I loved visiting New York with two international friends, representing France and South Africa, respectively. It was a good way to connect with the character of a city that is at once iconically American and essentially cosmopolitan. While preparing for the trip, I remembered that New York used to be called New Amsterdam; it was Dutch before it was British. In the American Revolution, New York served as the base for the British Army.
Speaking of the Revolution, here I am thanking my French friend Juliette for her country's gift: the Statue of Liberty (you can barely see in in the background).
Also in Battery Park, not far from where we took the first photo, is "The Immigrants" statue. This reminded me of the haunting Famine Memorial along the river in Dublin--one of the most moving pieces of art I've ever seen. I don't know the circumstances under which my own ancestors came to America from Germany and Romania, but very likely it was with the mix of desperation and hope represented by these figures.
After Battery Park (and the obligatory photo with the bull on Wall Street), us three internationals visited the 9/11 memorial. Here you see one of the two reflecting pools, which will eventually mirror the new World Trade Center towers. Just to put this in perspective, before we could enter the memorial we stood in line for about an hour (this was after reserving tickets for a time slot) and went through an airport-style security check. It was a bit frustrating, but after what happened here, who can blame them?
Unexpected pleasures: one of the best things about the trip! After dinner at a gourmet pizza kitchen, we found ourselves at a folk concert in the middle of the subway.
Another serendipitous moment of a different sort: Tiffany's "Autumn Landscape" in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After visiting the medieval tapestries, I wandered into the American Wing of the huge museum, and stopped in my tracks to stare at this stained glass. I associate stained glass with biblical scenes, but this was more beautiful than anything in a cathedral. Its beauty pointed to the beauty already present in the world; light on trees and water actually IS that stunning. It made me think of how nature is God's "stained glass," and that this artistic celebration of it is deeply fitting....more later!
