Monday was the first, challenging day in New York City. In the morning, we started with a cruise to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which once served as a migration center for millions of migrants, including from Slovakia, who came to the USA for a better life. The exhibition was interesting and detailed how difficult it was for our ancestors to go and live the American Dream.

Around lunchtime, we stopped at the NHL Shop, which since my last visit more than 10 years ago has moved, expanded and offered a number of interesting products across the NHL.

In the afternoon, we visited the Empire State Building with its beautiful scenery and sunset. Would you believe that this unique skyscraper, described as the No. 1 attraction in the world, was built in 13 months? The history tour was presented in an engaging and modern way, I definitely recommend it.

We ended the demanding day with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with a night view of southern Manhattan, where we are staying. This was followed by a free program, or relaxation at the hotel, which some of us welcomed, since New York is really exhausting for walking, moving and taking the subway all over the place. However, the photos are worth it, so I recommend you follow our daily updated photo gallery on the website or Facebook.

- David