New York, New York

So good, they named it twice. Or so it goes. We're now back in sunny Dundonald, and New York is becoming a memory. We were on the late night flight out of Newark, direct to Aldergrove Belfast International Airport with Continental. Arriving shortly after 9am on Friday morning, it was straight to bed to try and combat the jetlag by getting some sleep! We ended up sitting in the front row of the cattle coach class, just at the kitchen where the air stewards and stewardesses were preparing the meals and talking, so there was no sleep to be had on the plane.

More detailed analysis of the trip will follow, as well as a few photos, but what of
my initial reactions, from across the Atlantic pond?

New York is massive! The buildings seemed so tall, no matter where you looked. Driving down the M2 back into Belfast yesterday, the skyline seemed so tiny in comparison.

New York is bunged! To go with the massive buildings, there are thousands and millions of people every day in New York. One of the tour guides on the open top bus tours told us that Manhattan has an average occupancy of 268,000 people per square mile Monday through Friday. The roads were busy, the streets were busy, and Times Square seemed to always be packed. I'm not sure I could handle that all the time. Never again will I complain that Belfast seems busy on a Saturday!

There was just so much to see and do that another trip will probably be on the cards at some point, although there are other parts of the world that are higher up on the agenda than a return to The Big Apple. All in all, I was glad to have seen it, but am glad to be back in Northern Ireland, with proper food, my own bed and home comforts!