Quite broken sleep throughout the early morning. Kept looking out to see where we were. Tried to get onto the internet to load a map, but of course it timed out on the login process didn't it. Then suddenly the Verrazzano Narrows bridge glided overhead.
Gliding under the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge - photo taken from bed!
Got up and had a shower and watched arrival into New York from the balcony. And did manage to get onto the internet to use up my last ten minutes (fortunately earlier the login process froze just *before* it logged in). Pulled up alongside Brooklyn terminal just before 6:30.
Statue of Liberty and Staten Island Ferry from Queen Mary 2
New York from Queen Mary 2
New York from Queen Mary 2
Verrazzano Narrows Bridge from Queen Mary 2
Backed up all my photos again, this time to the external hard drive.
Waited for the sweetie to get ready, then we headed off to breakfast. Last one. Sad times.
Fire hydrant and lamp post for the dogs on the Transatlantic Crossing
Governors Island and New York from Queen Mary 2
Around 8:15 we'd all packed up, including managing to close the suitcases! Since we had a self checkout, we were able to just walk off the ship without waiting around for any groups. Epic win, so much betterer than when we did this in Hong Kong!
I might have patted the ship on the way out.
Now I was fully expecting to spend at least an hour, maybe two, getting through immigration. It was pretty slow last time, and with the US Government shutdown I was expecting only a skeleton crew on. So we were completely amazed when we not only walked up to a desk with no queue whatsoever, but all they did was look at our passports to make sure we were us. They didn't even electronically swipe or check them. Now I don't know if this was because they checked us all pretty thoroughly last time we came through the port, or if because of the shutdown (and so therefore they are not getting paid) they were just doing the most basic of checks. Whatever the reason we were through the hall in just a few minutes. Epic win!!
Went outside and hopped straight into a taxi to the hotel.
Saying goodbye to the Queen Mary 2 in the taxi on the way to the hotel
The day just kept getting better. It was only 9:00, but because they had rooms free they checked us in! So cool. So we went up to the room and dumped our stuff and the sweetie collapsed for a little while.
Also, we could see the ship from our room! Well sort of - through a building being constructed. That view will disappear soon.
And then we headed out. We just wandered north through Brooklyn and down to the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Wandered round the waterfront.
Brooklyn Borough Hall
Kings County Supreme Court
Kings County Supreme Court
Statue of Christopher Columbus
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern District of New York
US District Court - Eastern District of New York
Brooklyn War Memorial
FDNY Engine 205/Ladder118
When the sweetie was here in 2016, he was recommended by a work colleague to try Shake Shack, which he did and enjoyed it. So for lunch we went to the one near the water in Dumbo. The fries were amazing, and the burger and shake were pretty good too.
Lunch at Shake Shack. Best. Fries. Ever. Fries and burgers here were amazing
Then the sun came out. So went back to the water front to retake some of my photos.
Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge Park
Manhattan Municipal Building and Verizon building
Brooklyn Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
Lower Manhattan panorama
And kept wandering, documenting the Manhattan Bridge, which I didn't really do last time.
Manhattan Bridge from Max Family Garden (with monstrosity of a building behind it)
Jane's Carousel
Brooklyn Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan
Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan
Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan
Manhattan Bridge
Lower Manhattan
Stu and the Manhattan Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
Iconic view of Manhattan Bridge at the corner of Washington and Water Streets
Empire State Building through the Manhattan Bridge
Then we went back and found a footpath entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was very crowded with plenty of other tourists walking across and taking selfies. The sun mostly stayed out too so that was pretty awesome.
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Queen Mary 2 at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
Brooklyn Bridge
Manhattan Bridge and the ugly monstrosity ruining the New York skyline
No locks earphones trash - no kidding!
Lower Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge
Midtown Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan
One World Trade Centre
8 Spruce St. in Lower Manhattan
Stu and Kaz on Brooklyn Bridge
Finally we walked all the way back to the hotel.
US District Court - Eastern District of New York (with massive security presence because of trial of "El Chappo")
It was only about 14:30 by the time we got back, but nearly 14000 steps and our feet and legs hurt, so decided to call it for the day. And did I mention that we feel like we're both getting sick. The sweetie was starting to recover but felt worse again today. And I've got the tickle of a sore throat too. Hrmmm.
So sat in the hotel for a while catching up on the internet and planning out some stuff to do for the next three days. Except we want to do more than will fit in three days. Especially when we're sick. And old. Hrmmm.
Watched and waited for the ship to leave but she didn't.
Went to the pub downstairs for dinner, although a couple of beers and dinner adds up very quickly .. Hrmmm. The sweetie had tacos and I forced myself to have a salad. I could easily eat pizza and wings and ribs every day here, but my bowels would probably complain. A lot.
Then photos, GPS, blog, crash.
And the ship had left by the time we got back to the room. Without us! Sad times...
The sweetie didn't want to go to sleep straight away so suggested we watch something on smellovision. Well Miss Congeniality 2 had just started so we watched that. Bad idea. It went to 23:00!! Urgh. Not only that but the sweetie went to sleep part way through so I got stuck watching it. Reminded me a lot of our trip to America in 2004, when Dad did the same thing to Mum and me... It would have finished a lot earlier, but the advert breaks went for a full five minutes each, with more like ten shorter ads. So awful to have to slog through.
So yeah, a very late night :(
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