On Friday we decided to explore slightly further afield than Manhattan so after breakfast we took the subway to Brooklyn Bridge, not far from the apartment but we wanted to save our legs for the walking we had planned in Brooklyn. Dave ended up carrying a rucksack as rain was forecast and we needed our brolly, waterproofs etc. It wasn't raining as we began our walk over the bridge to Brooklyn and although the sky was overcast the bridge afforded new views of lower Manhattan, central New York and the East River.

Once we'd navigated our way off the jumble of roads and paths that fed the bridge we found our way under the bridge and down to the riverside with its factory buildings and an old ice-creamery. The Italian restaurants in the vicinity looked expensive so we decided to share a pizza with Jill's design of Italian fennel sausage and sun-dried tomato. Lunch proved to be well timed as not long after we sat down there was a heavy spell of rain - as it turned out the only rain of the day. Jill took charge of the guide book and was a well-informed tour guide for our continuing walk around the old streets of Brooklyn Heights which are well preserved and had clearly been (and mostly still are) relatively affluent. Several famous creative people have lived in the area including Auden. The main shopping street had a real small town feel and we could see why the area remains popular, away from the bustle of Manhattan yet only a short commute into the heart of the city.

We'd seen from the guide book that Brooklyn Botanic Gardens were only a short subway journey away from the end of our walking tour so headed there next. As well as refreshing cups of tea we enjoyed the display of pond lilies, orchids and an exhibit of enormous, knitted plants that drew inspiration from the exotic plants in the Gardens. The Japanese hill and pond area was beautifully landscaped and we liked the Shakespeare Garden which featured plants from the plays and sonnets in conjunction with relevant quotations.

Dave really wanted to photograph the central New York skyline at night and had checked out best spots to capture this on the internet. Quite a few people recommended Gantry Plaza State Park, over-looking the East River so off we went on the subway to Queens. We were a little disorientated getting off the subway but knew the general direction towards East River. We walked through streets with lots of factory units and no sign of the river but coming out of the dull streets we saw a hopeful gap between tower blocks and there we were on the riverside with central Manhattan's night skyline stretched out before us. Carrying the tripod had been worth the effort and we got some good shots before heading off to a nearby restaurant for lamb burgers and fries. This was ok, but perhaps our least good meal in New York and we were sorry to find that there were further restaurants we could have looked at a little way back from the riverside, but you can't win them all! At the end of a long day it was back to the subway and eventually our apartment.