New York City

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Saturday, June 6, 2009 ~ First thing I did this morning was to go outside in Times Square with my camera in search of good coffee. I found one a few blocks away. I found it fantastic that the road in the center of Times Square and in front of our hotel had been blocked off and it was instead full of lawn chairs allowing persons to sit and enjoy the lights all around. The morning was sunny and beginning to warm and so I sat in the middle of Times Square and enjoyed my coffee. Quite wonderful indeed. Our plan was to meet one of Elisabeth's old friends for brunch in between Brooklyn where she lived and where we were. We found the restaurant with ease once we got off the subway and waited for Lisa to arrive. The menu was incredible and I found myself desiring more than one option for breakfast. I finally settled on latkes (potato pancakes) with sour cream and applesauce and part of Elisabeth's delicious salmon omelet. Such great food! The day was gorgeous and perfect for walking around New York City. Lisa had to leave but we found a sidewalk farmers market that also had crafts and paintings, etc. All New Yorkers we'd asked the question - MOMA or The Met, said The Met, definitely. So, off to the The Met for us. Francis Bacon now deceased, had a special showing and we enjoyed viewing his morbid, and yet highly intriguing and colorful paintings. Bacon's artwork is known for its bold, austere, homoerotic and often violent or nightmarish imagery. It typically shows room-bound masculine figures isolated in glass or steel geometrical cages set against flat, nondescript backgrounds. Following the 1971 suicide of his lover, George Dyer, his art became more personal, inward looking and preoccupied with death. His paintings were thought provoking and gruesome at the same time. Elisabeth's favorite image was of a woman in a drug-addled trance, her arm pierced by a hypodermic needle and entitled: Version No. 2 of Lying Figure With Hypodermic Syringe and is estimated to fetch more than $10.1 million in it's upcoming auction in NYC.

We also viewed another exhibit in another section entitled: The Model as Muse which was also quite entertaining. The exhibition, organized by historical period from 1947 to 1997, featured haute couture and ready-to-wear masterworks accompanied by fashion photography and video footage of models who epitomized their epochs. As you would walk from room to room the era would change and the models were dressed in that period's clothing with music of the era playing. I especially loved the 60's and was reminded of all that far-out clothing shown in during our hey-day. Lots of bright and shiny metals cut and formed to make a dress, and the whole outer space theme not to mention the extraordinary music which played loudly within.

After visiting The Met we walked through Central Park. It was lively as was to be expected with people everywhere either relaxing, walking hand in hand, performing and hoping for a hand-out, or sailing the sail boats in the pond. All of this is well and very good mind you but we're thirsty and there's not a drop of alcohol in the vicinity. We know, because we looked, hard. We leave the Park and find a Vinoteca off of Madison Avenue and sit down for, who can believe it, red wine and a cheese plate. I feel so at home now. I suggest we buy a bottle of wine on our return home to enjoy in the room. Did you know, you cannot under any circumstance at all, purchase a bottle of real wine in NYC? We walked from store to store and all we could find was beer and/or non-alcoholic wine. What's that all about anyway?

When we got back to our hotel we stopped at the Concierge's Desk to ask about seeing a Broadway Play. We asked about a number of plays, all of which were already sold out. I said, what about In The Heights which was actually the highest on my list. We were able to purchase tickets but the play was set to begin in less than a half hour. So we speedily changed clothes and walked less than two blocks to our theater. Our seats were Orchestra Seats up nice and close. The play explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights. The score features hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul music. I LOVED this musical. It had great energy, lots of very funny lines, exceptional dancing and singing. All things I love very much. Highly recommended if you're ever In The Hood!

Dinner plans were to meet another friend of Elisabeth's, Niroshi, at a sushi place nearby after the show. With Elisabeth leading the way, we walked, I swear some 10 blocks out of our way. Not really, but when you're wearing heels and you're tired to begin with, it sure does seem that far away. Oh, I forgot to mention, the cold I inherited in Italy is making it hard for me to talk plus it's not helping me stay up late and party. Double Damn!! We are rushed through dinner as it's almost closing time at the restaurant. It was some pretty tasty sushi though and a list of different Mojitos to order from. I had a great traditional one and then a strawberry Mojito. Interesting.

I bid those two gals good night and I went to sleep. They, on the other hand, stayed up very late but this time I slept all night long without a care when and if Elisabeth would return.

Sunday, June 7, 2009 ~ time to fly home. How sad. It's been a great 2 ½ weeks, but all good things must come to an end, I hear. Elisabeth and I fly together on our first leg from Newark to Cincinnati but part ways there as she's flying to Salt Lake City and I am finally going home to Jackson Hole. I got a direct flight from Cincinnati to my home. How cool is that?

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

It is now four weeks and four days since I've been home and I still have this dang cough. Will it ever go away?

Time to plan my next trip. Where will it take me this time I wonder?

Oooh, I know this answer...... I'm off to New Zealand on October 13th!

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Photos

Artists and Farmers Market
New York City

In the Heights
Broadway Play