New York New York

For those of you wondering where I disappeared in the last week - we were in New York for a well-deserved break. This was my fourth time in New York. I had been there with Ann for 2 days many years ago, and I've now been there with Brendan 3 times. I just love it. There is such a buzz around the place. There is so much to see. The food is great. The shopping is endless. I love the parks. I love the museums. I love the architecture. I love the Manhattan skyline.

I still remember the first time I got there - Ann and I had taken the train from Boston. It was September I think and the trees were in their full fall colour, and we had a wonderful view of the Manhattan skyline as the train pulled into the city.

One of my favourite spots to look down at the city is the rooftop terrace at the Metropolitan Museum. There is always an interesting exhibition there, and it's a great excuse to discover a few interesting paintings. But if you're not into art, head straight for the rooftop, sit on a bench and enjoy the view.

This time, the exhibition was "Cai Guo-Qiang on the Roof - Transparent Monument". There were 4 pieces exhibited:

"Clear Sky Black Cloud", which we missed as it only happens at 12 noon, and we arrived later. It's a black cloud produced by a fired shell. Mmmmm. Not sure about that one. I guess you'd have to see it.

"Transparent Monument", a big piece of plexiglass with dead birds at the bottom. The birds are not real by the way, but they look pretty convincing to me. Again, Mmmmm. It's art, Jim, but not as we know it. Although, on second thought, if you look at the whole view seen through the pane, it's stunning. So, maybe the idea is that the art is not just the plexiglass and the dead birds, but also the Manhattan skyline. If that's the idea, then it works for me.

"Nontransparent Monument" is a big wall relief. It's packed with 69 carvings of all sorts of things. They are supposed to depict aspects of our lives after the events of September 11, 2001. Go and have a look and spot the cloned dogs!

"Move along, Nothing to See Here" is two big crocodile sculptures, with all sorts of knives, forks and other sharp objects stuck on their backs (all objects confiscated at airport security checkpoints). It was big and cheeky and visually stunning. I liked it.

The picture here is one we took through the "Transparent Monument". If you click on the picture and enlarge it, you can see a little glimpse of the Chrysler building, one of my favourites in the city

More about New York in future posts!