So what else do you get for a $15,000 + tax Peninsula Suite in NYC? A brilliant PR (Tricia) who remembers and researches EVERYTHING! I love Acqua ... it makes me feel brilliant in the morning! SO - she ensured that I was treated to brilliant mornings!

Today we checked out of The Pen ... I shall miss Tricia very much! One of the best PRs I have worked with - ever.

The boys have gone home to London ... and I am back at The Mark for a couple of days of rest, seeing friends and writing scripts!

SO, remember in Bangkok when I got a couple of suits made? Well - this is ONE of the products ... a lovely grey suit ... pink lining ... lovely!

First stop - The Frick Collection ... at 1 East 70th. The problem was, we had to share the pavement with Gossip Girl.

The cast were running about in the cold.

Jimmy was the hero of the morning when he remonstrated with the show's Director who tried to shoo us away! GO JIMMY!

Alexis Light, the wonderful Frick PR and I have something in common ... we are Blackberry addicts! We communicated using our handsets! Sad ... but funny too!

The Frick is a private, priceless collection of art ... in an amazing mansion on the Upper East.

Rembrandt

Constable

sculpture

Degas

Holbein

Holbein

Vermeer

In the "indoor garden" ... The Garden Court!

With Director and Head Curator - Colin B Bailey. He who knows everything and anything to do with the collection. For more: http://www.frick.org/collection/history.htm.

But basically: The Frick Collection was founded by Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), the Pittsburgh coke and steel industrialist. At his death, Mr. Frick bequeathed his New York residence and the most outstanding of his many art works to establish a public gallery for the purpose of “encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts.” Chief among his bequests, which also included sculpture, drawings, prints, and decorative arts.


The art of The Frick Collection includes Rembrandt van Rijn, Giovanni Bellini, El Greco, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer, Francois Boucher, Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Joseph Mallord William Turner, James McNeill Whistler, Francesco Laurana, Jean-Antoine Houdon, and Severo Calzetta da Ravenna.

In 1913, construction began on Henry Frick’s New York mansion at Seventieth Street and Fifth Avenue. The house he erected cost $5,000,000. Mr. Frick died in 1919. In his will, he left the house and all of the works of art in it together with the furnishings (“subject to occupancy by Mrs. Frick during her lifetime”) to become a gallery called The Frick Collection. After Mrs. Frick's death in 1931, family and trustees of The Frick Collection began the transformation of the Fifth Avenue residence into a museum.

While Mr Frick was a HUGE collector of art - the house has a fun basement - a games roon with a bowling alley & snooker table! This area is closed off to the public BUT I had a private tour (the Frick is closed on a Monday) so I was allowed to go down there and bowl a rack!

Remember the other day when I said I did something special ... well ... I went to the American Museum of Natural History - 1 million square feet of heaven! Met with PR Ellen Evaristo who had arranged "a night at the museum"!

Chris (electrician) & Ellen set up a bed for me under a 94-foot model of a Blue Whale!

All by myself! I hope you are jealous! I would be!! It was a FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS experience - enhanced by the fact that The Mark provided me with bedding, duvet and chocolate to sustain me!!!

THE END of the show ... and the series!

This season has been the best I have ever filmed. I owe EVERYTHING to Tim, James, Richard, Julia, Oli, Emma, Gemima, Maisy, Mittens, Bert & Ernie for their love, support, understanding, care, diligence and generally putting up with me & my strange requests. I must thank all the wonderful hotels & resorts and their PRs and the people who have helped with the features. Mainly thank you to my dear family & friends who I love & miss so much ...

OK - we are back on the road in March! Yay!

Song of the Day: Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXsmyLtpxlA

Weather: Perfect