Canada, eh

So, yesterday I went for a stroll up Mont Royal (a hill in the middle of the city, which apparently gave Montreal its name). Most other people were out jogging or walking dogs, apart from this guy...



Sure. There's still snow on the ground - but not that much!

One step forward, two steps back

Morning!

I'm in Montreal now. Last night, whilst lolling around in my ridiculously large hotel room, I finally got around to uploading a few photos from Central America. They can be found here, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

No time for an in-depth Boston update, there's a beautiful blue sky outside and a new city to explore.

A ridiculously large hotel room, yesterday

I love New York!

It has been a great week.

I’m currently having an enforced rest – on the train from New York to Boston. They have power sockets by the seat so I’m taking a moment to jot down some thoughts inbetween watching my ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ dvd, sifting through my digital photos and gazing out of the window (no power socket required).

One of the advantages of having visited here recently (last October) was that I didn’t feel like I had to rush around the sights and could spend some time just soaking up the atmosphere – and catching up with my friend, Vinay.

We spent the weekend lazing around – first in Williamsburg (a low-rise, relaxed – I think the blanket description is 'Boho’ - area) then on the Upper West side and Central Park, not far from Vin’s apartment. I loved Williamsburg – we spent an afternoon in a coffee shop, reading the previous weekend’s UK papers (Vinay) and eavesdropping on the interesting clientele (me). Several coffees (and hours) later we moved onto a warehouse-sized Thai restaurant called ‘Sea’ (apparently used as the setting for ‘Raw’ in Sex and the City) and finished our day in an arts-space bar called ‘Galapagos’.
Vinay pictured without Art-space glasses and hat

Spent a very entertaining night there watching some diva belly dancers and then listening to an excellent (slightly anglophilic) dj mixing up Mylo, James Brown, Fischerspooner and Pulp - amongst other great artists, which the Brooklyn lager has wiped from my memory.

I’ve walked miles and miles around the city – in fact, on one day, I enjoyed walking over the Brooklyn Bridge so much that I turned around and went back again. Mind you – as impressive as the financial district of Manhattan is – I preferred the look of Brooklyn Heights and decided to return for a closer peek.

Someone not actually walking at all, on the Brooklyn Bridge

A small corner of Brooklyn Heights

I’ve seen a few films, my favourite – and a very powerful film - was ‘V for Vendetta’, which was showing at the local Imax screen.

..and being advertised at Times Square.

I must have loved it as the dodgy English accents didn’t even bother me. I won’t review it as this person and this person have done a much better job than I could manage (don’t click on these if you haven’t yet seen the film). We also saw a free preview of ‘Inside Man’. Not a bad film, which was a good job as we were kept waiting outside the cinema for more than an hour (it’s been bitterly cold this week) – while the press dawdled their way in, had to sit on the third row (cricked neck, anyone?) – and then found out that it was opening in a couple of days time anyway (so the opportunity to gloat was short-lived).

Anyway – the train is pulling into Boston and I’m looking forward to crashing out at my hotel and getting over my tired and emotional state after a late last night at the Baggot Inn in Greenwich village. Uuurgh.



(a slightly dodgy connection on my hotel’s ‘complimentary high-speed internet access’ prevented me from posting this when I arrived last night. Feeling refreshed and invigorated this morning and looking forward to having a tourist-y day, followed by a night out with an ex-colleague, Paul and his wife Emily.)

Where did you get that hat?

Yesterday, I went to see the New York St. Patrick's Day parade.



According to Mayor Bloomberg - everyone in New York is a litle bit Irish. Judging by the overspill from the numerous Irish (and non-Irish) bars around the place, I think the city was taking this statement to heart. We spent the evening at Modern instead - and yes, my head (and purse) hurt this morning.

Terminally bored

Urgh.



I've been up since 4.30am this morning: travelled first by taxi, then bus and am now wedged in (what is now) my own little corner of Terminal 4 at Heathrow slowly sipping a cup of increasingly cold coffee. I still can't check-in for another 2 hours (bless the National Express timetable).

Still, the morning hasn't been completely without incident. I've been propositioned and invited to go and stay in Jamaica by my neighbour on the bus, who expressed surprise that I would be going anywhere else (although the offer was tempting, the proposition was a little disturbing and I successfully feigned sleep - which was tricky whilst listening to Bill Bailey on my iPod - to avoid the awkward exchange of contact details at Terminal 3).

Only another 13 hours until I'm in the Big Apple.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Busy Bee

Hello

This blogging lark is tricky to keep on top of, isn't it.

I am back. In fact, I've been back from Central America for nearly two weeks. However, I've spent that time unpacking; washing clothes; going through my mail; catching up with family; waiting for clothes to dry; seeing friends; washing more clothes; packing clothes again; jetting off to the Netherlands for a long weekend; contracting a cold (at least the stomach issues had cleared up by then); unpacking again; washing the latest set of dirty clothes (along with the ones for which there was no room on the drier last week); having a couple of vacant days whilst wiped out by the cold; seeing friends; going through more mail; catching up with family; drying clothes again; inventing new places to hang clothes to dry as time is running out; buying new luggage (with wheels this time) and making plans for the next trip....

...which is this Thursday!

I've whittled the Central America photos down to a few highlights and even have a few from Holland (in addition to the ones posted by my friend, Nick, here and here) but will probably not find time to post them on flickr until I'm at my next destination. In the meantime - here is a pic of yours truly sitting on the steps of a Mayan pyramid (the Pyramid of the Lost World at Tikal, to be specific):


...and the sun hat also travelled to Guatemala.


So. Where am I off to? Well, I fly out to New York and then have just over 5 weeks to travel across to Vancouver before I head back home. I'm staying with Vinay - a friend from University - whilst in NYC and my very good friends Margaret, Alan, Alison and John when I get to Vancouver. Inbetween times the schedule is pretty flexible but I hope to take in Boston, Montreal, Toronto and the Canadian Rockies...

I'm really looking forward to having a bit of 'me time' on this trip. The trips I've been on so far (with the exception of Holland) have had really packed schedules, which means I've seen and done an awful lot in a relatively short period of time but it hasn't left a lot of time for reflection. Even when I'm at home, I feel like I'm rushing around - and I know that I haven't managed to see everyone that I'd like to, or just to catch up with the normal day to day stuff of life...

I'm going to spend May in the UK.