Shuffle off to Buffalo *

*was a song, written in 1933 for the film 42nd Street, which actually has some really saucy lyrics served with a healthy dollop of marital pessimism.

We thought we'd visit somewhere where there aren't many tourists, so we headed for Buffalo. It's a medium sized city, built on a really flat plain next to Lake Eerie. I was trying to imagine a flat, grassy plain with a load of buffalo roaming freely. Canada was still in sight, so we could wave at our favourite country.

Following the hold up at immigration by officials, because the man from Pakistan couldn't find his address, we arrived at the flat at 4pm. Another great place. As usual Goldilocks tried all the beds.

We had run out of clean clothes, so I volunteered to go to the launderette. It's no hardship doing the chores, places like that are where all life is. It's like waiting at a bus station...you get to see the natives in a way you never would at Macy's. 

 There was a helpful, blonde lady, a really drunk man, lots of tvs - all with subtitles - and a woman who was eating her tea from a pan which she'd brought over with her. I did the washing, got a bit of shopping and took wings home (chicken wings, a local delicacy) for NN1. When I got back he ate the wings, then had a go at ironing. His first time.

 On Thursday we decided to visit the inauguration site of 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. They make a big deal about this in Buffalo and the house where they have created a sort of museum is actually fantastic. Cost $14.

This is the story. Abridged:
- 25th president, Mcinley, visits Buffalo for an exposition, September 6th 1901
- He gets shot in the stomach in an assassination attempt
- Doctors can't find the bullet, but they sew him up anyway
- His vice president, Roosevelt, comes to see him. He looks OK
- Roosevelt goes on a camping holiday with his family
- Mcinley dies 14th Sept 1901.
- Roosevelt comes back, stays with a very old friend called Wilcox (I think)
-Gets inaugurated as president (Sept 14th 1901), doesn't have any clothes because he's been on a camping holiday, so does it in borrowed garb
-He stays in Buffalo for a week or so until the funeral, sets up his presidential office in his mate's house.

Things to know about Roosevelt:
- He cared for the environment and set up lots of national parks
- The teddy bear was named after him (after he refused to shoot a small bear which was sitting down and eating honey, whilst on a hunting trip)
- He was the first president to invite a black man to dine with him at the White House (Dr. Booker T. Washington).
-He created acts to prevent children in the work place
-He successfully negotiated between industry and supporters of the environment / between industry and unions
- He had six children and built the West Wing of the White House to accommodate them
- The Oval Office did not exist in his time
He was a distant cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Franklin's wife Eleanor, maiden name also Roosevelt, was Teddy's niece

A recreation of the office he used in the White House.
NN1 feeling presidential.

 Me n TR having a catch up.

Good stuff he did.

 More good stuff.

 Some details about his children. I particularly liked the quote by Quentin in the last line (below). All TR's sons fought in WWI. Quentin was killed and TR never fully recovered from it.

Quentin, aged 4.

 He also had a child called Kermit, which amuses me immensely.

The house.

Afterwards we went to a little cafe on a corner. We'll, it was actually called a salad bar, not a cafe. We ate well and the server raved about her internship in the UK. View from the corner.

NN1 chose a meal called 'The Jeff' which is apparently hugely amusing if you're a teenager. On account of some bloke calling himself Jeff in a squeaky voice in some film.

He tucks in.

 Buffalo's last buffalo?

 Then we went to City Hall, which you can go to the top of (28 floors) and see from the observation deck.

 It's very ornate inside, with paintings and carvings, brass and marble.

 The lift door.

As you enter there are four large marble statues, two men and two women, each with a resounding word beneath. The words for the men read: Fidelity and Diligence. For the women: Service and Virtue. Why do we get service and bloody virtue?

As you approach the observation deck, they tell you about Buffalo's famous..

 Red Jacket later stabbed his fellow indigenous brethren in the back when he fought with the Americans against them, but we don't talk about that.

 Seemingly, when Wild Bill, wasn't forming the precursor to the CIA he was rehearsing as an extra in the musical, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers....

 And this! My favourite famous thing to come out of Buffalo.

 The Liberty Tower.

 View of downtown.

 Other stuff that happened in Buffalo. Apparently the underground railroad was well linked up here.

Finally...if the British can't have it...no body can!

 After our observation, we descended and went to look for some new headphones. Somebody had accidentally washed the old ones after somebody accidentally left them in his pocket...

 So we took a subway to the mall. Bought the headphones and found an amazing cinema, where we watched half a rubbish film (we didn't realise it was a documentary).

 On the way home, saw a man wearing a fez. I think my life is now complete.

Back to New York today (Friday), by train. The journey is 8 hours but the train is clean, the seats are big and comfy with loads of leg room and the views are good.