The Big Apple

Hi again everyone.

I've finally got around to do writing up the last blog from our American adventure.
Sorry it is a bit brief, but i'm getting a little tired of putting these blogs together (i'm sure i'll be glad I did in the future though). We are settling into London well, we've been here less than a week and both met with recruitment agents already, and hopefully getting bank accounts set up tomorrow which will be good (except for seeing our money disappear in half!). The only downside is that i've caught a cold, and feel like crap (looking really professional, spaced out on sudafed with my nose dripping down my face in my meeting today...). Oh well.

We spent four action packed days in New York, a fitting end to a fantastic journey through the United States for the last two months.

We packed in as many of the famous sights that we could manage, and tried some delicious New York style pizza (not as good as Chicago style!), and enjoyed eating salads at a few different New York Deli's.
We stayed in Chelsea, right in downtown Manhattan which was great for getting around.

Day 1: - wandered around 5th avenue, up to Times Square, saw the Rocker feller Centre, went in to Grand Central Station, went up the Empire State Building, had lunch in a NY Deil, went back to the hostel, then ran back 20 blocks to the Deli to get Shaun's wallet! We celebrated with New York Pizza!

 Grand Central Station

 NBA Store

 NBA Store - Check out all these Jerseys!!

 Madison Square Garden

 The Worlds most famous department store

 Times Square - Day Time

Times Square - Day time

 Rockefeller Plaza

 Rockefeller Center

 30 Rock!

 The Today Show filming live

 Empire State Building Foyer

 King Kong

 View from on the 86th floor - Empire State Building

 Top of the Empire State Building

 Downtown Manhattan view - Empire State Building

 Selfie on top of the Empire

 Times Square - Night Time

 New York Architecture

Day 2: Went to FAO Schwartz so the Shaun could play on the giant floor piano from the movie Big, wandered around Central Park, and back down 5th Ave

 Inside FAO Schwartz - Shaun doing his Tom Hanks impression (from the movie BIG)

FAO Schwartz LEGO department 

 FAO Schwartz LEGO department

 Central Park

 Central Park

 Central Park

 Central Park

Central Park

Pizza Suprema - rated the best New York style in Manhattan (not sure why i'm pulling that face..)

Day 3: Took a long walk to find the wharf where you catch the boat to the Statue of Liberty, went over to the Statue of Liberty, walked past the 9/11 Memorial (massive cues to get in), saw Wall St and some famous Churches on Broadway.

 Statue of Liberty

 Statue of Liberty

 View of Manhattan from Liberty Island

Statue of Liberty

 Wall St

 9/11 Memorial FDNY

 9/11 Memorial FDNY

Firemen who lost their lives in 9/11

Day 4: Went to the 9/11 Tribute Centre and Memorial, a very somber experience, but a fitting memorial - also saw the three new Trade Centre Towers (with the fourth under construction). Also walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and went to Little Italy where we stumbled across a festival!

 Tower 1 - New World Trade Center

 9/11 Memorial Site

 9/11 Memorial Site

 Brooklyn Bridge

 Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge

 Little Italy - San Gennaro Festival

 Little Italy - San Gennaro Festival (note man dressed as a giant Cannoli)

Little Italy - San Gennaro Festival (with a python, as you do),

Day 5: Went to the movies to see the new movie Prisoners, it is really good. We also saw a policewoman on a horse!

Policewoman on a horse

Oh Canada, Eh!

Hello Again

Here is an update on the fabulous time we had in Canada with our friends Jess and Nathan (who we met in Africa two years ago).

We were very glad to arrive after our 12 hr bus ride from Chicago, and to stretch our legs with a nice walk around downtown Toronto and a cold Canadian beer at Wayne Gretzky's restaurant/museum.
We had the please of staying in Jess and Nathan's new home in Whitby, a suburb in the Greater Toronto area- they'd only been in it for a week and a half!

After a much needed sleep in we took a stroll along Lake Ontario at the cute area of Frenchman's Bay.

That night we got to experience our first live ice hockey game between two local teams, Oshawa Generals and Peterborough Pete's. It was AWESOME! We saw at least five fights! It is impressive how quickly they can move across the ice and the massive hits they can put it. Almost like rugby, but with sticks and on ice (so not really like rugby at all). But at least it was a fast moving game, which is far more my style (mainly because I get bored quickly with sport).

Fight!

The next two days we caught the commuter train into Toronto to have a look around. We explored the seemingly miles of shops and pathways that run under the main part of the city, popping up to look around the entertainment district where the Toronto International Film Festival was happening (we didn't see any famous people, although a few were in town). We also took a look at the old Roundhouse.

Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Roundhouse

entertainment district

Cool old building

Roundhouse

We took a walk past the Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, and lunched in the Distillery District, and also at the St Lawrence Market. This market was my favourite! So much amazing food - meats, cheese, seafood, baking, fruit and vegetables! This made me excited to move to London and eat my way through the different markets there!

Hockey Hall of Fame

Funky building

St Lawrence Market

St Lawrence Market

St Lawrence Market

We also tried some French Canadian Cuisine - Poutine. Which consists of french fries, gravy and cheese grits. Delicious! But so bad for you!

After a relaxing day on friday, and our daily dose of Tim Hortons (a coffee chain that is truly a Canadian institution!), we set off for Niagara Falls. But not before eating the wings off an entire flock of chickens at Wild Wings. There were over 100 flavours to choose from. I haven't eaten wings since then, i'm trying to quit while i'm ahead!

Niagara Falls is spectacular (i've used this word a lot when describing natural wonders that we've seen, but i'm running out of variations!). We went down and watched fireworks over the falls (which themselves are illuminated in a rainbow of colours by giant spotlights). Very pretty.

Saturday was full on. We spent the morning looking at the falls, going to a rather strange (but fun) 4D movie experience (Niagara's Fury), and taking the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of Niagara Falls. We didn't get quite as drenched as I was expecting, which was good, but also meant that i don't think we went as close to the falls as you otherwise could in the summertime. Unfortunately the Coutts' forgetfulness rubbed off on Jess and Nathan, who left their passports behind, and Nathan had to drive back to get them, as they were going to drive us across the border to the airport on Sunday. So while Nathan very kindly spent the afternoon driving, the rest of us went wine tasting and looking around the quaint town of Niagara on the Lake!

Maid of the Mist

Niagara on the Lake

Niagara on the Lake

Wine tasting!

Once Nathan got back we went  to explore the Journey Behind the Falls, where you walk along a Tunnel bored out behind the falls (I think it was back in the 1930's) where they have cut windows out to the falls!

We then went out for a nice dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, a little gimmicky, but very fun and well done. Complete with  giant moving gorilla's and elephants! We then had our fill of entertainment on Clifton Hill (like a street that is basically an amusement park), scaring ourselves in the Frankenstein haunted house (and me accidentally bopping Jess on the nose while throwing my arms up in fright!). We also played mini golf at the most awesome place ever - dinosaur themed complete with real fireball coming out of a volcano!

Rainforest Cafe

Me and a giant Moose

We never ended up going to Hooters, sorry Shaun. 

Shaun in a really big dude's chair at Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Me, after eating all of those chicken wings...

Majorly awesome minigolf

Tim Hortons

Frankenstein!

The next morning we took a walk along the rapids along the Niagara River - they were very impressive, and it was interesting reading the stories of people who attempted to make it through the rapids, either in boats, barrels or swimming!

Cute owl

We then said goodbye to Canada and Jess and Nathan dropped us off at the Buffalo Airport for our flight to the Big Apple, where we have had four days jam packed with sightseeing... but that will come in another blog.

We're in London now trying to find out feet. I'll finish the New York blog in the next few days.

Until next time,

Catherine & Shaun.