03.00am local time and i'm walking the streets of New York to get croissants and juice for my two girls who are obviously tuned in to the local time zone very well!!! Still I don?t mind because I love New York at any time of day or night! We are staying at the Central Park Hotel on 7th avenue just 2 minutes walk from Central Park, Times Square, a host of museums and the shopping Mecca of 5th avenue - for all the FREE world class museums on offer the missus thought it would be much better if we spent the day on 5th avenue - what a surprise that was!!

With the pound being so strong against the dollar it is bargain City - problem is with everything being a bargain you want to buy everything so you end up spending all the money you save and much much MUCH more! Seriously it got so bad I had to slap myself around the face to stop myself buying a set of copper bottom pans for $1200 - same make and set in UK sells for around £800 so it was a serious bargain but hardly a justifiable buy!!

And thats how most of the day was spent - walking around shops looking at bargain after bargain but realising there was just no justifiable reason to actually buy them - well unless you're the missus of course with her birthday money (birthday yesterday).

Late afternoon was spent travelling around Central Park on a horse drawn carriage followed by possibly the most expensive burgers in New York - I kid you not - three burgers and fries, bottle of water, 2 glasses of wine and a glass of lemonade for $140!!!!! It was a first class restaurant mind you and the staff were very good!!! And then back to room - and once again I find myself watching another kids pay per view movie on my own at 18.00 as the two girls sleep.

Cruise ship tomorrow and the work begins - top 3 finish in the main event should just about cover todays spending!