John & Anne Wiley

2011/05/07

Well Red

Today began with a brief ride from our hotel in Milford, CT to the train station. The northeast has this thing called mass transit that Californians can only envy. Sure, people have cars and there are freeways (often not free, but that’s another story), but many ride a subway, train or bus daily. Our short shuttle ride to the station wasn’t to board a train, but to meet Molly who took part of her day off to take the short ride from New Haven so we could play together. While we waited for her arrival, we consulted our phones (Droid X) to learn about Milford and walked half a block toward City Hall for a peek. On the way we found something that instantly had us both missing and wanting to share with Nancy back in SB: a really cool little bakery.

0009 Scratch Baking

0009 Scratch Baking

The women there reminded us of Nancy, but the aroma did that before we first opened the door. So of course we bought some for Molly. Then of course, I sampled most of them (except the pain au chocolat) to see which she might most enjoy. As expected, it was pain au chocolat. 🙂

While I waited outside the bakery with our luggage (long story), Anne ran to meet Molly’s train and I enjoyed watching them stroll back in lively conversation until Molly noticed me and waved.

9382 Beauty Approaches

9382 Beauty Approaches

I am the luckiest man alive.

We toured the heart of metropolitan Milford (two blocks) together, and settled down for a glorious chatty lunch of salade niçoise at the delicious Cafe Atlantique.

0019 French Maiden in Milford

0019 French Maiden in Milford

After another too-brief visit, we got her back to Hank (her bike) in New Haven and rejoined Tripp for the quick flight to Minuteman airport near Boxborough, MA. Taking off we were struck by how often it’s been smoggy or hazy for our flights here, and the gathering overcast added to the effect in this shot.

0020 After KHVN Takeoff

0020 After KHVN Takeoff

Tomorrow we hope to join our wonderful friends Zubair and Momina for the giant birthday party they’re throwing in celebration for their daughter. Then into Boston to explore and play while we wait for better weather to the North.

A note for anyone who’s followed our blog awhile: The title of tonight’s entry relates to the source of the photo number chaos. Anne’s camera was at #0009 today when mine was at #9382, yet Anne’s was at #0512 recently in Times Square. She has an adorable new little red camera we got at B&H in Manhattan (amazing place!). It is so pampered she keeps it in the foam pocket it slept in since boxed in Japan, and is very cautious about getting dust inside like she did on her old camera (holding it outside to snap pix during flight). Hopefully you’ll see more pix she’ll snap on it, and like me you’ll enjoy its improved dynamic range (highlights like clouds less washed out). Maybe she’ll even read the directions and learn to get the best snaps it can produce. Or not. 🙂

2011/05/06

Haven

We’re hoping to get some rest. The bustle of NYC begs for a haven to rest and dream. Today we flew the short hop from White Plains to Waterbury for lunch with a dear uncle, and the relaxed meal was twice the duration of the rather busy and bumpy flight. We’d hoped to fly the East River today in the clear air after the storm, but of course the President was there and that means no scenic flights. Just as well, because the blustery winds made for what I call “lumpy air” that would have complicated the process of aerial photography. Still I managed to snap a few “modest” country cottages like these.

9358 NY/CT

9358 NY/CT

I don’t recall now which were in NY and which in CT, but both states seemed to have quite a few. Did NY have the biggest and best?

9362 Goldman Sachs Tract?

9362 Goldman Sachs Tract?

Could these be neighborhoods of tract homes for investment bankers? Perhaps media personalities? Well, happy to be lazily flying over together rather than doing whatever it takes to get and keep properties like those, we continued on to our haven for tonight: New Haven.

9367 New Haven Hilltop

9367 New Haven Hilltop

Molly pointed this out to us, and I’ve already forgotten the name (East Rock?) but it stands tall in the sunshine overlooking Yale. So the clock has just struck midnight and this post is done (early by recent standards). Now we plan to sleep in and then have more fun with Molly. Maybe tomorrow we’ll head for Boston. Or will we stay here longer, or perhaps make a run for Canada? Stay tuned…  🙂

2011/05/05

Walk to the World

Today we walked to the U.N. on yet another NYC adventure. We paused along our 42nd St. trek to admire a small city park framing the Empire State in the fuzzy distance with its top vanishing in the low clouds.

9297 Earth & Sky

9297 Earth & Sky

We detoured slightly again passing the glorious NY Public Library. Ever a bastion of knowledge, it shines inside and out for the city and the world.

9303 NY Library Hall

9303 NY Library Hall

We slowed to snap the sculpture adorning an entrance to Grand Central Station.

9309 Grand Entrance

9309 Grand Entrance

Always a personal fascination for me, the Chrysler building’s adornments caught my eye and we went into the lobby for a couple of architectural design minutes.

9314 Building Hood Ornament

9314 Building Hood Ornament

I’ll spare you a lot of words and pictures to focus on a major highlight: meeting a man who we believe is doing more for world peace and humanity than anyone else we know.

9336 Man Of Merit

9336 Man Of Merit

The brilliant son of two dear friends, he now works to help world leaders solve Big Problems. We enjoy his easy, affable humility and our brief conversation in his incredibly busy day provided a bounty of substance and inspiration.

9331 Open Mind

9331 Open Mind

As one would expect, yet we didn’t somehow anticipate, his assistant was another luminous source of light.

9342 Facilitator

9342 Facilitator

Walking back we climbed from busy 42nd Street up the steps into a little wonderland named Tudor City Greens, pondering life amid the hope and peril of our species.

9351 Path Less Travelled

9351 Path Less Travelled

2011/05/04

Bike Burnout

We rode today. From midtown Manhattan to New Jersey and back. Well, to the ferry, but let’s start nearer the beginning. Here’s a zoom shot from near the World Financial Center building, of the angel atop City Hall.

9091 Goverment Blessed

9091 Goverment Blessed

We rode past WTC being rebuilt, and noted all the visitors and their somber mood. We visited Wall Street, including the iconic bull sculpture where I made an Edhat photo.

9155 Bag Enigma

9155 Bag Enigma

Tourists posing with and/or touching various parts of the creature were puzzled greatly by my gesture. You have the advantage of the Edhat link here. I thought about how a bull market ran amok in the “china shop” of our economy recently. We then rode the Staten Island Ferry for some different views of the city and Lady Liberty.

9193 Torch Bearer

9193 Torch Bearer

We talked about how stirring she was for people about to land at nearby Ellis Island, and still inspires people from around the world. Then we rode out to mid-span of the Brooklyn Bridge for another view of the city and this cliche tangle shot of the bridge.

9247 Brooklyn Bridge

9247 Brooklyn Bridge

To round out the day we found an Italian restaurant and then walked (happy to be off the bikes!) over to Times Square for a look at the lights.

0512 Times Square

0512 Times Square

Now we will sleep! 🙂

2011/05/03

High Life

One of the many highlights today was a stroll on the High Line Park near the Hudson. It’s a wonder of community collaboration integrating humanistic and creative design with public art installations. At times you feel as if walking in one of those artist’s conceptions of an architecture proposal.

0458 High Line Lounges

0458 High Line Lounges

It boasts a wide variety of small environments from these lounge chairs to a small stadium, covered areas, benches, walking paths, gardens, old rail lines sprouting flowers and trees, and more. It also provides a wide variety of great views to other parts of the city.

0461 High Line View

0461 High Line View

The mood is enchanting. Much quieter than the street below, and people of all ages and cultures are mingling in relaxed conversation or serene solitude. We could see a long stretch nearing completion to the North, so we have yet another reason to go back on our next NYC visit.

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