Hot but not as hot as it is expected to be - humid but not as humid as it is expected to be.
Bernie says you always must cleanup before the cleaner comes - clean up.
Wander around and photograph the neighbourhood -I've been told New Yorkers walk in a particular controlled and stylised way - arms swinging close to their bodies, big strides on a straight path - if this is the case there are no New Yorkers in East Village - pedestrian traffic is chaotic - walkers go to great pains to make sure no side of the side walk is disadvantaged by regularly changing right to left to right all in the space of a block - there is a rule - head into the crowd, avoid eye contact and play chicken with fellow traveller. There must be an unwritten lay that says that if you make accidental make eye contact then one of you is ethically bound to give way to the other - just who is supposed to give way to who is in someway or other agreed in the course of the eye contact as there are rarely any physical collisions - if there is it is followed by an immediate and sincere apology.
Into Grand Central Station - or is it terminal? - instructions from Phil Sefton mean that participation in the 12:30 guided tour of the station is compulsory.
The tour takes 90 minutes - very well done - I can understand the recommendation - spectacular building - beautifully restored - rare to see a working monument so well restored and maintained.
Walk the diamond district - I need to be familiar with it in order to be able to guide Bernie away from it as she wanders the town - sit and contemplate the crowd in Bryant Park - what a nice place right on the Avenue of the Americas and 42nd Street - people sitting around eating their lunch - sun baking - chatting - drinking coffee - see numerous people "run into one another" - they greet, exchange pleasantries and move on - you could be forgiven for thinking you were sitting at a coffee table in the main street of Lockhart such is the village like interactions between some of the people yet this park of around 20 acres is surrounded on four sides by huge man made edifices with cars and trucks tooting and generating noise that bursts in and out of the foreground.
Into a NY Yankees outlet - a tee shirt and shorts - back to the transport shop at Grand Central - look for something for Tom - Find a "Brooklyn to the Bronx" tee shirt complete with the green circled number 5 that so faithfully guided me to and from Union Square on the NY Sub-way.
Home tired and footsore - nice day - I will capable of being the guide when I return in a fortnight's time with Bernie, Graeme and Trudy.
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