A Long Weekend In The BIG APPLE ...

.. New York, just like I pictured it

Enthusiastic to see New York and spend at least 2-3 days there, we leave Cape Cod and head west across the Sakonnet River towards the maritime city of Newport, Rhode Island, which nestles in the southern part of Narragansett Bay. I specifically wanted to take a look around Newport because it is well known as the sailing capital of the United States.

Sadly the mid-afternoon street traffic in the City was, however, an absolute nightmare - a veritable parking lot, and my still healing shoulder and wrist starts to play-up again for the first time in several days.

But we did manage to take-in a brief tour of Newport's harbours that teem with commercial fishing boats, power and sailing craft - and grab some lunch.

Then we move onwards, across the city's western main entrance/exit, the Claiborne Pell (Newport) Bridge. The main span of this bridge is 1,601 feet (488 m), making it the largest suspension bridge in New England; its main towers reach 400 feet (122 m) above the water surface.

Saturday, July-14

Not wanting to ride into the centre of New York, last night we settled for an 'out-of-town' stopover on the outskirts of Stamford City - still in Connecticut - close by the more upmarket township of Greenwich, specifically because the annexed town of Old Greenwich has a railway station that takes passengers the 35 miles commuter-type distance directly into 'Grand Central' Manhattan, NYC.

This morning the 11:33am westbound train is bang-on time

Precisely an hour later we're delivered right into the heart of the Big Apple - Grand Central Terminal, which is located at the intersection between Park Avenue and 42nd Street.

The Main Concourse is the centre; the space is cavernous and filled with bustling crowds. It reminds me of being inside a Cathedral.

This is where we start our self-guided, mostly walking, tour interspersed with some fun-and-games on the Subway system [the 'Underground Tube' network, in UK-speak], around this vibrant City

Time Square



Into the Hard Rock Café, but sadly the queue was just too long to grab a bite to eat at this venue .. :o( :o(

Instead, we got a great lunch in a streetside 'Diner' just on the right of this location

The Empire State Building

"Ground Zero" which is now just a cordoned-off building site ...

.. of the new 'Freedom Tower', which will stand 1,776 feet (541 m) tall on this site of the former World Trade Centre

No matter where we went, every perspective, we just couldn't get a good view of this now most legendary place

The classic 'Art Deco' Chrysler Building, which is still the tallest brick building in the world - and considered by many to be the finest building in New York City

Modern-day, shiny glass skyscrapers .. an' everythang

Sunday, July-15

Yet another change of motels! This second NYC base is right alongside JFK Int'l Airport, and therefore very conveniently located for Ellen's departure back to Blighty tomorrow evening, Monday the 16th.

As we're making our way along the 35-mile short journey, down through the eastern side of the Bronx - towards the Queens district on Long Island - we encounter a couple of motorcyclists over from Spain. The leader is clearly riding a Honda GL Goldwing, but the Spanish chap following appeared to me, at first view at least, to be riding an earlier ST1300 Pan-European ... hmmm?

But on second view, this is clearly a Honda NT700V Deauville.

So Mister Jones, perhaps I'm still the only rider over here with an imported genuine Honda ST1300 Pan-European! ...

.. unless anyone knows different, perhaps?

After a few more minutes, the road splits; these guys take the left, whilst we must bear right.

'Good-bye and good luck fellow Europeans' .. or should I say .. "Adiós y buen compañero europeos de la suerte" ...

..or summin' like that?!

Instead of traipsing along yet more concrete sidewalks, we decide to spend the afternoon exploring the southern shores of Long Island. We end up here at Rockaway Beach and take a long - maybe for me, the last, for a while - look at the Atlantic Ocean

'tis a hot, hot day, with a viciously strong sea breeze that's whipping-up the beach sand and creating fiery thirsts for most ...

.. including my new, and very p#ssed-off, friend 'Gripper' the Boxer Dog

I get the evil eye when I take a peek down at his very own bottle of water. A look can say it all sometimes!

Monday, July-16

Ellen's return-home day. I shall miss her.

But as we don't need to get to the airport until around 6:00pm in the evening [her flight takes-off at 20:20] we take one more look at some of the sights of NYC ... and 'run-the-gauntlet' by taking our chances on the Subway system once again.

Ellen's last burning desire is to go see the Statue of Liberty, right up close and personal. So we take a short boat ride across the harbour to Liberty Island

The Brooklyn Bridge

And finally - somewhere that I just HAD to re-visit; South Street Seaport, on lower eastside Manhattan, East River. You see ...

.. as this [poor reproduction] 1989 photo confirms, South Street Seaport was my destination back in April 1989, when I sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in an 80ft Maxi yacht ('sailboat' in US-speak) from Gibraltar to New York City. 4,200 nautical miles and 23 days at sea all told, when I was a much, much younger man.

There's my means of transport, right there, the good ship "Creightons Naturally" tied-up alongside Pier 16 - gawd bless her.

This time, 18¼ years later, I arrive by motorcycle.

One day, maybe, who knows? I might even try to get here again ... in an aeroplane!