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Manhattan, January 1997 Day 5 Sunday was my last day in the city and I made it memorable. First I headed through Central Park, towards the Museum of Modern Art, when I happened upon an ice skating ring. I crossed it in my shoes and marveled at the people gliding around and thought that I would like to try. Alas, no skate rentals to be found. After much anguish I asked a man who had just removed his skates if I might go around the pond once, this being may last day in the city in all. To my surprise he let me and for about 90 seconds, with my feet stuffed into one size to small skates, I was flying high. Not so much from the skating but more for making myself, normally very introverted, apply very small extrovert part of myself. It was great way to end the trip.
But their was more, my favorite painting, “Starry Night” was waiting for me at the MOMA and it doesn’t disappoint. What I most remember was the thickness of the brush strokes, something I never could have appreciated without seeing the original.
With some time to kill I next went to Grand Central Station and the United Nations. The former was impressive but in the process of being restored and the latter was closed. Subway line #1 took me back to 66 West 88th Street, Rebecca's apartment where I said goodbye and headed out. Not wanting to spend my last bit of time underground, I walked about 30 blocks before boarding the subway I wanted. Soon I was on a Port Authority bus that dropped me off at the airline terminal. After another redeye flight and I don’t know how many transfers it was 4 am and I was asleep on the floor of SFO. At 6 am I woke up, caught a bus, then BART, and was back to Berkeley at 8 am. |
