I started the morning early heading out shoe shopping. No Manolo’s for me though, there were a couple of really great running shops nearby to check out.

The range and prices were great, about half what you’d expect to pay in Melbourne. There were some very special Brooks GTS with a Statue of Liberty print on the toe but disappointingly they didn’t have my size, much to Deb’s relief. A pair of runners for me and Deb, as well as some trail run shoes for me, and we headed back to Times Square, time to queue for cheap tickets. We picked up tickets to see Matilda for Deb and Leanne.  

While they were enjoying their show I took a sleeping Otto on a stroll down 5th avenue, checking out Rockefeller plaza and all the fancy shops. 

  At the top of 5th avenue, just south of Central Park, I embraced my inner fanboi as we hit the legendary Apple Store. It’s an impressive piece of architecture, and on Saturday afternoon it was packed, heaving with fellow fanbois and fangirls.

 
E was still fast asleep so I decided to escape the concrete jungle and head into Central Park. In the shade of the trees it was much cooler and half of New York had clearly decided to come here, it was very busy.  

 There seemed to be a theme of people getting super dressed up and coming here for glamour shots not sure of the purpose but there were lots of well dressed young men and women getting around with selfie sticks and other such accoutrements.

After a pause we wandered back down 6th avenue which was mostly closed to traffic for a market, mostly t-shirts and Mexican food. 

 Meeting back up with Deb and Leanne we grabbed a quick but tasty Italian dinner, then went our separate ways. The girls took E and headed to Madame Tussaud’s and I hit 44th street to make my pilgrimage to Birdland.

 
Back in my Legs and Brass days, one of our signature numbers was Birdland, so I was pretty excited to be coming to such a famous place.

I settled back with a quiet beer at the bar and made friends with James the barman while waiting for the show to start. The act was the Ben Allison quartet – well, it was actually the quintet apart from a dose of food poisoning for the guitarist.

Their set was great, a really tight group of very talented musicians. An enjoyable evening of tunes and some of the local brews, an evening well spent.

Even at 1 in the morning, Times Square was heaving with people, so it was slow going back to the hotel, surely nothing to do with the quantities of IPA consumed.