Sep 2016 – Wendy's Out of Station

Not so much a New York state of mind, but maybe I had more fun than I thought

Well days two and three in New York – Saturday and Sunday – mmm yeah. Sometimes you know yourself well and to be honest I had misgivings about how I’d like New York. So in fact, putting a positive spin enabled by being back home in Australia now, it was actually better than I expected! I even really seriously enjoyed two bits! OMG, three! But I’m getting ahead.

Saturday morning I decided to walk along the Hudson River from the hotel toward the Staten Island Ferry with the aim of getting to see the Statue of Liberty. She had been strongly in my mind and I wanted to get closer, to understand my response. So off I set, along a really nice riverside park way full of joggers and families, walkers, waffles. Mmm the waffles were hot and the eye candy sweet. It was a cool cloudy start but I could see the clouds were blowing away and the forecast was for a fine day. I was feeling positive.

I think that tall box at the end of the two piers is the top of the ventilator shaft for the Holland Tunnel. I liked its style. Continue reading “Not so much a New York state of mind, but maybe I had more fun than I thought”

A high point: The High Line

In all the agony of New York, I loved The High Line. It’s a former elevated rail spur that has been converted into a fabulous urban garden. Should have stayed up there for hours. And it’s where I found the best coffee that I drank in New York.

And a bee and I found each other not too far from a pair of water towers. No wonder I was happy. Continue reading “A high point: The High Line”

Visiting Anne

Apologies for the delay in posting about my visits to several things Anne of Green Gables this last week – as you will see there are rather a lot of photos! I started off on Monday with a walk around Charlottetown, looking at some of the wonderful houses. The parlour is from the B&B I stayed in, The Shipwright Inn, which I would certainly recommend.

Then in the afternoon I drove west toward the area where Lucy Maud Montgomery lived her life, and the setting of the Anne of Green Gables novels. The countryside was simply magnificent. You can see how it was so inspiring for her.

On Tuesday it was again overcast but undeterred I set off to the Preserves Company (amazing preserves sadly in heavy glass jars), only to discover that on their grounds are the Gardens of Hope, a beautiful setting created to assist people in palliative care. While not strictly Anne content, I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I did. Continue reading “Visiting Anne”

New York… is it me?

There’s an old guy sitting on his walking frame, no not next to me and no he’s not making love to a tonic and gin, although to be honest I can’t speak to what’s in his flask, anyway he’s sitting on the Arthur W Stickland triangle and he’s feeding the pigeons. Looks like he could use a decent meal himself. Wonder what Art did to get himself a garden triangle? The cafe I’m in is playing 1920’s jazz, and the living is easy… sorry I may run out of lyric puns eventually, or maybe not. I’m sitting here with an Argentinian Malbec watching the world go by, waiting for my soul to find me. She’s lost between the moon and New York city, I know it’s crazy, but it’s true. Oh god I’m tragic.

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I should confess I’ve demolished a pastrami Reuben on rye, which was magic. And seemed very New York. Note to self, I need to find proper New York bagels to try.

I think I’m in Greenwich village, a little different to the Greenwich of two days ago with its empty silences filled alternately by waves, or the sound of the wind in the poplars. I wish you could have heard the sound of the wind in the poplars, it was unearthly but so centring. Vibrating on some harmony common to all life. Here my ears are full of Billy Holiday, conversations, the kitchen clatter, laughter, horns & traffic. So different, but also so alive and pulsing. Happy. I think, or maybe I shouldn’t think too much. Continue reading “New York… is it me?”

Prince Edward Island ~ Paradise really is beautiful

I really struggled with which picture to put at the top of this post, there are so many that I totally love… this was the runner up. It’s actually from the end of Tuesday, hence the atmospheric mist.

Did I make the right choice?

Late that afternoon, right before my lobster supper, the weather was so intense it was just perfect. Continue reading “Prince Edward Island ~ Paradise really is beautiful”

Where the earth reflects the sky

I know I’m posting out of order, but writing the Anne of Green Gables visit blog post is taking a while! After I left Anne of Green Gables House and the LM Montgomery Museum, I went out to the coast nearby. Oh I had so missed the ocean in Montreal. Given the soil is so red and rich and fertile it’s not surprising that the beach cliffs are red sandstone. Takes a moment to get used to it, but it’s so soft and crumbly and beautiful.

The cliff top foliage is just lovely. Hanging onto life. And it’s good not to go too close to the edge as the crumbly red earth really is constantly collapsing into the sea.

I missed the photograph that explained my title for this post. I sat in the car watching the waves like we used to on the Great Ocean Road when I was a kid. No thermos of tomato soup, but the gulls were huge and just as loud. As the waves stirred up the rubble the sand coloured the water, dissolving, merging. My immediate thought was “Champagne waves”, but really as I sat and watched and relaxed, I thought liquid topaz flowing into aquamarine. The colours swirled. Waves foamed and filled my ears with a gentle purr of continual movement. And you know how the water reflects the sky, well it seemed to me that impregnated with the red earth, the sea looked just like how I imagine it would look if the earth could reflect the sky. Full of rain clouds and squalls that had drenched me, the sky was a steely grey, not harsh or cold, more sleek and silvered and smooth. So there was this bubbling champagne topaz sea reflecting a living quicksilver sky, surrounded and penetrated, swirled into an aquamarine setting. Just beautiful, and my subconscious did keep going back to thoughts of a rich topaz champagne, but you’ll have to use your imagination because I was so caught in the moment I didn’t photograph it properly. Sorry about that!

And again, it’s time to go

Soundtrack, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, although I would prefer Debussy

Woke up this morning to rain. Gave some shoes and clothes, a towel and a yogurt to a terribly thin homeless lady. On le bus the Eiffel Tower was shrouded in cloud. My 10 days in Paris are at an end and I’m leaving on a jet plane. For in-flight entertainment I’ll be reading Anne’s House of Dreams… know where I’m going? Continue reading “And again, it’s time to go”

Top 10 day: Montmartre I’m pinching myself

I didn’t go to Montmartre 19 years ago so it was locked in for today come rain, hail or shine. Thankfully there was no hail and only a few spots of rain. Seriously, I can’t wipe the smile off my face, it was one of the best days ever. Last night I downloaded a self guided walking tour to my phone – it recommended going in reverse. Catch the metro to the “top” and walk down to avoid the crowds, stairs, pick pockets. Seemed good to me. Well total win. Total win. Pinching myself.

So after exiting the metro there was still a bit of a climb up a few stairs to Place Dalida – sorry I’d never heard of her, but apparently she was a famous singer.

Around the corner was my first glimpse of Sacré-Cœur and just a short walk to sustenance and a great coffee in the Pink House!

The guide I’d downloaded really underplayed the museum up the road -Musée de Montmartre – it did not encourage you to go at all. Well I think it is a total MUST. It is in Renoir’s house. The gardens are special, the architecture just perfect. Look at that pear tree! I was in heaven. Nearly went to heaven as I fell off the swing – not pictured!

And inside is the most amazing art. Floors and floors of it. Just breathtaking.

Some close ups from that one:

I could have stayed for hours. Sorry about the reflections on some of the photos, very hard to photograph paintings through glass without that happening.

But there were many steps to be taken so I dragged myself away to walk past the vineyard (apparently the wine is terrible but is sold for charity and raises a fortune because of the association). Just look at those grapes under the netting!

Below the vineyard was an early cabaret – Au Lapin Agile. Love the painting. I wonder how many hungry artists paid for their dinner in art?

Having wandered with the (sinning) artists it was time to head a little higher up the hill and visit the saints. Well that sounds like a good story, but the truth is that I didn’t go in and I had to go up there to get to the far side and start my descent! Continue reading “Top 10 day: Montmartre I’m pinching myself”

That tower!

It wouldn’t be a trip to Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower, so I walked there after class on Monday. It’s so pretty.

Will get you a picture of the full sized Statue of Liberty next weekend.

Just along from the Eiffel Tower is a full sized gold replica of the flame from the Statue of Liberty. It’s a memorial on the site of the accident that killed Diana Princess of Wales. Her death is one of those moments in life when I will never forget where I was when I heard the news; tragic, poignant, life I guess.

Monet’s Sunday is worth the wait

So Sunday arrived and I actually got to get on the bus to Giverny and Monet’s Garden and House. Oh WOW it was certainly worth the wait. What a blessed gift, and not just how you’d think.

Along with several hundred close friends (physically at least) we arrived in Monet’s water garden. Hmmm, I struggled. I am a woman not gifted with patience, and what I have I’ve earned painfully. I count it credit to those lessons that I did not punch anyone. Nor did I push anyone into the water. It does not count that I wanted to.

I also felt odd for the water. So constrained. So controlled and limited, directed between walls of bamboo. I was unquiet.

Of course it was beautiful, and atmospheric under the clouds. Did I mention that I love French clouds? I just felt so unlike how I feel when I’m immersed in Monet’s paintings.

Still feeling odd I determinedly pushed my way around every step of path! Stubborn? Moi? I was that nutter woman. I talked to the flowers. I wanted them to know that I saw them as equal subjects, that I was not reducing them to flat objects of entertainment, an attitude which I angrily attributed to others. Commodities placed to be consumed I wanted to restore them their living-ness. Their independence of the possessing gaze. Continue reading “Monet’s Sunday is worth the wait”