Sunday – after 300 days, 10 countries and millions of amazing memories we finally reach the end of our trip!

This morning we packed up our bags for the very last time and went for brunch at a local restaurant (which apparently had featured in Sex and the City!).

Claire and Ben had a cooked breakfast, whilst Nicola finally got her eggs benedict that she had been craving for the past 10 months!

We then jumped on the subway and visited Chelsea Markets, where the Halloween activities and displays were amazing!

We took a walk along the Highline, a nature walk constructed on an elevated old railway line through Lower Manhattan.  It was a lovely walk, all be it a little windy.

As it was such a lovely day we decided to walk the remaining 82 blocks up to Claire’s apartment, which proved a leisurely stroll through Times Square, Central Park and the Upper West Side.

The further we walked, the more we were growing conscious of the fact that our trip, and 300 days (10 months) of travelling was quickly drawing to a close!

We went back to Claire’s apartment and grabbed our bags, starting out for the subway, and our final journey – next stop home!

Once at the airport we checked in for our last flights, and sat in departures having a last drink – toasting the amazing time we have had on our journey around the world!

We boarded our British Airways flight to London Heathrow at 10:30pm and settled down to enjoy the in flight entertainment.  5 hours later we were landing at 9am on Monday 1st November into a cloudy and gloomy London.  We had a short transfer before flying north to Manchester, where we were greeted by Ben’s family.

We would like to say a big thank you to both our families for their love and support over the past 10 months!  And, a fond farewell to our ‘followers’, we hope you have enjoyed the adventure as much as we have!!!!

Saturday – Halloween!

This morning Ben artfully carved a pumpkin, whilst Nicola helped decorate Claire’s apartment (and played with the cats).

We then went for a walk, to grab a late lunch and some appropriate fancy dress costumes for the Halloween party that Claire was throwing tonight.

When we got back to the apartment we headed up to the roof terrace to admire the glowing sunset and great views Downtown.

We had a party to prepare for though, and a costume to get into!  So, back downstairs we got ready…Ben getting into his Barrack Obama disguise (Obama is from Hawaii, hence the ‘Aloha’ gear), and Nicola into her Greek Goddess dress.

Claire had opted for a 50s waitress outfit, with accompanying props.

When the other guests arrived we congregated in the corner with Rob and Vicky (who had adopted intrepid explorer outfits) and Matt (who had achieved the New York City cop look).

The ‘activities’ soon started and a couple of brave souls took part in apple bobbing (with a difference) and donut grabbing.

 

We then circulated to the kitchen, where we ‘hung out’ until closing time!

Friday – a day at the shops, and a night on the town

Today the Ladies hit the shops, with Nicola being a personal shopper to Vicky, who had cash to spend!  Ben had a ‘boys’ day with Rob, visiting the Fireman’s Museum and then the 2nd oldest pub in New York.

We met back up in Chinatown for a late lunch, and then caught the subway back to our accommodation to get changed for tonight.

Once we had our glad rags on we met up with Rob and Vicky at the bottom of the Rockefeller Centre, riding the elevator to the viewing platform.

As we got up the ‘Top of the Rock’ for sunset we had some great views to ‘wow’ at!  Firstly looking Uptown to Central Park.

And, then looking Downtown towards the Empire State Building, the Financial District and in the very distance Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

The Empire State Building was particularly fetching with it’s green glow.

When we made our way back down to ground level we met Claire and caught the subway to the Lower East Side, Manhattan’s ‘trendy’ neighbourhood.  We then tried to adjust to New York’s crazy ‘I.D’ policy, and had a couple of drinks in a bar, before going for dinner at a Thai across the road.

And, try as we might the perfect group shot never did quite happen!

Next stop was a bar down the street, where we partook in another couple of cheeky drinks before catching a cab home.

 

Thursday – Brooklyn to Times Square

We met Vicky and Rob outside the Guggenheim, but unfortunately couldn’t go in as it was closed on Thursday.  So, plan B was to visit the Met.

However, after finding out that it was a ‘donation’ of $20 per person we decided to leave them to do the museum/gallery thing on their own and go off for a ‘cheap’ wander!

We headed through Central Park, a bit of quiet and solitude from the hustle and bustle of the busy New York streets, and caught the subway to Brooklyn Heights.

We then made our way through the streets that were lined with impressive town houses to Brooklyn Promenade, which gave exceptional views back across to Manhattan.

The walk down the Promenade was lovely, and a nice escape from the city.  We then took a route that was to take us slowly back into the city, firstly walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and then into Chinatown.

The streets of Chinatown were packed, and there was a frenetic buzz about the place.  We opted for a snack of Dim Sum from a local restaurant and started walking uptown through Little Italy.

We walked block by block towards Times Square, and 42nd Street where we were to meet back up with Rob and Vicky.  As we reached 23rd Street we realised that we wouldn’t make it in time, so jumped on the subway.

As usual Times Square was busy, so we took a break and sat on the raised steps looking out across the square.

We then went on mass back to Claire’s apartment where we sat and chatted over a take out pizza.

Wednesday – New York, and the Dinosaur of Harlem!

This morning we caught the subway to Times Square, to meet up with Rob and Vicky, who had flown in to JFK the previous night.

It was great seeing them both again.  We jumped back on the subway to grab some lunch in Greenwich Village, where we sat in a classic New York pizza place, chomping away at this fine delicacy!

After a good old chin wag over lunch we started walking south down Broadway to take in the Lower Manhattan sights, which included Soho, City Hall, The World Trade Centre and Wall Street.

We reached the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and jumped on the boat, for a scenic ride across to Staten Island.

As we headed out of the Ferry Terminal we got some great views looking back at the New York skyline, and across to the Statue of Liberty.

The return journey was lovely, and as we arrived back in the terminal we all made our way back to our accommodation to change ready for our night out.

We were meeting Matt at the Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem, on arrival we found that the atmosphere was buzzing, and the place was packed.  We had fun catching up whilst sipping some New York ales and waiting for a table.

When we were sat for dinner the choice on the menu was amazing, and we all struggled to choose.

We ended up ordering a mixed platter for all of us to share, which was delicious.  When we had finished we moved back to the bar and the boys started perusing the Karaoke menu, unbeknown to them Claire had put them down for a song.

So, first up was Rob, Ben and Matt singing ‘Barbie Girl’…and then Nicola singing ‘Nobody Does It Better’.  Ben and Matt were then back up singing ‘Green Green Grass of Home’.

As all of these requests were Claire’s doing we thought it was about time she had a go, so up she went with Nicola singing ‘Eternal Flame’ and then ‘Your the One That I Want’!

It was a great night, and lots of fun keeping the locals entertained!