New York: Charmander Visits the Big Apple
As a child I spent many summer breaks and school holidays in New York. It is a big city and can be overwhelming for some. Last year Neil and I had a quick visit to the Big Apple and this year it was time to bring Kai too, and Gili, oh and Charmander. Charmander is a little red character Neil got as a gift from his Maker Lab instructors at Steamoji. They asked him to take photos of Charmander in the big city. Neil carried him in his pocket everywhere and through his eyes we got to enjoy this big, overwhelming, exciting and colorful city.
Some of the highlights of the visit included visiting the Museum of Natural History again. The big dinosaurs are always impressive, but this time we also visited the shark exhibit and the rock and gem collection. After hours in an enclosed space we all needed some fresh air and to run around. Central Park is just amazing. We enjoyed a nice spring afternoon exploring a few lakes, castles, and playgrounds.
We visited the Transit Museum again. Charmander enjoyed riding in the old cars and pretending that he was in the 1950’s riding the subway.
Another highlight was visiting Governors Island. We took the small ferry from Manhattan and walked around the island. Some of the city’s longest slides are there and we all enjoyed going down them, even grandpa!
At home there was the never ending Monopoly game, reading Cat in the Hat books and watching more Harry Potter movies. Gili and I even managed to sneak in an early dinner date at a Moldovan restaurant.
During a family reunion Neil and his second cousin Bailey presented a magic show once again. But the best show in town was definitely Dog Man the musical, the kids’ first Broadway show! Times Square made less of an impression on everyone, as it was loud, crowded, and overwhelming for little people like Kai (and perhaps also for Charmander).
The flight back was surprisingly smooth and the kids were invited to the pilot’s cabin before take off. It was the perfect ending to a successful trip!
