New York, New York (part II)

Our few days in New York seem to have passed all too rapidly (well, for Mel at least). We made the most of our time here, seeing as much as we could and catching up with old friends.

On Sunday we met up with a school friend of Mel's who she hasn't seen in about eight years. Jess has been living in the States for seven years now, so she was the perfect guide to show us around the upper West Side. We walked through Central Park and took in some classic views of the skyline, before eating a yummy lunch at a great cafe. Our afternoon was spent down by the Hudson River, right by where that plane pilot landed his jet in the water. Thanks for being a great tour guide, Jess!

Mel and Jess in Central Park.

We have seen two Broadway shows - 'Avenue Q' and 'The 39 Steps'. Mel and Dave both had a really great time with these two comedies - plenty of laughs and some great physical comedy in both shows. There are so many options with things to see in NY, it seems that Mel is already planning a return trip to take in some more theatre. There just isn't enough time to see and do everything in only five days!

Billboards on Broadway.

Our last two days have been spent at the US Open - a long anticipated event for us. We had tickets to the Arthur Ashe stadium (the main stadium), and were lucky enough to see Kim Clijsters, the great Roger Federer and Serena Williams all on the first day! No upsets for them, in the first round at any rate. Day 2 arrived and we ended up seeing some other great players, including the world number 1 women's player, Dinara Safina. She was playing an Aussie wildcard and of all the games we saw this was the best. The Aussie took the first set from her and almost won the match at the end. The crowd was right into it and the standard was great.

Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Note from Mel: I love NY!