Yes, my son and I took a trip to New York recently. Specifically, to Manhattan.
We went for a reason. Months earlier, I had gotten tickets to see the limited engagement of Notre Dame de Paris at the Lincoln Center. That was very good, but I will cover that, specifically, in another blog entry soon to be published.
However, we do not go to the city so often that either of us feel we should waste the effort when we do go. So on this occasion, we went to the city hours earlier than the play, mostly so we could explore the city a bit. And the main thing that I have been meaning to take him to go see and explore is Central Park. We did that on this trip, in the morning hours before the matinee of the play began at 2pm. And these were some of the pictures that I took during the trip.
We visited Strawberry Fields, then the Bethesda Fountain, Cleopatra's Needle (right behind the Met), Belvedere Castle, and the Shakespeare Garden. It was a wonderful visit, and I felt that it made it another special trip to the city that he and I got to enjoy together.
Strawberry Fields
A place of quiet reflection. A little bit different than, say, Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the site of the Kennedy assassination. After all, this was not the spot where Lennon was actually shot. Secondly, it does not quite dominate the city or a large part of it's history in the same way that the Kennedy assassination does for Dallas. Still, this is a powerful place, a tribute to the late Beatle, and a gift to the city by his widow, Yoko Ono. I had been here once or twice before, but really made a point of taking some nice pictures this time around:
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain have also long been one of my favorite spots in the city, particularly Manhattan. It is beautiful and rare in the city, because it is quiet. There are those green banners in the background, lending it a 19th century feel. There were a lot of people, and there was even a dog with a frisbee who suddenly went to the women next to us, just so that they could throw the frisbee a couple of times. Then the dog went elsewhere. Not sure it was even there with anyone in particular, but it was a cute thing to see nevertheless. This was the first time that my son got to see this fountain, so it made this visit that much more special. Even I had not been to this spot in well over a decade, I believe.
Cleopatra's Needle
Cleopatra's Needle has long been a source of fascination to me. It always kind of felt a bit like New York's answer to the obelisk at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, minus the beautiful fountains surrounding that obelisk. It was originally erected in Heliopolis, Egypt in 1500 BC, but then was relocated to Alexandria in 12 BC by the Romans. Eventually, it came to New York City in 1881, a gift to the city by William Vanderbilt.
The Great Lawn
Belvedere Castle
For a while in my teenage years, I became fascinated by castles and cathedrals. It was right around that time that I first found out about Belvedere Castle, and so I wanted to see it. I made a point of finding it, and was in awe. Since then, I have paid it a visit or two, here or there. But again, I do not remember ever having captured some nice pictures of it, until this visit. My son seemed to really enjoy it, as well. It also provided some cool relief, as the inside was nice and air-conditioned. The views from atop the castle are fantastic!
A fairy tale photo shoot at the castle in the park.
My son sitting on a makeshift throne at Belvedere Castle, like the King of New York.
The view of the park and Manhattan from Belvedere Castle
Shakespeare Garden
The Shakespeare Garden is one part of the park that I cannot specifically remember having been to before. I had wanted to go there for years, but again, could not specifically remember having gone before this trip. Still, we went this time, and it was indeed a little bit reminiscent of a pleasant English garden. There are some amazing floral displays there, along charming, large rock cobblestone paths. And every now and then, you will find these little metal signs with quotes from the Bard himself, although you really have to look closely, because they can be easy to miss, particularly when the shrubbery surrounding it is a bit overgrown. Very beautiful ending before we departed the park and returned to the hubbub of the big city proper.
No comments:
Post a Comment