Today was another absolutely fantastic day. Though the morning started off with the dulcet sounds of teenage girls screaming at each other and their mom (grateful I don’t have to deal with that on a daily basis), I headed over to bakery Le Pain Quotidien for breakfast. It was delicious—absolutely recommend this place.
First thing on the itinerary was the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (When you go, keep in mind the suggested amount for admission is $25, but you can choose to give however much your budget allows. It’s an all day/multiple day/week long experience.) I LOVED it and managed to pack in most of the museum between 10:30am and 4:30pm, but it was a push sometimes. And the art featured is from all around the world, from Africa to the Middle East to Asia to North and South America.
One of my favorite moments that made English history extremely tangible was comparing two suits of armor that were specially made for and worn by King Henry VIII. One was the earliest surviving suit and the other a later upgrade…he got a bit hefty and gouty towards the end. This was especially noticeable when compared with the many other smaller, shorter suits that exist from cultures all around the world.
I’ve included some of my other favorite pics at the end of this post, but if you would like to see more, let me know! I took so many photographs because there was so much to love.
Dinner consisted of Turkish food, a newer culinary experience for me, at Beyoglu. Good stuff. My waiter was originally from Istanbul and had lived in many large cities around the world, including Amsterdam, Rome, and Miami; for him New York is unique and the absolute best. Of the ones I’ve visited, gotta say I agree with him.
After resting at the Airbnb for a bit, it was off to try out the subway system and go to downtown to visit Strand Bookstore and Union Square. The subway is dirty, stinky, packed, and an absolutely glorious, inexpensive way to make your way around the city…with a little figuring out first. I totally went down the wrong entry point, paid the toll, exited and entered from the other direction—paying another toll—and then promptly boarded a train heading the wrong direction. Fortunately, folks are typically nice here and will gladly help if you ask.
Now to the Strand Bookstore! If you’re looking for three stories, basement included, packed full of literary awesomeness, that’s where you want to go. Need one say more?
Afterwards, I wandered north to see the Empire State Building and a number of other beautiful structures easy to stumble across, like the New York Public Library and Union Station. Beautiful places with lots of functional purpose (total Bauhaus fiend here).
A subway trip later, as well as a grocery run and a good deal of walking later, and I finally got back to the rental. The feet are killing me, though it’s a well earned ache. It was probably another four miles of walking on concrete today, especially when counting the many long multiple-storied floors of the Met. Going to totter off to bed here.
Until tomorrow!
Immanuela
