The Met Cloisters Museum

“Don’t go to a museum with a destination. Museums are wormholes to other worlds. They are ecstasy machines.” ― Jerry Saltz

On Sunday, we went to The Met Cloisters.  The Met Cloisters is a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.   It is located far from the other museums in Manhattan.  It sits atop a hill in Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan.

I have been living in NY almost 40 years and had never been there before.  It is just 25 minutes from my home.  I don’t go to museums often.  So, when I go, I go to the usual ones for me, such as Museum of Natural History, The Guggenheim, and the Museum of Modern Art.  And, now that I think about it, it has been a long time that I have been to any of those.    

When Michael came to meet me for the first time, he had suggested we go there.  We didn’t.  Since then, he has been mentioning it.  I am glad that we finally went. 

Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece) ca. 1375-1444

On Sunday, we got there very early, so there were plenty of parking and no lines.  The building is gorgeous, designed in the medieval architecture.  I love castles, so I really enjoyed the architecture. I am just disappointed there was not a single suit of armor in sight.

“The Unicorn Rests in a Garden” Tapestry -ca. 1495-1505

The museum mostly displays works from Western Europe. Besides paintings it includes sculptures, stained glass, manuscripts, tapestries, wood and metalwork. There is also an outside area with an herb garden, with more than 250 species of herbs cultivated in the Middle Ages.

“Arm Reliquary” ca. 1230 – container for precious remains of a saint. It probably held remains of a saint’s arm.

I like that it is a small museum and can be seen in a couple of hours.  They have a very small café in the courtyard.  We had scones and coffee, and an almond tart that the vendor convinced me to get.  The tart was delicious.

“Nativity of the Virgin” ca.1480 – Saint Anne with The swaddled Virgin Mary

After visiting the museum, we walked in the park outside for a while.  It overlooks the Hudson River and the Palisades, a line of steep cliffs along the river.

They don’t charge an exact ticket amount.  One cannot donate whatever they wish.  The ticket can be used to see both museums in one day.  We decided one museum was enough for us for one day.

It was a great day there, and I hope to go back.  Now I am excited to see other museums.

For the rest of the year there is so much going on at work and personally.  At work, there may be changes if we lose half of our small group – contract negotiations can go either way.  I will know in two weeks. 

As far as my personal life, there is so much to do, trips to take and visitors to host.  This weekend my sister and I will be going to the Jersey Shore.  We are staying at friend’s house.  This was planned before Michael, so he staying home. 

Then there are visitors coming from Brazil.  First my brother and his girlfriend, then some friends.  I need to go to Florida and set my office in Michael’s house.   The plan is to live in both places. There are also additional trips to plan, and other projects to handle.

Life is busy, and a bit stressful at times; but so good and always so blessed!

“I’ve become like one of those people I hate, the sort who go to the museum and, instead of looking at the magnificent Brueghel, take a picture of it, reducing it from art to proof. It’s not “Look what Brueghel did, painted this masterpiece” but “Look what I did, went to Rotterdam and stood in front of a Brueghel painting!” ― David Sedaris

George Washington Bridge