Saturday, 13th December

The day dawned sunny and clear and after breakfast we headed off towards the Upper West, our first stop being Carnegie Hall. We booked on a tour of this performance venue created by Andrew Carnegie , who also was a benefactor of libraries, amongst other things. The hour long tour was facinating and very worthwhile in helping to consolidate my thoughts on libraries and music .

http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/the_basics/art_overview.html

For music lovers worldwide, Carnegie Hall is the ultimate musical destination, an international byword for excellence, and an institution whose rich history chronicles the defining moments of so many of the world’s most admired and beloved artists. The largest hall at Carnegie Hall has been the premier classical music performance space in the United States since its opening in 1891, showcasing the world's greatest soloists, conductors, and ensembles.

The largest hall at Carnegie Hall has been the premier classical music performance space in the United States since its opening in 1891, showcasing the world's greatest soloists, conductors, and ensembles.

We then headed off to Central Park via the Columbus Circle Christmas shopping fair which features 100+ vendors and a wide selection of unique and handmade gifts .The Holiday Market at Columbus Circle is designed in the tradition of the Northern European holiday market, familiar in cities from Copenhagen to Munich.

Then it was off into the park and lots of people were out walking or riding in the cold but beautiful weather. We went past Strawberry fields and the Dakota bulding and then worked our way into 82nd Stree where our original choice of apartment had been. However, we were pleased that we had decided to stay nearer Times Square and the 'action' as it was a nice, but quietish neighbourhood.
We had a late lunch at the famous Barney Greengrass Deli on 541 Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street http://www.barneygreengrass.com/restMenu.php , walked a bit more in Central Park and then met a colleague of David's from Brisbane Boys College, Don and his wife Elizabeth and their son, who were also holidaying in NY. Had a two hour coffee break in a typical New York Diner near 95th ST. and then headed back down to our apartment. Of course it was dark and the lights were lovely- we went past people singing Carols outside shops and NY was buzzing. We were tired so got takeaway from a nearby supermarket and came back to the apartment to prepare for a day of church music on Sunday.