20th January 2014

We woke at 8 a.m. to a bright blue sky, signalling a clear but cold day. We weren’t wrong, the temperature hovered around -2°C until late afternoon, when it nudged up to a chilly 2°C.

After a couple of cups of coffee, we asked at the concierge desk where we could catch a tour bus. Armed with directions and my phone’s SatNav, we set off for Times Square. Oooooo, it was freezing! My poor hands quickly went numb from checking the phone map, as the touch screen annoyingly doesn’t respond to gloved fingers. Fortunately, we got there quickly; luckily,  nothing seems very far from our hotel.

Spotting a guy with a poster advertising the tours, we bought our tickets from him, and his partner led us to where the bus was waiting. After a 10-minute, very cold wait, we set off with nearly a full load of tourists. Being among the first to board, we positioned ourselves just behind the canopy to benefit from its shelter, yet still have a clear view for photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were the only ones to stay on the bus for the full route, as others got on and off at various stops. The tour roughly circled Manhattan, covering all the famous landmarks as well as some lesser-known spots. The journey took around two hours, and despite dressing for the weather, we still ended up quite cold. Towards the end, I’d taken so many photos that my battery warning light was flashing.

When we were dropped off in Times Square, we found ourselves outside the Marriott hotel. I’d heard about its revolving restaurant, offering splendid views of the city. Taking the express lift to the 47th floor, we arrived at ‘The View’ restaurant. As it was Sunday, they were serving a brunch buffet. We waited a few moments for a table, and as luck would have it, we got one right by the window. We had a perfect view as we slowly rotated, taking in the skyline.

Brunch included unlimited glasses of champagne or champagne spritzers, but we started with two cups of hot coffee to warm up. The food was exactly what you’d expect in such a setting, excellent, and I happily indulged. I even managed a plateful of cakes and desserts. We topped it off with a few more champagne spritzers, followed by hot coffee to finish.

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we wandered around Times Square a while longer, doing some shopping, and eventually found Macy’s, where we had a bit more retail therapy. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped in Central Park and bought a framed picture of the park. With tired feet, we returned to the hotel for coffee and searched in vain for the key to my suitcase lock, which had gone missing, likely hoovered up by the chambermaid (fortunately, we had a Plan B!). I broke it.

Later, we took a walk around the local area. We strolled down 9th Avenue, which turned out to be a dining district, packed with bars and restaurants. Every place was bustling, with many would-be diners roaming the streets looking for an open table, not that we saw many! Back at the hotel, we settled into the bar, where Sue tried a cider called ‘Angry Orchard’. It must have been good, as she had a second bottle, while I stuck to my usual, a glass of beer. We watched an American football game between Seattle and San Francisco on TV, which sparked quite a bit of debate among the crowd of fans in the bar.

Incidentally, the Super Bowl is in two weeks, and you can’t miss the hype. Macy’s has an enormous display of all the competing teams, Times Square is being prepped to become “Super Bowl Square” (I kid you not), and nearly every shop window features some kind of display for it. After watching plenty of ads and very little actual gameplay tonight, I’m still baffled by the appeal. I have to admit, I even played a game of it in the ’70s at camp in New York State, and I thought it was a bit of a silly game then!

After a quick browse around the hotel shop, we gratefully collapsed into a very comfortable bed. But I do miss Mr. Pillow; he will always have a special place in my heart. At Macy’s today, we puzzled a rather bemused haberdashery assistant with our questions about sourcing one of Mr. Pillow’s possible relatives. Alas, she had no insight into his lineage; apparently, Macy’s only stocks duck-down pillows. How backwards, and this is the country that put a man on the moon? Oh yes, in Universal Studios, no doubt!