It's Always An Adventure

It has been a bit of a crazy week for Ottawa reunions. Just back from a fabulous weekend in Montreal with three cherished girlfriends from Ottawa, I had another wonderful friend visit NYC for a couple of days from the Nation’s Capital. Alison and I had a great couple of days just catching up, reminiscing and exploring. She had fun checking out my new life as a Manhattan dweller and I loved hearing about her adventures back in Canada. Alison even had the chance to witness my New Yorker attitude as I yelled at a passing driver who nearly ran us (and numerous other pedestrians) over at a cross walk. The expression on her face was priceless. Oh ya, I’m badass!! 😉

Alison and I at Fort Tryon Park

The great thing about my friend Alison, is that she is a planner and came with a list of things that she would like to do for her limited stay in NYC. We ventured to St. John the Divine Church, Magnolia Cupcake, The Lego Store, FAO Schwarz, The Disney Store, Rockefeller Center, strolled through Riverside and Central Park and walked up and down the streets taking it all in. But, the coolest place she wanted to go to was Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters. I had never heard of these two places and was eager to head out and see them.

We hopped on the A train and headed to 190th street. It was an absolutely beautiful day- sunny and high of 60’s. When we arrived at 190th, we (I) made the mistake of exiting through the tunnel and we ended up at the wrong entrance but we were able to see the beautiful rock wall ridge and a very unique subway entrance in the process.

Subway entrance built into the side of the rock wall

We headed back into the subway and took the elevator up and exited on to a beautiful and peaceful setting- the entrance to Fort Tryon Park. Fort Tryon Park is truly spectacular at this time of year and I am sure it is amazing at any time of year. Right now the trees and flowers are starting to bloom and it really is an incredible escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life. There are winding, wide open trails, beautiful gardens and pathways that have majestic views over looking the Hudson River. I fell in love instantly.

View looking out over the river with the George Washington Bridge in the distance

Tree lined pathways

Towards the end of the sprawling park is The Cloisters Museum. The Cloisters “is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe”. It is an extremely quiet and serene place where you can see works of art, sculptures, treasures, tapestries and architectures from the Middle Ages. I loved wandering through the cool, peaceful, castle-like setting. Alison described it as escaping to France for the morning. It really did feel like we had left Manhattan and were visiting a the European countryside. I didn’t hear a single siren or car horn 😉

The Cloisters Museum

Cuxa Cloister

Gothic Chapel

One of the incredible tapestries on display

Statue in the Late Gothic Hall

It was a fabulous new find. I love it when people come to visit in the city and they show me new places. I am adding Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters to my “must do” list of things for people who come to NYC. Next week, the girls and I will definitely venture out to explore the park during spring break. They will love the wide open spaces to run around. It would also be a great spot for a picnic lunch and a good book. Right now, I am gearing up to see a couple of more visitors from Ottawa and family are heading our way too. I can’t wait to see everyone, but I have a feeling that in about a week or so after all the visitors leave and the girls are back at school I might be sneaking back to the park for a bit of peace and quiet =). Enjoy the weekend everyone!!

Not a sign you see very often in NYC!