New York day 5

We went up to the Guggenheim which was really cool inside - very easy on the visitor as it just spirals up and up and before you know it you've walked to the top about six stories up without any stairs.

Next we had lunch at E.A.T. on the Upper East Side. Thanks to the Rough Guide we have eaten very well on this trip.

After that we went to the Tenement Museum which is a restored old tenement house depicting the lives of immigrants to New York. We went on a tour about an Irish family. Again, I'm used to hearing about emigration and people leaving and NYC is all about immigration and people arriving. It felt a bit like half a story as it didn't mention the emigration side of the story much, but on the other hand the American perspective feels a lot more hopeful and optimistic. It was interesting to hear the Irish traditions explained (not as unusual to us as they were to some other tour participants) plus interesting to see inside the tenements. We have tenements in Edinburgh which are not hugely different although now substantially modernised and are desirable places to live. We don't have the famous NY fire escapes though. We probably should. Strange to think this museum was possible because the whole tenement had been left empty for 50 years rather than redeveloped.

Next was a quick walk round the Wall Street area (pictured) to see the New York Stock Exchange etc.

It was then time to go back to the hotel and get our stuff and head to the airport for our flight home. Due to the transfer people anticipating traffic which did not appear we were four hours early for our flight. Yay. Not.