The Sublime to the Ridiculous

I am much better at planning ahead than seizing the day, a lot of time can drift emptily by while I make detailed itineraries for the future.  After a typical post weekend Monday slump yesterday, consisting of too much desultory Facebook monitoring and NPR,  I hit on a new way to counteract it: instead of the bucket list approach, which I find can trigger a little demotivating depression,  I decided to designate one day a week as a vacation day..... what would I do today if I'd gone to a lot of trouble and expense to be here?

My number one choice would have been to see the Durer exhibition at the National Gallery but DC was a zoo because the Supreme Court was debating same sex marriage and thousands of people were demonstrating for and against. That in itself could have been interesting, but we live in (officially now) the worst area in the country for traffic and I just was not up for that.

So, a mixture of reliving last week's light show and homesickness for England led me to the Cathedral.

 Shades of home! But this "neogothic" cathedral, the sixth largest in the world, was only completed in 1990.

This is the mandala "Rose window", (seen from the front on the exterior shot). On a sunny day it projects its image beautifully onto the nearby wall.

One of my favorites, although it's modern design is out of synch with the rest of them, this is the Space Window.  It incorporates a piece of lunar rock from the Sea Of Tranquillity donated to the Cathedral by NASA in 1974. The rock, in the center of the top circle, is enclosed between 2 pieces of tempered glass and sealed with stainless steel in a nitrogen environment to prevent deterioration. Well, that's what Wikipedia says anyway.

There's nothing particularly special about this window except it's position. The sun catches it and sets it on fire. The colors on the left are the reflection on a stone column.

I am always intrigued by the beautiful reflected light patterns on the stone architecture and marble flooring tiles.

These lovely reflections from the top level of windows are on a massive net. It's been strung right across the ceiling of the Cathedral because there's repair work in progress after earthquake damage in 2011.

Scaffolding and "hard hat" areas all around as repair work commences after much fund raising

Some of the pieces that fell off in the earthquake

Outside there are designated parking spaces for Cathedral officials. Next to the Bishop of Washington (awol, but, to be fair, it was lunchtime) I found this interesting job description.....

On behalf of the Ordinary, I would like to thank him for showing up today in his nice silver Lexus :)

Then onwards to the gift shop, full of what my parents used to call "knasty knick knacks". They would not have been disappointed!

Gargoyles and angels are in charge of t shirt sales and taking it very seriously....

....... in with the bibles I found some apocryphal gospels....... 

....... a design competition is to be thanked for the Star Wars inspired gargoyle and it is featured very prominently.....

There was a lot more tackiness but I began to feel a little too jaded to record it and it was a relief to step back outside again. In the Bishop's garden I found these very appropriate Lenten roses

To get my shot of the full frontage of the Cathedral I had to keep moving backwards over the lawn until I reached the far fence, whereupon I stumbled upon a most suspicious looking package in the undergrowth. It turned out to be reassuringly labeled on the duct tape. Well, it's not going to say "explosives" is it? 

The Heliocliff and Planetarium

Word went out this week that Voyager 1, launched in 1977 and carrying the Golden Record of eclectic sounds from Earth.... now approx 11 billion miles from the sun and traveling at a speed of  636 miles a minute.... had just entered interstellar space. This theory was promptly debunked by NASA. Apparently at the time of writing Voyager is still in our solar system, presumed to have entered an in-between space in space,  the newly recognized Heliocliff, the edge of the Heliosphere.

Of course there is no useful identifying ribbon to breach and no photographic record. Images such as those of Jupiter and Saturn are a thing of the past as the cameras were turned off in 1990. The interstellar space welcoming party will sadly not be available on YouTube.

Suitably celestial windows at BAM's cafe level, never so appropriate. 

Also this week, by the sort of meaningless co-incidence that appeals to me greatly, we went to a performance of Planetarium at BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I've been SO excited about this I've felt like a child waiting for Christmas. Commissioned by the Barbican in London, the Sydney Opera House and some highbrow people in Holland you've never heard of, it sounds like a modern take on Holst's Planets. Kind of, yes. There's a song for the sun, the moon and all the planets, including poor old Pluto. It's a collaboration of Indie royalty, if you'll pardon the cliche, gone electronic classical: Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly and Bryce Dressner,  plus orchestra. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea but I loved it.

The 30 foot diameter hovering orb, centerpiece of a constantly changing light display.  

As all these things can be looked up on Wikipedia I will just give my personal take on Sufjan. It's very, very hard to get tickets to see him! He's a quiet celebrity, there's no hype, no publicity, there's no big personality onstage. There's a mind boggling visual element in his concerts and it's an instant sellout whenever word of mouth gets around that he's performing. The experience of seeing him is so much larger than any art installation, so overwhelming, I have no better word than that useful British term "gobsmacked"!

Here are some photos I took, to everyone around me's understandable annoyance. They can't begin to convey the 60 minute brilliant kinetic onslaught, but I'm glad I got them. 

After covering the solar system so thoroughly what could be left for an encore? Why, Somewhere Over The Rainbow of course..... perfect!

When the evening was over we were plummeted straight back out into the harsh reality of grungey NY.

Our daughter Chloe and Dan, sitting opposite us on the subway. We wouldn't dream of going without them!

Central Park and a tale of 3 rinks

We had cause for a family celebration last week (our daughter got a new job!) and David had to work in NY, so I tagged along on his business trip. Another incentive was a recent snowfall. Central Park is beautiful in any season, but, for me, the snowy winter days are the best.

It's the scale of the thing that's so arresting, as I think these photographs show.... the people look tiny. You can feel overawed by it. For a start the park itself is massive considering how small Manhattan is, 843 acres. Then there's the height and maturity of the trees, the hilliness and variation in the landscape and of course the fringe of skyscrapers all around the horizon, which you see far more of in winter. Walking round in snow, bundled up in a big wool coat reminds me of the atmosphere of old Woody Allen movies (back in the days when I still admired him) It remains a picture of a life in America I would love to be living..... imagine an apartment with this view!

One evening we did a circular walk from the hotel, taking in the 3 outdoor skating rinks within 15 blocks of each other. It was useful to have a goal rather than wandering aimlessly around. No intention of skating, I'm not up for that, though David probably would if only he had a more agile companion!

Woolman Rink, Central Park, a white light

There's a fairly subdued atmosphere here in the park . A few people doing jumps in an area coned off in the center. I would probably pick this location above the others though, for all the reasons stated above.

The Rockefeller Center, a golden glow 

The iconic Rockefeller rink, between 5th and 6th Ave, is still a sight to behold without the Christmas tree and blaze of lights. It wasn't very busy. We got there as the zamboni was resurfacing the ice. As we waited for the skaters to come back and make a more interesting photograph for us it began to snow,  so we moved quickly on.

Bryant Park, a pink extravaganza

On 42nd St, just behind the NY Library is Bryant Park. That's the Empire State Building lit up in the background. There was quite a party atmosphere here,  much busier, colored lights and louder music. People were having a really good time! This would definitely be the one to choose for the fun factor but lacking the beauty of the park or the grandeur of the Rockefeller.

You couldn't miss this guy hamming it up for the public. His skates had flashing lights and he danced slowly round the rink posing for photos en route. I googled FloNess  later and found a few UTube videos of him. He frequents the rinks in winter and the rollerblade areas in summer, equally bizarrely dressed.

This walkway usually looks so tasteful!

Off the ice rink topic, but right in there with the lighting theme, I have to throw this picture in too as the colors struck me as so delicate. Walked past the Bergdorf Goodman windows on 5th Avenue en route from the park to the Rockerfeller Center, thinking they would be a disappointment after the Holiday ones have been dismantled. But no, they were lovely. The theme is novels and this was Animal Farm.

We the shivering people

January 21st marked 2 important occasions,  Barack Obama's second Inauguration and Martin Luther King Day. How very appropriate. As we live in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC it seems a shame to miss the festivities, but when it comes to mustering up the energy to face the crowds and cold it helps if you're enthusiastic about the result of the election. So we went, of course!

Apart from the very lucky or socially well connected who sit in ticketed areas, it's a question of standing for hours on end in the company of around a million other people in near freezing conditions, watching the proceedings on one of the many giant tv screens. There's always a moment when it crosses my mind it might be a lot more comfortable to be watching at home with a glass of wine. The atmosphere is fantastic though, it's like a big multicultural citywide party. Even if,  as we experienced this time,  the audio and visuals waver and fluctuate in the high wind like an old am radio connection. It could have caused an angry crowd response under the circumstances but everyone behaved impeccably, straining to see, straining to hear and cheering wildly at the sight of Obama, Biden, Clinton, Beyonce, James Taylor.... anyone, really.  After all, we knew it would be on CNN ad nauseam when we got back to our hotel rooms so we could find out later what they actually said. For now it was just enough to stand shoulder to shivering shoulder, being there.

A glimpse of the White House from where we were standing

After the ceremony there's quite a long break while the President and co have a beautiful lunch before the other main event, the parade. The masses who have staked out their places on the parade route since the early morning presumably eat a sandwich as they stoically wait it out. I just don't know how they endure it, I know I couldn't. No photo of them as the whole area is barricaded off. There are only a few streets open to pedestrians and a larger area is closed to traffic. It makes you think how nice it would be if the whole downtown was pedestrianized.

Buses barricading the roads. How very practical!

We walked back into the city along with a few thousand others, heading for our hotel.

Got enough buttons?

This guy was bouncing along on springy stilts. 

Our cups runneth over. There was quite an orderly air about everything, even the insufficient trash cans

Now this is how I like to watch a parade......

....... while David gets back down to business as usual. 

The turn-down service treat at the hotel, instead of the usual chocolate

Back outside.....  Pennsylvania Ave still a car free zone 

Did I mention it was cold?! 

I haven't commented on the content of Barack Obama's speech, Michelle baring arms, or any of the serious content. Plenty of others will. This was just our rather low key but thoroughly enjoyable experience of an unforgettable day.

An exciting sighting.... Robert E Simon

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the opening of Reston's Used Book Store, an early investor in this "planned community". As we are about to see the demise of our lovely big Barnes and Noble after already losing Borders, Books A Million and Brentanos, it will once again become Reston's only bookstore. (What's left to say about our collective angst in the face of this terminal bookshop disease? I've joined the petition, much good may it do.)

Anyway, at the pleasant little in-store celebration complete with dulcimer player, tasteful looking snacks and discount on all purchases, who should show up but Robert E Simon, the Res in Reston. Local hero, the father of our fair town. I was ready and waiting, camera in hand, hoping he would come. The last time I spotted him he was walking with assistance and deep in conversation, so bounding over to shake his hand seemed inappropriate.

Looking good for 98 years old! I read somewhere he attributes longevity to a gin martini every day. I only wish wine would have such a good effect on me.

Born in 1914, Robert E Simon used proceeds from his family's sale of Carnegie Hall in NY to purchase land 18 miles from Washington DC in Northern Virginia. He had a somewhat utopian ideal for the community that would eventually emerge. Such vision and commitment! But also it had to be a financially viable venture. He intended it to be a place that would be diverse in terms of race and income level, somewhere everyone could live, work and play without commuting. Plenty of open space had to be conserved. Artists would come. These were radical ideas for suburban New Town planning in 1961. No strictly middle class enclave of cookie cutter houses, Reston.

It's worked out pretty well, considering the choppy waters that have flowed under the bridge since then.  More on that maybe another time. Back to Mr Simon. Here he sits cast in bronze and wearing his trademark hat outside the bookstore at Lake Anne, the area deemed "historic Reston" to our amusement as Europeans, and where his plans first began to take shape. He lives here now in the end years of his life in the high rise apartment building on the right, overlooking the lake and with a birds-eye-view of his legacy..... the eclectic mix of concerts, organic markets, ukulele festivals and the like that we enjoy throughout the year thanks to him.

Robert E Simon at Lake Anne in the '60s.