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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Pretty Elements goes abroad: USA here I come!

After some weeks I spent getting busy and travelling here and there, I finally found the time to write something in the blog.

Today,  I talk about one of my dreams that finally came true: visiting the USA!!{***insert belly dance here***}

It was absolutely cold fantastic!

As many of my friends and colleagues know, I am very organised and precise....so they were not surprised when they saw I was planning the trip 10/11 months in advance!

Flying to the States from Europe is not cheap (not the most expensive either, but still not the cheapest) and I wanted to stick to a budget or at least save as much money I could without having to give up on activities or tours I wanted to make.

Tha fact is, if you book in advance you have a wider choice in hotels and you are not subject to last minute inflated prices that will make your wallet cry!

I had time to make a plan and decide where I wanted to go and how long. As soon as I had this sorted out, I started browsing for hotels, picking the ones I felt were a good combination of quality&price. By keeping an eye on a realistic budget and reserving hotels in advance I have saved money and got nice hotels near metro stations and nice neighbourhoods.

Planning has its disadvantages....for example, I didn't expect to find the worst snowstorm of the last decade in the region of New York {how could I not!}. Worst area was around Buffalo city...and do you know where I was supposed to land in order to join the tour for the Niagara falls? Yes, Buffalo.

taken from Pinterest

Fortunately, we were able to go to Niagara Falls as the airport and the roads we needed were not blocked by the snow - and I'm glad we did because we really enjoyed it.

Washington DC jumped off the plan, as also a rainstorm decided to join the vagon! Boston was amazing and we didn't have any problem there, except we couldn't see Interpol in concert as they were blocked in the snow..where? Buffalo!

Nevertheless, I enjoyed every aspect of it! I was too happy to be in USA to let the weather bother me! :)

When you make those holidays, people tend to ask you what is the thing you liked the most....but I sincerely don't know how to answer it, because there were several things I loved!

NYC is on a completely different world compared to Europe: we went to the Cinema and we watched a movie on armchairs!! I was so comfy I fell asleep....until the person sitting next to time started screaming because the actors in the movie were being attacked!

Boston is absolutely beautiful - including Cambridge and Harvard university. We spent only 3 days here, but will absolutely come back in the feature! I want to watch a baseball game at Fenway Park!

Niagara Falls are so powerful and pretty - I had fun here and met looooots of squirrels ;)

Below some of my favourite pictures....

NYC streets are busy and colourful

A dream come true! A walk in Central Park
Central Park colours are beautiful in Fall - I have taken so many pictures here
I finally got to see what Times Square looks like in real life :)

Grand Central Station 

Views from the Brooklyn Bridge are breathtaking

I almost froze my nose to take this picture from Staten Island ferry

Coney Island! Stefano is a big fan of the Warriors movie, so we couldn't not visit this place
Boston is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen!

...and they also sell unique Xmas ornaments!

Harvard Football stadium before the Harvard-Yale game!

You cannot leave Boston if you haven't eaten this (with that sauce - yummy)
You find interesting models in Niagara Falls  - this is the view from Canada

American Niagara Falls are also gorgeous

This item is the most fashionable thing you can buy here ;)

Back in NYC - one of my favourite view from the Empire State Building

Thanksgiving parade was so much fun! this is a glimpse of it
..and another one here ;)
The Empire State Building lights on Thanksgiving

The Statue of Liberty in all its beauty

Hope you've enjoyed the pictures!


Until next time,
Daniela