The Best Kind of Guests

After spending a fantastic weekend in Boston, I returned to New York to prepare for my grandparents' grand visit to the city. Mare and Bill arrived on-time Wednesday afternoon and I met them at the airport so that we could begin our adventure together. We took the bus back into Manhattan and then got on the subway to come to my apartment. That evening we dined at home on spiced lentils, oven roasted potatoes, broccoli and carrots that I had prepared especially for them. The next morning, Thursday, we made a trek across the island, walking through Central Park all the way to the Upper West Side to visit my favorite market, Fairway. As we walked along, Pappy often stopped to point out the little wonders around us and, more than once, Mare and I had to wait on a corner for him to catch up. That evening the three of us dressed up and went to a gourmet restaurant inMurrayy Hill, the neighborhood directly south of Grand Central Station. Our meal was exquisite and much too much food for all of us to finish. I then headed to choir rehearsal while I sent them exploring in Rockefeller Center and Times Square. We met back at church and took the subway back uptown and then got right in bed for a good night rest.
Friday morning Mare and I left Pappy at my apartment so that he could do his own exploring. He kept saying that he wanted to "watch the East River" so I thought this was the perfect opportunity for him. The ladies went downtown to visit the World’s Largest Store, otherwise known as Macy's in Herald Square. I had never been there before and was quite impressed with the service and selection. Mare and I found some fantastic deals and she generously bought me several fantastic new outfits. When we finally got back to the apartment, both Grandma and I collapsed and took quite a long nap. That evening we took the bus down to Columbus Circle and then walked up to Lincoln Center for an evening with the New York Philharmonic. I had purchased tickets for the pre-concert talk and we arrived just in time to hear a great lecture by a composer and professor who was recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music. He eloquently described the musicality of the pieces we were about to experience and even used the board room piano to point out certain chord progression and intervals that in those pieces. The program began with a Bartok symphony that was quintessentially modern. Dissonant at times and clearly atonal, the piece was breathtaking when performed. After the intermission, we participated in the world premiere of a recently commissioned work by Harbison. It was based on a Czech poem, translated to English and then put to music. The series of songs was actually written for the soprano Dawn Upshaw who gracefully executed the premiere with dramatics and sensitivity. Finally, the concert ended with the Symphonic Dances of West Side Story by Bernstien, earlier recorded by the Philharmonic under the direction of Bernstien himself. I think all three of us enjoyed this piece the most because of the familiar melodies and Latin undertones. The second movement in the medley began with a viola solo of the melody of "Somewhere." I almost cried thinking of the words to the song and being overwhelmed by the aesthetic beauty of it all. After the concert we stopped at the typical pizzeria just down the street from my apartment and all ordered a slice. I must say it was a fantastic day, well planned and, most importantly, well executed too.
Mare and Bill will be in New York through Wednesday of next week, but will make a side trip on Tuesday/Wednesday to visit my grandfather's niece in Boston. More to come on our adventures . . .