Happy birthday to me!

Today is my birthday! What better way to spend it than in New York, in the sun with my friend Sam. We wanted a fairly restful day today mainly because my leg hurt like crazy after yesterday, so the decision was made to take the circle line boat cruise around Manhattan. We didn't rush there, took our time as the weather was very hot and humid. I have been hotter but Sam doesn't like the heat too much. We arrived and bought our tickets. There was going to be over an hour wait till our boarding so we sat on the pier and enjoyed the shade with an ice cold coke. 

There were people sunbathing on the green to the left of the shot. I don't just mean like people do back home and chill out in the park I mean bikinis and bathing shorts, sun cream the lot. Any piece of green in New York can be considered a place to top up the tan. 

We boarded our boat and were very lucky. We got boarded first because I was considered disabled. I hate playing that card but if I was on my feet for too long today, things would of got painful. Our seat was perfect, on the left at the back of the boat, outside but under shade. Perfect!

We started of heading south, around the tip of manhattan and got some great views of the city. 

We can see the new world trade tower. Finally topped out and awesome to see at this stage of completion. When I was last here, it was barely cladded but now, it really stands tall and proud over manhattan. The Woolworth building is there too. When built, Woolworth wanted the tallest building and wanted to live in the penthouse at the top, so no one could ever look down on him again. Great story from humble beginnings as a nickel and dime store owner to some one with enough money to build the tallest tower in CASH! However, now, woolworths has gone bust but the tower still stands. 

I took some shots that will hopefully be put together as a panoramic, look out for those when I get home. 

I love this photo, Manhattan, the island of prosperity, seen as an island. Originally Native American tribes came from all over to trade furs on this island until the Dutch found it and found the enormous amount of wealth that could be made from the furs. They took Manhattan as their own and shipped many furs back to Europe, making a vast amount of money. This caught the attention of the English, who went over there and, in the words of the tours guide, made a deal with the Dutch to take Manhattan. I tend to think that 'deal' included the words "we got more ships than you!" Therefore manhattan now belonged to the English until it was .... Liberated. Maybe. 

Speaking of liberty... Here's the lady herself. Ellis island, next door, the island of immigration was unfortunately damaged after hurricane Sandy and is closed indefinitely. The lady, however, still being worked on, was well protected from the storm, because of the old fort she is mounted on. Therefore, she will hopefully be open for the 4th of July. 

Another shot I like, manhattan on the right 'eye balling' New Jersey on the left. It's like city face off. 

Me, looking back out to manhattan. 

We rounded the tip of the city for yet more breathtaking views of the skyline. You can see the Stanford Island ferry. A young boy set up a ferry using his dad's boat and shuffled people back and forth for a few dollars, when his father wasn't using his boat. When he had enough money, he bought his own boat and continued the ferry service. It still runs to this day but is now a free service. 

I'm missing out a lot of photos as I have a fair few. I was snap snap snapping the whole cruise. This is the Brooklyn bridge. The technology of suspensions cables was used in the invention of the elevator, which made building skyscrapers possible and gave birth to America's industrial revolution. Just a few years behind our own.

This gorgeous steel suspension bridge is the Manhattan bridge. We were going to pass under (and in one case, through) 23 bridges, or so I recall. Seeing as Brooklyn got its own bridge, Manhattan needed one too and this is it. 

If it wasn't for the tour guide telling us to look behind the boat, I would never would of seen this. It's an amazing scene, we have Manhattan on the right, Brooklyn on the left, both the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges linking the two and in the centre, in the distance, the Statue of Liberty. 

This is the Washington bridge. Named after George Washington. Easy way to remember the name of these bridges is BMW - Brooklyn, Manhattan, Washington. 

We sailed up the east side of the island. There is a penthouse on one of the buildings just right of centre shot that seems to be a mansion dumped onto of a skyscraper. Complete with chimney, front gardens and pitched roofs. I liked this penthouse, I put a bid in for it. Although I think it will be going for more than $20. 

More views of an awesome suspension bridge. I took so many shots, I'm forgetting which was which and what was what but I think you'll agree, the view is amazing. 

From a construction point of view and a long interest in bridges, I really love the steel lattice work of these giants. 

This is the first raised road way over the east coast manhattan parks. 

The tour was almost over and we sailed back to the pier, just around the corner from the air and space museum. And right there is concord. In the hanger above it, is the space shuttle. That hanger was damaged in the hurricane and that exhibit is closed, unfortunately. 

After the tour, we took a taxi to the city library. This was the library that was the main focus of the movie "the day after tomorrow". 

One very snooty lion, looking down his up turned nose at all the people taking pics of him. Bryant park was right behind the library and we spent a while sat in the shade watching the people go about their daily business from the Paris Hilton types, to students, business men to tourists. We decided that women's shoes with, what seem like, blocks of wood on the soles are the fashion this year. 

We returned to the hotel and rested up. We didn't do much walking today but it was very warm and a wash up and rest was welcomed. After which we had dinner in the hotel restaurant, a few drinks and sat in the park across the street, more people watching and talking about the buildings. It was still fairly warm even at night. I'd also like to add that, for once, on my birthday, it didn't rain.