April showers bring May flowers

It was pretty wet last month, so today we went to the NYC Botanical Garden in the Bronx for the first time and it was surprisingly good - so good that we became members on the spot (you have to pay to get in $25 for adults and $6 for children 2 and up) and we look forward to going back each season, and with the Hacks when they visit later in the summer. What was surprising was how "hands on" it was for an almost 3 year old. And a massive conifer garden that Col Sparke would have loved.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day. Here's Xavi at nursery school. He's making a bracelet for a Mothers Day gift.

We had terrific weather on the weekend - got up to 25 both days. It was foggy start on Saturday morning.

Dinosaur Safari at Bronx Zoo

Went to the Bronx Zoo yesterday to see the Dinosaur Safari exhibit. It was fun and Xavi enjoyed it though a little frightened by some of the exhibits. I'm sure Maxi will like it as well (and Frankie?) and we'll take the Hacks there in the summer.

It was a lovely day for it, sunny and got up to about 20C before a late change. The Zoo is on the banks of the Bronx River (trivia: only freshwater river in New York City) and only 30 minutes from midtown on the BxM11 express bus and you get to see Harlem on the way. It was built in 1902 and has a lot of that classic zoo architecture from the era, like you also find at Taronga Park. They are re-doing the Children's Zoo, which was closed. There is a monorail around all the "Asian" animals (tigers, elephants, rhino, deer, etc); a long wait in the line but it was worth it