Our last day in the city and it was overcast, but not raining.  Quite pleasant actually.  We started the day at the Neue Gallery.  We got there early and were rewarded by being the second couple in the building.  Unlike the couple in front of us, we decided to start with the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.  How fortunate we were to start there.  We and the guards were the only ones in the room for almost ten minutes.  Amazing!  We had the opportunity to look from all angles in the room and to sit and contemplate all the other paintings in the room as well.  We also had the little hand held devices to give us further insights.  We moved on when other people started entering.  I really enjoyed the artful jewelry and the sketches upstairs.  The portrait exhibit upstairs was interesting as well, so don't miss it.  I picked up a book in the gift shop for the children to enjoy.  After that it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to the Met.  We didn't go in as we have been through it many times and as I said in an earlier post, wanted to avoid repeats.  But, we did sit on the steps out front and have some Nathan's hot dogs and a coke.  In fact, we went back for seconds.  We headed for the Frick Collection, but many of the streets were closed due to a parade.  How wonderful!  I've never seen a parade in NY.  We hung out for awhile enjoying the excitement.  Apparently they have celebrated Greek Independence Day with a parade in NYC since 1938!  Fantastic!  And this is where I picked up my one and only souvenir - A great water bottle!   We strolled on down to see the Frick Collection and I am glad we did.  I've seen these paintings in photos since I was a child, and it was a real treat to see them up close and personal.  I liked seeing them in a room setting.  Why do they seem more alive in that setting?  The most tantalizing was the small pastel by Edgar Degas by the stairs.  Frick did not like pastels but he kept this one by his desk they said.  I almost laughed out loud.  How telling.  Anyway, as we left we noted that the parade was still going on.  Wow!  The weather had gotten gloomier and we headed back to our hotel and then on to eat dinner.  Got this final shot of the Chrysler building just outside Grand Central.  Can't wait to see this city again!  Back to my brushes.  

​"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment."  - Hilaire Belloc

We had one beautiful day while in New York City and we took advantage of it.  We started the day   people-watching and listening to music in Washington Square Park.  We had arrived at Salmagundi too early and popped down to enjoy the sunshine while we waited for it to open.  It can be difficult to see the AWS exhibition the night of the banquet, so I like to see it the day before or after if possible.  And I linger for long periods in front of some paintings, so that's suboptimal while so many are there for the awards dinner.  Anyway, great start to the day.  After we took in the show, we walked over to the Whitney.  We began on the top floor and came down.  Two floors were not for viewing and I felt a little ripped off, but I enjoyed what I saw and I liked the views outside as well. After that we grabbed a pretzel and a coke out front before popping on the High Line.  Was this a highlight?  Indeed yes!  No lights, no auto traffic, just a nice flat walk with great views.  I absolutely loved it.  And so did everyone else in NYC because it seemed everyone was with us enjoying this fantastic day.  We walked until we ended up at Hudson Yards.  So....the stairs to nowhere? I told my husband it was a modern labyrinth.  If you are going to do it, think of it as a meditation device. His response - hard pass.  The other option is a shopping mall.  I bet they have some great food choices in there...but I'll never know.  I didn't come to NY to spend my time in a retail mecca.  Sorry.  Crossed the island back to our hotel and time for dinner and recoup.  Back to my brushes.  


"Every day we have some weather, and yesterday was no exception." - John Carr

Just got home from our trip to NYC and thought I would share some thoughts and pics about our trip.  We had an uneventful flight there and back (always appreciated).  When we left home it was a lovely 78 degrees, and it was about 42 degrees and windy when we landed.  Sooo.....not the best but we carried on.  Our first order of business was to walk over to Grand Central Station and get something to eat.  We were not disappointed.  We shared a key lime cheesecake that was fantastic and people-watched for awhile (hoping the wind would die down).  From there we had a quick jaunt over to St. Patrick's Cathedral to view the completed renovation.  It was nice to see it without all the scaffolding again, and what a difference!  Beautiful!  Stopped briefly at Rockefeller Center and popped into the LEGO store.  My youngest worked for Disney and is an anglophile so I figured these two items would be enjoyed.  We met up with family that evening and had dinner at Flatiron Hall.  Good meal, good company.  Quick subway ride to see this great view from their home.  (I think you'll agree it is pretty sweet!!)  Got back to our hotel around midnight.  Enjoyable day.  I'll continue this tomorrow.  Back to my brushes.  
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​"There are two kinds of people, those who finish what they start and so on."  - Robert Byrne