RTW to no-where in particular

[RooFlyer]

I gave the Asian and Islamic areas a miss - I had enough Islamic art in my recent other travels!! There are over 500 galleries in this place!! European sculpture and Medieval art was interesting ... just a couple of tid-bits:

A processional cross from Spain, about 1150:







A Lectionary from about 1100 from Constantinople, probably for the Hagia Sophia:



A bracelet from Rome c450AD:



Silver plate showing David battling Goliath, and winning ...





Perseus holding the head of Medusa (abt 1800):



Titled ' Why born enslaved!', French, 1873:



Titled 'Winter' French, 1787:

 

[tgh]

funny/sad how the world has changed….
Insta everything and all to be known is just a web search away.. but it's not the same….
I could easily get lost in a library, time stands still as the past unfolds…..

anyway back to normal programming…..

 

[Antoallison]

By this time I decided to hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which I had never visited, and the Guggenheim which was another 30-years-ago visit. Maybe get a bit more of Central Park. So I had to forego a visit to Trump Tower (sorry @Cruiser Elite) and get the subway up to 86th Street.

The Met building is enormous - couldn't fit all the front in a frame:

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Great Hall:

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It costs $20 (IIRC) to get in - for some reason I wasn't expecting that. Use the self-serve machines on the right as you go in - no queuing ... as opposed to the ticket counters which was a zoo.

I wandered around the European Art, which was ... well, I'm not going to get all arty pretentious (pretentious ... moi?! ) but it was a bit pedestrian compared to what you get in, well, the European places . So I bee-lined to the American section and it was worth it. Sculptures in a massive glass annex:

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... with a reconstructed bank facade at one end. (Considering how much dosh the bankers have put into the arts in this joint, its totally appropriate!):

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Diana:

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Good 'ol GW, by Peale c1780:

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Them something instantly recognisable - Washington crossing the Delaware, painted in 1851 by Leutze.

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Great photos with those clear blue skies.
The Met used to be “pay as you wish”. I guess $20 is still good for a long day out, if your feet can take the standing about. Nice bar upstairs to break up the time.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ooops, I forgot some of the American galleries, dedicated to native Americans.

From 'The end of the trail' American, 1919:



... to 'Indian Warrior', American, 1913

 

[RooFlyer]

I could easily get lost in a library, time stands still as the past unfolds…..

Grrrr ... don't get me started. the University of Tasmania is constantly downgrading its library. Now books on shelves occupy only 2/3 of one floor, of the 4 story 'library'. The rest is now 'student services' and 'student study'. I constantly hear that 'its all on-line now' ... Of course the Uni pays when the books I want have to be shipped in from other Universities ...

When I get home, I'll post a pic of a gorgeous genuinely old library from Hungary I visited. No, I'll get it on-line .

Pannonhalma Benedictine Archabbey, western Hungary:

 

[OATEK]

Then, his library, which must be one of the most beautiful small rooms I've seen:

The tapestry over the fireplace is some 16th century rag:

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Love that library!

 

[ellen10]

Great photos! And great weather. I am enjoying following along

 

[kookaburra75]

funny/sad how the world has changed….
Insta everything and all to be known is just a web search away.. but it's not the same….
I could easily get lost in a library, time stands still as the past unfolds…..
anyway back to normal programming…..

Dito - my favourite is still the library at Trinity College in Dublin. But when we were there in NYC 2013 MrsK and I spent ages wandering through the Met Library, as will as the Museum of Natural History.
But you've done a ton of walking - we used the subway to skip around the place

 

[RooFlyer]

A couple of final pics from the Met.

Who's this?



Why, Alexander the Great of course. Met him many times in Macedonia a few months back.

In the Great Hall, a counterfoil to the Crossing of the Delaware, commissioned by the Museum: 'Resurgence of the people' by Monkman. I'm not quite sure what the guys on the back left are up to.





Well, the Met took up far more time than I expected, so no time for the Guggenheim or Central Park. Maybe tomorrow. I walked down 5th Avenue to get the subway, back to the hotel, very tired after another big walking day.



I had a 'Big Apple Greeter' lined up, but he's had a cold the past 2 days. Am about to call him again to see if he's up to it today.

 

[RooFlyer]

So no Big Apple Greeter for me - he still has a cold. In a way I was relieved as I definitely didn't want to catch the end of his cold and I had probably done most of what we would have seen, already.

So off I ventured again. Another cracker of a day. First stop, Brooklyn Heights, or rather the park by the river underneath Brooklyn Bridge:

The Brooklyn Bridge



Views from the edge of the river:





Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge ... for the second time in 2 years ...









On the Manhattan side, it was subway time, to go to the Guggenheim. I wondered if it woukd be like the Guggenheim at Bilbao - great building, cough exhibits.





Turned out it was; at the end I still had no idea what they were banging on about. It was sorta environmentalism meets haute pretense . The sign said it all ... or did it?

 

[RooFlyer]

I caught the elevator to the top and ground my way down. Yes, that's a hay bale hanging there.



First stop ... hmmmm... did they forget something? Like the human aspect?



The very first exhibit was very promising - I really connected with it. Maybe the Guggenheim was really something I could get into?





Alas no. I wasn't the target, er, audience ... Like I said, I had no idea what they were on about. Was it some sneaky 'product placement'?



Anyway, it was basically about cows, wheat and pigs, I think.



Underwhelmed, I headed for Central Park. Thank God I got a student discount.

 

[RooFlyer]

I cut across the park en route to the Natural History museum. the Jackie Onassis reservoir:

Entrance of the Museum, with Roosevelt en guarde. Another student discount



I won't bore you .. I only went and saw the rocks; had a thorough visit 2 years ago. OK, just a bit:





Some meteorite.



I saw a show at the planetarium about the solar system. Nice to sit for half an hour is all I'll say.

then, time to head back to the hotel in Queens, get my gear, and hike out to the airport and .. the TWA hotel

 

[RooFlyer]

And here I am. All very TWA and retro. Its a 5 min walk outside from the Terminal 5 Airttrain stop.



As various reviews have said, the check-in staff are totally disinterested. But we got there.



On the way to my room. memo to self. Close the blinds.





The room. Pretty small:







Great mini bar!!



and lots of retro touches ...

 

[craven morehead]

And here I am. All very TWA and retro. Its a 5 min walk outside from the Terminal 5 Airttrain stop.

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As various reviews have said, the check-in staff are totally disinterested. But we got there.

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On the way to my room. memo to self. Close the blinds.

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The room. Pretty small:

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Great mini bar!!

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and lots of retro touches ...

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What's with the mug full of pencils?

 

[Denali]

What's with the mug full of pencils?

For the instragramers to use on the retro phone dial... so they dont break a nail

Thats if they can figure out how to use a retro phone

Edit, apparently not knowing how to use a phone dial is a real thing

 

[VPS]

I did wonder whether some youngies would look at the phone and go WTF

 

[JohnM]

Was the phone really a rotary dial job, or did the finger spaces have press buttons?

 

[RooFlyer]

The rooftop bar and Infinity pool. It's cold! The people in the pool must be pretty desperate.

 

[RooFlyer]

And views around the hotel. It's pretty nifty, but a lot of unused space.

Sunken bar



A corner filled with an old car





A mock up of a 70s ( 60s?) apartment







Just a corridor



Remember Twister?



Another challenge for the Milennials

 

[Matt_01]

Traveled TWA as a kid LHR-LAX. It was on a 747 in F. You have given me some ideas for NYC.