Originally, we had planned on visiting our Minnesota friends for Christmas, but with money and time not being on our side, we decided to stay home. That plan got changed again when we found a tempting offer for a Manhattan hotel suite and realized that it was less than a 4-hour drive from our house. So we packed our bags ...
Before we left, we welcomed Chelda and Elijah for dinner and cookie baking.
Out of nowhere, Samu asked for cookies and milk to feed Santa. (Where did he get this?)
And the next morning we left on our first road trip.
Thankfully, our kids enjoy road food.
And before we knew it, we found ourselves in the middle of Manhattan.
Without a doubt the best part was meeting up with Kobi and Kathi, who were visiting NYC. What a perfect reunion!!
We strolled through the city night and admired the Christmas lights and decorations.
Radio City Music Hall
Rockefeller Center
St. Patrick's Church
Shop windows at Saks.
Marko took Samu and Sofia back to the hotel (thank you!), so that Hanna, Kathi, and Kobi could enjoy another highlight: The Top of the Rock.
Stunning views!
Because the night was still young, we decided to have a drink. Naturally, we chose the house with the pink lights and walked right into a Christmas party over the roofs of New York.
Times Square was the perfect end for a perfect night.
Kobi and Kathi took an early flight to the Bahamas (!) the next morning, but we were only starting our city vacation. First stop: Delicious breakfast right outside Central Park, just a block away from our hotel.
Skyline climbing was the workout of the morning.
After so much walking an running, the kids were dying for hot dogs. We had come to the perfect place for that.
Samu's favorite part of the whole time in NY was riding the subway. He was nervous at first but soon turned into the proudest subway rider.
Later we visited Ground Zero. To our surprise, we found the 9/11 Memorial closed, but we were glad we visited the site.
One of our favorite parts of the city: The endless opportunities for eating - even organic, healthy, vegetarian burgers.
Times Square was once again the perfect end for a perfect day.
Off to bath and bed!
The next day was Christmas Eve. We walked to Bryant Park ...
... to visit the Christmas Market ...
... and the Public Library.
We visited St. Patrick's.
And after that it was time for a nap at our hotel.
Well rested, we headed out for another trip.
First on the list: Christmas caroling at Washington Square Park
Samu was following the schedule of the day closely. He told us where to go next and would not tolerate any deviations from the plan.
We had delicious Christmas dinner at an all-vegetarian restaurant.
Dinner was followed by viewing of city lights. We went to Brooklyn Heights to enjoy the Manhattan skyline from across the river. (Thanks for Kobi and Kathi for this idea!)
Finally, the moment Samu had been waiting for was there: A little Christmas celebration and gift giving in our hotel room.
Merry Christmas, dear friends and families! May you all have a peaceful and joyous time!
Also our last day was supervised by Samu and his list.
"Mama, look, I am Miss Liberty!"
Despite the fog, we decided to take the Staten Island Ferry to get some views of the Statue of Liberty. It was worth it!
This last adventure was followed by delicious crepes. Samu was writing letters to us and copying down every word he could see in the restaurant.
In the late afternoon, we started our trip back home. We had had the best time - what a wonderful mini-vacation! We are so glad we gave in to our need for adventure and left NYC with a ton of great images in our heads.
Back at home, there were more gifts, much to Samu's and Sofia's delight. After a 3-hour nap in the car, they were far from tired.
Our Christmas celebrations were officially concluded by the traditional screening of The Snowman. Special thanks to Heli and Olli for the DVD! (It was the perfect gift since we didn't get the Internet video to work the day before.)
