I suppose it's not quite fair to accuse the New York Botanical Garden of "bait and switch" but that's a little how I felt after making the trip to the Bronx for the much hyped, "attendance record-breaking" exhibit of Frida Kahlo's work. Six small paintings--really? With no photos allowed, either!
But there are worse place to amble around for several hours, especially on a crowd-free Thursday afternoon.
Nothing like a pool to reflect autumn's splendor.
It's a colorful time of the year for the children's garden, where gourds grew in the shape of snakes and the uncarved pumpkins were oversize.
And the Haupt Conservatory alone is nearly worth the $20 admission price.
Varick organized an excursion to see the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. His experience rowing crew for both Boston University and UMass made him the perfect guide for first-timers.
Thom and I drove to Holyoke Friday night to meet Varick and Ted. On Saturday morning, Varick introduced us to his sister Jane in her lovely home about 10 minutes away.
Then it was off to Easthampton for croissants and bagels. It's a lovely New England town.
The well-marked, six-mile long Manhan Rail Trail makes renewed use of railroad tracks that were built in the 19th century to move local textiles to other areas of the country.
The boathouse afforded great views of the starting line for a couple of pairs.
Varick, who was raised in the Christian Science faith, took us to Sunday services in downtown Boston where the "mother church" occupies some prime real estate.
Varick wanted us to hear the organ and the music that accompanies the service. The organ has more than 13,000 pipes and is one of the nation's largest.
Did you know that the phrase "pull out the stops" originates with the settings an organist makes to amplify the sonorous tones of this massive instrument? Varick even has the skills, as well as the nimble fingers and feet, to play it! I'd love to hear Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend."
Joe, who hosted us Saturday night while Magda was partying in San Francisco, joined us for the hour-long service. We were warmly welcomed.
Mary Baker Eddy founded the church in 1879. The Bible and her reflections on it, now translated into dozens of languages, serve as the basis for the readings that comprise the service.
The church opened in 1906 with a capacity of 3,000 worshippers. Solidly built in the Renaissance/Byzantine style, it is constructed from natural materials and elegantly designed without being showy.
This water fountain betrays the timelessness of the church's interior.
The original Romanesque style church, still sits behind the current church. Spanish language services now take place here.
After brunch, we headed back to the chilly Charles River for the eights competition.
We walked along the river until we reached the Harvard Bridge.
After the Yale Bulldogs won the men's eights (their first victory ever and with a time of 14 minutes and 19 seconds, just five seconds shy of the course record), we paid our respects to one of the losers. Even "Love Story" didn't make Harvard's campus look this pretty.
Taking sun if not classes on Harvard Yard.
A stop at Mike's Pastry hit the sweet spot. Who knew cannoli came in so many flavors or that a branch had opened in Cambridge?
The skies nearly had cleared by the time we hit the road for the first leg of our long, traffic plagued drive back to New York City. This looked like a more peaceful way to end our lovely New England weekend. Thanks Thom, Varick, Joe and Moofy!
