Thursday, June 19, 2008

NYC with Michael

After Michael's graduation, we went to his apartment (you are sooooo lucky I'm not posting any pics from there -- eeeeeyewwwwwh!), and then grabbed a bite to eat at one of his favorite eateries. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon strolling sight-seeing, strolling through Central Park, and then to the Guggenheim Museum.





The first stop was at St. John the Divine Cathedral. It was undergoing renovation after a fire, but I enjoyed looking at the interesting stone work.











The outside is covered in interesting sculptures - some in limestone, some in bronze. I would have liked to have had some information about the artisans who made these, and to know a little about the symbology. Unlike the European cathedrals I've seen, many of the sculptures on the column supports depicted modern scenes. I won't make a lot of comments, but just post the pics for you to peruse.
































The bronze doors depict traditional Bible scenes.



























































































































The side door wasn't so elaborate in its embellishments.

















The handle was interesting.











The Children's sculpture museum is close to the cathedra.


















This seems like a rather bizarre image for a sculpture specifically aimed at children. . .









AHV alert!











This albino peacock was really working the crowd.











Michael's in the background to the left.










This bird was looking for treats.











Another view of the sculpture.










We walked through Central Park and I showed Michael the glacial grooves in the rocks. He hadn't noticed them before. I think it's pretty cool to see the remnants of the last ice age.









This part of the park is lovely, but somewhat scary with all the people lurking on the trails. I wouldn't want to be walking here by myself.










The landscape design is beautiful, though. It's easy to forget you're in Manhattan.










The wildlife has obviously adapted to the urban setting.










This raccoon let me approach close enough that I could have touched him.










More beautiful scenery.











Some role playing game was going on - these youths rushed about yelling and having "sword" fights.










There were a lot of ball games in the park, also.










Michael.









We ended the afternoon at the Guggenheim museum, which is undergoing renovation. It's such a cool place to visit. The exhibit was by Cai Guo-Qiang: I want to believe. It was really interesting!

It was definitely a whirlwind trip, and I enjoyed it very much.

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