Strawberry Fields

Today's post title should give a hint about where we spent much of our day today. Strawberry Fields, as well as being a title of one of the Beatles hits, is also the name of the memorial to John Lennon in Central Park. And it was in New York's Central Park that we spent a good slice of today.

Mass

I woke at 2.30, a great improvement on the 12.30 of the morning before and by 3 I was up and sorting photos for uploading to Flickr. After the first of the day's blog posts I abluted and left the hotel at 6.20 to walk up to 7.00 am Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral. I was reminded as I thought about this morning of a priest friend's recent homily (sermon) about holidays being built and based in European history on Church Holy Days. So why not, with Churchs all around me, take time to meet God on holiday not just on the Sunday I would always keep sacred, but on other days too.

So here I was walking back up Madison Ave towards the Cathedral, it was interesting to note how different this route was at 6.30 on a Monday to that of yesterday. It was quite queir yesterday and I passed 8 or 9 people on my walk - today every block had 20 - 30 people on it, so I passed hundreds of people. There were other signs of New York life too, construction workers already working on their buildings, repairing or renewing; stalls with bagels, muffins, hot dogs, drinks and much else beside; shops starting to open and men and women washing the street outside their shop or restaurant. A bustling town even well before 7. I quickly realised I would be recognised as a tourist. Almost everyone were wearing the same gear - a ruck sack (or large bag for some of the women) and a large polystyrene cup of coffee attached firmly to their hands. It didn't matter if it was a Starbucks or a local coffee shop, the presence of coffee was ubiquitous.

I got to the Cathedral at 6.40 and sat and prayed. At 7.00 am Mass started with a hymn, yes singing at 7, not sure we'd manage that, outside perhaps a convent, in the UK. Mass, with a short homily, and the key parts sung was all done by 7.29, so we could do the quick turnover for the 7.30 Mass to start. Mass at the Cathedral is half-hourly from 7 to 9 each weekday morning. Today;s Mass celebrated the Feast of St. Laurence an early Christian Deacon and Martyr - a stained glass window of his martyrdom by burning is included in the Cathedral, so the priest took the topic of giving everything over to the Lord as Laurence did as the theme of his homily. Here I am Lord, I again dedicate myself to you.

Breakfast

After Mass I walked back to the hotel and at 7.45 we left for breakfast in Blooms, today Drew went American for his breakfast having pancakes with syrup and sausages. Yes, seems an amazing combination to me, but is a common breakfast over here. That mix of sweet and salty is very American, so Drew was taking a full part. I opted for another local 'delicacy'  - Pastrami, this cured beef lightly fried went down well with the three eggs over hard.

UN

After breakfast we walked down to Manhattan's other river. Just as we spent time yesterday beside the Hudson, today we started at the East River and walking up First Avenue came to the tiny park, only one block in length called Ralph Bunche Park. This tiny park is a few memorials and some wild flowers, but always seems to be an oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of First Avenue. Bunche won a Nobel prize for his peace work, and opposite the park is a symbol of his legacy and impact - The UN building.

Central Park

From First Avenue we caught the M50 up 49th Street to Madison, there we transferred on to the Q32 to do up Madison Avenue to 57th street and walk from there to the shrine to all things Apple - the Apple cube on Fifth Avenue. (A note on New York bus names - an M indicates the route terminates in Manhattan - the Q that it ends in Queen's etc). Drew was in his element looking at the Apple Watch, the new Apple iPod as well as the iPhones, iPads, iPad Minis and iMacs of various shapes and sizes. Drew has been saving up his birthday and Christmas money for the last few years and keeps threatening to spend it on tech, but he seems to like window shopping more than actual shopping. This is something I can't complain about as I am exactly the same - I can almost always find a reason for waiting to buy the product when the next upgrade comes in!!  The benefit of the Apple Shop is good wi-fi, so I checked some e-mails while Drew drooled over the products!

We walked up Fifth avenue and at 67th street went into Central Park, if you have not been here it is worth a visit. Having been here in summer and in winter the 850 acres offers more than can be imagined. It is a cheap way of having fun, sitting watching passers but, walking along the many paths, watching the birds, animals and plants. Often a newly wed couple will come for their photos - indeed four years ago we witnessed a wedding taking place among the trees. As I mentioned in the introduction John Lennon lived, and died, just off Central Park so is remembered here.

I guess Central Park is less about what you see and what you do but more about simpy being. So we sat and watched and walked a little and watched some more. So that three hours later we emerged from the Park relaxed and clam.

Columbus Circus

Columbus at Columbus Circus

Time Warner Centre - Columbus Circus

Coming out from the park on the south west corner immerses you back into the hustle and bustle of New York in no time. Columbus Circus is a hive of activity and 7th Avenue and Broadway cross at this roundabout (not a common site in the US) and loads of people pass through. The Time Warner Centre a building site when Drew and I first came here together in 2002 is impressive as it stands on the Circus. We went inside and visited a few of the stores - Williams of Sonoma being our favourite - a kitchen shop, but for really luxury kitchens. We spent an hour looking at the latest gadgets.

Columbus Circus, of course, is named for Christopher Columbus. So we had the regular joke from Drew, a joke I have now heard twice at this statue to Columbus as well as a few times at the statue of Columbus in Barcelona and at the statue to him in Madrid. Here goes (don't expect it to be funny). "Why is there a big statue to the director of Home Alone and one of the Harry Potter films here?"   See I warned you it wasn't very funny it relies on you knowing that Christopher Columbus is also the name of this director. Not being a film buff I didn't get it first time - but clearly I do now!

Macy's

From Columbus Circus we caught the M20 down seventh avenue to 34th street and a visit to Macy's. I've known since my youngest days it seems that this is where the real Santa Claus comes before Christmas. Miracle on 34th Street is one of the few films I own that I have watched time and time again, and do every Christmas.  Actually being in 34th Street Macy's seems to bring back the magic, even if I am here out of season.

Macy's is also amazing for all it has in it - you could easily live here with restaurants, coffee shops, juice bars and more all in the store. Plus, of course, all the clothes, furniture, soft furnishings and gadgets - all this and free wi-fi too, who could ask for more. We wandered up and down and around for a few hours. Had a coffee and a snack, a wholemeal bagel with cream cheese for me and a blueberry muffin for Drew. 

Back to the hotel

Exhausted, but very happy we caught the bus back up 5th Avenue and walked along 38th street back to the hotel where I slumped in the cool air-conditioned room and completed a blog post and Drew went down to the Lower Lobby (very American word for a basement) to use the fitness centre. On that point it is worth noting that our room is three steps down from the main floor, so we have a lift opposite us in addition to the two main lifts. This makes life very easy getting down to the Lobby and back up to the room as this lift is quieter than the main ones. However as Drew discovered on his way to the Lower Lobby, our nearest lift has a floor C, where C must stand for cleaners area - as he had an encounter with three cleaners taking a break before coming back up and getting into the alternative lift to go to the gym.