New York: Day One

One month ago, I got a text from a friend and fellow blogger Sammie from Little Blonde Life. "British Airways has a January sale," it read, "want to go to New York?" 24 hours later, in a fit of impulsiveness which is very unlike me, the flights and hotel were booked - we were off to New York for four days! Last weekend, we set off to the Big Apple and I wanted to share where we went and what we did, day by day, with you all:

We actually landed on the Saturday, but this day consisted of travelling and a wonderful meal at Buddakan which I will review separately at a later date. For our first whole day, we started by exploring Times Square. Our hotel, Row NYC, was a great location, just a couple of minutes from Times Square, yet not to noisy or cramped. I should have taken photos, but you can check out their website! Our room was clean and well-designed, including a safe, a huge full length mirror and 'blackout' blinds to ensure a good night's sleep. The staff were very helpful and friendly and it was a great base to explore the city. I would definitely stay there again as it was so affordable too.

After exploring Times Square, and indulging in some goodies from Forever 21 and Sephora, we caught the subway to Central Park. We bought a 7 day Metro Travelcard for $31 and I would definitely recommend it, it made travelling so much more convenient as you didn't have to queue each time. We quickly discovered a Mexican restaurant called Cafe Frida and decided on brunch. We ordered the guacamole to start, which was huge and amazingly presented along with corn chips, although it could have been spicier as it was a little bland. Then I ordered the Huevos Rancheros O Divorciados; it may be one of the ugliest dishes I have photographed but it was delicious! I really enjoyed the green tomato sauce in particular and it was an enjoyable unplanned find.

We were so lucky with the weather and as we headed back to Central Park, the snow was crazy. It meant that we couldn't see some of the sights like Strawberry Fields, but the atmosphere was incredible. I have an outfit post on its way! Next, we headed to the Museum of Modern Art to explore some amazing art, including Van Gogh's The Starry Night and Andy Warhol's famous printed soup cans. It's worth noting that if you are a student, bring your student card as entry is then just $14 rather than $25.

We walked back to the hotel, which allowed us time to see the entrance to The Tonight Show and try a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. This was admittedly a disappointment - the cake was dry and there was far too much icing for my tastes, but it was something which we had wanted to try. We then got to explore Times Square at nighttime, with the amazing lights and displays, and we may have been distracted by the Disney store!

Finally, we headed to the Shake Shack across the road from our hotel. I was itching to try this chain and the queues which we had seen outside every store only fueled my need to eat there. Unfortunately, I really don't understand what the fuss is about. After paying almost $20 for a burger, cheesy chips and their famous milkshake, I was met with a cold, greasy burger in a bun similar to those in McDonalds. The cheese sauce was 'plastic-y' and cheap tasting and I was generally underwhelmed. The only part of the meal I enjoyed was the Vanilla frozen custard shake, which was tasty and moreish, and something different to a cheaper fast food chain. All in all, if I want a burger I think I will stick to Byron Hamburgers - a similar price, but a sit down meal and much better food! However, Shake Shack is somewhere I have wanted to try for a long time now, so I was happy to 'tick it off' my list of restaurants to try and where better to try it than New York?

We then crashed in our hotel room, one day down. If you plan, you can fit so much into a short time in New York and we allowed ourselves plenty of time to enjoy wandering around Central Park and the MoMA. One of my highlights of the trip was Central Park in the snow; it didn't feel real, it was so picturesque and atmospheric and truly 'New York.'

Read Day Two here

Read Day Three here

Jess

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Fitness Friday: Deep Tissue Massage

It's time for Fitness Friday! Phew, these weekly features seem to come by fast don't they! Last week, I was treated to a deep tissue massage at Cambridge Complementary Health Centre*. Having never enjoyed a massage before, I was excited to treat myself to a spot of pampering so I headed into Cambridge city centre for some relaxation:

This topic isn't strictly fitness related but for me, I was particularly keen to try a deep tissue massage as a result of my various injuries. I have struggled with a shoulder injury for a few years now, initially as a result of whiplash, then made worse when I cleverly electrocuted myself at university! I explained this to Rachel and she quickly recommended that she focus on my back and shoulders during our half hour session.

I kept my bottom half clothed but took off my top for the massage. Rachel was extremely professional, so although there wasn't a huge amount of chit-chat, I really didn't mind; I hate awkward small talk. I was more than happy to relax to the classical music playing subtlety in the background as Rachel massaged all my knots and tension away. She particularly focused on my injured left shoulder, so it was reassuring that she could obviously tell there were some problems. The massage was firm but wasn't painful; I could feel the pressure working away the knots in my shoulders and back. After the massage, I felt instantly lifted and sat straighter as the pain had greatly reduced and I immediately felt much more mobile.

Total Health Clinics have centres in Cambridge, Peterborough, Spalding, Stamford, Huntingdon and Kinds Lynn. They offer a huge variety of massages, which you can read about on their website; they range from the deep tissue massage I tried, to acupuncture, reiki and various other styles of massage. They start at £25 for 30 mins, which I think is great value for the difference which I experienced in just one session. Rachel recommended that I return every 4-6 weeks if I wanted to make the most of the results and I am certainly planning on treating myself again soon.

Have you had a deep tissue massage? Have you tried Total Health Clinics? 

Jess

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Day Trippin'

As I'm sure you know if you are following me on Twitter and Instagram, I am currently in New York! However today I want to talk about the UK original, York, which is one of my favourite places after living there for three years whilst at university. I recently received a box of goodies from CityConnect and was challenged to test out their new free WiFi in the city. Obviously, I couldn't resist a chance to revisit one of my favourites cities so I headed back to my beloved Yorkshire:

CityConnect WiFi is a great new service for free WiFi throughout the city centre. When I visit York, I normally use The Cloud where I can but it doesn't provide great coverage everywhere. To use CityConnect, you have to set up an account linked to a social media page - I used my Twitter - and then provide some basic information, including your date of birth, postcode and an email. Once this is set up, which only takes a few moments, you have an account. The WiFi wasn't infallible and I did have to sign back in a few times, after it dropped out, but free WiFi is nothing to be sniffed at! I also thought it was great that after signing in, you were taken straight to the Visit York website - a huge positive for any tourists visiting the city.

I spent the day visiting some of my favourite places and showing off the city to my friend who had never visited York before. We wandered around the streets, browsed the local shops and couldn't resist nosying at the Easter themed window at Bettys! However, I knew where I wanted to go for lunch - my absolute favourite place in York, Mannion and Co. They offer the most delicious, gigantic deli board you have ever seen, full of great quality local produce. Their staff are so friendly, the cakes are unbelievably tasty and they also offer a huge selection of quality teas served in cast iron teapots. We then took a trip down the Shambles and circled back round to gaze at the impressive York Minster. Finally, we ended our day trip with a couple of cocktails in Evil Eye Lounge - another must-visit for any tourists in York. It's allegedly Johnny Depp's favourite English pub and offers an extensive range of tasty cocktails; one of my favourites being the Evil Spring Punch. 

Where are your 'must-sees' in York? Have you tried CityConnect WiFi?

Jess

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