A busy day
Yesterday we got up at 6, got ready and drove off to New York City. I had
hoped to be on the road and there by 9:30, but we were on the road and
there by 10.
We drove, more or less, straight to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 5th
Ave is south only there, so we came out one light too far south. I could
see the garage, but not get to it. So, we had to circle with some one way
streets, but it wasn’t too bad.
Traffic going down was very light. Even in the city itself. That was a
nice change from our usual drives across Connecticut.
I know the museum is “Suggested Donation”. But, I was surprised when the
young man selling tickets said “It’s suggested $20 each, is that OK?” I’m
more used to a “It’s suggested $20” with a look at suggests if you don’t
give that much you’re going to be mugged in one of the darker galleries.
My wife says NYC is nicer since 2001. I guess she’s right. I’m just not
used to it.
My wife has wanted to see their arms and armor exhibit for several years.
Every other time we’ve tried there was some reason we couldn’t. Either it
was closed, we couldn’t get to it, or we couldn’t get to the museum at all.
So, we went there first. Well, almost first. We stopped at some
sculptures between where we came in and there. They were, for the most
part, very nice.
Then, the arms and armor. I haven’t seen it since 81, but I remember it
being bigger. But, I also remember it being row after row of almost the
same thing. So, it looks like they condensed it down to be a smaller
number, but wider variety of things. That works just as well for me.
They do have a number of swords that are right out of the manuals we use
for our historical show. That’s pretty cool. German rapiers from the late
1500’s, falchions and long swords. Most of their pole arms were
ceremonial, which I was a bit disappointed about. But, battlefield weapons
just don’t survive well.
They had a good collection of other medieval things, but their main
collection of that stuff is at their other museum farther up the island.
We went through the Egyptian exhibit next. They have a Book of the Dead
there. I’ve always been very fond of that and make it a point of going to
see that. It is a very long scroll they have running down the side of a
long room. It is a list of spells to use to get yourself into heaven when
you die, even if you really shouldn't have made it there. And, instructions
on how to behave with the gods once you get there. (My favorite part is
the bit with the “If that still doesn’t work, here is the spell to
transform into a bird so you can fly up there.” I picture a bunch of gods
sitting around saying “There’s another one of those sparrows. How do they
keep getting in here?”)
{Any of you who have played in some of my D&D campaigns might recognize
that book as I used it as one of the plot devices in two campaigns.
(Delrani & Kethwyn)}
They also have a relocated Egyptian temple there. One of the things I like
about that is it has centuries of graffiti carved into it. You can see
names and dates for centuries carved over the originals. I like that
aspect of the history of it as well.
As it was then about noon, I was hungry. My wife wasn’t, so she stayed at
the temple and I set off to find some lunch. I thought I could get there
going through the American wing, but the other end was sealed off due to
construction. Finding myself trapped in 19th century America, I escaped
back through Egypt and found the Café.
I had hoped for a snack bar sort of thing. Ah well, so much for that. The
waiter (Sal) seemed very disappointed I didn’t want to see the wine list,
didn’t want the soup to start with, or wasn’t willing to let him make the
chef cook a special frittata for me without cheese. The fact I’m abysmally
bad at names and still remember his should give you an idea of how actively
he tried to get me to go for a full meal. At one point I did say “Sal, I
know you mean well, but I only need enough to get me through to dinner.”
He stopped pushing after that.
I had the smoked salmon appetizer. It was nice enough. A chunk of salmon
on top of two potato slices, covered with cucumber shavings with wheat
toast. (Yeah, I thought the toast strange with it too.) While it cost
about what I’d expect at an art museum in Central Park of NYC, it was
pretty good. And, I had a nice table looking out at the Egyptian obelisk
in the park behind the museum.
While good, it wasn’t all that much, and I ate it quickly. I guess I was
fast enough that Sal came over and said “they did bring it out to you,
right?”
“Yes,” I said. “It was very good.”
“It was there such a short time I worried you sent it back.”
“No worries,” I said. “I ate it all.”
He smiled and tried to get me to order desert.
My wife was still at the temple when I got back. From there we looked
through Greece. They had a lot of urns. I’m not big on urns. But, my
wife is. I understand how the all tell stories and such, and I like
stories. But, they all look about the same to me, so it doesn’t work that
well for me.
Soon after we went to the main lobby to meet with 64tbird, her husband, and
bunches of other people I didn’t know. We were told to meet at the coat
room. The coat room we used (near the parking garage) is not one of the
two in the main lobby. We had never met 64tbird or her husband in person
before. But, we did manage to meet up. The plan was to go back into the
museum for a couple of hours, meet again, and then go off for dinner.
With that plan, we went to the Asian wing and walked through the Chinese,
Japanese and Indian collections.
There is a very nice Chinese garden there as well as a nice fountain I like
to sit by in the Japanese section. Unfortunately, just as we sat down in
the Japanese one, someone with a very loud, very young, child came through,
so we didn’t sit there long.
They also had a collection of time pieces. It was a traveling exhibit and
not as big as many of the others there, but still had some nice pieces. I
was amused to see that some of the bigger clocks there were still running
and had the right time and date shown on them.
Then, the gift/book store.
I won’t go in to what I bought. Only say that the cashier double bagged my
bag.
I put the stuff in the car, got out coats out of coat room three, then
walked around the building to the front. I spent some time on the front
steps as that is almost as entertaining as the inside of the museum.
Then, we met up with everybody again.
The other people I didn’t know got there first. Then, left as they
couldn’t stay for dinner.
They seemed nice. Sorry I didn’t get to find out.
So 64tbird, her husband, her friend and we set out south from the museum.
We met one more of the group Andreas at the park.
Andreas is a big German fellow and this was his first time in the US.
(Yes, I think he's a big fellow. Taller than me...)
It was then decided that before dinner, folks had to have a drink. We walked a few blocks
looking for a place, but couldn’t find one. Even the doorman to one of the
buildings didn’t have anything to suggest. (I wonder if he would have if
we lived there?)
We ended up giving up and getting on the subway. We had a bit of a problem
with my wife as her card didn’t want to let her on. But, she got a new one
and managed to get on.
We took the subway down to Astor. We had planned to go to some special pub
64tbird knew. But we walked past this Irish place with two guys out front.
When she asked directions they told her that place was better, so we went
in there.
It was nice. It was a lot like the places I’ve been to in Ireland.
Although an Irish pub in New York City, the waitress was from Germany. As
Andreas was as well, it was a bit strange.
Afterwards we walked off to the Chinese restaurant we were going to. It
was a ways. And, there was a left/right mix up on the way. (Surprisingly
not mine…)
One of the areas we walked through reminded me of Shanghai. They were
selling stuff on the street just like there, and it was even the same
stuff. DVDs, fake watches, carvings of animals, scarves, etc. The sales
people even sounded the same. (This is not to say we were in China town
where the restaurant was. That came later.)
The restaurant was a vegetarian dim sum place. It was very good, but I
still don’t know what I ate. The red bean ones I know, and they were very
good. The noodles in peanut sauce were very good. But, there were plenty
of other things that I couldn’t identify as well. Some of them were very
good. Some of them I wouldn’t seek out again. But, it was still good.
And, very reasonably priced. I had expected a party of 9 in Manhattan
would run up quite a bill. But, it worked out to $20 each including tip.
My wife and I did decide that we had enough walking for the day and we
would take a cab back to the museum where the car was. Although warned we
would have to walk a ways to get a cab, it was less than a block. The cab
driver got us there in good time for much less then I had expected.
Then, the drive home.
Three hours didn’t seem like that much in the morning. But, after all that
walking? We got home just before midnight and I had no trouble sleeping.
So, it was a good time. We both enjoyed it. It was nice meeting people in
person I’ve only met in pixels.
And, I always love going to the museum. (Not to mention the books I
bought…)
At some point I'll download the pictures from my phone...