Top tourists

It rained, but at least the rain ate into the snow. The fog over central park cleared the remnants of ice and slush. The threat of a minus ten day still hung over the city, but that wasn't until the next day.

The rain was cold and constant and we went in search of indoor sights. The first we reached was Grand Central Station, which was celebrating its centenary.

Ali and a bunch of commuters

We bought one week MetroCards and not for the first time reflected on how expensive public transport is in Brisbane. In New York, $2.50 will get you from one end of the city to the other. You can travel as much as you like all week for $30. In Brisbane I'm lucky not to spend $9 a day and I live a stones-throw from the city.

The must-see attraction for Ali was the Museum of Natural History, which I had visited on the last trip.

Christmasaurus?

Our tickets included a pass to the Dark Universe space show in the planetarium, presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

It was a visually impressive and engaging presentation, and a neat addition to our price of admission. We both commented that if Oliver had been on this trip he would have loved the presentation (though it may have been a bit basic for him - for us it was at the right level).

Teddy stands watch over the museum

The last time I was in the museum the entrance hall was being renovated, so it was good to see the dinosaurs, the murals and the Roosevelt quotes without scaffolding.

Also people appreciate the seating

Apart from the planetarium, we spent most of our time in looking at the mammals, the ocean room, and the people of the Americas.

It was still raining when we set out for our hotel to get some warmer clothes. We used the subway exit and stayed underground and indoors as much as possible.

Sunset behind us, caught the reflection in that building on the right.

Rockefeller plaza is atop a subway hub, and we were able to get there with minimal shivering.

Last time I went up to the Top of the Rock during the day and the Empire State Building at night, and Ali charitably offered to do the opposite this time around.

By the time we reached the top of the tower, the rain had cleared, and we had a clear view of the city at night.

There's that weird building again.

It was especially interesting to see Times Square from this angle, where it became a blazing flame of neon, like a laser bonfire in the city's heart. At the same time Central Park was a pit of darkness between us and Harlem, with fairy-light trails across it, marking the few paths.

Times Square

Up top we could feel the cold change coming. The temperature dropped fast and while we would have loved to stay to get more photos we could not stay outside for more than a couple of minutes at a time. We got one photo together but neither of us could manage a convincing smile in the cold.

We spent a little time outside with the crowds around the ice-skating rink as they waited for the ice to be cleaned, and ducked through the Lego store but didn't buy anything (though I took some photos for Tom).

That's where we were. Up there.

Before we left we had picked out a spot for dinner. Another subway ride and we were at the edge of Little Italy and we walked the five blocks for some Italian.

Ali had the lobster risotto.

Would you believe we stayed for coffee and dessert?