Three friends in a long tour of the U.S.A. New York and the state of New York

I visited the State of New York in the company of three friends as the beginning of a long U.S. tour Arriving at the airport in New York with a return flight from Rome and London. Released by the state for the first time in New York City to New Jersey, returned to Pennsylvania to go to Niagara Falls, released a second time from here to a brief raid into Canada, back to Niagara Falls and finally left for Pennsylvania. In the travelogue following the story of our arrival, days spent in New York City and the long trip to Niagara Falls.

 

Arrival in New York

Arriving at the airport in New York in the late evening in the company of three friends, took a taxi to the hotel in the heart of Manhattan Club. Despite reservations from Italy we were rerouted to another hotel for better luck and the most prestigious area, just across from Central Park: The Park Line Hotel. The Big Apple welcomed us with rain and we are also without suitcases because a mistake has remained in London. For the inconvenience British Airway has provided us with a special credit card with which we were able to withdraw $ 50 each to an ATM at the airport.

Second day in New York

The next morning when we wake in the elegant hotel room we peeked out the window watching the city that unfortunately it was raining. We're out of suitcases, remained in London for a mistake, should arrive in the evening at the Manhattan Club, where we will sleep tonight as booked and so we are going to store our luggage by hand. After the American breakfast in a room nearby, armed with umbrellas, which gave us the Park Line, we start visiting the city. We do enjoy the bus tour of the "Gray Line", a ticket valid for 48 hours we will get on and off at will but we have not considered that during the course of their guides will continue to haunt them with explanations for us, who do not know English incomprehensible. Get on the bus near Times Square, the focal point of life in New York full of colorful banners and huge video monitors that completely cover the surfaces of buildings transmitting curious advertising this or that product. The effect is very nice although a little too chic, the light is so intense that the whole is well visible even in daylight. After the square, which is actually a very wide road, between tall skyscrapers continue, we must raise our heads and throw their eyes to the sky to see the summits. Passing in front of Macy's and Madison Square Garden, we see in the distance, the hurdles Graund Zero, look at the fence where we lay drawings and photos in memory of victims of the terrorist massacre of 11 September and a short distance to the bronze bull from Wall Street. We go down to Battery Park from where after a bit of tail we board the ferry to the island that houses the Statue of Liberty. The huge statue given by France to the American people no longer visited 11 September 2001 so prefer to enjoy dall'attracco where the ferry stops, then go on to Ellis Island where we go to visit the Immigration Museum. In this old red brick building which have passed thousands of emigrants coming mainly from Europe so that we can say that most residents of the States have their roots on this island. Here the emigrants were kept in quarantine before being allowed to enter the country and someone was also rejected. In large rooms symbolically echo the voices of migrants, the walls are hung with their pictures in the glass are exposed their poor belongings. Let us take the ferry back to Battery Park where a short walk to the bronze statue of a bull having earlier by bus. We on Wall Street so we decided to take the homonymous street watching the neoclassical buildings that house the most important economic institutions of the world as excange Stock and Bank of America. In front of one of these the statue of George Washington remembers the place where he was elected first President of the United States. At the bottom of the road gives access to the old port where there are still some old sailing ships, but above all giving views over the famous Brooklyn Bridge. Wall Street retrace back to the small Anglican church whose bell tower of Trinity stitch was once the tallest building in New York, is now suffocated by the surrounding skyscrapers and appears small. It remains an oasis of peace and spirituality, the sober ocher-colored building is surrounded by an old cemetery with simple stone tombs, the portal presents a copy of the bas-reliefs of Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise of the Baptistery of Florence. A few steps from the Church the great chasm created by the collapse of the "Twin Towers" is cordoned off for the rehabilitation work area, but some cracks can observe and understand the vastness of the tragedy. Let us take the bus to reach the old port where we change line to look beyond the bridge in Brooklyn. The bus does not cross the Brooklyn Bridge, but the parallel then makes a rather long and boring scenic ride along in the neighborhood parks, palaces and some neo-classical monument. Here the buildings are not as high as in Manhattan, is easier to find buildings with fire escapes in the famous iron seen in many films. We're glad to return to the old port to resume the main line of the Gray Line bus for a panoramic tour of Manhattan. The bus then goes along the sea, at the height of the "Glass Palace" UN headquarters, bend as they pass in front of Rockefeller Center then stuck in traffic in the center were slowly past the Central Park and ends his tour near Time Square. From here with another bus to the Empire State Building, the evening is falling and there is a long queue of people wishing to see the sunset from the observatory. We go up fast with two elevators that lead us to the famous observatory. fell dark New York offers to our eyes with its myriad lights, the skyscrapers surrounding it looked from down below us are now very high, the view encompasses the illuminated spire of the Chrysler Palace, on the curious shape of the building known as "Iron board "and the distant Statue of Liberty. Dropped from the Empire to walk to the hotel where we learn with pleasure that our luggage arrive for their delays at the airport, the British had given us $ 50 compensation apiece. Take possession of the room where we sleep together then we go to dinner in a pizzeria self service area. The day was long, luckily the rain bothered us only in the morning, back at the hotel tired to sleep.

Third day in New York

The next day we get up in the morning, have breakfast nearby American at the same time, back to Park Line where we stayed the first night because there had been a key card in his pocket and then return to hotel. We must wait for the arrival of my daughter of two traveling companions with her boyfriend, are in the States and two weeks after the Route 66 will stop a few days in New York before returning to Italy. Arrived, we're a bit with them, then we divide by giving us an appointment for the evening. We go to Rockefeller Center, much more famous than interesting, a shopping center rather dark inside, much more vibrant outside with fountains and golden statues. A short walk from here we visit the Cathedral of St. Patrick Catholic neo-Gothic, then just get on the Gray Line bus to Central Park. Visit the park is very interesting because despite being the center of one of the largest urban agglomerations of the world gives the feeling of being in a forest. The area is very extensive and you realize you be in town just looking up at the sky towards the skyscrapers around him. Inside there are pools, skating rinks, baseball fields, Casine Tyrolean rides. Leaving the Central Park waiting for the bus to the Bronx in vain, then we opt for a taxi and a short drive takes us back in front of the park from where we resume the main line of Gray Line. Take the bus that passes through Times Square and get off at Macy's, a department store rather disappointing. Taken the bus and the stop nearest to Little Italy. Stroll the main street of the neighborhood Italian restaurants, onto which operated mainly by southerners.
We continue on foot to the adjacent China Town, Chinatown is vast and covers several blocks, is full of shops selling weird and useless junk foods, the goods are also exposed on the road disorderly. The fishmongers emit strong odors in the air but for us nothing of what is sold is inviting. We reach the bus stop and go back into the center front of the "Glass Palace" headquarters of the UN and Rockefeller Center. We have made today, as yesterday, the entire tour offered by these buses, it was interesting to cross roads onto which they tall skyscrapers also trying to pay attention to details, the strange platforms with which you clean the windows so that rise in high as to be sensitive, fire escapes, smoke coming out from the pipes below street plentiful. Even if you've never been New York looks familiar because you've seen dozens of times in movies or in the chronicles of the news. The city is not beautiful in the European sense of aesthetics but it is pretty innovative in the sense of the term, because of new construction technology is experimental, because it is unique because it is the prototype for dozens of other cities. Towards evening we take a walk on Fifth Avenue, the street of fashionable shops and major hotels like the Plaza which is a fine show in front of Central Park. E 'evening and meet with the daughter of my traveling companions and his fiance, we have dinner together in the pizzeria where we had eaten the day before, not because we are creatures of habit but because it is the best way to avoid the risk of ordering things that we do not like . After dinner we walk to the nearby Times Square, which is displayed in all its brilliance, the lights of the signs of the theaters of Broadway and the pixels of display advertising are enormous relief by night. Return to the hotel for overnight.

Fourth and last day in New York

This morning we leave the Big Apple for that greeted the daughter of my fellow passengers and her boyfriend are we doing to bring the taxi booked car hire Italy. We provide an American car in every sense: brand and type unknown, automatic transmission and many other accessories, but perhaps because it lacks tergigristallo back! Of course not without a navigation system that initially fail to run it because disturbed by the height of skyscrapers. Was nevertheless able to take the road to the state of New Jersey and from there to cross a stretch of Pennsylvania and then back in New York that we travel to Niagara Falls. The road to Niagara Falls is pretty monotonous, is developed in the country and are not passed on the way towns. Entered the town the wrong way and instead go directly to the falls, we find ourselves on the Rainbow Bridge from where you can not go back. Find ourselves forced to cross into Canada (see Raid in Canada). Late evening return to the U.S. ever since Rainbow Bridge and we just clean and simple accommodation in Boston Hotel.

Fifth day

We wake up with a nice sunny day, ideal for seeing the falls from the U.S. side. After breakfast at the Donut based muffins go into the park where the waterfalls, unlike the Canadian side, you pay to enter. With one of my fellow passengers climb into the boat that will take us right under the falls, the first real Niagara Fall Canada then to the most beautiful holes which form a magnificent amphitheater of water. The spray is so strong that even though we have provided a raincoat with a hood is inevitable wet. The waterfalls are really beautiful and deserve this long detour to get there. The boat packed us back to the jetty and from there with a lift up from the bed of the river as far as the tower which offers a beautiful view from here in the park where we parked the car.
We continue towards the south where finally leave the State of New York for Pennsylvania (see Tour in Pennsylvania)