Last Day

Right now, we are at the airport waiting for our flight home. Because we have a night flight, we had some time today to get out in San Francisco one last time. We headed to the area around Haight Ashbury which had been high on Ronan's wish list.

It was everything he wanted. Lots of skate shops, good quality bookshops and lots and lots of tie died clothing. We were having a lovely time when I started to feel a bit unwell. Immediately, I knew that the promises I was given by the woman at Corner Bakery about the gluten free status of their breakfast wraps weren't rock solid. I will spare everyone the details but thanks to Ronan's cool head, we found a hospital so I could get some treatment.

An hour and a half later and $1750 poorer, I had an anti-nausea drug inside me and was feeling better. All dealt with in time to get to the airport and make our flight.

It has been a great 10 days but we are both ready to go home. America has been demystified for me. It really isn't very different from Australia.

The things we loved:

• Amazing museums
• Delis - plenty of plain food, no 'hipster food' (Ronan's words)
• Interesting architecture
• Seriously multicultural
• The subway

The things we didn't love:

• Tipping - the system is stuffed. It seriously makes you doubt everytime a person is nice to you
• Scammers
• Homelessness
• Abrupt people - saw it more in NY than anywhere else

Ronan and I survived each other's company without incident. He is a great travel companion, takes an interest in everything around him, doesn't complain and deals well with a medical emergency. It has been a pleasure to travel with him. I feel I know him better now. I will be interested to see how this changes (or doesn't change) our relationship at home.

Just a short 15 hour flight in front of us and we will be back on familiar territory.

On our bikes

On our second last day in the US, we went on a bike tour to Sausalito. When I first suggested it to Ronan, he thought it was a daggy, old lady activity but he actually loved it. We started the tour down at Fisherman's Wharf, rode over the Golden Gate Bridge and sailed down the hill into Sausilito. Ronan was easily the fastest rider in our group and I was the absolute slowest (although I found out at the end of the tour that 2 of the group used E-bikes. Cheaters!). It was hard work but a great way to see San Francisco. We got a totally different view of the city on bikes rather than in a bus.

We are fortunate to have come to San Francisco in winter because the city is, apparently, blanketed in fog during summer. We may not have been able to see the Golden Gate Bridge during June, July or August. Today we could see the bridge clearly and the city from the bridge.

Sausalito is a lovely little seaside village. Beautiful hotels and restaurants, galleries and gift shopping. It was a nice spot to visit. We had lunch, did some shopping and enjoyed the quiet pace.Then, we took the ferry back to SF. I wasn't tackling those hills in reverse!

We finished our day having dinner at an Irish pub called Foley's. Couldn't resist.

Tomorrow, we will have our last outing in SF before heading to the airport. We are planning to visit the Haight Ashbury area to revisit the summer of love. We can't leave San Francisco without seeing Haight Ashbury.

We have both enjoyed SF but I can't see myself coming back here. Although it has some unique characteristics, it is very similar to Melbourne. It has been pleasant but it hasn't grabbed either of us largely because it is so familiar. I am glad I have come here but I think I can tick it off my travel list now.

Tourists in San Francisco

Today we were complete tourists in San Francisco. For most of this trip, we have pretty well chosen our own path. We haven't done the typically touristy things or gone on set tours. Today we did that. We spent the morning touring the city of San Francisco on a bus tour and the afternoon visiting Alcatraz. As much as I like staying off the beaten track, today was a really enjoyable day. Allowing someone else to make all the decisions was a very low stress experience. We thoroughly enjoyed the bus tour of SF. I always like getting the overall picture of a new city and the bus tour was just the way to do it. We got to see the beautiful Victorian homes of Pacific Heights, the lovely parkland of the Presidio and Fort Point, the hippie cool of Haight Ashbury and the Panhandle and the ornate buildings like the City Hall and San Francisco Public Library.

In the afternoon, we took the ferry trip to Alcatraz. A classic tourist spot but definitely worth it. The audio tour allows you to take your own time to walk through the prison. It is a chilling space but really revealing. I couldn't go into the solitary confinement cells but Ronan was fine. Our only disappointment was that the exhibition about the native American experience at Alcatraz was closed (probably because it was a public holiday).

A simple day for us, no stress because someone else made all the decisions. Sometimes, organised tours are the way to go.

Today, we saw the best of San Francisco. I feel like I gave it a bad rap yesterday. The truth is that homelessness is definitely a massive problem in SF but, today I saw the beautiful, interesting, cool side of the city. I could see myself living in San Francisco, but like all bit cities, how do you enjoy the good bits without turning a blind eye to the problems?

On the West Coast

Today we left Washington DC and flew to San Francisco. The trip on Alaska Airlines was pretty good until Ronan left Ian's expensive noise cancelling headphones on the plane. That mishap threatened to derail our day completely but Ronan eventually calmed down.

After checking into our hotel, we headed out to check the local area. In our ignorance, we walked in the wrong direction and ended up in the scariest, most depressing neighbourhood I have ever seen. The streets were filthy and we were literally stepping over homeless people. I was completely freaked out. We made a fast turn and headed back in the opposite direction. After crossing a few streets, we found ourselves in a beautiful neighbourhood. San Francisco seems to change characters street by street.

We wandered through the Nob Hill area where the homes are beautiful and the streets are so hilly. We visited Grace Cathedral and the Cable Car Museum. We walked through Chinatown where a big street festival was happening. We walked back through the Financial District and, almost by accident, found ourselves in the poshest, most upmarket shopping streets. Within a few kilometres we saw life in all its manifestations.

So far, I think that San Francisco is interesting but the sight of homeless and struggling people on the streets is heartbreaking. Both Ronan and I noticed how few homeless people were in New York (and those we saw didn't look like they were doing that badly). But here is SF, there is so much human misery on display. It is really sad and, I suspect, it may interfere with our ability to enjoy this city.

2 days in 1

Yesterday was such a full day, I didn't have time to post, so today I will cover two days in one post.

We left New York on Friday morning and caught the Amtrak to Washington DC. I love travelling on trains. So much nicer than planes. DC was such a change from New York. Wide open streets, no skyscrapers, lots of enormous low rise buildings built in classical styles. It felt like a breath of fresh air after the intensity of New York.

After taking a short walk around our neighbourhood, we were picked up by my cousin, Patrick. We went to watch a high school basketball game coached by my other cousin, Julie. Ronan and I loved the glimpse into a slice of American life. We were able to get beyond the tourist facade and see what life here really looks like. Truth is, it looked pretty much like life in an Australian basketball stadium.

Patrick and Julie took us to dinner and we spent about three hours talking non-stop catching up on the forty years since I last met them (actually I have never met Julie before. She hadn't been born when I last visited the US). It was absolutely brilliant to meet my extended family and we got along really well. Patrick's kids are almost exactly the same age as mine which gives us even more family here. By the time we stopped talking it was after 11 and Ronan and I were exhausted.

We started Saturday morning at the National Mall where the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial all line up in a magnificent sweeping view. As we only had one full day in the city, we had to make some tough choices about what to visit. We started with the Archives of the United States where we saw the Declaration of Independence, the US constitution and the Bill of Rights. There are beautifully displayed in an rotunda shaped room.

From a huge list of Smithsonian museums, we decided to see the Museum of American History. I must say, the Americans really do good museums. The displays are unusual and engaging and really, really comprehensive.

After that, we decided to head for the White House. As luck would have it, today was the day of the annual Women's March. We joined in the march which I really enjoyed. It felt great to be able to be part of an anti-Trump protest.

Last stop for the day was the Lincoln Memorial. Like so much in DC, it is built on a huge scale which is so impressive. The size of everything in this city gives me the impression that they were pretty determined to make a statement to the rest of the world when they built it.

We had our first snow of the trip today. Not a lot, but it was nice to experience it anyway. This was our last day on the east coast. Tomorrow, we fly to San Francisco for our last stop on the trip.

Best experience of the trip

Today we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is the greatest museum I have ever seen. The most memorable experience of this holiday hands down. Not only is the collection staggering but the space it lives in is equally incredible. The downside was that we could only have the express look in a 2 and a half hour visit. To really see the collection properly would take a very long time. I said to Ronan that if I lived in New York, I would tackle a gallery each weekend and see it in proper detail. Nevertheless, I am so happy that I have seen The Met even if it was a rush job. Famous picture by famous artist, room after room. I started taking pictures but it got silly because there were so many that I loved. Ronan loved it almost as much as me. It was a memorable morning.

We realised that our first 3 days in New York had all been concentrated on the south end of Manhattan below Central Park. We decided that we needed to get a feel for the northern end of the island. In the short time we had left, the quickest way to see the rest of Manhattan was on the uptown tour on the Hop On, Hop Off bus. We saw all the beautiful buildings of the Upper East Side and Upper West Side, the Dakota building where John Lennon lived, 1040 5th Avenue where Jackie Kennedy lived, Columbia University, Harlem and Museum Mile. I feel like I have a really clear image of Manhattan now having seen all four corners of the island.

Throughout the afternoon, the mild weather we have had all week collapsed and the temperature dropped through the floor. Neither of us had eaten since breakfast so we made the decision to get some food and get back to the warmth of our hotel room. We stopped at our favourite local deli, Cafe Oliviero, and stocked up. We are staying in for the evening.

That is it for New York for us. It is an amazing city. So many people, so many buildings in such a small space. It's an intense city. Each neighbourhood has such a distinctive style and offers such a difference experience. I have loved being here but I don't know if I could live here. The intensity is never ending, I don't know how people manage to unwind here. I think we have made good use of our time here but, if I ever come back, I have a whole lot of things to visit.

A day in the sun

Day 3 in New York was sunny and beautiful. It was a great day to take the Staten Island Ferry across New York Harbour. We had a perfect view of the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline and all for free (despite the claims of the scammers outside the ferry terminal who tried to tell us we needed to pay them $29 or we wouldn't see anything).

We wanted to see something outside of Manhattan so we got on the Hop On, Hop Off bus heading for Brooklyn. Our guide, Tomasso,  was a life long proud Brooklynite. We needed to be concentrating to follow his rapid fire commentary but he was FULL of information. He took us around the different neighbourhoods of Brooklyn from the leafy (and pricey) to the rougher and grittier. He gave us the roll call of all the famous people who came from Brooklyn. Fun Fact: Jay Z got his stage name from the 2 train lines that travel to Brooklyn, the J and the Z line.

Ronan wanted to see Williamsburg because it had a reputation for being cool/edgy. We got off the bus and took the subway there. For the first time since we arrived in New York, I felt uneasy on the subway. Williamsburg was a bit of a disappointment to both of us. Ronan, because it wasn't edgy enough and me because it was too gritty and concrete. We did, however, find a great vegan/gluten free creperie called Little Choc Apothecary

The trip to Brooklyn took up most of our day. We had dinner at Senza Gluten which is a 100% gluten free restaurant in Soho. Eating gluten free hasn't been a problem in New York because there are so many choices but it was still great to be able to eat everything on the menu. We paid for the privilege which is not unusual in restaurants that go to the trouble of making all their food GF. We had to tell ourselves that we were on holidays.

We finished the day with a trip to the top of the Empire State Building. Having heard horror stories about the queues, I thought 9 o'clock at night in January would be a good time to visit and I was right. We went straight to the top, no delays. It really is a bucket list item on the itinerary. The views are incredible. I'm sure the daytime views are great too but New York in lights is a sight to behold.

Reflection of the Day: I have found my neighbourhood. New York has so many different characters in such a small space. While Ronan felt very at home in the Lower East Side, I love Soho! Beautiful interesting buildings, quirky shops and restaurants. It is unusual with a strong hint of affluence. My kind of neighbourhood. On a daily basis, Ronan and I expose the generational differences between us. He is all rough, non-establishment, living on the edge of danger while I am all about the intelligentsia with a cushion of comfort.


P.S. Check out the video of the busker in the subway (if the upload works, fingers crossed)

Lower East Side

Day 2 in New York started with breakfast in a deli. Lots of options to order as well as a huge buffet with pretty much everything you could imagine eating for breakfast available. You pay for your food by the weight. I wish we had shops like this in Australia but I guess we just don't have the population to make it work. Ronan says he loves the fact that they have plain food and not the 'hipster' food he finds in every cafe in Melbourne.

We took our first trip on the New York subway down to the Lower East Side. We spent about an hour wandering around Chinatown and Little Italy. Ronan loved the grittiness of the area and the constantly changing character. I enjoyed seeing it but I think I like my neighbourhood a bit more gentrified.

Next stop: the Tenement Museum where we took, of course, the Irish Outsiders tour. We were expecting a tour of a tiny apartment showing the miserable existence that Irish immigrants experienced in the 19th century in New York. There was a little bit of that but, mostly, it was about how your experiences in life shapes your identity. We followed the story of one Irish family who lived in Orchard St in 1868. It was amazing how much the guide got us thinking about our own identity and how it has been influenced. Also, how we can influence the experience of other people who come to live in our countries and cities. We both loved it. Ronan even tipped the guide OUT OF HIS OWN MONEY!

Once the tour was over, we headed to Katz's Delicatessen for lunch. We sat right next to the seat where Harry and Sally sat. It is such a New York experience, completely unlike anything we see in Melbourne. Ronan had a Reuben which pretty well kept him going until well into the evening.

After lunch, we went to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Like our trip to the Peace Park in Hiroshima, this was an essential visit to make. The museum is built right on the site of the twin towers so you can see the foundations of the buildings and some of the structural steel. It is very well done but after a period of time, we started to feel a bit overwhelmed.

But as good as the museum was, the Memorial is seriously jaw-dropping. Describing it won't do it justice because it is just essentially 2 holes, one inside the other. The design, however, packs a serious emotional punch (at least it did for me) and it really gives you the sense of the enormity of the disaster.

We planned to head to the Staten Island Ferry afterwards but the weather had turned a bit gloomy so we decided to save it until tomorrow. After a short rest back at our hotel, we took a walk down to Times Square. New York seems busier at night than during the day. It is fun and exciting with all the light and sound but I started to get irritated by the fact that everyone was on the make.  Two Minnie Mouses tried to fleece us of $10 just for taking a photo. I realised then that New York is definitely the city of opportunity and everyone is trying to create one. For a lot of people, that is probably exciting and interesting but, for me, it is exhausting.