New York 5

Sitting on the Amtrak Regional train on the way to Washington doing this post. Watching the countryside, with very little space between towns it's amazing how dry and brown the areas are, very much like Australia in summer (well perhaps not our most recent one when it was still very green and often underwater). Yes parts of America is going through drought and this winter has been one of the mildest on record.

I always have a little anxiety when I'm on the move during a trip, the saga of carrying or wheeling along a case, steps to be climbed or descended in underground rail stations, barriers not accommodating cases and that's before the possibility of not working out the right train. Anyway it was all quite painless this morning, took a different entrance for the nearby 72nd Street subway and it had a full entrance way which was better for getting the case through and onto the train which was pretty empty (again a usual cause for anxiety if the train is crowded and one has to squeeze in with a case and be in everyone's way). Only a few stairs to be managed at Penn Station fifteen minutes later and a nice spot in the waiting area. Did a bit of reading and a little chat with a bloke who told me he was going to Boston ('Borsten')and on his last trip to there his train caught on fire!!!! Hmm, maybe I'll stay in New York for a few days instead of going to Washington.

My favorite area of New York so far and by far has been the SoHo(South of the Hudson) and Tribeca (Triangle below Canal) neighbourhoods. Easy to get to between Broadway and West Broadway and bordered by Canal Street, walking around the lovely streets (some cobbled) is like stepping onto a film set.High end and 'individual' fashion name stores, the Apple training centre and artists populate the area. The original Singer sewing machine company building is one of the many historic and attractive buildings in the vicinity. There is a lot of creative energy evident as you go around the streets - I loved it.

Stopped off in Duane Street at the Laughing Man Coffee Shop, part owned by Hugh Jackman. Tiny shop where a percentage of profits go to charity. I ordered a flat white and it was passable with the all too familiar bitter tang in it and a remarkable hue of orangy brown. Sat outside a nearby park and watched the world pass by in this frankly very attractive wedge of the Big Apple.

So the very comfortable train pulled into Washington's Union Square Station and I walked the 11 blocks to the Harrington Hotel (somewhat larger blocks than NY). One of the first sights as I came out of the station was the Capitol and that familiar dome. The trip on the train itself showed some interesting homes, mostly large cottages and then some burnt out wrecks in Baltimore, contrasts.

Lovely big room at the Harrington and it's off to find some tucker.