We took the cable car from the visitor center to the falls and surrounding park. A rainbow greeted us.

You could also climb 500 stairs to get to the top (seen on the right side of this photo against a hill that looks like elephant hide).

View from the path leading up to the suspension bridge. The falls are at the mouth of the Montmorency River where it drops over the cliff into the St. Lawrence River.

Crossing the bridge.

On one side of the bridge, the calm Montmorency River above the falls.

On the other side, the basin which leads to the St. Lawrence River.

These red leaves looked like an abstract Canadian maple leaf.

On one of the observation decks.

Like a ’70s album cover.

Heading back towards the bridge.

We got drinks and sugar pie (basically like a pecan pie without the pecans) at the restaurant on the park grounds. I then totally mismanaged the time, forgetting about the cable car ride down the mountain to the parking area. Yup, we missed the bus back into the city. (The driver must have been a big fan of this article.) As we waited for a cab, we hung out with some nice folks from Cincinnati who were also left stranded. We took it in stride.

For our last meal in Quebec City, we really had no idea where to eat dinner. We wandered to the Upper Town and found a bistro on Rue St. Jean. Andrew had a rich cassoulet, and I had a yummy bouillabaisse. The restaurant happened to be going out of business so all non-beverage menu items were 30% off. Sounds like a setup for an SNL skit, right? Don’t worry, our food was fresh—although for all we know, the cassoulet was two weeks old to let the flavors marry. Yikes.

I liked the “Artisans” sign and the Frontenac in the background.

Lasting final image: a centuries-old building illuminated in a pastel rainbow of colors.

Québec City, you were like a surreal dream of a village. Au revoir!

Some parting thoughts:

• I’m considering buying a Nespresso machine. We had one in our hotel room at the Auberge Saint-Antoine. The coffee tasted pretty good, and it was super convenient first thing in the morning.
• I could kick myself for not stopping by the La Canadienne boutiques in Montreal and Quebec City. I just discovered their wedge booties (which, btw, are shoes, not panties).
• My Nike Fuelband basically died as soon as we flew into Canadian airspace. Although we stayed in the same time zone and it was fully charged, my Fuelband showed an error message that it needed to sync to my computer. Good grief. I had packed the charger but intentionally left my laptop at home. Total bummer that I couldn’t log Fuel points for the entire trip. Once we returned home, it started working fine. Go figure.

All posts in this series:

Bonjour Montreal!

Montreal: Day Two in Downtown

Montreal: The Plateau and Botanical Garden

Farewell Montreal, Hello Quebec City!

Quebec City in One Day

Using the glorious weather to our advantage, we covered a lot of ground during our one and only full day in Quebec City. Check out our photo journey!

After breakfast at our hotel, we started climbing the hilly streets towards the Upper Town (Haute-Ville).

Leaving our hotel in the historic Petit-Champlain district of the Lower Town. A cab driver in Montreal had aptly described Old Quebec as a Disney set come to life.

On our way up, this composition caught my eye.

We made a stop at the historic Chateau Frontenac. The place was ginormous. I was happy to visit but glad we didn’t stay here.

Having sneaked up to the 14th floor, we were rewarded with this vista from a hallway window.

We left the Frontenac and strolled above the Terrasse Dufferin towards the Citadel and the 108-acre Plains of Abraham urban park.

A little fog over the St. Lawrence River.

Panoramas don’t get much better than this. (The top of the Frontenac is on the left; the Pierre Dugua de Mons Terrace on the right.)

Colorful view from the Pierre Dugua de Mons Terrace.

Ta-da! I’m standing with Old Quebec buildings along Avenue Saint Denis in the background.

The sunken and serene Joan of Arc Garden. It was decked out in Halloween decorations.

Wide open space: the Plains of Abraham park on a quiet Saturday morning.

Autumn in the air and a cyclist pausing for lunch.

It was early afternoon, and we were getting mighty hungry too. We left the park and headed down Rue de Claire-Fontaine.

Five Flags Quebec City.

Our lunch destination: Le Billig Creperie on one of the main downtown drags, Rue Saint-Jean. It was THE best meal we had during our stay. (More details in the notes below.)

The best savory crepes this side of Paris. They were lacy and crisp with a slight chewiness.

We trekked all the way from downtown in the Haute-Ville back towards the Old Port. This was the view from one descent.

La Fresque des Québécois near Place Royale. Completed in 1999, the trompe-l’oeil mural depicts the history of Quebec City.

Our hotel was literally across the street from the Moshe Safdie-designed Musée de la civilisation. We ducked in for free thirty minutes before closing time and did a quick tour of the “History of Video Games” exhibition.

Homage to Pong.

“Pong, the first video game widely available to the public, was released in 1972.”

Andrew trying his hand at Arkanoid.

Before seeking out a place for dinner, we walked along the water and took pictures from Rue Dalhousie.

Andrew took a photo of me taking a photo of the Chateau Frontenac.

The sun setting behind the Frontenac.

We decided to try nearby Le Lapin Sauté restaurant. It had favorable Yelp and Trip Advisor reviews. It had outdoor seating next to a small plaza and cobblestone streets. Ugh, we were sorely disappointed. Maybe we should have ordered the house specialty of rabbit, but Andrew’s croque monsieur was limp, cold and flavorless—and it cost an obscene $20. Now I understand that we were in the heart of the touristy historic district. And being on vacation, we were open to plunking down more money than usual on food as part of the experience. But what I found frustrating about Quebec City (at least the parts we visited) was that you could either eat at McDonald’s or spend no less than $20 per entree on mediocre bistro food. (At some establishments, the prices were more like $30 to $40 per lackluster entree.) That’s why we appreciated Le Billig Creperie so much: the food was fresh and tasty at a fair price.

One other note: I didn’t find much to buy as souvenirs. There were tons of touristy shops selling all kinds of tacky tchotchkes. And there was no shortage of galleries selling expensive artwork. And there was an endless variety of maple products (e.g. candies, syrup, cookies, fudge). In the end, I settled for a couple of coffee cups from a boutique near the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church.

Memorable mugs from Quebec City—made in China.

Next up: A day trip to Montmorency Falls.

Info:

Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac | 1 Rue des Carrières | Quebec City, Quebec | G1R 4P5 | Canada | 418.692.3861 | fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/ | Trip Advisor Review

Plains of Abraham, The Battlefields Park, Joan of Arc Garden | www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca

Le Billig | 526 Rue Saint-Jean | Quebec City, Quebec | G1R 1P6 | Canada | 418.524.8341 | Yelp review

Le Musée de la civilisation | 85 Rue Dalhousie | Quebec City, Quebec | G1K 8R2 | Canada | 418.643.2158 | mcq.org

Le Lapin Sauté | 52 Rue du Petit-Champlain | Quebec City, Quebec | G1K 4H4 | Canada | 418.692.5325 | lapinsaute.com | Yelp review

Previous posts in this series:

Bonjour Montreal!

Montreal: Day Two in Downtown

Montreal: The Plateau and Botanical Garden

Farewell Montreal, Hello Quebec City!

Fork in the road? Uh, make that a fork in the window.

Vroom! A vintage poster store on Rue Saint-Paul.

We noticed this cutie pie in the window of a gallery specializing in Inuit art. Her name was Moose, a St. Bernard and Great Pyrenees mix. (Btw, that’s not a tennis ball in her mouth. It was actually the size of grapefruit!)

Moose was the gallery owner’s dog. She affectionately sat on my foot and wanted to play. Surrounded by thousands of dollars worth of sculpture, I just petted her instead.

We walked to McGill Street for brunch at Le Cartet restaurant. With such a discreet sign, it would have been easy to miss.

There was a small gourmet market near the entrance—like a mini Dean & DeLuca.

A view towards the restaurant with its communal tables, Edison light bulbs and chalkboard menu. Yes, total hipster hangout.

This little piggy went to market. Near the Old Port.

Minimalist traffic sign.

Confession: we didn’t eat any poutine, the [in]famous Canadian dish of French fries topped with brown gravy and cheese curds. I think the indigestion would have been terminal.

• Reminiscent of Paris, the city was filled with effortlessly chic and thin women. They looked like this and this.
• Reminiscent of Paris, there was a lot of cigarette smoking.
• The streets, metro and public restrooms were all remarkably clean.
• The air somehow felt clearer and crisper (even when it was 70 degrees).

We eventually said au revoir to cosmopolitan Montreal and took the VIA Rail Canada train to Quebec City. The tickets were a bargain at 29 Canadian dollars per person for reserved seats.

The Canadian countryside passing by in a blur.

Can’t get any more picturesque than this.

Four hours later, we arrived at our hotel, the superb Auberge Saint-Antoine, in the heart of the Old City. Staying true to our familiar pattern, we immediately set out to find a dinner spot. (What I can say? We like to eat!)

Andrew about to pass out from hunger at Cafe Saint-Malo, one of a gazillion French bistros in the area.

We then trudged up several steep streets (sorry for the bad tongue-twister) towards the landmark Chateau Frontenac.

We finished our evening stroll back in our ‘hood in the Lower Town. This is the quaint Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church which was built almost 300 years ago.

Coming up next: Quebec City in One Day!

Info:

Le Cartet | 106 McGill Street | Montreal, Quebec | H2Y 2E5 | Canada | 514.871.8887 | lecartet.com | Yelp review

Auberge Saint-Antoine | 8 Saint-Antoine Street | Quebec City, Quebec | G1K 4C9 | Canada | 418.692.2211 | saint-antoine.com | Trip Advisor review

Cafe Saint-Malo | 75 Saint Paul Street | Quebec City, Quebec | G1K 3V9 | Canada | 418.692.2004 | lecafestmalo.com | Yelp review

Previous posts in this series:

Bonjour Montreal!

Montreal: Day Two in Downtown

Montreal: The Plateau and Botanical Garden

Bienvenue! Mural near the Mont-Royal metro station.

Small market outside the metro.

We had brunch at the retro-slash-funky Restaurant l’Avenue. This is Andrew waiting for his eggs Benedict. (Look at that cute face!)

Harley hanging overhead.

The rest rooms were covered with glow-in-the-dark murals. (This photo doesn’t capture the jarring, sensory effect.)

Rue St. Denis, one of the lovely wide main streets in the Plateau.

Colorful street art above the Doc Martens store.

A charming side street in the shadow of Mont Royal.

My favorite image of the day.

When we had our fill of boho chic, we hopped on the metro and headed northeast towards the Botanical Garden. We wanted to catch the Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal exhibition/competition before it closed. It was a grand, elaborate series of topiaries by horticultural artists.

Sheeps grazing.

Old man kneeling.

The scale of the sculptures was impressive.

When the crowds became too much along the Mosaïcultures path, we took off for more peaceful pastures.

Autumn was in the air.

Abstract art? Lichens forming cool shapes.

On our way out, we stopped at the nearby Insectarium. I loved the displays of butterflies, beetles and bugs for their astounding colors and intricate patterns.

No ickiness here, just beautiful wings.

Stunning, eye-catching…I’m running out of adjectives.

Nature’s delicacies.

Sidenote: the insect specimens reminded me of artist Christoper Marley’s Pheromone collection.

“Callicore” by Christopher Marley. Image via pheromonedesign.com

Walking back towards the Viau metro station, we passed Olympic Park which housed many of the venues during the 1976 Summer Games.

The Stadium in the foreground with the Montreal Tower in back.

At 541 feet, it’s the “tallest inclined tower in the world.”

Returning to our Old Montreal ‘hood, we had dinner at Stash Café in the nick of time. I was getting hangry and would have eaten a rubber shoe at that point. Luckily, what we had was infinitely better. Andrew and I ordered the placki (potato pancakes), pierogi, kielbasa and golabki (cabbage rolls filled with pork and rice). Everything was delicious and reasonably priced to boot!

Soulful and hearty Polish food at Stash Café.

Coming up next: We travel to Quebec City.

Info:

Montreal Botanical Garden and Insectarium | 4101 Sherbrooke Street East | Montreal, Quebec | H1X 2B2 | Canada | 514.872.1400 | espacepourlavie.ca

Restaurant l’Avenue | 922 Avenue du Mont-Royal East | Montreal, Quebec | H2J 1X2 | Canada | 514.523.8780 | Yelp review

Stash Café| 200 Saint Paul Street West | Montreal, Quebec | H2Y 1Z9 | Canada | 514.845.6611 | stashcafe.com | Yelp review

Previous posts:

Bonjour Montreal!

Montreal: Day Two in Downtown

We started with a pre-breakfast visit to the Notre Dame Basilica a couple of blocks from our hotel in Old Montreal. The original church dates back to the 1600s, and its current interior was inspired in part by the exquisite Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

Divine colors and design.

Afterwards, on our way to a cafe to grab a croissant and coffee, we spotted these eye-catching goodies:

Just add a bow on top and these Canadian mailboxes would look like presents.

A rare Fisker Karma electric hybrid sports sedan.

We then took the clean and quiet metro downtown and got off at the Peel station.

Me likes this cool graffiti near the metro exit.

We stopped at Ogilvy’s department store on Saint Catherine Street. Major crush on the orange-and-gray jacket at the Rebecca Taylor boutique. (And the chandelier trompe-l’oeil reminded me of the graffiti sign.)

We arrived at our main destination, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts:

This is the entrance on one side of Sherbrooke Street. Officially known as the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, it was designed by Israeli/Canadian “starchitect” Moshe Safdie.

This Beaux-Arts building across the street is also part of the museum. An underground concourse connects the two.

Upstairs, downstairs: pathways to different exhibitions in the modern pavilion.

Andrew strolling through one of the galleries. I especially loved the painting by Québécois artist Serge Lemoyne of legendary hockey goalie Ken Dryden.

More to love: the decorative arts collection housed in the museum’s Liliane and David M. Stewart Pavilion blew me away—an overwhelming visual delight. Whether you’re a design buff or a casual fan of shelter magazines, you will enjoy this place.

Squiggly lines as seating, including the orange “Corallo” (Coral) Chair by Brazilians Fernando and Humberto Campana.

The green “Floor Fan” made from lacquered synthetic clay is by German artist Maarten Baas (I’m wondering how he balanced the weight so it doesn’t tip over). He also did the black “Zig Zag” Chair.

The “Miss Blanche” Armchair by Shiro Kuramata—very Prada, no?

Mother and child: Gaetano Pesce’s “La Mamma” Armchair and Ottoman simultaneously looks like a baby on its back with its feet in the air. Piero Gilardi’s “Mela” (Apple) Chair is cheeky.

“Poltrona di Proust” (Proust’s Armchair) by Alessandro Mendini reminds me of Pointillism and pixels.

High chairs: furniture suspended on the back wall, including Philippe Starck’s “Louis Ghost” Armchair for Kartell. (I long for one, or maybe four.)

Taking a break outside on the terrace of the Stewart Pavilion. These patio chairs resemble laundry baskets.

Taking a break inside on a stark and sleek black leather banquette.

The featured exhibition was a site-specific installation by renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. Billed as the artist’s “first major show to be presented in Canada,” it was sensory overload and more Vegas than Montreal. Still, I’m glad we saw it. As a fun and exuberant tour de force, it was great birthday fare!

Honestly, this was my favorite part of the show: the line drawing that served as wayfinding signage. (Its style is similar to the “WhatIsAdam” graffiti art above. Do you sense a theme?)

“The Boats.”

“Flowers.”

“Glass Forest #6.”

Around mid-afternoon, as we were leaving, this installation adjacent to the museum drew our attention:

Follow the red-and-green brick road?

I think it’s the handiwork of the Montreal Tourism Board.

For a late lunch, Andrew thought I’d want to try a raw vegan restaurant. Eating spaghetti squash instead of pasta and a flaxseed kale wrap in lieu of fish tacos? Hell no! Give me some butter and meat. Give me some hot cooked food! So we hoofed it several blocks to a hole-in-the-wall Japanese joint called Kazu. (I told you Yelp was our savior.) I had the pork belly ramen with a super-flavorful broth while Andrew had their famous salmon and tuna bowl. Now we’re talkin’!

To burn off our meal, we trekked to the 500-acre Parc du Mont-Royal designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The park includes part of Mount Royal and the highest spot in the city. We climbed what felt like a million stairs to reach the Kondiaronk Lookout, a semicircular plaza with breathtaking views of downtown Montreal and the St. Lawrence River. The perspective was gorgeous and refreshing!

Andrew’s head in the clouds. (And you can see the leaves beginning to change color.)

A sparse crowd admiring the scenery.

We were tired, sweaty and hungry by the time we returned to our hotel. I had made a dinner reservation at Les 400 Coups, the nicest restaurant we ate at during our stay. It was located in Old Montreal but away from the main touristy area. They seated us at a cozy table  in front.

My celebratory kir Quebecois. Santé!

The place was packed on a Wednesday evening. The decor was stylish yet warm. Our waiter was friendly. I had the squash soup with smoked herring, cranberry and celery; roasted guinea fowl breast with parsnip, mushrooms and smoked paprika; and the pear, coffee and caramel dessert. A delicious end to our day…and beginning of my 40th year.

Info:

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts | 1380 Sherbrooke Street West | Montreal, Quebec | H3G 1J5 | Canada | 514.285.2000 | mbam.qc.ca

Kazu | 1861 Sainte Catherine Street West | Montreal, Quebec | H3H 1M1 | Canada | 514.937.2333 | kazumontreal.com | Yelp review

Les 400 Coups | 400 Notre Dame Street East | Montreal, Quebec | H2Y 1C8 | Canada | 514.985.0400 | les400coups.ca | Yelp review

Coming up next: The Plateau and Botanical Gardens!

Previous post: Bonjour Montreal!

Our trip was fantastic: superb, sunny weather with high temps in the low 70s (we deliberately left our umbrella at home); a chance for me to flex my French language skills while having English as a safety blanket; a good mix of culture, sightseeing and leisurely meals each day; and no jet lag! Above all, I loved the thrill and happiness of experiencing a brand new place with Andrew. (Cue the corny music.)

Here’s my photo journey of Day One in Montreal:

We took the 10 am flight from Reagan National Airport to Montreal. By the time we arrived at our hotel, it was around 2 pm. We stayed at the elegant and cozy Hotel Nelligan in the historic section of town (Vieux-Montréal).

Starving for lunch, we set out to find the café the front desk had recommended. This is a view of Rue Saint Paul West.

It was hard to believe that a few hours earlier, we were in Arlington, VA. And here we were, strolling along cobblestone streets and inhaling the European vibe.

You can’t help but smile at charming accents like windowsill flower boxes.

Our lunch destination: Olive + Gourmando. It’s a friendly, bustling bakery and sandwich shop.

We were lucky to get seated right away. I had the Cajun chicken sandwich and Andrew went with the veggie option. Both were so flavorful and fresh. We washed it down with some amazing house-made ginger iced tea.

We split a huge chocolate brioche for dessert. (I kinda wish we had ordered two!)

Stomachs full, we were now ready to start exploring the city on foot. This address had the loveliest street number sign.

As we walked along Rue de la Commune in the late afternoon, the sun behind this building lent it a beautiful bluish hue.

Along the Promenade du Vieux-Port, I liked the contrast of this rusty tower next to a gleaming cruise ship.

This cherry tree reminded me of hand gestures.

Andrew observing the filming of a TV show.

I went nuts over this old warehouse along the promenade—something about the faded colors and geometric shapes.

Seeing the warehouse up close: the weathered maple leaf served as a fitting backdrop.

We walked to the Clocktower Quay (Quai de l’Horloge). How gorgeous is this cloudless sky?!

View from the quay towards Jacques-Cartier Bridge.

I’m pretty sure the city must have trucked in tons of sand to create makeshift beaches over the summer (à la “Paris Plage”).

These beach chairs in storage looked like a jumble of interlocking game pieces.

Making our way towards Rue Saint Paul East, we came across the intriguing façade of the Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum.

The majestic Bonsecours Market at dusk.

On a sidenote, the Yelp and Google Maps apps were a godsend throughout our trip. And buying an international data plan before leaving the U.S. helped us limit screen time and digital distractions. (By the way, can you please interpret the yellow sign above my head?)

Street performers at Place Jacques-Cartier.

Swooning over hanging flower pots.

A slice of life on Rue le Royer near our hotel. Later on, we ate some yummy slices at BEVO Pizzeria.

Before turning in, we walked to Notre Dame Basilica. They know how to light up the night.

Ornate street lamps in front of the Basilica.

All smiles in front of the Maisonneuve Monument at Place d’Armes which faces the Basilica.

Info:

Hotel Nelligan | 106 Saint Paul Street West | Montreal, Quebec | H2Y 1Z3 | Canada | 877.788.2040 | hotelnelligan.com | Trip Advisor review

Olive + Gourmando | 351 Saint Paul Street West | Montreal, Quebec | H2Y 2A7 | Canada | 514.350.1083 | oliveetgourmando.com | Yelp review

BEVO Bar + Pizzeria | 410 Saint Vincent Street | Montreal, Quebec | H2Y 3A6 | Canada | 514.861.5039 | bevopizza.com | Yelp review

Coming up next: Downtown and Mount Royal Park!

Straight-up icon: on our way from the hotel to the subway for the last time, I zoomed in on the Chrysler Building.

A visit to Soho requires a stop at the Opening Ceremony boutique. The red bandana doors lead to the men’s shop.

The main entrance (i.e. blue doors) leads to women’s wear.

Perfect graffiti on Howard Street. Opening Ceremony isn’t as famous or cutting-edge as, say, Colette in Paris but I love its fresh and offbeat spirit.

Even the sale prices were a tad out of my league, so I happily ended up with some souvenir patches for $5 a pop. The stickers were a colorful freebie.

The OC sales staff gave me a preppy-looking shopping bag. They were friendly and gracious, which sadly seems the exception rather than the rule at high-end, hipster boutiques.

I tweeted my thanks and they immediately replied. Classy.

Seen on Greene Street. I love the fire escapes.

Galeria Melissa located at 102 Greene Street. Melissa is a quirky Brazilian shoe brand known for its collaborations with top designers like Karl Lagerfeld.

In Nolita, we stopped for lunch at Cafetal Social Club, a tiny, unassuming panini place that also served delicious gelato and macarons. Afterwards, we did a slow trek to Bleecker Street to catch the subway, savoring every last minute.

Make love, not war: a mural in Nolita.

Caffeinate or else: homage to Don Draper.

The scream: peek around every corner in Soho and you’ll find a buzzing, vivid scene.

Till next time, New York!

P.S. I was too shy to take any street fashion photos but let me tell you, I saw so many variations of these effortlessly cool styles each day on the subway, on the Upper East Side, in Midtown and of course in Soho. It made people-watching a pure joy!

Info:

Opening Ceremony | 35 Howard Street | New York, NY | 10013 | 212.219.2688 | openingceremony.us

Galeria Melissa | 102 Greene Street | New York, NY | 10012 | 212.775.1950 | shopmelissa.com

Cafetal Social Club | 285 Mott Street |  New York, NY | 10012 | 212.966.1259 | cafetalsocialclub.com | Yelp review

Previous posts:

Monday in Midtown

Tuesday on the Upper East Side

Wednesday in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn

Related posts you might like:

NYC 2011: Chelsea Morning

NYC: Public Ceremony

NYC: Orange x OC

October 2007: the two of us at an event about four months into our relationship. (Why does Andrew look just slightly bemused?)

Six years later, we’re still stuck together. In the lobby of our hotel before venturing out for some sightseeing.

Reflections at the 9/11 Memorial

After breakfast at the hotel, we jumped on the subway to Lower Manhattan. Noisy and nonstop construction surrounded us as we emerged onto the street at Fulton. The cranes and jack hammers actually created a stirring backdrop—proud reminders that gleaming skyscrapers and new landmarks are being built.

Looking up at One World Trade Center (a.k.a. Freedom Tower). The 104-story skyscraper will be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. It is 1,776 feet tall, a symbolic reference to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.

The 9/11 Memorial was peaceful and not too crowded. It features twin reflecting pools that “sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood.” Each pool is nearly an acre in size with “the largest man-made waterfalls in North America.”

Tickets and brochure for the 9/11 Memorial.

Even though the sun was sparkling on the water and the site was serene, I wasn’t inspired to take a bunch of photos. It sounds corny but I put away my iPhone and thought about where I was on September 11, 2001. I was working at Morgan Stanley’s branch office right near the FBI Building in downtown DC. My boss and I were watching CNBC in his office when the Today Show cut in with reports of a plane flying into the North Tower. I remember saying, “That poor pilot must have had a heart attack.” Then we saw the second plane crash into the South Tower. We had several colleagues who happened to be in New York for training at our firm’s offices in that building. (Morgan Stanley was one of the World Trade Center’s largest tenants, occupying 25 floors. Our co-workers thankfully all survived, due in large part to the heroics of Rick Rescorla.) The panic really set in after we saw the Pentagon on fire. We were convinced that the White House or the Capitol was next, and our office was right between the two.

“The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into bronze panels edging the Memorial pools.”

Battery Park

From the World Trade Center site, we walked down West Street to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan. With a light breeze blowing, it was relaxing to stroll near the water.

Panoramic view towards the Statue of Liberty and New Jersey.

Zooming in on the Statue of Liberty.

Andrew is an overzealous shutterbug, and I am his reluctant muse.

Distraction over head: at the Esplanade near the South Cove.

My outfit matches the trees. (Yes, it’s the J.Crew green shorts again.)

Framing Lady Liberty from Castle Clinton, a sandstone fort built in 1808. It was America’s first immigration station (before Ellis Island) where more than 8 million people arrived in the U.S. from 1855 to 1890.

Brooklyn Museum

Next, we crossed the river and headed to the Brooklyn Museum for lunch and three memorable art exhibitions.

The museum’s admission tag.

Wayfinding signage for art. (It looks 3D but is actually printed on a flat wall.)

The two main exhibitions that drew us to Brooklyn.

Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui

This was the first solo exhibition in a New York museum by renowned Ghanaian artist El Anatsui. My friend Marilynn first told me about him during the 2007 Venice Biennale. He had turned a bag of trash—liquor bottle caps discarded from a local distillery—into the most stunning tapestry! Vogue magazine described it as “both entrancingly beautiful and historically complex, transforming the refuse of an impoverished continent into something uniquely luxurious. It seemed at once ancient and worn, yet also opulent and radically new.”

Well, I had to see El Anatsui’s work for myself. Behold these monumental masterpieces:

Astonishing ethereal beauty.

“Drifting Continents,” 2009, aluminum and copper wire. According to author Susan Vogel, “themes of exile and loss are woven through his work, but also art’s alchemical powers of transformation.”

Close-up detail. The artist and his team have apparently created more than 30 different types of patterned “fabrics.”

One of my favorites pieces. “Ink Splash,” 2010, aluminum and copper wire.

“Waste Paper Bags,” 2004-10, aluminum printing plates, paint, copper wire.

This showstopper looks like Kente cloth.

From scraps to the sublime: “Black Block,” 2010, aluminum and copper wire.

“Peak,” 2010, tin and copper wire. This sculpture is made from stringing together the tops of milk cans.

John Singer Sargent Watercolors

My high school art teacher Mr. Li always said, “Watercolor is the most difficult medium because you can’t cover up your mistakes.” It’s true: no matter how much you saturate your paper with water and then try to soak it up to get rid of a brush stroke that’s not quite right, the mark will remain. So you can understand my deep appreciation for these Sargent paintings. And since the process behind any product fascinates me, I loved the part of the show that scientifically revealed his pigments, underdrawings and paper preparation.

“Bedouins,” circa 1905-06, opaque and translucent watercolor. This photo doesn’t begin to capture the richness of color and brilliant technique.

The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago

I had been dying of curiosity to see this iconic installation ever since Marilynn mentioned it to me eight years ago. (Like an elephant, I don’t forget.) It “comprises a massive ceremonial banquet, arranged on a triangular table with…thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an important woman from history.” The names of another 999 women are inscribed on 2,304 hand-cast and gilded porcelain floor tiles.

My reaction at finally seeing it for the first time? [Speechless.]

“The Dinner Party,” 1974-79, mixed media.

The Dinner Party is obviously ripe with symbolism and significance. It celebrates traditional female accomplishments such as weaving and embroidery which had been devalued as “craft” versus “fine arts.” The table’s triangular shape represents the female. The thirty-nine final women are arranged in “three groups of thirteen… Thirteen represents the number of [men] who were present at the Last Supper.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Many of the plates feature “a butterfly- or flower-like sculpture as a vulva symbol.” The completed Dinner Party took several years to complete. More than 400 people, mostly volunteers, contributed to its creation.

Selfies at Prospect Park

In the late afternoon, we visited nearby Prospect Park for some fresh air. We sat down at a bench overlooking the Long Meadow and took some silly selfies:

Funny face: Andrew being arch.

The lighting makes Andrew look like he shaved half his head.

Anniversary Dinner

We were tired and hungry pups by dinnertime but still wanted to celebrate at a cool restaurant near our hotel. Brasserie, located in the Seagram Building, fit the bill perfectly. We were in “starchitect” heaven! The building was of course designed by Mies van der Rohe. Philip Johnson designed the original restaurant, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro later redesigned it after a fire.

The current incarnation of Brasserie. Photo by Michael Moran via arcspace.com

Even without a reservation, we were seated promptly and opted for the prix fixe menu (a very reasonable $35). Andrew ordered their famous onion soup, hangar steak with fries, and goat cheese cheesecake with poached pears. I had the soup, barramundi with cauliflower puree, and chocolate sampler. The food was divine, and the atmosphere was fun and surprisingly unpretentious. Overall, a wonderful evening

Sorry to disappoint. We didn’t take photos of our food and didn’t ask our waiter to capture the moment. Consolation prize? A lame shot of the restaurant’s business card and sugar packet.

Info:

The 9/11 Memorial | 212.266.5211 | 911memorial.org

Brooklyn Museum | 200 Eastern Parkway | Brooklyn, NY | 11238 | 718.638.5000 | brooklynmuseum.org

Brasserie | Seagram Building | 100 East 53rd Street (between Park & Lexington) |  New York, NY | 10022 | 212.751.4840 | patinagroup.com | Yelp review

Up next: Thursday in Soho!

Previous posts: 

Monday in Midtown

Tuesday on the Upper East Side

Well, the Upper East Side beckoned Andrew and me with its promise of prime real estate too—its famed Museum Mile!

So here’s a recap of our art binge on Day Two:

Ticket to Ride

We took the subway uptown. It was great—we never had to wait more than a few minutes for a train, and the cars were mightily air-conditioned. (DC metro, please take note!)

The Supermodel

While crossing Fifth Avenue to get to the Met, I spotted supermodel, Helena Christensen, hailing a cab. Wearing slingback heels and a slouchy knee-length navy dress with her black lace bra exposed in the back, she’s just as otherworldly-gorgeous in person as she was in the 1989 “Wicked Game” music video. (She’s 44 years old, people! Must be the Danish genes?) Andrew was brave enough to snap this quick photo as her taxi was pulling away:

She acknowledged that it was okay for Andrew to take her picture and then cracked a smile.

Whew! We had to take a moment to recover from the Helena sighting. It’s not everyday that a creature strides in front of you who looks like this:

Photo from Elle Spain, May 2013.

“PUNK: Chaos to Couture” at the Met

We arrived at the Met shortly after the doors opened at 9:30 am.

Banners lining Museum Mile.

After paying the suggested donation (skimping on art brings bad karma), we made a beeline to the exhibition “PUNK: Chaos to Couture.” No photography was allowed in the galleries, and I didn’t want to test the surveillance skills of the security guards. Overall, although the New Yorker had written a scathing review, I thought it was a fun and frivolous spectacle—good summertime fare. I liked its focus “on the relationship between the punk concept of ‘do-it-yourself’ and the couture concept of ‘made-to-measure.’” And I loved the pieces by Comme des Garçons, Versace and Viktor & Rolf, among others:

Members of the press had been granted a sneak peak in early May and obviously were allowed to take photos. So here’s a shot via Women’s Wear Daily (wwd.com). From the left, looks by Yohji Yamamoto, Viktor & Rolf and Chanel.

No, it wasn’t a sweeping tour de force like the Alexander McQueen retrospective in 2011. Then again, I wasn’t expecting it to be.

A couple of sidenotes:

1) On our way to the Punk galleries, I walked passed the daughter of “Real Housewife of New York” Jill Zarin. (How did I recognize her? I may have watched an episode or ten—and lost a million brain cells in the process. Definitely not worth scrambling to get her photo.)

In case you’re wondering who I’m talking about: RHoNY Jill Zarin on the left, her daughter Ally Shapiro on the right. (photo via bravotv.com)

2) Andrew, as is his wont, struck up a conversation with a bubbly, petite twenty-something girl who turned out to be a writer for Elle Poland. She had moved to New York a year ago and works part-time at the Antiques Garage. All of the city’s vibrant energy was channeled through this one beaming, fresh-faced girl whose words tumbled out about everything from Polish model Anja Rubik to taking the BoltBus to DC. She was amazing!

The Petrie European Sculpture Court at the Met

We stopped for a respite in one of my favorite spaces in any museum anywhere:

Breathing room.

I like how the perspective in this shot looks really exaggerated. #NoFilter

Boys Will Be Boys

Andrew was entertained by the punk exhibit (especially since he had been to CBGB when he was a lot younger), but what he really wanted to see was armor, swords and guns. (This may or may not have induced some major eye-rolling on my part.)

What the hell is up with all the male fascination about this stuff?

Andrew Get Your Gun.

Upon exiting the Met, we threw our light-blue metal admission tags into the designated recycling box. Had I known that only six days later the Met was going to do away with them altogether, I would have saved them as keepsakes!

How the 0.001% Live

On our way to Sarabeth’s for lunch (where I had the most delicious seafood salad and Andrew was the only straight man in a sea of social x-rays), this gorgeous house on East 92nd Street was preening and begging me to take its photo:

Look at the lush tidiness. It reeks of Birkin bags and Damien Hirst paintings inside.

The Guggenheim

After lunch, we were off to the Guggenheim, mainly to see the James Turrell installation that I had been hearing and reading so much about.

View of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “temple of the spirit” on Fifth Avenue.

I won’t even attempt to describe the site-specific installation better than someone like the New York Times’ Roberta Smith. You just need to know these two things: 1) “the ravishing ‘Aten Reign’ [is] an immense, elliptical, nearly hallucinatory play of light and color that makes brilliant use of the museum’s famed rotunda and ocular skylight.” 2) you must go and experience it for yourself.

Artist Chuck Close has described Turrell as an “orchestrator of experience.” I love that quote, and it’s so true!

I snapped this photo looking towards the skylight before realizing that photography is forbidden. I was chided by the security guard and hung my head in Asian shame. (But hey, I got the shot, right?!)

 Maurice Sendak

The final stage of our art-filled day was perhaps the most rewarding and unexpected. I had read somewhere about a Maurice Sendak exhibit at an obscure little museum located not far from our hotel. Thank goodness we ventured there because it turned out to be an extraordinary collection of more than “two hundred never-before-seen Sendak originals…[including] rare studies, sketches, photographs, and ephemera, [plus] previously unpublished artwork from Where the Wild Things Are.” It was beyond delightful.

Meticulous drawings and warm memories.

Master of his craft.

Dinner at Tao

Our friend Rachel suggested nearby Tao as our dinner destination. It was a loud and fun atmosphere filled with tacky young women dressed to the nines in short spandex dresses accompanied by cologne-dipped, greasy older men. (Trust me, it wasn’t a brothel!) I ordered pad thai, Andrew ordered Singapore fried rice, and Rachel ordered sushi. And there wasn’t an ounce of Lycra or Drakkar Noir among us.

The dining room was one ginormous double-height space featuring this imposing statue.

Since match boxes are becoming increasingly rare at restaurants, I was pleased that Tao still offered them.

P.S. The Loot

Shockingly, I didn’t build in a lot of time during this NYC trip to do major shopping but still managed to pick up a few mementos. I think postcards make some of the best souvenirs—they’re inexpensive, lightweight and packable.

These two beauties are from the Museum of American Illustration.The one on the left is by Steven Stipelman. The one on the right is by Yuko Shimizu.

Punk rocks. I can’t wait to pin these up in my office.

At the Met, I also splurged on this t-shirt because it’s the only piece of clothing by Rodarte I’ll ever be able to afford. I plan on pairing it with my spiky necklace by Fallon. #PunkforLightweights

Mad for punk plaid.

Info:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art | 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) | New York, NY 10028 | 212.535.7710 | metmuseum.org

Sarabeth’s East | 1295 Madison Avenue (at 92nd Street) | New York, NY | 10128 | 212.410.7335 | sarabeth.com | Yelp review

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum | 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street)| New York, NY  10128| 212.423.3500 | guggenheim.org

Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators | 128 East 63rd Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues) | New York, NY 10065 | 212.838.2560 | societyillustrators.org

Tao Asian Bistro | 42 East 58th Street (between Park & Madison Avenues) | New York, NY | 10022 | 212.888.2288 | taorestaurant.com | Yelp review

Up next: No Sleep Till Brooklyn!

Previous post: Monday in Midtown

I won’t bury the lede: we had a fabulous time! It might have been even better than two years ago. It never rained. It was warm with a light breeze (i.e. none of that soupy, melt-the-oil-absorbing-powder-right-off-your-face humidity that mars summers in the nation’s capital). We had two random celebrity sightings! We ate well. We walked a lot (hello NikeFuel points!). And we absorbed the vibrant energy of Manhattan that’s like nowhere else on earth.

A little background: I enjoy working within constraints because they streamline decisions—whether it’s the small-screen real estate of iPhone apps for my day job, or a count-on-one-hand number of days in the sleepless Big Apple. The set parameters for this vacation were viewing several must-see art exhibitions over the course of four weekdays. Since different museums are closed on different days (although the Met and MoMA are now currently open seven days a week), I easily came up with a general itinerary.

Without further ado, here’s my chronicle of Day One:

We arrived at our lovely hotel, the Elysée, in Midtown East in the early afternoon. (If you’re looking for a quiet hotel with Old World European charm, fresh flowers everywhere, friendly service, free wifi, an incredible complimentary breakfast, then this is the place for you.)

Along West 55th Street on our way to lunch at La Bonne Soupe bistro, we literally passed by Chris Rock (Yes! Chris freakin’ Rock!) who was walking while talking in his unmistakable voice to two dudes who were flanking him. He was wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks, apparently shooting a movie in the area. I was too starstruck to grab my phone. (I bet I looked like this.) You’ll have to take my word for it.

After lunch, as we headed towards MoMA, I saw this orange scaffolding that looked like Christo’s “The Gates” installation in Central Park.

At MoMA, we saw the museum’s first major exhibition on the work of Le Corbusier. The architectural models were my favorite part, but photography was forbidden.

Another highlight for me was Ellsworth Kelly’s “Chatham Series,” fourteen paintings that have not been exhibited together since 1972.

As Roberta Smith wrote in the New York Times, “Mr. Kelly made shaped paintings using a brilliantly obvious method: abutting two ordinary rectangles to form an inverted ‘L.’ The looming vertical paintings evoke giant rulers, or details of architecture, especially posts and lintels.”

The exhibition was in celebration of the artist’s 90th birthday last month. Andrew commented, “Isn’t ‘Ellsworth’ a fitting first name for the creator of these inverted ‘L’ shapes?”

No two works have exactly the same measurements.

These are from Ellsworth Kelly’s series “Line Form Color.” Ink on paper and gouache on paper.

More from Mr. Kelly. Clean lines, geometry, strong colors. Love.

We spent the rest of our visit happily wandering through MoMA’s permanent collection.

Iconic: Jasper Johns, Flag.

Donald Judd, Untitled (Stack), 1967, lacquer on galvanized iron.

I didn’t catch the name of this sculpture but I thought it worked well with the Donald Judd piece above.

Mark Rothko, No. 3/No. 13, 1949, oil on canvas. (Btw, do you like these green J.Crew shorts? Oh good! ’cause I wore them a lot during this trip.)

Tom Wesselmann, Mouth, 7, 1966, oil on shaped canvas.

Andrew capturing Jasper Johns’s “Target with Four Faces.”

Andrew taking a photo of Jackson Pollock’s “One: Number 31.”

Me posing in front of “Gun with Hand #1″ by artist Vija Celmins. (Btw, my comfy lavender-striped top is Saint James for J.Crew.)

Winding down the afternoon in MoMA’s serene Sculpture Garden:

Alberto Giacometti, Tall Figure III, 1960, bronze.

Stark lines: facing Giacometti’s sculpture.

Panoramic view of the blissfully uncrowded garden.

Leaving MoMA, I couldn’t ignore this Sol LeWitt installation.

We returned to the hotel to freshen up, relax in the lounge and enjoy the complimentary happy hour and hors d’oeuvres. Our next stop was dinner at nearby Angelo’s Pizza, a casual neighborhood restaurant which served the best pizza I’ve ever had. We ordered a large pie with sausage, peppers and mushrooms. It arrived with a blistered, charred crust that was the perfect combo of chewy, crispy and thin. No soggy greasiness. Super-fresh ingredients. Good ratio of cheese to tomato sauce. I would have snapped a photo but we were too hungry. You’ll have to take my word for it.

To aid digestion, Andrew suggested we stroll east towards Sutton Place Park. (I had never been there.) It was a picturesque ending to our first day in New York.

Andrew looking towards FDR Four Freedoms Park located on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island.

The 59th Street Bridge at dusk.

Info:

Hotel Elysée | 60 East 54th Street (between Madison and Park) | New York, NY 10022 | 212.753.1066 | elyseehotel.com | Trip Advisor reviews

La Bonne Soupe | 48 West 55th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave.) | New York, NY | 10019 | 212.586.7650 | labonnesoupe.com | Yelp review

MoMA | 11 West 53 Street | New York, NY  10019 | 212.708.9400 | moma.org | NYTimes review of Le Corbusier exhibition | NYTimes review of Ellsworth Kelly Chatham Series

Angelo’s Pizza | 1043 2nd Avenue (between 55th and 54th) | New York, NY 10022 | 212.521.3600 | angelospizzany.com | Yelp review

Up next: Tuesday on the Upper East Side!