quick update...

ok last night was great... got Centre, Row 5 tickets to Avenue Q

http://www.avenueq.com/

A very funny Tony Award winning production.

What is AVENUE Q about? AVENUE Q is the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. He soon discovers that the only neighborhood in his price range is Avenue Q; still, the neighbors seem nice. There's Brian the out-of-work comedian and his therapist fianceé Christmas Eve; Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his roommate Rod -- a Republican investment banker who seems to have some sort of secret; an Internet addict called Trekkie Monster; and a very cute kindergarten teaching assistant named Kate. And would you believe the building's superintendent is Gary Coleman?!? (Yes, that Gary Coleman.) Together, Princeton and his newfound friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Who is AVENUE Q appropriate for?Adults love AVENUE Q, but they seem a little, er, fuzzy on whether it's appropriate for kids. We'll try to clear that up. AVENUE Q is great for teenagers because it's about real life. It may not be appropriate for young children because AVENUE Q addresses issues like sex, drinking, and surfing the web for porn. It's hard to say what exact age is right to see AVENUE Q - parents should use their discretion based on the maturity level of their children. But we promise you this - if you DO bring your teenagers to AVENUE Q, they'll think you're really cool.

And a picture of the main male lead.

Then we had a great dinner out with Nigel and Simon down at Elmo's on East 20th Street - just off Times Square. Thanks guys.

Its been a good day...

Well another busy day today.

International Centre for Photography, shopping, high-end hi-fi shop then back home to change then off to the Broadway Show "The Producers". Very funny, a lot of fun and very well put together...a highly recommend.

I'll post some pics of some other places we've been to this evening some time, The Metropoloitan Museum, The Gungehiem, MOMA and other stuff. Very overwhealming the amount of things that are here, but any who sure our travel guide before we left and saw what Gary suggested we go see (100's of tags on the book!), well we've almost done them all!

Today, more galleries, another hi-fi shop, and off to another show this evening.

Oh, might have forgotten to mention... guess who had their drinks spiked... not a nice experience. Oh well, big city, just need to be a little more careful. More on that when we get back.

much love. kings

concert pics

On the way to the show... a bit of sculpture and we picked up a Barbie show-girl.... she asked us directions!










Back to today....

Well I'm starting to forget what we have been doing - so I thought I would do one on today.

Morning - quiet
Lunch - very naughty retail therapy - Armani, Canali etc!!!! (well we had to do it - sales are on!)
Evening - picnic in Central Park with Nigel and Simon (another couple of Perth lads on holidays here) and we watched the annual Broadbway shows in the park. The special trat was that at the end of the show - after the current Cabaret actresses sang Cabaret, guess who came out on stage! Yup - Liza Minelli!!

Great day... great evening... great company....

On to the pics of the night....

Circle Line Tour and pics....




















Ok, day two also consisted of the famous cirlce line tour, which is a boat cruise around Manhattan that is very good and gets you orientated to the island and also points out the famous landmarks etc... and also a perfect opportunity for some snaps!

Holy Moly!!!

Well it's been a few days since a post and I bet your all salivating at the thought of a new post... no pics in this one... just a quicky.

So what have we been up too.... jeez, its been full on! Caught up with our gorgeous friend (who we haven't seen in years!) Erana for the opening of Gay Pride Week at Gracie Mansion - offical residence of the Mayor, had cocktails with some lovely friends of Erana - boy, does she know everyone in town! Then a photo and chat Mayor Bloomberg (112th richest man in the world - according to Forbes!), then a private tour of the mansion. Though I have mentioned that before. Then off for a yummy dinner - Thai around the corner. Off for dinner now... more later.

Bloombery office visit

Ok a bit of a back track.... on our third day we had a tour of the Bloomberg offices which where exceptionally funky. Their offices are always the same in that they have food, fish and flowers. He's a link to the very funky looking offices. Also they have a great value system, very transparent and invest in philanthropic community based areas.

http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=1608

A big thank you to Erana for the tour

:D

The momument....


Now I didn't realise that even with Anne Frank's house and all the issues with that, that gay issues had reached Amsterdam in the war. Enter Homomonument - Behind the Westerkerk is this cluster of three 10m x 10m x10m triangles, embedded in the gound and stranddling the narrow street. Made from pink granite (the pink triangle being the design of the path the Nazis forced gay men to wear, these simple but evocative triangle were designed by Dutch artict Karin Daan to convery past persecution of gays and lesbians while progjecting hope for the future. The triangle here going over the water was placed where the jetty that they loaded gays and lesbians onto boats before being shipped to concentration camps.

Amsterdam - wandering around





OK - serious catch up time.... Days Two and Three where about wandering about and eating at some extravagant places... first was Christophe's and the second was - oh god can't remember - but it was a lovely botantic park near the confernce centre... good grief! Paul is watching some show on cable which a guy got attacked by a drill and now has been attacked by his girl-friend with a kitchen knife... we think its Trainspotting - itsWEIRD!!!!!

Holy moly!!!!!

Anyways... now for something different....














And traffiic jams happen on the waterways too!

oops.... pressed the button too quickly

just got back from Cirque De Soliel and .... WOW!

The show was the best ever that we've ever seen! Tapis Rouge - the VIP thing wasn't as good as in Perth, but the martinis and sea-breezes make up for it! The show was absolutely brilliant and we would recommend and see it again! So save your pennys chaps and chapettes!

... oh good grief.... had to focus back back to Amsterdam!

Amsterdam again...


OK, lunch was at a funky old warehouse on the outskirts of the Red Light district.


Then the boy had to go to work... so I was left to photograph to my hearts content! The first day I didn't take too many shots as I was more interested in getting to all the photography museums in Amsterdam - about 10 of them. Also the International Press Photo competition is out of here and finished a few days after we arrived - so that was a must. Oh that one is on the web as well.

Some pictures of miscellanous wanderings... First from a photography gallery - and in the back is an original print of a moon landing shot.

More in a tick... have to get ready now!

Wow - Day Three in NY and a bit to catch up on!!!

Well its the morning of the Day Three in NY and HOLY MOLY!!!!!

We have moved into our apartment in the Village and its huge, clean, comfortable and quiet... we are just near Union Square.

I will give you an brief update on NY and then will go back to Amsterdam.... and try and catch up quickly.

We spent the first day wondering around and the circle line tour - trip around Manhatten, then day two, Museum of Natural History, and caught up with our friend Erana (who still looks as gorgeous as ever!) at a cocktail reception with Mayor Bloomberg at the mayors official residence for the opening of Gay Pride in NY and he spoke about his committment to support gay marriage stuff. More on all of that later!!!

Back to Amsterdam...

On to NY....

Ok, I'm up to lunch on the second day, but we have a boarding call for NY. More later.

Oh, I also just wanted to say thank you to Erana and Gary for organising some fantastic things in NY. Whats the saying - NY isn't a city that sleeps... well between the two of them the first week is going to be fab!

Canal shots...





Just having a bit of difficulty with the computer in the British Airways Lounge, they have disabled a few things so I cant get it to do the pictures properly... you'll cope tho :D

Oh forgot to mention... wet and cold in Amsterdam at this stage... but one of the photos does show blue sky... yes I cheated this was taken the following day :D

The Canal Boat Tour...



Exiting the Rijks Museum ... our hosts behind the funny looking Australian dude! The blonde with the lovely smile is the lovely Robyn - our host in Amsterdam.

Oh, now yup, onto the tour, past all the famous places, got a bit a history of the city, and out into the harbour and back around to the Wag (old warehouse place for lunch)

Day Two Amsterdam


Oh.... bidding seems to have closed on the first class pj's - BuffySue the winner!

Day Two - Well it started with a very lushious breakfast (oh by the way the last 4 days has been an eating and drinking affair! An no gym in sight! Will have to pound the pavements in NY to wear it off!!!)

Then the tour - the Rembrandt Musuem, city canal tour and lunch at the Vag.

The Rembrandt Musuem was spectacular. The feature was the Night Watch (or to those in the know - 'Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch'), which also had a brand new Peter Greenaway interpretation and movie feature going at the same time.

A picture from inside....



Have a look here
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_assets/SK-C-5?lang=en

Now some of you are going to cry when I mention this next bit... but because the tour bus was over an hour late - we only had 15min to do the Rijks Museum... just enough time to do the Peter Greenaway exhibition of the Night Watch, a viewing of the piece with the tour guide pointing out the key bits, a walk very quickly through the gallery with our guide then out again. Oh well... something to go back for to have a proper look! I must say it was a spectacular piece. The tour guide said that Rembrandt used a two-hair brush to paint it... and as you can see its a big piece.

Then off onto the canal boat tour...

Back in Heathrow

Well back at Heathrow now ... so where was I up to... ahh yes Day One in Amsterdam. Synposis very weird. But I did forget to say thank you very much to our host Robyn. Thanks darling for a very relaxing night :-)

Now onto Day Two Amsterdam