New York City Weekend with the kids.
Broadway, Central Park, MET, Statue of Liberty

We went to New York City for the weekend in early November hoping to catch a last glimpse of the foliage and a theater show.  We got both, and more.   On Saturday, after an uneventful 3-hour drive from home, we met with our old friends in Central Park around 1pm.   It was a gorgeous sunny fall day.   We admired the sea lions in the Central Park Zoo, then walked through the Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, stopping to allow the kids of all ages in our company to climb the rocks and get down the slides at the Park’s playgrounds.  At the MET we saw the newly released Provocation Exhibit by Balthus (think cats and girls, parental guidance advised) and stopped by the modern art wing.  Den walked around on his own and saw Japanese and Egyptian art.

We then repositioned to the theater district where Vit and Vi saw “Annie” at the Palace Theater.   She enjoyed the show, although $50 first row balcony tickets turned out to be too far from stage.  In the meantime, Den and I walked 30 blocks south on Broadway to 13^th street to see “Romeo and Juliet” at the Classic Stage Company (off-Broadway). It was an endlessly pleasant walk along all those magnificent coffee shops (Eataly, Pain Quatadien) which we were desperately looking for earlier at Times square to no avail.  (Note to self: do not look for a nice coffee shop on Times Square. Head south.)

Romeo was modern dress and fresh, (however not everyone in the audience of this intimate venue thought so as we counted that about 20 people left during the intermission).   In the true off-Broadway spirit,   the actors stayed on to mingle with friends and random audience members after the show. Den boldly went for an autograph of Juliette – talented Elizabeth Olsen.

We spent the night with the family at the Staten Island, which seemed a bit remote from the city center, by our Massachusetts standards.

On Sunday morning, the boys (and Vi), joined by our  NY family, took a ferry to the Statute of Liberty (be prepared for some very strong winds and overwhelming city views).

I headed to the Korean baths in NJ with my sister-in-law. I am always on a lookout for spa retreats near home and have been meaning to visit this place for a couple of years now.   I must have been spoiled by the Arab bath experience in Spain or Nordic style bath retreats in Canada, but for me to fully get into the “retreat” spirit –there were just too many bathers performing (what seems like) a weekly authentic bath ritual (think “get clean”) and  the complete absence of curtains in showers – that got in the way .  So although I am not regretting the experience, I will not be back.

All in all, it was a great autumn trip and friends/family reunion.