The view from Jersey

Long threatened, never acted upon, at last I saw Manhattan from Jersey, and not from the turnpike.

Unfortunately, it involved leaving by bus from the Port Authority terminal at 42nd Street. This is perhaps the most draining, awful, ugly, badly designed, frustrating place in New York City. It will break you. It should be razed. Go instead by ferry to Port Imperial, Weehawken, spend six more dollars. That's how we came back. You cross the vast (for a South African, where rivers are more like puddles) Hudson and see the length of Manhattan island, from the distant grey towers of the Financial District to the wooded shores of Riverside Drive.

On the Other Side, we saw this cruise ship leaving its berth, nosed gently by tugs.

You hear about 'big as city blocks' but it's only when you see a ship from this perspective that you get it.

About six years ago my parents arrived in New York on the Queen Mary and docked here, beside The Intrepid museum (where the concord sits on deck, silent and undeadly) - I met them by cab. I had no camera. I had no blog. I wish they would do it again, so that I could take pictures. They won't, though - their blood doesn't run to cruises - luxurious floating malls. Le trapped on le big hotel.

But very pretty to look at, on a blue, blue day.

[See Manhattan from the Frenchie's vantage point, here]