New York City, 2017 February 3, 2017
Here we go again. We are off for our 2017 winter adventure. We had originally hoped that we might share discoveries of Asia, but, alas, life intervened. With Bruce sporting a new pace-maker, it made sense to stay on this side of the world for now.
So, New York City, then Guatemala, Cuba, Florida, and Alabama are on the itinerary - if we can squeeze it all into two months. We plan to arrive back in Maine by the first week of April.
The Concord Trailways express bus ride from Portland to NYC was SO easy & comfortable! We made it in a little less than the expected 6 hours, arriving around noon. Along the way, we had a lovely chat with a former Breakwater parent sitting in front of us, Patti Daunis, who was traveling to NYC to visit her son, Sam Dunning, who is now an aspiring actor. We hope to find him on You-Tube, playing Thomas Jefferson in the Patriot series on the Fox channel.
Sitting across from us on the bus was Peggy Grodinsky, a food writer for the Portland Press Herald. I have enjoyed her pieces, especially one featuring the relationship between the chef/owner of Back Bay Grill and his dishwasher. We had lots to discuss!
Before long, we arrived at our NYC bus stop near the United Nations building. From there, it was an arduous slog on foot to our hotel, loaded down with heavy backpacks and suitcases filled with books, gifts, technical accoutrements, and clothes for a variety of weather. We did take a break for me to unload and wander delightedly through a fantastic art gallery where clouds of colorful metal butterflies and huge whimsical ostrich-like creatures offered me the lift I needed to finish the trek.
Along the way, and throughout the weekend, we passed iconic New York landmarks, including St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, St. John the Divine Church, Times Square, Delmonico's Gourmet Deli, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, and, yes, Trump Towers.
Central Park skaters
Look who was sitting in Central Park!
We were disappointed that Bruce's sister, Sue, and husband, Dave, had been felled by the flu at the last moment and weren't able to join us, as planned. It had been 10 years since our last trip to NYC, which had been with them. We carried on, however, doing lots of good eating at a variety of ethnic restaurants, most of them close to our hotel, Park Central on 7th Avenue.
Park Central Hotel on 7th Avenue
These included a meal at a sweet little Japanese noodle house, a yummy New York pizza and a glass of red wine at an old Italian restaurant, Guinness at two Irish pubs, a bagel with cream cheese lox spread that will make my mouth water for a long time, a steaming bowl of won-ton soup at Big Wong's in Chinatown, and coffee at an Australian cafe. What a foodie dream :).
Chinatown
Since it was the weekend for Chinese New Year, we tried to see a parade. Alas, we missed it. The main parade had taken place in Chinatown, far from our hotel, just after our arrival on Saturday. However, there were lots of stores in our mid-town area, offering their best wishes for this Year of the Rooster.
Year of the Rooster
The "must-see" of our trip was a visit to the 9/11 Museum on Monday morning. It is a beautiful, stately, somber memorial, so respectful of those who lost their lives on that unforgettable day. On our arrival by subway, we entered a grand, soaring, pure white station that seemed to take one's soul heavenward.
Train Station at 9/11 Memorial
That was balanced by the peaceful outdoor water construction, a deep square stone hole in the ground with water flowing smoothly down the sides. Names were engraved in the surrounding wall. Such elemental features, rock and water - and the blue sky above - and the names for all eternity.
9/11 Memorial
Because those horrible events were perpetrated by Muslim extremists, our visit to the memorial seemed to connect to the current news of the day, President Trump's unfortunate ban on travel from seven Muslim nations. I can't help but think that his declaration makes us more vulnerable rather than safer.
In fact, this news hung like a cloud over the weekend. It was ironic to me that we were in Trump's neighborhood, seeing Trump this and Trump that, as we read many different editorials and opinions and FB posts, with him in center stage. At the same time we were surrounded by immigrants cleaning our hotel room, serving us restaurant meals, driving our shuttle to the airport. We never travel without our laptops these days. It's a dubious benefit and yet one that we can't seem to let go of. So, we do stay in the know. I feel a shroud of guilt that we're leaving our nation in the lurch by vacationing abroad. And I wonder what social and civic conditions we'll find when we return.
On a cheerier note, we walked a LOT, averaging 6 miles per day. Good to get back to walking, which we seem to do, in large part, only when we travel.
Here we go again. We are off for our 2017 winter adventure. We had originally hoped that we might share discoveries of Asia, but, alas, life intervened. With Bruce sporting a new pace-maker, it made sense to stay on this side of the world for now.
So, New York City, then Guatemala, Cuba, Florida, and Alabama are on the itinerary - if we can squeeze it all into two months. We plan to arrive back in Maine by the first week of April.
The Concord Trailways express bus ride from Portland to NYC was SO easy & comfortable! We made it in a little less than the expected 6 hours, arriving around noon. Along the way, we had a lovely chat with a former Breakwater parent sitting in front of us, Patti Daunis, who was traveling to NYC to visit her son, Sam Dunning, who is now an aspiring actor. We hope to find him on You-Tube, playing Thomas Jefferson in the Patriot series on the Fox channel.
Sitting across from us on the bus was Peggy Grodinsky, a food writer for the Portland Press Herald. I have enjoyed her pieces, especially one featuring the relationship between the chef/owner of Back Bay Grill and his dishwasher. We had lots to discuss!
Before long, we arrived at our NYC bus stop near the United Nations building. From there, it was an arduous slog on foot to our hotel, loaded down with heavy backpacks and suitcases filled with books, gifts, technical accoutrements, and clothes for a variety of weather. We did take a break for me to unload and wander delightedly through a fantastic art gallery where clouds of colorful metal butterflies and huge whimsical ostrich-like creatures offered me the lift I needed to finish the trek.
Along the way, and throughout the weekend, we passed iconic New York landmarks, including St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, St. John the Divine Church, Times Square, Delmonico's Gourmet Deli, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, and, yes, Trump Towers.
We were disappointed that Bruce's sister, Sue, and husband, Dave, had been felled by the flu at the last moment and weren't able to join us, as planned. It had been 10 years since our last trip to NYC, which had been with them. We carried on, however, doing lots of good eating at a variety of ethnic restaurants, most of them close to our hotel, Park Central on 7th Avenue.
These included a meal at a sweet little Japanese noodle house, a yummy New York pizza and a glass of red wine at an old Italian restaurant, Guinness at two Irish pubs, a bagel with cream cheese lox spread that will make my mouth water for a long time, a steaming bowl of won-ton soup at Big Wong's in Chinatown, and coffee at an Australian cafe. What a foodie dream :).
Since it was the weekend for Chinese New Year, we tried to see a parade. Alas, we missed it. The main parade had taken place in Chinatown, far from our hotel, just after our arrival on Saturday. However, there were lots of stores in our mid-town area, offering their best wishes for this Year of the Rooster.
The "must-see" of our trip was a visit to the 9/11 Museum on Monday morning. It is a beautiful, stately, somber memorial, so respectful of those who lost their lives on that unforgettable day. On our arrival by subway, we entered a grand, soaring, pure white station that seemed to take one's soul heavenward.
That was balanced by the peaceful outdoor water construction, a deep square stone hole in the ground with water flowing smoothly down the sides. Names were engraved in the surrounding wall. Such elemental features, rock and water - and the blue sky above - and the names for all eternity.
Because those horrible events were perpetrated by Muslim extremists, our visit to the memorial seemed to connect to the current news of the day, President Trump's unfortunate ban on travel from seven Muslim nations. I can't help but think that his declaration makes us more vulnerable rather than safer.
In fact, this news hung like a cloud over the weekend. It was ironic to me that we were in Trump's neighborhood, seeing Trump this and Trump that, as we read many different editorials and opinions and FB posts, with him in center stage. At the same time we were surrounded by immigrants cleaning our hotel room, serving us restaurant meals, driving our shuttle to the airport. We never travel without our laptops these days. It's a dubious benefit and yet one that we can't seem to let go of. So, we do stay in the know. I feel a shroud of guilt that we're leaving our nation in the lurch by vacationing abroad. And I wonder what social and civic conditions we'll find when we return.
On a cheerier note, we walked a LOT, averaging 6 miles per day. Good to get back to walking, which we seem to do, in large part, only when we travel.
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