USA- New York- Day 2

4-10-2011

Walked to the Metropolitan museum of Art, fell in love with it. Could have spent hours and hours there but had to to restrict ourselves to one morning, the rest for another day. Weird thing is they don't sell tickets though they recommend a donation of a fixed amount.

We went on a guided tour of the top things to see here. The seated couple in the African section is very regal ( and cute), the wall hanging made by another African artist was spectacular. It is called Between Heaven and Earth, made with flattened tops of beer bottles and sewn together with copper wires, the artist let the curator hang it on the wall as each time it is picked it falls in a different manner thus involving the owner in the formation of the art piece.

Saw rooms that looked like they had been transported from Versailles, the Met has done a really good job. The pretty gate ( used to segregate the choir from the congregation) from a church in Spain which had been donated by an American Millionaire, he had bought it and with great difficulty transported it to New York only to find out that it was too large and heavy for his mansion. The delicate Loggia from Tiffany's, one of the only bits left after a fire. So many wonderful paintings, finally left when hunger could no longer be ignored.

Walked to the Central park,sat on a bench and ate chicken and rice from a vendor while we watched joggers run around the Jackie O lake. Strolled around the park, waffles satisfied my sweet tooth.

Rejuvenated we were ready for another museum. The American museum of Natural History. A very different museum and quite interesting. After missing a guided tour (due to me wandering off) we managed to get one an hour later. The lady was lovely, saw stuffed animals- elephants, deer and much more in the African section before heading to the Dinosaurs. They are massive, there is a fossilized bit that we can touch, very exciting.

Another section had beautiful fossilized trees, a meteorite (we were allowed to touch, again very exciting), learnt that the iron from a meteorite does not rust and saw lots of gemstones. The biggest sapphire in the world is on display, funnily enough it's called Star of India though it's from Sri Lanka.

With chestnuts roasting and people hurrying along, tried to absorb the essence of New York as we went to watch Wicked. Our first broadway show and it was a good one. Lovely costumes, good acting and songs and an unexpected storyline ( I expected a sinister plot). Ended the day in a small cafe with friends, though we did watch a lot of X- Factor on YouTube once we got back.


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