Montreal. There are road sweepers and sidewalk shovellers already out in force, thought the number of people walking around has reduced considerably. We are looking at our options for dining out tonight - won't be going far though.

Christmas Eve in NYC

Another clear, sunny day. Again about 0 degrees. We took the bus down 9th Ave to 14th Street. There we went for a walk on the Highline. This is an old railway line which has been rejuvenated as a walking track (with further extensions planned). It has been beautifully done, to look like a disused overgrown railway. Many people saunter along it on a fine day. It is elevated above the streets, so has quite a good view.

From there we caught the C line subway to the Staten Island ferry terminal, right at the bottom of the Island. The free ferry goes every 20-30 minutes. There are up to 2000 people on it! Just walk on & walk off, very streamlined. So we had a good view back over Manhatten while on the 25 minute trip. It was too cold and windy to do too much walking about so we did a short walk near the docks and caught the next ferry back.

Back in town we met Michelle and went shoe shopping. John managed to find 2 nice pairs to replace ones he's worn to death. Liz and Michelle were not so lucky. We had dinner at a cheap diner at Grand Central Station and then headed home. We were joined by Michelles friend Lisa and we all went out for a drink at the Marriot before going off to midnight mass at St Malachys, a small gothic church about 2 blocks from Michelles place.

After mass we came home and rang various family members in NZ before finally getting to be about 2.47am.

New York Update

Hi everyone
No snow yet, but it's promised (50% chance) for Monday. Liz and I went to another show the night before last, called Rock of Ages. It's based on rock music from the early 1980's. We had seats 3 rows from the front. The music was played by a live band. Yesterday we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We took a couple of buses to get there. Hard to say that you've ever "seen" the Met with several million exhibits. About a dozen or so rooms just with Egyptian artifacts, and another dozen with grand master paintings. Every major theme seemed to cover about an acre! We wandered around for about 4 hours before flagging.

We strolled back through Central Park and window shopped back to Michelle's flat. It was another sunny, cold day. Last night we joined Michelle and her friend Liz to go to the Christmas show put on by the Radio City Rockettes, the annual Radio city Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. This was an "extravaganza" - the nativity scene had real live sheep, 2 camels and a donkey! The hall is huge and seats about 3000.

We have been to the Natural History Museum also. It has some great exhibits, particularly the bits on the origin of man and dinosaurs. However I thought most of it was a bit dated. Just the job for Peter Jackson and Weta workshops to do a makeover and zazz it up!

Michelle had a party at her place last night and invited 25 or so - which didn't finish till well after midnight. Caught up with all her friends. Didn't get to bed till after 2am. And this morning got up at at 10.47am! Great to be able to sleep in.

22nd December

Another sunny day in New York City.
We caught the bus uptown along 8th Avenue(just around the corner) at 9.45 to the Lincoln Centre. There we went to see "The Magic Flute" at the Metropolitan Opera. It was a great performance, sung in English. Very well staged. Then we walked down to Broadway and continued back along the edge of Central Park. We were going to go to the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) but it is closed on Tuesdays. So we walked down 5th Avenue, looking at all the famous stores. Only window-shopping!

Visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. We got to the Rockefeller Centre and saw the ice skaters there. Went up the "Rock" - to the 69th floor - in time to see the sun setting over behind the Hudson River. We then walked the very short distance to Michelle's apartment and had dinner. Now waiting to go out to a musical, Rock of Ages. This time we won't need hats & gloves as it is literally across the street!

It has been reasonably warm here, 0 degrees. Usually it is much colder. The forecast is for fine weather through until Sunday, so probably will not have a white Christmas :( Oh well. At least is it easy to get around. There are plenty of people in town, especially around Times Square & on 5th Avenue.

NEW YORK!!

We left Wellington and arrived in Auckland on time, with a quick dash between terminals between rain showers. Had a good flight to LA, but the plane from there to New York was 3 hours late. So we finally arrived in NY just after midnight local time. Michelle was there to greet us, and we got a taxi back to her place. By the time we went to bed it was 3am.
Michelle has a lovely apartment in 47th Street, on the 19th floo,r just along from Times Square, a very nice view out back over TS and to the Hudson River out the other side. It is very spacious for NY, and all decorated for Christmas.
On Sunday we were up at 9am to catch a subway train to Harlem, to go to the First Corinthians Baptist Church service. It began at 10am, and finished about 1pm. A very invigorating service. Some energetic attendees, who were inspired by the Spirit.
We met Michelle's friend Rita & her husband Bobby, and went to lunch at a Soul Food restaurant after the service with them. Then John & I walked through Central Park. Ice skaters on the rink, chestnuts for sale, all very wintry outside. Then we walked down to Michelle's apartment, and we relaxed for the evening.

This morning we arose about 9am and after breakfast went through Times Square to get the subway through to Brooklyn. From Brooklyn we walked back to Manhatten over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was sunny, though cold. Once back in Manhatten we spent the rest of the day walking around lower Manhatten - the site of the World Trade Centre, Wall Street, to the American Indian Museum....past lots of well-known buildings.Everything all decorated for Christmas - strings of lights on all the trees and decorations everywhere. Very pretty in the dark. Only a quick stop for a coffee and for lunch.. We walked through China Town and Little Italy, past the shops on Broadway, and through SoHo. Finally we caught the bus heading back to Times Square, stopping of at Macy's on the way.
After dinner John and I went to the musical Memphis - it was a 3 minute walk to 44th Street, so convenient! The musical was very good, the story of a white DJ who played "black" music on the radio in the 1950s.

So it is now 10.15 and time for bed. We have another full day planned for tomorrow, starting with The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera at 11am.

Coromandel and the East Cape

In late September 2010 John and Liz went on a quick tour around the Coromandel Penninsula and the east Cape following a business trip to Auckland. The weather was windy and sometimes wet. This was the reverse of a trip we'd done together in 1982 shortly after we were married.



We started in Auckland and went out via Clevedon and Kawakawa Bay to Miranda, then on across the Hauraki Plains to Thames. Had a lat morning coffee in Clevedon and lunch in Thames. Then on to Coromandel Township and late afternoon coffee there. Arrived at base camp 5.00pm in Kuatuna on the eastern side of the penninsula. We stayed at Kaepallis Band B. Beautiful views over the sea from a ridge top location.



We had dinner at the golf club at Matarangi. Surprisingly good food and wine!

Day 2 was a leisurley start and then bay hopping down the eastern side of the Coromandel to Tauranga.



Otama and Opito Bay, Whitianga, Cooks Beach, Hahei, Tairua, Opoutere (Liz bought an original Giuty painting from the artists gallery), Whangamata and then straight through to Mt Maunganui for our second night.



Stayed at the pavillion Hotel at the Mount and dined at a seafood restaurant downstairs.

Saturday was a drive through to Whakatane for breakfast at about 11am and then on via Opotiki toward the Cape. A slow meander via Te Kaha, Hicks Bay, Te Araroa, Tikitiki, Tokomaru Bay and Tolaga Bay - finishing at Gisborne. A 9 hour drive through some nice and not so nice country. The road is much more windy than we recall. The norther coats was lovely, but there were numerous slips on the road. From Whangaroa Bay on it's basically a drive through farmland.



Stayed in a waterfront apartment in Gisborne and dined atanother seafood restaurant.
Sunday was a head for home day, stopping for 20 minutes in Wairoa for coffee and an hour in Napier to see Hamish Jamieson and Arti, friens of ours. There was a major road diversion just north of Napier, where we were diverted out into the countryside....The weather was very windy coming down through the Wairarapa.

All in all a great wee jaunt.