Welcome back to the Burg

Welcome home!
Although this was a short trip it was very memorable - & not just for the nasty weather on Friday!
We saw everything we had planned including many iconic sights of New York, experienced some truly world-class musicians & performers, & shared plenty of fun moments.  And we traveled hundreds of miles together safely.
Thank you all for being so pleasant to travel with, & for adapting to our changing plans so gracefully.
A few other big "Thank You"s:

• Mike, our driver from Abbott Trailways, who transported us safely & smoothly, without fuss & with a smile.  An excellent driver & a very nice guy.
• Our chaperones, without whom the trip could not have taken place, for helping to ensure the group's safety & well-being.

And of course:

• Ms. Blanchard, the instigator & inspiration behind sharing one of the world's great cities & its rich history & culture with her students.

I hope to travel with many of you again in the future.

Bon voyages!

Declan

NB:  This Tour Diary will stay 'live' online for 1 year, so you can return to it anytime, invite friends & family to view it, & copy photos from it.

New York - On Foot!

After yesterday's cold & near-constatnt rain today dawned bright & sunny.  Not warm but we were grateful it was dry at least.
After loading the bus with our bags we drove into the city to spend a full day sightseeing - trying to see all the sights we had had to reschedule because of the rain yesterday.  To complicate things further, once our driver Mike dropped us off this morning we were going to be 'on our own' all day as he had to rest before our night drive home.  So walking & the Subway would be our means of transportation.
We began the day with a walk through the southern end of Central Park, in amongst the many exercising New Yorkers jogging, cycling or walking dogs.

Strawberry Fields, an area of Central Park dedicated to the memory of John Lennon who was shot nearby

The monument to Daniel Webster, author of America's first dictionary

At the Bethesda Fountain, amongst musicians & yoga classes!

The famous Central Park carousel

Leaving Central Park at the south-eastern corner, Grand Army Plaza, we had time for a short visit to F.A.O.Schwartz, the world's largest toy store, & the flagship Apple store.  In F.A.O.Schwartz the giant piano featured in the movie 'Big' is on display (& on sale for $250,000!) & many of the students took the chance to slip off their shoes & play/dance on it.
Afterwards we strolled along Fifth Avenue to St. Patrick's Cathedral & the Rockefeller Center.

30 Rock

From the Rockefeller Center we walked to the Subway to take a train Downtown to Chelsea - a chance to 'live like New Yorkers'.  

In Chelsea we visited Chelsea Market for lunch, then walked along the city's newest & most unusual city park, the High Line, to make our way Uptown towards the Empire State Building.

Waiting for our Subway train

Riding the rails in New York City

Lunch at Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market is very popular at the weekend so not everybody could find a seat, but they adapted!

Walking along the High Line, a former elevated railway line that was converted into a city park & opened in 2009

The area around the High Line is thriving since its conversion & art is found all along the way

After lots of walking (& very little grumbling!) we reached the Empire State Building.  We were scheduled to visit yesterday but the visibility was virtually zero with rain clouds enveloping the tower.  That meant it was busier today but the views were worth the inconvenience!

New York City!

From the Empire State Building we had just a short walk to Times Square & our dinner appointment at the HB Chophouse - buffalo chips, penne pasta, chicken tenders with mashed potatoes & julienne vegetables, & key lime pie!

Times Square Police Station

With legs & feet tired after all the walking, we rode the Subway once more for the journey from Times Square to the Lincoln Center, arriving in good time for our final evening's performance, by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.  It was almost a full house & tickets were in high demand for this great performance - & a great way to end our trip.

The Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center, home of the New York Philharmonic - our last event & a great way to finish.

The students were very happy to see our driver Mike when he met us after the concert.  Now we just have to get home, with a 9 hour night drive ahead of us!

Wet & Windy New York City!

The weather today was horrible from the start - windy & wet as we boarded our bus to drive into New York City.
The traffic wasn't too bad so we arrived in Lower Manhattan close to an hour early - enough time to take a short walk & visit some of the more famous sights of the financial district.  But as we began our walk through Battery Park the skies opened even more & getting off the bus suddenly wasn't such a great idea!  Still we made the best of it to make sure we saw the sights we came to see.
First we were just about to glimpse the Statue of Liberty through the mist & rain from the southernmost tip of Manhattan island.  Then, a few yards away on Bowling Green we had the famous Wall Street bull all to ourselves - usually it is surrounded by hordes of tourists but this morning most visitors were trying to stay dry!
Another short walk up Broadway, down on Wall Street, we saw both the New York Stock Exchange & Federal Hall - once the site of the capitol of the United States & the spot where George Washington was inaugurated president.
Our final sightseeing this morning was at the 9/11 Memorial & museum.  Unfortunately the much heralded museum is behind schedule & has not yet opened.  So the memorial site, with the two huge footprints of the Twin Towers, was something of a disappointment as it is all open-air.

The Statue of Liberty, just visible through the mist & rain!

The Wall Street Bull

The start of Broadway, Lower Manhattan

George Washington at Federal Hall

By now we were all wet & cold so we reboarded our bus for the drive up to Midtown & our lunch destination - Grand Central Terminal.  

After visiting the spectacular main concourse there was plenty of time to enjoy the many choices in the huge food halls below the station, as well as to dry out a little.

Grand Central Terminal - out of the rain at last!

The rain didn't look to be stopping anytime soon so we decided to change plans & visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art this afternoon (instead of tomorrow when we our reserved time is booked).  So we headed to this enormous museum - the largest in the western hemisphere - for the afternoon, a warm & dry haven from the weather.

The Greek & Roman Galleries at The MET

Meeting at The MET

Ramses II at The MET

It had finally stopped raining when we left so we had time for a little more shopping & sightseeing in Times Square before this evenings dinner, a pizza, pasta & salad buffet.  

Our final visit today was to the nearby Lincoln Center, & specifically to the Juilliard School, to see the New Juilliard Ensemble perform.  With the students not being a lot older than some of the group it was hopefully inspiring to see these world-class young musicians performing in such a prestigious & impressive venue.

After the performance our driver Mike was on hand once more to whisk us home at the end of a long, wet day that was still a lot of fun & filled with great experiences!

At the Lincoln Center, just before our Juilliard School concert

Welcome to the Big Apple

We made great time all the way to New York until the last few miles when a broken-down bus caused tailbacks just minutes from our hotel.  Still we arrived at 3:00pm, in good time to check-in, get changed, & then travel into the city.
Dinner tonight was just yards from Times Square so we began our New York sightseeing with a group photo & free time in Times Square.

Our first stop in New York City - Times Square!

Dinner at Hurley's Irish Saloon

After dinner we had just a few blocks to walk to our Broadway show, Cinderella, which was playing at the aptly-named Broadway Theatre.
The show, which opened just a few weeks ago & is the first time this Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical has been adapted for the Broadway stage, was a great hit with the students - great music, excellent singing, plenty of humor, & even a few "wow!" moments.  A great start to our trip.

Outside our Broadway show theater

Waiting for the show to start - Cinderella

On the Road

After a very punctual departure from the E. C. Glass parking lot at 6:00am we are currently on the road in West Virginia (taking I81 to avoid traffic in the Washington/Baltimore area).  It's a beautiful day as we are leaving our first rest stop - hopefully the weather will be this good in the Big Apple...