Day 3
Today was another big walking day. I had a work related meeting with two lovely ladies and was to meet them on Broadway near Times Square, so I decided to leave early enough to have time to walk through Central Park on the way there. It was beautiful! The architectural features of some of the park structures are masterful. And having a natural area in the middle of a metropolis is genius.
Following lunch in a Japanese tea house called Radiance (definitely recommend), it was time to head to Times Square to purchase discount Broadway tickets from the Theatre Development Fund’s TKTS booth. I scored tickets to Matilda, at fifty percent off, after a chilly forty-five minute wait. So worth it to see my first ever Broadway production! (Sooo many more people in the square on a Thursday than on Tuesday!)
There was still time to continue exploring what New York has to offer in the area, so I went to the Museum of Sex. Without describing too much, it was interesting but not exceedingly so. There was an exhibit on the history of erotica, dating back from the Romans until more recent times—very informative glimpse into societal expectations and pressures. There was also a section on the animal kingdom and common sexual behavior; I definitely learned some things that weren’t covered in my university’s Biology 101. And there was also an interactive exhibition that was meant to be a play on camping and nature…but it fell flat, if you’ll excuse the pun. Basically..meh. It was worth a casual walk-through but didn’t really leave a lasting impression.
More walking and then showtime! I should mention that my feet were KILLING me by this point, but for some reason I just wanted to keep going. Silly me, definitely paid for that one later.
Matilda was superb! I was completely swept away, the book and lyrics were good, the orchestra fabulous, the set imaginative, and the acting truly excellent. And it wasn’t too long! And this raving all coming from someone who thought she didn’t like musicals. (Interesting side note: the show is put on in the Schubert. In the past when I thought of Broadway theaters, I always pictures vast spaces with audiences of thousands. Quite the contrary with this one. It is intimate and can seat perhaps a few hundred. Not bad, Broadway, not bad.)
A painful walk and subway ride home, and I went to bed.
Day 4
My feet were toast today and there was a lot of prep to do before the flight to Iceland, so I took it easy. All calculated, I walked roughly fifteen miles in the last few days. Phew—good but not when you’re not used to it. Made up for it with a delicious lunch at Le Pain Quotidien and then ice cream. Following a quick trip to ship a package, the rest of the day was spent killing time at the airport and then flying. NYC, it’s been swell and I hope to be back for another visit soon! With healed feet.
