NYC in July, cont.

The famous Starry Night

On Wednesday, we were both flying out, but not until the afternoon. That meant we had some quality time to enjoy in the city on our last day.

We started with a delicious breakfast at Sarabeth's (Central Park South location). I'd eaten here on my last trip to NYC and really enjoyed it. Last time, I'd had the lemon ricotta pancakes. Anxious to sample something new, I chose the toasted coconut waffle on this occasion. Sweet, nutty, with a mango glaze, this dish was extremely filling and more like a dessert than breakfast. Atlee had the french toast, which she generously allowed me to try as well. Both were absolutely delicious! We enjoyed our breakfasts, Atlee sipping her four flowers juice while I downed my coffee in big, grateful gulps.

After eating, it was off to the Museum of Modern Art. I have to admit, I'm not much of a modern art fan. I often feel I'm being taken for a fool, just a *little* bit. But Atlee, who minored in art history, promised she'd talk me through anything I thought was bogus (so I wouldn't feel like such a chump), and in we went.

Wyeth's Christina's World

Much like the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the previous day, MoMA allows you to check your bags (and crutches) and check out free wheelchairs. So once again, we were able to wheel through the exhibits with ease. We started with the special exhibition on the work of Lygia Clark, a Brazilian whose work was very participatory. It was almost like performance art. She'd create these costumes or masks or installations, and then she'd have subjects put them on or interact with them and film it. So her art wasn't really complete until she immersed someone in it. (You could tell that half the folks in the videos were ragingly high, but that didn't make it any less interesting.)

We also strolled by plenty of Picassos, Pollocks, Kahlos and Warhols, in addition to spending a bit of time in front of Van Gogh's Starry Night, which I had never seen in person. One of my favorites from the day was Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World. Gorgeous detail, and not a limited or depressing portrayal, at all, of a girl with restricted physical abilities.

Shakespeare in the park

After enjoying the museum for the morning and early afternoon, Atlee hopped in a cab to get to the airport. I was catching a slightly later flight, so I made my way to Central Park. It was a lovely, sunny day, and not too hot. Even though I've spent significant time in Central Park South, there were still a few areas that I'd missed.

Passing by beautiful Bethesda Fountain, I made my way to the mall and literary walk. I strolled along, taking pictures of the statues, appraising the work of the street artists, and people watching. Before long, I found myself at Conservatory Water. I took a close look at the Hans Christian Andersen statue, watched children sail their boats in the water, and climbed up to commune with Alice and Wonderland for a bit.

Curiouser and curiouser near Conservatory Water

By this time, the clock was ticking on my departure, so I caught a quick cab back to the hotel, and then to the airport. My flights back home were blessedly on time (and I even ran into a friend on the final leg, from D.C. to Jackson), and I was back home with my sweeties by that evening.

I so, so love New York City. What an amazing town! Can't wait to come back!