Day 3 - Culture and more walking

Inside Guggenheim

Street buskers

Strawberry Fields - John Lennon memorial

Note to self - just because a museum has the largest collection of Robert Maplethorpe photographs, it doesn't mean they are on exhibit. 

Today I decided to visit a museum as it was really wet in the morning.  I didn't have a good night sleep, still trying to get use to US time so didn't get in at opening time, instead getting in at 11am.  Once again, subway to Manhatten, this time heading north.  I walked through a more prestigeous area of Manhatten to the Guggenheim - what a building!  It is shaped like a spiral, so you start at the bottom and follow the spiralling path upwards approx 5 levels.  I loved the architecture.  I admit I was disappointed not to see Maplethorpe's work, but saw Monet's, Leger's Kandinsky, and Picasso.  It was also fascinating hearing all the accents of other museum visitors.

A couple of hours later the rain had cleared so I walked along the edge of Central Park to to the steps of the MET (another museum), and listened to a group of African American singers performing motown songs with a base player.  They were fabulous.

From there I wandered around Central Park which really is huge and gorgeouse.  Pity I wasn't it NY a month later when all the buds of the trees would turn into green leaves and flowers - a little brown at the moment.  I wandered around the Park, visited Strawberry Fields (dedicated to John Lennon), the Dakota building where he was shot (and Yoko still lives - gorgeous building!!), and had my first hot dog (have to remember to ask for ketchup next time...got a blank look when asked for tomato sauce).

I left Central Park and kept walking through Manhattan.  The traffic is chaotic, and I was surprised that even emergency vehicles had trouble getting through - there is just no room to move.  I made my way past the Trump International Tower and Hotel, and Time Square to get to the HUGE department store Macey's.  It was a little too busy for my liking so didn't stay long.

I met Kitty at her dojo (where she does karate) and we headed out for a Thai meal (thanks again Phil for the shout).  All in all a fabulous day, ticked off a number of sites, but in the end was EXHAUSTED.  There are just so many stairs entering and exiting subways.  I really wish I did what Marlene did - take a pedometer.....would be mind blowing how far I walked.

Just a note re the subway at night, it really does feel safe as long as you don't eyeball anyone.  There are some strange characters as you can imagine, you just have to be discrete when looking.  There is a police station in the subway entry at Kitty's place so even in the outer suburbs I feel safe.