We rode the bus over and the train down. We got out at the 79th Street stop, just outside my former place of employment. We walked up a few blocks, took a quick tour of Zabar’s before having breakfast in their small café.
Tim seems to have enjoyed the subway but wanted to spend more time above ground on the bus. We caught the first bus we saw and rode down Broadway. I pointed out different buildings and landmarks as we traveled down the UWS, made the loop at Columbus Circle and headed down into the heart of Times Square.
We got off the bus in front of Grand Central and caught and uptown bus on Madison. We passed rows and rows of Flagship stores for fashion designers like Donna Karen, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Gucci and many others.
The bus turned West on 110th Street and headed across the top of Central Park. We got out and walked over to 110th and Amsterdam in hopes of finding the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. I’d heard about it and it had been described as amazingly beautiful architectural masterpiece rising out of Manhattan.
It was that and more. It was so much bigger than anything Tim and I could imagine. As we turned up Amsterdam you couldn’t miss it. It was gorgeous and seemed to loom over the street.
The church is undergoing major refurbishing but still looked grand. Truly breathtaking. Tim compared it to the National Cathedral in D.C. and said that St. John’s would engulf it. The stain glass windows were gorgeous. The arched ceilings seemed to reach toward the sky and canvassed the entire span of the building.
Afterwards Tim and I walked through the park at Morningside Heights and headed back to my apartment. Tim gathered his things and we got on the train and rode back town to Chinatown.
We found the bus stop and they were already loading passengers on. Chinatown seems to always be loud and this send off was no exception. Even with seats sold on the buses, the drivers were still drumming up business. Women and men were shooting destinations and banging on the signs.
Tim and I said our goodbyes and, for me, the waterworks started. I've always been a bit of a cry baby...but in the last couple of years I've become more emotional when it comes to my family. Maybe it's because we're scattered around the globe...maybe it's because I'm getting older and taking less for granted...maybe I'm just a baby.
