Tuesday in New York - Sept 1st

I had another early morning, as I wanted to practice a 10am class in Greenwich village. It really doesn’t take that long to walk from Grand Central Station, about 45 minutes including distractions, and I enjoyed the exercise. The studio is quite small, and everyone was very friendly. I would have liked to have gone to try another studio, but class times didn’t work out for me. After class, I walked back up town, this time along 4th Avenue. I went past the University area, and there are lots of interesting shops and cafes. I kept walking, and changed over to 5th Avenue, kept walking, and walking up past all the very expensive designer stores, past Trump Tower, up to the Apple Store. Wow, it’ amazing. On the street level, there is a huge glass ‘box’ structure. You walk down a spiral staircase, and it’s huge underneath, and it was TEAMING with customers. So many people. My plan had been to go to MOMA today.....but it’s closed on Tuesdays!!!! I should have checked.

New York - Manhattan 31 August

I only had 3 days to sight see in New York, so I put a plan together. On Monday morning, I went into Manhattan early on the 7:26am train. My cousin Emmy’s husband, Pae, works at the UN so I went in with him. I wanted to check out the train station as I have to go there to catch the shuttle bus to Newark Airport when I leave NY. I wanted to get my bearings. So, Monday was Empire State Building day. I wanted to do everything (except the virtual tour), so went up to the viewing platform on the 86th floor, then way up to the 102nd level. Going early was a really good idea, no queues. I had found a Bikram studio to go to in Greenwich Village, and had planned to practice at 3:30pm.....but I had time, so I walked the 40 or blocks down 5th Avenue and practiced the 12 noon class. After class, I walked back uptown up 6th Avenue and Broadway, to 53rd Street....it’s quite a way.

New York is wonderful. I was here nearly 30 years ago, and it’s quite different from what I remember. The streets are clean, it’s relatively quiet (honking your car horn attracts a $350 fine!), Times Square has been blocked to traffic, and there are cafe tables everywhere, and planters with flowers cascading from them, the people are friendly and smile at you!

Westport

Westport is a very pretty place, lots of trees, lovely gardens, and some fairly grand houses. Westport is the former home of Martha Stewart and Paul Newman. It is very well situated and is only a one hour commute on the train to Manhattan. The train goes from New Haven, down through various other towns to Westport, down to Stamford and into Grand Central Station, on East 42nd Street.

25th August, Connecticut

....another epic journey from Washington DC to JFK, thanks to JetBlue and the weather!!! My flight was supposed to have left at 11:20 am, but - surprise, surprise - was delayed an hour or so. We eventually boarded at 1ish, taxied out.....and waited and waited and waited. Apparently the weather along the East coast was being affected by hurricane Danny. We finally took off ( I was feeling a little apprehensive by the weather news) and landed at JFK at around 3 pm. The flight was relatively uneventful, just how I like it, although there were a few bumpy patches. I got my bag, phoned the shuttle (I had already pre-booked it), then waited another 30 or so minutes. At around 4pm, the shuttle drove out into wet, Friday night New York rush hour traffic. I eventually got to my cousin's house in Connecticut at 7pm...exhausted.

Yoga in Virginia

Sylvia had investigated Bikram yoga studios before I arrived from Chicago, and the Falls Church studio was the nearest to Springfield where they lived. Sylvia and Bill, very kindly, drove me to and from the studio each time I wanted to practice, about half an hour away. The Falls Church studio has wonderful energy, and it reminded me very much of our studio in Wellington. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. Joe Clithero, a teacher who went to training with Raewyn from our Wellington studio, very kindly gave me 2 of his classes so I got to teach. It was so good to practice there, and teach.....thanks Joe, and everyone at the Falls Church Studio.

Back to Virginia

I took the Amtrak back to Virginia on Tuesday, 25th August. It was only half an hour late. Sylvia and Bill were at Alexandria Station to pick me up. I had 2 more days in Virginia before heading to New York.

Yoga in South Carolina

I was desperate to do yoga, so off we went to KMart, and I bought a bright canary yellow yoga mat. We left the blinds up in the sunroom at Kate and Willy’s house so that the afternoon sun heated it up, I put on Bikram’s CD, and practiced my yoga. It was great, and the sunroom has been renamed the ‘hotroom’.