New York at its best

15.1. and 16.1.17:

Sailing into the port of New York this morning was truly beautiful. The weather couldn't have been better for January: the sun was shining, the sky was brilliantly blue, though very cold, a few degrees below zero. The decks were even slightly icy and made slip-resistant with granulate. We were lucky enough to sail in early in the morning and were given the exact times when we would pass the Verrezano Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, so everything went smoothly and stress-free. There is so much space on the ship that there was no need to fight for the best spots. Everyone had a place and could even change positions, even though there are 2000 people on board. But compared to the size of the ship, that's all relative.

After breakfast, I went to the Commodore Bar above the bridge. Some others had the same idea, but I still found a nice spot in a comfortable club chair right in front of the window, almost like being in a car. It was very interesting to have a nice conversation with a woman from Wales and to see the skyline of Manhattan becoming clearer against the blue sky.

Shortly before the Verrezano Bridge, everyone found a spot on deck and the cold wind took our breath away. Then the action began as we were escorted by the coast guard with two heavily armed boats and a helicopter circling above us until Pier 92, for about 1 ½ hours. On the front of the two fast little boats, there was a fairly large rapid-fire weapon mounted and behind it stood a masked police officer. With sudden acceleration and changes of direction, it felt like something out of a James Bond movie, but 007 didn't jump out of the helicopter like at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Under this heavy guard, we passed the two sights: the really long suspension bridge, which even in photos shows a little bit of the curvature of the Earth, and the Statue of Liberty on its little island. After that, the beautiful skyline of New York came into view, now changed with the new One World Tower on the former Ground Zero. It was magnificent to see and despite the cold, most people stayed out for a long time.

Then it was time to quickly eat something in the buffet restaurant, there was no time for the specialty restaurants today, because immigration formalities were due. I consciously chose to go on an excursion, even though I already know New York well, but that's why I was among the first to be allowed to enter, while the "normal" people probably spent hours waiting in the dreary and huge terminal building (it almost looks like Ellis Island) until they and the entire ship were released. But I got through quickly, the reception from my immigration officer was not exactly friendly and welcoming, but at least he had nothing to complain about and was probably just in a bad mood because it was a holiday weekend (Martin Luther King Day).

In any case, I spent these two days in New York beautifully, I was on the rooftop of the Rockefeller Center, because it really offers the best view of Manhattan, especially with the Empire State Building, and I was there while the sun was still out. In the evening, I went to Times Square with its colorful neon signs, visited Grand Central Station, and took a nice walk in Central Park. Across from the Dakota Building, where John Lennon lived and was also shot, there is a mosaic plaque in the park with the word "Imagine" (after his song) and it is designed as a memorial for the victims of attacks, with flowers placed by the New Yorkers. A guitar player was playing Lennon songs and many people sat relaxed on the benches and listened. It's hard to believe that in such a big city, you can find so much peace and relaxation just a few steps away from the hustle and bustle.

In the park, I also met "dog walkers" for the first time, I had only seen them in movies before, like Jennifer Lopez in "Monster-in-Law". These are people who walk a bunch of dogs on a leash at the same time. Our guide told us that this is very well paid: $10 per dog for an hour is normal. Now calculate what their hourly or daily wages are. Really lucrative. The very spoiled or demanding dogs that get single care can cost up to $50 per hour. So if you want to change careers, this would be a new perspective! By the way, there is also a dog on our ship, but it is always carried by its owner, poor thing. I still have to find out if he has his own artificial turf!

That would be a small but perhaps interesting impression of New York. The city is really so completely different in its way of life that it can't be described in just a few words.

In any case, I am now moving on with beautiful impressions and experiences on my tour and heading towards Florida, looking forward to the warmth, which hopefully is guaranteed.

P.S.: Today I heard a saying about stopping at red lights from a New Yorker:

"Red Light is a suggestion, only"

Don't take that literally!