Musings from NYC

Okay, okay - I don't always have to muse from the country, do I? With the Big Apple only a four hour drive away, can you blame me? Our major goal this trip? To finally see the pillars of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for ourselves (something we've been planning to do for at least 20 years!)

Over a 100 years ago granite quarries were the major industry on our favorite island in Maine - Vinalhaven. Granite was shipped from there all over the northeast in all shapes, sizes & descriptions. One of their most impressive commissions was to make 8 granite columns for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The pillars stand 55 feet tall and weigh 130 tons EACH (that's A LOT!). Each pillar was turned on a stone lathe on Vinalhaven (the old lathe is still there but you have to go on a "forced march" - another story - to get there). They were shipped by boat in two pieces - one weighing 90 tons and the other 40 tons. (I apologize for the fuzziness of the photo - my camera freaked out at the sight!) The columns were so perfectly turned and fitted, it's almost impossible to tell where the seam is.

To add to your list of the world's this 'n that, St. John the Divine is the world's largest cathedral. (To put it in American measurements, the "main room" is over two football lengths long.) They've been working on the cathedral since 1892 and from the progress they've made in the last 50 years I'd estimate it may take at least another hundred before it's done. However, they are incorporating certain modern day interpretations as they work on it. Notice our VW - Tillie - in one of the newer stone carvings in the photo? (What's THAT all about?!)

You may be wondering where exactly this cathedral is... Do you remember Tom's Restaurant, the diner where Seinfield and his friends on their TV show would always go? The cathedral is just a block over. (You can also eat at Tom's if you want - we didn't, but you can.)

We decided to eat French food instead. John of course is always making new friends wherever we go. Rene Pujol didn't say much but he certainly saw to it we were served a VERY fine French meal!

But of course we can't go to NYC and just go to church and eat (well, maybe just eat...) Anyway, the Museum of the City of NY is highly recommended as is the Museum of Modern Art. The skating at Rockefeller Center is fun to watch (you can't get ME on skates!). An overnight with a friend is VERY fun (as well as making the trip more affordable) plus we got to meet the Einstein of squirrels that has "deproofed" every squirrel-proof feeder in Brooklyn - very a-musing! (sorry....)