Saturday 12th July - Lets Get Sight Seeing

Waking in the last foreign bed of our journey this morning was a little sad. We now only had 4 days until we would be back in the UK and it was beginning to feel daunting. Part of me was semi-happy to go back to my own surroundings but 90% of me was sad to no longer be cycling. Although the past couple of weeks had helped us come to terms with this it was still evident a little damage limitation would help and so we got to thinking about our next tour. My favourite is to cycle the great divide by mountain bike - Tim doesn't seem too excited by mountain biking in the Rockies but then he wasn't instantly enthralled by the West Coast trip...

With cycle dreams in our heads we wondered out into Central Park. Although it was still hot, 30F less was far more bearable as we mingled in the crowds. A Bon Jovi concert that evening was stopping us from crossing the park and it wasn’t until the reservoir that we could head towards the Guggenheim on the other side. Like heathens and with no interest in the art, we entered the Guggenheim, enjoyed the architecture and the shop then left. A few, dollar saving strategies had to be implemented to prevent the spending of hundreds of dollars on New York culture.

From the Guggenheim we walked a couple of blocks to the Design Museum. At the front desk we were confronted with the need to ‘donate’ an entrance fee as only two rooms were open. The older of two ladies pointed out our attractive exchange rate – a handsome donation was obviously expected. Taking possession of the chivalrous card I left Tim to decide what was best – who says inequality doesn’t have its advantages.

Our cultural appetites satiated, we took a taxi to 18th and 5th to meet Fiona, a friend of Tim’s from his graduate days. We ate a hearty lunch, and then set off in the New York heat for the Hudson River and a cooling breeze. Strolling and chatting we viewed: Ground zero from the world financial centre;

The Irish Hunger Memorial;

Various cool buildings;

and eventually the Staten Island Ferry Terminal where in pursuit of food we headed back up to Five Points, a restaurant on Great Jones Street.

From here the events seemed to take a turn in pace. After a great dinner and many glasses of wine, Fiona took us on to (of all places) an Irish pub. After a whiskey Fiona headed home, leaving Tim and I to make it back to our hotel upon which the lure of the hotel bar was too great. A few gins and a raid of the mini-bar's chocolate later the pair of us fell into a deep sleep