Zooming through the Met.

We were on holiday. And when I'm on holiday I completely reject any attempts to make plans that require sticking to a schedule and a time. So, Marlon spent a day drifting around Manhattan with Richard and I. First we hit the AIGA: the professional association for design where there was an exhibit of new design and on the second floor, Milton Glaser's work. There were also some very comfortable couches there, so we ended up having one of those long talks about dreams and hopes.

Then the plan was to spend several hours in the Met. But lunch, chatting and drifting got in the way, so we arrived at the Met with an hour and change to spare.

One of my favourite places at the Met is the Temple of Dendur. the temple is housed in a huge glass conservatory, and it's surrounded by water. Harry and Sally dreevayed through it in "when Harry Met Sally", and I visit that room everytime I go to the Met. The problem is, I never make it to anywhere else in the museum. Museum back always prevails, and that feeling of needing to escape no matter what! takes over.

So on this trip, I zoomed Richard and Marlon through the Temple room (made easier by the fact that most of it was protected by velvet ropes - there must have been a party planned for that night) and headed over to the Modern art section. To get there, where passed Roman history, as well as an incredible room displaying the art of Oceania - really spectacular. And of course, the Modern Art didn't disappoint. My favourites were the collection of Georgia O'Keefes (which, till then, I'd only seen in books) as well as some sensational Warhols.

The High Line!

The weather in New York is freakishly beautiful and warm right now. So, without getting too morose about climate change and that fact that it's been 16 degrees in November, Richard and I have been doing lots of outdoors things since we got to New York. And on Friday, we went to the High Line Park.

High Line is the repurposed H-line - a train line built in the 1930s to lift freight traffic off the streets of Manhattan. Starting way over on the West Side, just below Chelsea, the line runs above ground. It's been out of use for years, and could have just remained a derelict junk pile or been demolished. But in 1999, a group of concerned citizens formed "Friends of the High Line", which lobbied for protection of the historic line. The resulting High Line Park, is a collaboration between the group, the city of New York and some brilliant architects.

Richard and I were in bliss - the beautiful day and glowing autumn light, the pampas grasses and yellowing leaves, the incredible urban design and re-purposing of an unused site.

EDWIDGE DANTICAT READING AT McNALLY JACKSON BOOKS

In CREATE DANGEROUSLY: The Immigrant Artist at Work, Edwidge Danticat draws on her Haitian background, experiences as an author and comments from colleagues in art, literature, photography, and journalism, to address these and other important questions:

• What is it to be an artist?
• What is it to be an immigrant?
• What is it to be both—working outside of your homeland and creating art, literature, film, photography that strives to bring specific truths to the world?
• What is it to be simultaneously celebrated for drawing attention to human rights issues and vilified for revealing the worst about your homeland?

THE LEGO STORE / LEG GODT/ PLAY WELL

all the lego you could ever need

ROCKEFELLER PLAZA

The big Christmas Tree goes up Today!

5th then 6th and trekking

way cool store...

I knew Richard would love Pylones! For years, Saffrey has been giving me strange and wonderful things like graters that look like fancy ladies and nail clippers that have insect wings on them! It's a visual delight - full of things you don't really need but HAVE to have!

A WALK IN CENTRAL PARK

Autumn in New York. Before we left Trinidad, I wondered if there would be any leaves left on the trees in New York. When I lived in England, I always got depressed when autumn arrived, as it meant that winter was right around the corner. But the beauty of autumn has won me over.

Our walk through Central Park in the sun was full of incredible colour and shapes. Richard and I sat on a bench and turned our faces towards the heavens to imbibe the sun. And people who walked passed us were doing the same. We smiled at each other in shared recognition of that special moment. Have a look at the glorious trees!

a wonderful day, wonderful weather...good times.

Saturday Dreevay with Sharon in Cabbagetown and Kensington Market

Sharon and I had a good ole dreevay around the place on Saturday.  There was a beautiful art and craft market in Cabbagetown with delicious jams and jellies; Sharon's favourite was the shortbread.  We then headed across town to the groovy Kensington Market.

Mobiles and garden art/ ornaments/ sculptures.

Packages of yummy shortbread!

Not sure what I make of this - some sort of post-apocalyptic, hippie thing!

Gorgeous jars of pickles line the walls of the Grilled Cheese restaurant in Kensington Market.

Some sort of mobile skateboarder convention.