Our flight from Vancouver touched down at JFK airport at 10:40 pm. Fortunately, my sister-in-law and her husband were waiting to take us to the Manhattan Club, where we arrived at about 11:45 pm. New York is truly the city which never sleeps, and checking in late was no problem.

The sights of New York

On our first day we were taken by car for a drive through Greenwich Village, "Little Italy", Chinatown and the beautiful Washington square to the historic South Street Seaport. There were restored ships, and a dining and shopping centre. There was a very long queue to see "Bodies" an exhibition of bodies from China. Not my cup of tea! We went to the street market where the Rumanians were performing folk dances on stage, and selling CD's and Rumanian food. Then we went to the Financial District , past the NY Stock Exchange with a huge American flag across the front of the building.

Wall Street Bull

We stopped to see Wall St. Bull, Battery Park, and St. Paul's Chapel which played an important role during 9/11. The Chapel is a beautiful Georgian church which served as a place of rest and refuge for volunteers working at the WTC site from 9/11. We were surprised to discover that Ground Zero is not a very large area. We saw the Staten Island ferry terminal and caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty from the car.

We stopped to see Damien Hirst's massive statue "Virgin Mother" erected outside Lever House in 2005. The black skin of half of the body is peeled back to reveal bones, muscle tissue and a foetus. My sister-in-law was shocked. She had never seen a sculpture by Damien Hirst.

The Manhattan Club

Our suite was elegantly furnished with marbled wallpaper and marble tiled bathroom ensuite and a marbled shower room. We had to pay a daily housekeeping fee, and our sheets and towels were changed everyday. We were also given coffee and tea bags every day.

The Club is in a prime location in Midtown West Manhattan just opposite Carnegie Hall and within walking distance of the international shops on 5th, Madison and Park Avenues, Broadway and the theatre district are also within walking distance. We were able to walk to the Metropolitan Opera House at the Lincoln Centre.

Museums

We went to the Metropolitan Museum twice, and were fortunate to have an invitation to use the Trustees Dining Room for Sunday brunch. The dining room overlooks Central Park. There was a special exhibition of some of the Museum's Sevres porcelain. We went to see the Frick Collection where there was a special exhibition of Goya's last drawings and paintings.

We also went to the newly reopened Pierpont Morgan Library which houses one of the world's greatest collections of artistic, literary and musical works, including original scores by Mozart and Beethoven. The Morgan Café is in a glass-enclosed central court, reminiscent of an Italian piazza.

Shopping

We went grocery shopping for breakfast locally, as supermarkets were open 24 hours a day! We went window shopping and popped in to Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, the Trump Tower, and the Manhattan Antique Centre. Black and white dresses seem to be fashionable! The most amazing object we saw was a green malachite piano trimmed with ormolu! Bloomingdale's offered the best bargains and special offers. On my last day, I bought a pair of Spanish walking shoes on W 57th St. just one block away from the Manhattan Club!

Highlight of the Visit

The highlight of the visit was for us, a visit to the Metropolitan Opera House to see "Rigoletto". The cast was truly international. The conductor, Asher Fisch is the Music director of the Israeli Opera. Norah Amsellem, who sang Gilda is French. The Italian tenor, Roberto Aronica sang the Duke of Mantua. The title role, Rigoletto was sung by the Italian baritone, Paolo Gavanelli. The English principal bass at Covent Garden, sang Sparafucile, and the Spanish Mezzo-soprano, Nancy Fabiola Herrera sang Maddalena.

The luxurious costumes and magnificent stage sets were evocative of a Renaissance court in Act I , in stark contrast to the inn on the banks of a river in Act III. Magical!

- Jocelyn D'Orban