Sublime and Ridiculous

I don't often go uptown, so when I do, it seems like exploring a new and rather swanky country.
Here a view from a taxi window on Madison Avenue. All modes of transportation visible:
taxi
bus
private car
bicycle
and feet.



In spite of all the worries about the economy, there is a huge amount of building going on in the city. Here a crane on 53rd Street. One only hopes it doesn't fall down.



Walking on 83rd. Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues, the shadows of the leaves make a pretty pattern on the sidewalk.



I arrive at the Metropolitan Museum early --of course. I while away the time talking to an interesting couple visiting from Hamburg. I was able to tell the wife where the nearest ladies' room was. How nice to be useful!
Then they told me all about the museums I should see in Berlin which sounded wonderful. I want to see the Casper David Freidrichs there.
I then admired the wonderful vast flower arrangements in urns which never fail to stun me.



But I'm having a slight moratorium on pictures of flowers (ditto the Empire State Building and taxis.)
So instead I took pictures of the shadows cast on the urns and in the niches.
The Turner exhibition introduced me to new treasures. Gosh, the man was industrious!
We deserved lunch after that.
Then the quirky first hundred years of photography show. Lots of lessons to be learned.



In the evening to R's favorite pub downtown.
If you look at the sign for "The Ear," you can tell it really says "BAR" but they wrapped part of the sign with tape.
A little old pub from 1817 when it sat on the waterfront.
Crowded, noisy, boozy. Only saving grace is the ban on cigarette smoking nowadays.