dancing in the dark

Been a bit quiet on Tumblr lately as I took my first trip to New York, in fact first trip outside of Europe, earlier this month and have been catching up on everything (glorious sleep particularly).  Lina and I stayed in a cute apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where there are lots of great bars, markets, and places for brunch.  Favourite thing on the whole trip was possibly the East River Ferry which we took a bunch of times from W’burg to Wall Street.  Far nicer than the subway.  After missing our stop on the way home one night, they let us hop back on and pretend we were operating the ferry.  Second to that, I LOVED the lift which takes you to the top of the Rockefeller Centre. Felt like I was Charlie & The Chocolate Factory/Great Glass Elevator with the glass and flashing lights.  As first timers we hit up all the tourist spots plus some randoms - Staten Island Ferry, Katz Deli (we got the When Harry Met Sally table too, natch), Ghostbusters firestation, Central Park, The Big Piano, Carrie’s apartment, 9/11 Memorial, Occupy Wall Street (the night before the police cleared everyone out), Times Square (alas no sign of the Naked Cowboy), Chrysler Building, and Grand Central Station, plus the mighty Foos & The Joy Formidable at Madison Square Gardens.  I spent the last full day on my own just wandering around the streets of Manhattan, with Ben Howard & Ray Lamontagne soundtracking on the ipod, gazing up at the skyline in between last minute gift shopping.  It chucked it down all day but didnt dampen my spirits one bit.  Can’t wait to go back and explore some more, do the bits we didnt have time for, and hang with my old housemate Sam and his lovely wife Julie.