Central Park, Manhattan - Part One

All mosaics will enlarge when clicked on if you would like to see more detail

Sunday was a glorious autumn day in New York City, with a bright sun and moderate temperatures, so my husband and I decided to take a walk though the middle of Central Park in Manhattan to enjoy the fall foliage that had finally arrived!

In the mosaic above, from top left going clockwise, you can see a row boat on the lake, The Bethesda Fountain, The Falconer statue, a scene from The Sheep Meadow,the Trump-Wollman Ice Skating Rink, some fall foliage, and a section of the bedrock called "Manhattan schist" which is the foundation of most of Manhattan, and which allows tall skyscrapers to have a strong foundation.

This mosaic is comprised of the beautiful Bethesda Fountain "Angel of the Waters," and some of the sculptures of Bethesda Terrace, plus the Minton Tile ceiling in the Arcade. The Minton tile ceiling is made up of 15,876 elaborately patterned encaustic tiles handmade by Minton and Company, a leading 19th century ceramic manufacturer in Stokes-on-Trent, England. Originally installed in 1869, the tiles were recently restored after an extensive restoration project.

One never has to buy a ticket to a concert or a show when visiting New York, as all you have to do is walk through the park on a pleasant day and you will be entertained by all sorts of musicians, and mimes! We saw a jazz band, a Latin band, folk music, a Chinese lute musician, and a Hawaiian ukulele musician. We even saw a musical trio counting a large stack of dollars they earned in tips for the day!

Please come back on Wednesday, as I'll be showing more sceness from Central Park, including the mosaic memorial to the Beatle John Lennon.

I'm linking my post today to Mary at My Little Red House's "Mosaic Monday" Event and also Sally at Smiling Sally's "Blue Monday" event. Please visit their blogs today to find links to many other blogs participating in these wonderful events.

Sad Panda Sighting in Lower Manhattan

I saw someone in a panda costume last week, walking along a street in Lower Manhattan. Notice the pretty pink bag he was carrying. Of course I had to take a photo for Beverly's "Pink Saturday" blog event, and also because, let's face it, both pandas and the color pink are rather rare sights in New York City!

It appears that this same panda has been spotted in NYC since January, 2009, and has become somewhat of "cause célèbre" in The Gothamist, New York's most popular blog, and various other blogs. They've nicknamed him "Sad Panda." If you click on the Gothamist link you can see more photos of him (or her).

There is even a Youtube of Sad Panda riding the subway! The quality of the video is a little shaky, but I thought it was worth seeing as a humorous "only in New York" moment:



Most bloggers have come to the conclusion that Sad Panda is hoping to collect some tips in exchange for taking a photo of him, or posing with him. Next time I see him I'll make sure I do just that. I'd like Sad Panda to become Happy Panda, and maybe even find a better job someday!


Please visit Beverly at How Sweet The Sound today to see links to many wonderful blogs participating in her weekly "Pink Saturday" event! Thanks Beverly!