The whirlwind tour of the states was overall very good. Not as relaxed as I would’ve hoped, as there were too many people and things to see, and a lot of travelling back and forth, but all in all, really good.

We flew in to NYC. The flight was pretty cruddy – I will never fly Air France again! We barely made our connecting flight in Paris, and the plane from Paris
to NYC was really old – no screen in the back of the headrest, uncomfortable seats, etc. Despite checking in hours early, we still didn’t get seats together and had to ask this poor teenager to give up his window seat. (poor soul! he then got bumped again about two minutes later by the flight attendant.) We got in about 9:00 pm on Friday evening, and had a surprisingly easy time through Immigration (i got a hearty “welcome home!”, while jonno got fingerprinted and photographed like a sex offender). Got to my friend Johanna’s flat and caught up a bit over a few beers and some food. Woke up at 4:30 am (!) Saturday, and wandered around Brooklyn – went
to Prospect Park and the Botanical Gardens. Went shopping at Target, a baptism in american consumerism! Had a nice dinner and some olympic viewing.

NExt morning took the bus up to Boston, and just spent the day touching base with my family, getting fed every 5 minutes. MOnday, picked up the rental tank, er, car. we reserved an economy compact, we were given a massive extended cab pickup truck, with a front bench as big and cushy as a full size couch. we have brek-fy with the family at the early american (my former “regular” diner, and the scene of much chick-trip planning, relationship analysis, and hangover therapy over gallons of coffee), did the whole Red SOx experience – tour of Fenway (mecca!), shopping for Sox gear, and of course, the game (which we won!). Tuesday, we took a one day walking tour of the entirety of Boston and Cambridge. Took the ferry into the North End, walked through Fanueil Hall, to the Commons and Public gardens, through to Copley Square, over the Mass Ave bridge into Central Square, and then Harvard Square. Lots of walking. Dinner with the whole family (including the little ball of hellish terror that is my 2 year old nephew). The next day we went down to the Cape to stay at my sister’s. Had lahhhbstahh rolls, then a a half day at the local little beach, then went to Hyannis for evening beers by the ocean. The next day the weather was crap, so we spent the day shopping for running shoes and getting lost in the texitle maze that is Old Navy. Friday we went and visited my friend Vanessa and her baby in
Wellfleet, and then drove into Boston for an eye-talian dinner in the North End with my dad and his wife. Saturday we spent the day with my sis, eating seafood and going to gay old ProvinceTown. Sunday we took the bus back to NYC and hung out with Johanna and her husband. Monday we walked nearly all of Manhattan – started off walking over the Bklyn Bridge, then up through Tribeca, Chinatown, Soho, Washington Square, the East Village, Little India, over to midtown for the Empire State Building, Times Square, then took the subway up to the Upper west Side, went through Central Pk, saw a movie, and took the subway home. We must’ve walked ten miles if we walked a step. Tuesday we took the Staten Island ferry out into the harbour for the view of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline, then went to the SOuth Street Seaport for lunch, then went to the Upper East side and the Metropolitan Museum, walked down to Rockefeller Centre, and then went home and had a lovely dinner at a south african restaurant just near Jo’s house. Wed, we just did some
errands, and then it was time to go home again! I didn’t sleep at all on the flight home, and when I finally went to sleep Thur night, I slept for days.

This weekend we went for a run on Sat morning (which didn’t do my knee any favors) and spent all of Sunday playing drinking Rummikub, and then monday just vegged (was going to go to the Carnival, but the weather was not so hot, and J was wayyyy hungover).

That’s it in a nutshell! you’ve already seen the pics. now go away.

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