This post is also available in:
Italiano (Italian)
Getting lost on the road was one of the events I recounted in this, which is the second account I wrote via e-mail live from New York. I did this on the occasion of my solo trip in 2004.
I was also supposed to go today to see what will become one of the 4 largest churches in the world, Saint John the Divine. They started building it in the late 1800s but haven’t finished it yet. I had a great ride to get there, had to stop at a horrendous bar because otherwise I would wet my pants. When I got to the front, it was closed.
What to do in New York? not only get lost on the road but also photograph a cow
If I had a printed guidebook, in the chapter what to do in New York, I certainly would not have read anything about cows.
I am so proud of the first picture I took, you won’t believe it, but I have proof: a cow! Yes in New York, and this will resonate with those who saw my photos from last year in Holland. Half of them captured a cow of some kind. A person who has always underestimated me had the imprudence before leaving to tell me:
take lots of pictures! Less dumb than usual maybe…ah, I want to see if you find cows there too!
Today I made an effort to look for the guidebook. In the meantime, I walked around a few places, so to smell the environment and to acclimatize: deserted
But if once the stereotype was Italy = pizza, spaghetti, and mafia, in addition to the many restaurants, couldn’t they put in, I don’t know, at least a kiosk with souvenirs of the United Sacred Crown!?
There is also a lot of nature. Central Park is lovely: an ‘oasis of green and if you look up you see the tips of skyscrapers above the trees and squirrels almost jumping on you.
All the neighborhoods are like very different cities from each other: Chinatown next to Little Italy, Brooklyn, Harlem, Manhattan, the Bronx, the Village.
Getting lost on the road, the beauty of live
Yesterday I realized I had lost the magnetic card that serves as a weekly subway pass, $21 and you can ride as much as you like-a catastrophe! I didn’t get discouraged, and I thought: now I’ll go back and find it…yes, yes, I have to believe it! I find it, I find it!
And I found it!!! on the ground, immense satisfaction. Almost like when I lost my car keys in the snow slope in the mountains and then found them again.
It’s good to get lost and then find yourself again; here, after this pill of wisdom, I’ll run away, if I don’t get assailed by sleep, I’ll be able to do a bit of mundane life, without risking getting into trouble.
Yes because last night I went out for Mexican food, and part sleepy recoil, part sangria, I struggled enough to get home. I found myself shooting in the Bronx, past midnight and with a few nasty guys giving me dirty looks. After a couple of tries, I managed to catch the right train. I didn’t realize that some stations close early, it will probably say in my guidebook, sigh…Anyway, rest assured that I can manage even as a baked and bresco, ciauz!
Immigration to the U.S., I am a lucky Italian
I went to see the Statue of Liberty that you can’t go up on since 9/11: really impressive. But mostly I went to
The conditions and stories of those millions of people who later made it to America are explained. Just think that those who left from Naples, for example, would take 22 days of travel (the same as my own vacation). It could have been that for some reason they would send you back. I think those who made it, and then fit in here, had to have 2 balls this big.
The midget immortalized below was Fiorello La Guardia, one of the earliest established Italian immigrants. Among other things he worked as an interpreter at Ellis Island before serving three terms as mayor of New York City. He can be considered an emblem of immigration to the U.S.
One of my favorite things about New York City is its total racial integration. It’s been exhausting to get to. I really enjoy riding around on the subway, a little bit to let my little feet breathe, a lot because I’m collecting dozens of all kinds of anecdotes from people-watching. In general of taking a trip like mine, it’s also nice to stop at a bench and look around to see life, people, a dog playing with its owner, a piece of sky, children splashing in a fountain, a strange face, beautiful situations that maybe you could see even at home, but only on vacation can you afford to observe.
Other museums
I went to the natural history museum , and because of that junk of my rich 50-year-old guidebook, I could not enjoy it. (NDR now that I am a poor 50-year-old who doesn’t use guidebooks anymore, this makes me laugh a lot)
In fact, it incorrectly indicated to me that it would be closed at 8:00 p.m., and so, arriving late, I had to see it in a hurry. It’s too bad because it’s really interesting; there are several original dinosaur skeletons, and I was getting the urge to take several dumb photos, a big sin. I could barely stay there for 2 hours; it deserved at least 4 hours.
Among the sleepers at the hostel I am the first to leave and the last to return: considering my frantic pace I would say it takes at least 6 days to see the essentials well.
So, I wake up when I feel like it (very early), go to bed when I feel like it (late), eat when I feel like it, have no schedule to keep: what more could I want, considering then my usual life full of appointments and deadlines?
NDR Not all visitors go to Ellis Island which, in my opinion instead is unmissable; you can learn more about it in this link.
Home Trip Tripping in the USA with Viro
Next stop Visiting New York, and how to sleep in the stadium.
Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent
Countries visited in my travel stories
Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.