Began by watching the MotoGP. They didn't have Speed channel here amongst the 30 or more channels on the hotel TV, but luckily we get it on iPad. It's only in graphic form, but gives an idea of the race, which consisted of Casey Stoner taking the lead in the first couple of laps and extending that lead throughout, leaving the minor placings for the rest. When in form he is unbeatable.
Then it was down for breakfast at yet another small cafe on 56th Street. A good cheap one - hard to find in this city. We were looking for the Sunday street markets like they had last time we were here two years ago. Many blocks of 6th Ave were closed and stalls set up. Lots of bargains and we had left our main souvenir purchases just for today.
For these markets.
That weren't on.
Dammit.
Oh well. We wandered about a bit then decided to make the train journey to Coney Island. That'll kill a few hours. Down to our now well-known underground system and jumped aboard a Q train. It was mostly express for a while until out of Manhattan then up in to the light and across Manhattan Bridge then all stations to the terminus at Coney Island.
Quite an interesting place. Coney Island has seen better days. That's the nice way to put it. The boardwalk is pleasant with a nice sandy beach leading to dubious looking "surf" in which a few hardy souls swam.
The souvenir shops and eateries were - ordinary. We had a coffee.
Thought we had better go for a ride on something seeing as we were here so we picked a rather unusual ferris wheel where the cars seemed to have free reign.
Actually they just moved back and forth on rails, but it was a bit of fun for $6 each.
There was also advertised a Bike and Tattoo show which we tracked down to find it was just a bar with an old WWII era outfit rotting out the front. In an unrelated incident there were a few Harley riders parked nearby and we watched and listened to them roar away. One or two of them probably had a tattoo. |
| Manhattan Skyline from Coney Island Wonder Wheel |
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| The Bike and Tattoo Show |
Back on the train - N train this time to return a slightly different way - and in an hour or so we were back in Manhattan.
Time to go souvenir hunting and we went up and down 7th and Broadway checking out the shops, finding the cheaper prices in the little off-street shops. We got what we wanted to get that morning at the 6th Ave street stalls.
Whilst there, we decided to go to a Broadway play - as opposed to a musical - for our last night in Manhattan. We decided on Perfect Crime, showing at the Jerry Orbach Theatre. The theatre named for the late actor who capped a Broadway career with a starring role in Law and Order. Got some tickets from TKTS for a discount then returned to the hotel to get ready.
Plenty of time so we ventured down to Hells Kitchen for dinner only to find the street stalls being dismantled after a long day of selling their wares from 9th Ave - rather than 6th where we went looking this morning.
Double dammit.
Oh well, nothing for it but to have a meal in a nice Italian Restaurant. Delicious it was too. Then off to the play.
What an amazing play. We discovered that this play, Perfect Crime has been playing on Broadway since 1987 and some time next week will clock up it's 10,000th performance. The lead star, Catherine Russell has played all but four nights, earning herself a place in Guinness's Book.
It was a great, if confusing, yarn and kept the audience guessing all the way through. Very entertaining.
Then we wandered back "home" only stopping for an over-priced coffee at a nearby cafe we won't go near again.
Tomorrow we begin our journey home.
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