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

It's minus 9 degrees! Up early and at 56th and Madison and the Sony Wonder Technology Lab. This is a free "museum" where you can learn and interact with all the latest techologies that Sony has to offer ....

First up, my "new look"!

I am getting ready to boogie!

I dance and the character I chose dances with me! green screen etc!

I am STILL there! Dancing to Beyonce I believe!

The centre's "program manager" Corrine Doron - my co-anchor in this Varun Burgundy - Anchorman Production! So - we read the news ... She is VERY good indeed!

Graphics department screws up! Oh dear! James you are FIRED!

We had great fun! I performed surgery on a heart (virtually), I played games ... and learnt about all the new innovations - 3-D etc. Great, great fun!

The Brandy Library! 25 North Moore ... 450 whisk(e)ys ... numerous rums, armagnacs, brandys ... and even Coca-Cola! Heaven on Earth!

next door - the firehouse from Ghostbusters! Who ya' gonna call?

With Grand-whisky-poobah Ethan Kelley ... and remember him? Craig Hopson - exec chef from Le Cirque ...

My three tastings:

The Glenlivet ... smooooth ... $450.00 per shot!

Laphroaig .... ruff ... $165.00 per shot!

Four Roses (bourbon) ... ruufffffff .... $28 per shot!

Is this my favourite place in NYC? Could be .... DEFINITELY!

With owner Flavien Desoblin ....

Goodbye Christy!

The New York Skyline ...

Song of the Day: Let's Dance - David Bowie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyVjdQXNs9s

Weather: Chillllling!

Last night I wandered down to The Rockefeller Center - 19 buildings built by the the great man ("D") that all interlink! I went to a winebar called Morrell's ... which has a GREAT list with rather knowledgeable staff ... nice ... by the way, one of my favourite TV shows at the moment is "30 Rock" ... which is set ... HERE!

The Rockefeller Plaza by night ...

0815 at Radio City Music Hall - 1620 Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave) ... it's MINUS 6 degrees ... and I am not happy ... but I am happy too! The lovely PR Cara Epstein had already met us to ensure that we were happy and promised us a great morning .. she did not disappoint.

My guide was decade tour guide veteran Joyce Hancock. Radio City opened in 1932 ... and has been the "showplace of the nation" ever since. It became a "Landmark Building" in 1978 ... and has seen 300 million people through its doors since opening. The name came from the boss of RCA - David Sarnoff - who thought that it would glorify his radio company ... which it did! The brains behind the early years was Roxy Rothafel ... who filled its nearly 6000 seater auditorium with music-lovers, cinema-goers and fans of radio. He was gifted his own apartment ... an enormous space with plush living areas. We visited this. The building is ALL art deco ... and VERY impressive indeed! I saw David Bowie do a set here once ... Lady Gaga has sold out a few shows next week and the likes of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Bette Midler and McCartney have played here too ... a FUN place to visit!

OK - what does $15,000 US buy you in New York? The Peninsula Suite! It's 2-bedrooms with a third attached ... this is the main bedroom ... mine .. with king bed!

the main bathroom - jacuzzi bath, shower with rain head ... and it's warm!

my changing area ... with one of my new Robert Graham shirts!

my office - from where I write postcards and email and write THIS diary! I am there now listening to Ravel's Bolero after a HUGE dinner with the boys!

ALL the drinks are complimentary in the suite ... including champagne and whisky!

my dining room sits 10 ... I have played musical chairs here and I won!

my butler's pantry! that fridge is FULL of goodies!

so - I went for a walk around the city and bumped into Davidoff on Madison .. and had a cigar!

my afternoon was highlighted by my new jewellery-designer friend Christy Feaver! We froze as we wandered around 5th ... (anyone spot where we are?)

Back at my suite ... I am 19 floors up and have THIS view down 5th! AWESOME!

Oh - my living room has a baby-grand piano! I popped into FAO Schwartz today ... and met two old & dear friends who just had to play the piano with me!

living room is light & airy ... and VERY plush! this is one of the most expensive hotel suites in the world ... I CAN see why ...

at my desk with a Johnnie Blue ... and this entry

ME ON STAGE AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL!!!!! No worry folks ... I didn't sing!

Song of the Day: New York, New York - Frank Sinatra
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IpzlW4P9h4&feature=related

Weather: Cool & bright ... yay!