To the countryside & up high.

Day 2 in Manhattan and the city has a certain magic. It's indescribable, but New York always surprises you anew.

After breakfast, we went to the bike station because we had a big tour of Central Park ahead of us. We had a New York Pass for 3 attractions, and this was one of them. First, we stood in line for 20 minutes at the wrong station until we were told that this pass is not valid here. Oh, clumsy! But just 5 minutes away was the right station, and then it was time to ride!

As sightseeing experts, we quickly notice where there is something to see. Where the crowds are! We were not disappointed and discovered a beautiful lake with a view of the skyline.

We never thought that biking through Central Park would be so incredibly exhausting. It was constantly uphill, and the gears on the bike weren't helpful either.

By the way, Blair & Chuck from Gossip Girl got married on the Bethesda Terrace. Fun fact for all those who, like Marie, were hyped about the series! And because there wasn't enough Gossip Girl, here are the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the girls always have lunch. But of course, that's also a cultural highlight! Psst: We only went because of Marie's Gossip Girl steps 🙄

We were actually about to finish our leisurely, exhausting, sweaty, exciting ride, when a beautiful view awaited us, showing how different Green & Loud are. The Central Park is only drivable in one direction on the East and West Drive. You share the road with carriages, many joggers, and walkers. Overall, we rode 16km, and as it is with unfamiliar bikes: your butt will hurt! 🥲

Last stop: The Plaza. A famous film hotel, among others in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. This is where Kevin stayed when he was separated from his family. If you remember: in Central Park, he encounters the homeless pigeon lady. And from one Home Alone in New York to the next:

In the movie, Mr. Duncan actually ran a toy store across from The Plaza. Here you see a new location, which is actually operated by Toys'R'Us. Nevertheless, it was a little trip back to our childhood. The store is incredibly colorful, lovingly furnished, a paradise for children and adults who are young at heart, and a nightmare for the wallet. So we just browsed 😊

Now we were on our way to Times Square, which will be visited again in the evening tomorrow, but now let's take a look at it during the day. Many people, very colorful, but incredibly visually stunning.

From here, we stomped to Grand Central Station, because we will be right there again tomorrow!

The main train station of New York. In the main hall, which by the way is 7500 m², everything is simply overwhelming. The ceiling, the atmosphere, and also the small clock in the middle, whose dial is worth several million dollars. There is a vault in the basement where you can whisper quietly in the corners and you can hear it in the opposite corner. And yes: it works!

Now we were hungry. It was the most expensive hot dog we've ever eaten. But at least it didn't have fried onions or pickles. To make it worth it. Instead of 2 in NY, we could have gotten 10 at IKEA. Hunger drives you in!

And there it was! The last stop of the day, not to be confused with the Chrysler Building, where we first walked to 😅. It was really great! We didn't have to wait in line and walked through a small museum before going to the top floors.

Here, Benny also met his fellow species. Aren't they cute? 😍 Warning! Now follows an Empire State Building spam for a 360° panoramic view & a little flower girl.

Spam over. We lied, it wasn't the last stop. We walked a few more meters to the New York Public Library. After a bit of history, we found the atmosphere for students & knowledge seekers to be unique. Maybe we'll read something here sometime 😇

To end the day, we treated ourselves to a 99ct pizza that didn't cost 99ct. Oh well, it tasted good 🤗

And Ben's closing sentence for today's blog post: my butt hurts from biking. So - good night & see you tomorrow ❤

B ❤️ M