NYC Day 5

A sleep in and a late start today in the hope of shaking off this head cold I've acquired in NYC.

We both had in mind that a fairly quiet day would fit the bill today, so we walked to the Metropolitan Art Gallery on 5th Ave for some culture. As we walked up the steps to the Met there was a group of men busking. Their vocals were sensational. No amplification, just beautiful vocal harmonies and one guy playing a double bass. They had a great reception from the crowd and were making a bundle in donations.

Oh the art at the Met was pretty impressive as well, about two rooms full of Rembrants being the highlight for us.

I ended up buying their CD, they were that good!

 Henry VIII th's armor, late in his life. He wore this gear in a major battle - can't remember which one!

 Mr Colt's finest

All sorts of art on display at the Met. In fact there is an extensive collection of weaponry. I was surprised how many suits of armor were made in  Germany. I'd always associated it with the British was and Knights. The info said that in the 1500's the Germans were able to knock out quality armor quite rapidly.

I took quite a few pics of various sets of flintlock rifles and pistols that were incredibly well decorated.

 Rembrant's famous self portrait. Mrs Tarsnakes Dutch ancestry plays some part in the art she likes to see. That's not to say that Van Gough, Vemeer and Rembrant are not well worth seeing in their own right. I really wanted to see van Gough's "Starry Night" but it's at a different gallery in NYC.

 A Vemeer - Mrs Tarsnakes is a fan of his stuff.

 More Rembrants

The painting above is pretty famous. I heard a young guy saying he had come to the gallery just to see this painting and it had taken him an hour to find it.

 French embassy on 5th Ave. I've been blown away with the architecture all around New York. It's not just the major public buildings. There are lovely old 1800's ornate apartment buildings all around the suburbs.

After leaving the Met we took a walk through Central Park and then around some of the back streets of our 'hood'. There were lovely old apartments everywhere.

 Central Park. This place is a huge oasis in a massive metropolis. NYC is the antithesis of the wide open spaces that I love so much - but is a place that I am very glad to have sampled.

Don't pat the pets - they bite!

Pics from some of the back streets of the Upper West side around 75th to 82nd streets.

 Neighborhood and our hotel.

Hotel Belleclaire