| So yesterday morning our American Airways flight | | | | our bed and breakfast hosts: a very hospitable and |
| (booked for free with my Airmiles) left at 7:13 am to | | | | outgoing couple in their 40s by the name of Harry and |
| bring us to the Big Apple, a place I had always had a | | | | Bibi. They showed us to our room, a nice room on the |
| fascination with, but only had visited twice very briefly | | | | third floor of this spacious house, with a shared |
| in my life,and that more than 10 years ago.Just flying in | | | | bathroom.Actually the whole house has been turned |
| over NYC was an experience itself, seeing all the | | | | into a B&B and there are 8 bedrooms, the 2nd and 3rd |
| skyscrapers of Manhattan, the various bridges linking | | | | floor of the house each have their own kitchen and |
| the mainland with the island, and shortly after flying | | | | bedroom areas and it actually makes for a really |
| over the Rykers Island prison we landed at La Guardia | | | | comfortable stay since it feels more like having your |
| Airport, a rather small airport actually, when compared | | | | own apartment, rather than just renting a room.Before |
| to Toronto.Our luggage was out in no time and we | | | | leaving I thoroughly researched accommodation |
| grabbed a couple of week long transit passes (a | | | | options in New York City, and after looking at all the |
| pretty good deal at US$24 for unlimited travel for a | | | | options (hotels, hostels, B&Bs), I decided the B&B option |
| whole week) and we started our trip to Brooklyn. One | | | | would be the most comfortable route to go. And at |
| bus (through a mostly Latin area in Queens) and one | | | | US$90.00 a night it's definitely turned out to be one of |
| subway ride (through Manhattan) later, we ended up in | | | | the most affordable options and a great base to start |
| our lovely bed and breakfast in a gorgeous | | | | exploring New York City...Susanne Pacher is the |
| neighbourhood, just south of Prospect Park in | | | | publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions( |
| Brooklyn.Since we didn't know the area and the | | | | Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel |
| website of our B&B had provided just a tiny little map, | | | | and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel |
| we had chosen the wrong subway line to get off from | | | | experiences, interviews with travellers and travel |
| and we had to walk about 1/2 hour to find the B&B, | | | | experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, |
| but it gave us a good first look at this part of | | | | contests and many other features. You will also find |
| Brooklyn.It is an area with stately homes and houses | | | | stories about life and the transitions that we face as |
| that are about a century old. Magnolia and cherry | | | | we go through our own personal life-long |
| trees are blooming everywhere and gardens are | | | | journeys.Submit your own travel stories in our first |
| meticulously kept around here. Our Brookly | | | | travel story contest( and have a chance to win an |
| neighbourhood feels very safe and we got to meet | | | | amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River. |