Winter in New York

Staten Island Ferry (© Sara Chardin)

The recent snowstorm in the United States, brings back magical memories of winter in New York – the city that never sleeps.

Friends had warned me that New York would be freezing in winter, but I wasn’t expecting the plane to touch down on snowy tarmac. As a first time visitor, I grabbed a yellow cab for my journey to Manhattan Island. The cab driver seemed thrilled his passenger was so excited to be in his city, and pointed out the Chrysler Building glittering in the darkness – “It’s the one that looks like a Christmas tree.”

Here’s my 10 top tips for making the most of winter in New York:

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Laurie Lee Wildlife Way

Laurie Lee Wildlife Way

“Snow-clouds of elder-blossom banked in the sky, showering upon me the fumes and flakes of their sweet and giddy suffocation. High overhead ran frenzied larks, screaming, as though the sky were tearing apart.”

From Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust designed the Laurie Lee Wildlife Way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Gloucestershire’s most famous 20th century author. Their 5-mile trail takes a circular route around the beautiful Slad Valley, which has become immortalised in the words of Laurie Lee. It links four nature reserves and is dotted with ten poetry posts, each featuring one of Lee’s poems.

In advance of the official opening, I pulled on my walking boots, grabbed my waterproofs and made some cheese and pickle sandwiches to join the Trust’s celebration walk. Our 6-mile circular walk was a variation on the official walk and began at Hawkwood College, perched on a ridge above Stroud.

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The Story of the Chilli Crab

The Boat Shed (© Sara Chardin)

My first visit to The Boat Shed Cafe, in Nelson, New Zealand, was in the late 90s. I’d just graduated from university and was yet to find a proper job. So I decided to travel on my own, for the first time, to visit my beloved Grandpa, who had emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 80.

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with Nelson and its arty vibe; it took even less time to fall in love with The Boat Shed and its Chilli Crab. A love affair, that’s stood the test of time.

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Finding Myself in Venice

Venice at Dusk

I’d been to Venice before. That time, my travelling companion got most upset that I’d not sought comprehensive directions to our hotel and we got lost. Very lost. We traipsed up and down streets and up and over canals in the darkness. It was my birthday and he just about managed to forgive me in time to share a pizza on our balcony overlooking a little square. That was my most vivid memory of Venice.

Vague, hazy memories of the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square only came back to me, in a déjà vu sort of way, when I returned, now almost 15 years later. This time, I was determined to get to know the city a little better.

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