New York is Indeed a Wonderful Place – even if it is over-consuming:
The night before we flew to New York we went to the cinema to see, The Age of Stupid. “Three years of your carbon footprint allowance is used by one flight from London to New York”, we were informed, as if the film was speaking just to us. Oh help.
However I know that if oil does run out there won’t be Pete Postlethwaite on a tower in the skies telling us where we went wrong. I must go to the Transition Town morning at the festival this July, hear what they have to say and keep quiet about being here. James Lovelock is speaking too and he thinks it’s too late for individual acts. I’ll listen to him too.
Even if refusing a plastic bag and recycling rubbish is a useless gesture I am still shocked by the over-consumption in America. I felt virtuous when I bought some organic tea bags until I discovered that each bag had its own extra polythene bag. Most food seems to be wrapped with many layers. I wanted to rip my purchases open and leave the excessive wrappings at the cash desk, as protesters have done in England, but one look from Steve restrained me. I didn’t even feel I could refuse the double carrier bags the cashier used for my few goods.
In The New York Times travel pages there was an article headed, The Flying Dilemma. “Ah,” I thought, at least here the issue is being addressed. But no: the article was about whether to buy your flights early or late to get cheap deals.
Temperature reaches 90 F
In light of what I’ve said I should be worried about this but instead I loved the joyful atmosphere in Central Park yesterday. The grass was covered in near naked sunbathers; rowing boats full of families were bobbing on the lake; musicians were playing and the crowds were cheering the breakdancers. The brides in flowing white dresses were posing for photographs. Apparently they get into their finery a few days ahead of the wedding to get the photographs done. This worried me; I felt sure the dresses would get dusty, sweaty or be stained with ice cream. Maybe that doesn’t matter – it’s the photos that count. Of course the health conscious were exercising: the fat, the thin, the young, the old were sweating from their many creases as they jogged, cycled, rollerbladed.
We just walked. We strolled around the paths, marvelling at the blossom and Spring flowers then followed our usual Sunday tradition and brunched at The Boathouse Restaurant. We were told there was a 2 hour wait so we got drinks and sat on leather chairs listening to the pianist and admiring the view of water, trees and skyscrapers and felt in no rush. The kind receptionist let us jump the queue and in only 20mins we were sitting at our table on the edge of the lake. Zagat is rude about the food at The Boathouse but we disagree. We had lovely salads, croissants, seed cakes and delicious coffee for under 20$.
We intended going on to the Met and other galleries but instead we found a bench in the shade and read. I’m immersed in the autobiography of Andre Schiffren [publisher and owner of the flat where we are staying] so I’m finding out about New York in the 40s when he and his Jewish family fled here from Paris and their connections with left wing intellectuals from that time on.
The Schiffrin’s lovely Upper West Side penthouse flat has a roof garden, leather sofas and is filled with books – perfect for an excess of reading. This could be considered a busman’s holiday but who wants a holiday from books?
Ways With Words Festival of Words and Ideas takes place at Dartington Hall 10-20 July. Monday 13 July is Transition Town morning with Rob Hopkins and others, while that afternoon James Lovelock will be speaking about his ideas to his biographer, John Gribbin. Programme available online from Tuesday 5 May. Visit wayswithwords.co.uk
You really do have a way with words. It's an awesome description New York.
Posted by: Ajlouny | Thursday, 18 June 2009 at 03:20