HAPPY EASTER

I feel I should share a few photographs of these wonderful white Tulips Hannah and I picked up for our Easter break in Combe Martin. We're having a wonderful time getting away from life for a few days.

I hope you're having a lovely Easter Break filled with anything and everything that keeps you content.

NEW YORK PART III

 So here is my final post for our New York trip last year. I know its taken some time but I treat these posts as nostalgia inducing trip down memory lane. 

Our Brunch at Back Forty was unforgettable, you just don't get eats like this in the Chiltern Hills. As soon as we arrived the temptation of freshly made orange and rosemary glaze doughnuts was too much followed by my sweet potato pancakes all topped off with a cappuccino. We also took a lovely stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge, grabbed an iced coffee (at this point I've forgotten what a hot day feels like) and relaxed in the park for a few hours.

I never really got over my jet lag during our break and ended up finding myself in Tompkin Square Park at 5am watching early morning dog walkers drink their coffee and chat about the day whilst I grabbed some photos.

And finally a few photos of out last day including the flight home and a wonderful frame I bought from Still House.

NEW YORK PART II

Although I feel like a bad blogger for taking so long with getting these posts up, going back over the photos stirs up memories of the amazing adventures we had back in April. I think I just need to remind myself this blog is for me, not you. Although I do like to know you're out there. Who ever you are.

Just this morning I read a Google+ post about someone's home town being Manhattan. Can you imagine that? Being in the centre of the universe for your childhood? How that would affect you? I'm sure most NYC natives hate the place, but I can't think of anything better when looking through my blinkers.

The middle part of our break was spent cramming in touristy days with our typical morning starting at OST for some breakfast before heading into Manhattan for the day. We visited the Empire State where we lucked out on the weather when compared to last time, the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island on a rather wet and windy morning and the  9/11 memorial.

I've never really spoken to anyone else who has visited the memorial, but it all felt very close to home, being in a large western city with familiar terrain and people made it feel very real. The pure terror that must have overcome Manhattan that morning would have coursed through the city. infecting everyone as it went and leaving a scar that will never heal. The memorial is very tasteful in that respect, trying to cover that scar with something beautiful. Each tower's footprint has been made into an infinity pool with water running down each side before disappearing into a central well with no details of where it goes when observed from the edge. Around the pools, names of every victim have been cut into large sections of black granite, as we walked around the pools we noticed a family taking a rubbing of their lost relatives name, as you can imagine it was a very moving gesture.

NEW YORK PT I

New York seems like an eternity away, a colossal expanse in time and space with memories that are beginning to fade like smoke in the night. Much has changed post visit, life has been a smooth, rough, fast, slow, exuberant ride since Hannah and I returned from the City in April.

Its been said that New York made me who I am today, that it changed and shaped me so drastically during my brief 15 days at the tender age of 18, and I have never been the same again. I would tend to agree.

Although this visit wasn't quite so life changing, it was brilliant and needless to say I LOVE THIS CITY. The ambiance, food, culture, hustle and bustle, shopping, raw emotion, architecture, photogenic spaces and history make New York City top of my visited list. Did I also mention there are a ton of Frenchies there? It couldn't get much more brilliant. And with that here is Part I of our trip.

Our first couple of days were spend exploring Tompkins Square Park, The High Line Park, The Guggenheim and Grand Central. We also visiting every Apple store in the city and meet the crazy talented Alice Gao after Hannah and I have followed her for a few years, regrettably we didn't take any photos and simply grabbed a coffee at La Colombe Torrefaction for a little chat.


We also had some amazing eats including Abraco Espresso, Peels, Tompkins Square Bagels, Butter Lane Cupcakes, Yoshi Sushi and Nai Tapas Bar. I'm so smitten with the idea of eating a different cuisine in an independent restaurant at affordable prices whenever you feel like it with no worries about running out of new places to try. Around Bucks we seem stuck with chain Italian Restaurants and Nandos - so depressing!