Day 30 (30/12/09) - Madrid (The Museo del Prado)

Today actually began at a reasonable time (10:30) - we caught the metro to Atocha where we had a bite for breakfast before taking a meandering route to the Museo del Prado (Prado Museum). We passed a market, some architecturally opulent buildings and a couple of parks, including the Botanical Gardens of Madrid.




The Prado itself was incredible; we spent a few hours inside, walking the length of the galleries and eventually having lunch (overpriced as expected, don't do it unless you are desperately hungry).


Photography is strictly prohibited, so you will have to use your imagination when I tell you the paintings were full of naked women, evil cherubs and tormented animals. And dead birds, for some reason. There were a lot of dead birds. The Spanish also love their early Christian martyrs, so we saw many of those...along with various depictions of the crucifixion of Christ, who stared benevolently down at us in pastels and oils.

Luckily we missed the heavy downpour that occurred whilst we were inside; the rain had subsided to the odd drizzle by the time we left. We headed back to the hotel for a siesta.

Tonight we had dinner at Cabo Finisterre, a bar/restaurant located on C/Chinchilla (just round the corner from our hotel). The chorizo we ordered was the most succulent I have had, and very tasty; we enjoyed calamari, some salad and beer and then headed back. We are resting up tonight in order to prepare ourselves for the big day tomorrow that is New Years Eve. We're still not sure what we'll do yet. The original plan was to head to Puerta del Sol, but Javier tells us it will be a hell-hole with about 1 million people packed in to the square. We will probably have tapas somewhere and buy some wine to enjoy whilst watching the fireworks. Most clubs are selling tickets to "after parties" but I don't know if that's what we will do yet. We'll probably just see where the night takes us!

To all the folks back home, here's to a safe and happy 2010. And I guess...we'll see you next year!

Day 29 (29/12/09) - Madrid (The Rain in Spain)

Jet lag is proving to be a killer.

We spent most of the night wide awake, staring at the ceiling, reading, checking Facebook, anything to try and send ourselves to sleep. It didn't really work. Our 7:30 wake-up time slipped back to 8:30 when we were still up at 6, and to 10:30 when we were still up 30 minutes later. We both got up but Zarah, feeling a little under the weather, returned to bed until 2:30. I amused myself in the interim by doing much the same things as I had done the night before, this time trying to stave off sleep rather than succumb to it.

Anyway, just after 3 both of us were awake enough to brave the outside world. Desperate for food, we staggered through rain-soaked streets in search of a cafeteria whose proprietors were not enjoying a siesta. Eventually, McDonald's proved to be our only safe port. Shameful, I know. But given the options I don't regret it. By the way, whoever wrote here that Spaniards haven't warmed to fast food didn't visit the same place I did. The place was literally packed. I had to circle like a hawk for a table (in a two-level restaurant), fighting off others for the right to sit down. I was tenacious and strong, and met with success within 10 or 15 minutes.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Zarah suggested we head out to the Royal Palace. A fine suggestion, except for the sporadic winds, incredible downpour and the fact that I wasn't wearing boots (for some reason, many of the Royal Palace's grounds utilise dirt roads).



It didn't make for the greatest time, even after we purchased umbrellas from a street vendor. But the palace was nice, the gardens were pretty and we walked afterwards to some pretty good vantage points over the city before turning back.



Zarah took plenty of photos along the way, including one of this interesting-looking man:


Zarah also tried to get a picture with two Spanish police officers, which turned into a thoroughly confusing debacle. In the end, no-one knew who wanted pictures of what or who Zarah was proposing would take these pictures. After a couple of minutes discussing the situation with the cops and an EMT, each side speaking a different language, she gave up and we headed back.


We went back out in the evening, heading one stop up the Metro to Puerto del Sol in search of Tapas. We were eventually successful, sitting down in Kaixo Taberna and enjoying Spanish ham, tempura meatball and an egg/sausage mix along with mojitos and beer. It was very filling, very good and very cheap.



And now we're back here! Another unproductive day in Spain. But I have high hopes for tomorrow.

(Zarah: I disagree. Any day that involves sleep, food and cultural sights is a success in my books. Whether it rained or not.)

Day 26-28 (26-28/12/09) New York City --> Madrid (Welcome To The Hostal Acapulco)

There had been a great deal of rain overnight which washed away most of the snow. Our flight was not until 9pm, so we awoke early and tried to make the most of our last 12 hours in New York.

After a buffet breakfast at the hotel we went downtown to Ground Zero, where we saw the construction site for the new "One World Trade Center" and visited the memorial. There is not a lot I can say on this, except that it was as sobering as one would expect.



We watched a video presentation and viewed the model of the new Trade Center. Then we went shopping; or at least we tried to. We went to Century 21, a huge department store that houses big-name brands (Tommy Hilfiger, Vivienne Westwood, Dolce & Gabbana) at up to 70% off their retail value. It was a mad-house: women clawing at clothes in a bid to get the last one off the rack and scared-looking men following said women around. We escaped and took refuge at Borders.

After lunch at a small Japanese deli we headed back to the hotel. It was lucky that we did - our airport shuttle arrived half an hour earlier than expected, so we said goodbye to Chelsea and were on our way to JFK Airport.

We were expecting to go through hell at security due to the previous day's incident, but we sailed through without any fuss. The only hitch was waiting on the tarmac for 40 minutes once on board the plane; but the flight itself was fine.

Due to the time difference we arrived in Madrid just after midday on the 27th of December. We passed through immigration without the guards even looking at our passport photos (they were busy talking to each other) and then caught the metro to our hotel. This involved a very convoluted route up stairs and down escalators and across three different lines; but it was only 2 euros, so one can't complain.

We arrived at our hotel, Hostal Acapulco, to be greeted by Javier (the owner). He was very helpful, pointing out good eating places on the map he gave us and telling us which parts of town to avoid. We are located in Plaza del Carmen, just off Gran Via and close to many places of interest. Our room is small but clean, and has a little balcony which overlooks the square.


This is the view we were greeted with yesterday:


For dinner last night we went to Puerto Rico, a small cafe Javier had recommended and one that appears to be a favourite with locals. Everyone there seemed to know each other. We ate too much and shared a pitcher of sangria between us, then hobbled back to the hotel.

Today we had planned to wake up early and fit in some museums and galleries. When we awoke, however, it was close to 4:30pm. I guess that's jet lag for you. We wandered along Gran Via for a bit, although Javier did say it is a tourist trap. Then we joined many others in lining up outside Gloria's (although we were the first there so did not wait long for a table). The food portions were generous and the large restaurant filled up within minutes of opening, so it must be a popular spot.

So that was our first day in Madrid: an extended siesta and too much food and wine. When in Spain...

Day 24/25 (24-25/12/09) New York City (A New York State of Mind)

By Christmas Eve all the snow on the side of the road had turned to slush, brown and grey, that formed murky puddles by the sidewalks that we had to navigate when crossing the busy roads. Still, the parks and other areas with less traffic were sparkling with the same white snow we had seen when we landed.

We braved the crowds at Battery Park for the Ellis Island/Liberty Island ferry. When I was in NYC back in 1999 with my family I remember climbing into the crown of the Statue of Liberty and having spectacular views; since 9/11 they have tightened security, meaning only a select few people are allowed up the statue every day. We were content to view Lady Liberty from our ferry, which we then took to Ellis Island to visit the Immigration Museum.


I don't think Nik or I have any ancestors who passed through Ellis Island, but the guided tour was interesting nonetheless. Listening to the Park Officer explain the process, it also seemed comparatively easy to what people have to go through today just to gain entry to Australia.


We got back to the mainland with just enough time to shower and touch base with our families before heading to Jazz at the Lincoln Center. Nik had booked us a table there for Christmas Eve, showing initiative I didn't think he had. The actual club is called Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, so named after the famous Dizzy Gillespie.

We arrived at 6pm and were shown to our table - right at the front of the room, by the stage. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind the stage looked out over Central Park, with the city lights providing a glittering backdrop. It really is a spectacular venue. The food also did not disappoint: I started with the "Arugula and Endive Caramelized Apples Salad" with Coyuga blue cheese, spiced walnuts and cayenne cider vinaigrette; then had the "Maple Glazed Pork Chop" with sweet potato mash and roasted green beans. The drinks menu was equally varied (though also very pricey): I had the "Ginger Manhattan" (made with their homemade ginger cordial) and a "Dark & Stormy" - the Ginger Manhattan being my favourite.


The act that night was the Marcus Roberts Trio, featuring Marcus Roberts on piano. Roberts lost his sight when he was five years old, and began teaching himself piano from age eight. He is an amazing musician. The trio played both original and other famous jazz numbers to the small but completely captivated audience (including a very vocal gentleman at the bar).


We caught the subway back to our hotel, sharing it with all the usual crazies who come out of the woodwork only on the NYC subway lines.

Christmas Day dawned; we went back uptown to Rockefeller Center where we met Maddy and Justin for Christmas Day lunch at the Rock Center Cafe, overlooking the rink. The food was delicious and we had a great time.


I think it would have been a little depressing spending Christmas Day on our own, this year being the first time either of us had spent Christmas apart from our immediate families.



After lunch we parted ways for the afternoon. Nik and I walked to Central Park which was picturesque in the snow.


We took a 30-minute horse-drawn carriage ride through the south end of the park, something I had been looking forward to since we planned our trip.


Our driver was a great source of information. He pointed out landmarks where movies had been shot and other buildings of note. Afterward we fed our horse, Pickles, who seemed happier than most about working on Christmas Day.


I am not sure why we thought this would be a good idea, but it being our last night in New York and all, we decided to go up the Empire State Building. We walked in to the lobby at 4:30pm...and did not leave until 6:30pm. Since we only spent 30 minutes at the top, I will let you do the math about how long we spent waiting in lines...
But a fantastic view nonetheless


That night we went to the apartment Maddy and Justin were staying in. We had wine and pasta carbonara (kindly made by Justin) and watched Starlight. It was a lovely way to end our Christmas in New York.

Day 21-23 (21-23/12/09) Toronto --> New York City (These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you)

We flew into NYC the day after a two-day blizzard had covered most of the east coast in more than two feet of snow. Luckily we had missed the worst of it, so we arrived to a more serene New York; one blanketed in a thick layer of snow that covered just about every building, tree and street-parked car.


It took us a couple of hours to get from JFK to our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn (Chelsea). The hotel room was much bigger than we had expected; having heard horror stories about NYC hotel rooms (stories involving words like "can't", "swing" and "cat") we were pleasantly surprised.

Being only two stops from Times Square was very convenient. We caught the subway up that afternoon to look around and pick up some show tickets. The TKTS booth in Times Square is a great place to score same-day tickets to on and off-Broadway shows at a fraction of the price. Although lining up in the cold for 20 minutes with every other tourist was not the best, we wound up with tickets to Avenue Q at 40% off their original price.


The show was a lot of fun: completely irreverent and outrageous in parts, but ultimately leaving you with a warm, "fuzzy" feeling. Without giving a synopsis, if you can imagine the bastard child of Sesame Street and South Park, you probably have a fairly good image of Avenue Q in your mind. And I know it's currently showing in Perth too, so if anyone back home gets a chance to see it you must!

After the show we indulged in overpriced slices of pizza in Times Square, then vowed never to return. It's difficult for me to see the allure of a place like that after a while. The lights are so intense, even at the street level, that they cast an unnatural blue glow over the area. It's not a natural light, but it doesn't feel like nighttime either.


Tuesday morning saw us head north again to Rockefeller Center, this time to visit the NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza ("30 Rock") and take in the views from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck.

We shopped around at the NBC Experience Store, then took the one-hour studio tour that allows you on to various sets (including the Saturday Night Live and Football Night in America sets). I also got to read the weather in front of a green screen (and the rest of my tour group) at one of their news rooms, which was a whole lot of fun. Afterward I paid a ridiculous price for the DVD of said recording, but the show pony in me would not have left without it!

Top of the Rock provided beautiful views out over Central Park, the Empire State Building and other famous landmarks in Manhattan.


We hung around Rockefeller Plaza a little longer, watching the skaters on the rink, taking in the famous Christmas tree (with Swarovski crystal star atop) and pointing out every sculpture we recognised from one of our favourite NBC shows, 30 Rock.


After that we wandered along 5th Avenue to do some "shopping": which involved me walking through Saks 5th Avenue with my eyes popping out and then settling for H&M over the road.


We had tickets for the NY Knicks v Chicago Bulls basketball match that night. We had originally planned to go with Justin Tadros, but when he missed his flight in to NYC we ended up getting in touch with Jack Price, who is in New York visiting his fiancee. Jack met us at our hotel and we all had some beers before walking to Madison Square Garden. Whilst the two teams are not the greatest at the moment, the game was still awesome. I was happy to get into the screams of "Deeeeeee-FENCE!" and "Let's go Knicks!" - perhaps to the boys' embarrassment.

We saw a few fellow Aussies at the game too: Gin and Jacob, who we ran into during half-time, and Hugh Jackman - whom we spotted from afar. A few other celebrities were at the game, including Dustin Hoffman and John McEnroe.

The Knicks were leading by a decent margin for most of the game, then the Bulls suddenly caught up, leaving us ahead by only one point with 22 seconds left on the clock. It was intense, but the Knicks wound up on top, and everyone went home happy.


By the time we left MSG, Justin and Maddy had arrived. They, along with Jack's fiancee (Francesca) met us back at ours. The six of us then went to a great little shisha bar in the East Village. We stayed there until close, the boys consuming a lot of beer in the process.



Nik and I headed back around 3am, hoping it would still leave us with enough time to sleep and be up early the next morning.

We were wrong. Wednesday saw us rising from bed only at midday, after which we went to the New York University campus so that Nik could suss it out and I could pretend I was on Gossip Girl.



After NYU we caught the subway uptown again to the Guggenheim, where we saw the fantastic Kandinsky exhibit amongst other wonderful works of art.

That evening we met up with Justin and Maddy, and the four of us went to Broadway to see David Mamet's latest play, Race. James Spader and Kerry Washington were in the two lead roles, and both were excellent. What I was most impressed with was the sharpness of the script. It was witty and relevant, and Spader's delivery was equally snappy without detracting from the intensity of some of the scenes. Given the subject matter I will not detail the play here, but please read this article Mamet himself wrote on the play and the subject of race itself.

We wandered south of Times Square for dinner, and found ourselves at the West Bank Cafe, supposedly a New York institution. I was very happy with my food; in particular, the wild mushroom risotto balls with parmesan cheese and truffle aioli. I am sure the food buffs out there will appreciate that one.

Wine, food, conversation with friends...and it was another late night for us. But it is not everyday that one finds themselves in the city that never sleeps.

Day 17-20 (17-20/12/09) Chicago-->Toronto (The T.O.)

Sorry for the delay in updating. My fault. Anyway, here's a quick catch-up on what we got up to in the Great White North.

Leaving Chicago was fine. The plane was tiny but the flight was smooth. The reception we got at Canadian customs, though, matched the icy Toronto weather. Compared to the US (where we were practically waved through) the Canadian immigration officer grilled us. Where had we come from? Where were we going? You have family here? Where? Who? How many? I don't quite know what the purpose of it all was. Maybe to screen out people seeking asylum or attempting to work illegally. Anyway, after we made it through I really felt like screaming, "I MAKE IT TO CANADA! I WANT REFUGEE STATUS AND WELFARE!!!!"

We got into Toronto in the dying hours of the day and checked in to our hostel, the Canadiana Backpackers Inn.


We then went out to dinner at a nearby Asian restaurant. It was nice. The portions were manageable, which was a welcome change from the US. Plus, we switched back to saying 'bill' instead of 'check'. That was nice.

The rest of the night was spent doing laundry. What might otherwise be a boring task was enlivened somewhat by the circumstances. There was only one working washing machine at the hostel. It was full when we got there and we waited, watching that machine like the hunter might watch the deer, like the kestrel might watch the field mouse. When it finished cycling we prepared to pounce (or shoot, or swoop - I realise I didn't include an appropriate metaphor for pouncing earlier) only to have some Irish girl come down and dump another load in the thing and start the process over. Thwarted, we played the waiting game once again. Our wait was punctuated by a series of vignettes featuring some of the hostel's crazier characters. Eventually, several hours later, the whole process was complete.

So that's the end of the laundry story. It may be the most detailed story I tell. The next day, our first port of call was the Toronto Eaton Centre for some shopping. We then raced back to the theatre near the hostel to catch a 3D IMAX screening of Avatar, which was really sweet. Go see it for yourself and see what I mean. We then went back to our room, which we shared with two rather dour Kiwis. We got changed and then waited to be picked up by my cousin. He drove us up to my uncle and aunt's place in Aurora, Ontario. Along the way, we picked up his adorable little daughter, Paige who was just too cute.

(Zarah: You may remember I mentioned in a previous post the story of the fraud kangaroo. We hadn't had the chance to think about getting a present for Paige, so we ended up buying a stuffed toy kangaroo from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Eventually we came clean and confessed to the very un-Australian origins of the animal. Paige didn't seem to mind.)


On the way up there, she was completely silent in the car, just staring at Zarah in the back seat. Once we got to the house she came to life though, running around and talking.


It was really great to see my family again for the first time in a few years. We caught up and had dinner before my cousins took us to a Christmas charity party (theme: ugly Christmas sweaters) at a nearby bar.



It was great fun. Afterwards, we stayed the night in Aurora thanks to my family's very generous hospitality.


The next morning we had breakfast at a local restaurant before my cousin drove us back into Toronto. We had a relaxed time for the rest of the day. We went to Toronto City Hall to watch the Cavalcade of Lights. After that we headed up the CN Tower, from where we could see the Christmas fireworks.


We had big plans for the next day, but they were washed away by the fact that we somehow slept til midday. The smelly Kiwis moved out without disturbing us. Some hostel employee cleared the remaining linen off the beds and we didn't stir. Eventually we did haul ourselves up, but by then morning was long gone. We went to a place called Cora's for breakfast. It's a Quebec-based chain with a huge menu of fruit, omlettes, crepes and many other things. It was great. What was even better, though, was watching our waiter's reaction to Zarah eating a plate of rasperry crepes and a full egg breakfast. At one point he actually bent over laughing.

In short order, it was dark. We headed back to City Hall where I tried my hand at some ice skating and Zarah watched with great amusement. I didn't fall over though, which is important to note.


Anyway, the next morning we got picked up by my cousin and dropped at the airport, which was nice of him. From there it was off to New York, but that's another story.

Day 15/16 (15-16/12/09) Chicago ("On The Roof Of America")

Tuesday was clear again, which meant viewing Chicago from the SkyDeck at Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) gave us spectacular views of the city and surrounding area.


Willis Tower is the tallest building in the United States, standing 1,450 feet tall (or, as was advertised inside, 283 Barack Obamas tall).


Nik was reluctant to stand out on "the ledge", a fully-enclosed glass box on the side of the building, but I managed to convince him to venture out in the end. I, on the other hand - relishing any opportunity for cheesy photos - decided to do this:


Might I add here that I was not the only one behaving childishly (some crazy French people were too).

After our ear-popping trip back down 103 floors, we saw a bit more of downtown Chicago before taking a leisurely lunch at Giordano's, where Nik had the famous deep-dish Chicago pizza. Think of a pie. Then double the density.

We then caught the train about 20 minutes out of the city to Oakbrook to meet Kelly for dinner. I met Kelly (and her friend Sarah) when I was in Paris on my own last year. We spent Bastille Day together and I did a fair bit of sightseeing with them; we have managed to keep in touch over the last 18 months so it was great meeting up with her. The three of us had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (not at all factory-like as it turns out), before Nik and I headed back into the city again.

Wednesday also delivered blue skies, but it was below freezing and COLD. We were up bright and early to fit in Lincoln Park Zoo - even the animals were still asleep when we got there. I think it's fantastic that the city has a free zoo, and it's much better than one would expect for a free service. We saw leopards, lions, the tiger, camels, a bear, wolves, a jaguar and various birds. Apparently the zoo is home to an Australian Red Kangaroo, but we didn't see it. Poor animal was probably freezing so far from the hot outback. Our later stories will feature a kangaroo though (its stuffed toy counterpart, in fact) so for now just remember our Australian comrade and his suffering and leave it at that.


After the zoo we went back to Museum Campus (where we had gone previously for the Field Museum) and spent about 90 minutes at the Shedd Aquarium. Kelly had sent us a 2-for-1 entry voucher, so it ended up being great value. We caught the "Fantasea" performance, an impressive animal show featuring lights, pulleys and all kinds of fancy staging...plus a bunch of penguins, dolphins and one very scary hawk.

Until recently, the Shedd was the largest indoor aquarium in the world. And one can see how. We wandered the length of the exhibits, enthralled by all the different fish, amphibians, reptiles and other sea creatures.



In particular, "Granddad", an Australian lungfish shipped over to the States in 1933 (from Sydney). He is at least 86 years old and is supposedly the oldest fish in any aquarium in the world. When we caught him he was just chilling at the bottom of his tank, looking grumpy.

We bussed back across the city to Millennium Park to view the skyline as is mirrored in the now famous Cloud Gate sculpture; or, "the bean", as it is often called by locals and tourists alike (although apparently the artist behind the sculpture finds this name "completely stupid").


Chicago really is a beautiful city with some incredible architectural masterpieces, and this is reflected in its unique skyline.


Kelly had very kindly invited us to her house for a home-cooked meal that night, so we caught the train out to Orland Park, which is about an hour out of the city. Nik and I were amazed by the effort people clearly put into their Christmas lights. Almost every house had lights around the trees in their yards or ornaments on their lawns. And with the snow covering the gardens and houses the whole scene looked like a Christmas suburban utopia. Kelly's house was no exception.

We met her boyfriend, Rich, and her parents - all of whom were very welcoming and keen to listen to us talk about Australia (something which we never fail to tire of when overseas). As usual everyone was impressed with Nik's knowledge of history and politics. It was a perfect way to spend our last night in Chicago.


I dozed on the train journey back whilst Nik read (On The Road, a wonderfully appropriate companion to traveling through America). We were sorry to see the last of the lights and the skyline; Nik in particular. Having seen his disappointment at our relatively short breeze through the Windy City, I have a feeling he will find himself blowing in again soon.