Thoughts and Thimbles: A Northeaster: Part 1

In the spring, we decided to travel north in August -- an invitation to a family wedding in NYC quickly turned into a sightseeing tour of southern New England. At the time, we had no idea that we'd be moving overseas just weeks later; as the date for our trip neared, it seemed a foolish time to take a "vacation." But I'm so grateful we did, as it turned out to be a most enjoyable (if not particularly restful) getaway. A whirlwind of a trip: a Northeaster, if you will.

And so, we found ourselves at the Met on my 35th birthday! It was far too large to tackle in our one allotted day with many young children in tow, so I had selected our "must see" galleries ahead of time and mapped out our route with the Met's interactive map. Of course, I managed to forget said map... but the fact that I was able to accurately recreate the route on the spot says something about how much time I'd spent working it all out! *wink* We asked if they had a military discount, and the gentleman behind the ticket counter didn't charge us at all -- an unexpected boon, for which we were most grateful (lodging and food and activities for a party of seven adds up rather quickly).

Navigating buses and the subway was an adventure,
but happily we didn't have any issues! Laddie spotted
a rat, and all of the children were a bit put off by the
lack of cleanliness...

We made it just before they closed the Van Gogh "Cypresses" exhibit -- "Starry Night"
was on loan from the MOMA just down the way, and I was so happy that we got to see
it in person. It feels surreal to view such famous pieces of art in person; even beautiful
reproductions just can't compare to the real thing.

Washington Crossing the Delaware -- absolutely massive, it dominates the entire gallery

Egyptian funerary boat from a tomb. There were a number of mummies, to
Rosa's dismay. *wink*

Tiffany stained glass, always exquisite

"Think of the scariest animal you know so we can frighten our enemies..."

Do I need an armor skirt? I think I might...

King Henry VIII's armor -- the man was massive!

Childe Hassam, one of my favorite Impressionists

John Singer Sargent is my favorite portrait artist,
and they had some really lovely pieces at the Met!

The Met itself is so lovely, full of courtyards and corridors

We all love Monet, so we were delighted to see one of the 12
water lily bridge paintings he made during the summer of 1899

I've seen prints of this portrait before, but the colors in the actual painting were
shockingly vibrant and beautiful.

The Wisteria Room -- I loved how many entire rooms there were at the Met (and if
they're Art Nouveau, so much the better *wink*)

Degas was a must-see!

Another of Van Gogh's "Cypress" paintings -- so mesmerizing. I've never considered
myself a fan of Van Gogh, but this exhibit may have converted me.

After the Met, we moved on to Central Park. It was drizzly, so not the ideal day for outdoor adventures. But we managed to visit Balto and ride the carousel before a trip to the LEGO store!

I snuggled a sleepy baby while the little rode the carousel -- not a bad way
to spend a birthday!

The next day, we joined up with family to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Fortunately the weather was lovely! The historic train station was beautiful in decay, and Ellis Island was fascinating. I'd love to find out if any of my ancestors came through there when they immigrated to America.

This photo of a young woman working in a textile factory captured
my interest -- it's so strange to be able to gaze into the eyes
of someone who lived in the past, and wonder about her story.

The stairwells at Ellis Island were paved with
the most beautiful black stone

Kit enjoyed stretching his legs on Liberty Island!

We didn't realize at the time that the little insects we saw everywhere were invasive lantern flies!
They have beautiful red wings when they're flying, but apparently they're quite a problem.