We have been in New York for three days now and have already done lots of sightseeing so we thought we would do a short blog to let you know what we have done so far.

I can see why people fall in Love with New York. The people are friendly, transports is easy, the weather is dry and there are countless sights to see, far more than can be done in a little over a week.

On our first full day in 'the big apple' we decided to get to grips with the subway and head towards the flashing lights and big screens of Times square. Initially the thing that struck me about Times square was that it isn't very square. I was always under the impression that a square had four equal sides, but I suppose Times Octagon dosen't quite have the same ring to it.

From Times Octagon we took a stroll, let me re-phrase, a walk full of stops and starts, to central park. Within five minutes you move away from the yellow taxis weaving in and out of traffic, the constant 'honking' of horns, drivers yelling out of there windows at other drivers and the occasional smell of steaming grates, what was I saying again? Oh ye, you get from all of the above into a beautiful park. It's hard to beleive that Central Park is smack bang in the middle of the city, the trees are stunning, the paths meander through the park all graced by the occasional jogger and horse drawn carriage. It's a pretty special place! A few hours and Starbucks later we were back on the subway heading towards our hotel in queens and looking forward to the rest of our week in New York.

The following day we headed towards the impressive Rockefeller Centre where there is a vast aray of shops, cafes, restaraunts and of course the famous ice-skating. The day was full of exploration, nothing in particular, just seeing the impressive huge Christmas Tree and various other sights.

On Monday morning we decided to head towards south Manhattan to visit the 'World trade centre' site which was an increadibly moving experiance. We were both struck with feelings of mourning for the thousands that passed away and the anger towards the mindeless thugs to commit such an act of horror. It really hit home the extent to which 11th September 2001 has affected this great city.

We then headed towards Battery Park, which was ten minutes away, where we would catch the ferry to Liberty island where the amazing Lady Liberty stood tall, arm outstretched. On purchasing the tickets we were told that the wait for the next boat would be an hour so we quickly joined the back of the line. There was however floods of entertainment to keep us happy as we waited and before you could say, 'Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood,' we were at the front of the que removing our belts and watches ready to go through the airport style security.

A ten minute boat ride later we had arrived at Liberty island and the immense figure stood hugely in front of us. It was a pretty impressive sight and well worth every minute of the wait. Yet another day was over and we now only have four left in New York. Still on the agenda is ice-skating, the empire state building, a proper tour of central park, possibly a rowing boat in central park and of course shopping.

We will update the site later this week so keep the messages coming in! Sorry about the spelling my spell check wasn't working and I'm useless without it.