Photo: Barefoot in Central Park

With the weather, tides and currents lining up as they are now, it looks like we'll be able to head over to Long Island Sound tomorrow, so today should be our last full day in New York. We decided to split up in pairs today, with Judy and Steph going to see the "Bodies" exhibit (one of several similar exhibitions touring Europe and North America, essentially an expos� of the human body using "plastinated" corpses to reveal how the body is built), and Marine and I going to see some of the Museum of Natural History exhibits we didn't look at during our first tour, and then through Central Park and over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Steph and Judy also stopped at St. Paul's Chapel where they viewed a moving exposition and memorial of the 9/11 attack.

After topping up our energy stores with a hot chocolate for Marine and a caf� au lait for me with some croissants, we traipsed off to the Natural History Museum to learn more about the size of the universe and the solar system. Marine's favourite part of the day, however, was our stroll through Central Park, where we kicked off our shoes and walked barefoot on the grass, relaxing like many other hundreds of New Yorkers in the park under the noon sun. We then entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Again, I was in for a surprise as Marine and I wandered around vast exhibits on ancient Egyptian tombs and funerary art, impressionist paintings, medieval arms and armour, roman sculptures, religious tapestries, contemporary photography, and French furnishings and d�cor from the 17th and 18th centuries, to name a few.

Suffering from museum overload, Marine and I walked back towards the boat, stopping for a snack at Zabar's, an incredible deli at the corner of Broadway and W80th. It's a fabulous shop, brimming with all sorts of delicacies, and a cheese selection the likes of which I haven't seen. No sooner had Marine and I settled into our seats to enjoy some blintzes, knisches and latkes, than in walked Judy and Steph. When we asked what they thought of "Bodies", Steph declared that she is now a vegetarian. The exposition was fascinating, if morbid, and they both commented on the strong anti-smoking message the show sends through its display of cancer-ridden lungs. Delightful dinner conversation topics....

Back to the boat, one more hot shower, and we are ready to head up the East River through Hell Gate and to Long Island Sound first thing tomorrow morning.