We woke on our first full day in The Big Apple and immediately went on the hunt for food. Just a short walk from the Hotel there was a cafe that did a hot breakfast selection; Chickadee had the Choc Chip Pancakes, the Man Bird and I had the French toast with Bacon and Syrup. As you would expect, the portion sizes were very generous and we didn’t manage to finish it all. We all had some fresh Orange juice to wash it down and set off back to our room to pick the paper work up we needed.
Our first stop was the Big Bus Tour office to pick up our New York Passes and we then headed over to Central Park. As you approach the park you can see the Horses and Carriages lined up waiting to take people around the park. We had Ibrahim and his mare, Isabella, from Central Park Sightseeing to guide us around Central Park.
Some people don’t agree with the carriage rides on welfare grounds, but all the animals we saw were well cared for and in good condition. Whilst they are resting, their drivers try to keep them in the shade and several of them were having a bucket of fresh water offered to them. We had our ride begin just after 10am, and it lasted for 45 minutes; Isabella had a nice steady walking pace so we could get great views of the park grounds and the impressive buildings of Manhattans Upper East Side.
Ibrahim pointed out the buildings in the Upper East Side (the most expensive real estate in New York) and some of the mind-blowing prices that apartments can go for! He also showed us where Yoko Ono lives, the same place where she lived with John Lennon when he was shot and killed, and where Robert de Niro has his home.
The Boathouse cafe were also pointed out to us, some of you may recognise it as featuring in the film “When Harry Met Sally”. A bridge that featured a snowball fight scene in the film “Elf” was on the route we took through Central Park as well; perhaps the best bit for The Man Bird and I was the fountain that the cast of “Friends” made famous. Ibrahim brought Isabella to a gentle halt and took a photo of us in front of the fountain, which made our day, much to The Chicks’ bemusement.
Isabella has a little quirk of strongly disliking trucks unloading, so when Ibrahim spotted one, he dismounted his driving perch and went to her head and lead her past; talking gently to her all the while. Once the perceived “danger” was behind her, Ibrahim gave Isabella a gentle pat and took up his usual spot.
All too soon our carriage ride had come to its conclusion and Isabella slowly halted at the back of the queue under some trees to have some shelter. We bade Ibrahim farewell and made our way back to the hotel.
If you find yourselves in New York and fancy a horse drawn carriage ride, I can definitely recommend Central Park Sightseeing’ drivers and horses; the animals are well cared for and the drivers are a mine of information. Thank you so much to Katie Garde for arranging it for us; you made a lifelong dream come true for me :)
