NYC Day 15: The Cloisters and a rained out Midtown evening

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MET CLOISTERS TALK: Medieval Frescoes with Sigrid Goldiner
I went to the Cloisters in plenty of time to start this tour with an elderly and very anorexic looking Sigrid Goldiner. Maybe I'm being too harsh on Sigrid, but by god she was thin to the point of being invisible! I listened to the first 15 minutes of her talk with great interest, and then wandered off on my own for the next couple of hours.

I toyed with the idea of heading home for the evening, but on a whim I decided to take the M4 bus all the way to 42nd Street, and waste some time there before getting something to eat. As it happens, the heavy rain showers that had been threatening all day, decided to let loose just after I had entered a Pret A Manger for something to eat, and I sat out the deluge inside away from the rain. However, the rest of the evening did not look like it was going to escape without the occasional downpour, so I walked back to Madison Avenue and caught another M4 bus back to The Heights. 

A poisonous Mandrake plant in the Cloisters Medieval garden

And that, dear reader, is a summary of my second week highlights in New York City. Here, as near as I can calculate are my daily expenses for this past week.

Week Two Expenses (Figures in brackets are Australian dollar amounts)
Museum Memberships $19.15 ($25.15)        | Ongoing
MTA Pass $28.00 ($36.80)                            | weekly expenses
Accommodation $152.00 (200.00)                | $199.15 ($261.95)
Sunday 25, June | Expenses $49.00 ($64.55)
Monday 26, June | Expenses $77.00 ($101.20)
Tuesday 27, June | Expenses $72.50 ($95.30)
Wednesday 28, June | Expenses $38.37 ($50.10)
Thursday 29, June | Expenses $0.0 ($0.0)
Friday 30, June | Expenses $103.95 ($135.20)
Saturday 1, July | Expenses $29.50 ($38.35)
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TOTAL: USD$569.47 | AUD$746.65

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General view of the Cloisters from the Medieval Garden

NYC Days 13 & 14: The Met Egyptian Wing, and Playing For Change

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Thursday 29, June | Expenses $0.0
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Today was a rest day. I didn't even leave the apartment but instead stayed in resting and reading. Some days you just have to stop and recharge.

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Friday 30, June | Expenses $103.95 ($135.20)
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MET MUSEUM MEMBER FRIDAYS
I hit the Met Museum again and joined a one hour tour of the Egyptian Wing which was very informative. Many of the treasures in this section obviously go back thousands of years before the modern Christian calendar begins with the 'birth' of Jesus. What amazes over and over again is the use of what then must have been modern technology to build the huge pyramids and mausoleums beneath them. 

One also needs to acknowledge the development of the tools and expertise used to embalm and entomb the pharaohs and general citizenry of Egypt. And let's not forget the production of bright colours that were also developed thousands of years ago, and which today are almost as bright and as fresh as they were when first applied to the casks and coffins in which the dead were buried.

This and the images below: Cover and internal decorations of Egyptian burial casket.

It is hard to believe that these artifacts are thousands of years old given the quality of 

material and the vibrant colors that are still visible. 

Playing For Change Band
Highline Ballroom, 431, W 16th Street
 From the Met I slowly made my way to the Highline Ballroom where I joined the line for the days main event, a performance by the Playing For Change Band. If you are not familiar with Playing For Change (PFC), a brief recap is in order: Playing for Change is described as a multimedia music project that seeks to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music.

In 2005, Mark Johnson was walking in Santa Monica, California, when he heard the voice of Roger Ridley (now deceased) singing "Stand By Me." Roger had so much soul and conviction in his voice, and Mark approached him about performing "Stand By Me" as a Song Around The World. Roger agreed, and when Mark returned with recording equipment and cameras he asked Roger, "With a voice like yours, why are you singing on the streets?" Roger replied, "Man I’m in the Joy business, I come out to be with the people." Ever since that day, the Playing For Change crew has traveled the world recording and filming musicians, creating Songs Around The World, and building a global family. [ Source: Wikipedia]

From such humble beginnings has the Playing For Change Band grown. On this night it consisted of 12 musicians and singers, including the very popular Grandpa Elliott, who appeared in the first video for the song, Stand By Me, and who had not performed with the band for the past year or two. 

It's also worth noting that PFC also created a separate non-profit organization called the Playing For Change Foundation, which builds music schools for children around the world. Truly it is said: From little things big things grow. As anticipated, it was a great night of music delivered by musicians from as far afield as South Africa, Israel, Japan, North and South America and elsewhere. The mood was upbeat and joyous throughout, and the show capped of a busy week of gigs for me that made my second week in New York hard to beat.

NYC Day 12: Staten Isand Mystery Tour

Above and Below: Images from the refurbished South Ferry subway station.

Five years and millions of dollars later, the station has finally opened after

the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy has been fixed.

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR TO STATEN ISLAND
I rode the 1-train to South Ferry and boarded a Staten Island Ferry to St. George, where I boarded an S44 bus and rode as far as the Staten Island Mall. I have been to the mall during a previous trip to New York, and was happy to alight there for a meal and reacquaint myself with the complex. The mall is much the same as it was when I last saw it, but the owners are in the middle of an expansion project which will add more stores and parking to the site. I also noted that the mall now has an Apple Store that was very well patronized.

Like most visitors to the city, I have taken advantage of the free ferry ride between Manhattan and Staten Island. In my case, I have made numerous such trips over the years, and yes, I have even left the confines of the St. George terminal building to explore farther parts of the island. I have taken a bus as far as Tottenville at the far end of the island, visited the Sailors Snug Harbor complex and more. What I have enjoyed most about this little explorations is discovering just how suburban parts of Staten Island are. Many of the homes stand on their own blocks, separated from their neighbors with lush lawns, trees and shrubs in well-kept flower beds, and clean yards. These come as a pleasant surprise when contrasted to the crowded noisy streets of Manhattan and the other major boroughs.

Above and Below: Images of the Staten Island Mall.

On returning to Manhattan, I walked to the South Street Seaport area fully expecting to enjoy a meal and the views of the Brooklyn Bridge from the new shopping complex that has replaced my former favorite resting spot at that location. To my surprise the building process has yet to be completed, and from what I could see, I don't expect it will be ready for most of the rest of this year.

There was nothing for it therefore but to go to my alternative eating house, Squire's Diner, where I ordered a chicken quesadilla and house fries. The house fries, while very nice, were more than I could eat since the quesadilla with its salad, sour cream and guacamole on the side was more than enough for me. I left feeling completely bloated, and after buying a couple of cans of condensed milk at a local supermarket I headed for the A-train and home.

The lower Manhattan skyline from the deck of a Staten Island Ferry.

The magnificent clipper ship, Wavertree at the South Street Seaport. 

A panoramic view of heritage buildings at the South Street Seaport. 

"Why the condensed milk?" I hear you ask (and I'm glad you did). Because there is something definitely not right with the milk that my local store, Frank's Gourmet Market sells. After buying a litre of milk there on a Friday, I found that it had started to curdle by the following Monday. I day later when I decided to pour the rest down the sink, it had practically solidified! That's when I decided to give up on buying fresh milk and try condensed milk in cans and see how I go with those. I will end up paying more for less milk, but then if I am going to throw half a litre of milk away every time I buy the stuff, the cost might be cheaper in the long run anyway.

As for the milk at the supermarket, my guess is that there is nothing wrong with the milk as such when they get it from the manufacturer, but that the fault probably lies with the way the milk is stored before I hits the shelves at Frank's. I'm tempted to let the manufacturer know, but I have better things to do.

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Wednesday 28, June | Expenses $38.37 ($50.10)

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