TIMES SQUARE

It was a bitterly chilly evening when we landed up in Times Square, New Work leaving the comfort of a heated SUV behind us. The crowd was having the time of their lives with the dazzling lights adding a romantic hue to the moment. My son- in- law Sankar waited in the car as a parking space was hard to come by. We roamed along the square, soaking in the ambience. Lovers huddled and cuddled publicly while a burly NYPD officer maintained a watchful eye. A fat man defied the elements and sat and yawned majestically, oblivious of the cold.

A half hour later we reckoned we had enough and headed back to our car parked some distance away. Unlike UK, roadside amenities are non-existent and the two ladies were stretched to the extremes. However a sandwich shop obliged.

We headed back to New Jersey via Lincoln tunnel and halted at Burlington’s, the coat factory. My daughter bought me an anorak priced at $30 and having a made in China tag.

She insisted that we have our dinner at Italian restaurant Olive Gardens. It was awfully crowded but decency reigned. No chaos, no loud voices whatsoever. 45 minutes later we were ushered to our table and served a delicious wine to start with. Soup and salad followed with a more than generous sprinkling of cheese. For the main course I had shrimps and ravioli while the rest had chicken. More cheese was in the offing. A chocolate dessert later, we went home with the mercury remaining at a minus five.