I had another whirlwind of a trip to Philadelphia (and New York) last week. I finally arrived at my destination in Philadelphia after a couple of incidents. This seems to be a regular occurence on my trips. The last time involved a Greyhound bus which took me to the wrong destination (see
here, where I ended up in Cleveland on my way to
Steubenville Ohio). And this time it was a Canada goose.
We got stuck in
Mount Cobb, Pennsylvania after a north-migrating (returning to Canada, actually) Canada goose smashed into the windshield on the driver's side. We were ceremoniously escorted to the nearest Burger King, and about three hours later, a replacement bus took us to our final destination of Port Authority.
But the trip was a wonderful respite, and I wasn't going to let a couple of incidents spoil it. I managed to pack in, with the help of my friends, quite a schedule.
We visited Larry's grave in the beautiful
St. Peter and St. Paul Cemetery in Springfield Pennsylvania, to
commemorate the second year of his death. The statue behind me is St. Paul's. And I am standing under the oak tree, which I write about
here.
Below, I've posted the various photographs I took over these five days.
On the Road through Ontario, New York State and Pennsylvania (and New Jersey for a bit)
At Buffalo
That is a small lake in the background, I tried to find out its name, but it was too small to find on my google map.
I finally could see the New York skyline in New Jersey. It was dark, and I would reach the city's bus terminal about an hour later. I would travel to Philadelphia the next morning.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PennsylvaniaLongwood Conservatory, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Glory-of-the-snow flowers blooming in a field at Longwood Gardens
Glory-of-the-snow are "one of the first harbingers of spring," according to
this site. We were just about to leave the cold (and long, this year) winter and the snow as I got to Philadelphia, and this field of flowers showed us that spring is ahead.
Star Magnolia tree in bloom
Pierre Dupont ConservatoryDuPont built his home
above the conservatory, and could see the plants from his bedroom window!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Homes near the area where I stayed, a couple of hours from Phildelphia
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------New York for a day
Marble floor at the New York Public Library
Portrait of James Lenox, founder of the Lenox Library of the NYPLI should have got just a close-up of the portrait, but
here is one in black and white of I think the same one.
View from the main entrance at the New York Public Library, with 41st Street
Plaque with Yeats Poem in the Library Way, on 41st Street between 5th and Park
Atlas at the RockefellerThe reflection in the glass in the background is of Saint Patrick's Cathedral. It seems an apt metaphor for the seizure of the pagan, Roman god of by Christians.
I was so busy trying to get the Atlas image, that I didn't even notice the reflection.
As some kind of penance - inadverantly - I went to Saint Patrick's and lit a candle.
Lions at the Rockefeller Plaza" "Arms of England"
Frieze by Lee LawrieThe 50th entrance to the British Empire building features three walking lions looking out towards the viewer from the building. Below is a row of red Tudor roses. [From this site]
Saint Francis of Assisi with birds at the Rockefeller Plaza
Frieze by Lee LawrieMore on Lew Lawrie
here.
All the Rockefeller friezes are
here.
Manhattan BuildingI took this somewhere mid-town (between 47th and 59th streets) on Madison or Fifth. I should have written down the street.
Plaza Hotel entrance
Pomona Statue and fountain by the Grand Army Plaza, next to the Plaza Hotel and by Central Park-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saint Patrick's Cathedral Stained Glass, with MaryI asked a docent in the cathedral if he could show me any stained glass with Mary, since I didn't have much time.
I lit a candle under the stained glass as I left. The stained glass is near the door (it is the second one in at the right entry), and there are candles right underneath it.
Here is another where in my rush I neglected to take one of the full glass, and instead, I took the bottom half, where the intricate lace-like design caught my attention.
Saint Patrick's Stained GlassHere is a photo of the full stained glass.
Several sites write that Henry Ely made the stained glass, which they title "Three Baptisms." But they don't reference that information. It is strangely hard to find information on the stained glass online, but here is something in Google Books, under the
title:
New York City: Vol 1, New York City Guide (page 345):
Forty-five of the seventy stained glass windows are from the studios of Nicholas Lorin at Chartres, and Henry Ely at Nantes. Rich in tone, some dark some of pastel lightness - and combined with elaborate tracery, they glow in the sunshine, but unfortunately, much of the detail in them is too delicate to be legible at a distance. They become simply patterns of red, yellow, green, blue and purple against the framework of the stone walls which, in the dusky night, takes on a tone of deepest gray.
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
