OUR FIRST WEEKEND IN NYC

Saturday morning we headed a few blocks up East 34th Street from where we are staying to look at Macy's Department Store. Robert was looking for a new pair of socks.  Now Myer will have a section of men's socks.  Macy's had an entire department, it seemed.  Racks and racks, both sides of an aisle.  So much choice!

 Here I am all excited to visit another icon of the city.

Afterwards, we hit the subway uptown again, to the Imperial Theatre where 'Les Miserables' is playing.  I had booked on line and was to collect my ticket from the box office.  Delighted that was a quick and straightforward task.  Robert left me to see a film, 'Hitman 47' instead and we met up afterwards. The show was spectacular.  Not only the singing but the lighting and staging were so impressive.

 At the end of the block, the colour and excitement of Times Square beckoned again.  If we thought it was full of characters the other day, that was NOTHING compared to now.  Many are dressed up and want a "donation" for you to have your photo taken with them.  Two wore just shoes and undies, and were playing guitar.  One was the famous Naked Cowboy.  A ticket seller close by said she got no interest when he was around, as all the focus was on him!  I suggested she might have to strip down too!

 And no!  That is not me!  The other person playing guitar was a much older woman, with stars strategically painted on her somewhat saggy chest!

But the place teamed with characters, like superheroes, cartoon characters and various Mice.  We managed to secure two chairs and sat and just watched.  So many people.  And of course, all around, the every changing signs above.  We timed how long it took when chairs became vacant for someone else to snaffle them!  One minute, tops!

We had dinner at a bar round the corner from our hotel.  It was dark and moody, with music playing.  Again, it had stools along the bar and tables as well.

 I ordered fish and chips, which was beer battered cod in several thin strips.

 Walking back, we saw the Empire State Building lit up spectacularly nearby.

 Sunday morning was Take Two at seeing MOMA.  But the first thing that made me laugh was this van for the business offering "Your dog's ultimate vacation destination".  Some of the attractions there for Fido include grooming, daycare, swimming and nature walks ... and they offer a pick-up and drop-off service.

 We caught the uptown subway to 57th then had to walk a few blocks.  Along the way, this idyllic oasis was tucked back between two buildings that fronted the street.  Tables and chairs were set out either side and at the back, water gurgled and splashed down a water wall, creating that wonderful relaxing sound.

 We arrived a little early at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and stood in line inside the foyer to buy tickets.  A woman came along, offering times slots to a free lecture on the Jacob Lawrence Migration Series, called ONE WAY TICKET.

 The talk began at eleven so we happily filled in the time with Andy.  Normally displayed on the fourth floor, it was relocated to the second as they prepare for a Picasso Sculpture Exhibit to open on September 14th.

But the main pieces I hoped to see were there: the soup cans and Marilyn (the other one).

We found out Jacob Lawrence was an African American artist who spent two years researching the mass migration of Negro labour from the South to the North.  He condensed his knowledge into sixty statements, laid out sixty panels, and painted the story.  Our lecturer was a young girl, so we all participated in the discussion!   How did we feel, what did we see ...

 Afterwards, we looked around the rest of the floors.  I saw this huge Jackson Pollack.

 This gallery had two long Monet water lily paintings and one of irises.

 This Frida Kahlo work includes an identically shaped framed mirror beside it.

 Yes, another Jackson Pollack.  It seemed to be painted, not dribbled, though, and was an earlier work.

 One section featured an architecture theme and the five interior walls of this cube features photos of apartment building windows.  I didn't step inside; I found it a tad unnerving.

We saw Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' and so many other stars of the modern art world too.  It really is a cultural overload, to have so much there in front of you.  So we needed an easier afternoon and headed, after a spell sitting in the MOMA Sculpture Courtyard, towards Central Park.  On the way we stumbled onto a market, on the roadway, over several blocks.  

Our sister-in-law Narelle had suggested we go to Central Park on a Sunday.  There were many people there the other day, but today, they were out in force. This is the Sheep Meadow where hundreds of people were lazing in the sun or shade.  Many were family groups with rugs and picnics.  Others were   solo sunbathers.  Some were couples or small groups of friends.  But they were everywhere.  Not just here.  All throughout the Park.

 Along the Literary Walk, many artists were set up to capture you on paper.  We considered this guy the best at his craft.

 Here is the Hans Christian Anderson statue with his book The Ugly Duckling.

 This is the famous boat pond where you can sail a remote control boat about.  We speculated that remote control speed boats would be more fun.  But look at the view some apartments behind the park must have.

 This is the Alice in Wonderland statue.  It is beautiful with other characters, all around these giant mushrooms.  Or toadstools?

 Walking back to the Metro station, there were some lovely apartment buildings we saw.

On our corner is a small market and outside was a sight that, for Robert, is a typical one of this city.  A man stood hosing down the pavement.