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New country, new travel experience

When we last spoke it was all about what a great time we had touring France and how we needed to keep moving. Not only to a new city, but to a new country. 

For today, we ditched the Bradshaw’s train guide and were experimenting with our first bus of the trip. Only recently have I discovered Flixbus. And within days of learning about them I started to see them everywhere. 

Today, we were on the 9.30am Flixbus from Bordeaux, across the Bidasoa river, which is the France-Spain border, and into San Sebastián. 

San Sebastian

There are places in the world I have always wanted to visit. At least, for as long as I remember. The feeling I had when I sat in front of the Lost City of the Incas at Machu Picchu was indescribable. I’d seen the vista on postcards for years and yearned to visit. 

San Sebastián was similar, for me. In the heart of the Basque country, with their fascinating language of incongruous X and Ts. There is also a strong Camino de Santiago connection. 

We stayed in a pension, which is a cheap guest house style of accommodation and we could not have asked for a better location. A short walk around the corner from the glorious playa de la concha, the famous stretch of beach that hugs the San Sebastian harbour. A 10 minute stroll had us in the old town, with its plethora of pinxtos bars. I would have loved a kettle to make my morning coffee, and a fridge to keep beer cold, but, you get what you pay for. 

Pinxtos (peen-chos)

The pinxtos bars need to be seen to be believed. Packed to the rafters. Most with nowhere to sit. The idea is you hustle at the bar, with the locals, pointing to the pinxtos that you want to go with your drink. Somehow, like magic, the bar staff know what you ordered when you finally come around to pay. Always at the end. And not when you order the drink, unless you want to stand out like the tourist you are.

On the surface, you may think that tapas is all you can get in San Sebastian. Far from it. I was surprised to learn that San Sebatian has more Michelin starred restaurants per square mile than anywhere else on the planet. 

A town with everything. Great beaches. Good walks. Amazing food and drink. And a local football team. This could be one of my new favourite parts of the world.

On the bus to Bilbao

Staying in the Basque country, our next stop was a quick bus ride along the coast, to Bilbao. For many years a forgotten city, lapsing into disrepair as old jobs disappeared, there was a lifeline 25 years ago. The city had the foresight to pay for a new Guggenheim museum to be built near the old docks. Creating a “destination attraction” in a similar way that the Opera House is in Sydney. And it worked. Dubbed the “Bilbao effect”, Frank Gehry’s masterpiece glistens on the Bilbao waterfront, attracting a steady 1 million visitors a year.

You won’t be surprised to hear that there is also a great food and drink scene in Bilbao. As we were still in the Basque region, we were eating pinxtos, and not tapas. The Basque region is one of those places that proudly holds onto its culture and heritage. Ensuring that the Basque language remains front and centre, everything is in both Basque, as the predominant language, and Spanish.

Heading to the Spanish capital

And it was into the Spanish heartland we were headed after our 5 days in the Basque region. Back on the bus, we had a 4 and half hour journey to Madrid ahead of us. We stocked up on pain au chocolats and water and we were off.

After San Sebastian and Bilbao, Madrid felt huge. A big, bustling city. We had 3 nights to adjust back to city life. And what better way to feel the pulse of a city than by attending a local football match. Saturday night saw us travelling out to the Wanda Metropolitana stadium to see Atletico Madrid take on Celta Vigo. 

I really enjoy going to football matches in overseas countries. Seeing how fans in different parts of the world celebrate their football team. The Atletico fans were vociferous. All through the match they maintained a great atmosphere. That the game ended with a 4:1 win obviously helped. 

After years of living in Australia I did find it strange that you could not buy beer inside the ground. Watching games at home in Australia we are used to getting a pint each and taking them to our seats to watch the action. Beers would come later, but not tonight. A 9pm kick off meant we were not back at the hotel until midnight. 

Our days in Madrid were spent strolling through the magnificent Retiro park, Madrid’s Central Park. Exploring the streets that sprawl off the main hubs of Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Santa Ana, and others. Mercado de San Miguel is one of the great markets that we have found whilst on our travels through Europe. Opening its doors over 100 years ago, the market is now a gastronomic delight. Selling, overpriced, Spanish delicacies and drinks. Sating the appetite of many hungry tourists.

We are wily travellers, and so we decamped to the Museo del Jamon, where we could stand at the bar, have a jamon sandwich, and a beer, for a fraction of the cost charged in the Mercado de San Miguel. Money saved at lunch can be spent at dinner. One of the challenges of adapting to being a traveller, rather than a tourist, is constantly being aware that our travel budget has to fund months of further travel.

The Alhambra (no, not in Bradford)

And the road was calling us again. An early start had us heading to the outskirts of Madrid, to one of the huge bus stations, and we were on the way to Granada, a place that was not in our minds originally. Sketching rough places to go, we were headed for Seville, until we remembered (or were we were alerted?) to the fact that we could go via Granada and visit the Alhambra.

How glad we are we came and saw this magnificent palace. Described as “one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture”, we had a good few hours touring the palace and fortress complex. Started in 1238, many years, history, and conflict have passed and I would recommend having a read of the history. I would not do it justice here in a brief travel blog.

Granada

Granada surprised me in the way that Dijon, in France, did. I was immediately taken to the city with its narrow streets and cobbled lanes that house souk style markets. Albacin, to the north of the Alhambra still maintains much of its medieval street plan and is fun just to walk around, capturing the distinctive sights and smells.

On one such walk we stumbled across the Basilica de San Juan de Dios. Oh, my. Never has the inside of a church taken my breath away quite so much. A picture won’t do it justice but I will forever remember the moment I set eyes on it.

We also struck lucky with our accommodation, staying right in the heart of the city. Our two nights were in a new style of apartment accommodation for Spain. With a digital app on your phone that becomes the key to enter the apartment, and no physical presence, they are able to keep costs down and we had probably our cheapest stay yet.

Having a beer we were introduced to the “free tapa” system, of which Granada is the heart of. Each time you order a beer, you get a free tapa. Of the waiter’s choice. When you order a second drink, the same thing happens, only the tapa increases in quality. If you find yourself making a night of it, on the beer, you won’t need to buy dinner. A very popular choice with the city’s large student population, I’m sure.

Where the streets are lined with orange trees

Mention marmalade and many people’s minds will turn to Seville. Unfortunately, the oranges on the trees right now are more green than orange, But this does not take away from the beauty of the city. Seville was our next stop after Granada. And we were here for more than marmalade.

It would be a crime, in my opinion, to visit Spain and not indulge in churros con chocolate. I believe we found the best in Seville. Bar el Comercio starts selling piping hot churros from seven thirty in the morning. We were there a little later than that and still they were creating these hot, fluffy pieces of churros heaven. The thick chocolate to dip them in would be good as a drink all by itself.

We are going to miss Spain

Seville is a whole lot more than churros and marmalade. And we saw a lot of it. From the very impressive Plaza de Espana, to the equally impressive Real Palace de Alcazar. As with all our days in Spain, we have been blown away by the beauty this country has to offer. Friendly locals, fantastic food, I will be genuinely sad leaving. Whilst travelling through I have also had a great opportunity to brush up on my rusty Spanish language skills. Whilst very, very far from fluent, I have been pleased to get by, trying to avoid speaking English at every opportunity.

We now head into Portugal, first stop, Lisbon. I better work out how to say, “two beers, please.”

Adios, chicos.

Revisiting Italy

Whilst our time in Athens had been a pleasant surprise, with the vibrancy, and cheap cost of living, with Italy, we knew what we were getting. Long a favourite of ours, Italy is a country that we have previously explored at length. I will have blogged about it somewhere, I’m sure.

Heading out of Athens there was only one place to start. The Eternal City. Flying into Rome, and transferring to the Termini railway station I immediately felt a sense of calm. Rome is a city that I have explored many times and I never fail to tire of her beauty. Around every corner is something new to stop you in your tracks. Make you pause. And consider the history, and the people that have come before you.

Rome wasn’t visited in a day

Talking of people, Rome was busier than I have ever seen it. True, you may think this of everywhere you go, but this time it was very noticeable. One of my favourite places in Rome to quietly spend a little time is in the Pantheon. Stood in the middle of the vast structure, and staring up through the circular hole, to the sky. With each previous visit I have just wandered in, and around, and taken my time.

When we got there this time, there were long queues, snaking around and around, just like you see when you arrive at passport control in Manchester. No longer were we able to just stroll in and take a quiet moment. We had thought we were travelling in what used to be known as the “shoulder season”. Coupled with the cost of living crisis I keep reading about in the UK and European news, I hadn’t expected such huge numbers of tourists.

Experiencing life through a lens

Things were just as bad at the Trevi fountain. Always a popular spot, never have I been there when you physically struggle to even make your way from one side of the fountain to the other. And the rather sad thing was that most people weren’t even looking at the fountain. They were looking into their phone, on selfie mode, trying to get the perfect picture. Are the days gone where people can just visit somewhere and enjoy it for what it is? As we travel around the world, the great sights are becoming less like places of pilgrimage, and more like Disneyland. Sigh.

Yes, I realise the irony of having a selfie above the last paragraph 🙂

Give me carbonara, please!

One thing that lifts my spirits, when I visit Rome, is the thought of getting Roman carbonara. Around the world there are few dishes as ruined as the humble spaghetti carbonara. Bacon. Cream. What?! Talk about ways to spoil one of the world’s great dishes. But, here in Rome, I know I am getting what I expect. A dish made only of spaghetti, eggs, pecorino romano, guincale, and black pepper. I am getting hungry even writing about it. I could eat pasta every day, and I could eat Roman carbonara twice a day.

Leaning into Pisa

For the sake of my waistline, we needed to move on from Rome after a couple of days. We were back to Termini train station, and heading for a 4 hour journey to Pisa, famous for perhaps the most photographed tower in history. And like everyone else, we did our best to keep it upstanding. Strolling through the Piazza dei Miracoli never have I seen such imaginative photos being taken. The tower being held up. Being pushed over. The tower coming out of ice cream cones. Out of backpacks. You name it, all day there is someone trying it.

Our accommodation in Pisa was only a 10 minute walk from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. A great bed and breakfast in an old building in the Santa Maria district of Pisa. Pisa itself is always associated with the tower, and less seen on photos are the buildings that share the Piazza with it. The Battista is stunning, as is the cathedral. But, people can’t seem to focus their lenses on anything but the famous leaning tower.

My focus was on a restaurant I had seen earlier in the day. Advertising itself as a Roman restaurant, specialising in carbonara, of all things. Guess where we went for dinner that night. And the menu was very simple. Spaghetti carbonara, or Carbonara Imperial, which is double egg and double guanciale. Very simple and very tasty. 

Cash preferred

When it came to paying it turned out there was a “problem with the card machine”, and would I mind paying cash? Without any cash on us, the waiter walked with me to where the nearest ATM was. On the way he was chatting, explaining the “tax is very high” in Italy and cash is better. Ah, I was now beginng to understand why the card machine wasn’t working. That said, the waiter was exteremly freindly, and only charged us 30 euros for dinner, knocking 3 euros off for the “inconvenience”. 

Far from inconvenient, train travel through Italy is fast, reliable, and very efficient. After a couple of days exploring Pisa, and more importantly, having a laundry day, we were setting off to Florence. A favourite city of ours (we could say that about much of Italy), we had a journey of less than an hour, bringing us into Santa Maria Novella train station. From there a short walk had us at our hotel in the city centre.

If it is Florence, it has to be Bistecca alla Fiorentina

If you have been to Florence you will understand why people flock to it every year. It has been 5 years since we were last here and these cities being what they are, centuries old, you soon get your bearings back. With the Duomo dominating the centre, and streets leading down to the River Arno, everything is accessible on foot. One of Mrs C’s favourite spots in the city is Piazza della Signoria, where she can marvel at the replica statue of David.

Last time we were here a recommendation from the AirBnB host had us having our first Bistecca alla Fiorentina at a local trattoria. And yes, we went back this time. Without a reservation, we were queued at the doors, ready for the 7pm opening. Easy we thought. Not so. We were told that the restaurant was full, unless we could eat, and finish within the hour. Absolutely, I said. I don’t feel Victoria was quite as enthusiastic, yet when the steak arrived, a smile crept onto her face. Just like the first time we visited, we were plied with limoncello at the end of the meal, even being “forced” to have one for the road with the staff.

Towering above Tuscany

One place that has been on our list for a long time, having missed the opportunity a few years ago, is the famed town of San Gimignano. Known for the many towers that loom over the Tuscan countryside, we were only a short train ride, and then a bus from San Gimignano so we made our way there.

Back in the 12th century, monied landowners would build towers to display how wealthy they were. It became a competition. A medieval “keeping up with the Jones”. Now, there are a lot fewer than the orignal 72 towers left yet San Gimignano remains a draw for the thousands of toursits that visit every year. We ambled through the old centre and had a great pasta lunch (not carbonara this time) with a glass of wine, keeping away from the biting wind as much as feeding our appetites.

Magnificent Milan

Our last stop in Italy was again to be somewhere we have spent time and thoroughly enjoy. Arriving into Central Station in Milan, I had one thing on my mind. Risotto Milanese. Each region in Italy is renowned for a certain cuisine, (did I mention carbonara in Rome?), and in the north, in Lombardy, risotto is king. Although, I wouldn’t get this dish until tomorrow, our last night in Italy.

The first day was all about re-exploring Milan. The hugely impressive Duomo. The exquisite Gallerie Emmanuel. The Castle Sforzi and the surrounding parks. The elegant cobbled streets of Brera. Meandering through Milan I couldn’t help but notice a distinct change in temperature. The colours in the parks were autumnal, but the temperatures were wintry. We were now having to dig out the few winter clothes we had packed back in June when we left Australia. I was very glad to have my woolly hat to keep the morning chill off my ears.

Our apartment was like the one in Athens, in that it was located in a large, nondescript looking residential apartment block. It was in a great location, just a 10 minute walk from the Duomo, and nearby there were a number of supermarkets, a traveller’s best friend. Each morning we were able to pick up a couple of pain au chocolats and a coffee, all for under 5 euros. A perfect way to start the day.

The day, and sadly, our trip through Italy, was coming to an end. We finished at a cosy restaurant not far from the hotel and the canals of Milan. I had Risotto Milanese with osso bucco and Victoria had the pan fried Risotto Milanese, a way of cooking this northern Italian dish that I hadn’t seen before. We toasted another great country and we looked ahead to what were sure to be, colder days in country number 14.

Am I in Switzerland, or France?

If the change in temperature in Milan slowly crept up on us, when we arrived in Switzerland it hit us like a stone. We were going to have to get creative with the few clothes we have squeezed into our bags. Thankfully, we did pack rain jackets, as when we left the airport in Basel it was raining.

Arriving in Basel is a strange experience. As you will know, Basel is in Switzerland. Yet, the airport is actually in France. This threw me into a momentary panic when I was checking out how to get from the airport to downtown Basel. I hadn’t expected to have to find my way from France.

Leaving the airport, is another novel experience. After collecting our bags from the luggage carousel we searched for the exit signs. And there were a couple of options. We could exit into France. Or into Switzerland. Are there any other airports in the world with this scenario? We were later to discover, and visit, a place up the river in Basel where the borders of Switzerland, Germany, and France all converge. Never had I been so close to three countries, all at the same time.

Switzerland, so the currency is CHF. Obvious?

Back at the airport, we left through the Swiss exit and after a short wait we were on a bus headed into the city of Basel. Whilst in the Schengen zone, Switzerland maintains its own currency, the Swiss Franc (CHF). Why “CHF” you ask? I asked myself the same question and a bit of research taught me that CH is the official domination of Switzerland. CH, standing for Confœderatio Helvetica, the offical name of Switzerland. This also explained the numerous CH stickers on Swiss cars.

A transfer to a tram and we arrived at our hotel just before 10pm. The latest we have arrived at one of our destinations. The downside of budget air travel. The upside was that we could spend a little more on our accommodation. Our hotel had a fridge. So salubrious. And a mini bar that was complementary. Quite why that fridge would only have one beer is beyond me, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It was at this point that I observed what I at first found odd, and have since found out is very common across European countries. The single duvets (two of them) on a double bed. I have since come to realise it happens everywhere, and I like it. Snuggle up in your own little cocoon and don’t be disturbed by your partner’s nocturnal duvet hogging.

Basel, a great introduction to Switzerland

Wandering around Basel was a great introduction to Switzerland. So scenic, with an old town that hasn’t changed for centuries. Meandering through the narrow streets, marvelling at the houses, with a growing sense of excitement as we noticed all the xmas decorations, and large xmas trees all over the city. The xmas markets had arrived in force in Switzerland and it wasn’t long before we were having our first gluhwein of the season. Served in festive mugs, the mulled wine was delicious, sat outside a little cafe, on sheepskin rugs to keep our bottoms warm.

So, in Switzerland, a Cordon Bleu is a posh schnitty

Our “cost of living” indicator had changed from spaghetti carbonara to a wiener schnitzel. A “schnitty” is a classic pub dish in Australia, a particular favourite of ours. The schnitzel hails from this part of the world, next door in Austria, and were to use it to see how expensive places were. Our first evening I had a posh schnitzel. The Cordon Bleu. A schnitzel wrapped around ham and melting cheese. Delicious. And pricey in Switzerland, as we were to learn everything is.

Some things are worth paying for. And regardless of cost, we were on the hunt for our first Swiss hot chocolate. And, we found it. Thick, creamy, and steaming hot. Served with a chocolate on the side, Victoria had a smile that could have lit up the city. Happy wife, happy life, or so they say.

After a couple of days it was time to hit the road again. We had a train booked to Bern and after securing a hotel, my next job was to find a bar showing the England vs Iran football match. 

Why is there a bear pit in Bern?

Switzerland has no official capital, but Bern is one of the three that commonly gets recognised. Walking from our hotel, over the water and past the bear pit…wait, bear pit? Yup, it turns out that Bern has its very own bear pit with a connection to bears that stretches all the way back to the city receiving its name.

Legend has it that Berchtold V, Duke of Zähringen, the founder of the City of Bern, vowed to name the city after the first animal he met on the hunt. This explains the preponderence of bears on the city flag of Bern, and the many statues of them across this beautiful city. It was just a shame that it was the time of the year that the bears hibernate.

I also discovered that Einstein lived a few years in Bern. Passing the apartment he lived in I discovered that it was in Bern that he developed some of his theories that were to change the world, and how we saw physics. The great man is commenorated by a museum in his old apartment and with various statues across the city.

Switzerland steals our hearts

You don’t have to be Einstein to work out how great Bern is. Once again I am left asking myself why we have never visited Switzerland before. Picture postcard perfect. I must pass on my gratitude to Victoria. We were originally going to travel straight from Basel to Zurich. Left to research the options, Victoria got looking at other places in Switzerland that we could visit on the way to Zurich. And so we found ourselves exploring a lot more of this beautiful country than we expected.

I even managed to find a bar to watch the football in, and we were the only ones in there for a while, until a couple of the bar owner’s friends joined us. This suited us fine as we quaffed cold Swiss lager and watched England make light work of Iran.

Tomorrow, we head to Interlaken, and I will be sure to share what we discover.

Between the lakes

Between the lakes. Quite literally. We were staying at the Swiss town of Interlaken, nestled between the lakes Thun and Brienz. And we could not have had a smoother travel day. Often, when we look at where to sleep we need to consider our mode of transport. Where we will arrive in a place. For much of Europe we have travelled by train, as we did today, and the Hotel Merkur was literally across the street from the station.

The hotel lottery

We spend a lot of time trying to find accommodation. It is exhausting. Looking for somewhere that is not a hovel, yet always trying to find the cheapest deal. With the Hotel Merkur I wasn’t sure what to expect. Google reviews are our first point of reference, and various travellers had given, let’s say, less than positive reviews. Resulting in an overall Google review score of 3.5, the lowest we had dared to book to date.

Would we be met by the same “surly receptionist”? Will breakfast “underwhelm us” as it had done other travellers? As we disembarked the 12.04 train from Bern, and I spotted the unassuming hotel across the street, I steeled myself.

Despite being early, before the very strict 3pm check in time that Swiss hotels adhere to, we were met with a friendly face and a kind offer to watch our bags so we could explore the town ahead of the room being ready. 

Yes, the cows really do wear bells

Interlaken is a small town, very popular with what the guide books describe as “adrenalin junkies”. And immediately, looking up to the skies, you can see some of them, slowly floating back to earth in a tandem paraglide. This became a very common sight over the two days that we were there. A never ending stream of paragliders, coming down between the mountains, and landing in the field populated by cows. Cows that by now were ambivalent to the tourists landing nearby and taking selfies, to prove their achievement. The bells around the cows’ necks ringing as they nonchalantly chewed grass and no doubt wondering what all the fuss was about.

Impressive Interlaken

It is easy to see why Interlaken is such a draw for tourists. Very small, and ringed by impressive, snow capped mountains. If paragliding is not your thing, you can also go kayaking, hike the mountains, and even take a trip to the famed Jungfrau. The highest train station in Europe. 

On our second morning we did something that got our own adrenaline going. We headed to the “Top of Interlaken”, via the steepest, and highest funicular we have ever been on. Harder Bahn is the funicular that takes you, almost vertically, up the mountain, to Harder Kulm, some 1323 meters above sea level.

And the views are spectacular, looking across both the lakes, with Interlaken, tiny, nestled between the two. Even more impressive were the two walkers that appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, having trekked up the mountain on foot. Thankfully, there was a warm restaurant at the summit that we could get a beer and toast their achievements.

Zurich

For our last stop in Switzerland, we were back on the train. We were to spend three nights in Zurich, a place we were both really looking forward to visiting. It was in Zurich that we really got to start experiencing the xmas markets that Europe is famous for. Scattered all over the city, we were never far from a bratwurst and a gluhwein. It turns out that we weren’t very far from a B list celebrity. Vicky Pattison, of one time Geordie Shore fame managed to photobomb a picture of Victoria as she explored the xmas markets of Zurich. She really was “balls deep in Bratwurst” as she had promised on her Instagram feed.

Zurich is a fabulous city. Sat on the Limatt river, which cuts through the old town, it also is home to the largest clock face in Europe. A fact I had learned from an American tourist. St Peter’s church has a clock face in excess of 8 metres in diameter, putting Big Ben firmly in the shade. Strolling through the old town, we headed to a cafe to stave off the cold. We had our sights set on another great Swiss hot chocolate, incomparable with many of the poor imitators you may have had elsewhere. 

Xmas decorations

As the temperatures dropped, and the light started fading, we were drawn back to the gluhwein. Our new “cost of living” indicator. Immediately, the 6.90CHF (Swiss francs) became our new benchmark. I learned that gluhwein typically is 10% volume. Stronger than I thought. And this could explain that the more of it Victoria drank, the more she wanted to purchase xmas decorations. A tradition that started way back when we were in Dubrovnik, Croatia , picking up a xmas decoration for home has become a regular occurence. We are currently up to three with many more xmas markets to come. I fear we will need to buy a bigger bag..

Raclette, a game changer

Having spent money on luxury items such as hot chocolates, we had little left for dinners. This resulted in a few days of living on xmas market food. The highlight of which was my raclette burger. If you have never had raclette, which is very strong, very pungent, melted Swiss cheese, then you need to fix this. Quick. It is life changing. And scraped from the raclette tin, onto the pink pattie of a burger is one of life’s pleasures.

Time to bid farewell to Switzerland

This was our first visit to Switzerland, and we already know that one day we will return. Yes, it is blooming expensive. So expensive. Not the kind of country a traveller can spend much time in. So, in the future, we will return, with money in our pocket and have more than one of those decadent hot chocolates.  For now, we have a train booked for the morning. We are leaving Switzerland and off to country number 15 since we left Perth way back in June.

Our first foray into Austria will be to Innsbruck.

We reach land, after a long nine days

The cruise finally came to an end on a cold, very wet Friday morning. We woke to a downpour and views of Manhattan. As we slept, we inched up the Hudson River and docked at Pier 88. We were about to step on to dry land for the first time in nine days. Oh, how we looked forward to that. 

Clearing customs was a lot easier, and quicker than I anticipated. Having gone through customs at US airports previously I expected long lines and questions about why we were here. Where were we staying? How many guns have you in your hand luggage? The kind of stuff you get asked at US customs. Making you sweat and feel as though you shouldn’t be there. 

A friendly welcome to New York city

Not so in New York. A cheery customs officer greeted us, slowly took our fingerprints and we were off. Free to explore New York. The only parting words were a warning about the “taxi” drivers outside. If they accost you, offer to pay half of what they quote. With that in mind we stepped out into the street, immediately approached by a guy with “Uber” written on a Word document on his phone. We had only been at sea for nine days and unless Uber had changed drastically in that time I’m sure you hail an Uber through the app. 

“Ignore them”, I told Vik. 

Crossing at the green light we joined the taxi rank queue across the road. A very lengthy queue that had taxi scammers walking up and down constantly, offering a “good price”. One woman looked tempted but when offered a “good price” of $50 for a short ride, she huffed and walked away. 

We queued for what felt like a very long time. With the queue not getting any shorter and no yellow cabs appearing. Something didn’t feel right. I suspected there was some kind of monopoly on the taxi rank, set up to line the pockets of unofficial taxi drivers. 

“Come on, let’s start walking”, I said to Vik. 

Not the dry land we had hoped for

We had looked so forward to being on dry land, and yet, twenty minutes later we were drenched to the bone. And miserable. Not the dry land we had anticipated. We still had a way to go so we opted to jump on a bus and see where it took us. The bus was warm. Dry. And we could pay with our phones. When we jumped off at Bryant Park, just around the corner from our hotel, our spirits started lifting. 

Bags left at the hotel we went off and started exploring New York city. Along with thousands of others. Christmas is the best time to visit this great city, as long as you don’t mind sharing it with half of the world. Sauntering up 5th Ave in the rain we sought refuge in Trump Towers. A hot coffee and a supersized blueberry muffin compensated somewhat for having to look at Trump’s ugly mug everywhere. 

Have you missed him yet?

The souvenir shop was wall to ceiling with Trump memorabilia. And we haven’t seen the back of him. One of the best sellers were socks advertising his plan to run for the 2024 presidency with the logo “miss me yet?“

Having dried off, warmed up, and humoured the souvenir shop owner, a very pro Trump gentlemen we continued on our way. 

There is something magical about New York at Christmas. The shop decorations at places like Saks, and Macy’s. The holiday markets across the city, and ice rinks at Bryant Park and Central Park. And of course, the Rockefeller Christmas tree. A tree every Christmas lover should see once in their lifetime. 

New York city, one very good cliche

New York has everything. A city that lives up to all the cliches. The big apple delivers an experience unlike other cities around the world. From riding the subway and exploring Time Out Market in Dumbo (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) in Brooklyn, to strolling back across Brooklyn Bridge. It was in the Time Out Market that Victoria had quite possibly the best ever fluffy pancakes. Stacked on top of each other and served with a side of melted maple syrup butter, these were to die for.

Thankfully, New York is a walking city. We explored, and greatly enjoyed the High Line. A public park built on the former freight line that runs high above the street. We ambled through Battery Park and took in views of the famous Statue of Liberty.

We solemnly paid our respects at the Ground Zero memorial, and irreverently paid homage to TV with visits to Carrie Bradshaws apartment, and the apartment building that was used for the exterior shots in the wildly popular Friends show. And I have to mention Times Square. A must visit place. It is madness. And great fun.

New York state of mind

New York is a city you can spend days and weeks in, never getting to see it all. Said to have almost 30,000 restaurants you do the math and work out how long it would be before you would have to eat at the same place twice. Either way, I know you would be guaranteed good pizza, something we indulged in. Well, it was Xmas, after all.

Our visit to New York city passed by in a blur. A very enjoyable blur. We even managed to find a laundrette and left with clean underwear. We were back on the road. To a city I have wanted to visit for a long time. We were headed to Boston.