I slept very well indeed. As a side note, I have taken to sleeping with earplugs here. I have a simple choice. I could boil alive in the oppressive overnight heat in relative silence. Alternatively, I could try to induce the services of “The Sandman” in a reasonable temperature while enduring a noise somewhat akin to a wind tunnel. This noise emanates from the air conditioning unit.
The latter option is indeed the favourable one and as I have discovered, the noise can be alleviated by the earplugs mentioned previously. These, along with the muscle relaxant administered by cocktails enjoyed the night previous led to significant slumber.
This discussion of domesticity while abroad brings me nicely back to the subject of clothing. A former entry detailed the questioning I experienced at JFK airport from representatives of passport control, and customs. This may in part be due to my status as a “hand baggage only” passenger, matched with a stay in the city longer than most would probably partake of. The assumption would be that I would quickly run out of clean underwear, so must have some alternate, and potentially shady means of gaining wearable clothing and perhaps some shady plan I not revealing.
This is true at least in part, as I regularly engage the services of the “Gentle Wash Laundromat”. Here I hand over my clothing in the morning, and receive it back the following evening, or morning washed, and nicely folded. To this end, a drop off had been completed the previous day with the only difficulty being enabling the nice lady behind the counter to understand what my name was. Thankfully, I had it in my “contacts” on my iPhone so I was able to show her this, and proceedings were concluded easily.
Thus I picked up my clothing today in exchange for a reasonable fee and dropped it off back at the apartment. I headed north on the “6” train to 51st Street Station.
Close to here I was to reunite with Gil, and Nancy for a visit to the “Museum of Modern Art”, or “MoMA” as it is often termed. Being a little early, I resolved to take breakfast in Central Park. “Sip and Co.” looked to be a reasonable establishment close by, and as such the traditional “Bacon, Egg, and Cheese” (“BEC”) was obtained along with a very large coffee. I had learnt my lesson previously to know the correct combination of comestibles to be interred within the sliced bagel. This I enjoyed next to a statue of William Shakespeare with some light “Jeeves and Wooster”-esq jazz playing nearby. I felt very satisfied with my lot.
From there I walked to the museum, where I found Gil, and Nancy in the foyer. MoMA is an enormous place. it has multiple floors of modern art of all descriptions through the ages. There is no way you would be able to see even a fraction of it in a day, or perhaps even in a week.
We decided to opt for a few highlights of impressionist, and surrealist artists. The obvious “go-to” is the famous “Starry Night”, by Vincent Van Gogh. This is a truly spectacular piece of work that I will not attempt to analyse – much has been said by many people more informed than me. In fact, I am little informed about art in general and rarely visit galleries. However, I very much enjoyed this one. There was a helpful free audio tour covering the highlights with a description, and analysis of each work. I enjoyed Pablo Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and wondered about the company he was keeping at the time. I was also very pleased to see Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory”. Oddly enough, I know this work from a book of “Stereograms” I had (and still have) as a teenager. Nancy was very helpful in imparting her interpretation of the works, which allowed me to consider what mine would be. I noted an important point being where in the work one’s eye is naturally drawn to. This potentially can reveal the intention on the part of the artist.
Nancy, Gil, and I took refreshment in the cool and calm of the museum garden. Soon the time came for them to take their leave to travel to Boston for a family event. It is always sad to part with these very good friends. We see each other sporadically, but it never feels that way. The conversation always just carries on as if our previous meeting had been hours before, as opposed to years before. I will look forward to seeing them again, on one side of the Atlantic Ocean, or the other.
I stayed a little longer at “MoMA”, and enjoyed the cool of the courtyard. Afterwards I took in some of the lower galleries, showcasing art from the 1960s, and 70s. I was interested to find the famous “Campbell’s Soup Cans” by Andy Warhol. He was well known in the city, and would have been part of the scene that once centred around the famous “Studio 54” discothèque.
The final gallery I perused held a number of contemporary items showcasing modern day design. These included the original rainbow flag design by Gilbert Baker, as well as the USA accessibility symbol and a UK road sign. I enjoyed very much hearing about the history and development of these items.
You’ll find again that there are not many photographs of the museum. You will just have to go there sometime.
The “6” train took me back to Astor Place, and the apartment after a significant delay. I am unsure as to what the problem was.
I decided that an evening in would be beneficial to me. To that end I took advantage of Gary’s “taste test” the day before and frequented a nearby branch of “7th Street Burger”. I enjoyed a classic “Cheeseburger and Fries”, along with some beer purchased at a local grocery.
Again, I felt satisfied with my lot in life, and glad of the people I know.
