20 Nov Rainy Sunday in New York
A Day of Rain in New York
If Sunday had been my first day in New York, I probably would have disliked the city from the very beginning.
For almost 24 hours the rain never stopped. It poured over the city, soaked my clothes and slowly changed my mood.
Because of the weather I didn’t manage to see many things that day, so this post will be shorter than the others.
As I write this, I am sitting in the airport with four hours left until my flight takes off, waiting for check-in to open. I actually started writing this entire series while waiting for the plane, and I think that by the time we take off I will already have several posts written.
Visiting The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The first stop of the day was The Metropolitan Museum of Art — The MET.
I had already purchased my ticket online and printed it before arriving in New York, and I wasn’t going to let the rain stop me from visiting.
Little did I know that the rain outside was only a mild warning for what was about to come later.
Looking back now, while the memories are still fresh, I can say that the MET impressed me the most out of all the museums I visited in New York.
In general, I try to avoid museums unless they contain some Picasso works. Over the years I have visited many of the great museums in Europe — The British Museum, Tate Gallery, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Albertina, the Rijksmuseum and the Picasso Museum, just to name a few.
As time passes, my claustrophobia has become stronger. After about an hour spent in a place with no windows and no fresh air, I start to feel anxious and simply wait for the moment when I can go outside again.
That being said, if I had to choose between the three museums I visited in New York, the MET would clearly be the winner. It hosts an incredible collection of classical works that are truly worth seeing.
A Small Tip for Visiting the MET
One important tip: buy your tickets online.
Once you enter the museum you simply go to the information desk, they print a small ticket, and you place a small sticker on your jacket or shirt. Then you are free to explore.
Don’t waste valuable time standing in long lines to buy tickets on site.
A Moment of Reflection in the New York Public Library
Do you remember when I said that my life had started fixing itself?
As the rain kept falling over the city, it somehow seemed to wash away my thoughts and clear my mind.
The rain forced me to spend more time inside the New York Public Library, and I’m glad it did.
I walked slowly through the magnificent building, watching people reading books or working quietly on their laptops. At one point I sat down on a bench, took a deep breath and simply started letting go.
Letting go of things that had been weighing on my mind.
Grand Central Terminal
Eventually my walk led me to Grand Central Terminal.
Even on a rainy day, the place was impressive. The large interior hall, the movement of people and the architectural details make it one of the most iconic places in New York.
I stopped for a few minutes, took a few photos and simply observed the rhythm of the station.
The End of a Rainy Day
And with that, Day 2 in New York came to an end.
A short day in a wet city that reminded me a lot of the rain I had left behind in Bucharest just before the trip.
The next day would be very different.
Monday was waiting — a day full of walking, new sights and a much longer story.
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