OK, boots back on yet again. The adventure this time began in Syracuse NY, where Region 16 Sweet Ads contest was held. My first experience on the region's quartet contest stage, and it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Phew! Nuance met our goals (we didn't puke during the performance, and didn't place last). And we had some fabulous comments from members of the audience. Tons of fun singing around Saturday evening too.
This morning though, back to reality. Or rather, the adventure changed gears. I left my singing friends in Syracuse, and flew into the Big Apple to visit my niece for a few days. NYC wasn't really high on my bucket list, but this opportunity was just too good to be true. Cheap flights both ways, chance to take a few days off, and staying with my niece is a real treat!
The day dawned sunny, cool, but with a promise of warmer temps to come. Perfect flight, smooth, early, in fact, we flew past JFK and way out over the ocean until we could get into the circuit. Interesting that I flew into the same airport as my very first flight. That was going to Washington DC with my brother to visit my sister for Easter weekend, and see the cherry blossoms. A very, very long time ago. There was a brief stopover at JFK during that flight as well.
Elise had provided instructions to get to her place from the airport, and they seemed simple enough. Take the airtrain (pretty cool - reminded me of the one in Vancouver), then the subway - wait, the New York subway? THE NY subway? Oh boy. Well, it's Sunday morning, so hopefully it won't be too busy. And it was fine. Long, about an hour from JFK to 42nd St. station. Time for some air. Up to the outside world, and I find myself on 42nd and Broadway, and it was like entering a different world. Someone dressed up like a bumblebee, lights and flashing signs and taxis and people everywhere. It's extremely obvious that I've arrived in the heart of New York City. However, still have a bit further to go, so back into the tunnel, this time taking the A train (isn't there a song about that?) a few stops till I get to Columbus Circle.
When I surface, it's a different world yet again. A dozen or more people waving signs for bicycle rental, a huge steel globe, trees everywhere, quite lovely. Feels more like a midwest city than what I felt at 42nd and Broadway. I call Elise to come and meet me, and find a park bench in the sun. Is that Central Park behind me? Indeed it is. So I've been here for about an hour and have already seen Broadway and Central Park. This isn't such a big city! LOL! More later.
After dropping luggage and having a quick bite, it's off to the first stop on the adventure - "Venus in Fur" on Broadway, at the Lyceum Theater. Balcony seats, but hey, $30! The theater is obviously very old, and has had upgrades galore, but the ornate carvings in the ceilings walls, and around the boxes are equally as obviously the original. The play is incredible - not a musical, not well-kinown, but has been called the best of the year and it certainly lives up to that. Two people, single set, no intermission, and the audience is riveted from the very start. Comedy, drama, light-hearted, dark subject, we come out with our brains in a whirl.
We stop for dinner at a Thai place - wonderful food and very nice decor. And of course the company is fabulous! Pick up some food for breakfasts/snacks, and agree to eat out for dinner (she better let me pick up the tab!!!) and then it's off to a movie - again in the theater district. We pass through Times Square, which is nothing like I expected, but very interesting all the same. We finish the day with a walk up to the Hudson River, through a cycling park that I'm sure I've seen on TV. Love it that now that it's dark, there are dogs frolicking on the lawn, right beside the sign that says "No Pets". Trump Place is right there (saw Trump Tower earlier), and when we walk out on the pier, we can see the lights of both New Jersey and Manhattan.
And now, I have to go figure out why my camera's not working properly, so that I can take pictures for tomorrow's blog!
This morning though, back to reality. Or rather, the adventure changed gears. I left my singing friends in Syracuse, and flew into the Big Apple to visit my niece for a few days. NYC wasn't really high on my bucket list, but this opportunity was just too good to be true. Cheap flights both ways, chance to take a few days off, and staying with my niece is a real treat!
The day dawned sunny, cool, but with a promise of warmer temps to come. Perfect flight, smooth, early, in fact, we flew past JFK and way out over the ocean until we could get into the circuit. Interesting that I flew into the same airport as my very first flight. That was going to Washington DC with my brother to visit my sister for Easter weekend, and see the cherry blossoms. A very, very long time ago. There was a brief stopover at JFK during that flight as well.
Elise had provided instructions to get to her place from the airport, and they seemed simple enough. Take the airtrain (pretty cool - reminded me of the one in Vancouver), then the subway - wait, the New York subway? THE NY subway? Oh boy. Well, it's Sunday morning, so hopefully it won't be too busy. And it was fine. Long, about an hour from JFK to 42nd St. station. Time for some air. Up to the outside world, and I find myself on 42nd and Broadway, and it was like entering a different world. Someone dressed up like a bumblebee, lights and flashing signs and taxis and people everywhere. It's extremely obvious that I've arrived in the heart of New York City. However, still have a bit further to go, so back into the tunnel, this time taking the A train (isn't there a song about that?) a few stops till I get to Columbus Circle.
When I surface, it's a different world yet again. A dozen or more people waving signs for bicycle rental, a huge steel globe, trees everywhere, quite lovely. Feels more like a midwest city than what I felt at 42nd and Broadway. I call Elise to come and meet me, and find a park bench in the sun. Is that Central Park behind me? Indeed it is. So I've been here for about an hour and have already seen Broadway and Central Park. This isn't such a big city! LOL! More later.
After dropping luggage and having a quick bite, it's off to the first stop on the adventure - "Venus in Fur" on Broadway, at the Lyceum Theater. Balcony seats, but hey, $30! The theater is obviously very old, and has had upgrades galore, but the ornate carvings in the ceilings walls, and around the boxes are equally as obviously the original. The play is incredible - not a musical, not well-kinown, but has been called the best of the year and it certainly lives up to that. Two people, single set, no intermission, and the audience is riveted from the very start. Comedy, drama, light-hearted, dark subject, we come out with our brains in a whirl.
We stop for dinner at a Thai place - wonderful food and very nice decor. And of course the company is fabulous! Pick up some food for breakfasts/snacks, and agree to eat out for dinner (she better let me pick up the tab!!!) and then it's off to a movie - again in the theater district. We pass through Times Square, which is nothing like I expected, but very interesting all the same. We finish the day with a walk up to the Hudson River, through a cycling park that I'm sure I've seen on TV. Love it that now that it's dark, there are dogs frolicking on the lawn, right beside the sign that says "No Pets". Trump Place is right there (saw Trump Tower earlier), and when we walk out on the pier, we can see the lights of both New Jersey and Manhattan.
And now, I have to go figure out why my camera's not working properly, so that I can take pictures for tomorrow's blog!
