Thanksgiving in New York

The great thing about hitting New York City is how many businesses offer free wifi. So it's about time I actually did a mobile blog. Currently, I'm having dinner in Hell's Kitchen - a couple of blocks off Broadway. I am killing a couple of hours before my show "Kinky Boots" opens (this musical has been scored by Cyndi Lauper!). They never seem to have many cheap tickets to this award winning show - consequently, I have forked out the big bucks - I hope it's worth it...

So one of the few reasons why I will revisit a city is that the pressure is off to see all the famous sites. It becomes easier to just soak up the atmosphere a bit more; live like a local rather than a tourist. And being here for thanksgiving certainly added to that. I had every intention of watching the Macy's parade - except I thought it was in the afternoon (finishes by noon) and as I have had hassles with the safe in my room (what are the odds that the day after getting my phone replaced, my laptop and money gets locked in the room safe? I felt like part of a nefarious gang as we drilled into the safe to break into it!), I didn't get away until nearly noon on that day.

So I was rather glad that the queues were so horrendous at the Natural History Museum the previous day, that I instead found myself wandering around in the bitter cold watching the Macy's balloons being inflated. I was way too excited about this - like a kid!

They are certainly huge - and I'm sorry I didn't get to see them fly (other than on TV) - albeit lower than usual this year because of the high winds that were part of the storm front that contributed to the icy weather conditions and delayed so many people getting to their families this thanksgiving.

So, determined to still do something a bit American, I stocked up on turkey sandwich and pumpkin pie and decided to make my way to one of the most quintessentially New York scenes for a thanksgiving day picnic - the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

It was absolutely freezing - you couldn't leave your gloves off for more than a few seconds - and with the arctic wind I reckon it was around 2-3 degrees. But such a crisp blue sky as a result.

And the bridge positively sparkled in the weak winter sunshine.

But it was so cold that the local Starbucks had trouble getting people to leave - between the hot drinks, clean toilet, and free wifi, what could entice you to go out into the cold again? But leave I did, and as I wandered around the area called Dumbo I happened upon this amazing view of the Manhattan Bridge, which is next to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Note the Empire State Building positioned in the centre arch?! Perfect! Altogether a cold but enjoyable day. And the food was so much that I ate the second half of it for dinner that night.

Now that's what I call talkin' turkey! More Manhattan escapades in the next post.

Until then, Aveline. xxx