Grand Central, New York

The orange lights on the ground twinkle like sparkling jewels as we make our descent, welcoming me to New York.

My ears fill up, the pressure difference makes them stuffed while the road down below winds in long stretches with mobile jewels, the cars beneath forming a long, long necklace, it’s almost like a Broadway show, it is apparently very easy to lease a car in here, you can find more information at the the BVRLA guide.

Norma is there to meet me. To my delight, I’m spending the night with her.

We feast on an amazing, freshly made Spanish Tortilla and I want to hug Norma for a great job done. The view from her apartment is killer- the Empire State building is bedecked in blue jewels, the Chrysler building, Ground Zero, all are visible. I reach out to capture the scene before me and guess what, my camera has died on me. After a week in the mountains, it will no longer work.

The following morning, I call up Adorama, a camera shop close to where Norma lives and they’ll buy my dead camera. By the time we’re done, I have a great deal on a brand new D5100 body, which takes my old lenses and I am ready to roll. It means great skyline photos to come.

Norma and her husband take me on a tour. We stop by a few kitchen shops – Broadway Panhandler, some shops in The Bowery, a street full of restaurant kitchen supply shops, filled with the weird and wonderful..

…and a Chinese shop with the most amazing chopsticks selection, called Pearl River.

My impression of New York is….a city on wheels, steroids….incredibly chic, busy, bustling yet inviting. People are so friendly…and it rains here too!

From there, we head to Grand Central, as I am leaving for Rye to stay with friends from the Netherlands. On the forty minute journey from the city, I feast on a toasted, pannini-pressed sesame bagel filled with turkey and avocado and down freshly squeezed orange juice.

I think of the absolute beauty of the market at Grand Central, and the stunning interior of the station. There are fruit stands, where I get my first ever glimpse of Meyer lemons and Key limes….., where I spot yellow raspberries and golden cherries, flavoured sugars, teas from The world over, soft-shelled crabs, swordfish and a lot more.

My mouth waters….and I know I’ll be back.

I love NYC.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Grand Central, New York – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]