Happy Easter! I have glorious hymns ringing in my ears from this weekend.
On Saturday Sydney and I left the house around 5am to drive to NYC. We left the car in the suburbs and took the train down to the Bronx to visit the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. Although we would have loved to spend some more time wandering the grounds, we were delighted to spend a couple of hours wandering the thousands of orchids in their collection. Tiny white orchids spilling from tree nooks, large, pansy-shaped orchids literally stopping people in their tracks. And, of course, lots of orchids causing admirers to stray from their intended destinations with their alluring scents. It was really lovely. Don’t worry, you don’t have to rely on my inadequate descriptions; Sydney will be posting photos later.
After lunch at the Botanical Garden, we took the subway over to The Cloisters at the top of Manhattan. On what is one of the most crowded islands on the planet, the Cloisters form a huge, sprawling park with rolling hills and an impressive stone structure that is home to a branch of the Metropolitan Museum. There we watched Pomerium, an early music group, sing liturgical pieces from the Renaissance. Although the stuffy room, combined with our sleep deprivation, made it difficult to keep our eyes open, the music was gorgeous: solemn, rich, and clear. Besides, the bass section was featured in nearly every piece; how could we not love it, when you remember that this house consists of an alto and a bass? Those of you close to Columbus should go see their concert on Friday. See www.pomerium.com for details.
After the concert, we took the subway down to Grand Central. Ostensibly, this was one of the best ways to pick up the train we needed to get home. Though it is 140 blocks south of where the concert was, the subway changes to get from west to east would have been taxing enough to take approximately the same time as the trip to Grand Central. And, if we went to Grand Central, we could visit the markets there and come up with a delicious batch of food for our supper. So south we went. Papaya, focaccia, German chocolates, and gourmet cheeses later, we boarded the train to come home. A looooong day, but a lovely one. I slept on the way home (sorry for ditching you, Sydney!), and Sydney took a nap this afternoon, so we should be somewhat recovered. And there’s still loot in the fridge!
Erin
Alan Schmierer