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Re-written 24/8/24 on board Queen Mary 2.

Technical issues prevented me from being able to continue Blog 149 two days ago.  Possibly, I had overloaded the page with pictures. 

I started that day exploring just prior to noon.  Having seen the Empire State Building after arrival the previous night, I determined that I would ascend the E.S.B. tonight (22/8/24).  Walking roughly in the direction of 5th Avenue, I just knew that I would be accosted by somebody selling hop-on hop-off bus rides.  Unlike previously, when I had very little time, today was all mine to do as I pleased and I signed up to two routes, the “red route” which would take me to and around Lower Manhattan and the “blue route” showcasing the other direction mainly circumnavigating Central Park.  In the evening, I hoped to view a night-time New York from as high as one can go up at the Empire State Building.  I would enjoy snacks and coffee between each excursion.  The two bus trips would give a brief glimpse of most of the island of Manhattan, but no further north than 109th Street (I think).  Hopefully, the pictures below will not overload the page.

The Red route (to Lowe Manhattan, Battery Park, the West River (Hudson)

The Blue Route, to Central Park

Walking  to the Empire State Building.

Not everybody’s been up the Empire State Building…

An elevator took us up to the first level, the 80th floor, from which the first views of New York City can be observed through glass.  I walked up to the 86th floor, from where views can be experienced without the annoyance of reflections showing up in photographs.  I wonder how many people had dropped their phones over the edge while trying to capture that special picture.  I was not going to be the first!  Having discovered a “night” facility on my phone, I tried it out and could see the immediate improvement in sharpness of my pictures.

I didn’t feel the $79 was exorbitant for the hugely enjoyable time up there.  Walking six stories probably disproved my ability to walk up the entire structure, although I would still like to give it a try! 

I may be wrong, but I think that I walked 19 blocks from 8th Avenue to 5th, and then from W 50th Street to W34 th Street.  Long as it may have been, I had enormous pleasure negotiating the crowds, the road junctions, and seeing world famous sights along the way.  Unfortunately, I was too late for the sunset, but not for a spectacularly bronzed moon, not a full one, but one worth recording.  Within an hour, the colour had gone from what was announced as a blue moon, when full, a couple of days previously.

Many thanks for reading.  The blog title “davidscruise.blog” is a little more appropriate as the next seven days are spent returning to Southampton on board Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.

David, on board Queen Mary 2, 24/8/24 18.31 hrs GMT -3.