Ash trees and fungus

Ash Trees and Fungus Fungal spores are all around us. We live in a world of fungal spores. Some are good and some are bad. Some we have learned to live with and some are still being modified. Although we can kill fungal spores in enclosed spaces we cannot eliminate them from the world around us. Plants and trees growing in our countryside are affected by fungi just as much as ourselves. Trees have developed a symbiotic relationship with fungi such that fungi help tree roots to take up nutrients from the soil. Different types of tree use fungi in this way to a greater or lesser extent and it so happens that Ash trees are one of the few that do not rely on fungi to take up nutrients. Mature trees are much admired in the countryside and great weight is given to the largest or the oldest tree but apart from looking good do they provide a useful function? To put it to the Darwinian test do mature trees meet the survival of the fittest criteria? When walking in the countryside we are as likely to see a mature tree blown down by the wind as a young sapling eaten by a deer. The point is should we be trying to save our mature Ash trees or let them be killed by fungus disease. My own opinion is that we should let the fungus disease take its own course. We cannot hope to stop the fungal spores spreading even over a small area. Even if we did manage to contain a small area it is still susceptible to be reinfected from another place perhaps hundreds of miles away. The best course of action would be to identify those trees that are resistant to this particular fungus and develop saplings from its seed for future colonisation of infected areas. Ash trees are naturally vigorous and could reach a good height in less than ten years.

A Cottage in Norfolk

A cottage in Norfolk Travelled from home on Saturday 02/06/12. Unfortunately this happened to coincide with a) half term, b) Queens Jubilee and c) A double bank holiday. Fortunately most people were going in the opposite direction to ourselves but it was still quite busy. We passed an ancient campervan going up the M3 with a ‘for sale’ sign in the back window. Shortly after our clever satnav detected a hold up where the M3 joins the M25 and directed us off the M3 at junction 3 and back on to the M25 just before Heathrow. We had just got on the M25 again when we overtook the same campervan in the inside lane. Perhaps the satnav was not so clever after all. It also detected a holdup from the M25 on to the M11 and directed us up the A1. This time we ignored it because we wanted to stop at South Mimms for a break and by the time we had finished the satnav had changed its mind and directed us up the M11. After that we had no more trouble until near our destination as we passed RAF Leconheath. There were queues going through Brandon and Swaffham that added another hour on to our journey. We arrived at our cottage at about 16.30. First impressions were good. The place is quiet and clean so we should have a peaceful weekend. We decided to have our dinner indoors with a glass of wine rather than going out. A bottle of wine was provided together with bacon and eggs and lots of little extras. Sunday 3rd June Did not sleep too well, never do in a strange bed although it was comfortable enough? The headboard creaked whenever we moved. It rained during the night. It rained when we were having breakfast and it rained when we left the cottage to go to Titchwell reserve. The satnav took us there alright although it stopped a bit short of the actual reserve entrance. It was raining when we got changed to go round the reserve and we stopped in the visitor centre to see if anything was occurring. Joan bought a waterproof hat. It was raining when we walked along to the hides and we got quite wet with the wind blowing near the seashore. We were able to see a Spoonbill and two black swans. There was also a group of Little Gulls which looked quite stunning in their black and white plumage. Two of the newest hides were built to a modern design which enabled good views over the scrapes but the rain still got in when the windows were opened. I also saw a Bearded Tit when we were walking back to the car park for our lunch. It was still raining after we had eaten our egg sandwiches but we did go out again to the Fen hide. We did not see anything from this hide but we did see a Willow Warbler on the way back. We called in to the visitor centre before leaving and bought a couple of fact sheets on moths and bees. It was still raining when we travelled back but we were luckier than the caravan owners whose caravan was involved in an accident and ended up in the hedge. We went to the Bell Inn in Brisley for our evening meal. The bar meals were filling enough and it was not too busy. It was still raining when we got back to the cottage. Monday 4th June Sunshine was flooding through our bedroom window when we woke up. After breakfast we went in to Fakenham to do a bit of shopping. We had selected Budgens on our satnav but ended up in a Tescos. After we had brought the stuff back to our cottage we set out again to go to Holkham Hall. When we got there and bought our tickets at £12 each plus £2.50 for a car parking ticket we decided to have lunch before going round the house. We had tomato soup followed by a slice of cake which made quite a nice meal. Luckily we got there before the rush as there was a long queue when we went out of the restaurant. When we entered the house through the main doors in to the marble hall there was a crowd of people waiting on the balcony to welcome us in. Actually as we found out they were waiting for a display of 50’s clothing and we also went up on the balcony to watch it. After the first couple of displays we got bored and started our walk round the house. The dining area had a display of Jubilee tea things such as a red white and blue cake and other fancy fairy cakes. This prompted me to ask the question ‘What is the Jubilee celebrating’ of one of the guides. After some discussion with one of her colleagues we came to the conclusion it was her accession to the throne but we did not know if there would be another Jubilee next year to celebrate her coronation. Further on I spotted a display of coronet and robes for one of the Earls and asked the question ‘What do the strawberry leaves on the coronet signify’. They were a bit stumped by this question although they admitted it was not the first time it had been asked. I did not ask any other questions but it was quite a nice stroll through the rooms including the library and state bedrooms. We also went in to the kitchen area where there was a display of 1950’s cooking on a long dining table with nibbles on the way out. After our tour round the house we went out the back to take a photograph which had been recommended at the ticket office and then continued on to the walled garden. The walled garden was some way from the house but its size was impressive and as it sheltered us from the wind was very pleasant. Unfortunately the garden itself was in a poor state but it is gradually being restored to its original condition. It looks however that this may take some time. The weather was dry all day but a cold northerly wind put us off walking any distance. Tuesday 5th June After stopping for a paper in Fakenham we went on to Pensthorpe nature reserve. This is a privately owned nature reserve so we had to pay to get in and we also paid for an escorted tour of the estate. The reserve is owned by the Jordons of natures biscuit fame who have a house on site. We had a quick look round the enclosed aviaries which was useful for photographing birds such as the ‘Bearded Tit’, the Avocet and the Ruff but we had to be back at the visitor centre for the tour to start at 11.10. The tour consisted of a short talk in the lecture theatre followed by a trip in a road train pulled by a landrover in a low gear. We had a running commentary by the driver which was quite informative but the seating was rather restrictive so we saw as much of the interior of the vehicle as the outside scenery. When we got back we returned to our car for our packed lunch then we walked round the reserve. Many of the ducks and geese are tame to varying degrees so it is quite interesting to see them close up but the smell of bird droppings is rather off putting. The walk alongside the river Wensum was very pleasant as we managed to catch a bit of sunshine and it was sheltered from the wind. We did not see any Otters or Voles or big fish in the river but we did see plenty of damselflies and one dragonfly. The walk through the wildflower meadow was also pleasant which was situated on a marshy low lying area near the river but it was full of buttercups, ragged robin, yellow rattle, water avens and plenty of orchids. The orchids were marsh orchids and heath spotted orchids or hybrids of these two. Unfortunately the sky grew darker as we went through the meadow and we thought it might rain so we changed our route to go nearer the visitor centred. The clouds passed over however and we went along by the pond dipping pool to see the red squirrels. The red squirrels are part of a breeding programme to reintroduce them to the area but are in cages at the moment with wire runs connecting all the cages. When we were there one of the squirrels was running furiously backwards and forwards in the wire run seemingly in great distress. Although keeping wild creatures in captivity protects them from predators the restrictions must pose extreme mental cruelty on the animals and this was one extreme example of many that all of the creatures must feel. When we got back to the centre we called in for a piece of cake and a coffee and it was whilst we were eating it that it started to rain so we were quite pleased with our timing. Wednesday 6th June We decided to go to Wroxham for a day on the Broads. The satnav took us towards Norwich, around a bit of the ring road and out again to Wroxham. The traffic was quite heavy round Norwich but otherwise we made good time and the car park was easy to find. We bought our tickets with about half an hour to spare so we walked over the bridge into Wroxham centre and bought a newspaper in a small newsagents. I also bought a few apples from Roy’s which is a local supermarket and then we went back to catch our boat. There was about twenty or so people in front of us in the queue but we only just managed to get a seat on the open part of the top deck. A girl took our photo as we sat down but we had no intention of buying it. As we moved off it started to rain quite heavily and people started to pull down the plastic curtains which did not please me at all. If you are going to sit outside you should be prepared for the weather and it was difficult to see anything through the plastic. Fortunately it stopped raining within a few minutes and they rolled them back up again. The commentary was quite slow and deliberate but the trip was very pleasant in the sunshine with the greenery and water splashing around the boat. We went out of Wroxham with the expensive houses bordering the river and into a couple of Broads before turning back and returning to our mooring. When we got back we had our packed lunch in the car then walked into the town centre to pay a visit to the tourist office. I asked about any local nature reserves and he mentioned Barton Broad but a leaflet he gave us had a mention of Foxley wood which I knew was on the way back so we decided to go there. We got to Foxley wood about three o’clock so we did not have a great deal of time to look around so we went round the shorter of the two routes available. The weather at this time was hot and sunny with very little wind in the woods so we had a very pleasant hours walk. We saw several orchids including a greater butterfly orchid. It did rain slightly on the later stages and as we got near the end we had to hurry because it started to thunder. Fortunately we got back to the car before it started to rain. The satnav took us back to the cottage on a roundabout route through narrow winding lanes but it did get there. We went down to the pub for a meal in the evening. It is pretty basic fare but it fills us up and doesn’t cost much. Thursday 7th June The weather forecast was not too good for today so we decided to go into Norwich. I eventually found the airport park & ride on the satnav and it eventually got us there but it was a few miles from the main road and we had trouble understanding the parking restrictions. Some of them were for RBS personnel cars only and we were not the only ones confused. The bus no 603 was full when we got on so I had to stand all the way. We got off in the city centre and after a bit of orientation found our way to the market and then on to the information office in the new Forum building. Here we got a copy of a self-guided walking tour and set off to walk the walk. The walk took us up to the castle on a mound overlooking the city although it was not high enough to get a bird’s eye view. No doubt we would have a better view if we had paid to get in the castle and climbed to the top but it would have cost us £12 so we declined the offer and walked round the outside instead. The next part of our walk took us to the cathedral where we also declined to pay the recommended donation but we were still able to look round. The tour was quite pleasant but not as informative as some cathedrals we have visited. A male voice choir was practicing whilst we were there and they sounded very powerful due to the cathedral acoustics. Continuing our walk we went to an old part of the city called Elm Hill with old houses and cobbled streets but we had trouble finding our route from there and gave up the walk. Fortunately it was near the end anyway and past our lunchtime. We went back to the centre and quickly found a Costa coffee café where we had lunch. After lunch we walked back to the market area and decided to get the bus back from the bus station. On our route we passed a Pret a Manger and a large Marks & Spencer. We eventually found the bus station and this time we managed to get a seat at the front and top of a double decker bus so we had a good view on our way back to the Airport Park & ride. The car journey back took us on the same back road journey as yesterday but when we got on the back roads I decided to go back on the satnav and it eventually got us on a sensible route. When we got back to the cottage in the afternoon it started raining and rained hard and persistently for some time into the evening. Fortunately we had decided to have our dinner in doors. Friday 8th June Today started off wet and windy and only got worse. This was not altogether a waste of time since we were able to relax in the cottage. The location of our cottage was down a narrow dead end road some distance outside the village of Brisley. It was very remote from habitation and you would be hard pushed to even know it was there. So much so that we were told we need not bother locking our door which we did on the first day and took our key with us but afterwards we just left the key in the door and thought no more about it. The only people we saw besides the owners was a couple of birdwatchers walking down the road as we came back in the car. Unfortunately because of the weather we were unable to explore in the near vicinity of the cottage but we did see a deer on our way out one day. The birds coming to the bird table included a number of Tree Sparrows which are quite a rarity in most parts of the country and once we heard the call of a Turtle Dove. The cottage itself was quite old but the only complaint we had was that the shower was very feeble. Everything was provided including a complimentary bottle of wine and bacon and eggs in the fridge. It was just a pity about the weather. We did go out in the morning to Morrisons in Fakenham in order to fill up with petrol and in the evening we went for a meal at the Bell Inn in Brisley. This was the third visit for a meal during our stay. The food was basic but we never had cause to complain so long as we watched were we sat as the seats were a bit over used.

New York City Day 4

New York City Day 4
Monday 4th July 2011


We had nothing booked for the morning so after a bit of a lie in we strolled across the road from the hotel to ‘Juniors’ for our breakfast. All our previous breakfasts had been taken in the hotel so this was our first proper New York breakfast and we were not disappointed. What looked like a small café from the street turned out to be a large dining area where you could order virtually anything. When we entered to the reception desk we were immediately shown to a table and given a menu. Although we were in New York we decided to stick to our usual healthy breakfast and had a sundae bowl filled with yoghurt and granola and fruit accompanied by a glass of orange and a coffee. Even so it turned out to be a substantial meal and came to $35 all told. We left feeling confident that we were well set up for the day.
Our thinking for this day was that New York would be very busy on the 4th of July and the temperature promised to be nudging 100 degrees so we decided to spend most of the day in the hopefully cooler Central Park. The route from Times Square took us past the ‘Rockefeller Centre’ and on the spur of the moment we decided to give it a try. The kiosk we stopped at to buy tickets turned out to be credit card only so we bought two seniors tickets for $44 and set off for the ‘top of the rock’ We had to go up an escalator to the second floor where we joined the lines for the elevators; evading the photo opportunities as best we could.
The lines or queues were surprisingly small and we were soon in an elevator going up to the 67th floor. As we set off the lights in the elevator were turned off so we could look up through the glass ceiling to the lift shaft as it sped up to the top floor. Not everyone was impressed but it was a unique experience. The observation deck was in two levels with safety glass panels all round; presumably to deter suicides. The building itself seemed to be constructed of heavy cut stone with cast iron workings at the top which was a surprise as I assumed light materials would have been a priority. Although the temperature was getting a bit warm by this time we spent some time looking at the views which we thought were better than the Empire State building. The views were not significantly different but being lower down you got the impression of being amongst the skyscrapers which seemed nearer on all sides. The return elevator journey was a repeat of the upward journey but we exited at the basement and walked back up to ground level after some time finding our sense of direction.
The rest of the walk to Central Park was easy as we simply walked north up 5th Avenue and entered the Park at its south eastern corner. This is one of the main entrances to Central Park and is the site of a sculpture by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The sculpture consists of representations of the Chinese Year such as the Pig or Rooster and Joan and I had our photos taken standing by our relevant sculpture. Our idea was to walk round the Park in an anticlockwise direction but we only managed to get as far as the Jackie Kennedy reservoir before turning back.
Central Park looks like a natural feature but in fact it was created in 1857 on land to the northern end of Manhattan Island. The hard rock on which the tall skyscrapers are built lies at the southern end of Manhattan but in the park area the land is much softer with occasional outbreaks of the hard schist which have been left as features in the park. The pond, the lake and the reservoir have all been artificially created; the area between landscaped and trees planted. Streets that cross the park, called transverses, have all been sunk below the park level and are crossed by bridges for footpaths and other tracks. Besides the water features the park contains a zoo which we did not visit and Belvedere Castle which we did. Belvedere Castle was built on the highest point in the park as a folly without internal rooms but over the years it has been used as a meteorological station and at the moment as a natural history observatory.
The park is also used for live entertainment and several artists were playing as we walked round including a classical violinist whom we were glad to sit and watch whilst cooling off in the heat.
The main reason for turning back when we reached the reservoir was the heat which was at its greatest as we crossed over to the west side of the Park. We managed to purchase bottles of water as we entered the Park and stopped for an ice cream when we walked down the west side. As long as we took things steady we managed the heat quite well but were glad of the air conditioning when we eventually arrived back at the hotel about 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
When we had cooled down a bit we got ourselves ready to go out for our evening meal at the David Burke Townhouse. We left the hotel at about 17.15 and decided to experience the delights of a New York yellow cab. The hotel had a special area at ground level where cabs could drive through to pick up and set down passengers. In addition they employed people to direct the operations and we duly presented ourselves, with a small piece of paper with our destination written on it, to a tall coloured fellow dressed in red livery. A person of his size was not meant to be messed with so we shut up and waited for our cab to pull up. We did not have long to wait before we got in the back of the cab and the cabbie drove off. He was not the sort of person you engaged in conversation either; not because he was big but because he had his hands full with his mobile phone in one hand and a large coffee in the other. Occasionally he put down his coffee and looked at the slip of paper to confirm his destination. The cab however seemed to know the direction better than he did as it did not take us long to get to the restaurant on 61st between Park Avenue and Lexington.
David Burke Townhouse was the second of the recommendations by Carolyn on board the QM2 and it turned out to be the best. We expected the restaurant to be full on July 4th but when we arrived there were people at only two of the tables. The number did increase as time wore on but the restaurant was never more than half full and we enjoyed the relaxed peaceful surroundings in the air conditioned room. The service was helpful but restrained. We were told that we could have a 42oz steak to share but even 21oz was a step too far.
We had an appetiser of mousse/gazpacho that tasted of mustard and salad cream in a shot glass and got individual bread still warm in the pan it was baked in. For starters I had a salad with walnuts, cheese, apple and croutons. My entrée was of lamb and selected vegetables arranged in a modern cuisine style. For desert I had pineapple baba rum. As a thank you we got two chocolate truffles in a cardboard box to take away. The whole experience was very enjoyable and we walked back to the hotel on a barmy evening with the feeling that New York was a wonderful place.

New York City Day 3

New York City Day 3


Sunday 3rd July 2011

Woke up to thunderstorms and heavy rain which did not look too promising for our trip round Manhattan Island. Nevertheless we decided to carry on regardless and went down for our breakfast in the Starbucks on the fourth floor of the hotel. Whilst having my latte and biscuit I noticed a city gent having his shoes polished on one of those box seats. I have seen them in films and read of them in old books such as those by Charles Dickens but I had never imagined that they were still in use so I had difficulty in taking my eyes away. The well-dressed gent with his suit and tie was reading his newspaper while a coloured man was busy buffing his shoes ready for the day ahead.

We set off in good time to walk the short distance to the ferry terminal which happened to be not far away from where our ship had berthed but we got caught in a heavy shower of rain. This being New York however all we had to do was hand over $5 to an enterprising umbrella salesman who had appeared on the street as if by magic. Buying an umbrella is of course a sure fire way of getting the rain to stop and sure enough it turned to light drizzle after a few minutes and we were able to reach the seafront without getting too wet.

Our ferry was due to leave from pier 83 at the western end of 42nd street with ‘Circle Line’ cruises and although we arrived in good time there was still a long line waiting in the by now familiar cattle barrier formation. We had our photographs taken at the end of one line then re-joined another. Once the gate opened we all moved smoothly on to the boat and it was not long before we moved off. The boat was quite large and consisted of a lower fully enclosed deck with a partially open upper deck. Although the weather was still misty with a light drizzle we decided to stay on the upper deck under the shelter of a canvas canopy where we stayed for the whole trip.

The boat moved out of our berth and down the Hudson River to take an anticlockwise circuit of Manhattan Island but first it made a diversion towards Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island was where all the immigrants to America had to report before entering the country and looked quite welcoming through the drizzle. The Statue of Liberty looked smaller than I imagined but I suppose it is the significance that counts especially if you have been thrown out of your own country. After waiting for everyone to take photographs the boat then returned to Manhattan Island and joined the East River. We had a running commentary during the whole of our trip which was very informative whilst at the same time not too serious which made up for the poor visibility. Many of the larger skyscrapers are around the southern tip of Manhattan where the bedrock is particularly solid and we were able to see them through the gloom. A helicopter took off from a heliport near Wall Street as we passed by and we went under first Brooklyn Bridge then the Manhattan Bridge. We sailed past the Yankee Stadium on our right then the smaller old tower blocks of Harlem on our left before we turned to join the channel taking us round the north side of the island. This channel is not a regular route for boats and the bridges are much closer to the water level. We only just managed to clear one of the bridges and we had to wait for a train to go over a swing bridge before it opened to let us pass through. The northern side of Manhattan is not all built up and there is a fair amount of greenery in this area.

When we reached the Hudson River again we turned south towards our berth passing a small lighthouse that has been dwarfed by a new bridge. Many of the older tower blocks in this area have the circular wooden water towers on the roof which are a mandatory fire protection feature.

The weather slowly improved over the morning and the rain had cleared by the time we got off the boat so we took a leisurely stroll to the Empire State Building on the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street. On the way we were looking for somewhere to have our lunch and walking past our hotel we noticed a place called ‘Juniors’ across the road. We had noticed this place as somewhere to have our breakfast but had been too busy to give it a try so we decided to give it a go for lunch. The café or restaurant turned out to be bigger than it seemed from the road and served all American food in all American portions but it was not cheap. We tried not to eat too much as we had booked a meal in the hotel restaurant for the evening but even so we were glad of the walk to the Empire State building to walk off some of the calories.
Our tickets for the Empire State building tour had been provided in advance as part of our Bath travel package but we could use them at any time. When we arrived the queues or lines were almost non-existent but it was a circuitous route to get to the elevators and by the time we reached them there were quite a number of visitors waiting. We had to have our bags checked and our photo taken for the purpose of selling us a souvenir copy even though we had no intention of buying one. We had already bought one from the boat trip earlier in the day. Eventually we got to go in the elevator which took us up to the 80th floor. Then we had to walk a short distance to another elevator which took us to the observation platform on the 86th floor. The sights from the top are certainly impressive but it was still a bit misty and the building is so high that most things seem small in comparison to the building you are on. Empire State was a slang term for New York before the building took it over and since the collapse of the north tower of the World Trade Centre it is once again the highest building in New York.

When our visit had finished and we had found our way out of the building we walked back to the hotel and got ready for our evening meal in the revolving restaurant on the 49th floor. The revolving part actually consists of two floors with a buffet and bar on the top floor and a sit down restaurant on the lower floor. The Bath travel night time tour that was cancelled included a visit to the buffet floor but we had our meal in the sit down lower floor. The restaurant took just over an hour to do one rotation which is about how long it took us for our meal. Our meal was a ‘price fixee’ at $79 each which with the wine worked out about $250. The meal turned out to be very good but the waiter in common with many of the hotel staff were not very helpful which was a pity since all the other people we met were warm and friendly. The hotel at 49 floors is not the smallest tower block in New York but neither is it the tallest and as we were on Times Square several of the nearby towers blocked our view. We did however have a good view of the air conditioning plants and aerials on the roof.

After our meal we went up to the top buffet bar and had a drink sitting at a small bar stool table while the room did a further rotation. The buffet was an eat as much as you want type of place and we watched a group of four youths load up their plates to overflowing then go back to the buffet for a refill. We did not have far to travel back to our room on the 22nd floor and it was not long before we went to bed for a good night’s sleep.

New York Day 2

New York – The City Day 2
Saturday 2nd July 2011

The Marriott Marquis hotel is situated between 42nd and 43rd Streets just off Times Square in the middle of Manhattan New York. Times Square is one of the busiest places on the planet with people and vehicles rushing about 24 hours a day. Up in our room on the 22nd floor however all was peace and quiet as we woke up to our second day in the big city. The room was air conditioned like on the ship but the air conditioning was much quieter and with the room being so large you could hardly tell it was functioning. Despite it being the first night in a strange bed we both had a really good sleep and were ready for anything that the city could show us.
Bath travel had organised a free coach tour of the city for the morning so we decided to have our breakfast in the hotel and went down to Starbucks on the 4th floor. I had a coffee and biscuit and tried a piece of Joan’s bagel. When we joined the coach at the front of the hotel we were one of the last to board. Either the rest were early birds or they could not sleep for some reason.
If you imagine Manhattan as the face of a clock and our hotel as the middle the coach went towards nine o’clock then clockwise around the face until returning to our hotel. Our first stop was at Central Park for a look at Strawberry Fields and the John Lennon memorial. In actual fact we parked opposite the apartment block where Lennon was shot beneath the gas lamps then walked into the park and around the landscaped area that is Strawberry Fields. We had an official New York tour guide with us who was very friendly and knowledgeable although the only thing I remember about him was that he was a birdwatcher in his spare time and spent most of it looking at birds in Central Park. Apparently Central Park is a well-known stopping off point for migratory birds and during the winter as many as a hundred different species can be seen at any one visit.
Our next point of call was down Broadway at Trump Tower. This is perhaps one of the finest examples of modern opulence as you would ever see even though we could only visit the ground floor and basement. The toilets in the basement had walls lined with orange marble, mirrors and brass fittings that made it look like an Aladdin’s cave. Next door to Trump Tower is Tiffany’s famous for scenes in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. After taking a photo of Joan looking in the window we went inside and had a look at the jewellery. Although members of the public are only allowed on the ground floor, buyers are invited to go up in the security controlled elevator; the items on display are still quite spectacular. We were allowed to take a photo of the yellow diamond that Katherine Hepburn wore in the film.
The coach then took us down through Little Italy and China Town to the southern tip of Manhattan and Ground Zero. On the way we passed by the church which acted as a base for the rescuers and stopped at the newly built Winter gardens to view the construction site. The Winter Gardens is an impressive sight in itself. It is like a large glass enclosed amphitheatre where you enter by the arena and walk up to look through windows at the top of the seating. On the way fully grown palm trees have been planted and the glass entry overlooks the southern shoreline of Manhattan. The view of the building site which is ground zero is not really impressive but it is the memories that it invokes that make it worthwhile. We also had time to walk down to the shore and it was from there that I had my first real sight of the Statue of Liberty although it was some distance away.
Our journey then took us back up the west side of Manhattan to our hotel dropping people off on the way. There was a great deal of traffic at this time for some reason and we were about twenty minutes late arriving back at the hotel
We then went out looking for lunch. During our coach trip someone recommended a place called ‘Edisons’ as a reasonable place to eat which was just round the corner from our hotel so we went there. In an effort to avoid a large meal we decided to have a sweet and something to drink so I had a baked apple and Joan had a Cheesecake. We found the place to be ordinary by New York standards reminiscent of any café in the north east of England. Afterwards we walked up to 51st street and found the Italian restaurant that we had booked for the evening so we would know how to find it later. On our way back to the hotel we called in to a drug store for a couple of books and some biscuits in case we had time in our room.
During our coach trip we had learned that our planned tour for the Sunday had been cancelled due to lack of demand. This threw all our plans into ruin and we had to reorganise our itinerary. We decided to book a meal at the revolving restaurant on top of the hotel as this was due to be part of the original tour and we also booked a round- the- island boat trip for 10am on Sunday morning. Booking anything in New York is a piece of cake particularly in Times Square. There is a dedicated New York tour booking office and there is a theatre booking office built in to the seating ramp in Times Square. Ticket sellers from all the shows walk round the square advertising and selling cheap last minute tickets. It all adds to the atmosphere right up to the theatre opening both in the afternoon and evening.
Our evening meal was one we originally booked on the ship over the Atlantic at an Italian restaurant called ‘Vice Versa’ and we left the hotel in good time to get there by foot. This was really the first time we noticed that the weather was becoming very warm. The temperature never fell below 30degrees centigrade the whole time we were there and the day we left had reached over 43degrees which is over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. We were therefore glad to get inside the air conditioned restaurant. The restaurant itself had only a narrow façade at the front but opened out inside and had an outside patio at the back which only became used as people came in later in the evening.
I had salad starter and duck pasta for the main meal but we shared a tiramisu for sweet. The food was good and we particularly enjoyed the tiramisu. The whole experience was very enjoyable and Joan was quite surprised to find one of the waiters had a brother living in Sunderland. We walked back to the hotel along a very busy and hot Broadway. It was good to get back into the air conditioned room for a well-earned night’s sleep.

New York Day 1

New York -The City day 1

Friday 1st July 2011


We did not sleep well in our cabin aboard the Queen Mary 2 and we had set the alarm for 05.15. Nevertheless we were awake by 05.00 and we could see buildings through our cabin window. Joan got up and went out on our balcony to have a look then gave a running commentary as I lay in bed trying to get back to sleep. When I did at last get up the ship had passed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and also passed the Statue of Liberty although Joan had already taken a photograph of the statue. The buildings which were our first sight of New York turned out to be skyscrapers of New Jersey visible from our port side cabin. When I managed to crawl on to the veranda all I could see was a customs boat escorting us up the river and a few buildings on the New Jersey coast. The sea was flat calm giving us a peaceful introduction to New York City.

Our suitcases had already gone from outside our cabin so we were left with our hand luggage and the clothes we stood up in. Breakfast was at 06.00 which we took with a leisurely pace watching another large cruise ship, the ‘Carnival Miracle’, pull in to the quayside on the opposite berth to ourselves. This was not seen as good news as the extra two or three thousand passengers would mean delay for us in unloading and customs clearance. We then went to the 'Golden Lion' pub to wait for our signal to leave. As this pub was on the starboard side we had a good view of the dockside so we could see the unloading taking place and the passengers disembarking. It was also a good opportunity to practice my dart throwing skills as there were very few other people waiting in this part of the ship.

When we looked out of the window we could see the suitcases on pallets being unloaded from the ship and one or two passengers walking over to customs. If you wanted to carry your entire luggage you could have gone off the ship early but we had decided to stick with the Bath Travel arrangements that had organised a coach to take us to our hotel together with our luggage. Other passengers who were staying on the ship for the journey up to Boston were disembarking for a day in New York and we saw our dinner table couple walking along the ramp going for a day’s shopping.
As we watched we noticed that the stevedore activity was slowing down and they were gradually moving off the quayside. Shortly afterwards an announcement came over the tannoy to say that the stevedores had walked off the job because of a dispute over extra pay for the upcoming holiday on the 4th July. Half an hour later we had the good news that some of the striking stevedores had returned to finish off the unloading but because of the large number of passengers and few stevedores we had to wait even longer to disembark.

When we at last got the call to leave the ship we joined the queue near the exit but after a half hour or so of no movement we were told to sit down again. I went off in search of a toilet and when I got back the queue had reformed and it was moving forward to the gangplank. Our first experience of land in America was in a large hanger like building packed with hundreds of passengers waiting to leave. We were directed to an area where our luggage should be and told to look for our cases. When we had found them we joined another queue in temporary barriered zigzag walkways that led to about six or so customs desks. Guards with sniffer dogs patrolled the lines and when we eventually reached a desk we had to hand over our documents and have our fingerprints and iris checked. Fortunately we got through without any problems and made our way with our luggage to find our coach. We got to the coach stop but had a further wait because the coach had a time limited stop so had to go round the block before approaching the stop again. The coach left for the hotel at 11.15 already six hours after we had got up.

Queen Mary 2 had originally been going to dock at a berth in Brooklyn but we learned during our voyage across the Atlantic that our berth had been changed to one at Manhattan on the East River. This berth turned out to be on a line with 43rd street which coincidentally was the same street as our hotel in Times Square called the ‘Marriott Marquis’. The drive to the hotel which we had hoped would be an introduction to Manhattan turned out to be a 10minute ride up 43rd Street. When we entered the hotel we were directed up the escalators to a room on the 4th floor which was a meeting room reserved for Bath Travel. Here we picked up our room key card and went to find our room 2207 on the 22nd floor. The elevators, of which there were about 20, were all grouped together in a circular structure in the centre of the building. When you found the opening into the elevator room you had to punch your floor number into a key pad which then told you which elevator letter ‘A to P’ you had to take. You then walked to the appropriate elevator and waited for it to arrive after which you entered the elevator and got out at your floor. Some of the elevators were on the outside of the circular structure in which case you could see the hotel layout through the glass walls, others on the inside were the normal elevator cubicle, but you could not select which sort to go into.

After looking round the room which was large with a giant television screen on top of a dresser and locking our valuables in the safe we decided to go out and sample New York City. We also wanted something to eat as it had been a long time since breakfast. Heading east, back to the boat I suppose which was our adopted home, we came across an eating place or restaurant on the corner of 46th Street called ‘Athenee’. We chose it because it looked ordinary, had a simple but comprehensive menu, and looked fairly busy. We were met as soon as we entered, shown to our seats near the window, and given a menu. I picked a burger so I could get in the American psyche and Joan ordered a salad presumably because she didn’t trust foreign food. When they arrived we were overwhelmed by how much was on our plates. My burger in a bun was plate sized and supplemented by fries, pickles and salad. Joan’s salad looked as if it had been made from the contents of our lawnmower bag. Joan only managed to eat half of her salad but I managed all of my burger and salad and even a few fries.

We were well pleased with our first American meal and decided to walk it off by investigating our surroundings. One of the restaurants we had booked from the boat was on 51st street so we decided to walk in that direction to see what it looked like. We went up 9th Avenue, which we were told on the boat was a good place to eat, then along 51st street, before going back along Broadway to 42nd street. We did not see the restaurant but we enjoyed finding our way around which with the avenues and streets in a grid was easy enough.

When we reached Times Square we were pleased that our navigation worked so well and as the weather was warm and sunny we decided to walk westwards along 42nd street. However when we reached Bryant Park the warm turned to hot and walking became a chore so we were glad to get into Grand Central Station with its air conditioning. Grand Central is much more than just a station with its shops and restaurants to such an extent that it is possible to forget that trains actually run from there at all. We walked in on ground level and went up the balcony overlooking the clock then we went down to the clock itself and then downstairs to the basement where all the restaurants and eateries are located. The oyster bar and restaurant were doing business but we were still full from our lunch so after a look around we decided to head back to the hotel. We called into Bryant Park for a rest and a break from the sun before returning to the hotel.

Back in our room Joan unpacked our cases while I tried to sort out why I could not use the phone. I wanted to use the phone to confirm our dinner reservations at the restaurants we had booked from the ships internet system. Eventually I found out that I had to register my credit card which I managed to do at the reception desk. Since our room was part of a block booking through Bath Travel the normal reception and key issue process had not been completed. Even so when I returned to the room and tried the phone it would still not work and I had to contact reception again to get them to unlock the phone. They could have done this when I first went down but it was just the first example of bad service from the hotel staff that did not seem to think it was their job to help the guests.

At about 6pm after showering we went down to the fourth floor to look for some food. There were several eating places in the hotel. The main restaurant was a revolving one on the top 49th floor but there was a large one serving traditional food on the fourth. In addition the pub area on the fourth floor served meals at its tables but after the big lunch we were still not able to face a large meal and opted for the Sushi restaurant next to the pub. This restaurant comprised the usual Sushi bar with a table sit down area on the other side of the work area. Even so being America the portions were quite large.

After dinner we called into the internet café and after several minutes trying to get information from the unhelpful staff we managed to log on. Unfortunately Facebook thought we were so far from home that we must be frauds so after 15minutes we gave up never to return. We then went for a walk round the block to complete our first day. Since part of the walk included Times Square, which is really buzzing at theatre time, it took us longer than we thought and we were glad to get back to our room after a long tiring day.

New York Cruise days 5,6&7

New York Cruise Days 5, 6 and 7

Tuesday 28th June 2011
When we awoke on the fifth day of our trip there was fog outside the window. This was not unexpected as we were travelling through the Grand Banks off Newfoundland which are notorious for their misty weather. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream are directed by the land mass into a north easterly direction off Newfoundland where they meet cold air coming down from the arctic. Cold air above warm water means condensation and hence the foggy conditions.

The area is also well known for its abundant marine life. Fishing stocks have been depleted over the years but there is still sufficient to attract predators such as whales and dolphins. We came across hump backed whales and pods of dolphin. Turtles were also swimming quite close to the ship and once we saw flying fish. Generally the only birds we saw were Shearwaters which spend almost their whole life at sea and even rest on the surface of the water.

We were told that the Titanic sank in this area although obviously we did not stop to have a look. Small snippets of information were given in the daily news sheets that were posted in our cabins last thing at night. At noon each day we also got a report from the bridge telling us of our position, weather forecast and sea conditions but all this information was shown on a channel of our in- cabin television and continuously updated.

We had our usual social breakfast then Joan went to the lectures while I went for my usual six laps of the deck. The air was warm but wet when I started, the deck was very wet, and as I went round the mist turned to rain and the water dripped off the lifeboats above so I was very wet when I eventually got back to the cabin.
Lunch was again at a large table with people we had never met before. This time there were a couple from Wales, a couple from New York and a single man from New York. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the Americans we met on the ship. I had expected them to be brash, self-important and loud mouthed but they were for the most part quiet and sociable. We got to talking about New York and I was particularly interested in places to eat; a subject I had thought about before we left but decided to try and find more information. The lady from New York, who I think was called Karolyn, took time out to write a list of six or so restaurants that she could recommend as places to eat. In the event we found this list very useful and came to appreciate her choices when we reached New York.
Most couples on the boat were regular cruisers and a lot of them Cunard Cruisers. They were usually retired business people who had owned their own company or lawyers and accountants. To many a cruise was just a way of spending money so they did not have to pay so much tax.

After lunch we went to the second classical concert by the Japanese pianist. When we got back to the cabin my laundered white shirt was waiting. I only took three white shirts so had to have two of them laundered for wearing with my formal suits. Dinner was a formal black and white affair and I had a nice lamb main course. This was the only dinner that we did not have any wine. However when we got ready for bed we decided to open the half bottle of champagne given to us on boarding. It seemed the height of decadence to lie on the bed in a white bath robe drinking champagne and eating chocolates. When we got back to our cabin each night the bed was made up and the next day’s program with a chocolate lay on top. We had saved these up but could not resist eating them with the champagne.

Wednesday 29th June 2011
Clocks were put back an hour the previous night so we had an extra hour in bed. Clocks had been put back every night except for the Sunday and Monday. On Sunday the morning sermon had to be cancelled because the priest had put his clock back an hour and was still in bed. Information was given about the time in GMT and the time in the last and next port of call. In addition ships generally work to UTC time which is a universal standard time given by an atomic clock. The earth’s rotation is slowing down so UTC time is falling behind GMT and has to be adjusted usually on New Year’s Day. If it was not adjusted midnight would be at midday in 36000 years’ time.
The day dawned with a calm sea and a warm breeze. New York is on the same latitude as Naples and we had already left the great circle route to head in a south-easterly direction so we expected the temperature to rise. We did the usual six laps walk round the deck after breakfast then went to a lecture by Giancarlo on Byzantine and Roman art.

In the afternoon we went to the internet café to book tables for our dinner at two restaurants for the coming Saturday and Monday the 4th of July. There were several work stations for computer users located around the ship and internet access was via a ship to shore radio link. You had to subscribe to one of three accounts, either pay as you go or block booking. As we did not expect to be online very long we chose the pay as you go option. The system generally worked very well but if too many people downloaded at the same time the bandwidth became full and anyone else trying was denied access.

Looking at the list of restaurants given us by Kathryn we decided to try an Italian place called ‘Vice Versa’ for the 4th of July but according to the web page it was fully booked. We did however manage to get a booking for the Saturday 2nd July. Our second choice was for ‘David Burke townhouse’ and this had places available on the 4th of July so we booked that as well.

Walking back to our cabin we came across a row of tables with jigsaw puzzles in various stages of completion so we sat down at one table and spent half an hour putting in a few pieces. Dress for dinner was the last formal one of the trip over and as per tradition a chef’s parade took place. Apparently there are more than 160 chefs on board the ship cooking and arranging the food for our meals.

Thursday 30th June 2011
At the back of our minds all day was the fact that we would arrive in New York the next morning. There was nothing to indicate any change. The sea was still as calm as it had been for the last six days and we had not seen any other ships in all that time. Christopher Columbus must have been mad?

Trusting in the fact that we would in fact arrive we had to make sure that all our documents were in order and the correct luggage labels attached to our cases. After breakfast we went down to the Bath travel representatives to double check that the correct labels had been fitted to the correct number of cases so that our luggage could find its way to our hotel. We also had a customs form to fill in for our entry to America but we were warned that we still had to actually go through customs.
Our next thing was the usual six laps of the deck. The air temperature was a mild 22 degrees but with a chilly breeze which was surprising as it was supposed to be very hot in New York. During one of our laps we saw another ship and later in the day we began to see several more as we entered the sea lanes to approach New York.
We attended a political talk by Geoffrey Weinberg on the Obama presidency. It was quite an interesting talk but he was especially good at answering questions from the audience. In the afternoon we did nothing but our packing or rather Joan did the packing while I did nothing. Dinner was in informal dress as anything other than our hand luggage was already packed and sitting outside our cabin door.

In the evening, as on most evenings, we went to see a show in the main theatre. After a while we found a spot just around the corner from the main entrance which had a small table and a rail in front which meant that we did not have to get up to allow anyone else past and we had a good view of the stage. All subsequent evenings we went to the same place including on the way back. We got to know the waiters as well so they knew what drinks we liked. I always had a bottle of Lager but Joan liked to vary her drinks a bit. One evening she thought she would try a vodka martini. The waiter asked what sort of vodka, then what sort of Martini, then what sort of glass, then if she wanted anything in it. In the end they settled on ‘vodka martini straight up with olives’ which he remembered on all subsequent nights.

We tried to go to bed early that night knowing that when we woke up we would be in America.