Danube Cruise Trip - Day 18

Last day in Europe - what a trip!  I was awake by 0515 without an alarm and spent time packing, working on Duolingo, reading, etc.  At 0700, I went to breakfast at the hotel restaurant and had some more good food.  Back in my room, I finished cleaning and packing and then went down to the lobby to meet my bus (for airport ride) at 0930.  After a pretty drive through Prague and neighborhoods on the west side of the Vltava, we arrived at the airport (1000).  Got to see Alan one more time and thanked him for his assistance.  After that, I did some collaborating with Karen (doctor from Cleveland) in order to find the Delta check-in and bag-check.  We both found it odd that there was no security at first...  Instead, we had to sit in the main area of the terminal before we were allowed through to the waiting area - we finally cleared security then (1100).  The downside of this process, though, was that we were "trapped" in that secondary waiting area until boarding time.  At 1200, we started boarding and I was one of the first people onboard (Delta Comfort Plus because I’d used some of my miles back in March).  The boarding process went alright until the crew encountered a delay for a broken overhead bin.  We took off at 1305 and had great weather for most of the flight.  I really enjoyed my seat with extra leg room!  We got red wine and lunch (pasta, salad, tiramisu) on the way and I entertained myself by watching movies (free internet was spotty).  During another service, we got some water but I wanted more - got snacks and OJ from galley in the rear of the aircraft.  This might have been unnecessary because we then got drink (red wine) service with “dessert” (some kind of Stromboli and chocolate cookie).  After a rather uneventful flight, we landed at JFK at around 1530 local.  At that point, though, we had to sit on the taxiway until we were given clearance to park (1600).  After I got off the aircraft at the terminal, I made it through Customs quickly (1615) but then had to wait on my checked bag (only about 20 minutes).  Fortunately, I then made it on the first Jamaica-bound AirTrain and reached that station by 1645.  Proceeding quickly through the ticket gate (it was nice to have a balance on my MTA card), I found the self service kiosk for LIRR.  Selecting a ticket for Grand Central Station, I once again made a slight mistake and paid a little more than I needed (but I got help in order to get it right next time).  Moving on, I was able to board a Grand Central bound LIRR train by 1655 and made good time to Midtown (1715).  Unfortunately, I had trouble selecting the correct exit from Grand Central (exited from Northwest corner) so had to make up for this problem with walking on the streets.  Still, I arrived at my hotel on East 43rd Street (Hampton by Hilton), by 1730 and was in my room (on the 20th floor) within 10 minutes.  I texted the girls to let them know I was back in the USA.  After that, I rested and got ready to go out again.  At 1800, I walked a short distance to Malone’s Irish Bar on Third Avenue, where I enjoyed a beer and an appetizer.  The vibe was good and the beer prices were surprisingly good.  Next (1910), I departed for a walk and explored the area between Third and First as well as between E 44th and E 42nd.  This small slice of the big city was already a bit familiar but I was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty enclave called Tudor City, a neighborhood that was elevated above the other streets.  It had some nice parks, views and seemed to soar above the gridlock - I almost forgot where I was because the vibe was so relaxed! During this time, I also walked near the UN headquarters, where I got views of the East River (and Brooklyn Bridge) and found some Consulates.  Arriving back at the hotel by 2000, I started to feel really tired but stayed awake for a while (trying to assimilate to East Coast time again).  Found myself watching the “Deadwood” series on TV (entertaining) but still ended up falling asleep at 2115.  I've got time to explore NYC in the morning!