I was just going to compare my actual morning routine to something that (I believe is) is more ideal. But then when I read what I do in the morning, well I'm pretty happy with it! So I'll leave it at that. It's sure to get worse if I have to commute or have kids, so I can read this again in the future and I'll feel better. Anyway.
Actual:
Wake up at 7am to sound of Mark's phone alarm, which I attempt to refer to warmly as 'The Caribbean Man.' Snooze 2-4 times, depending on how long I want to cuddle Mark. Get up, and do things in this exact order (which I honestly believe, somewhere in my mind, optimizes my time. It probably doesn't.)
Switch kettle on, turn computer on. Go to the toilet. Apply deodorant and come back to kitchen to pour tea or coffee. Enter computer password as I am walking back past. Dress, brush teeth, come back to kitchen and put last night's washing up away while tea/coffee brews. Pour tea/coffee and drink in front of computer eating banana and reading news and trash. Rush around in circles a bit, maybe add some makeup, then leave.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
When reporting, surprising things happen.
Today I was writing my school reports and something came to me quite suddenly - about three minutes later I had written a whole poem on my spell check sheet!... the joy of spontaneous writing, if only it would visit me more often.
I shouldn't ruin my poem with a long explanation, I suppose a tiny bit of my subconscious managed to spill over the rim of my psyche for a moment, and memories of me 15 years old are suddenly back. Not with nostalgia, mind you, it was what is was. I thought I should send it to my ex and facebook says I did not have permission to contact him - smirk. Here is the poem -
River.
Sometimes I think of the river
It’s low smell, three o’clock
The pooling of dank water
Warm, salt insects
Of the wind rushing my skirt, perched
That wouldn’t really touch me
The trees rushing by one colour
And silence I could see
The cool grit smell of evening
Inhaled smoke and bitter
The lights on mum’s car waiting
As grass cut at my feet
You wave and I still smell you
The stubble and the water
It was so sweet and salty, then.
My river time is through.
I shouldn't ruin my poem with a long explanation, I suppose a tiny bit of my subconscious managed to spill over the rim of my psyche for a moment, and memories of me 15 years old are suddenly back. Not with nostalgia, mind you, it was what is was. I thought I should send it to my ex and facebook says I did not have permission to contact him - smirk. Here is the poem -
River.
Sometimes I think of the river
It’s low smell, three o’clock
The pooling of dank water
Warm, salt insects
Of the wind rushing my skirt, perched
That wouldn’t really touch me
The trees rushing by one colour
And silence I could see
The cool grit smell of evening
Inhaled smoke and bitter
The lights on mum’s car waiting
As grass cut at my feet
You wave and I still smell you
The stubble and the water
It was so sweet and salty, then.
My river time is through.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Happy Endings...
This afternoon I've had the grumps, getting ready to return home is a hassle and a half! Upon returning to New York the weather has heated up again and everything is sort of steamy too (not good when you are wearing the same stinky t-shirt two days in a row!)
We spent today finishing up on the shopping, buying the REAL touristy stuff and some other stuff along the way, much to my dismay (but not surprise) Mark has bought absolutely nothing other than books on the trip. But I have plenty of goodies, and look forward to unpacking my bag once I'm back in Sydney.
I started out on 5th Avenue at the Abercrombie & Fitch store. Jesus bloody Christ, I have never been inside a store quite like it, and sort of hope I never do again (the nudity, the assumed slave wages, the forced 'everybody's having a good time here!' feeling.)
Entering this store is like entering a nightclub. There is a shirtless guy at the entrance (were you can get photos) and once you are past the velvet rope the whole store is pumping with house music remixes. The staff are actually encouraged to dance and I found it very embarrassing, for both them and me! Inside it is DARK except for the stairs which are lit up in white, and as a result of this, i had no idea about the colour of the shirt I ended up buying! I'm also pretty sure I bought the wrong size! I'll just put it down to experience...
And then H&M, the land of the $24.95 fashion. If only I had the hours to try on a bit of everything, the H&M tops I bought in Europe in 2000 lasted me until 2 years ago! I can only pray H&M ends up in Australia sometime soon, it will shake up everyone else, that's for sure. Sportsgirl, watch out!
Then I picked up some really cool New York souvenirs at Fishs Eddy. I just hope it all stays together in my bag... I'm also concerned about the weight it is adding, fingers crossed.
We finished up the day with a smoothie at Pinkberry which is another something I have always wanted to try, I wish I could tell you it's not from reading Perez Hilton, but it is. Either way, it was damn good tasting and apparently pretty healthy, so cmon down under, Pinkberry!
mmm... Pinkberry!
And that's about the end of my New York story. I'm happy to say that Mark and I celebrate 18 months together today as well and it's been a wonderful trip. The two weeks was just enough, and New York will recommend itself to you, I don't have to bother.
Thx for reading my blog and I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the USA via the internets x
PS If you ever think of coming to New York, here are some humble observations and tips from me!
- Don't accept a ride from the airport from anybody! Wait in line for a cab yourself, or get the subway. You will get ripped (ask Mark...)
- This really is the land of the sneaker. I don't mean trainer, I mean the New Balance you have put aside for the gym. If not, flat shoes at the most, with a pair of thongs in your handbag for when the going gets tough (and it undoubtedly will, can't stress this enough!)
- The tipping thing is not that stressful. We did not have to tip nearly as much as what I imagined! Tipping is mainly for services, so if you do most things yourself, you wont have to tip (and even then, it's only a few dollars.) It seemed to me that haircuts and beauty treatments are where the heavy tipping really starts happening, but I avoided all that.
- New Yorkers in the most part are very friendly. Dare I say it, definitely more friendly than Sydneysiders from the Eastern Suburbs (yes, we need to take a lesson here.) In the end I had to smarten up a bit myself, start making eye contact with people and saying sorry etc. as I bumped or clumsied my way along the street. I have to say I am surprised at this one!
- Bring all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications you need, it really can become a nightmare in a snap if you are feeling unwell.
- Don't bother with the coffee or tea. Don't let a sign saying 'cappuccino' fool you either! I tried about three and all had burnt milk and no taste. If you can't beat em, join em. Just drink the American peculated coffee to wake up in the morning and be done with it. I even tried a flat white from an 'Australian Canteen' in Nolita and had no such luck. It doesn't work.
All the best x
We spent today finishing up on the shopping, buying the REAL touristy stuff and some other stuff along the way, much to my dismay (but not surprise) Mark has bought absolutely nothing other than books on the trip. But I have plenty of goodies, and look forward to unpacking my bag once I'm back in Sydney.
I started out on 5th Avenue at the Abercrombie & Fitch store. Jesus bloody Christ, I have never been inside a store quite like it, and sort of hope I never do again (the nudity, the assumed slave wages, the forced 'everybody's having a good time here!' feeling.)
Entering this store is like entering a nightclub. There is a shirtless guy at the entrance (were you can get photos) and once you are past the velvet rope the whole store is pumping with house music remixes. The staff are actually encouraged to dance and I found it very embarrassing, for both them and me! Inside it is DARK except for the stairs which are lit up in white, and as a result of this, i had no idea about the colour of the shirt I ended up buying! I'm also pretty sure I bought the wrong size! I'll just put it down to experience...
And then H&M, the land of the $24.95 fashion. If only I had the hours to try on a bit of everything, the H&M tops I bought in Europe in 2000 lasted me until 2 years ago! I can only pray H&M ends up in Australia sometime soon, it will shake up everyone else, that's for sure. Sportsgirl, watch out!
Then I picked up some really cool New York souvenirs at Fishs Eddy. I just hope it all stays together in my bag... I'm also concerned about the weight it is adding, fingers crossed.
We finished up the day with a smoothie at Pinkberry which is another something I have always wanted to try, I wish I could tell you it's not from reading Perez Hilton, but it is. Either way, it was damn good tasting and apparently pretty healthy, so cmon down under, Pinkberry!
mmm... Pinkberry!
And that's about the end of my New York story. I'm happy to say that Mark and I celebrate 18 months together today as well and it's been a wonderful trip. The two weeks was just enough, and New York will recommend itself to you, I don't have to bother.
Thx for reading my blog and I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the USA via the internets x
PS If you ever think of coming to New York, here are some humble observations and tips from me!
- Don't accept a ride from the airport from anybody! Wait in line for a cab yourself, or get the subway. You will get ripped (ask Mark...)
- This really is the land of the sneaker. I don't mean trainer, I mean the New Balance you have put aside for the gym. If not, flat shoes at the most, with a pair of thongs in your handbag for when the going gets tough (and it undoubtedly will, can't stress this enough!)
- The tipping thing is not that stressful. We did not have to tip nearly as much as what I imagined! Tipping is mainly for services, so if you do most things yourself, you wont have to tip (and even then, it's only a few dollars.) It seemed to me that haircuts and beauty treatments are where the heavy tipping really starts happening, but I avoided all that.
- New Yorkers in the most part are very friendly. Dare I say it, definitely more friendly than Sydneysiders from the Eastern Suburbs (yes, we need to take a lesson here.) In the end I had to smarten up a bit myself, start making eye contact with people and saying sorry etc. as I bumped or clumsied my way along the street. I have to say I am surprised at this one!
- Bring all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications you need, it really can become a nightmare in a snap if you are feeling unwell.
- Don't bother with the coffee or tea. Don't let a sign saying 'cappuccino' fool you either! I tried about three and all had burnt milk and no taste. If you can't beat em, join em. Just drink the American peculated coffee to wake up in the morning and be done with it. I even tried a flat white from an 'Australian Canteen' in Nolita and had no such luck. It doesn't work.
All the best x
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Philadelphia and end of holiday melancholy...
Yesterday Mark and I rolled into Philadelphia, the weather was beautiful and it was rather sad to say goodbye to small-town USA... we drove for about 4 hours all told, even saw some beautiful covered bridges, and we couldn't have timed any better to see such a beautiful display of Autumn leaves as we drove along. I so badly wanted to stop in a small town called Lancaster to satisfy my new-found Amish fascination (apparently lots of Amish live there...) but we had to move on...
Then it was hello Philadelphia, or Phila, or Philly! We stayed at the local Holiday Inn which was a good choice as it was near the historical centre and we could have a good look around.
But Phila... wasn't my most favourite place in the trip. To get straight to the truth, it smelled like piss and quite often like sewerage, and within two blocks of stepping out of our hotel, we were asked for money.
Philadelpia is the sort of place that I believe would be ideal if I were 20 or so, wanting to go away for a weekend, see some great music, hang out in dark bars and get off into the drinking side of things etc. Might have been a good idea a few years back, but these days I find it just a bit too edgy for my liking, if not straight out confronting at times!
Mark and I went to South Street for dinner, it's sort of like a hepped up Newtown, and I tell you, if Philly has one thing going for it, it is ladies' accessory stores! Big gold earrings? check. Fake gucci scarf? check. Fluorescent sunglasses? check! Again, if I was around 22 I could have gone wild!
South Street, Philadelphia.
Mark and I went to see the Liberty Bell and the Georgian architecture in the area was also pretty impressive. It was unfortunate that we did not have so much time to get into the historical side of things properly, which could have thrown a different light on the whole Philadelphia experience.
We did however, make it to The Philadelphia Museum of Art, which may be a little more familiar to you than you may first think... because, this museum is featured in the 'Rocky' film where Sylvester Stallone runs up the stairs during training, punching the air! There is even a bronze statue of him out the front, and the museum itself is one of the largest in the USA, with whole rooms full of Renoirs, Motherwells, a beautiful case of Cornells, and a whole room of Twomblys. This museum has to be a great secret to international tourists like ourselves, the collection rivaled MOMA but there was nowhere near the crowding! There is also a Rodin Museum in the same area but we sadly did not have the time...
The Philadelphia Museum of Art - check out those stairs!
One highlight though was visiting the Reading Terminal, which was like a giant indoor farmer's market... and it had a few Amish stores! We ended up eating homemade blueberry Amish pancakes, $10 for two people. Wonderful! If there was anything like this near my place in Sydney I'd kill it!
We now have made it back to Hoboken in one piece, and we are staying in Tim and Fabienne's brand new place, which is actually set out much like the old one, just brand spanking new and shiny and a little closer to the action.
So now it's all setting in... the idea of getting on a plane for 22 hours and coming back to reality. arrghh! It really does set your mind off overtime, at times all sorts of stange thoughts and possibilities can take over! But just one moment at a time, easy come, and easy I will go...
xx
Then it was hello Philadelphia, or Phila, or Philly! We stayed at the local Holiday Inn which was a good choice as it was near the historical centre and we could have a good look around.
But Phila... wasn't my most favourite place in the trip. To get straight to the truth, it smelled like piss and quite often like sewerage, and within two blocks of stepping out of our hotel, we were asked for money.
Philadelpia is the sort of place that I believe would be ideal if I were 20 or so, wanting to go away for a weekend, see some great music, hang out in dark bars and get off into the drinking side of things etc. Might have been a good idea a few years back, but these days I find it just a bit too edgy for my liking, if not straight out confronting at times!
Mark and I went to South Street for dinner, it's sort of like a hepped up Newtown, and I tell you, if Philly has one thing going for it, it is ladies' accessory stores! Big gold earrings? check. Fake gucci scarf? check. Fluorescent sunglasses? check! Again, if I was around 22 I could have gone wild!
South Street, Philadelphia.
Mark and I went to see the Liberty Bell and the Georgian architecture in the area was also pretty impressive. It was unfortunate that we did not have so much time to get into the historical side of things properly, which could have thrown a different light on the whole Philadelphia experience.
We did however, make it to The Philadelphia Museum of Art, which may be a little more familiar to you than you may first think... because, this museum is featured in the 'Rocky' film where Sylvester Stallone runs up the stairs during training, punching the air! There is even a bronze statue of him out the front, and the museum itself is one of the largest in the USA, with whole rooms full of Renoirs, Motherwells, a beautiful case of Cornells, and a whole room of Twomblys. This museum has to be a great secret to international tourists like ourselves, the collection rivaled MOMA but there was nowhere near the crowding! There is also a Rodin Museum in the same area but we sadly did not have the time...
The Philadelphia Museum of Art - check out those stairs!
One highlight though was visiting the Reading Terminal, which was like a giant indoor farmer's market... and it had a few Amish stores! We ended up eating homemade blueberry Amish pancakes, $10 for two people. Wonderful! If there was anything like this near my place in Sydney I'd kill it!
We now have made it back to Hoboken in one piece, and we are staying in Tim and Fabienne's brand new place, which is actually set out much like the old one, just brand spanking new and shiny and a little closer to the action.
So now it's all setting in... the idea of getting on a plane for 22 hours and coming back to reality. arrghh! It really does set your mind off overtime, at times all sorts of stange thoughts and possibilities can take over! But just one moment at a time, easy come, and easy I will go...
xx
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Falling Water!
I woke up with the alarm this morning because it is very dark in the mornings here! I woke Mark up, who is a bit sick (bronchitis?) and we headed to Mill Run, Pennsylvania to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water House. It is actually located in an area called Ohiopyle State Park, like a National Park to us Australians.
A dream come true! Just that... Falling Water was another hour or so drive away from where we are staying, not good when our tour began at 8:45am. Mark valiantly rose to the challenge and got us there at 8:46am, not bad work! We booked the 'in-depth tour' which goes for two hours, and it really flew by, visiting Falling Water is a wonderful experience.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water.
Our tour guide Cara (also the education officer) took a small group of us around, and covered what I am sure is every aspect of the house; ranging from the history, to the artwork (Picassos, Rembrandts, Klees... and so much more) to the more structural architectural stuff. Falling Water really has been one of the highlights of our trip. I'm thinking that not many Aussies pass through either because they were pretty curious to see us there!
We were allowed inside the house as well as outside, which was a real treat as the interiors were awesome, and still relevant today! (If you just drop by and purchase regular admission, they will not let you in the house itself.) The visit really was comprehensive without becoming overbearing, by informed and passionate staff who were obviously motivated by so many aspects of the property overall. I cannot recommend a visit highly enough. Oh, how I'd love a job there!
So, moving on. What is it like being in small town America? Well, it's sort of like what you see on TV! After Falling Water Mark and I decided to visit a Diner for breakfast, when we walked in there were three guys in full hunting regalia sitting there... and behind us were a couple talking to some sort of broker about the possibility of having their farmland drilled for gas! There was a jukebox on every table, country music played, and the food was horrible and greasy.
When you ask for a cup of tea a hot cup of water comes out and you have to put the bag in yourself. All of the milk is that long-life stuff in tiny containers, and the cheese is a funny colour (sort of orange and plastic.) Besides diners, there isn't really many family run businesses in towns like these, no Thai or Indian places, everything is part of a chain or a big brand. It is true that people are generally 'bigger' out this way, but it really isn't too different to looking at suburban Australians.
At the moment everyone is getting ready for Halloween. We have passed lots of Pumpkin shops and stands by the road and lots of houses are getting decorated, they look really cool! I'm just amazed that people wouldn't come by and trash the decorations, or steal the pumpkins, but this doesn't seem to be the case. I'm pretty sure we'd have lots of problems with this in Oz.
There are only white people here, which seems odd. People say hi to you on the street, or in the supermarket. Everyone is very helpful and 'you're welcome' about everything, and people will strike up random conversations with you as you stare at a stand of postcards or select which ice cream you want.
I'm not really sure what people do here. There are lots of churches and apparently the town was founded upon coal and then continued to grow with the railroads. There is no more coal so it appears many people work in the service industry for mostly minimum wages. I think they are trying to encourage tourism, you can ski near here in winter and 'outdoor activities' like mountain biking are encouraged. Yes there are trailers here! On top of the hill there are wind farms, but if anything it contributes to the eerie tranquility of this place. Yeah, that's it! Eerie tranquility!
Well, I might go off for a walk soon to take it all in one more time before leaving tomorrow - Philadelphia tomorrow!
xxox
A dream come true! Just that... Falling Water was another hour or so drive away from where we are staying, not good when our tour began at 8:45am. Mark valiantly rose to the challenge and got us there at 8:46am, not bad work! We booked the 'in-depth tour' which goes for two hours, and it really flew by, visiting Falling Water is a wonderful experience.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water.
Our tour guide Cara (also the education officer) took a small group of us around, and covered what I am sure is every aspect of the house; ranging from the history, to the artwork (Picassos, Rembrandts, Klees... and so much more) to the more structural architectural stuff. Falling Water really has been one of the highlights of our trip. I'm thinking that not many Aussies pass through either because they were pretty curious to see us there!
We were allowed inside the house as well as outside, which was a real treat as the interiors were awesome, and still relevant today! (If you just drop by and purchase regular admission, they will not let you in the house itself.) The visit really was comprehensive without becoming overbearing, by informed and passionate staff who were obviously motivated by so many aspects of the property overall. I cannot recommend a visit highly enough. Oh, how I'd love a job there!
So, moving on. What is it like being in small town America? Well, it's sort of like what you see on TV! After Falling Water Mark and I decided to visit a Diner for breakfast, when we walked in there were three guys in full hunting regalia sitting there... and behind us were a couple talking to some sort of broker about the possibility of having their farmland drilled for gas! There was a jukebox on every table, country music played, and the food was horrible and greasy.
When you ask for a cup of tea a hot cup of water comes out and you have to put the bag in yourself. All of the milk is that long-life stuff in tiny containers, and the cheese is a funny colour (sort of orange and plastic.) Besides diners, there isn't really many family run businesses in towns like these, no Thai or Indian places, everything is part of a chain or a big brand. It is true that people are generally 'bigger' out this way, but it really isn't too different to looking at suburban Australians.
At the moment everyone is getting ready for Halloween. We have passed lots of Pumpkin shops and stands by the road and lots of houses are getting decorated, they look really cool! I'm just amazed that people wouldn't come by and trash the decorations, or steal the pumpkins, but this doesn't seem to be the case. I'm pretty sure we'd have lots of problems with this in Oz.
There are only white people here, which seems odd. People say hi to you on the street, or in the supermarket. Everyone is very helpful and 'you're welcome' about everything, and people will strike up random conversations with you as you stare at a stand of postcards or select which ice cream you want.
I'm not really sure what people do here. There are lots of churches and apparently the town was founded upon coal and then continued to grow with the railroads. There is no more coal so it appears many people work in the service industry for mostly minimum wages. I think they are trying to encourage tourism, you can ski near here in winter and 'outdoor activities' like mountain biking are encouraged. Yes there are trailers here! On top of the hill there are wind farms, but if anything it contributes to the eerie tranquility of this place. Yeah, that's it! Eerie tranquility!
Well, I might go off for a walk soon to take it all in one more time before leaving tomorrow - Philadelphia tomorrow!
xxox
Monday, October 6, 2008
Hello Pennsylvania!
This morning Mark and I caught a bouncy cab to Newark Airport and picked up our hire car. One cool thing about New York cabs is that they now have touch screen TVs in the back! You can watch whatever you want, as well as find out about real estate, news, etc. etc. Unfortunately the smaller car we had booked did not come with GPS, so we had to upgrade, to a Hyundai Santa Fe.
Another thing I have to say is hire cars are damn expensive for visitors to the USA! The car itself only cost us US$15 per day, but the rest of the charges were over US$150 per day! But the car is nice and big and comfy, just the way Americans like it.
I visited my first ever diner for breakfast, the Readington Diner in New Jersey. Hey, I like Diners!! I had this excellent pan grill thing which was scrambled eggs with some other things mixed through it, like onions, potatoes and sausage. It was really good! And the service was personal. In conclusion, I'm all for diners.
We drove for about 5 hours down a non-descript but uncrowded freeway, and the last hour of the drive was glorious, with all the Autumn (Fall) colours, but we were a little too tired to enjoy it! We saw lots of McCain Palin signs and were disheartened, also a sign saying 'Wind energy costs us more money!' Welcome to small-town America.
But we are glad to be here! We are staying in a gorgeous Mansion, called the Levi Deal Mansion. This house is a dream come true. We are in a huge room with a whirlpool (spa), double basins, a huge bed and separate sitting area. It is very relaxing and there is even a guest kitchen with free wine and brownies! So far, I don't even know how they are making a profit...
The Levi Deal Mansion.
Meyersdale Pennsylvania is a small quaint town of about 2500 people with a railway running through it. We arrived on a Sunday, so nothing is open, and when we drove through the main street I saw a couple driving a horse and cart! I thought it was a tourist thing, but then I realised... these were Amish people!! I'm still totally fascinated and keep playing it over in my head.
So glad to be having a rest, sending love xxx
Another thing I have to say is hire cars are damn expensive for visitors to the USA! The car itself only cost us US$15 per day, but the rest of the charges were over US$150 per day! But the car is nice and big and comfy, just the way Americans like it.
I visited my first ever diner for breakfast, the Readington Diner in New Jersey. Hey, I like Diners!! I had this excellent pan grill thing which was scrambled eggs with some other things mixed through it, like onions, potatoes and sausage. It was really good! And the service was personal. In conclusion, I'm all for diners.
We drove for about 5 hours down a non-descript but uncrowded freeway, and the last hour of the drive was glorious, with all the Autumn (Fall) colours, but we were a little too tired to enjoy it! We saw lots of McCain Palin signs and were disheartened, also a sign saying 'Wind energy costs us more money!' Welcome to small-town America.
But we are glad to be here! We are staying in a gorgeous Mansion, called the Levi Deal Mansion. This house is a dream come true. We are in a huge room with a whirlpool (spa), double basins, a huge bed and separate sitting area. It is very relaxing and there is even a guest kitchen with free wine and brownies! So far, I don't even know how they are making a profit...
The Levi Deal Mansion.
Meyersdale Pennsylvania is a small quaint town of about 2500 people with a railway running through it. We arrived on a Sunday, so nothing is open, and when we drove through the main street I saw a couple driving a horse and cart! I thought it was a tourist thing, but then I realised... these were Amish people!! I'm still totally fascinated and keep playing it over in my head.
So glad to be having a rest, sending love xxx
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Sopranos Tour of New York!
We sat here today!
This morning Mark and I took advantage of a quiet sleep in and headed up to the garment district for a 4 hour tour of Sopranos locations, a great activity to break up a trip to New York!
We visited sites from the opening credits as well as popular locations from the 6-part series, we also met the actor who played 'Vito,' who was busy flogging merchandise to us from the boot of his car.
We drove past Pizzaland, which is shown in the opening sequence, and they'll even fedex you one of their pizzas! (Not sure how it would taste once it makes it to Australia...)
One highlight was a visit to Holstein's Diner, where the very last scene of The Sopranos was filmed. We also got a chance to sample their famous Onion Rings and get a photo taken in the booth Tony was sitting in when it all ended. Too bad the man I asked to take our photo took a hopeless shot where you see nothing except for our faces!
Did you know that HBO made approximately $1 billion from The Sopranos? The tour also had great trivia and tips, and answered all of Mark's tricky production questions without skipping a beat.
It was great to have a chance to see small town New Jersey, and the day ended with a real-live visit to Tony Soprano's Strip Club 'Bada-Bing!' The funny part is it is actually an operating strip club called 'Satin Dolls,' and it was open for business, and full of clientele when we were there! We watched the girls dance on the poles and bought merchandise from the back storeroom, before heading back to Manhattan.
If you are a fan of The Sopranos and you make it to New York, I really recommend the tour! You can look at the tours here - they also do The Sex in the City tours of New York as well.
Since coming to New York, we have found all of these resources that I wish we had seen when we were back in Sydney planning! So I am going to plonk them down here, so they don't get lost again.
- I LOVE NEW YORK The official New York State Tourism Website. I particularly love the daily 'foliage report' for Fall, that will tell you where the leaves are changing colour.
- Time Out New York if I had followed Time Out more closely before arriving I would have realised that Nick Cave and Beck amongst others were playing while I was here, and I could have organised tickets, bummer.
- And as I have said before, book early. Hotel rooms don't get cheaper, they simply get booked out. Last-minute deals don't seem to be the flavour of the month here.
That's all for now, we leave New York for Pennsylvania tomorrow, we have to go to Newark to pick up our car first thing. It will be so sad to say goodbye, New York is my kind of city for so many reasons!
xx
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