Rough nite of drinks and and an early start to the day was not the optimal combo for a kick start this morning. Mary and I were dragging our asses this morning. We pulled it together by 10am and headed out to brave the suddenly rainy weather of the day.
The first challenge of the day was finding gluten free food that would work with Mary’s diet, We would have thought that NYC would be a progressive food network but we have struggled today to solve this puzzle. There are literally thousands of breakfast places in Manhattan, all of which have never heard of gluten free. It may become the mission of the week to answer this puzzle.
The second challenge was the rain. It certainly takes the fun out of a stroll around Midtown but it didn’t deter us from seeing the sites of the city. With dual umbrellas in hand, we forged our way through the crowds.
My best three observations of the day:
1. I was amazed at the sheer size of the Rockerfeller Christmas tree.
This tree is imported in to the city annually to be lit up in early November and stays lit until NYE. It’s presence and importance to the people here is significant. Even those New Yorkers who avoid the tourist areas like the plague will come here to celebrate the season. It really is a marvel to see it.
2. The Diamond district of the city is under appreciated.
We took a stroll through this area this morning and the jewellery in the windows is staggering. Ring after ring after ring at $40K and beyond. It is the jewellery capital of the country for a reason and you have to see it to believe it.
3. The Empire State Building is more amazing beside it than inside it.
It is an architectural masterpiece and has been for years. It hangs over the city (all lit in Chrsitmas colours to boot) and it’s visible as far as you want to see. We had a nice dinner in a sushi place underneath the tower and enjoyed the views to the sky.
On that note, The funniest thing we saw all day was the drinking games that groups of NYU students were playing in this sushi bar. These dudes were challenging another group of dudes to out drink them in Sake-bombs and these guys could pound booze. Mary and I laughed that this was likely what our university aged son does with his buddies but nonetheless these guys made us laugh with their frat house games. I’m sure the sushi bar staff were less pleased as they took over the place.
We have another jam packed day ahead, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street and my first visit to the ole girl herself, the Statue of Liberty. Hopefully the weather stays clear as it was tonight. Stay tuned.
Marco