Top of the Rock Observation Deck

The Top of the Rock Observation Deck is located on the 67th, 69th and 70th floor of Rockefeller Centre.



Before taking the elevator up to the observation deck, there's Swarovski crystals on display. The photo on the left is the Swarovski star that's up on the Rockefeller Christmas tree every year-end. The photo on the right is the Joie Chandelier and if you turn the picture upside down, you'll see that the crystals form the shape of the Rockefeller Centre building.



The historical photo gallery and exhibition tell the story of the building. Interestingly, the Rockefeller Centre was built during the great depression. The photo on the right is the iconic picture of construction workers taking their break in mid air.

The observation deck 67th and 69th floors are indoor and it is difficult to get a good shot through the thick glass panels. However, 70th floor is open air. Thankfully the weather is good and we spend most of the time here, even though it is windy and cold in winter.


Looking northwards, the big patch of green space is Central Park.


Looking southward, the Empire State Building stands out from the other skyscrapers in the city landscape. It has an observation deck too and it's taller than Rockefeller Centre.

New York Central Park in Winter

Central Park is located between 59th to 110th Street and between 5th to 8th Avenue in New York City. The park is so huge that it spans across seven subway stations. It is often described by visitors to be a tranquil getaway from the hectic city life.







It snowed recently and the fresh white snow is still covering the ground and the bare tree branches.



During winter, one of the things to do in Central Park is to go ice-skating in the Wollman Ice Skating Rink. This rink is located in the southern part of the park (near The Pond), while there's another one (Lasker Rink) in the north of the park. Of course, entrance fees apply and skates are available for rental.



At the Strawberry Fields, this "imagine" mosaic is often decorated with flower petals into a peace sign. This memorial had been dedicated to John Lennon, one of the Beatles singers and a peace activist.

Skiing at Lapland

Last night, the crazy bunch of us stayed up till wee hours of the morning. With only about 4 hours of sleep, we set off for a skiing trip with our senior colleagues today. They were very kind to let us tag along; even came to pick us up from our rented apartments and drove a long way up the mountain to Lapland Lake. I don't have any camera, so all the photos are from my friends'.

The place we rent our skis.

Skis of different lengths

Fireplace

My first time seeing a real life reindeer!

Cottage in the distance