2nd part of recent trip......

28.9.06

Later start this morning. At the subway at W79th and Broadway, saw a crash between a taxi and a town car. Not a good start to their day. Down to Union Sq as I had to pop into DSW and return something and then off to Big Daddy鈥檚 on Park at 19th St for a lovely breakfast (great home fries). Back through Union Sq, Virgin was calling, and down Broadway to Strand. Continued down Broadway to Yellow Rat Ba$tard for gift. Sloppy Joes opposite had a good deal on Levis so David popped in there too. Nice Starbucks on corner for much needed break.

Back on Subway so that David could pick up his Eric Clapton ticket for the following night. B and H also needed a visit for a new webcam. When we returned to Penn to get the train there were loads of police at a cordoned off area right beside the seats on the platform. Forensic officers were doing something. I鈥檇 love to know what had actually happened!

After a short rest, it was up to Yankee Stadium for the game against Baltimore. Went to Stans for a beer and the place was packed. Didn鈥檛 eat there as it would have been too long a wait but got a great hot dog in a place just down the street. Beer was canny though! The game was a shocker, no Jeter, the Yankees lost 7-1 and I missed the ground staff鈥檚 performance due to an extremely s-l-o-w girl in the refreshments place. Oh well, there鈥檚 always next time. Subway back home and fell into bed exhausted鈥gain.

29.9.06

Breakfast at EJ鈥檚 on Amsterdam and 81st. Not as good home fries as Big Daddys in my opinion. We were off to the UN today so subwayed to Grand Central and then walked along to the East River. Took the tour ($12), which was excellent. The tour guide was very well informed and did a great job. Had quite a nice cuppa in the caf茅 downstairs before heading back along 42nd St for a quick look around Grand Central and a wander down 5th Ave. My daughter had asked for a Cabrera T shirt from the Yankees store, and would you believe that鈥檚 about the only name they don鈥檛 sell on a smallish shirt? The one thing she鈥檇 asked for! Carried on down 5th to Madison Sq Prk and watched the dogs having fun in the run there. Wandered along towards 6th Ave and came across a store selling Levis in my size for $19.99..bargain, so got 2 pairs. Well you have to with a bargain don鈥檛 you ?

Back to apartment for some downloading of pictures and a rest before our night out.

Met Bettina, Lou and Steve at Eatery on 9th and 53rd. Had a lovely meal and a couple of drinks before B and I headed off to the theatre to see Jersey Boys and David went to his Clapton gig. The show was wonderful, right from the opening number. Very appreciative audience, standing ovations between numbers, I think they may have had their aunts in that night. Went to Rosie O鈥橤radys on W46th afterwards for a drink and chat with the friendliest barman in NY and David met us there. Another late night, you guessed it, I was knackered.

2nd part of recent trip......

What a great style of writing, I feel like I was there!

Gotta dash off to Zabar%26#39;s.... will catch up later, or tomorrow. XXX

2nd part of recent trip......

Nets, this is for you as you asked for a review of the Clapton concert which I wrote it up in Daisiegee%26#39;s ';official diary of our trip '; but didn%26#39;t get the call for, anyway here goes -

arrived at MSG early enough to see most of Robert Cray%26#39;s set - great guitarist, but in my opinion not a great songwriter, ( you will see that this is a recurring theme).

Clapton played a mixed set , mainly early solo material with some Dominos numbers. He started off electric which was a pity because it meant that the couple in front really had to bellow to make each other heard above the music, but I am sure that you will be pleased to know, as I was, that they are going to Hawaii next year.

The acoustic intermission finally saw me snap and tell them that I had paid to hear Clapton and not them, it was also almost the musical highlight of the night with - I Am Yours, brilliant.

Most of the second electric set was more of the same but as is usually the case after about two thirds of the concert people got up to dance and unbelievably a bloke across the row from me started dancing (momentarily) and had clearly been to the same dancing school as me because he got straight back down again, kissed the carpet and crawled (with great difficulty) upstairs, of course he may just have over indulged with the beer vendors.

The rest of the set contained both the highlight and lowlight of the set. The lowlight was (and this is just my opinion it doesn%26#39;t make me a bad person) a song that really should have made me give up on EC - Wonderful Tonight (like Robert Cray his songwriting is useless), however, the encore of Crossroads more than made up for this.

Overall a great concert, with fantastic musicianship and whilst the material was not entirely to my choice he was never ever going to play a set from the Bluesbreakers which is what he was playing nearly 40 years ago - I really must get into the 1970%26#39;s.

After the show I met Bettina and Daisiegee, who will take you into the next day of our trip to NY.....

DG - with theese trip reports you are reeally spoiling uss!

Loving this, I%26#39;m living through you here. I feel your pain with the Jeter-non-appearance thing. That story actually made its way to London and I%26#39;d heard about your disappointment before you even wrote it! I%26#39;d tried to get Callum a Jeter Yankees t-shirt while we were there but of course, the one I wanted was sold out. Thankfully he now has his own, courtesy of his NY granny (he hasn%26#39;t taken it off since Tuesday!)

Also like the appearance of magdavey to fill in the gaps of what he got up to!

i always forget to mention yellow rat ba$tard..my daughters love to shop there(have to place duct tape over some letters when they wear shirts to school)

Clapton will be here Thursday!

Having fun reliving your tales, most of which I heard first hand, so I am visualizing the stories - great job!!

Love reading your reports! So glad you enjoyed Jersey Boys.

BTW, the audience acted exactly the same way when I saw it in June. Either they have their aunts in for every performance, or people just really love that show, lol!

Daisiegee, Pappardella was suggested to me on my visit to nyc. Can you share any thoughts on food, atmosphere, et.c

Karen a great read so far, really enjoying it, mind you i would not expect anything less from you. Is the dog still at the Strand?

David glad you enjoyed Eric, don%26#39;t you just hate it when people start having a full blown conversation at a concert, especially as they have to shout, so each other can be heard. Just crazy, i to would have gave them an ear bashing!!

Many thanks for letting me know.

David btw was Andy Fairweather- Low make an appearance. Remember him from ';Wided Eyed %26amp; Legless'; fame ?

Blimey, no wonder you were so knackered: you were positively hyperactive on this trip!

It%26#39;s a pity your Yankee game didn%26#39;t hit all the right notes, but like you said: there%26#39;s always next time :-)

I%26#39;ve always fancied a tour of the UN but have never done it. You make it sound very worthwhile.

Special thanks to Magdavey for the tired %26#39;n%26#39; emotional carpet-kissing-dancer image. Love it!