New York With Lauree and Marc

As you well know every week you port in New York. The ship disgorges it's old passengers and scarfs down a brand new batch, as it becomes increasingly clear that I should eat lunch before I write these. While all the passenger switching is happening, the crew sneaks off and wanders about the Breezy Banana. Sometimes we are joined by family. This weekend...that happened.

When we met up with Marc and Lauree! Woohoo! In town from Bawlmer (or Baltimore, if you're some college fancyboy) we spent the day with them in Manhattan.

This is Marc checking a map while Lauree looks around Rockefeller Center, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Carisa and Lauree at Eatery NYC, an awesome breakfast spot in Hell's Kitchen. If you told someone in Hell's Kitchen around 1982 that there would be a kick-ass, high-end eatery named Eatery in the neighborhood, they would have laughed in your face. Then they'd probably beat you with a tire iron and dump you in front of the Javits Centre, since things like that seemed to happen every 6 minutes in Hell's Kitchen back then. If you were surprised, that was your fault. It's called Hell's Kitchen, for pete's sake. Thankfully it's 2010, and we had a beatings-free breakfast.

Carisa got this. It's French Toast with ice cream on it.

This was for the table, Macaroni and Cheese with onions.

I had this, Kobe Beef Sliders with french fries. I get french fries for breakfast I'm adventurous. I really have to move on before I start chewing on my computer.

After Eatery we walked through Manhattan over to Rockefeller Center. Here's Radio City, where they keep the Rockettes.

And NBC Studios, where they keep TV. We decided since we were here, to go up to the observation deck.

Carisa and Lauree, tickets in hand. Three elevators later we were at the Top of the Rock.

And this was the view! Come on! That's the city south of Rockfeller Center.

And here's the view North. The big patch of grass in the middle is Central Park.

This guy...he loves maps!

Carisa and me, top of the world.

Where's the Empire State Building? I can't....I can't find it.

Carisa can't find it either, no matter how much she stares into the metal owl.

Oh. There it is. Next to the 100-foot blonde girl.

One more because it's a landmark.

After the Rock we went down to 6th avenue where the street was blocked off for a fare. I'm sure drivers were thrilled. You can't tell from this picture, but seconds later, I'd be wearing a different hat. Anything can happen in the Big City. We walked around here for a while, but pretty soon it was time to head back to the ship, so we hoofed it back to the Kitchen and parted ways with Marc and Lauree.

Look! There they go! They'll be back in the blog in about a month, when they cruise with us on the Jewel. We guarantee three arrests while they're out.

Until next time.