Did the touristy thing and headed to Niagara Falls and a bit of Canada for the weekend. Niagara Falls turned out to be smaller than i imagined, at least when we viewed it while crossing the border from U.S to Canada. And you know how when you're about to go on these boats that take you right up to the Falls to experience it up close? I always felt like i had to be a little bit scared to go in them but i wasn't at all so i guess Niagara Falls really wasn't that big or intimidating like i think waterfalls should be.
Rolling landscapes we passed between U.S and Canada. Our day started at 8 in the morning and i think it was 8 at night when we reached Niagara. Along the way of course, the unavoidable tourist traps, first of which was the Corning Museum of Glass. It turned out more impressive than i'd quickly dismissed it for and thought it was rather informative, almost like being in the Science Centre.
We watched a 45 minute live demonstration of how glass is heated and cooled repeatedly to shape it into a vase.
Hlaroo looking at her own kind.
I actually quite like this... Glass blown to resemble balloons actually made the glass feel lightweight and float (pun not intended).
Admiring some coloured glass vases. Not all were very pretty looking though.
Glass lamps
My evil fat twin.
A couple more stops along the way for lunch and dinner and we arrived at Niagara Town. After putting down our bags we walked some 45minutes down to the Falls, passing through what felt like Las Vegas (although i've yet to be there) with ferris wheels, bowling alleys and haunted houses, bright lights and arcades, restaurants and bars dotting the entire street.
We did go to Boston on our last weekend in NYC but nope, we don't know what Boston pizza tastes like.
Fireworks at the Falls. It was very crowded, we somehow stayed long after the fireworks and crowd had disappeared.
At night, the Falls seem like it's just quietly doing its own thing, peaceful and natural.
I don't like the lighting effect on the falls.
Family portrait at the Falls. If only HY, Joy & Esther were here with us.
See, just us left cos this was close to midnight.
Saturday 26 May
Watched Legends of the Falls at the Imax Theatre. Brad Pitt wasn't it in. Then it was off to experience the Falls up close. We were herded like cows along barricaded paths and had to wait in groups for the lifts to take us down to the boat.
Our boat was called Maid of the Mist, so were we as we donned the uniform blue raincoats.
It's really not very tall right, Niagara Falls? i think i was a wee bit disappointed, especially having seen pictures of the Iguasu Falls in Argentina/Brazil from ZY & WY's trip last year.
Mom offering a sense of scale to the Falls.
So we were told Niagara Falls is made up of 3 waterfalls: the Canadian Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil. The Canadian Falls was the biggest of the lot.
Wet, wet, wet.
Very wet.
Back on dry land. Strange but our attire wasn't planned.
Had to make use of the tripod since we lugged it out.
Family jump again... i wonder who makes us do these jumps tsk tsk.
I can't really jump so this is my brother making fun of me.
As punishment, he had to carry WY.
Then piggy-back her.
Just kidding.
I was feeling rather sleepy here.
That's the bridge between U.S and Canada.
The furious mists from the water hitting the rocks.
I wonder if there are any boat rides at the top part of the Falls.
The Falls look more decent from this view. We were in that boat a while ago.
View of the falls from up the Skylon Tower where lunch was served.
Revolving restaurant at the Skylon Tower.
Lift going up the Skylon Tower.
Ontario's Old City Hall which is now serving as a courthouse. I'm a bit confused about the venn diagrams between Toronto, Ontario and Ottawa. Ontario is in Ottawa i think. And i think Ottawa is the capital of Canada.
Ontario's New City Hall is the two curved slab blocks, shaped like an eye when viewed by the birds. Also nicknamed the "eye of the government". The plaza in front is Nathan Phillips Square.
I like the wave platform over the berths.
We're going to go up that tower after our boat ride. It's not the same tower where we had lunch. That was in Niagara, we're now in Toronto, Ontario, i think.
Boat ride was quite tranquil actually. Some call it boring.
I think CN stands for Canadian Network? Actually i don't really know haha. Oh i checked, it's Canadian National. And the tower is 553m tall.
The queue to get up was insanely long. i think we waited something like 2 hours?
We spied an MVRDV building from above.
Glass floor. S c a r y . It's all in the mind but still i'm a little nervous walking across it, like i was up at the World Financial Centre in Shanghai. I can't remember which was taller. This one maybe.
ZY and WY on the glass floor.
Sunday 27 May
See, another boat ride, like i said. This time to view the thousand islands. Apparently this is where thousand island dressing comes from but i don't know why or how. I prefer balsamic vinegrette dressing on my salads anyway.
ZY with my coach buddy, 10 year old Gabby who's really quite cute.
After finally docking, it was a long coach ride back to NYC.
Back in NYC in the evening and it was still so bright yay! Pinkberry yoghurt on 26th street before catching the bus to Chelsea and a evening stroll along the High Line.
We meant to have pinkberry every other day in NYC but alas we only managed to have it just this one time.
Landscaping detail along the High Line, a really successful urban project that converted a mile long section of a disused elevated railway track into a linear park along the western part of Manhattan.
I really like it up here, people were strolling, a couple and their kid and baby were sprawled on the grass patch sans shoes like it was their own backyard, friends gathered on wooden steps facing the strolling crowd just chit-chatting away, joggers, shoppers passing through, individuals just watching the traffic or lost in their own thoughts... it's crowded with people most stretches but it's a nice kind of crowd, like everyone seems to be enjoying this incidental shared public space.
Stretch along 10th Avenue and 17th Street. See the elevated black structure with infill glass panels, almost like a viewing gallery of sorts and you wonder who's viewing who or what...
Traffic watchers on the other side of the glass. It's really quite interesting this space. And i like how the ramps subtlely disappear into the seats or how the seats rise up from the ramps, depending on how you see it. And the little linear lights so gently suggesting the sloped floor.
This i must show my engineers :P This is what i wanted when i suggested adding lights on the pebble wash under the stone bench at the kerbside plaza but no, they told me lights must serve a function and that is to light up a feature wall or a painting or a usable space, and not highlight an ugly corner or the underside of a bench which is meaningless in broad daylight.... excuse me?! Nah see, lighting under a bench in broad daylight. Uh-huh.
Aerial greening
Assorted architecture styles of the nearby apartment buildings as viewed from the High Line, many of which were spurred by the recycling of the railway line to this linear park.
IAC Building by Frank Gehry was one of them.
We left the High Line at Chelsea and even though it was 8pm and pretty late for a market to still be open, we decided to go ahead and check out Chelsea Market anyway, even though we were quite certain most of the stalls would be closed by this time.
Side wall of Chelsea Market.
A relief layout of Chelsea Market stalls, interesting idea.
Walking down memory lane at the entrance to Chelsea Market on 10th.
Centre portion of the linear market.
Ooh the market serves up vintage bridal gowns too.
The other entrance of Chelsea Market
Chelsea's a pretty neat little area, i notice quite a fair bit of yuppie sort of restaurants with alfresco dining spilling out onto sidewalks, a couple of rooftop parties going on overhead, but a pity we were hurrying along to find dinner so couldn't really check out the place more thoroughly or slowly. Further up was the Chelsea art galleries which we didn't get to check out either.
Nice quaint little restaurant in a relatively quiet part of Chelsea area.
Just chillin'
Pork Chops
Monday 28 May
Memorial Day Holiday which translates to morning shopping for WY, Mom and me while the guys stayed at home. WY brought us to TJ Max and Marshalls, and Lohman's.
We started our day with delicious brunch at this belgium breakfast place.
My croque madame with gruyere cheese and a sunny side up!
Mom's smoked salmon sandwich.
Random sidewalk photo
Mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all?
Vintage furniture shop with nice quaint accessories in a little alleyway.
Limelight was an old church building completely gutted out and converted into a fashion store. Once inside it looks totally un-church-like.
It was between Lombardi's or Grimaldi's it seems vying for best pizza in NYC?
Might as well try since it was just outside Limelight. It was okay only, for me.
Cute little girl in cute navy dress and curly ponytail.
Cute dog.
Empire State Building up close.
Empire State lobby. No, we didn't go up.
Macy's, the world's largest store. So large i didn't even bother shopping inside except to buy some See's chocolates at a friend's request and to check out luggage. I think i prefer shopping at the small sidewalk boutiques or Forever 21 and H&M, which i did a couple of sprees in.
Wooden escalator inside Macy's.
Dinner at the italian restaurant called Bistango back near the apartment.
WY's pasta
My ravioli was excellent.
Dad & Mom's grilled salmon steak.
Mmm... warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream for dessert.
Tuesday 30 May
Salmon Tuesday at East, a japanese diner near the apartment where salmon dishes go for half price yay! WY walked over from her workplace to lunch with us, how sweet.
Today was World Trade Centre day. Ventured south to the Ground Zero site and surrounds, after which we spent the afternoon shopping at Century 21, a big discount store chain in NYC.
One, World Trade. Ground zero making its way up.
At the gate of St Paul's Chapel.
Graveyard as park.
Headed west to Washington Square Park where the sun rays were coming in low and made the fountain in the park look really nice and glittery. Each park in NYC had its own special urban quality, fountain or no fountain. Chess masters in the park were soliciting potential passers-by to sit down for a game or two.
Children and adults were both soaking up the atmosphere literally, in the park. Even the cute white dog tried jumping in a few times.
I love all the human interaction with these urban installations and landmarks.
Headed further west from Washington Square Park to Bleecker Street and walked up Cornelia Street along Bleecker then down Grove Street back to Washington Square Park again. NYU is very near Washington Square Park.
Nice quaint shops and eateries at Bleecker Street. Apparently if you walk further up, that's where the designer boutiques were.
Subway Station on West 4 Street at Washington Square Park, where we were taking the Number 6 line all the way to Marcy Avenue station in Brooklyn for some real man's steak.
Peter Luger Steak House
WY made the reservations and they are so popular we could only get the 9pm slot.
Happy while waiting for our table to be set up.
Established in 1887 by the mafia it seems.
Happy diners.
Check out how unpolished the slabs of steak are served up and 'thrown' on the table! i loved it!
A serving of lamb, two servings of medium rare steak and one medium well for the folks, along with side dishes of brocoli and fries. *smacks lips*
I felt like a total hyena ripping every shred of steak off that bone.
There's always a separate compartment for dessert.
Next: NYC and the weekend in Boston
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