State Of Mind

Yesterday I walked through much of Manhattan, some parts that were new to me and some that were very familiar. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do, just setting off in no particular hurry with just a few landmarks and plenty of time for wandering. I started in Chelsea (which, I decided, is mostly designated for the angst ridden aspiring twenty-something artists) and meandered through what I suppose was Hell's Kitchen to reach what might be called the Theatre District, which is basically due west of Times Square.

Then I turned right and went East until, after a quick stop at Chipotle, I wandered through the tourist traps and was pleased to see that they were all as satisfying as ever. I picked up the 6 somewhere in the 50's, and though I spilled some of my Starbucks on an innocent metro-rider (sorry to whoever to you are, but that subway was PACKED), I made it safely to 86th Street. I think that despite all the snob that the Upper East Side is guilty of, it's still one of the most beautiful places in this city (which is certainly saying something). Noticing that the temperature was dropping astonishingly fast, it was a relief to get safely inside my final destination: the Met Museum. Even there, it was fantastic just to wander. I was drawn like a magnet to the 18th/19th century European Art (I swear I didn't even look at the map, I just wound up there), and even discovered a lesser-known Monet that may just be one of my favorites (check out Ice Floes, but I'm sure it's nowhere near as impressive online as it is in person).

But I tore myself away from the paintings because I had really wanted to go back to the Egyptian exhibits - the last time I was there was seven years ago. I had to wander through Ancient Mid-Eastern art to get there, and was sidetracked by the cunieform and chimeras and hammered gold. Then there were gigantic Buddha statues (Chinese Art) and old pots and pans until I took a back staircase down into Egypt.

Most times, when I go to a museum, I try to avoid looking at all the little blurbs on the wall about the paintings because I was told once that doing so can change what you see, and that the artist would have never intended for that to happen. But in an exhibit about ancient culture, I can't help but read all the labels to find out about all the symbolism of their objects, how they were used and where they were found. It's just room after room of all the little tidbits that have been dug out of the dirt somewhere along the Nile, polished and arranged so that it's almost astonishing. My favorite room was one devoted to the objects found in the tomb of a king's three wives - their jewelry was better than a lot of what Tiffany's has today. And then of course is the famous Temple of Dendur, found in a room whose size is almost as amazing as the ruins it holds.

I regretted having to leave, in fact, because I had just come across American art and never made it to the Costumes exhibit downstairs. But of course I had made a promise to a friend to be home by a certain time, and at least walking across East 80th Street on a Saturday evening was certainly more than bearable, if not breathtaking...