Monday, May 25, 2009

Work before play – so it was laundry, showers and yoga practice on the Hudson River front first. You would think that Maureen and Gale doing yoga on the lawn would attract some attention, but in New York with the thousands of people walking and cycling along the waterfront, nothing seemed unusual. By 1 pm we were ready to take the dinghy to shore again and walk the few blocks to Central Park where we were to meet Chris & Lindsay. Central Park on this sunny and warm Memorial Day was truly a wonderful experience for us. The park was beautiful and people were enjoying themselves wherever one looked. In the Park, we visited a small lake, open fields, fountains, bike trails, woods, heard music from numerous genres, and enjoyed seeing colorful New Yorkers relaxing. We also visited the memorial in the park for John Lennon called Strawberry Fields where many folks had gathered singing his songs, reflecting on his memory and viewing the mosaic “Imagine” placed in Lennon’s honor. As we left the Park, we walked by the Dakota Hotel and spoke briefly with the doorman who was standing at the very spot John Lennon was shot.
On the way back to the marina from Central Park, we stopped by Fairway, a grocery store known especially for its produce, in downtown Manhattan. Here we bought some nice vegetables and steaks for the grill. When we returned to the boat, Maureen put laundry away and straightened things up a bit while Gale changed the engine oil in preparation for tomorrow’s journey up the Hudson. Gale has worked every Memorial Day weekend of his thirty-three year career – this being the first Memorial Day he has had off since 1975 will also be the most memorable.