...ons gaan wes ...

Nice, you're joining me on my travel blog! I'm Marion (63) and I would love to take you on my next trip. ... we go West.... to the USA and to the East Coast, starting in my favorite metropolis: NEW YORK!

My travel companions are Lucas, my younger son, and Guido.

Before a trip, there's always anticipation - planning the trip and also thinking about what to bring. Do I have enough? Do I have the right things for every occasion? Or is it just me?

Suitcase packed and ready to go

Finally, we can start - suitcases and travel documents including a travel guide are packed - DAY 1 - off to Zurich Airport - check-in - waiting! A little airport history: In 1948, after only two years of construction, the first Swissair aircraft, a Douglas DC-4, took off from Zurich-Kloten Airport, as it was called back then, to London. That was the inaugural flight, and the first aircraft, also a DC-4, landed at Kloten Airport from Cairo.

In the meantime, our aircraft, an Airbus A330-300, is ready for boarding, and a few minutes later, we're ready to go - on time. Bye-Bye Zurich!

After 8 hours of flight, we land on time at JFK - where we are picked up by Jan and take an Uber to our hotel in Manhattan.

Before we enjoy an aperitif at a trendy surf bar on the terrace with delicious nachos and guacamole, I enjoy the view from my room, following the motto 'Room with a view'.

The Edge, that's the name of the newest observation deck with a spectacular view. We'll save this visit until the end of our trip.

For dinner, we go to one of Lucas' favorite restaurants, 'The Palm'. Today it's part of a large chain that owns various restaurants in the US, but in the past, The Palm belonged to an old Italian family. The restaurant is worth seeing just because of its wall decorations - on which our friend Jan is immortalized - and the food is also a sight to behold.

After a walk back to our hotel and a final great view of the city lights, a very long day comes to an end.