2nd Day 21.06.2022 - Sightseeing Manhattan

We all slept differently well on the first night. Anne still didn't feel better and had to take fever tablets, it was too loud for me, constant noise from a nearby highway. Pauline and Marie slept better. However, due to the time difference, we all woke up relatively early, around 7:00 am. So we had more of the day. We had breakfast on the rooftop terrace in pleasant warm temperatures. Today it was cloudy and it shouldn't get too hot. 25 degrees Celsius were forecasted. Anne stayed in bed all day. The three of us wished her a speedy recovery and then set off around 9:30 am. Pauline had planned a relaxed sightseeing trip in Manhattan today. We walked about 10 minutes from the apartment to the ferry at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where the NY Ferry departed for 34th Street. The ferry ride took about 10 minutes and we admired the skyline from the water. It is a good alternative to the subway as you get to see a lot and the breeze in the summer is refreshing. Also, it's not as crowded. The ride costs $2.75 for one trip. Arriving in Manhattan, we went to Madison Square Park where we took a short break and observed the hustle and bustle. I found everything incredibly loud and hectic. The girls found everything exciting. Then we continued to the Flatiron Building. Unfortunately, the top was scaffolded so we couldn't get a good impression. But photos were still taken. Then we went to 5th Ave, first to Starbucks to satisfy our coffee thirst. Then further north, past the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building to the New York Public Library. It was an impressive building that we naturally wanted to visit from the inside as well. Marie found something here right away and bought a jute bag with printed personalities from the art scene. Then we headed towards Grand Central Station, another impressive building in terms of size and architecture. Here we also took a break and snacked on fries at 'Shake and Shack'. By now, everything felt very loud and crowded. I also started to have slight headaches, but I pulled myself together and kept going. After the break, we continued along Fifth Ave, northwards to the Trump Tower (also an impressive building, very tall), then to Tiffany (we also had to see it from the inside, but in the end, we didn't buy anything because we couldn't find price tags on the jewelry), until we were almost at Central Park. Everywhere we also saw funny green vans on the side of the road where you could legally buy cannabis in various forms. I didn't know it was legal there. Unfortunately, only from the age of 21... for Pauline.

By now, everything was spinning around me and I had to sit down. People rushing past everywhere, honking cars, sirens... my head was buzzing and I didn't feel well. So I decided to go home. The girls first considered letting me go and continuing on their own, but then they thought I would get lost and decided to come with me towards Brooklyn. (Thank you, I would have definitely gotten lost). We then found the subway and went to Brooklyn. I knew my way around there and went to our Airbnb, where I immediately lay down in bed. The girls continued exploring Brooklyn. They told me about a nice street near the apartment, Dekalb Avenue. There they found a nice take-away shop and got bagels and sandwiches for everyone. Meanwhile, I also got a fever. As we heard, many people had been infected at the prom party, unfortunately including Anne and me. But luckily the girls were fine and could enjoy the city without us.