Then I stumbled and said 'Thanks for the good job boys, there's a six pack of beer in the fridge for you!' Mark's face turned a little blue and he took me around the corner to quickly tell me nobody calls anyone 'boy' in America etc. etc. due to the past (i.e. slavery) and inside I crumpled...by the time I came back out they had gone and I had no chance to apologise... I'm still feeling terrible just typing it...
The day commenced at a pretty low point, it then got even lower when I got stuck in the turnstile at the PATH (train) station with my huge suitcase at morning peak hour. I then had to actually crawl under the turnstile on my hands and knees towards Mark's disapproving face which made me feel incredibly embarrassed and self conscious. It is true, the services at different subway and train stations really vary which can make it very difficult to navigate - some stations will have lifts and escalators, others will not even have a turnstile for prams or disabled people (or clumsy 30 year old lady with suitcase.) There was nothing else I really could do at the time, but it was both exhausting and exasperating!
We dropped off our bags at our lovely hotel called The Gild Hall, which is in lower Manhattan, a block away from Wall Street. I cannot begin to tell you how expensive hotels are in New York, and furthermore, even if you are paying top dollar, you are not necessarily getting the standard you would expect for the outlay. Luckily I found The Gild Hall for basically half price on travelocity.com, but once taxes are paid and currency conversions are done it would still add up to being the most expensive hotel I have probably ever stayed in. There are really not that many cost effective options in Manhattan, we looked at The Larchmont and The Cosmopolitan, but unfortunately left it way too late to book!
The Gild Hall.
That said, The Gild Hall is lovely lovely lovely. We are on the 16th floor, resting on a real queen size bed for the first time in a week, with Frette robes and a tartan woolly blanket. There is an iPod docking station, free wifi in our room and a flatscreen TV. Our room's size is as big as any hotel room in any city, so we are not cramming ourselves in. With the blinds shut it doesn't feel like New York at all, it's quiet, comfortable and exactly what we needed after walking for one week straight. We are both falling apart a bit both physically and mentally, so this is a great place to relax and recollect before our next adventure!
After dropping our bags off this morning we caught the subway up to the Upper West Side to have a walk around and take in the sites. We walked across Central Park (which is fine, but I don't seem to love it nearly as much as any New-Yorker) and up towards Columbia University. On the way we saw the outside of 'Tom's Restaurant' from Seinfeld and checked out some bookstores. Tired and dragging my feet, we walked up to Morningside Park and took in the lovely view of Harlem. I would recommend this walk, and Columbia University sure is wonderful! I felt like sitting down and commencing an independent and absorbing task immediately upon walking through, oh to have the time and money to continue one's study!!
On the way back to the hotel I accidentally came across a shop I had badly wanted to visit, called Anthropologie. If there is a brand that could define me, this would be it! Mark had to leave me there to look around, and eventually I found the sale section and something I could afford. I was really glad to tick that off my list, I'm glad I saw it before I had to leave, it didn't disappoint!
Now I am back in the hotel room, feet throbbing, tired but happy. I can hardly wait to sleep tonite after (gratefully) sleeping on the equivalent of a plank for a week! Bring on the comfy times!!
xox