A well travelled boy

On Saturday Sammy and I got back from a three day trip to New York City.  My husband's sister recently moved to the upper west side, and so I took Sammy (courtesy of a $150 plane ride with Delta) to the big apple for the first time.  It had snowed the day before and it was still lying on the ground when we got there.  Sammy was elated and kept trying to hold it, then getting upset when it disappeared and his hands got too cold (and his gloves got wet!).

I have only been to New York City once before (3 years ago) and had forgotten how much I love it there.  As much as I adore the countryside, fresh air, walking and hills, I do love a good city.  I love the selection of shops, even though I cannot afford to shop in 99% of them.  I love love love the architectural mouldings on the buildings.  The funny thing about that is, I never really noticed them before my sister-i n-law pointed them out, and now I think they are so pretty and ornate.  A little delicate piece of artwork on a huge lifeless building.  My two favourite things about NYC are the food and the opportunity to just walk.  Everything I ate whilst I was there was the best!  I had the best slice of pizza I have ever eaten (chicken mole!), I had the best pad thai (and only $9 for a huge portion!) and the best of all was a cookie cupcake from Crumbs bakery.  It was the best $4.50 I have ever spent.  The cake tasted like it was half yellow/half white with a funnel of chocolate ganache through the middle.  The frosting was cookie dough flavoured and there was a small delicious cookie placed delicately on the top.  Seriously, this thing was a piece of art.  It belonged in a museum. http://www.crumbs.com/cupcakes#product=114

We visited the Natural History Museum, Central Park (and its zoo), Times Square, FAO Schwartz, Riverside Park and so many more places.  Samuel and I just loved having the opportunity to walk everywhere.  The temperature was late 30's, early 40's and so we just suited up with coats, hats and gloves and walked until we (well I, he was in the pram) was achy and stiff.  It sounds weird to like that feeling, but I have not had it for so long (with the lack of pavements or hills here) that it was really comforting.  And to run into a Starbucks with chilly fingers and order a hot drink because you need it, not because you want it was great too. Although I think I loved on those caramel macchiatos (with skimmed milk) a bit too much while I was there!

As much as I loved it, it would be such a pain in the a#se to live there with a baby.  I just don't know how people make it up and down onto those subway platforms by themselves, it was almost impossible with two of us.  There is a distinct lack of greenery too, with the exception of Central Park.  It is a fabulous place to visit, but I don't think I could live there, not with Sammy.  If I was by myself it would be a different story...