Amanda and Graham's Great Pig Adventure

Sunday 29th March – 2.00 show, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

Another huge venue, almost sold out! 2,500 in the audience! It was a great show too with an attentive audience. Huge roar at the beginning again, it gives us such a buzz as we are waiting in the wings to hear that!

After the show, most of us went into New York. The buses moved to our hotel after load out but we went straight from the venue with Rob, who luckily had detailed instructions from his family which made fathoming the trains much easier! A walk to New Jersey Penn station, then train to New York Penn station (confusing that they both have the same name!). We got on the subway to the World Trade Center site, again with Rob to help us get our bearings to start with, then he got off before us to meet his cousin.

The World Trade Center site is simple and poignant, two sunken squares on the footprint of the towers with waterfalls on all sides sinking down into a central pit and names all around the outside. Last time we were here, 15 years ago when the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival was at Gettysburg, it was still under construction and there were hoardings up.

Next we walked through the financial district and Wall Street heading for Pier 16 where we had booked a sunset cruise to the Statue of Liberty.

The cruise was excellent and we had a beautiful sunny clear day for it too, although it did get cold out on deck! We headed up the East River first, under Brooklyn Bridge, with clear views of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings.

Then around the foot of Manhattan and up the other side.

Next, out to the Statue of Liberty for the sunset and then back with all the lights of Manhattan switched on. All perfectly timed!

We were frozen by the time we got off at 8pm so went straight to the subway, back to Penn and got a train back to Newark. We waited ages there for an Uber because loads of people were flooding into the station after a match (baseball or hockey). We arrived at the hotel about 10.00 and ready for bed. A brilliant day all round!