A Very Special Day

     "Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes."
                                                                                              Charles Dickens

                Some days are so special, they warrant their own post.  Wednesday was that kind of day.  The weather this year has been wonderful, hasn’t it?  My first full week in New York City this year has not disappointed in that regard.   It has been a perfect Autumn thus far.  Not wanting to waste it, I decided to head out to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. 

            Grand Central had sent me an email about a special Martha Stewart “American Made” event in the Vanderbilt Hall.  “For two days, we're bringing the pages of Martha Stewart Living to life, with editors, experts, and American Made honorees showcasing the season's best artisanal and handmade crafts, gifts, food, DIY projects, and design.” Since I had to go through there to catch the Metro North train to the Botanical Gardens, I stopped in and poked around.  Interesting, you can always find some unexpected happening in this city!

            It was an easy, comfortable ($11 round trip) to the Botanical Gardens, just 3 stops from Grand Central.  I never think to use my AAA card when buying, or traveling, I need to do it more, as it gave me $4 off the $20 entrance fee.  On Wednesdays and Saturday mornings from 10-11 a.m., the grounds of the Garden are free, but I specifically wanted to see “Monet’s Garden exhibit, so I happily paid the admission. 

Fiore




Butterfly

            What a beautiful setting!  Almost immediately, I came upon a gorgeous sculpture, Butterfly, by Manolo Valdes, which I quickly realized was part of his Monumental Sculpture exhibit for the Botanical Gardens.  From the Garden’s website: “Drawing inspiration from the Garden's natural landscape, acclaimed Spanish artist Manolo Valdés brings seven towering sculptures to five distinctive sites in a captivating showcase of the relationship between art and nature.”  As I roamed around I came upon all of his beautiful pieces.

Haupt Conservatory

            Before heading into the Monet Exhibit, I decided to get a bite to east.  The Garden Café was a delight.  I had a bowl of potato leek soup, half a chicken salad sandwich, and a cup of lemonade for under $9.  (wine and beer are also available, but too early for me)  Taking advantage of the gorgeous day, I ate on the patio.

            Then I headed into the truly beautiful Haupt Conservatory which housed Monet’s Garden exhibit. Monet wrote to his friend Paul Durant-Ruel in 1890: “I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.”  And to his stepson, Jean-Pierre Hoschide, “My most beautiful work of art is my garden.”

Elizabeth Murrays' Photos of Giverny

From the Exhibit

 The Curator, Professor Paul Hayes Tucker of the University of Massachusetts Boston is the world’s leading Claude Monet scholar and an expert on Impressionism.  He and his team definitely achieved their mission of creating a stunning tribute to Monet and his beloved gardens.  Included in the exhibit were two rarely seen paintings of Monet’s, one of which has never been seen in the U.S., along with historical photographs in the Rondina and LoFaro Gallery.  Photographs of Giverny, Seasons of Giverny, images taken by Elizabeth Murray, hung in the Ross Gallery.  A wonderful Impressionistic afternoon!

Po from Sarah B on Yelp

                                 From there I headed to Greewnwich Village as I had a Northeastern Cider and Cheese class booked at Murray’s Cheese on 254 Bleecker Street.  Kristi was in the area, so we met for a quick bite.  What we fell upon, literally, across the street from Murray’s on Cornelia Street was Po, one of Mario Batali’s first restaurants.  We shared Po cured tuna, white beans, artichokes, chili-mint vinaigrette followed by Pappardell, braised duck ragut, washed down with a glass Falanghina wine.  Delicious!

Murray's Cheese Shop

We bid farewell till later.  Kristi went off to rehearsal, and I back across the stret to Murray’s.  From it’s website: “Our mission is to bring you the greatest cheese selection while staying true to our Greenwich Village roots. A New York City landmark since 1940, we search the globe to find the tastiest cheeses and specialty foods for New Yorkers and the entire country to enjoy.”  I have been a fan for years, and always wanted to take one of their classes.  Discovering it was Cider Week in NYC, what better time or place?

Aaron Foster, head buyer for Murray’s Cheese, and Ezra Sherman of Eve’s Cidery in the Finger Lakes District of New York guided, and entertained, us through a couple of hours of great cider and cheese.  As a matter of fact, two of the cheeses we tasted were from the Cellars at Jasper Hill in Vermont, one of the proud recipients of Martha Stewarts’ American Made Award!  It was a delightful evening.

Days don’t get much better than this one!