New York: The Centre of the World

With Alitalia we set off from Malpensa for Newark....after 8 hours of flight here we are in the Big Apple: NEW YORK!!!!! At the exit there are loads of taxis and other vehicles that take you into the city.. so as soon as we find one we load the suitcases and begin our wonderful adventure... Already from the car the view is breathtaking..

seeing the skyline is something unforgettable.....Our hotel EDISON is in the Broadway area and I'd say the choice was excellent since we're right in the centre...It's getting dark..we take the suitcases to the room (very tidy and comfortable) and together with our friends LORENZA AND FABRIZIO we decide to go for a walk...It's evening but it feels like broad daylight...full of lights, of very tall skyscrapers with advertising billboards...it's all imprinted in my mind...I think I'll never forget that evening..it was an emotion never felt before....what a spectacle, well yes, we're AT THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD!!! The feeling is exactly that of being in another world...what an experience!!!!!! The next day it starts right away with a lovely super-expensive breakfast...we'll only discover LO STARBUCKS afterwards.

We buy the bus tickets at the information office near us and go to Ground Zero....there's still so much suffering in the air.Beside it in the little church are all the memories of those tremendous days that we'll never forget...The buildings around are all under renovation...Looking around me, and seeing the impressiveness of this city, I can't comprehend how it could have happened that two planes brought down the twin towers....... The same day we visit, taking the ferry, THE STATUE OF LIBERTY (beautiful the view of the city) and ELLIS ISLAND, the island where all the immigrants arrived before entering the city...now it's a museum with the whole history of those years gathered... We cross WALL STREET and visit TRINITY CHURCH...always on foot we reach the SEAPORT and the BROOKLYN BRIDGE which we cross on foot....

On the evening of the first day we go to eat in a pizzeria and then go to the ROCKEFELLER CENTER which, lit up, is very striking... the second day we cross the whole of FIFTH AVENUE to then arrive at ST PATRICK's cathedral..We decide to go and have lunch in CENTRAL PARK, we cross almost all of it and it's very beautiful...while we're about to eat our sandwiches a sudden storm arrives...we took shelter under our umbrellas and got back on the bus...the city seemed blocked and it was impressive to see it rain amid those skyscrapers..So we decide to go shopping at MACY's, the biggest store in NY...In the evening we go to celebrate my husband's birthday at the Italian restaurant in LITTLE ITALY, the big apple...overcooked spaghetti and not exactly delicious...but we had a great time...

The third day we go up the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING..before going up they warn us that visibility isn't good but we went up anyway and we did well...because the view is breathtaking...We buy fruit at a street stand...we wanted to eat something good...yes, because in NY the food isn't for me...only MC DONALDS and super-stuffed sandwiches....We also go to CHINATOWN and SOHO..We visit the METROPOLITAN MUSEUM and then decide to go and pick up the car because tomorrow we leave for BOSTON.. NEW YORK stayed in my heart....and I can't wait to go back to show it to my little LUCA...