Prepare yourself for an action packed report of our first full day in NYC.

We left at 9am and (foolishly?) decided to walk downtown from mid-town Chelsea to catch the Staten Island ferry.

We stopped to gaze up at the many and varied tall buildings along the way, sat in a pretty park and saw a snappy statue in Greenwich Village, ate very naughty and delicious pastries including a (notorious apparently according to my son Robert) Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery, saw the moving and magnificent memorial to 9/11, the ferry then took us to Staten Island, past the Statue of Liberty and allowed us one the best views of the Manhattan skyline.

Back on dry land, we managed to catch a tour around the very interesting Museum of the American Indian, that was after we’d 1st been declined entry because Mike had a knife in his rucksack!.. after some devious camouflaging as a piece of rubbish we discretely hid it outside and returned to gain entry :-).

Finally we decided a subway train would be the best way to travel back. It was crowded, hot and there are some very strange people in New York.

You’re right, we may have overdone it. Our feet are hurting and we’ve been bickering for the last few hours, oh dear. Never mind, all will be forgotten in the morning, but we won’t forget the amazing sights and sounds of our downtown New York day.