I'm taking an excursion up the Hudson valley to explore two historical homes in this scenic part of the state. I caught the train which follows the Hudson River, the views are lovely but you cannot see the towns that must dot the Bronx shore. I arrive in Sleepy Hollow and get a cab to lyndhurst castle first, a gorgeous castle like home owned by various owners until it was left in trust to the heritage society.

The grounds are beautiful and there is a 100 year old rose garden, but it's the wrong season for them to be blooming. The house has all the original furniture and wall and floor coverings, and the windows are all Tiffany's. The things I liked the most apart from the windows were the lovely art collection and the gorgeous tableware and glassware. Entrance is by tour only, which I'm beginning to prefer as its the tour guides stories that bring the house and the history to life.

I then moved on to my next destination, kykuit - the Rockefeller estate. You muster at another historical site in sleepy hollow, so I took the opportunity to grab a quick sandwich for lunch which I shared with a cat who looked much hungrier than me. I met my tour guide who was a distinguished looking gentleman and group and we got bused a couple of kilometers to the estate. The house was gorgeous, as you would expect from the richest family in America. The Rockefellers made their money from oil, and were billionaires at the turn of the century, but also have been a huge influence in America with their philanthropic efforts in medical research and education, and in their support of the arts (MoMA, the Lincoln centre). Their house is opulent but tasteful, with some surprising penny pinching in areas. They collected Chinese antiques, sculpture (displayed outside in the garden) and art (lots of Picasso displayed in a gallery on the lower floor). We also got to see the coach building and their fabulous collection of horse drawn coaches, horse paraphernalia, and vintage car collection! By the time the tour ended the temperature plummeted and the rain came pouring down - that was the weather predicted for tomorrow but not today! Time to leave sleepy hollow - yes it's where the story about the headless horseman was written and its author Washington Irving lived, the street signs all have the headless horseman on them.

I'm back in manhattan as I have a craving for pizza for dinner, which means only one thing - Eataly! It is superb as usual, and I stock up on Italian groceries to take home. When I leave the streets have been cleared and a film crew has taken over - not sure what the film is but it must be so hard to film in a city that never stops!