Day 4 - An iconic day

This day will go down in the history books as iconic, epic, oh yes. We start the day with a subway ride to Bryant Park. Bryant Park is in normal circumstances a green oasis in the city, not far from the busy noise of Grand Central Station, Fifth Avenue and Times Square. 

But during the Christmas weeks this  quiet oasis turns into a real and therefore busy Christmas market. In the middle  is an ice skating  rink (the only free ice skating rink in the city). Around the ice skating  rink are stalls where you can buy gadgets. The mulled wine and gin are missing, otherwise you might think you are at a European Christmas market.

From here we walk over Fifth Avenue towards the Empire State Building. With its 443m once the highest building in the world, it is still the iconic symbol of the city.

We walk back towards Central Park on Fifth Avenue. It is very busy with literal window shoppers. The windows of the expensive shops are beautifully decorated. We marvel at the decorations, but we have no time to lose. 

St Patrick's Cathedral is located in the shadow of the Trump Tower. Mass is just underway. What lies also in the shadow of the Trump Tower is Tiffany's, the most famous jeweler of New York and perhaps of the world. 

The iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany's with the beautiful, classy actress Audrey Hepburn, who was also a style icon, is one of my favorite romantic films. Although Audrey was born out of a British father and Dutch mother, she is also Belgian to us. She was born in Brussels and also spent the first years of her life there. Until November 11th, breakfast at Tiffany's was only possible in a dream or in a fantasy. But then opened The Blue Box Café, named after the Tiffany blue gift boxes. Immediately this eatery became the hotspot of New York. The café suddenly became 'the most instagrammable place' in the city and people had to wait a couple of hours to get a place. The Café is hidden in a small corner of the fourth floor and there are only a few tables available. Making reservations is hopeless, but in one way or another, as if the Gods were with me (or was it Audrey) I managed to get us a table. And that's how I live my dream as Holly Golightly and also get a late birthday present from my traveling companion who pays the bill. 

After  our meal, we walk back over Fifth Avenue to the Public Library of New York that is located behind Bryant Park. Another great secret of the city. The building dates from 1911 and is protected by two stone lions. 

It contains about 141 km of shelves with books and has an impressive archive with, among others, the first printed book in the US and the original diaries of Virginia Woolf. But the showpiece is the beautiful central reading room on the second floor. Highly recommended.

Time to go and see the Rockefeller Center decoration during the day. 

There is a crowd here because of the Christmas Spectacular of the Radio City Rockettes. This dance spectacle is performed several times a day during the end of the year and is very popular. You come out with a good feeling and you are ready for the holidays. But it is not on our program. It's a pity that I did not think about that before. There is also a crowd at the Magnolia Bakery. Since this bakery was featured in the series Sex And The City, her popularity knows no bounds. And with reason, because the muffins, cakes, etc. are simply heaven. I have a chocolate cheesecake and eat it in no time. The skaters give the best of themselves on the ice skating  rink in the shadow of the gigantic Christmas tree. 

Some are experienced skaters, for others it is clearly the first time on the ice and they don’t dare to let go of the railing. I feel for them, because no matter how iconic it is to be here on the ice, I just wouldn’t dare. We walk towards Times Square for some shopping. The Hard Rock Café and M & M Shop are on the shopping list. We still have time for a drink in the BXL café, not operated by Belgians, but there are mainly Belgian beer and Belgian dishes on the menu. A bit of home away from home. Then we return to Times Square because our iconic day continues in the Minskoff theater where The Lion King has been successfully performed daily for 20 years now. 

There are only three places in the whole world where it is worth going to a musical. Those are the West End in London, the Strip in Las Vegas and of course Broadway in New York. The budgets that are available in these places through years of performing the same top musical, naturally attract the best actors, singers and dancers. The award winning The Lion King is an excellent example of this. Everyone knows the story. In the African savannah, lion king  Mustafa rules. His cub Simba is his successor, but Mustafa's brother Scar wants to put a stop to it. He devises a plan to settle once and for all with his brother and nephew so that he can become the lion king himself. The music of Elton John and Tim Rice is still amazing, even though you can literally sing along. Even the beautiful film from which the musical is derived, disappears in oblivion. It has been done so beautifully, I have no words for it. How they are able to depict the animals in such an amazing and swirling way, I have never seen before. In any case, my jaws drop. The Lion King is not the cheapest musical, but is worth every penny. Top actors, top singers, top dancers. In short, a top production.

We end the evening at the iconic Rockefeller Center by night, the center of the Christmas experience. A gigantic Christmas tree of more than 20 meters tall with kilometers of brightly colored lights in it and below that the famous ice skating rink. Nutcrackers keep watch while enlightened angels take care of our divine protection. Wow.

Opposite Rockefeller Center, Saks Fifth Avenue adds even more  to the Christmas spirit. Their shop window is already one of the most beautifully decorated windows (they have  been preparing for a year). After darkness, they provide a real sound and light show with a projection on the facade of the store. Wow again.

A perfect ending to an iconic day.
I want to still be when I wake up one fine morning at Tiffany's. (from Breakfast at Tiffany's) Oh yeah. ...