Of Blisters, Booze, Banks and Bonding

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OK today is Saturday September 23, I think I am off on the dates because I am currently in Boston Harbor (SEP 26) blogging about what we did a few days ago - so let me time warp / change perspective and start. This (23rd) morning we Ubered to the MET, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You have to have a plan when visiting the MET. It is too big to see in a day or week or month unless you decide ahead of time what you want to see. Glenda wanted to see the Monet's, Van Gough's, Picasso's and I wanted to see the huge Washing Crossing the Delaware painting and the hall of Armor (think knights not tanks!) We had about 3 hours so we started with a quick museum highlights tour then picked what we wanted. Off to the masters, Monet's etc. Pretty neat to see the original paintings. It was also fun to see artists sketching the marble sculptures throughout the museum. Rodin's sculptures were on temporary display. I enjoyed paintings with mermaids! (sorry can't share the photos or you will think I am fixated). We had lunch, which was excellent for a museum (thanks to Christopher - Director of Food and Beverage!), then to the hall of armor. There were full size displays of armored knights on armored horses in the center of the hall, and tons of displays of armor, banners, and every conceivable medieval weapon. We then walked out into the bright sunshine and started exploring central park. Again not what I imagined. Lots of hills and rock outcroppings, walking paths and bridges. Musicians liked to hang out below the bridges and play, the sounds echoed and reverberated. We heard a sax playing a french song under a cool looking rock bridge. A great place to photograph. Next we came across a pond where adults and kids were sailing radio controlled sailboats - I wanted to stay and play but after staying long enough to photograph we were off to find the boat house. We weaved our way through the park in the heat with our goal the southern end of the park and a Whole Foods where we were going to buy wine for our cruise ( a bottle each) and a bottle for Marc and Anthony who we were meeting for dinner in the evening. Along the way I saw smoke coming from Glenda's feet and soon it was apparent that blisters were forming. We were able to make our way to Whole Foods but they don't sell wine there so we got directions to a nearby wine shop and found our bottles. Glenda was able to find a seat and band-aid her feet - we were tempted to consume our purchases but we packed them up and made our way back to the hotel. We updated Marc and Anthony then Ubered our way that evening to Colonie - a favorite restaurant of theirs in Brooklyn. They had prime viewing seats for us so we could watch the chefs at work on the flattop. It was like watching an orchestra of food preparation. Pasta would be pulled from the water added to a skillet, ingredients added and flipped in front of us as the chef would taste and adjust. We had appetizers, small plates, main courses, post meal plates and deserts, all followed with never ending wine glasses of various red wines chosen by Anthony. Things get a little hazy after a while but I do remember leaving Colonie and walking down a dark street and then down unmarked stairs through a red velvet curtain. Marc and Anthony went first to give the password, and Glenda and I nervously followed. We were in a speakeasy that used to be a subway tunnel section. We were lucky to find a seat (actually the red velvet couch near the Steinway piano). I waited for Billy Joel to make an appearance but he never did. Anthony ordered us "digestives" more liquor to settle the dueling seafoods and red wine in our stomachs - it took 2 digestives to stop the battle in my stomach and start a new one in my head. Now things get more fuzzy but I remember getting showed the secret room behind the curtain, then back up the stairs to the street. Marc said we had 16 blocks to their apartment, so we started weaving our way to their diggs. I remember passing buildings with brownstone and gas lamps, dogs being walked on leashes, something furry skurrying in front of me, (small dog, cat, medium rat?) and finally arriving at their tall apartment building just down from the Barclay Center Arena. Their doorman / security dude let us pass and Anthony showed us into the secret lobby area of a very ornate bank building. It used to be Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower. It was about 1AM and the place was deserted and had very little lighting. This old lobby is now used as a movie set for numerous movies that need a bank to be robbed. The movie Going In Style with Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arken as the bank robbers, was recently filmed there. After that tour we got a tour of the views from their building which included the Statue of Liberty and more bridges than I can remember. Then we went back to their apartment, where we got another tour and concluded the evening with goodbyes from our new family. We called another Uber to get us and returned to our hotel arriving at 2 something AM on Sunday morning - Glenda reminded me to request a late checkout as she popped some Advil for her feet, Tylenol for her head, and tums for the war being waged in her stomach. She should have had two digestives like me instead of stopping at one!

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Photos

Washington crossing the Delaware River
Apparently there are numerous historical inaccuracies in this painting - can you find them?

HDR Sax
A little sax under the bridge my dear?

Radio controlled sailboats on Central Park Pond
I think I need one of these for my pond!

Dinner at Colonie with Marc and Anthony
I don't remember someone taking my photo, how did they get my camera, where was this taken, who are you?

Comments

[PapaMarshall]

Gringots???

[Tami Wilson]

Wonderful Report!
The pics and story are wonderful! I love traveling with you both! Loved seeing the pic of the lobby after hearing about it this summer. Love the Monet and van Gough pic of paintings, there is nothing like seeing the real thing . So good to see Mark and Anthony again. Keep up the hard work.?????

[Kathleen Hill]

MET sounds like another one for my bucket list!