New York video

Here is the video from our recent NYC trip. You'll see Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Manhattan from the Empire State Building and from our sunset cruise, and Central Park. Maine video following shortly...

Loss of a dear friend

Today we heard that our very dear friend and mentor, Jenny Nichols, died on Tuesday 25th September after her courageous struggle with cancer. We've been in touch with her family and know that she passed peacefully and with loved ones present.

Jenny was an inspiration to us. We were fortunate to have been touched by her tenderness and wisdom.

Out thoughts are with her family. The photo I've posted was taken back in May when Merrilyn and James spent the afternoon with Jenny and her daughter Anna and grandchildren William and Oliver.

Maine/Boston Trip

Day 5 Monday 10th September (continued). We flew into Portland, Maine on a sea mist. After the heat of New York the fog and cool was quite refreshing. Howard and Darren picked us up from the airport and took us home to Howard and Jenny’s in Yarmouth, where Jenny and Gill were waiting. Their gorgeous home fronts onto Casco Bay, one of 3000 islands in this part of the Atlantic. We met the lovely doggy, Sophie, and she and James became firm friends, well it was a friendship of food really. After dropping our stuff we went down the path to the water’s edge and the jetty there where Howard pulled up lobster pots. There were some nasty pincers there but were saved from becoming dinner tonight. The mist was still lingering over the ocean and calmness prevailed. We could see big fish chasing small fish about under the flat greyness of the water.

Day 6 Tuesday 11th September. Such peace and quiet! At breakfast overlooking the ocean we peeked at squirrels dashing about with their acorns, and a couple of chipmunks popped up too. After breakfast James and Martin went for an adventure along the seafront along the point. James happily hopped about the rocks and had great fun. Upon their return Jenny drove us to Freeport, about 15 minutes north. She introduced us to the most unreal store – LL Bean – and needless to say we needed no encouragement to shop! Shopping is hard work and we got hungry so we headed back south to Portland for lunch. The pizzas at Flatbread were delicious, and, in my opinion, just slightly more magical than the chocolate brownies! Now that’s saying something! I did some more shopping then we went home. A seal was spotted bobbing about the water just outside the house.

Day 7 Wednesday 12th September. All aboard the people mover! The entire family boarded our hired 7 seater RV for our trip south to Boston. It worked very well with James in a car seat and all of our luggage in the back. Our first stop was Concord in Minute Man National Historical Park, between Portland and Boston. We grabbed a coffee and a picnic lunch in the quaint little town and enjoyed the food and sunshine in the reserve where it is said that the first gunshot was fired in the American War of Independence in 1775. Like our recent visit to the Somme in France, it was difficult to imagine such a bloody battle raging here, this beautiful and scenic part of the world. The road to Boston was so pretty, houses and barns and animals in fields – stereotypical American landscape. Howard drove us through the slow late afternoon traffic and we parked at Harvard Square. We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the grounds of Harvard University, right amongst the brains that actually go there. [Martin: I couldn't find the registrations office - I wanted to put James' name on the list!] We had some time so we crammed in the Harvard Museum of Natural History – way too much to cram into an hour really! The most incredible thing here for me was the collection of Glass Flowers, 1886-1936, 4000 botanical models of plants made of glass and nearly all hand-painted. Just stunning and I can’t begin to describe their beauty here. James and Martin really enjoyed the rest of the museum – dinosaurs and animals – but that wasn’t for me! Too many creepy crawlies! Later we checked into the opulent Omni Parker House Hotel in School Street, Boston. We changed for dinner and strolled about in the evening light following the Freedom Trail, a painted brick trail set into the footpaths and roads leading to all the important historical sites in the city. We crossed to the North Side and had dinner at an Italian restaurant, followed by gelati and pastries. Lucky we had to walk all the way back to the hotel…!

Day 8 Thursday 13th September. The whole family was up relatively early and we started walking around the city, past Boston Common and the gold-domed State House looking glorious in the morning sunlight. Having been here before, Howard and Jenny deftly navigated the leafy residential streets of Beacon Hill. They were just beautiful – the houses so elegant and the gardens so manicured. A very nice place to live! We had coffee and pastries for breakfast at Café Vanille and found a playground for James in Clarendon Street. He had such a good time, just being a little boy and not having to worry about us adults for a while! After that we went shopping in Newbury Street and headed back in the direction of the hotel through lovely public gardens. There was a moving floral tribute to the victims of 9/11. So sad to see so many names inscribed in the stone. One of the planes that hit the World Trade Center had left from Boston that fateful morning. We moved on towards the city centre, past an old burial ground that housed the bones of the likes of Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and other influential figures around the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And we thought Sam Adams was just a beer! We checked out of the hotel and drove north to the idyllic town and island of Marblehead. The homes and properties here were just beyond belief, soooo beautiful (I use that word a lot, don’t I?). But it was a beautiful day and after ogling the architecture and strange topiary we stopped for lunch at a seafood restaurant right on the water. It was a fair wait but hey, where else were we going on a sunny Thursday afternoon! Full of clam chowder, beer and fish and chips we drove north again along the coast through Salem (no witches) and to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, the latter boasting the impressive holiday home of the Bush family. The sun was setting over the Atlantic and little boats headed for home. We did the same.

Day 9 Friday 14th September. This morning Martin, James and I drove into Freeport (wrong side of the road and everything!) and once again hit the shops. Included in our purchases was another bag so as to carry all this stuff home! After lunch (salmon and cream cheese bagels) Howard went out in the dinghy and brought their yacht ‘Wicked Good’ up to the jetty. At about 4pm we secured James into a life jacket and set sail. It’s a very long time since Martin and I have sailed, and this was James’ first time out. It was wonderful and relaxing and the salt and fresh air and sails whipped around us. James was actually more interested in the cabin below and where things were kept – fridge, tomato sauce, torches. Lots of hidey holes down there! We sailed out to Diamond Island where the American forces of the D-Day landings departed from. We felt we’d just come full circle, having been on the beaches of Normandy only a couple of weeks earlier. The army barracks on Diamond Island have been restored and are now private homes. James discovered the island’s fire station and was treated to a sit in the restored old truck. We had dinner at the one restaurant there, Martin enjoying the bright red lobster – eek! For the sail home, James and I bunked down in the boats bow which was a very snug bedroom! Sorry Howard, I mean stateroom! James and I lay and looked up into the night sky as the waves gently rocked us, and after talking non-stop for about 10 minutes he finally ran out of steam and fell asleep! Such an exciting day!

Day 10 Saturday 15th September. Our last morning in Maine. We visited Jenny and Howard’s friends, George and Greta in their charming old home in Freeport. After lunch (how can we still be eating?!) we packed only to find out flight back to JFK was delayed. Anyway, after much frantic planning and a few phone calls we were on our way home.

We have had the best fun on this trip, and looking back we can’t believe we fit so much in! Thanks also to our family for your hospitality, and for making it a most memorable and enjoyable holiday. Now for a rest…!

New York trip

Right. Just to let you know that this time we're not going to document every single thing about our holiday as it was just too action-packed and fun-filled to do so! Instead, we have a condensed version, beginning with our favourite bits:

James Top 5
1. toy stores - FAO Schawrz, Freeport toy store
2. the blimp sighted from the top of the Empire State Building and again later from our sunset cruise boat
3. the playgrounds of Central Park
4. Auntie Jenny & Uncle Howard's dog, Sophie
5. M & M's - the chocolate, the store and the view of the Times Square sign from our hotel room
6. hailing New York cabs
7. old red fire truck on Diamond Island, Maine
8. sailing and sleeping on Uncle Howard's boat
9. dancing on The Big Piano at FAO Schwarz
10. garden sprinklers at the Rockefeller Centre

Ok, so it's hard to narrow them down when you've had this much fun!

Merrilyn's Top 5
1. Shopping. Anywhere. Anytime.
2. Strawberry Fields, John Lennon memorial, Central Park
3. the Brooklyn Bridge
4. pecan and raisin French toast with maple syrup, Brooklyn Diner 'The Finer Diner' W 57th Street NY
5. streets of Boston

Martin's Top 5
1. Sunset Manhattan cruise: the lights of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.
2. Sailing Casco Bay. (James' first sail!)
3. Watching a ball game in Central Park.
4. Walking Times Square at night. So much buzz!
5. L.L.Bean. What they don't have - ain't worth having!

Photos are here.

New York in a Nutshell

Day 1 Thursday 6th September. All of you who have experienced this incredible city will get this. We loved the pace and the friendliness of the people we encountered. James was greeted on many occasions as "Hey, big guy!" Corny, but cute! BA from LHR to JFK was only 7 hours and we arrived at lunchtime on Thursday. Supershuttle to our hotel, the Doubletree Guest Suites in Times Square. We had a 37th floor suite overlooking the Hudson River to the west and Central Park to the north. We were welcomed with warm cookies and an amazing view over the colourful screens and signs of Times Square. James was happy to sit and watch the cheeky M & M's signs below. We ventured out into the chaos and walked a couple of blocks to a Food Emporium and bought beer, pretzels, fruit and Hershey's Peanut Butter cups (my fave!) Then did a scout around Radio City Music Hall, Madison Ave and circled back to W 57th St and found the Brooklyn Diner for dinner. Bed at 8.30. Couldn't hear the nightlife or sirens.Must have passed out!

Day 2 Friday 7th September. Had a peek out the window at 6am. Die-hard gym-maniacs hitting the treadmills before starting work for the day. Nuts! Had breakfast in our room. Walked east to the Rockefeller Centre where the GE Building dominates and saw where the ice rink is set up in winter. My feet were just itching! St Patrick's Cathedral, GAP for clothes, down Lexington to Grand Central Station dining concourse for lunch. Back to street level and into the beautiful Chrysler Building then back to the hotel for a rest! Crazy yellow cab to the Empire State Building - queues not bad at all. Elevators to the 80th floor then walked the last 6 flights up to the Observation Deck. Phew! Needless to say the view was stunning. James was captivated by a blimp, just floating about, watching us watching them. Caught another cab past Madison Square Garden and Penn Station to the Circle Line pier for our Lower Manhattan evening cruise. James had a big pretzel for dinner - nutritional value - zero. The cruise sailed along the Hudson River, past all the landmarks now lit up in the setting sun. James got tired and hungry so I gave him an apple. He thought it funny to be eating a red apple in 'The Big Apple'. There were two light beams pointing straight up into the night sky from the World Trade Center site in readiness for the 9/11 service a few days later. They made an impressive sight.

Day 3 Saturday 8th September. Breakfast back at the Brooklyn Diner - the staff were so pleased to see us back again. We had eggs Benedict, fried polenta and 'Tony Bennett's pecan and raisin French toast with maple syrup'. Then Martin went shopping (don't ask!) and James and I went to Toys 'R Us and had a ride on the 60ft Ferris Wheel in a 'Toy Story' Woody & Buzz Lightyear car. It was great! Upstairs the roaring animatronic T-Rex scared the pants off James and it was a little too life-like for me! Then we went shopping and walked up 5th Ave, past Trump Tower, to meet Martin in Central Park. James had walked a long way and it was hot so he had a mango ice cream. He had waaaay too much ice cream this trip! We circled The Pond and sat for awhile watching baseball games which were exciting due to their quick pace. Further up the west side was Strawberry Fields, a piece of the park that was purchased by Yoko Ono as a memorial to John Lennon. I have always wanted to see this a simple paving with he word 'Imagine' set into the stone and I enjoyed the few minutes reflection. We sat down in a cool glade a little way further and laid on our backs and watched the clouds drift by. It was a strange feeling being in the midst of this energetic city and able to hear birds and insects in the trees surrounding us. We skirted around Bethesda lake and arcade and after another play at a playground walked back to where we'd started near 5th Ave. On the corner was FAO Schwarz, the oldest toy store in the US, being in NY since 1862. A toy soldier greeted us at the door and it was like stepping into a storybook. The whole first floor was plush animals. James loves dogs, and he was picking each one up, kissing it and making little cooing sounds! So cute! Upstairs was the 'Big' Piano, used in the Tom Hanks movie 'Big'. It was a coloured keyboard on the floor that lit up as you walked/danced/hopped along it. James spent a long time there and was reluctant to leave. He is a lucky boy with a birthday and Christmas coming up! Outside we caught James hailing a cab also which was took back to the hotel. I made a detour to Starbucks and had a pumpkin spice latte (I know, I know, but it was delicious!). After a rest and change of clothes we cabbed it to Mulberry Street in Little Italy. The atmosphere here was awesome and we had dinner at Il Picolo Bufalo with window/doors opening onto the street. After that we strolled about, then got completely lost and made it to Dean & De Luca for a quick look - it's an upmarket deli/specialist supermarket. Back to Mulberry Street and the 100 year old Cafe Ferrara for gelati (see what I mean about ice cream?!). As the cab pulled up outside our hotel James commented on the M & M store over the street "we don't have to catch a cab and it's not far for our legs". However, it was 10pm so it was out of the question!

Day 4 Sunday 9th September - breakfast at another Dean & De Luca outlet at the Rockefeller Center. Then purchased Metrocards and headed into the subway downtown to Chambers Street. Came up at the World Trade Center site. We hadn't really planned to come here, but had some time and I'm really glad we did. The site is the size of a huge city block and as I stood there against a wire fence I could not comprehend how two skyscrapers once filled this massive space. It was a sad and solemn place to be, despite a lot of noise and construction going on. The enormity of the catastrophe was almost too much to take in. We walked around the site and into the adjacent World Financial Center, through to the river and marina and glass Winter Garden, complete with 50ft palm trees inside it's soaring dome. It seemed half of New York was out running/jogging/blading/walking to dog this Sunday morning. Continuing on we came to Trinity Church at one end of Wall Street. Wall Street itself was closed off for the filming of a History Channel advert, as was the New York Stock Exchange. A film crew had control of a young deer, fox and bear. A strange sight in the middle of the city! We were hungry so ducked into Starbucks and had the best lunch - design-a-salad, won't go into details except to say it was delish! Back out again and down Wall Street to the South Street Seaport the other side of Lower Manhattan. The path took us along the East River to the Brooklyn Bridge where we got some more photos. I love that bridge! Back along Fulton Street (more shopping) to the subway. James fell asleep and it was incredibly hot down there and we got back to the hotel at 3pm. He actually had a day time sleep! After a good few hours rest we woke him and finally hit the M & M's store - he was thrilled! Martin stood in line and waited an hour for a table at 'Carmine's', a 'family-style' restaurant on W 44th Street. It was a great meal, spaghetti and meatballs, and enough to feed several families! We rolled out of there and into bed at 9pm.

Day 5 Monday 10th September, last day in New York. We went to Maxie's for breakfast - pancakes, eggs, cawf-ee and a bagel. James thought it amusing that in America jam is called jelly! Jelly on toast! We checked out and caught a cab to JFK and after hours of delay flew Delta to Portland, Maine. There ends part one. If you can bear it, part two is not quite so long and covers our time in Maine and Boston. So long now!

Cousin William John is born

My brother Richard and his wife Tanya gave birth to their first child - William John - on Tuesday 18th September back in Australia. They returned home as a family today. All are doing well. William has settled well and seems to be waking and active in the early hours.

Mum sent through some photos, which are posted here. We showed them to James and introduced his cousin. He thought William looked cute. "But Daddy, he doesn't have any toys". We bought little William a toy in Maine that was the same as James' favourite. When we told James it was still a few days until William received his toy James couldn't wait for it to arrive.

I guess times like this you feel the distance from your family. We would love to be in Australia to be with Rich and Tan. We'll post other photos as we receive them.

Normandy videos

Here are two videos from our trip. The first covers Normandy, Bayeux, and the D-Day landing beaches. The second covers Chantilly and Bruges.