Walked & Walked & Walked

Friday I woke up around 8am and got ready and headed out (by the way, I was the first one up and 8am on vacation is LATE for me.) I walked for a couple blocks and headed south on 5th Ave or Museum Mile as it is also called.

Only a couple blocks down Museum Mile, I came to my first museum - the Guggenheim.

Currently they have a special exhibit of Maurizio Cattelan's work. They wanted to display all of his pieces, he agreed on one condition - they had to be all together suspended from the ceiling. It was very interesting.

More than the art, I loved the building and its architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright designed it. I thought the circular shape was simple and elegant. I asked if photos were allowed at the entrance and the guy said yes. Right after I took the below photo a guard came up and was all, "ma'am no photos." I was super confused and a little ticked, I don't like being scolded. So I asked a different museum person what the photograph rule was and that one explained the only photography allowed was of the special exhibit, now you tell me.

I then walked down a couple more blocks to the MET, Metropolitan Museum of Art. That place is GINORMOUS!

I'm not a huge art person, but there were some really interesting pieces there. Click on the photo below to make it bigger, notice the eyes? Even more creepy in person.

I loved this ship mural, it was massive and overwhelming but in a good way, it covered floor to ceiling over 20 feet high and even wider.

While there I also saw Jaime Lee Curtis! She was in Freaky Friday, more recently You Again, and most recently you've probably seen her in those Activia commericals. I tried to get a pic of her without her noticing so I slyly followed her for a couple a rooms, at one point she passed right by me. I couldn't get the shot and then her daughter and her went downstairs and I decided to let it go. So there was my NY celebrity sighting. Then I saw hieroglyphics

The Met is right on the edge of Central Park on the east side, so I cut across the park headed to the Museum of Natural History. On my way I passed by Belvedere Castle and took a couple photos. As I headed down the steps, I CATASTROPHICALLY ate it! It was bad and there were quite a few people around. I was more than a bit embarrassed. These two older guys were right by me and were all like are you okay, you look pale, maybe you should sit down. I told them I was fine and hurried away. I had the weirdest injuries despite wearing long underwear and pants I cut my left knee without ripping the clothes, and scraped up my right hand pretty bad. And I cried for the second time, freak New York, I heard you were tough but you were chewing me up and spitting me out.

Right after that though, I captured this photo, really beautiful, right? Oh New York, how you tempt me but we're obviously not right for each other.

I made sure I was under control before I got to my third museum - the Museum of Natural History.

Right as you walk in there are these dinosaur fossils towering over everyone.

I'm glad I bought the New York City Pass which got me to all these museums for one price, totally worth it. I kept thinking about my brother Matthew, he would have LOVED this place. It was insane! It was all organized by country and showed their history, traditions, animals - it was fascinating. I learned the origin of shrunken heads and how they are made. Only ever recorded in the Northwest region of the Amazon rain forest. They would cut off the head, remove the skull and fat, boil the skin and then sun dry them, voila, shrunken head! So creepy, huh? I was super creeped out being so close to what used to be real people.

On a happier note, I saw this Chinese bridal chair, the bride-to-be was carried in this chair to the wedding, how ornate and beautiful. They know how to arrive in style.

From the islands, love this!

Over 20 feel long octopus, floating over my head.

The Temple of Dendur, a gift from Egypt.

It was incredible to walk through and around. And I kept forgetting I was inside.

After this museum, I had to run quickly despite my knee to the nearest metro. I went downtown to catch my 3pm tour at the 9/11 Memorial. On the way, I walked right by Occupy Wall Street, those people are idiots.

I had pre-booked my tour online and I followed all the signs downtown to get to the Memorial, I was running late. I got all the way to the memorial just to find out, the ticket pick up place was 6 blocks away and I had 5 minutes to get there and back. I SPRINTED, despite the knee and got my ticket and SPRINTED back. The website made it sound like if you missed your time you wouldn't be able to go, but not the case. I'm still glad I sprinted though because I got in line RIGHT before this huge school group got there. So the tickets are by donation, they have suggested amounts but you can give whatever and I think its totally worth it. Its a very beautiful and peaceful space. There are two waterfall areas the same size of the towers and the water goes as deep as the towers were tall. Very poetic in its structure.

Trees are planted all over the area, when it's completed and the trees are grown, it will be such a great park. This tree is special because it survived the attacks, even though it was a small little thing.

By this time, my feet, knee and body were just exhausted, aching, sore, a bit swollen feeling. I was worn. I had to sit on a bench for awhile but I wanted to do a couple more things before I had to go all the way back to the Upper West Side. I could feel the blisters on my feet, so I tried to walk in a way to not irritate them more and I headed to the Bull, you know the one I'm talking about. I really wanted to get a picture on it or hanging on one of the horns or something funny but it was all blocked off and a cop watching it. I do not know why but I was a bit disappointed.

I again had to rest, so I took the time to find out how to get to Scalini Fedeli an Italian restaurant my brother said I had to try. It was only two metro stops north. I got out of the metro and headed towards it but had to sit down again, this time because I was nauseous from lack of food. I had only had some water and a granola bar all day with all the running I had been doing. I got to the restaurant and put on a skirt over my leggings, but I still felt under-dressed. It opened at 5pm and I was the second customer in the door. It was so fancy! Drippy candles, fresh flowers, absolutely romantic. The food was delicious, but the bill w/ tip was around $160 - that probably was the total of all my food for my entire 10 day trip, haha. But it was a very nice experience and after it, I felt soooo much better. I was warm and fed and refreshed - body and soul.

I took the metro and headed to the Lincoln Center.

I was going to see the New York Ballet's the Nutcracker!!! I was super excited for this, I grew up dancing ballet and performing in the Nutcracker and couldn't wait to see one of the best companies perform it.

I took this picture of the lobby, none were allowed in the theatre, but trust me it was extremely elegant and beautiful. I was only six rows back and had a perfect view. There were costumes and stylistic things I like more from the one I grew up performing in, but overall I absolutely loved the performance. I saw 4 shows while in New York and this one was my favorite.

After the show I hung out and took a few pictures of the Lincoln Center.

These steps change, showing show times and other information. In my photo its says 'welcome' in tons of languages, I was totally enthralled with them.

I then took the metro heading back to my hostel. I had to change lines at Grand Central.

I love all my photos with taxis, the taxis to me put a NY stamp on the photo.

Another very famous movie place.

I then caught my subway and went back to my hostel. This time I was in my room by midnight and yep, everyone was already in bed! MIDNIGHT on a FRIDAY night in NEW YORK!!! I couldn't believe it, I was definitely blessed to have such calm hostel-mates. I fell into bed so excited to sleep.