Greetings from New York

Hi everybody!

Travel update: My sister and I got to Copenhagen without any hiccups on April 14th. As soon as we arrived there, we were informed our onwards flight with SAS had just been cancelled due to a technical problem with one of the motors. We were rebooked via London Heathrow and flew Continental Airlines from there to New York, where we arrived 7 hours later than originally scheduled.

Happy to have finally arrived, we went to get our bags only to be told that we were among 40 passengers whose luggage had been lost on the way. So we went on a mad scramble in the middle of the night to get toiletries and clean underwear! The next day was very pleasant shoppingwise - having our travel insurance companies pay for shoes and clothes ain't that bad, really. We shopped like there was no tomorrow! I guess it doesn't come entirely as a surprise that the very first store I visited was Jimmy Choo on 5th Ave? Haha...

However, as we returned to our cousin's home where we're staying, we got the rather disturbing news that no flights were leaving Northern Europe due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland and the ash cloud it caused. We didn't think we'd see our bags for the remainder of our stay. Luckily, somehow they had managed to get it over here and yesterday it arrived, almost three days late.

(Volcanic ash cloud, in story from the Huffington Post)

Now there's another tiny little problem. We're booked to return back to Norway tomorrow. Checking the updates on the SAS website, that looks a bit uncertain at the moment. Along with thousands of others, we're stuck here until further notice.

But as our cousin and her hubby live on the Upper West Side next to Colombus Circle and Central Park, with 5th Ave right across the park, we feel like we have the world at our feet. Those buildings at the very front of this image and the lower part of the park, I'm looking at that from where I' sitting now. I kind of like the scenery here. :D

(Random NY shot found the net)

This morning the sun's out and we'll be taking a rest from all the shopping, going for a stroll in the park and maybe crossing the Brooklyn Brigde by foot. There's really nothing we can do but relax and enjoy our time here, as it won't help getting all stressed up by the uncertainty of the flight situation. And New York is definitely not the worst place in the world to be stranded. But I guess you knew that already, right? ;)