New York New York!

We got a taxi to Boston South station in good time. The Amtrak service got pretty full and took 4 hours along the coast with some fine views. I finished reading the book about Charterhouse monks. We got a taxi to Leo House. The debit card played up but messages came through from Barclays and the matter was resolved. The room is basic but clean – the bath is old but we are at the back and it is quiet so far. We unpacked and went to Port terminal to get our New York pass. This had hop on hop off tours for 4 days so we did the downtown one and got off at the Rockefeller centre where we had soup and wraps. The ice skating has started! We then got on the 8 p.m. night tour which took us over Manhattan bridge to Brooklyn. It was raining and windy!

Tuesday Good breakfast at Leo House for $9. Bus tour uptown including Haarlem and then joined a second tour to Yankee stadium Bronx. Visited Riverside church which is huge and impressive. Considered buying a DVD of David Briggs playing there for King of Kings film. Back on the bus to the impressive Guggenheim museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Zero group display and some fine impressionists. The work from the 50s and 60s had some good effects using lights and mirrors. Back on the bus and then metro to 9/11 memorial and museum which took us about 2 and a half hours. It was a free day so the New York Pass was not needed and waited about 20 minutes – full security scan. Very emotional and distressing but honest about the situations. Pizza and cheesecake at Blue Planet grill nearby. Subway and then walked to the Rockefeller centre only to find the Top of the Rock was sold out – very annoyed and came back to the hotel about 10.30 pretty tired. It was a lovely sunny day and I forgot my cap. The weird event of the day was the large number of Orthodox Jews at the 9/11 memorial and one young man asked me if I was Jewish to which I replied that I am Catholic - perhaps he did not see the cross around my neck! There is an issue about Jewish symbols  being placed on the memorial slabs - roses and small flags seem to be allowed but nothing else.