October 18, 2010

There was still a bit of jet lag left this morning, but we managed to get on our feet before 9. I spotted a nice typical café close to the hotel on my way to the barber shop yesterday. We went there to have breakfast. Ottomanelli Bros. turned out to be a very small shop with a typical seating area in a corner with a view of the street. The kids and I had eggs in a roll:

We managed to get our team into action around … 11am… and headed to Times Square. Before we left Norway we went throught the entire travel route and what we wanted to do together with the kids. We then asked them what they were most looking forward to. Iseline’s eyes started drifting off and she said, with fascination in her voice, “The toy store with a ferris wheel inside it.” It was only natural then that we first entered the Toys ‘R Us store on Time Square and took the ferris wheel.

Iseline was very happy:

The kids absolutely did not want to leave the store. It is huge and there are employees demonstrating the toys wit highest kid-attraction factor everywhere.

Who is toughest?

Getting Iseline out of the Barbie house was quite a challenge.

There are many great bargains at Toys ‘R Us:

We must have spent over 2 hours in there, but the kids were very happy. We took the mandatory pictures at Times Square.

This one is for you, farmor:

Then we headed in the direction of the Rockefeller Center. Hélène got a tip this moring from our friend Trine that “Au Pain Quotidien” was a great place to have lunch. We found one next to the Rockefeller building and had a great French lunch, although cookie sizes were definitely American:

They also had meringue. Yummy!

We happened to pass by a shop where they sold wood carvings. I was intrigued by this little masterpiece. Our woodcarver friends Ricou, Joanne, and Jerry. Here is an idea for you:

We had originally planned to go to the top of the Empire State building, but on Marc’s recommendation we chose the Rockefeller instead. Hélène and I were on top of the Empire State building 5 years ago and wasted well over an hour standing in line. It was a good thing we spoke with Marc this time. There was no line whatsoever at the Rockefeller building and the view was actually better there. Hélène measured the top of the Empire State building.

Stitched panorama images. The first one taken towards the north, the second towards the south.

It’s not often you get a view like this of a cathedral without being airborne:

We were starting to get tired and found out it was time to head “home” and get some food and then some schoolwork done. Hélène just wanted to pick up some gluten-free bread first. She has been the subway-master so far and led us into the unknown underground once again. Self confident she brought us all into a subway heading in the right direction. When it was time to get off, the subway did not stop, it just zipped through the station like it had been hijacked by some desperate bank robber. Another station, zowm, yet another, zit zwat, a third, zoot. Something was wrong here. It became clear that we were not victims of a vicious crime, we had entered a rush-hour express train to the Bronx. I teased Hélène a bit and she took the bait.

Use the time table, Luke, use the time table.

Our leading star then led us in the other direction and we got off at 110th street. After some walking and disorientation it turned out that Hélène had mixed up the address of the store. It was not at 110th street, it was at 100th street. We walked 10 blocks and were starting to get tired, but the kids were hanging in there. We decided to just buy food at the store for everyone and have a quick and dirty dinner in our hotel room.

It was good to finally get back around 6:30pm. Feet were sore but morale surprisingly high. The kids were great at doing their school work and are now sleeping tight.

Another good day. I especially enjoyed how the kids marveled at Times Square. It is such an artificial and special place with all the high-rise buildings coupled with all the bright light and movement from all the screens. It was like being on a different planet for them. We discussed how everything around us was artificial and what a contrast it would be when we we got to the Amazon Jungle.

Finally I have to show you this great little drawing Iseline made for me last night. It his her interpretation of the Golden Gate bridge. She said she was a bit unhappy with the fish, because they were too big compared to the bridge. I told her I thought it was perfect and that I liked the fish very much.

See you around, folks.

Eirik

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