Saturday morning was a GOOD morning for bargains. It was my last day in New York, money was getting a little tight (+ I'd had to cancel one of my cards!), so I decided to stretch my dollars as far as possible by paying a visit to some of the op shops on the Upper East Side. These op shops (consignment or thrift stores as they are known here) are where all the rich Upper East Siders' fancy, once-worn garments come to die…or find a new home in the hands of a 20...

Friday morning I took the metro straight down town to Soho in the morning to explore that area of town & do a bit of shopping (mostly of the window variety). It's a really hip, arty part of town, with lots of small, alternative shops & funky cafes. While I was walking around I managed to stumble right through the middle of a fashion photo shoot (I seem to have a habit of doing this…last time I was in NYC I stumbled right through a film set!). I picked...

On Wednesday morning I went down town to continue my exploration of Manhattan. I spent ages in the FAO (hmm…or something like that!) toy store marveling at giant boxes of nerd candy & cuddly enormous fluffy stuffed animals. I even found a whole "Olivia the Pig" section! Unfortunately I really didn't have room in my bag for a giant stuffed Olivia the Pig or an Olivia the Pig doll house…I also went to the Apple Store, which is open 24 hours a day, althoug...

On Tuesday I travelled from Boston back to NYC…It was pouring when I got back the in & I spent the afternoon doing washing, utilizing every single area of hanging space in my dorm room to avoid any more dress shrinkages! I had to go out to get some groceries, & despite taking an umbrella with me I got completely soaked anyway! As I was running back to the hostel in the rain a man yelled out to me that I had lovely feet…alrighty…never heard that on...

Woke up pretty early courtesy of residue jetlag, but it was kinda nice to get a jump start on the day before it got too hot in the city. The temperatures in NYC can climb into the high 30s (Celcius) in August & because of all the high buildings & pollution you really feel the heat! Fortunately it was still relatively cool in the morning as I went for a LONG walk from the very top of Central Park to the bottom, all along the West side of the park. It's a...