New York City, New York – the city with many nicknames. New York City, the city with a very rich history, was the last few places that we visited on the way back home. We have crossed out quite a number of interesting places in the bucket list. The Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre Museum, Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Volendam, and the Island of Marken were now part of the fulfilled tasks.

We were back in Newark, New Jersey after a long flight from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The brief stop in Copenhagen, Denmark was so short that we didn’t even get out of the airport. Exploring the airport, stopping for a quick breakfast, and catching a catnap were more than enough to occupy our time there.

We stayed at a hotel close to the airport and close to Battery Park. The tour company that we booked took us around Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty at Liberty Island, and Ellis Island. It was interesting to learn from the guide about history and information about the Statue of Liberty. We walked around Liberty Island while we listened to the tour guide. Ellis Island was just across Liberty Island and was one of the three stops for the ferry. We skipped Ellis Island and decided to go back to Battery Park.

A short subway train ride took us to Central Park. We thought of doing a short stroll before heading somewhere to search for dinner. There were a lot of of itinerant tricycle drivers hawking an offer for a park tour. Be warned! A vague offer for a fixed amount will double or triple when collected because “you took a minute more” than the supposedly agreed 15 minutes!.

Dinner was pizza in one of the small pizza houses in Manhattan. Our next flight took us back home and reality.