Fiona's Adventures: Week 18-19 - Christmas Holidays in New York

Sunday 21^st December-

I got a bus down to New York City to meet my friends who I’d been in New Orleans with. I met them at the hostel they were staying at, Jazz on the Park, at the northern end of Central Park. After I had checked in for the night we got the subway to Broadway and had lunch. We headed to downtown Manhattan then to get the Staten Island ferry so that we could see the Statue of Liberty. After that we went back to Times Square and some of us decided we would go up the Empire State building. It was $5 extra for the vip time saving ticket so we went with that. Before we headed up the building we had a 4D virtual helicopter ride narrated by Kevin Bacon, which was so cringe! The view from the top was stunning. There’s nothing quite like seeing the New York Skyline from up high at night. When we got down we walked to a nearby pizzeria that supposedly had the best stone baked pizza in New York. Safe to say it deserved the reputation! I had peperoni, broccoli and tomatoes which was lovely. When we finished we went back to the hostel and got ready to go out. We found an Irish bar near Times Square and spent the night there. I was delighted to see that they served Magners which is an Irish cider. It was an emotional night because for some it was their last night in America. We didn’t get back to the hostel until 5am so I headed straight to bed.

Downtown Manhattan

View from The Empire State Building

Haruna, Stine, Dervla, Savannah, Me and Juri

Times Square

Waldy's Wood Fire Pizza

Times Square at 4am

Monday 22nd December-

When everyone woke up we walked to a nearby café for breakfast. All nine of us filled the place! As we were just about to leave the chef asked us to wait for “something special”. A few minutes later he came out with two huge cookies and ice cream with a note for one of the Japanese girls, Haruna. Apparently she had a secret admirer! :P We headed back to the hostel and relaxed for a few hours before going for lunch at a crepe restaurant. I said goodbye to Stacy and Stine who won’t be back next semester and got the subway to the Port Authority and my bus back to my cousin’s house.

Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24^th December-

Went shopping for Christmas presents with my cousins and watched the first and second Hobbit movies.

Thursday 25^th December Christmas Day-

We had a lovely Irish breakfast this morning with sausages, rashers, black and white puddings, eggs and toast, which was unreal! It had been so long since I had a full Irish breakfast. After breakfast we opened up our presents. My Mom sent me a package from home with a cute reindeer Pandora charm, a flower necklace, fluffy socks and a hot water bottle. My cousins gave me lovely fluffy pyjamas and a Alex and Ani bracelet that helps support New York animal shelters for dogs and cats. Cathy and I prepared the veg for Christmas dinner and put the ham in the oven. While that was cooking we went for a drive to Piermont and walked along the pier on the Hudson River. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. When we got home we finished cooking and enjoyed a lovely dinner. We had loads of different desserts. I made a banofee pie because my cousins had never had it. It’s a layer of crushed biscuits with caramel, bananas, cream and chocolate on top! Once we were all stuffed we sat around and watched movies.

Me with my cousins Fiona and Cathy

The walk at Piermont

The Tappen Zee bridge over the Hudson River

Friday 26^th December –Saturday 3^rd January

I wasn’t feeling great with a sore throat and cough so I spent most of this week watching Netflix. One evening my cousin Fiona, a family friend Steve and I headed to the cinema to see The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Safe to say it was a brilliant and emotional ending to the Hobbit trilogy. Sad that there won’t be any more Lord of the Rings movies. On New Year ’s Eve I went for a small hike in Buttermilk Falls County Park, a wooded park with a waterfall. It was nice to go for a hike after being stuck inside sick. The forest reminded me of Killarney National Park near home. We rung in the New Year watching the ball drop on tv and enjoying Irish taytos. On New Year’s day we went to visit a family friend in northern New Jersey, an elderly Irish lady who lived on a lake. On Friday Fiona and I headed to the Palisades mall for some sale shopping and to see Unbroken, a true story about an Olympic champion who was captured by the Japanese during World War 2. On my last day, Saturday, I packed up my bags and relaxed for the day watching tv with my cousins while it snowed outside. I had a really great time staying with and getting to know my cousins. After staying with them in Blauvelt, New York, for two and a half weeks I will get a bus to my Aunt and Uncle in Philadelphia tomorrow.