Day 30: All Good Things...

So begins the final entry in the blog, as I lie in my cabin with less than 24 hours to go before I'm back home in Worthing. I'm guessing that once I'm all unpacked I am unlikely to be in the mood for blogging! It will feel very strange not having something new to see everyday, and I expect there will seem to be somewhat of a gap in my life, as even before the trip started it took up a fair bit of my time. I guess that's why I'm keen to start planning something new, although I doubt it will be anything quite so adventurous! Still, I always know that if I really want to, I can do it. As much as I have noticed the aspects of the Queen Mary 2 that are less appealing this time around (mostly the entertainment, but also the average age of passengers which influences what activities are available), I can definitely say that I will also miss having all the free time that I have enjoyed this week!

This blog has served a number of purposes for the trip. Firstly, it's been a good way to let everyone know how I'm getting on, in more words that you can fit on a postcard (yes, sorry everyone but you wont be getting one of those!). Secondly, it's been a good way to record the trip, and I will be able to look back on this in the future and remember the fantastic experiences I have had. And finally, it has been quite an enjoyable pastime for me, and it's actually reminded me that I quite enjoy writing. I expect I will try to keep a more general blog in future - certainly not a daily one, as this trip has been exceptional in giving me plenty to write about everyday - and maybe even think about another way to put my writing interests to use. Hopefully you have enjoyed reading this collection of thoughts and experiences. Otherwise, you have to wonder what you're still doing here!

At the beginning of this trip, I expected that it would prove to be a life-changing, inspirational experience for me, which would teach me something both about myself and where I was going (in the literal sense of learning about the US rather than some deeper philosophical notion of the direction my life is taking!). I think it has largely fit that bill, although it seems that any travelling experience is deeply personal, so “life changing” means something completely different to each person. I know from seeing some DVDs of these kind of journeys (e.g. Darius Goes West), people finish the journey with a new sense of purpose and determination. For me, I think I already had this, all this trip has done in that respect has affirmed what I always thought to be true, which is just what you can do if you put your mind to it. What this trip has done for me is remind me of how important it is to continue to have as many new experiences as possible, something I will try all the harder to achieve in future. I also thought this trip would be a father-son bonding experience, which it has been, but not in a clichéd Hollywood movie style - my Dad and I are still the same people as we always were, and still probably disagree in the same ways we have always disagreed, but we have shared experiences, we probably understand each other and get along a little better, and I know that I appreciate my Dad more for everything he has done (that's not to say I didn't appreciate him before of course!).

Having now finished with all the formal nights of the trip, all that remains is the “elegantly casual” Last Supper - and with just one other dining companion it's a lot less exciting as I had hoped! Tomorrow morning we dock at Southampton alongside Queen Mary 2’s sister ship Queen Victoria. After that, the short ride home and then that's it, the trip is over. I will probably add some photos to this blog on my return, mainly for my record, although perhaps you might like to come back and look at them to give some substance to what I've been writing!

On a final note, I'd just like to say thanks once again for reading, I've tried to give an honest yet upbeat portrayal of the trip, and it has truly been a wonderful, enriching experience for me, one which I will hopefully look back on fondly for many years to come. It's been emotional!

Day 29: Reflections on the water

As you might have guessed from the rather sporadic nature of the blog lately, there hasn't really been a whole lot of activity in the last few days, and Day 28 has so far not proven to be much different. I've now started on my fourth book of the trip - as usual on my holidays I've resolved to read more when I get back - whether or not it translates into real action is another matter, but years of experience would suggest otherwise! It's all very relaxing, which is quite welcome, but doesn't really give me much to write home about! Today has featured more pub trivia, a classical piano recital (much to Dad’s horror, so he opted to spend the time in the shops instead!) and the England-USA match - which I have to confess I didn't watch all of, just went to see the friendly competitiveness between passengers on either side. Of course, the English passengers seem to care about it a lot more than their American counterparts! At the pub quiz we met a couple of disabled passengers (both wheelchair or scooter users), who were on the Queen Mary 2 on the way out and had done a similar trip to us. Didn't really get to chat to them properly, but it seemed they had spent time travelling around (including to Niagara Falls), and also in New York. They reported having had a better experience on New York buses than we had with the taxis!

One thing that I've been asked on this trip is how accessibility for disabled people compares between the UK and the US. The popular belief, and one I once held myself, is that the US is generally more accessible. In some aspects this is true, in that more businesses seem to have made some kind of accommodation for disabled people. This may be a result of having legislation around disability discrimination five years before us (1990 Americans with disabilities act), and also a culture where there is more fear of being sued. However, it is not quite as simple as all that. As with legislation in the UK, in the US not all buildings have to be completely accessible, adjustments simply have to be made where it is practical, or reasonable. Admittedly, in the US there seemed to be more buildings where ramps were available then you would find in the UK. But often there are buildings that have no access, particularly the older buildings as we found in Boston.

Moving beyond the simple case of getting in to buildings, I would say the US is less accessible than the UK in many respects. In regards to toilets for example, in the US accessible toilets are almost always integrated into the standard toilets, so there will be a larger cubicle in the men's and ladies rooms. In the UK, disabled toilets are unisex, and almost always separate from the standard toilets. This means in the US, you are completely screwed if you have a carer of the opposite sex, or perhaps a mother and son/father and daughter. Also, because of this setup the accessible cubicle was often too small, which I can just about cope with but for many people would be a dealbreaker that would prevent them from leaving the house. Because of the sheer number of people I know that would find this a problem, I'm staggered to think that this has never been considered in the US.

And it's not just the toilets, in the US there seem to be many things that have been neglected, which the UK is leading on - roads and pavements are in a very poor state, road crossing points are often inaccessible, accessible taxis are very limited in number, etc. For me, I was able to manage for a few weeks, but I think living there would present some serious issues. To be honest, I would love the chance to do my job in New York for a while and sort them all out! What struck me when I was looking at New York is that there doesn't seem to be a particularly active lobby of disabled people, which is perhaps why so many problems remain.

It's things like this I have been reflecting on, now we are nearly the conclusion of the trip. That, plus where I will go next! I know that I will struggle to top this trip, which really does feel like a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but I remain determined that this will not be my last holiday! I guess now I really have caught the travel bug!

Day 27 & 28: The Ocean Routine

Day 26 and 27 have seen us get back into the routine of life on board, which for us consists of a late morning (even for Dad who needs all the rest he can get) followed by lunch and an afternoon activity (usually a pub quiz), then the 5pm film, which takes us up to getting ready for dinner! Unfortunately since the first night, despite seeming to get along well our dining company has dwindled, with the two ladies leaving (we think they changed to the earlier dinner sitting), and John dining in another restaurant. So for the last two days it has just been me, dad and Ted, an 82-year-old retired accountant from New Jersey, sitting around the dinner table. This has been quite disappointing as for me the best part of a cruise like this is the chance to meet with and chat to other people, which has been quite limited this time around.

We have met a few people, including two couples who we met on the first day, and even took part in a quiz with the couple from Worthing, but other than that the social opportunities have been fairly limited! Perhaps that is also down to us because we don't share interests like needlework, knitting, scarf tying, napkin folding, bingo... well, you get the idea! Of course they also do more active stuff like sports (table tennis, golf etc) and dancing, but neither of these are of any value to me. On a more positive note, I have enjoyed the films (I'm looking forward to the showing this afternoon of The Hurt Locker), and also the Shakespeare play the taming of the shrew, which have all been quite entertaining.

Unfortunately, and this might explain the less upbeat mood of this entry, this morning we had some very sad news, as we heard from home that our dog Murphy had to be put to sleep. We had known this was on the cards for a couple of weeks, as he had been having problems with his legs, and while we have been away this has deteriorated quite rapidly, to the point where he could no longer stand. Although at 13 he has lived a good life, it’s still very sad to lose him, as he was part of the family. He was just a big softy who liked nothing more than playing with his toys while “talking” to you.

This news, as well as the feeling of formality overload, meant that yesterday evening we opted out of the formal night, choosing instead to stay in normal clothes and eat at one of the less posh restaurants. Quite a relaxed affair and we were quite appreciative of not having to dress for dinner for a change. We were not the only ones doing it, but nevertheless I felt a little self-conscious of not being quite as presentable as I should be! We still have one formal night left on the trip now, so we'll be breaking out the DJs again tomorrow.

Day 25 & 26: Steaming Across the Atlantic

I sit here on the third day of this transatlantic crossing wondering what to write about in this blog, something that I haven't really struggled with over the past three weeks. In truth, we are both a little underwhelmed by this crossing as it seems so very similar to our voyage on the way out, and it is quite a difference from our experiences of both Boston and New York, where we never struggled for things to do. Of course, we have attended and enjoyed some of the activities so far, including pub quizzes and film screenings (the film was 17 again, nothing particularly inspiring but watchable nevertheless), and even a lecture on the history of Atlantic crossings. But these are all in bite-size chunks, in between which there has been little to do. As such, I've come to view this part of the holiday as simply a chance to relax, and have already read quite a lot, and have otherwise been taking it easy. Probably wise given that I will soon be returning to work, something which seems quite distant after so long!

This part of the trip presents a new and challenging experience for my Dad and I, as we are now on our own, with my Dad being my sole carer for the next week. This is something that he has very rarely had to do, and never in the last 10 years, so we have both been a little anxious to see how it would work out. So far, we both seem to be holding up quite well, and Dad has been excellent at doing everything. We just hope that we can keep it up! In hindsight, recognising how big a task this is for one person, I probably would have arranged for another carer to join us, but at that time was put off by the fact that it's at least £2000 for another cabin, and no one was available to help at the time. Still, we will make it home, just Dad might end up a broken, shattered wreck by the end of it!

This experience has made me realise how invaluable the support I have had has been. It brings me back to a conversation I had about a year ago with another disabled person who also receives care, and like me this is funded by social services. This individual, who employs personal assistants to provide all care, said to me that the problem with using volunteers, as I do, is that it is disempowering because you are expected to be grateful for whatever you can get. While I appreciate the point, which is basically that when you employ someone, they are simply fulfilling their job role and do not necessarily need to be thanked for it, I do not think that this should be the case, and I think regardless of whether someone is paid or not, a little gratitude should be shown by us care receivers. In hospital, when you receive a good standard of care, you would still thank the doctors and nurses, even though they are being paid. And I think to ignore that is a danger which comes from focusing exclusively on disabled people's rights. Of course, I do firmly believe that we should have rights, but as with anything we also have responsibilities, which cannot be ignored. Seeing the situation that exists for many disabled people around the world, it is definitely the case that we are lucky to live where we live and get the support that we do. That does not mean we cannot push for a better deal (which is sorely needed in some areas), but it's necessary to remind ourselves sometimes of what we do have.

As such, I'd like to thank Jan, Marius and Steffen for all their help on this trip, which has made it all possible. And as for my Dad, well he has been truly fantastic throughout this trip, and as much as I hate to admit needing help, it is definitely true that I could not have achieved this trip without all the help that he has provided. We've had a bit of a running joke that I’ve become like the Queen, with him as my entourage dealing with things like carrying money, etc (as everything needs to be signed for, it's just been easier that way!). And sure, I can be independent at home when I have skilled, reliable personal assistants who I employ. But on this trip, while Jan was invaluable on the journey out, and the CSVs have been a significant help (particularly Marius who has done everything he can to make things easier), my Dad has been the only one I could really count on throughout my time here, to make sure I got all the support I needed and that everything went to plan, and where it didn't, to help me fix it. And he has really gone out of his way to let me make the decisions so it remains my trip, even when I know he has not agreed with everything I've decided! I know it has been very difficult for him to be out here, away from everything that he loves and enjoys for so long, particularly Mum and the dogs. But I think despite all this we've had some very good times while we've been out here and I do value this trip for the time it has given us together. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him for everything. Thank you!

Day 24: Goodbye New York!

Day 24 started quite early, particularly for Dad who got up to take a taxi down to the Manhattan pier to check for the ship! With no ship there, we were at least reassured that it would be in Brooklyn instead and that we would be heading for the right place when our transport arrived! I have to say, this was the fourth day that we had to move all our luggage from one place to the next, and it really doesn't get any easier or less stressful. Not only do we have to keep track of more luggage than any one or even two people can possibly carry, some of which I literally wouldn't be able to survive without for more than 24 hours, we've also had to worry about which of my carers are coming and going, and making sure that we end up in the right place. As much as I was sad to leave New York, by the beginning of day 24 I just wanted to get safely on the ship as quickly as possible, so we could relax again.

As has been true of all of the “transfer days”, this went off largely without a hitch, the only really tricky part for me being the journey in the van which collected us (once again due to the appalling condition of New York roads as well as inadequate passenger restraints which seems to be par for the course in any form of public transport or taxi). But we arrived at the terminal all intact and were processed quite quickly through security and boarding, despite the fact that we were two hours earlier than our scheduled boarding time. We managed to get everything onto the ship just in time to go and enjoy lunch at one of the ships buffet restaurants.

As we travelled out on the Queen Mary 2 in a Queen’s Grill suite, we ended up being pretty spoilt , and it is inevitable that we will find many things on board not quite as nice as they were first time around. For example, the cabin, or “stateroom” (called that because back in the day of paddle steamers, more luxurious cabins were named after states in the US) this time around is about half the size of what we had before. I did actually ask to upgrade, but were told that the ship is “more or less full”. We nevertheless asked if they could take our details in case something came up (I later thought that I should have asked if we could have one of the ”less full” cabins, but probably fortunately I missed that opportunity to be a smart-arse). Although there was a brief moment of hope when they called us to say a cabin might be available, when we went to look at it we found it was inaccessible. Obviously the person I had asked did not write this rather essential requirement down - which basically meant wasted time for everyone and shows that not all the staff on the ship are quite as on the ball as they should be! Ah well, I am sure we will manage okay in this room, as nice as it would be to have a bit more space and a balcony. As I said, we were spoilt and as such have now become cruise ship snobs!

The main highlight of the day was watching the departure from New York up on deck. We have had a number of opportunities so far to look at the New York skyline (from our midtown dock on the way in, the view from the Liberty Island Ferry, and the view from the top of the Rock), but I would say that this was probably the best view yet. As we slowly pulled away from the city, we were rewarded with a panoramic view of Manhattan and surrounding boroughs. It certainly beats the view when leaving Southampton! For the most part we ran alongside the Staten Island Ferry, so anyone that has done this will have seen the same view. We were even given our own NYPD police helicopter escort out of the port. As we relaxed up on deck, it made me quite sad again to think that my time in the States is now an end. But also very pleased to have had this experience and thankful to everybody who have made this trip possible, and I shouldn’t lie, also just a little bit proud that I have managed to achieve this trip at all!

While we were on deck admiring New York, I ended up standing next to a couple who turned out to be from Worthing, which truly was an amazing coincidence. Of all the many nationalities on board, the chances that there would be someone from your home town, and beyond that, the chances that you will be standing next to them, given that there are about 2500 passengers aboard, are very slim indeed. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if we never end up seeing them again, the ship is so big! They seemed pretty friendly and up for a laugh, so with any luck we will!

Other than this, and Dad’s impressive feat of unpacking all our luggage into what seemed like a very small space, the evening was not particularly eventful, simply giving us an opportunity to meet our dining companions for the week. These consisted of Sophie, an American from Maine who used to run her own business but also spent time studying psychology and made friends in the UK back in the 1960s; Joanne, a teacher of applied psychology who lives in Canada; John, a retired guy who used to work in the oil industry and now lives in Spain; and Ted, who comes from New Jersey, but was slightly out of my earshot so I have no more details! When we first sat down I actually thought we were joining two couples, but it soon became clear that all four of them are solo travellers. Although none of them seem particularly fun, this could simply be because we only just met, and I nevertheless found them all quite interesting people. Hopefully we will be able to get some lively discussions going!

Day 23: The Final Day, and All That Jazz!

After the late-night of the previous day, day 23 did not begin particularly early, but once I was up I decided to look for Broadway tickets online, to see if we could catch another show before we left, and make up for the disappointing experience with Phantom of the Opera. The first show we tried was West Side Story, but having no luck we managed instead to get tickets at the last minute for a matinee performance of Chicago. Having heard many positive comments about this, I was quite excited, and also amazed that we could get accessible tickets so close to when the show was about to start.

The 40 minute walk from our hotel to Times Square has by now become quite familiar, with its broken streets and huge potholes, and I’ve actually quite enjoyed being able to walk right into the centre of everything. Mind you, in this heat the sight of our hotel at the end of these walks has often been a huge relief! Anyway, we made this walk for the last time, and I tried desperately to imprint into my memory the amazing sensation of being a part of such a vibrant city. I have to say, in the last day I felt painfully aware of our impending departure, and every experience has been savoured.

The performance of Chicago was really good and completely new to me as I had never seen the show or the film. I really liked the fact that it was not just another nice, heartwarming tale, and it was very funny in parts. Although I wouldn't say it made a particularly deep and meaningful critique of fame and the media, it certainly has a message behind it beyond just shallow escapism. There are some very good songs as well, and I was quite impressed with the cast, who I found very entertaining, particularly “Mr Cellophane”. My Dad also seemed to enjoy it, and it made me very glad that I made the spontaneous decision to see a second show on the trip. After the show we decided to eat at TGI Friday's on Times Square, which was pretty rubbish both in terms of the food and service! I've eaten at quite a number of TGI Friday's in the UK, and have never been disappointed, but all I can think of is that on Times Square with the sheer number of people in and out each day, they are not too worried about repeat custom!

While I would love to say that I spent the last night in New York up all night partying, in reality the necessity was that we had to finish packing up and prepare for the departure the next day. So nothing very exciting, and if anything a little sad to think that my trip is coming to its conclusion. I have to confess that I actually opened the window this last evening in New York, simply to hear the noise of the city that I have loved being a part of, if only for this brief time. Amazing also to think that this city has been loved by and an inspiration to many people before me, and probably many after. Unfortunately, the thought of there still being a week on the Queen Mary 2 is not as much consolation as perhaps it should be, as I feel I know what it will be like, and that it does not begin to compare with how much fun I have had in the States. However, I remain open to being proved wrong!

Day 22: Boys and Their Toys

Day 22 started with continued efforts to track down exactly where the Queen Mary 2 departs from on our day of departure, given the change of plans on our arrival, but frustratingly no one seemed to give a particularly reassuring answer! Thus we decided there's nothing else to do but to simply go to the riverside and look on the morning we are supposed to leave, and if there’s a big ocean liner parked there, then that's where we go! Of course by me I mean Dad, as he is very helpful like that, and tends to be up ridiculously early anyway!

So after sorting this out, we decided to spend the day visiting one last tourist attraction on my list, the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, located on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, on the Hudson River. Amazingly, as this is not something you expect an aircraft carrier to be built for, the museum is almost fully accessible, with the exception of the Concorde and submarine. As the title of the blog suggests, this trip really was just one for us boys, as we got to look at lots of military hardware which is all about being very fast, loud and blowing things up - which myself and my Dad found very interesting but would probably bore people that aren't little boys at heart! The museum also featured a lot of history about the aircraft carrier which was commissioned in 1943 and saw action throughout World War II and the Cold War. And to make things more interesting, the museum also has a number of simulators which looked a lot of fun so I dispatched my Dad and Marius to enjoy them on my behalf. They seemed to enjoy themselves, although Dad was too much of a wimp to try the next simulator which would allow him to fly his own plane in a dogfight. Given that he's driven in Manhattan I'm sure a dogfight would be a piece of cake, but he wouldn't be persuaded!

After the museum, we walked back to the hotel alongside the Hudson River, which started off as one big cycle lane but later got a bit more scenic as it became the Hudson River Greenway, a thin strip of grassy park land. Quite a popular spot for sunbathing, particularly today as the temperature touched 90° at one point - that aircraft carrier deck was pretty sweltering I can tell you! We had our second opportunity for fame of the trip as we walked behind another film crew - this first happened in Boston but the TV crew didn't seem particularly professional, but this time I actually recognised the person being filmed! Of course, at that time I couldn't actually be more specific than “that science guy in the BBC documentary about time” - which I think was overheard by one of the film crew as I got a bit of a dirty look! Now I have access to the Internet I can tell you it was Professor Michio Kaku (50 points if you know who that is without finding a picture!). I'll have to look out for future documentaries he presents to see if we are in the background!

The evening was quite a simple affair as we found another restaurant just one block away from the hotel, another one serving some pretty nice food. It makes me think that we have really landed on our feet with the location of this hotel - not too close to be in the centre of all the tourist hordes and complete chaos which is Times Square, but still within walking distance of many attractions, and just in the right place for lots of lovely eateries. As it was still quite early, I decided to head to the nearest cinema to take in a movie. Unfortunately all of the offerings at the moment are pretty mediocre summer blockbusters, but I went for Iron Man 2 - completely silly but just about watchable! By the time we were coming out from the film it was half past midnight and the temperature was still 78° -very strange to be walking around in shorts and T-shirt at that time, but I actually rather enjoyed it!

It’s sad to think this trip is entering the final stages, so I’m determined to do something special for my last day in New York. As soon as I find out what that is, I'll let you know!

Day 21: A Walk in the Park

After a decent lie-in, we exited our hotel armed with suncream, drinks and a book with the intention of spending a relaxing day in Central Park, located just a few blocks from our hotel. In the end, the books never came out as our exploration of the park took a lot longer than anyone anticipated – yes, it really is huge! I always knew that it was quite substantial and not just a small, flat bit of grass, but you can't really appreciate the scale of the thing until you are in it. Of course, there are far bigger parks in the world, but I suspect very few where you can find a (relatively) peaceful area with a backdrop as impressive as the Manhattan skyline. I say relatively, firstly because you can still hear traffic (although at points it is quite distant), but also because it is very well used by New York's inhabitants and thus quite busy. But that did not detract from our enjoyment of it one bit, and we truly got to appreciate just how vital it must be to New Yorkers as an escape from the hustle and bustle.

Our way out of the park brought us on to fifth Avenue, which we decided to walk down to get to FAO Schwartz, another famous toy store (which featured in the film “Big”, with Tom Hanks), where we picked up some presents for my niece and nephew. By this point, we were all quite hot and sticky and decided to pass on more shopping and instead return to the comfort of our hotel. On our way back we passed a staging point for the many horse and carriage rides that you can take through Central Park and the city. Any romantic notions you may have towards these is quickly killed off by the overwhelming stench that you might expect from 10 to 20 horses standing in one place all day!

Despite not providing much literary inspiration for the blog, the day was quite satisfying and made a nice, relaxing change from the tourist attractions. For the evening, we met up with Tubb & Helen for a meal at one of the restaurants near our hotel, a farewell dinner for them as they were due to fly back the next day. We had a good meal, and I really enjoyed the company. For me, having friends along has made a huge difference to this part of the trip, which has been infinitely more enjoyable as a result. I have to confess I had been a little uncertain how my dad and my friends would get along, but it has worked out really well and there was some good friendly banter between us all.

Amazingly, this trip has shown me that Tubb is in danger of becoming a big old softy, as he has begun to demonstrate most un-Tubb-like behaviour, from sending people postcards to even at times forgetting to make smart arse remarks (although this is soon corrected if pointed out!). I'm sure he would be most mortified to hear this, but settling down with Helen has had a very positive, civilising impact on him! Of course, that's not to say he doesn't have a way to go, as he had to be reminded that Helen “has a face too” (he claimed to be inspecting her t-shirt: a likely story!). Now, for the sake of avoiding physical injury in relation to what I just wrote, I'd like to take this opportunity to say what a wonderful human being Tubb is and what an amazing source of assistance, entertainment and all sorts of good things he is!

Just one last thing to mention about the evening, following the meal we retired to a nearby Irish pub for more drinks. Here we met with Bob, a fairly drunk American who persuaded us that we were all Flyers fans (an ice hockey team, apparently!). Unfortunately (or not!) myself and Tubb were just out of earshot, but my Dad seemed to have made a new best friend, and dropped Helen in it by mentioning her opinion of a seven-day sports event (which was essentially that people should really get out more, an opinion which I can sympathise with, but possibly not one that you wish to share with a pub full of sports fans!). Still, it was all very friendly although we didn't stay much longer, probably wise as they had just begun to lose! After the bar we said our tearful (no, not really!) farewells to Tubb and Helen and retired for the evening.

Day 20: The UN and The Rock

For Day 20 we decided to pay a visit to the United Nations, located on the eastern shore of Manhattan. Despite our rather sketchy experience with taxis the previous day, we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and try again. The concierge again rang the central number for dispatch and was told it would be a 20 minute wait. 20 minutes later, the concierge rang them back and was told something had happened to the cab that had been despatched and there were now no accessible vehicles available. Just about to give up and walk to the nearest bus stop, the hotel doorman managed to hail one and came to our rescue (yep, we tipped him for that!). The taxi ride over there was fine until we came to FDR Drive, where driving over the huge potholes almost threw me out of my wheelchair (like most of the taxi drivers, this one didn't seem to have a clue about how to use the clamps and seatbelt for the chair!). After that rather scary experience, I was delighted when we arrived at the UN and I could get out!

Another tourist attraction, another security checkpoint - and again security officers with very limited people skills! You have to wonder where they find these people or whether the job is really that bad to make them so unhelpful and unfriendly. Once through security, we met up again with Tubb & Helen, who had been patiently waiting for us. After the requisite time period before us men are allowed to ask anyone for directions or advice, Tubb & I went off to find out about the guided tours. Thankfully, we were able to locate a very helpful sign which meant we didn't need to ask anybody, much to the relief of our masculine pride!

For $16 each, we were taken on a 45 minute tour of the UN building, where we got to see the General Assembly, as well as various exhibits on the work of the UN and gifts from national delegations. Including an intricate sculpture made completely of ivory, donated by China in 1974, prior to trade in ivory being made illegal. Quite a thought-provoking piece denoting simultaneous artistry and cruelty (6 elephant tusks were used). Some very interesting information on the hugely valuable work the UN is doing to tackle poverty, remove landmines and monitor agreements, as well as their work on nuclear disarmament which seems less likely to bring about meaningful change (but maybe that's just the cynic in me). Our tour guide, who was from Venezuela was extremely chatty and made the tour very enjoyable.

All in all a very interesting afternoon, after which we paused to collect belongings from security - which basically comprised going up to the security booth, handing in your ticket, getting the window slammed in your face, then a minute later opened again and your bag silently thrust out at you (it's the people skills that impress me!). After stopping for lunch, we ventured towards the Rockefeller building, one of the tallest buildings in Manhattan which offers an observatory experience similar to the Empire State building, but with smaller crowds. Nevertheless, there was a fair bit of waiting around, and another security checkpoint (don't get me wrong, I'm glad this security is there, getting blown up isn’t on my list of priorities for the trip!).

The view from the Top of the Rock is really fantastic, and gives a good view of the whole island, including Central Park and the Empire State building, neither of which you can see from the Empire State building itself! It actually takes you longer to find the lift than it does to get to the top of the 70 floors! After admiring the view for some time, we descended to the bottom (Exiting in the middle of the shop, as you would expect - a real tourist trap!). The size of the shopping complex, all built around the single point of the building being quite tall, is quite astounding, and makes you think there is considerable money in making buildings just that little bit taller than the competition.

After splitting up from Tubb & Helen with plans to meet up again tomorrow we returned to our hotel sometime after seven, pretty exhausted after what was a very productive day. Not feeling like facing another restaurant search, we popped over to the market opposite and got some microwaveable meals to eat in our rooms. It felt quite nice to veg out for a change, and the meatballs and tomato sauce were not too bad at all! Steffen also did quite well to pick up 2 dinners at the market (no, he wasn't paying!), despite protesting that he's not really that big of an eater! We vowed to have a nice relaxing day for Day 21!

Day 19: Liberty Enlightening the World

For Day 19 we decided to play the proper tourist role by going down to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, to catch the ferry which stops at Liberty Island (the home of the Statue of Liberty) and Ellis Island (the home of the once infamous immigration centre, which is now a museum). Because this would be approximately 2 hours walk from our hotel we decided to bite the bullet and try out the various options for wheelchair accessible transport in New York. Being the unapologetic planner that I am, I had already researched the various options, which basically comprise the subway (with only a few accessible stations on only a few routes), buses (all of which are accessible), taxis (a handful of which are accessible with a central number to ring for dispatch), a dial-a-ride “paratransit” service (which are essentially minibuses organised by the city government that disabled people can book), and private paratransit companies.

So plenty of options, you might think. However, once you are here you realise it's not quite that simple. The number of subway stops is so limited to be of almost no value, the dial-a-ride system has a lengthy application process which is not set up for visitors outside the US, and the private paratransit companies quoted $265 for a round-trip to Battery Park (compare that to a $40 round-trip taxi ride). So that leaves us with buses and taxis. We opted for a taxi, and asked the concierge to ring 311 to get one dispatched. After about a half-hour wait a taxi turned up, which I managed to get into no problem, and a very nice and chatty taxi driver, who came from India but had lived in New York for 16 years, proceeded to give us his life history on the way. Despite the initial wait we were fairly satisfied with the process.

On the way back however the story was a bit different! With no helpful concierge we were on our own, and a call to 311 took 15 minutes, most of which was being put on hold, with all this on my very expensive UK mobile! At the end of the call they told us, with no concept that this might be anything out of the ordinary, that it would be between five minutes and an hour. After an hour and 20 of waiting there was still no sign, but we were lucky enough to spot an accessible cab which Dad hailed. Not an altogether exemplary performance!

Anyway, back to the day itself, arriving just after midday we decided to join the huge queue that snaked around Battery Park to catch the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Island. This turned out to be an hour-long wait but was not wholly unpleasant as it was another glorious day with some shade when needed, and some quite interesting street performers playing to the crowd. They were certainly quite adept at getting their cash - if you got drawn in by their routines, it was almost impossible not to donate! If you want to save your money I think the trick is to avoid all eye contact!!

Although the plan was to meet with Tubb & Helen in the queue, this never quite worked out so we ended up getting on the ferry by ourselves. Once we finally boarded the ferry, it was only a short trip to Liberty Island, the first stop. Having heard that there was very little to see beyond what you could see from the ferry (i.e. the Statue of Liberty), we decided not to get off at this point, and continued on to Ellis Island. Here we disembarked and entered the Immigration Museum, where we stopped to watch a talk and documentary on the island, to get a feel for what it was all about while giving Tubb & Helen a chance to catch up to us. Fortunately they did in the end, and we got lunch together and explored the museum.

The museum showed us some very interesting stuff, as millions of people passed through Ellis Island to migrate into the United States, each with their own story. Ellis Island was the place where would-be immigrants were checked to ensure they complied with the immigration laws of the time, which were primarily aimed at keeping criminals and people with long-term illnesses which would require social care out of the country. Because of the sheer number of people passing through here, the process resembled that of a factory line, with horror stories of families being separated. Although the worst of the process seemed to occur before immigrants had even left their home countries, where they were processed by the steamship companies and transported in truly awful conditions. Makes us immeasurably appreciative of our own luxurious transport on the Queen Mary 2 which couldn't even begin to compare.

Despite the lengthy waiting for the return taxi, our evening was also quite fruitful, as we found another lovely restaurant to visit, quite a small quaint little place full of farmyard ornaments and artwork, and some pretty decent food to boot. After some decent entrees, Marius and Dad finished off the evening with some huge pieces of carrot cake and devil's chocolate cake, which I had to pass on as I was already pretty stuffed!

The title of this blog, by the way, is the actual name of the Statue of Liberty - just thought I'd throw in that little factoid!

Day 18: Dinosaurs and Ghosts!

Day 18 was the only day of this trip where I had something firmly planned before I left the UK - in the form of tickets for the Broadway show, Phantom of the Opera. Aware that the show started at seven, and knowing it was at least a 40 minute walk & we wanted to eat beforehand, that actually took up a far larger chunk of the day than I realised! With this in mind it would probably have been wise to have a relaxing day beforehand - but I haven't been listening to wisdom so far on this trip so why on earth should I start?!

So I thought to try and visit the American Museum of Natural History during the day, and do a little tour round in the afternoon. It probably would've been fine had my cough not returned, most likely brought on by the air-conditioning, which considerably slowed progress. And also, anyone visiting New York soon should take note that the Museum of Natural History is huge! So all in all we didn't really get our money's worth, although we did get to see some cool dinosaur skeletons, the like of which I haven't seen since I was a kid. It's still enough to make you marvel at the wonders of nature, and just how chronologically insignificant man's presence on earth is. We also saw the Hall of Biodiversity, with a lot of information about environmental problems we are causing (nothing new to me but interesting to see how they present it to the general public). I did enjoy my brief time there (in between coughing fits!) but we had to cut it far shorter than I'd hoped in order to give myself time to recover for the evening’s festivities. Maybe I will return later on in the trip, particularly as the next few days are meant to be rainy.

Not yet braving the public transport system, we opted to walk down to Times Square, where we met up again with Tubb and Helen for food at Applebee's. The company was great although the food was largely uninspiring chain-restaurant fare - pretty much as expected but not as good as the two other restaurants we've already visited near our hotel on the Upper West Side, which have both been accessible yet cosy, offering an interesting menu and portions that are not grossly oversized! The point of eating near Times Square however was to put us in close proximity to our theatre for the evening’s entertainment.

We split up with Tubb & Helen who went off to try and get last-minute tickets for a show (Stomp in the end), and made our way to see Phantom. Supposedly the longest-running show on Broadway, I have to say although I found it watchable I wasn't left feeling culturally enriched! And to be honest, it doesn't take much for me to feel that way from a musical - a compelling story or a few very good musical numbers, neither of which I felt Phantom really delivers. My dad was even less appreciative, in terms ruder than I can say on here! That’s what he gets for leaving the choice entirely up to me I guess - although I do admit I could probably have made a better choice! Given the ease of getting tickets and the fact we are on Broadway means we might very well see another show this week anyway.

Not a particularly positive blog on reflection, but looking back on it even the less inspiring days here still feel exciting - yes maybe the show wasn't the best I've seen, but the whole experience of walking along Broadway seeing theatre after theatre is quite an experience in itself. And there's something really nice about walking out of the theatre at 9:30 at night in short sleeves and walking round in the open air quite comfortably. On our way back, we stopped at the huge Toys "R" Us store, dominated by a decent size Ferris wheel in the middle of the store four stories high. Me and dad had a look round like a couple of big kids, and will be back before we leave to buy presents! I was thinking my brother and sister-in-law would probably appreciate me buying my niece Millie a drum kit...

Day 16 & 17: Welcome to New York!

Day 16 saw the four of us; myself, my dad, Marius and Steffen (the two CSV volunteers) squeeze into the car with all our luggage, a feat which was actually surprisingly easier than we expected to be. With the sat-nav set for our hotel at 2130 Broadway, we began on our four and a half an hour journey, which was a largely uneventful, monotonous drive, pretty exhausting for my Dad who nevertheless did a pretty stellar job of getting us there. Particularly in the last final push, which involved some quite stressful driving through the New York traffic, and a narrow escape from some low-flying hub caps from the car in front which threatened to slice us in half! As we arrived at the hotel we found the car rental guy outside waiting to take the car off our hands, and I don't think my Dad has been so pleased to see anyone in his life!

Our New York hotel, the Hotel Beacon is located on Broadway, about a 40 minutes walk from Times Square and the theatres, so in a slightly quieter location than you might first expect from the address. It's quite an old building but the two suites we are in are very nice, with a double bedroom and a separate lounge and kitchen with a fold-out bed, and lots of amenities from a large flat screen TV to individual iPod stereo systems. Not bad, and a bit of a step up from the Hilton in Boston although that was not bad itself!

The evening was largely focused on relaxing, and we did little in the way of exploring, even to the extent of going to a restaurant in the same block as the hotel. Still, it was nice food and after what seemed like a long day we were quite glad not to have to traipse around on an extensive restaurant search!

Today, Day 17, started off with an unusually early start for me - for little reason other than excitement at being in New York! I'm not sure exactly why but coming into New York I seem to suddenly have more energy and seem to be getting into my stride with the trip. This is exactly the opposite of how I felt a day after coming into Boston but cannot quite explain it - but whatever it is I'm glad for the change. As some of you may know, I have for quite some time been planning to meet up with my friends Tubb & Helen during this leg of the trip. Although it was a bit iffy at one point whether they could make it due to the BA strikes, I was thrilled to find out that their flights were not affected and they arrived safely yesterday. We agreed to meet up at midday today at our hotel.

As they are staying at a hotel directly in Times Square, they decided to walk the 30 odd blocks to our hotel, which took about 40 minutes. We found them in our lobby as we came down, looking a little worn out as you might expect from the combination of jet lag and the 85 degree heat outside! After a brief catch-up, we resolved to spend a leisurely day wandering around Central Park and finding somewhere to have some drinks of the alcoholic variety - although not for me as drinking in the afternoon tends to send me to sleep! In the end, it turned out that the only bar in Central Park was closed for Memorial Day (the US bank holiday weekend). So we began a long search around the streets adjacent to the park, with Tubb’s beer-radar working overtime but to no avail! Humour was provided briefly in Tubb’s complete failure to eat an ice cream with any degree of dignity. Eventually we decided to head in the general direction of Times Square in the hope of what Tubb called “civilisation”, i.e. somewhere serving beer. Not sure I would classify that as the defining element of human endeavour but then I'm more of a wine man myself anyway!

As we were all about to collapse in the heat, we finally found a French bistro which was thankfully accessible, and tucked into drinks and some lunch. It was a rather understated affair but the food was good and portions generous. As ever with these places, it was appreciated all the more for the long search leading up to it! Sitting round the table gave us a good chance to catch up and chill out, and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

After the bistro, we decided to continue our walk on to Times Square, where we ended up stopping at Tubb & Helen’s hotel for more drinks. I bet you're beginning to see a theme here! Times Square was just as loud and in your face as you might expect, and made me glad we are located a little further out, although having said that Tubb’s hotel did seem quite peaceful once you were in there.

Walking around New York was great fun, and even though we walked probably about the same distance as in Boston, it seemed far easier, mostly due to pavements (although not the roads strangely) that were better kept and also the simple layout of streets that means you always know where you're going and how far. If you've got some sense of direction that is – not mentioning any names, eh Dad? Hey, it’s OK – that’s not his name! But seriously, although it can be a little claustrophobic between the tall buildings, there is this buzz about the city, full of life and energy. Or maybe its just my own excitement I’m sensing. Whatever, I’m just glad to be here!

Day 15: Taking in some country air

Although it might seem strange for the last day in Boston, I opted to spend the day getting out of the city again and into surrounding Massachusetts. In truth, after spending a week here, Boston city life doesn't really appeal all that much. I suppose my expectations were a little off, expecting a bit more of a quaint, historic town rather than the bustling, urbanised city we find ourselves in. I think I had this somewhat romanticised notion more akin to Boston as it was during the War of Independence - of a newly emergent city full of ideas and innovation. Now it all feels so big and commercialised, with huge concrete freeways full of traffic, and the remaining historical buildings surrounded on all sides by multi-storey parking lots and skyscrapers.

On reflection, as my expectations have begun to move closer to reality, I can appreciate that Boston has a lot of charm in some areas. Some of the neighbourhoods are very pretty and historic and it is set in an attractive harbour. But ultimately it is a large, modern city – an environment which no longer really appeals to me on either side of the Atlantic. Having said that, I am sure with people you love and a job you enjoy in the city, it could be a nice place to live. But it would be that rather than the location itself which would draw me here. Of course, there is a big difference between wanting to live here and wanting to visit, and I can say I have enjoyed the visit. The days I have enjoyed the most, however, have been those spent outside the city limits.

Which brings us back to today, Day 15. Today we decided to travel out to one of the national parks in Massachusetts, called Ashland State Park. I had prepared information on the park and other Boston attractions before I left the UK, but somehow cannot find these anywhere in my carefully-planned holiday folder. And there was I thinking I would be hugely organised (of course, 29 years of evidence to the contrary probably should have taught me otherwise). Ah well, although I do like to plan (and get horrendously mocked for the fact even though I am far less of a plan-geek than my Dad), I'm quite capable of adapting to the situation too! Fortunately we found it listed in the sat-nav, just 40 minutes out of Boston.

Unfortunately, however, when we got there we found it closed and unstaffed. So, back to the drawing board - remembering another park I had researched which I knew was nearby, we set the sat-nav for Hopkinton just 10 minutes down the road. After driving around for a bit we had to stop and ask directions (yes, it really was getting that desperate!) so Dad popped into the local police station, and amazingly came out a few minutes later without having been shot or arrested, and with good directions!

We finally found Hopkinton State Park, which was quite a large, wooded park set around a reservoir. It was very scenic, although lacking in any wheelchair accessible trails which was a little disappointing. However, we decided to sit at the side of the reservoir, watching the canoes and various water activities, including some dogs doing some running jumps off the jetties, chasing toys thrown into the water. Good setting to do a bit of reading, and I think the dogs made my dad miss our own at home. By the end of the afternoon, as we were beginning to get hungry, we bundled back into the car and stopped by a McDonald's on the way back to the hotel - for Marius & Dad to start packing while I carry on reading my book. Yes, I know I have a hard life!

Tonight, it's back to the cheesecake factory for our last meal. And then tomorrow, it's up fairly early to make the trip to New York, for the final US leg of the trip. I'm quite excited, and this time I think my expectations are fairly reasonable, as it seems through the various TV shows and films I've watched I've already spent a lot of time there!

Day 14: Lexington, Concord and those evil Brits again!

Day 14 started off again with a leisurely morning, although slightly earlier than the previous day so we thought we would get in the car and drive a bit further out of Boston. One of the visits I had planned for quite a while was to go out to the battle sites at Lexington and Concord which marked the start of the American War of Independence. After our experiences with the John Adams Museum and Salem we've come to the conclusion that the various museums and exhibits run by the National Parks Service are generally of significantly better quality and value than any of the private museums and collections. With that in mind, we decided to visit the Minuteman National Park as the main part of our trip.

First off, however, we stopped at Lexington, to see the spot where the first shots were fired, as well as to get directions to the National Park. There was a good visitor centre here with a diorama of the battle at Lexington, although “battle” is pushing it as it was essentially just 700 British troops charging down 70 militiamen and killing 8 of them (the real battle came later). After we got directions, we went out to the green where this all went down and where there are flags and statues to commemorate it. Now it's just a very pretty looking village green, with some attractive American houses with perfectly manicured lawns. Apparently house prices here are double that of nearby areas which I can well believe.

Moving on from Lexington, we stopped at the Minuteman National Park visitor centre on the road to Concord. Here they show a 25 minute video - sorry, “multidimensional movie experience” - about April 19, 1775 - the day those first shots were fired. It was a really fascinating video which also traced the movements of British regulars and colonists on a map on the wall. It gave a really good overview of the conflict, which essentially came about because the British had set out to march from Boston to Concord to destroy arms and munitions the colonists had stockpiled in preparation for rebellion. The colonists, getting word of this, decided to make a stand, first at Lexington, where several were killed, and then again at Concord where they were more successful, and with their numbers swelling over the course of the day they forced the British to retreat and kept them under constant gunfire all the way back to Boston. Obviously there's a whole lot of history before and after that day, but that wasn't really the focus of today's visit. Today just focused on the first momentous day. I'm sure it sounds a lot better if you're watching the video in the historic location!

After watching the video and exploring the visitor centre, we decided to walk part of the route to Concord, hoping for a slightly better reception than the Brits 230-odd years ago! Aside from the fact that it's next to a busy highway (it is a direct route to Concord after all so make senses that it would still be used), it’s all very scenic: a very green, wooded area with multiple markers along the route depicting points of interest. Pretty smooth, even surface for a wheelchair as well. Very nice to walk along in the sunshine, but we kept it quite brief as we hadn’t eaten and knew that none of the buildings along the path were actually open.

Back in the car, we decided to move on to Concord for some food and take a brief look around. We drove around for a bit and saw as much as there seemed to be to see, then just stopped off at the local Starbucks for refreshments. It had to be done at least once!

In the evening, following up our intention to be more adventurous, we decided to take a look for a new restaurant. After a rather circuitous route, passing by a couple of quite pricey restaurants that we really weren't dressed for, we found yet another American bar and Grill which I decided we should try. Seem to be quite a good choice as they serve a very decent steak frites. My Dad seems to be developing his role of cheesecake aficionado well, rating tonight's cheesecake as fourth out of the four he has had so far. That actually seems remarkably restrained considering we've been here seven nights! Still, tomorrow it's back to the cheesecake factory so he'll be able to fit in at least one more!

Another good day today, and just one more left in Boston which I still haven't decided what to do with yet! Most likely however it will be another trip out from the city.

Day 13: New England Aquarium & Boston harbour

Today saw a much welcomed air change with a cool, northerly breeze coming into the city. This has made it far less sticky and significantly better for exploring. As soon as we were all up and about, somewhat later than I had anticipated (although it is a holiday so I’m allowed to indulge in leisurely-paced mornings!), we headed down to the New England Aquarium, one of the recommended attractions to visit in Boston. I had done some research so was aware it was going to be an expensive day, but vowed to ignore the cost and just enjoy it! In case you're wondering, it's $20 each entry, and the nearest car park is $30 for anything over a 90 minute stay. We could probably have found something cheaper five minutes’ walk away, but nothing cheaper than $20 and the busy traffic put us off searching.

Anyway, we arrived just in time for one of the seal shows in the external enclosures, which was feeding time with a running commentary. Was quite interesting and a good way to get us in the mood. The rest of the aquarium basically comprises quite a number of small tanks with a wide range of aquatic life including quite a good collection of tropical fish. In the middle, there was a very large central tank with everything from large fish to turtles and a tiger shark (at least I think that's what it was), it seemed pretty well stocked to the point of apparent overcrowding. There was also a penguin exhibit, which was pretty impressive and full of cute little penguins, which we also saw at feeding time. Finally, outside there was a second seal enclosure, with about five fur seals, which again were quite cute, and seemed to be pretty intelligent and reading up on them they apparently had their own distinct personalities.


Overall it was quite a reasonable aquarium, although nothing outstanding and it was lacking a underwater tunnel which seems to me an essential part of any aquarium! The one thing that was noticeable was the huge numbers of American schoolkids, who I think seemed to drain my dad of the will to live - although I can't say I was really that bothered either way! Once again this visit was something that didn't really seem to appeal to either my Dad or Steffen, but to be honest I knew this from the start so didn't really expect anything else. I guess my interest in aquariums stems from my Ph.D. research, which was actually studying the interaction between fisheries officials and scientists rather than fish themselves, but nevertheless piqued my interest in the little blighters. Of course, whatever I say I will always be Dr Fish to my friends so I might as well live up to the name!

After the visit to the aquarium we popped over the street where we strolled around Quincy market and Fanueill Hall marketplace, to look at the shops and restaurants. We stopped at Sam’s cafe at Cheers, which I guess was a replica of the cafe used in the TV show - we've already seen the bar elsewhere. I'm not really sure or particularly care that much how genuine they are as I never watched the show - a bit before my time really, although I did watch Frasier, the spin-off.

On our way back to the car we stopped to look out at Boston harbour and take some photos. It's quite an impressive view and was nice to just sit and enjoy the breeze. That was it for the day pretty much, and in the evening we returned to the pizza place we visited on the first night. Not particularly groundbreaking as we are all a bit exhausted of trying to find new places to eat and sometimes just feel like being lazy! We determined that tomorrow we would try to be a bit more adventurous in seeking out somewhere to eat.

Days 11&12: Salem, a town of Witches and Pirates

In writing this blog, I am aiming to be as honest as possible, while also focusing primarily on the positive rather than negative parts of the trip. In light of this, Day 11 is probably best left largely unchronicled – suffice it to say, as I use a ventilator to breathe overnight, I am in a constant struggle to get the balance of air humidity right, too humid or too dry and I end up with a cough which means I have to lie down for most of the day. Yesterday (day 11) was one of those days, so extremely frustrating and largely experience-less. Having said that, in-between coughing fits we did manage to pop to the shopping mall next door, and through here into the top of one of the tallest buildings in Boston, the Prudential Tower. This gives a fantastic 360-degree view of Boston and surrounding areas, which made me realise just quite how big Boston really is.

Moving on to Day 12, this was a far better day which we decided to use to get out of Boston with the car. One of the first big tourist spots going north of Boston is Salem, most famous for the site of a number of witch trials, and the location of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. As we pulled into Salem, my Dad coolly and calmly found a parking space and released the wheelchair restraints, without so much as a hint of stress...*cough*. However the temperature must have already been around 30° so this might have played some part!

First stop was the Salem visitor centre, to get a map of the area and plan our exploration. In the end, we decided to walk towards the port while stopping to look at any museums on the way. The first choice of museum, the Witch Village museum, was probably driven less by considerations of quality and value for money and more by the desire to get out of the oppressive heat and into somewhere air-conditioned! As such, it was a little bit of a disappointment as it consisted of an unreasonably perky tour guide showing us around some wax models and teaching us about the misconceptions surrounding witchcraft, and not what I had hoped for which was some proper exhibits and information about the trials. I say unreasonably perky as if I had to conduct the tour several times a day for months on end I would be considerably less chipper! I think we just picked the wrong museum, but it made us a bit reluctant to try many of the other private museums around for fear of being completely ripped off!

After the witch Museum, we headed down to the port and waterfront, where we found a maritime exhibit hosted by the National Park Service. Here they showed us a 20 minute video on the maritime history of Salem, for free I might add, which detailed the role of Salem’s ships in fighting the naval element of the War of Independence as privateers, and the subsequent glory days of international trade. Cheesy dramatisations aside, the video was really interesting and told us a bit more about Salem than what we already knew about the witch trials.

Moving on from this exhibit we took a look at a replica of an 18th-century twin-masted merchant ship, and further along the port, the House of the Seven Gables, the setting of the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel which I quite recently read. Not a particularly eventful novel, but one of the oldest houses still standing in New England, and nice to look at. After walking round the streets for a bit and admiring the attractive houses and harbour view, we decamped into one of the waterfront restaurants. Another food lesson for me, buffalo sauce is essentially just vinegar, and no longer something that will feature in any of my meals!

In the evening we headed back to Charley’s again, if anything for lack of other ideas as to accessible places to eat reasonably close to the hotel. Still, it's decent food so no complaints here. If anyone was wondering, it's 12 days that my Dad and I can spend together before we start to annoy each other - so this evening we decided to split up with me and Steffen popping down to the sports bar in Charley’s for a drink - a particularly good idea as I definitely needed some alcohol! And I'm sure it gave my dad a welcome respite from me as well!

Overall today was a very good day, good to get out and about, which is hopefully something we can do more before it's time to give up the car.

Day 10: Putting the T into MIT

Today started off a little better than yesterday, with some tweaks to my humidifier and the more relaxed schedule for the previous day seeming to pay off as I woke up a little bit more energised than before. After a bit of breakfast and a look at what to do, I decided to devote the day to exploring MIT and Harvard, both just over a mile away from our hotel, over the Charles River.

First stop was MIT, where we decided to visit the MIT Museum, which had been rated as one of the better attractions to go to. The fairly reasonable price of $7.50 each got me, my Dad and Marius entry into the museum, which had a wealth of information and videos on current projects at MIT, or at least the ones that look good on video. On the second floor, they also had videos and exhibits from the history of robotics, DNA mapping, and the history of MIT. I found it quite interesting to read all about it, although the lack of anything particularly interactive did make it feel incomplete, and my Dad seemed to get bored as a result.

After we finished in the museum, we hopped back in the car to check out Harvard and to try and find somewhere to eat. We drove around for a bit but unfortunately couldn't find anywhere to park as we were all out of quarters, so didn't really get to see anything. Maybe we'll come back another time!

After we got back to Boston, which took all of two minutes, we decided to continue with the technology theme by checking out the flagship Apple store. This had a whole load of brand-new i-pads for anyone to come and try out, which apparently many people just use to check their Facebook when in the city – well so says Marius who has a knack of picking out all the cheapskate tricks! The store was pretty busy, but unless you wanted to buy an iPod or Mac was a little superfluous - but then I can't say I expected much else!

It seems like we are all competing for the stupid award for this trip, from me forgetting my disabled badge (which would have got us free parking), Jan last week getting lost on the Queen Mary 2 (yeah, it's big - but it's not that big, and there is only one pub!), Dad nearly turning into oncoming traffic as he forgot to drive on the right, Marius risking his life by crossing streets without the use of his eyes, or Steffen trying to control lifts via mind control instead of actually pushing buttons. At the moment we are all pretty even, but there's still plenty of time to go!

This evening we ate at Charley's, an American bar/restaurant which although seeming inaccessible on all sides, actually had a disabled access entrance around a back alley. It was rather a roundabout route, and it was good to see them clearing boxes so that I could get through the corridor - obviously a well used route - not! Still, it's nice to see that it is not only in the UK that that happens! It's made me a bit more optimistic about the accessibility of Boston, which so far hasn’t looked particularly good.