Just off the train to Harrogate, I can hardly believe that we were lucky enough to make it to New York last week – and seemingly back again in one piece.
It just goes to show the impact that COVID has had on all our lives – something that would always have been a treat, is these days enormously magnified, and we feel very fortunate to have had the chance to go. Even sitting on a plane long enough to watch an actual film – 5 in my case, I guzzled those suckers – was a thrill, not having been long haul since returning from New Zealand in Jan 2020. Great to see The Father and Supernova that I'd wanted to see at the cinema but hadn't got to – a double cheery dose of dementia-related cinematography.
And then we were suddenly in NY – amazingly, all the hideous paperwork, uploading stuff to apps and pre-departure testing actually worked and we sailed through both LHR and JFK at a rate of knots, all super smooth and not a single piece of paper had to be waved.
Boom – hello Manhattan our old friend!
Janine & Ross and we certainly made the most of it – in the 2 main shopping daysI somehow hoofed a whopping 58,000 steps. Just goes to show that you just have to dangle something very motivating in front of my nose, in this case Xmas shopping and the mega Black Friday sales, to make me walk and walk and walk some more..
Totally loving the Xmas feel of the city – lights in the shops, on the roads, up the buildings, including a fabulous light show we copped on the frontage of Saks – stunning.
Also had a fab catch up lunch with the lovely Ed Pilkington, my old Diageo mate. Amazing that we met as grad trainees and are still chums over 30 years later. He's now Head of Marketing for Diageo in all of North America and of course I am similarly flying high – Head of Dog Walking and Dishwasher Emptying?? But so nice that he is as down to earth, normal and self-detracting as always – and has a spankingly nice apartment overlooking Central Park, might have to take him up on the offer of staying there if we ever make it back!
Did just about manage to tick a minor culture box with a trip to MoMA, and just LOVED being back at one of my fave piano bars for an evening – hello Don't Tell Mama, I have missed you.. And quite a few bars, natch.
Interesting to see that 99% of people were wearing masks on the subway and buses, and pleasing that we were asked for COVID passes and ID at all restaurants and bars – even to sit having a cuppa in Starbucks. Definitely greater compliance in NY then here in London..
Topped off the long weekend with a wander down the High Line and a seafood lunch at a cool little place in Chelsea Market, after Janine's birthday dinner at Pastis on the Mon night. All went to plan and the prezzies seemed to go down well too – thank god for the cashmere sales in Macy's!
H also had an afternoon off shopping, escaping to the American football game of NY Giants vs Philly Eagles – where of course he lucked out and was sitting next to a 2 x Super Bowl winner, Eli Manning. Took him a while to pluck up the courage to ask giant Eli who he was and why everyone wanted a selfie with him! Thank you to Nicky for his ticket..
And then it was nearly over – 5 days shot by at a rate of knots and my ankles will take a week to forgive me for the 125,000+ steps we covered.. At least I now have a 'caterpillar coat' complete with hood to keep me warm both there and up north now..
All in all, a great break and we are so far testing negative, so think we have hopefully travelled safely.
No idea when or where the next long haul trip might be, but I did get an email from BA saying my next Companion Voucher has been sent, so I had better get plotting..
x