Dec 10 through Dec 13, 2005, and home again...
Trip Start
Nov 29, 2005
1
7
8
Trip End
Dec 13, 2005
New York City,
New York,
United States
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Morning of Dec 10... Moved from the Milburn to Ann and Todd's. From there we walked ten blocks to Penn Station, caught two New Jersey Transit trains (transferred in Trenton, just like George Washington before us) and were met at the beautiful Philadelphia 30th Street Station by J's brother Joel (Margo "manning" the parking space out front.)
Joselyn writes:
They immediately took us to Joel's old stomping ground in West Philly: the house he once lived in with Ilsa, his Univ. of Penn and finally Koch's famous deli for incredible pastrami sandwiches and sodas. It took the expected 45 minutes to get the sandwiches, not because of long lines, but because our sandwich maker was a "sandwich artist" who took his time while telling everyone his travel stories. Samples of pickles, corned beef, pastrami (turkey - for me!), and roasted corned beef accompanied the jovial banter that entertained us while we waited.
Joel gave us quite the architectural tour as we drove to our Morning Star B & B, near their house. After a brief rest and hot tub for Tony, we headed over to J and M's house for dinner. Great homemade cioppino, salad, and pumpkin pie with ice cream (how could we eat after Koch's?) Their black toy poodle, Renoir is quite the cutie pie! I fell in love with him (and he liked me too).
Sunday: Joel took us through Valley Forge (past snow covered landscapes) and past recreations of historical soldiers' huts and monuments. Lots of (ultra-right) patriotic institutions around here. We took a tour of Philly to see Ben Franklin's neighborhood, Carpenter's Hall, and stood outside the building that housed the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Tight security in the streets. If you want to see either of these, you must go 2 blocks down the street to get a FREE ticket (and then walk back). We declined.
Tony: It's painful to experience the hyper-security at the heart of such an historic area. And puzzling how they think that our possession of free tickets in any way makes our entry to various monuments any more secure. If anyone may have a ticket, and walk down the street for entry, what is being secured? It leaves one with a sick feeling that the hired Wackenhut goons are in control at the very place we should be feeling most free.
Joselyn: The highlight of the afternoon: Hearing and seeing the Leipzig String Quartet in a hall housed by an amazing glassed building (see photos). The first violin player's luggage was lost, so he had the event coordinator apologize for his not wearing his tuxedo and shiny shoes - also his music was lost, but they found a part for him. Fabulous performance of Janacek's 1st String Quartet ("Kreutzer"), Beethoven's Op. 18 #6, and Dvorak's Piano Quintet (we've performed the latter two in Mendocino). Wonderful use of dynamics (true pianissimo), and they made it all look easy. We felt the need to practice right away.
Tony: Was struck by their elegant phrasing... graceful pauses, for example, in unexpected places. Our vantage point in the second balcony was an asset in this excellent room we could not only hear everything, but see everything, too, including the primo violino's incipient bald spot.
Joselyn: Dinner after the concert was at Sotto, an excellent Italian restaurant that featured an oceanic theme (giant squid sculpture above the bar, starfish lights, and squid arms for door handles). Wonderful capper to a fun weekend away "in the country."
These two days were a blur of architectural tours, B&B amenities, time with Margo and Joel at their small-roomed 3-story former steelworker's house, doggie kisses, and much more. See photo of mural in their back yard.
Dec 12... Train back to New York, and a quick late afternoon excursion to MOMA, stopping on the way in a couple of highly overpriced but design-heavy stores along the way. We also stopped and gleefully gaped at Grand Central station. There was a quasi-crafts fair going on in one of the immense side corridors, and J spotted some hand made cloth bookmarks in the form of bugs and ocean animals, that we'll present to staffers (The Boss went to Manhattan for Two Weeks And All I Got Was This Lousy Colorful Cloth Handmade Bookmark That Looks Like a Squid).
On MOMA: Here's where I cavil that while the art is the same, the space has only gotten marginally better. It is easy to navigate and the display rooms are large enough to allow both close and distant peering without too much shoulder-rubbing.
Big disappointment: The MOMA's huge Monet Waterlilies, which used to have a room to itself, curve gently around a wall so it became truly three dimensional, and could be viewed from an overhanging balcony as well on its floor level... all of that has gone. The triptych now takes the entire wall of a long, narrow room. Well lit, couches in front, and audio tour explanation. Still, not as magical as before, and disappointing when so much went into the new display areas.
The café was great fun, and very efficient. We ate our pannini overlooking part of the great sculpture garden (I was looking at a heavy Henry Moore nude while chewing) and the overlooking apartments across the street. What does it cost, I couldn't refrain from wondering, to live in an apartment with a view of the MOMA garden? Don't ask.
From MOMA we hoofed it to the Musicians Local on 322 48th Street, just in time to completely miss Todd's Big Latin Band rehearsal. He told us, as he packed up his big sax, that his solo had gone well. The fine musicians here are not getting paid for the rehearsal, and not much for the performance. It was ever so.
Met up with Ann at a fine Cajun-influenced restaurant in the neighborhood, Delta Grill. It was our chance to treat our generous hosts. J had blackened crayfish; I had shrimp gumbo, Ann had the salmon, Todd a big jambalaya in an iron bowl. Photo slide show into the night back at home, then an uneasy sleep preparing to fly home on Tuesday. Which we are accomplishing as I write this. The Rockies are white, the Midwest is white, Manhattan is gorgeous from the air, we're Going Back in Time, and it was a great trip.
We want to return. I think we'd do variations on the things we did this time. We'd be able to be a bit more selective (wonderful as it is, don't feel the need to walk through the library again, or visit 21 Bank Street).
Catch more music, plays, shops, foodie places; never did get to Katz' Deli, or take the Staten Island Ferry, or hear Todd knoodle in public.
We got to be quite expert at managing the subway system. Learned how to cross a street against the light while not getting ice water in our socks. Every time we stopped and pulled out our beaten-up folded map someone really fast would come up and ask if they could help us... All but one such encounter felt completely unforced and authentic. If NY really was a grumpy and over-strung as reputation would have it, those days are over.
Todd and Ann were quick to point out how much character and variety had disappeared in their neighborhood in recent years. Nearby Times Square got cleaned up, then the local prostitutes were uprooted, then many small stores (computer repair, Cuban/Chinese restaurant, art supply store, etc.) were forced out due to increased rents, loss of clients (both for art and for what whores are selling), then smaller buildings were transformed to high rises. Still, for someone not mourning what was lost, it's still fascinating to walk around, and the profusion of small shops and hideaway businesses is sufficient to kindle awe. I don't complain that muggings are down, Central Park feels safe at night, and even the more difficult, down at heels neighborhoods don't feel threatening to walk.
Criminy... even the cab drivers were nice.
