"It'll Say Harlem But Don't Let That Put You Off"

So last week went very well.

St.Patrick's day at Finn's went very well. Who knew that digestive biscuits and maps would be big hits with the kindergarten set? I had a Smithwick's (singular) with Herself over lunch to be sociable and went to bed. Sleeping through the rest of that day makes a whole lot of sense.

Friday saw us roll on up to New York in the Big Green Monster. We slowly rolled through the Holland Tunnel to the strains of Honky Tonk Woman and Declan joins in with Mick for

"I laid a divorcee in New York City,"

We congratulated the wee man on his listening skills.

Normally being stuck in Manhattan traffic isn't too much fun but the Suburban gave us a fine viewing platform for the Human safari park that is 34th St. I never get tired of that city..utterly enraged from time to time but never tired. I ask Herself if she ever thought about living there and she gave me that look. I imagine it's the same one Marge gives Homer every time he comes up with another mental scheme. I often thought about living there but I had ruled it out for the same reasons I had ruled out Limerick. The family (asshat branch) has a long reach and N.Y.C. was definitely in their sphere of influence. Much like it is for a lot of Irish people.

Herself is a superb city driver and before long we arrive at our secret base of operations for the week-end. Our hosts are just brilliant (as usual ...Mad thanks C,E and S), put us up in fine style and ply us with home made mead. It was,in all honesty, the finest beverage I have ever put my lips to. No word of a lie. The next thing I know it's Saturday and somehow I'm en route to our first stop of the day The Chip Shop in Brooklyn for a feed. It's here that Herself performs the first of her parking miracles and scores some Kojak parking for a fecking Suburban!!

Once fed ( another minor miracle was getting a table for 8) we nipped back over to Manhattan and Battery Park for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Now I'm not a New Yorker. I'm not even a wannabe but they say that you can always tell the tourists from the locals on the boat. Newbies are all looking forward to Liberty Island while the natives look back at the city. Their city. Finn and I joined them there and we must have been convincing enough because I was asked for directions. Taking another liberty I gave them.

To be continued