We both woke up a little stiff from the too soft bed. We wanted to go to the met, the Metropolitan Art Museum, for the opening at 10 am so wanted to be there at 930 in case there was a line. We went to the Manhattan diner for a lovely breakfast of Blintze with blueberry sauce and french toast. So yummy. We asked at the desk if there was something they could do about the bed and they sent up three men to flip the mattress around. We said we would give it a try and let them know how it all worked out.
We went outside and hailed a cab which in New York is quite easy. You just wave your hand in the air and a cab pulls up. Off to the met which was just across central park.
When we arrived there was already a short line to get in so we were glad we got there early.
The line was for the security prior to the ticket area. They opened the doors at 10am sharp and it took about 10 minutes to get through security and then we checked our coats for free which took another 8 minutes and then we got our audio guides which did not take long at all. Then we were off to the Impressionist exhibit at the far left end of the second floor which took us another ten minutes. So all in all it took us about half an hour to get into the museum to where we wanted to be to see what we came to see. 
The met is a huge building like the Louvre in Paris. It houses so many collections from all over the world it would take days to go through them properly. We saw a tiny bit of the Egypt section when we had to use the ladies washroom. And we walked a little bit through the Asian collection on our way to the Impressionists. The Impressionists rooms took us over an hour to go through and I loved every minute of it.
Monet, Renoir, Manet, Van Gogh, Turner, Rodin, just to name a few of my favourites but not including all of them by any means. Sketches, statues, paintings, paintings and more Paintings. Lovely. When we figured we should be going as we had tickets for the radio City Music Hall Christmas Extravaganza at two, but were advised to be there for one.
We headed out to get our coats. Another 20 minutes to get out through the rooms of more lovely art and artifacts and getting our coats. Catching the cab was again easy but he was not sure how to get to Radio City Music Hall as they were closing all kinds of streets in preparation for New Years Celebrations at Times Square, so he let us off fairly close to there and we asked some policemen where to go. They were very helpful and pointed us in the right direction. It started to spit rain off and on but not too bad.
We each bought a giant pretzel and ate that as our lunch as we wandered around New York looking for the Radio city Music Hall. We passed by Rockefeller center with its giant tree. And Saint Patricks Cathedral which is gorgeous. We would stop at almost every corner and ask where the address was to make sure we did not get turned around as it seemed very easy to get turned around alot. It was pretty wet and miserable, but we were so excited seeing New York that it did not bother us too much yet.
The show was marvellous. I remember thinking when we were looking at things to do in New York and the radio city music hall came up, I thought, it must be so outdated by now as it has been around since 1933, but It was the best show we have seen in years. The new technology is utilized to its utmost without sacrificing the dancers talent or the singers voices. The Rockettes were spectacular. My favourite number was the march of the wooden soldiers with the synchronized marching of all the ladies. Exceptional! If I ever go back to New York and have the time I will be going back to see them again for sure.
After the show we walked around downtown. We went into St Patricks Cathedral again and took some lovely photos, lit some candles, said some prayers for family and friends. We popped into the gift shop and picked up some souvenirs for the folks back home and for myself too.
We then went looking for Bryant park which, on the map, looked like it was right behind Rockefeller Center but in reality is about 8 blocks away. It was raining very steady by this time so we stopped in at a pharmacy and picked up our obligatory souvenir umbrellas which we seem to have to get on every trip as it rains on us every trip at least three times. I have quite a collection at home now, but I live in wet climes so they come in handy.
We looked down many closed streets to see corners of times square all lit up. All the streets leading to times square were closed off and guarded by police from all over New York. I asked why and they said security, to make sure no one had access to the square, the manholes or the subways in and out of times square. No terrorists allowed. Made sense.
So we wandered around with the other one million people wandering around in the rain and looked for Bryant Park. We asked one set of policeman and Woman and they both pointed in opposite directions and then confessed they were not from this section of town. We all laughed as it was one of those great moments that you just cannot plan.
We did see Bryant park eventually but it had just closed by the time we got there which made us sad as we had tried so hard to get there before it closed for new years for dinner. Now it was raining so hard that, even with the umbrellas, we were getting wet all the way through. The wind was picking up too. I have to admit that the crush of people along with the rain and the tall buildings did in fact confuse my brain a lot and it wanted to faint at one point. Too much input and not enough fluids or quiet moments to reflect on all that we had to take in.
We did see the New York Public Library which always makes me think of the Ghostbusters and we did finally find a restaurant with room for us to sit down and dry off a bit and eat. It was so nice and warm so we stayed for awhile just enjoying our dinner. it was a crazy evening what with the weather and all but for all of that we had a good time.
After the light supper we caught a cab back to the hotel. This cab ride was different from all the other cab rides we had had as the driver was not very pleasant at all. He kept telling other drivers to get out of the way and to go home and he could not find his way out of the downtown area it seemed. When he finally did get us to our hotel he told us we had to give him tip and when we were too slow for his taste he told us to get the f#&* out of his cab. Margie paid him with no tip and was so upset, she dropped her phone and camera on the sidewalk in the rain as she got out and a passerby helped her pick them up. We both took photos of the cab and when we got back to our hotel as he did not drop us off in front of it. I tried to call and complain but the phone was busy all the time. When I get home I will as I still have all the information and he should not be driving a cab.
We were pretty wet by the time we got back into our lovely, dry, clean tiny room and we were tired. Margie tried to go on line with her computer but it would not work, She could not even enter her password as the alpha keyboard would not work. We tried a lot of different things. Then she tried to use her phone but it would not work either. Did the evil taxi cab driver put a hex on us. I do not think so.
I contacted her phone provider with my computer on the chat line and he “talked” her through getting her phone to work. Then we figured out that we could take her computer to best buy to the geek squad and they could fix it in the morning, after our central park carriage ride.
Having survived the day and accomplished all these things we managed to stay up and watch the ball drop in times square at midnight. We heard but did not see the fireworks at Central park for quite some time and I was asleep at 12:13 I am sure. Happy New Year!
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