Travel: New York days 3 and 4

So, here's to part 2 of my New York trip. Hope you find it interesting and maybe even helpful!

On day 3 of our trip we went to the 9/11 tribute centre which was very well done and moving. We also trekked to the memorial at ground zero which was very good too. You really get a sense of how huge the site was and of what a tragedy 9/11 was.













After that we went and had a wander down to battery park and had a deliciously fresh lemonade. We decided to catch the Staten Island Ferry which is about a half an hour trip. You get a good view of Manhattan's financial district and of the statue of liberty from the boat. Staten Island is quite a sleepy place. It does have a couple of museums but we decided to just go and have lunch so we got some pizza.

Manhattan was very wet...

Then, we caught the ferry back to Manhattan and walked up to Wall Street. Wall Street is quite dark compared to the rest of Manhattan but it was quite a sight.

We wandered to South Street Seaport which has a few big old boats. It also has a small shopping centre and a relaxed eating and balcony area with some sun chairs and a view on the river and the boats. You have a good view on the Brooklyn Bridge from there too. Near there, there is a Pinkberry so we decided to have one and it was really really yummy.

We wanted to see Times Square at night so we made our way back near there. We walked up Broadway again and Times Square is even more amazing at night. All the lights make it feel magical. We walked back down 7th Avenue and tried to find something to eat. Unfortunately, Midtown is not very good for food. We also popped into Macy's again. We finally ended up eating on the same street as our hotel in a place called Pennsylvania I think. It looked a bit strange but they did some really yummy, healthy(ish) fresh pizza's (are you seeing a pattern here yet?). We had one with cheese, truffles and onions.

The next day was slightly more relaxed because we had to be at the airport by 5 pm. We caught a bus to the Chelsea District and walked the Highline. It's really well done and quite pretty in places. It describes itself as a walk through New York's industrial past and I found it to be quite interesting.

After the Highline we walked around the Chelsea district and into Greenwich Village which is very different and small looking compared to the high buildings in the centre of Manhattan. Chelsea would be the ideal place to eat. It was packed with restaurants and all of them looked like they had some tasty food. It's also renowned to be New York's gastronomy centre. We didn't eat there though because we had decided to have a late lunch/snack and an early dinner before the flight as we had ordered vegetarian on our previous flight and it didn't have any protein in it.

We then went all the way to the other side of town and went to Serendipity. There was an hour long wait so we went to Bloomingdales for a wander. We then went and had a frozen hot chocolate and a strawberry sundae at Serendipity which was pretty fabulous. (Sorry about the picture quality, the lighting wasn't great and it was taken on a phone).

After that it was time to go and pick up our bags from the hotel and catch a cab to the airport. It usually takes an hour, even up to an hour and a half to get there but as it was the 4th of July, the roads were empty and we were there in 40 minutes. The airport cabs have a fixed rate of around 70 dollars.

We had a Quesadilla (one was enough for the 2 of us) at the airport which was actually really nice and then waited for our flight. Once we got on the plane we could see all the 4th of July fireworks along the horizon. It was quite a nice sight and although we missed the main part of the celebrations, we could still feel like we didn't get completely left out.

If you want to watch my travel vlogs then here's the link to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ElinorsVlogs

Travel: New York days 1 and 2

So if you're wondering why it's been so quiet here over the last month it's because I've been on holiday. This can only mean one thing: travel posts! I did a lot of tourism for 2 weeks and then had a more relaxed family holiday for the end of the month.

Anyway, right at the beginning of july I went to New York! I was there for 4 full days with my Mum. It was partly an 18th birthday present/graduation present but also just because we both wanted to go.

First things first, we flew from Brussels to London with British Airways then to New York with American Airlines. I would highly recommend American Airlines as they were really friendly, the seats weren't too small and it's not overly expensive. We came back with Iberia and that was not the best experience.

We got there late at night so caught a taxi and went straight to our hotel, the Hampton Inn hotel on west 31st street. The taxi driver, like all of the ones we had when we were there was very friendly. The hotel was really good. It wasn't the most luxurious but breakfast was included and it was nice, the beds were incredibly comfortable, the staff were nice, the location is good and it wasn't overpriced.

The next day, we were luckily only slightly jet lagged. We were up quite early and were out before 9 am but considering the 6 hour time difference it was pretty good. The first thing we did was go to Macy's as it was right near the hotel. Macy's is brilliant. Everything is reasonably priced and if you're not a US citizen you can get a 10 percent discount on almost everything. Just make sure you carry ID around everywhere though.

 After that we walked up Broadway in the rain, which was lovely and refreshing until it really started throwing it down. Walking up Broadway is nice because you can see the lights from Times Square a long way away.

After we stood at Times Square in awe for a bit, we went and had lunch at The Counter which is amazing. Basically you can make you're own burger: you choose the bread, the sauce, the meat/veggie and then up to 3 toppings (you can have more but then you pay more). They also have a fixed menu with fixed burgers. The chips/fries are amazing too. The food is really delicious, and I'll definitely be going there again.

We then went to Grand Central Station which was incredible. You can't really capture how grand it is until you see it in real life. I never thought a station would be so interesting. It also has a food market downstairs which was buzzing and looked really appetising. Then, upstairs, there were a few jewelry and phone case type stalls.

Near Grand Central Station there is a park called Bryant Park. It was really nice and calm and you could play table tennis and they even had a reading corner outside as it was right next to the library. They also have music events there.

We pre booked a tour at the Rockefeller Center which was really really good. We learned a lot about New York and about some of the buildings and architecture of the city. I went there knowing nothing about the Rockefeller Center at came out knowing a lot. It was very well done and not at all boring. We had also booked the Top of the Rock but it was so cloudy that they recommended we reschedule.

After that we walked up Fifth Avenue and went for a quiet stroll in Central Park which is just amazing. It's huge and so quiet considering you're in the middle of a city. It also is really pretty. Then, we just grabbed a slice of pizza as you do in New York and went back to the hotel.

On day 2 of our trip, we decided to go to Central Park in the morning. We went all the way up to west 103 street on the subway which is really easy to use once you get the hang of it. We wandered across to the east side of the park and found the conservatory gardens of the park which were beautiful.

After Central Park we walked down to the Guggenheim Museum which is on Fifth Avenue. We visited the museum which was quite interesting. The whole set up of the building was the main attraction because everything is circular/oval. If you're in to modern art it's a very interesting museum. They do also have some more classical paintings from Paul Cézanne for example. We had lunch there which was not that good. It's a fixed menu and we ended up having too much, the food was alright but not amazing and there wasn't much seating space.

Then, we walked down some more of Fifth Avenue and saw the Central Park Reservoir which is quite a sight. Its huge and on each side you can see towering buildings. We decided that our feet were quite sore so we caught the bus back down to 48th or 49th street, near the Rockefeller Center.

At 4.30 pm, we had a ticket for Top of the Rock and about an hour before we went up, the skies completely cleared and the sun came out. The Top of the Rock is a must do in New York. It was incredible. Even if you're scared of heights it doesn't feel that bad because all the other buildings are so high. The view was quite literally gobsmacking.

After that, we caught the subway to Lexington Avenue to go and have a wonder around Bloomingdales. There are a lot of gorgeous clothes, accessories and makeup products in there but it's expensive. Personally, I preferred Macy's.


We decided to get some dinner close to Bloomingdales so we found this amazing restaurant called Brio. We had the most amazing pasta, it was just so yummy and fresh. It was also quite different, it wasn't the usual spaghetti bolognese or penne carbonara. They had homemade canneloni's with freshly cooked cherry tomatoes and scamorza (smoked mozzarella), etc.

I will tell you about the last 2 days of my trip in the next post which should be either tomorrow or the day after. Hope you found it interesting and helpful if you're planning a trip to New York City!

Travel: Antwerp

Yesterday, I went to Antwerp with my Mum, my uncle and my aunt. It was lovely. The weather was unexpectedly nice and it was great to spend some relaxed time with family in this stressful exam period.

We wanted to go to the diamond museum but unfortunately it was closed for renovation and it might be for some time. This is not actually mentionned on their website so if you wanted to travel all the way to Antwerp for that, be warned. Never the less, we weren't going to be grumpy because of that so we decided to just have a wonder round the city.

First, we went to the tourist information desk which is in the station. The station is definately worth a visit even if you don't want to catch a train or you don't need to go to the tourist info point. It must be one of the grandest stations in the world. It's enormous and very richly decorated. I will also point out that the people at the information desk are very kind and helpful and they speak fluent english.

After that, we decided we'd wonder towards the historical centre of the town which is by the river. We walked along the main shopping road of the city called the Meir. Although all the shops were closed as it was sunday, it was very nice. They have a huge variety of clothes shops. For example, there was a New Look, a Forever 21 and an Urban Outfitters. Antwerp is one of the best towns in Belgium for shopping as it's a port so it has quite a few international shops and it's also full of edesigners so there are lots of luxury boutiques.

On that road, there is a very nice brasserie. It's a luxury brasserie and considering, it was very reasonably priced. I had a goats cheese salad that was delicious. They also have a variety of burgers, including a veggie one and lots of other choices like steak and pastas. For a belgian restaurant, they had lots of meals for vegetarians so I was very satisfied. The staff was also very nice. I have a feeling that it's called Café Imperial.

We then kept going along the Meir and got to the town's cathedral. It's very grand and has a lot of Rubens paintings in it so you have to pay to visit it properly. You can still go in and go into the prayer bit which is free to see what's inside. It's very big and the architechture of the building is quite spectacular. Outside the cathedral they often host little street shows which are quite fun.

After that we went to the Grote Markt which is where all the old guilds are. So there are quite a few old trade buildings. It's also where the town hall is and that's huge. It's got all the EU flags on it so it's very colourful.

Towards the end of the day, we went for a walk along the riverside. It was lovely and very pretty. Antwerp is quite a green town with lots of trees. You can also go and visit the old fortress on the riverbank but we didn't.

There are a lot of other things to do in Antwerp too. We were only there for the day so we didn't go into any of the museums. But I'd highly recommend Aquatopia, the local aquarium. It's very good if you've got kids with you. The Rubens museum is supposedly very good. It's all about the interiors and the way they lived when Rubens was alive. If you're interested in litterature and books there's a book printing museum. All in all, there is a lot to do in Antwerp and it's a very nice city if you want to visit a belgian town.

Scotland: Elgin

If you've read my latest posts, you'll know I've been on holiday in Scotland. It was very relaxing but unfortunately I managed to catch a bug a couple of days before we left. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the things we did seeing as this is partly a travel blog.

Scotland is a very beautiful part of the world, especially in the sunshine. We were very lucky the first few days we were there because the sun came out! But then it snowed... Ah well, you can't have everything.

As we live in Belgium and we were going up near Elgin, right up north, we decided to experiment and catch the overnight ferry from Zeebrugge to Hull. It was very nice even though the cabin was quite small. The food was a tad expensive but there was quite a wide choice on the menu. There was lots to do: cinema, live acts, disco party, etc.

Sunset at sea

The first thing we did was visit Elgin. Its quite a nice little town. It's got a few shops including a TK Maxx and a Boots and some very cute cafés. We went into Scribbles which was lovely, they also have a Costa and a Starbucks. It's quite a peaceful place and wandering up and down the highstreet was very nice.

Elgin

We then went on a 6k walk with the dogs in Culbin wood. I think it was called the Hill 99 trail. It was sunny and not too cold. It's quite a popular wood so there were a few people milling around but it was still quiet. There's a view tower so you can see everything above the trees which is spectacular if you're not afraid of heights.

The next day we walked from Roseisle to Findhorn and back along the beach. It was very sunny, not too windy and warm. We even sat outside at the  Kimberly pub. You had a gorgeous view of the beach, the sea and then the snow peaked mountains behind. This one was a longer walk. I reckon it was about 15k for the whole walk so 7,5k to the pub and then back again. It was worth it though. The pub did some brilliant food and the dogs could get rid of some energy.

We then went to Inverness to do some shopping. We spent most of our time in Debenhams and then wandered in to Lush on the highstreet. We went for lunch at a tapas place called La Tortilla which was really yummy. The staff were lovely and chatty too so it was good fun.

After that it snowed and I caught this bug so I didn't get to see much more of the outside world. We had lunch at The Old Mill, a pub in Brodie which was very tasty. We also went on a drive through Fochabers, which is quite a nice town and then along the coast. We stopped at the dolphin centre. There are some lovely views out to sea there but I didn't have my camera. It's a pebbled beach so, learn from my mistake, don't wear heels. I nearly broke my ankle!

These are the animals. From the left there's Jack, then Poppy and then Macey the cat.

Far too quickly it was time to leave though. But just before we got in the car for the long drive back to Hull, we got a quick snap of the view from the house. A lovely frosty morning.

Frosty morning