More New York Adventures- Natural History Museum and Rain Showers

A place I have always wanted to visit: The Natural History Museum in New York City. What a truly nerd-a-riffic experience! I kept thinking of my myriad science friends who would have loved the detailed displays in this place. I am partial to the dinosaur exhibits as well as all the under see life in the "giant whale" room. I was not too keen on the room with all the taxidermy animals. Though I agree that they were skillfully done, still a little creepy for my liking.

A group photo in the entrance of the museum without my cousin Bryce who was taking the picture, BUT with a random lady in the background who was unable to move out of the photo fast enough. Life is about balance. A little bit of trivia about the museum is that entrance is actually on a donation basis, so you don't have to pay the 15 dollars if you are unable to. I think that is great! Firstly because I don't know if I could afford a 15 dollar museum trip, and secondly because I think there are a lot of people out there like me who love to learn and think museums should be free like they are in other places in the USA (Washington DC) and in other countries. Mom and Erik at the end of the dino exhibit. wicked cool!!

After we left the museum we headed to Greenwich Village. This is another place I've wanted to visit for a long time, because like the Lake District in England, Greenwich is a place many of my favorite poets (especially from the 1920s) have called home. Though it is not the thriving hippie capitol that it used to be, it is still pretty dang cool. We also managed a unique NYC experience of being caught in a rain shower. The kind of rain shower that there is no escaping (though we tried!) It lasted for the exact amount of time that we were walking from the subway to our destined restaurant. I think we were laughing so hard that no one seemed to mind!

Mumford and Sons

Okay... a little more music review. I can't help myself! When the sun peaks out from behind the perpetual cloud cover that is life in England... THIS is the band I want to hear playing: Mumford and Sons. Everything about blue grass that I love, great harmonies, meaningful lyrics and a beat that makes you want to kick off your shoes and dance barefoot well passed sun down. My kind of party. I am hoping that I get a chance to see them at least once in a festival setting over the summer... hope hope hope. If anyone of my loyal blogland readers would like to join in the dance, you are more than welcome! Here is a link to one of my favorite songs they sing: Little Lion Man.

Yes, the music is good. What really won me over for these fellas is that on their website (Mumford and Sons) there are links to the band members blogs. These blogs, Ted's Photography, Mumford and Son's Speak, Ben's food on the Road and Marcus' Book Club, reflect a very well rounded foursome. Enjoy!

Norah Jones "The Fall"

Time to mix a little music review in with my blog. I know that many of you have spent countless hours wondering: What DOES Rachel listen to during all of these adventures?? Well, the answer is anything from Damian Marley to Tom Watts, Lenard Cohen to Yo La Tengo.

Lately,Norah Jones re-entered the most frequently played list. The Fall has a pleasantly mature yet melancholy with overtones of independence in the lyrics, dare I say... even a little angst. I like that. It is hard to believe that this is the same artist as her previous releases. When I started listening to this CD I was on the fence about it, but now I've run it through quite a few times I am pleased with my impulsive Starbucks CD purchase. I would recommend it also to you. I think my two favorites for the collection are Man of the Hour and You've Ruined Me Now. Although, Chasing Pirates is a great running song.

The Sights of Madrid

Madrid is a beautiful city. I was lucky enough to be stranded there because of volcanic ash for an additional couple of days! Which allowed me to do some proper sight seeing and also to experience some slightly (though not warm) nicer weather! :) Here are some of the highlights from my meanderings through the city...
The cathedral opposite of the Royal Palace
Me inside the courtyard of the royal palace. If you go on Wednesdays and you have an EU passport or hold a work permit for an EU country you can get in for free!! I only had my library card from Chester and my credit card on me, but he let me in for free anyway. yay! :)
Gardens in front of the Royal Palace.... very nice. If you look at it from the air it is a picture of Elvis. Not really, but I think that would be rad.
More pretty Royal Palace stuff. The Spaniards were pretty in the money back in the days of colonization and taking over the world. Their Royal Palace is one of the more impressive that I have seen in my travels. Each room has a different room and function. It is amazingly ornate and quite beautiful.
This is one of the large fountains in Retiro Park. I love this park. It is large and has all these lovely benches on which one can nap in the sunshine and not look like you live there but maybe just had a big lunch. I think I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on such a bench for at least a few hours. Though it was not after a big lunch. Because I didn't bring a guide book to Madrid and my Spanish is rusty I ended up freezing when I got into restaurants and subsequently ordering cafe con leche all day long. Which was fine because I would have a big breakfast at Terry's house and then wander through Madrid enjoying the cafe scene and either cook a big dinner that night or go out for tapas. Sounds like a Holiday to me!
The archways around Plaza are beautiful. All with little black iron gates near the windows, that should look intimidating and jail like but I found them to be delicate and a nice contrast to the light coloured buildings.
Inside Plaza Mayor there was a man making these huge bubbles. I want this job.
A few colourful shots from around town

This is me in Puerta del Sol. Yes, that is a flower in my hair. Yes, this is a reflection from the entry into the metro station. :)

This happens a lot.... protests. I can't complain, I'm a Protestant myself!
This is an shot of a wall inside the restaurant called 100 sandwiches, where my wallet and planner would be stolen later that night, but not my camera! There is always a silver lining, sometimes the clouds just seem too big to see it. Although I am not sure how my driver's licence, cancelled credit card and 5 euros is going to help anyone else but me. They had a cool art exhibition leading to Puerto del Sol. If you get a chance to wander around Madrid, be sure to extend your time into the evening. Don't be afraid to take the metro, it is efficient and clean. Above all duck into a coffee shop now and again for a coffee to keep you going!

The Statue of Liberty

The second day we woke up early and headed out to the Statue of Liberty. This was a highlight for all of us I would say. My mom's dad, William Sihvo, passed through these ports when he first immigrated to the USA. I've seen the Statue of Liberty before, but not up close and personal. There is a ton of security! Including this doorway you have to walk through that is first a metal detector then little spurts of air shoot all over you to test for drugs. If you visit this place and happen to be wearing a skirt, hold it down when this happens, don't make the same mistake I did and kind of yell with surprise. Sercurity gaurds are generally not hip to people yelping.

There were a variety of statues around the Island in addition to the giant metal "gift" from France. Interestingly I learned that though it was a gift, the great tax payers of New York ended up footing the bill for the platform. There was significant portion of the museum inside of the statue devoted to this countroversy.
I heart New York City. There was also a giant city wide cycle ride on the Saturday when we were crusing the streets. Though I saw many cyclists and longed to join them all. This is the only cyclist I saw with a blow up doll. My question is: Did he start out the ride with this doll? Or aquire it along the way? no way to tell for sure.
We ended the day meet up with my cousins!! yay! We are lucky to have much of our family living close by in Washington state (well, except for me, but when I am living there they are close!) Two of my mom's sister's kids (that's right!) live in NYC. It is rare to get a chance to spend time with them. I think in my adult life I can count the days I've seen them on my hands. In this photo we are sitting in a section of NYC called DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). Pretty fantastic view of the sunset.

oh the food... thank you NYC

I swear, I think that either I am now used to "non American" portions or the food in NYC is very generous!! Either way we ate and walked our way through the city and it was delicious!! Although I did sometimes want to ask if I could pay 1/3 of the price for 1/3 of the food... which would have sufficed... nah... I'm on holiday!
Famous Black and White Cookies

Refreshing Drinks

Italian Chocolate goodness with cherry middle surprise!

And pizza...
Oh the lovely, lovely pizza.


Thank you New York City. You have the most delicious food.

NYC adventures-day one

Last weekend, Erik and mom (Linda) flew out to meet me in New York City!! We were all pretty tired-me from starting my drive down from Connecticut at 3:30AM and the two of them flying a red eye from the west coast! However, we were determined to seize the day and make the most of our limited time and boy did we!
My cousin, Nikki, picked us up at the airport and we ventured out to enjoy some beautiful weather and eat some delicious food. Above is a picture of mom and Nikki in a park in Brooklyn and below the two of them sit across from me as we all fill up on coffee to fuel the day! :)
After breakfast (where I had the most delicious avocado eggs Benedict (eggs Benedict without the ham)) we ventured across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was packed, being a Saturday afternoon and weather conditions being... pretty much... ideal! Though I found most interactions with the locals in New York to be really pleasant, the cyclists certainly do not have much patience for people on the bridge. Seems a waste of time and too much negative energy to be continuously frustrated with the drove of tourists and other pedestrians... I would just cycle earlier in the morning. :) I have no idea what this sticker is for, but I saw in on the bridge... and how cute are those little duckings? really cute. Speaking of cute.. here is my brother Erik. This has to be one of my favorite pictures of him on the trip. He was living the dream: No...sleep... til Brooklyn (Brooklyn!)Mom on the Brooklyn bridge with a dinosaur in the background. More on Dinosaurs in a post to follow.

Wandering down Wall street we encountered a Romanian Festival! It was great, though I think that these people are the most authentic Romanian feature of the festival. They asked me to take a picture of them and when I finished I said "okay! and now a picture with Erik!" They happily obliged and insisted that he stand in the center.

This Globe use to be located in the courtyard of the World Trade Center. It is since relocated to Battery Park and is an impressive bit of preserved history.