My favourite part of each morning is when mum uses about 50% of her words in the first hour, providing factual commentary on pretty much everything she sees. Shop names, people’s clothes/conversations, buildings and….well just about everything. Bless.

After nearly killing mum yesterday with all the walking, she has politely asked to Uber it to our tour of Central Park today. I’d been told off by my daughters about animal cruelty of the horses doing carriage rides through the park so we decided to do a pedicab instead. Interestingly, on our tour we learnt they have enacted laws about the horses to keep them safe and also they are mostly ex-NYPD horses. A new lease on life. ​

Leo, our guide, was simply delicious as we weaved our way through Central Park, but not before seeing a rough sleeper keeping warm by laying themselves across a subway vent right next to the bike track. After walking over the top of one myself, I can’t blame them.

I think my favourite memory from today is when we’d made a stop within the park and there was a busker playing the guitar which coincided with a group of girls from a choir spontaneously singing along in harmony. The acoustics in the underpass were gorgeous.

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We learnt so much from Leo, and got to see so much of the park. Including Strawberry Fields the part of Central Park dedicated to John Lennon. This location was the closest to where Lennon lived, and where Yoko at 92 still lives to this day.

After our tour we farewelled Leo and decided to grab some brekky and head for the Top of the Rock. The Rockefeller Center is so famous and on the way I spot the hotel my girls and I stayed back in 2016 and was taken back to the memories of our time there. Sadly it hasn’t survived the pandemic and was boarded up.

At Rockefeller Center its impressive to think how high up we were and knowing about that iconic image of workers taking a lunch break on the steel beam at that height. We enjoyed chatting to a worker there from Nepal who spotted mums Kathmandu jacket and strikes up a conversation as it reminded him of home.
We move on from the breathtaking view to visit Macys but to rest half way on our walk we step into yet another Irish pub called Jane Doe. I guess a play on being unidentified?
We had a quick bevvy and met an Englishman with an Irish name (Eamon) who is married to an Aussie from Dubbo, in New York on business. It was entertaining as we heard about his work and his first visit to his wife’s family home out on property in the country, and went to the neighbour’s place for a BBQ 40 mins away. It impressive there are so many international men marrying Aussie women. Clearly I know why!! We are the absolute best!!!!
We farewell our new friend as we decide it’s time to shop!! Macys here we come.
It’s multi level and oh so much fun!! I found it hard to leave behind the entire floor for special event dresses. I loved so many things there. I absolutely could’ve come home with multiple suitcases of dresses from there but had to walk away from the temptation.
We did however have some success on the women’s clothing level and came home with a few things. There is still a few old school wooden escalators in operation inside too.

It’s a much more comfortable temperature today and needing to cure my Asian food cravings I find the Dim Sum Palace. In Australia we call it Yum Cha which is one of my favourite lunches to have. I introduced mum to soup dumplings. She’s a convert!
Fortunately for mum it’s not far from our hotel, so after a short walk we head back so she can chill and rest before dinner. We hadn’t had lunch till 3pm so were in no hurry to find a dinner spot.
I took the opportunity to call home and speak to Matthew, Jamei and Boston. It’s so nice we have the kind of technology that allows that kind of catch up, even if it’s not always easy to find a time that is convenient for both time zones. 
Leaving mumma for a couple of hours to rest, I headed back to the room to chat about where we might go for dinner. Mum isn’t phased as long as she doesn’t have to walk far to get there. 
Conveniently we are across the road from a German restaurant/bar. We’d made a friend from Santa Barbara who was awaiting the arrival of his wife and daughter who were on a red eye to spend a week’s vacation in New York together. We talked about all kinds of things – college costs, the importance of travel for teens, superannuation, politics, where he should travel when back in Australia, gap years…the list goes on.
Mum was in her element as she found Polish Kalbasi on the menu. Eating her dinner while watching 3 different basketball games was a dream. She can’t wait till our NBA night where she will experience this live.

Happily exhausted we farewell our friend and the staff who have so kindly looked after us – including when mum spilled her very first wine all over the bar and me. 
So satisfied with another memorable day, and have tomorrow already planned out. Bring on day 3!