Monday 25 March 2013

When Harry met Sally

Whilst in NYC it is safe to say I did a lot of eating.

It would perhaps be more accurate to say I did a LOT of eating but hey, that's what holidays are for.

The Boy was going on and on for weeks beforehand about this place he'd read about called Katz's Delicatessen, which is a legendary New York landmark that I'd always heard a lot about but never actually been to. It is even the real life diner Where Harry Met Sally, way back in 1989.  

And the food

My word, the food. 

It was a meat feast, that's for sure.

 The Boy ponders over what to choose
 Iced Tea, my absolute favourite drink in the world

Katz's has a real old-fashioned sense of community and the service was just as good (if not better) than some of the more uppity establishments we visited. It was really busy with tourists and locals a like and one of the family owners even came over for a chat, which made our visit even more special.

We had an amazing time and will definitely be back for more pastrami next time we're in the city.

 New York has real chips (who knew)
If you're ever in NYC and are most definitely not a vegetarian, Katz's Delicatessen can be found at 205 East Houston Street (corner of Ludlow St)

Sunday 24 March 2013

Looks I'm loving

Paired down chic is something that I'm always trying to master. That ability to throw together a minimalist outfit and look achingly cool is something that I believe is only achievable if you were truly born stylish. Which I think is the case with today's Look I'm loving.

Victoria Tornegren, a 21-year-old blogger from Sweden has a wardrobe to die for and is somewhat of a master of the muted colour palette. It's definitely a look I'm going to be trying to emulate. Here's some of my favourites of Victoria's latest looks.

All images by Victoria Tornegren

Find Victoria's blog here (alas, it's in Swedish, but is looks beautiful) or check out her latest outfits over on Lookbook.

Saturday 23 March 2013

NYC Part 1: An empire state of mind

Having booked our holiday in late December (after many drawn out discussions over where we should stay) I have been bursting with excitement ever since. Our walks to the station every morning have been filled with conversations about where we would go and what we would see, so it's safe to say I was pretty ecstatic to finally arrive.

We landed on Saturday afternoon and after a long wait at immigration we headed into the city and wasted no time checking in, freshening up and heading out and about. We took a stroll to the Rockefeller to see the ice rink, then along Broadway to Central Park taking in a proposal on the way (alas, not mine). 

 Central Park
 Our first night in Times Square

There was still some snow on the ground and a chill in the air but we didn't mind, it had been a long time coming but we were finally in NYC.

We went for dinner at The View, a revolving restaurant at the top of the Marriott at Times Square which offers buffet style meals to masses of tourists but, needless to say, the view more than makes up for it. And to be fair the food was actually pretty nice. An early night followed, with even The Boy saying he was ready for bed by 9pm.

 Dinner at The View

Sunday was Mothers Day and, due to the early night, The Boy and I woke at 5am and headed out into a quiet Times Square in search of flowers to surprise Mum. We struck lucky at the local deli and purchased a gorgeous bunch of roses to let Mum know we remembered (to go with the Tesco value card Mark had bought). It was definitely worth getting up early as the streets were pretty much deserted and we got to take some nice pictures as the sun came up.

 Sunrise over Times Square

We packed a lot into our first full day, heading to the Hells Kitchen Flea Market (more on that later), up to Central Park, to the Frick Collection and to Top of the Rock before heading out to dinner at the Brooklyn Diner

Exploring Hells Kitchen
A stroll in and around Central Park
 Top of the Rock (where we established I definitely don't like heights)
 
Monday we awoke still tired but not quite as early as Sunday and went downtown to the Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero and Soho and then on to Chinatown for Dim Sum (which Mum, Dad and Mark were really not sure about - they're more Wetherspoons people).

Dim Sum in Chinatown
Graffiti near Ground Zero

As I hadn't seen Mum since Christmas and the boys were very keen to sample the local drinking establishments I arranged for us to spend some time at the amazing Great Jones Spa. After a few hours we were refreshed and revived and ready to see more of the city.

Sadly it was not to be, as the boys had managed to get Father well and truly sozzled so Mum and I were tasked with taking care of him, so we settled in for a night of magazines, American telly and take out pizza.

The next morning we were up bright and early for a windy and wet day at Woodbury Common in search of bargains. The Boy didn't join us (shopping's not really his thing) and instead went for an explore of the city solo. We joined up again for dinner just across the road from the hotel at a place called Virgil's, which turned out to be an excellent choice as this was one of my favourite meals of the trip; chicken and avocado salad with ranch dressing and fries. YUM. Could possibly be one of the reasons I have returned a little rounder.

 Dinner at Virgil's

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Postcard from the Big Apple

Those of you who know me well will know why I've been so quiet over the past week or so, I've been in NYC! 

The city that never sleeps, the big apple, whatever you want to call it, New York city holds a special place in my heart and, sorry London, is my favourite city in the world (no question).

Last weekend, along with my nearest and dearest (Mum, Dad, Mark and The Boy), I jumped on a plane at Heathrow and hopped off seven hours later at JFK with an empty suitcase, a new camera and a long list of sights to see. I have many a blog post to write up but for now here's a taster of my time on the island of Manhattan.

 The Davies family en route
New York fire escapes
The Boy and I in Central Park
Exploring Little Italy
The Flatiron
 Lady Liberty
Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana milkshake (that is correct)
 Eat your heart out Carrie Bradshaw
Art on the Subway

I must admit, I was in dire need of a break and although this trip wasn't exactly relaxing, the king sized bed sure helped me get some rest and feel revived for the days of walking, eating and drinking. We were away for a full week - seven days! And it was amazing

We stayed at the Millenium Broadway just off Times Square and really made the most of being so central, we even had a room with a view! Which for someone more used to staying in Travelodge's was pretty dam exciting.

 A room with a view

As I said, I have plenty more posts to come over the next few days detailing where we went, what we ate and where we shopped but for now, I need some sleep!

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