First stop was up the top of the Rockerfeller building, which used to be known at the Rainbow Room. It has recently re-opened after a re-vamp and was fantastic, looking down Manhattan, from the 65th floor, towards the Empire State Building, which I was excited to see was lit up with purple lights. They must have known we were coming!
A couple of amazing cocktails and a very expensive bottle of champagne and I honestly felt on top of the world. But we headed out to find a Speakeasy that we had heard about. So we raced in two taxis down towards Lower Manhattan and found a very unglitzy hot dog concession, the kind of place you might visit at a really stupid time in the morning when you have been partying all night and just want food, any food, to such an extent you bypass your usual standards! Down the stairs in this fast food joint there was an old style telephone box. I went in, rang the phone once, and after a minute or two it was answered and the back wall of the phone booth opened! A lady took one look, asked how many there were of us and let us in to the bar behind! Okay so it's a bit cliche, but I loved it. And we sat at a table that allowed us to see what happened when the phone rang. Not everyone was allowed in!
When we left the bar as most of us were in need of food we went on a dinner hunt, but not everyone could agree where to go. A food van selling falafel was spotted and I staked my claim. The boys didn't agree and headed off, whilst the girls all placed an order, at which point the heavens opened and it chucked it down! We tried to hide under the awning but were getting soaked, so it was a case of wolfing down our wraps, hailing a cab and then heading back to the warmth of our hotel bar, to wait for the boys!
Having been to New York before, and having visited most of the top tourist attractions it was quite relaxing to just wander around and not feel the need to race around and beat the crowds, which was good given that the weather the next morning was awful. There was only one thing for it. Hide in the shops! Always and expensive occupation! I was collared by a lady in Bloomingdales who insisted that she do my make up for me! I must have looked in dire need!!! And usually there is no time to sit there and just be made up, but I had nowhere to be. She decided to shovel on various lotions and potions, but just one one side of my face, so that I could see the difference. Nope! I nodded and agreed with everything she said, but couldn't really see any difference! But she was very sweet and very good at selling products. And I am just a sucker for parting with my money!
I caught up with Anna, Tony and Rob when we met at Grand Central Station. We sat above the main concourse and had lunch. What an amazing building.
After helping Anna spend some of Tony's money on a rather lovely handbag the boys insisted that we go to Hooters! I have to admit to not being overly keen at the prospect, but it wasn't as seedy as I had expected, and I managed to escape after a quick drink! We left the boys there!
Our last dinner was supposed to have been at the Gordon Ramsey restaurant at The London ( our hotel). It had been booked for months but an email to Anna the day before they travelled to the US informed her that the restaurant had closed! As a result they had booked us into his other restaurant maze! which the boys had decided had a better menu anyway, and they gave us various complementary drinks etc to apologise.
We had such fun! Our sommelier, William, was really funny and knew what he was doing, and I even managed to convince the group to try an American wine!!!!
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