Anita and I started early at the Empire State Building. Even on a Monday in winter, we had been told it would get busy, so we arrived at 0830. The building is set up for huge queues, but we zoomed through it all and did not wait at all! Amazing art deco interior.
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| Imposing entrance hall |
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| Light fittings |
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| Lift interior |
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| Looking north, Midtown |
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| North east, Chrysler Building |
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| North east, 5th Avenue from above |
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| East, East River |
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| South West, Downtown and Hudson River |
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| South, Downtown |
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| South west, Lady Liberty from a distance |
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| South west, park still covered in snow. |
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| South, Gridiron building |
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| North, Central Park |
Very bright, very windy. Great weather for January.
Then we went on the Uptown bus tour. Very interesting, and took us around the contrasting areas of Upper West Side, Morningside Heights (affluence and education) and Harlem (formerly a Jewish area, now black, although white people are now moving in). Like parts of London where we are from, over time, areas change in their ethnicity. Going through the education district, Anita said I looked very pensive. She was right … and correctly guessed I was wondering how I might get a student exchange! It sounds like the university education would be very expensive, both with fees and rent. But if you don't make enquiries, you definitely won't go! Hmmm… How do I achieve this? Lots of fantastic museums and high calibre universities. Anita said she thought I was very determined in what I did. I don't see it this way - I don't set a goal and slave away to achieve it, overcoming all obstacles in my path. I think I am opportunistic - I make enquiries, find out whether there is a way to facilitate an opportunity, and see whether I think there is an interesting experience to be had. If it all falls apart, then I move on. If it comes together, I set my attitude to work hard, have fun and meet lots of different people. I feel a bit intimidated by the status of the universities described, but I would have one factor on my side! New Yorkers love my accent!
Then we spent the afternoon apart. Anita went for a walk in Central Park, and I went to the Metropolitan Museum. Absolutely huge, and actually quite intimidating - by this time in the afternoon I was exhausted, which was a pity. Quite by chance I found a tiny gallery devoted to samplers! Next door to the Textile Study Room! The samplers were mostly from England, but some European. Some tiny - 4" x 4". As usual, some from Quaker Schools, with a stitched oval around script. Some heavily worked with script, pattern images. Some spot samplers. One whitework. One exquisite sampler of domestic sewing on finest muslin - with darns and patch repairs, gathered edging and two different types of broderie anglais edging. Unfortunately I left my camera in my bag at the cloakroom. Big mistake! And no books or postcards of the samplers.
However, I think I came to a profound thought at the Met. My work is very clearly situated in Europe and the 19th/20th century. This might be quite obvious, but has only just occurred to me. I walked through the Met, and was completely uninterested in most of it! I don't do Egypt, (or Africa, India, China, etc). I briefly looked in the costume gallery, and was left cold by the exhibition there. So I decided to go to the 19th Century European galleries and really enjoyed looking at the Degas galleries. There was an extensive collection of his pastels - of ballet dancers and women washing themselves. Sensitively drawn, yet with energy. Worked into the surface, with many layers of colours added and removed. Sensitive poses of women bathing, that would have been difficult for the model to hold.
Anita and I met at 5 as agreed, and then we discovered the tour bus service had finished. So we had to walk back to the hotel - about 3 miles and an hour's walk! I was exhausted after the museum, but we set off in good humour, and had a route march back so I could talk to Jim on FaceTime, at 6 as agreed!
I was spent, but we had a fantastic day.
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