So we are away until the end of this whole year challenge an unusual place for us to be for such a long time but when asked who can resist it, not us. when you live in the countryside and love the peace and quiet this is a totally different lifestyle. I couldn’t live here, but coming to this wonderful city for a visit is the best. Best food, best vibes from the cosmopolitan people and the best food EVER.
I hope through the rest of this years shots I can in some way portray this to you all.
13th.
As we have an early start to our journey tomorrow we are staying the night in the Hilton airport hotel, which is our normal thing. Plus the fact that with international travel we require a lateral flow test for Covid a day before travelling and we can get this done and notified of the result at the airport. We passed with a negative test so that was a relief and as we could not get into the hotel until 3pm we went on the bus to the city and had lunch.
14th.
Up at 5am is not the best of starts to the day but after some confusion at check in we boarded the plane down to Heathrow where we managed a short break in the duty free before boarding the British Airways flight to New York. We had found a Black Friday deal to upgrade a class on board so had a comfortable fairly enjoyable flight over, As my camera gear was well packed in my hand luggage I really did not get the opportunity to take many shots on the journey from the airport into our son’s apartment in Manhattan but did manage one of this unusual cloud formation, it spiralled up into the air a fair height.
15th.
Our method of getting over jetlag on these first few days is gentle walks out, back for a rest and maybe a wee nap then out again. Our first trip was to Union Square , which normally has a small local growers market outdoors, but in this season has a typical Christmas Market. The wreaths seem very popular and adorn many a residency For me I would go for the chillies one on the righthand side of the second photo as , one they are the cheapest and two, you can store and use them after Christmas.
16th.
Just to show how mild it is at present in New York and the fact that this is the very middle of December, so many of the trees still have their leaves on, okay they are Autumnal colours but not many of them are off the trees. An amazing sight to see and we are wondering what Central Park will look like. We came prepared for snow and today it is fourteen degrees C, bet it doesn’t last.
17th.
I just love it when cities allow artists to take over buildings and place good art onto them, the three above are prime examples, in the first one you can see the windows blended into the artwork, all skillfully executed, the last one was a temporary one on some building work hoarding, but so colourful.
An added bonus (so liberating to be able to add so many new subjects to complete my 2021 resolution) some Downtown Christmas lights.
18th.
A damp day today, not really rain just a mizzle. Went for brunch and this was my son’s choice with a bacon side dish, followed by a splendid hour or so looking at the lights of Fifth Avenue including this in the entrance of Bloomingdales. Absolutely heaving with families and the light show on the outside of Sak’s was incredible, plus the tree at The Rockafeller Centre.
19th.
A typical view of piers that are all the way along the River Hudson, this one is exceptional though as it is brand new and a demonstration of what the local environment should be. In the section in front of the shot is a sunken area down almost to the river level containing various chipped out of the stone to allow plants to grow in and creatures to live in. then in the background of that area are marshland rushes and plants and going nearer to the roadway are wooded areas, shrubberies and grassland picking up on plants that would normally be found away from the water’s edge. An ecological experiment that will allow people to see how the natural world should be before man came along and built this huge city.
20th
Went Uptown today to Hudson’s Yard where this wonderful building in the first shot is. If you look to the top you will see a triangle sticking out this is a observation deck that we went onto. If you look again at the first shot you can see in the middle of that triangle is a clear section, that is in fact strengthened glass which when you are up there you can stand on and there is nothing between you and the roadway one hundred floors or one thousand one hundred feet below. and yes those are my feet as I had to stand on it for this shot.
21st.
Walked a couple of miles today to get to this park on the Hudson River, we have decided to call it the ‘Telly Tubbies Park’ as it looks so like the T.V. programme land. It is really well laid out and as it is winter it only has grasses, but swaying in the breeze they look great. Winding paths or steps for the fit ones allow you to reach all levels and it also has a small amphitheatre which on a summers evening would be great to watch a performance.
22nd.
It is about time we talked about American food, went for lunch to a restaurant down on the Lower Eastside called Fulton’s today and had a terrific fish meal. My wife and son started off with the giant prawns, while I had the ‘Petite Sashimi Plateau’ in the top shot, this comprised of the giant prawns the others had, three oysters, and three different sashimi fish, salmon tuna and yellowtail. The next three shots are the mains, The wife’s calamari with fries, my sons fish tacos & my swordtail sandwich, all of which were out of this world delicious.
23rd.
Still on the subject of food, I for one cannot come to New York without having at least one doughnut and today was that day. From top left clockwise, Chocolate topped with custard inside, chocolate dipped plain crispy doughnut (mine) and lastly a chocolate topped doughnut with cream. All very naughty but nice.
Christmas Eve.
It seems that wherever you are in the world there are Sparrows and New York is no exception. All around the streets there are loads of them all fluffed up due to snow overnight (which has gone) and low temperatures, but still lovely wee birds.
Christmas Day.
It would not be Christmas without the obligatory shot of whoever is present in our house or wherever we are, raising a glass while the dinner gets cold. So even if we are across the pond, we have perform this ritual. Another tradition people have to allow me to indulge i, is that I always want to cook the meal, I have occasionally sat on my hands and not cooked but normally (if it is my sons especially) they give into my whim. This year was no exception. A couple of things had me worried, 1/ we decided on a large chicken rather than a turkey and I am not used to cooking five and a half pound chickens. 2/ it was a gas oven controls calculated in F degrees rather than the normal C. But all turned out well and I was only twelve minutes late on the allocated time to eat (precision is everything). Wife and son looking relatively happy, most probably because of the fizz in their glasses.
Boxing Day.
Though Boxing Day is not within the American calendar, it is a Sunday and when we went for a small walk around a couple of blocks and into Washington Square Gardens, plenty of people were about. With games of chess around the perimeter and a guy with an upright piano playing jazz in the centre it was fairly vibrant for eleven o’clock in the morning after yesterday’s celebrations. We are so lucky with the weather a real sunny day and no wind it was really pleasant to be out. We intend going to Central Park after some lunch I think that may be a bit busier, but it is big enough to absorb all and there maybe more shots put on here later.
27th.
Had such a good time over Christmas that I do not want to leave the theme, so out for a walk today took these two shots. The first one was in a private front courtyard of a house and I thought how are those not being stolen, as a huge great dog came barking at the patio window and the owner looked out. Once he saw I was just taking a picture he went back into the room with a wave and smile.
The second shot was one of about forty illuminated outside a row of shops and is about double the size of a football and looked very attractive even in daylight, must look wonderful at night.
28th.
Walking down through Dumbo Park on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge and came across this lovely little Dove, in fact there was five of them together on the rocks by the water, I automatically thought they would be Rock Doves, rocks plus Doves equals ……But on our return and before I wrote this I looked them up, they are in fact Mourning Doves. Next had to look up why they are so named, apparently it is due to their sad and haunting call, which I never managed to hear.
29th.
Went to the New York Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA) and though a lot of the art leaves me some what perplexed certain pieces I really like. The first shot of a tool rack I really thought was clever and colourful some of the background is shadow while others are just sprayed outlines of the tools. Maybe an art project for some of you with various objects?
The second shot reminds me of the kind of art I loved in the sixties and dabbled in myself just layers of single lines of random paint set off by the occasional red dots. If you get the chance it is well worth the visit and the cafe food is wonderful as an added bonus.
30th.
Went by myself to Chinatown today, I just love going there the rest of the family hate it. This first image shows you an elderly couple just setting up a small stall of produce they have obviously grown themselves and are busy cleaning up their spring onions to sell, all so fresh and organic looking.
All sorts of dried fish from shrimps to oysters are for sale along with the fresh fish to the right of the second shot. Not sure a trader would get away with having boxes of food this close to the ground if in the U.K. but the stalls were really busy, with plenty more food indoors if you were interested.
Last image, though I took loads, is of a shop selling poultry, especially Peking Duck and other pre seasoned poultry all dipped in the front window of the shop. I presume the larger birds are turkey’s not sure?????
31st.
Time to celebrate, definitely not this horrid year of the virus but the fact that I have completed my 2021 New Year resolution by taking 365 different photos, one each day for the whole year, something I never thought I could do. It was a close shave some evenings, just going to bed after a busy day and suddenly realise that I had not got a shot for the day. Hence on some occasions you will see a house plant taken with the flash on and taken around eleven at night, but I did it.
I do hope you have enjoyed the shots I really have enjoyed the challenge, but will not be carrying it on at such a rate in 2022, though of course I will continue the blog just periodically when something enjoyable comes up. I still have another 4 days left in New York so something might catch my eye.
So all that is left to say is ‘have a wonderful 2022, may you all stay healthy and thanks for following me throughout the year’. Now let’s open that bubbly in celebration.