Possibly the least obvious souvenir ever. Possibly.
Eventually, finding our way back onto Madison Avenue, we waited as the parade of filipino-Americans paraded away down the street. The National Association of Filipino-American Federations, the National Federation of American-Filipino Associations, the Filipino-American National Federated Association of Associated Federations, each came past, each with their own float and their own crowned Miss Filipino-American, waving and a happily glazed fashion at the group of four spectators who stood next to us shouting WOOO at every single one.
In the middle of the floats, a band of policemen in kilts and sunglasses play the bagpipes. For the life of us, we cannot see any sign or banner that indicates their association with any kind of Filipino-American federation, so we assume they are a crack squad of Federal Bagpipe Instigators, playing their vital role of instigating some kind of bagpipe action whatever the parade’s stated theme.
We find the Traveller’s Bookshop I saw marked on my map.
I’ve been feeling the lack of guidebooks - the busy of the last few weeks left me utterly unprepared. Usually I would have consumed and digested at least three by now. As it is: none.
So we went to find one, in the shop marked as Traveller’s Bookshop on the map.
The fact that we had to be buzzed in to the shop floor should, I think, have probably been a sign that we weren’t going to be able to pick up a cheap Rough Guide, or a Time Out list of the best bars not to get killed in round our hotel.
Aaaaaaand we couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I ended up very happy. We found ourselves in an antiquarian bookshop specialising in travel writing and antique maps, which are frankly lots of my favourite things all at once. So that was nice. And useful, in a culturally informative kind of way.
The beautiful 50-year-old travel handbook that I walked out with half an hour later isn’t quite so useful, though.
Particularly as it’s a guide to England for travelling Americans.
Whoops.
I am sure that 1957 was a good year for American tourists visiting Britain, so enjoy your guide. As I live near Reading, I quite like looking at old road maps which show the progress of the M4 and M40 motorways.
I wouldn’t rely too much on the prices in your 50 year old guidebook though - you might have to do more than converting them to decimal currency.
Comment by Pierre L — 3 June, 2007 11:49 pm
The sort that tells you when you enter a railway carriage to shake hands with all the other passengers as it is only polite?
Comment by Richard Gillin — 4 June, 2007 7:15 am
The Wish You Were Here team send their kindest regards, but regret to inform you that your application has not been successful on this occasion.
Comment by Thames Television — 4 June, 2007 8:36 am
Brilliant, you’re in New York. I forgot that you’d asked for travel tips a little while ago.
Looking for free wi-fi - try the Borders Bookshop down near Wall Street. (Although, let’s face it, most of the bookshops will probably have it.)
You can get an excellent meal, for very little money, at The Original Soup Man - various locations around the city. Keep an eye out for it.
Also look at Bryant Park, beside the New York Public Library. They wheel the book trolleys out into the park so you can sit at the little tables under the trees and read.
And look at The Meadow in Central Park - it’s got rules that protect you from noisy oiks. What a place!
Bloomingdales is quite good too.
I wouldn’t waste your money on the horse and carriage rides in Central Park - we found our ride very disppointing.
Comment by Damian — 4 June, 2007 1:10 pm
Glad you get to see more of the world. Hope you have better luck understanding the language here, but that is New York so it might be as difficult as Hindi.
Comment by joeinvegas — 4 June, 2007 3:48 pm
That’s funny!
I’ve never been to NY, other than waiting in an airport for about an hour for a connecting flight to Heathrow. I think NY would scare me. London scares me. I think I’ve been living in Oregon too long.
Comment by Maria — 4 June, 2007 7:15 pm
Excellent.
The Strand is a one of my favourite bookstores. It just turned 80 and claims 18 miles of books. I usually have to be pulled out if there. Near Union Square.. Broadway and 12th.
oh right.. If you do take a cab… just ask to be taken to the nearest corner. requesting an exact address usually adds time and money to the fare. You know that already, don’t you?
Comment by asta — 4 June, 2007 9:14 pm
so your next challenge can be to follow your new guidebook around England?? (you’ll have to dress up as a 1957 American tourist as well and try out some of the phrases they suggest!)
Comment by urs — 5 June, 2007 12:27 pm
Now you just need a time machine so you can use the book and visit all the recommended spots.
Comment by Invader Stu — 6 June, 2007 8:23 pm
[...] Friends of the Philippines may enjoy this recent post from Little Red Boat Eventually, finding our way back onto Madison Avenue, we waited as the parade of filipino-Americans paraded away down the street. The National Association of Filipino-American Federations, the National Federation of American-Filipino Associations, the Filipino-American National Federated Association of Associated Federations, each came past, each with their own float and their own crowned Miss Filipino-American, waving and a happily glazed fashion at the group of four spectators who stood next to us shouting WOOO at every single one. [...]
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