A day alone

The team were back at work today so I had a day to myself. I stirred when Sue came into her room to collect some stuff but went back to sleep and woke to a sunny day, but I learnt my lesson and checked the temp before heading out. The last 3 balmy days are over and it was to be 2 degrees only, so dressed appropriately.
I started off with a trip on the C line to travel down to Prince Street to shop at Dean & DeLuca as I wanted to see if I could find something for my elderly Italian neighbour, who is collecting my mail and keeping an eye on the house. I found the store (actually exited on the correct SE corner) I decided on some coffee as she invites me in for a coffee, proper Italian infusion stuff! I also stopped for a Cafe latte, small. However in true USA style their small is our large. My theory is that they give you big things, food serves esp. that are not hard to give, but cut back on stuff that matters like health care, unemployment benefit and social support. 

After a browse I bought Sue and Celia some food tongs (they only have the crappy mini lot I gave them 2 yrs ago!) It took me and them several minutes to work out how they work, well not HOW they work but how TO work them. It is impossible to open them if they are pointed up, but open when squeezed when facing down! Magic! (We can't work out HOW they work though.)

I then went to UNIQLO on Spring to buy these Japanese design Heat Tech garments. Magic technology thermals that are soft and thin and warm from your body heat.

I then walked over to Bleeker St ( a favourite Simon and Garfunkle tune) to subway up to the Nueue Gallery. There was still a lot of snow around (at Central Park and 5th Avenue as well) so we are lucky here.

The Nueue gallery have the lovely Klimt Picture of Adele Bloch-Bauer, but I went to see an exhibition

of sculptures of Franz Xaver Messerschmidt from Vienna. But in 1770 he was thought to have a mental breakdown and retreated to his native Bavaria and for the rest of his life worked on his 60 "character heads." To produce these works, Messerschmidt would look into the mirror, pinching his body and contorting his face. He then rendered, with great precision, his distorted expressions. Messerschmidt is known to have produced more than 60 of these astonishing works before he died in 1783 at the age of 47.

                                             Snow clearing on 5th Avenue near the MET

I then walked through Central park where they were still clearing snow at edge of park but still large expanses in Sheep Meadow.

On the walk home I stopped in at Advanti Nail Salon and had a manicure and pedicure. A novel but New York experience. N booking needed and people just walking in all the rime I was here including a guy to have manicure and another a pedicure.