Back to the simple life again

It's been one week since I landed in Barcelona (or so they told us when we touched down) and I still haven't totally get used to it, my spirit is still in New York and probably will be for a while!

Sometimes I wonder if there wasn't some kind of problem during the flight and we accidentally landed in planet Mars or something, that would definately explain why it is impossible to find Elton's new CD release in any shops in this country. I know I keep complaining that it's only another greatest hits, I got it in NY anyway and I'm not sure I want to buy it, but it's not me but the remaining 40 million people living in this country that should get a chance to buy it, right?

Anyway, back to New York for the best...

Our second day in the Big Apple started early, at 6:30 in the morning exactly, which is the time at which we woke up due to jet lag. As our hotel was really close to the Empire State Building and we were ready to walk the streets of Manhattan before 9am, we decided it would be a good idea to walk to the Empire State and go see New York from the observatory before it became too crowded...and so we did!

After that it was time for some more sightseeing, so we just walked East to Grand Central Terminal, were we almost got a glimpse of the filming of a movie (too bad we were late and didn't get to see the actual filming).

The visit to Grand Central Station included the mandatory pictures of the clock and the stairs in the main hall and we then paid some tribute to our beloved Mediterranean food habits by buying an apple (we had to eat an apple while walking in the Big Apple, right?) and walked all the way to the UN building.

On our search for a subway station we even had some time to stop by a shop and buy some fashionably colourful eyewear to Eltonise ourselves (mainly Rod's self).

We then took a subway train (no graffitis to be seen anymore, sorry) to SoHo, were our shopaholic inclinations were tested. I have to say at that point I was so tired and even feeling unwell, which was the only thing that helped me refrain from having a shopping spree!

And that's all for today...more about our second day in New York soon...it was a long looong day! ;-)

Stay tuned!

New York City I'd really like to stay...

We are back from our amazing trip to the Big Apple, which means it's about time I update the blog. The only problem is: I can hardly find the words to describe what we had the privilege to live last weekend in New York. What an unbelievable weekend it was!

It all began when we landed at JFK airport on Friday 23rd. After being admitted in the country (you should never take it for granted that they're gonna let you in!) we took a bus to Manhattan, left all our luggage in the hotel, which was right in front of Madison Square Garden (that was made on purpose, of course!) and we headed for the lights of Times Square. All I can say is 1 year and a half after our first visit to the Queen of Cities, being surrounded by all those sky-scrapers felt like home, believe it or not. Even the Empire State Building didn't seem as frightening to us as it did the first time we saw it...just take a look at it...isn't it beautiful?!

The first day ended as, exhausted after a 29-hour-long day, we ingested some Mexican food and drank our first glass of Coke in a restaurant in New York's 5th Avenue, just two streets away from the Empire State building.

And that's about as much as we got out of our first day in NY!

to be continued...

3 DAYS!!!!!!!!

The big day is almost here...tomorrow morning I'm taking a flight to New York City!!!!! We're gonna spend 4 crazy days (and their nights) in the city that never sleeps...although I hope I can get some sleep because I am already exhausted..and that's before the weekend hasn't even started!


And to celebrate that I'm crossing the pond again to see Elton tomorrow, the first thing I did today in the morning was BUY TICKETS TO SEE ELTON in Vitoria, Spain, in May 20! It's gonna be like in the old times, starting with a road trip and a few hours in the sun to secure the best place right in front of Elton!


Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)

[...]

But I wouldn't have it any other way

This city's got a thing about it

Don't try to understand it

New York City I'd really like to stay

New York City I wouldn't have you

I wouldn't have you any other way

[...]

And I can feel the magic

And read a million lips

And no matter what might happen

They'll never sink this ship

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELTON!

I'll be back with pictures and reports on this once-in-a-lifetime weekend next week!!

Hey New York City, these bitches are gonna be back tomorrow!!!!

8 days: fan on the edge of a nervous breakdown

Yes, I am about to go crazy, I've had a hard time trying to concentrate on work the past week, and there's still 4 days left of work before I leave for New York.

I'm taking some time this weekend to pack my bags (pre-flight), I'm trying to decide what to wear at the concert and I'm praying that it won't be snowing the whole weekend while we are there...although I wouldn't mind seeing some snow in New York City.

This afternoon I was watching a movie on TV and I suddenly decided that I needed my little dose of Elton, so I got my "Dream Ticket" DVD, put the Royal Opera House concert in my DVD player and I played Sixty Years On at full volume...my neighbours must have thought I was crazy...which I am anyway!

In exactly one week I'll be in New York waiting for the big day, I just got an email from the organizers of the Lunch Around the World Cruise in New York City and it looks like the event is sold out...which means that next Sunday a cruise with some 250 Elton fans from around the world will be sailing the Hudson waters!!!

sooooooooooooooooooooo.....

LET THE PARTY START!!!

16 days to Elton's birthday

Hello everyone...this lazy little bitch is back!

I've spent so many hours in this office during the last three weeks that it almost feels like home in here, Elton's birthday is only 16 days away, which means that I'm leaving for New York in 14 days and I still haven't had time to realize that this is for real and that I'm gonna be there to celebrate such a special occasion.

I am now at the stage in which as soon as I leave the office I switch my mp3 on and listen to anything Elton. The most played song in the last couple of days must have been Sixty Years On in its different versions...the studio version, the rocking version in the 17/11/70 CD, the orchestra version from the 2004 tour with the orchestra...so I'm now trying to decide which one I like the best...at this point, you see, I have assumed that this song will be played in New York...every time I hear those strings at the beginning of the song I close my eyes and I can almost hear the roar of the people in Madison Square Garden.

32 days...I can see the red tail lights...

heading for SPAIN!!

According to local media, Elton is going to open his new world tour in Spain, of all places!!! Actually, I'm not sure he needs to start a new world tour, since he's been in a permanent tour for the last 10 years, but that's the way they like to put it. And if he's coming here, that's all that matters!

This time the selected place has been Vitoria (Gasteiz), and the show is supposed to take place on Sunday, May 20th! If this is indeed going to be the first show of the tour, it will be the second time I see him open a tour in Spain, the first one was Benidorm, in May 22nd 2002, and what a great show that was!

This is getting really exciting, Elton's birthday show in NY is only 32 days away, Elton is announcing shows in Spain when he said he wouldn't be touring Europe anymore...does Europe really start at the Pyrenees as some would claim, or maybe he changed his mind for the upteenth time? It doesn't get any better than this!!

52 days

February 1st...I still can't believe that next month I will be travelling to New York to attend Elton's birthday concert!!

The amazing build-up around this concert is beginning to show its negative side, with tickets on the first few rows of the front blocks being sold for prices as crazy as $6000 a ticket (not joking!!!). This price doesn't even guarantee that you are going to see Elton...on the contrary, you are going to be so close to the stage that you will hardly be able to see Elton's face behind the piano, because these tickets are not even on Elton's side of the stage!.

One could argue that there's much more to this concert than just seeing Elton play piano...well, to be honest I wouldn't mind a ticket there, but for $6000...no thanks! I would consider buying tickets on the front blocks for a bit more than face value, but this is ridiculous!! The best thing, I guess, will be to stick to my first-level-back-of-the-venue tickets and enjoy the show...I'm not sure I would be able to enjoy the show if I'd paid $6000 for a ticket...this would mean that every minute of the show would be worth... 35$!!!...and that's assuming the show went on for 180 min.

Assuming that we are going to see the show from behind, and knowing that the show is going to be filmed for posterity, one begins to wonder how to get the cameras attention, and there's no shortage of ideas when looking around the forums. Some fellow fans suggested dressing up as the Elton of the 70's...now I'd love that, and we'd sure capture the camera's attention...the only question is...where on earth does one buy that kind of clothes?! I have a yellow feather boa and a few accessories that are worth considering... ;) Any ideas will be welcome!