NYC Tour - Day 7, September 14, 2013

What a terrific day to end this tour!!  We had a very competent bus driver though he didn't have to fight a lot of traffic most of the day.

We started at a Hungarian Bakery for pastry and coffee.

Freedom Park and St. John the Divine Cathedral are just across the street.  Some of the sculptures were done my junior high and high school students.

 

Archangel Michael

 

 
The Cathedral gave me goose bumps it is so magnificent.   James Gandolfini's funeral was held here. 

 

 This hall is seen when you first walk in.  We would later learn that it leads to several small chapels.

Looking toward the back of the church.

 The next two photos are from the chapels.

Some of the sights on the way to Central Park.

This is the Dakota.  The black railing is Yoko Ono's apartment. 

 

We took a walk through part of Central Park.  The park is manmade.  First stop was Strawberry Fields which Yoko Ono had created in John Lennon's memory.

 Sights in the park.

Bow Bridge.

 

Boulders are remnants of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet left behind thousands of years ago.





 

 

 

 This is still at the above fountain.  I just snapped a photo before I went under the arches having no idea what was in there.  The man walking toward the camera with a big smile was the Wagonmaster, the man in the blue shirt on the left was the Tailgunner - basically our rally hosts.  The woman in the right corner is a trooper - constant oxygen and a scooter.

Inside the arches where musicians were playing.

 The ceiling

 
Hans Christian Andersen

Alice in Wonderland

Lunch was in the basement of the AOL Time Warner Building at Whole Foods.

We were then let off the bus at the Plaza Hotel with some time to spare.  Several of us went to the FAO Schwartz Toy Store - Fun!!

 

 

While we were there we watched a backhoe go speeding down the street!  I watched his front wheels bounce off the pavement!  Who would have thought in NYC?!

Next was a carriage ride through Central Park!  Several wedding parties were having photos taken.  Our horse....

 

 

Dinner was at a Brazilian steakhouse.    Their salad bar was unbelievable - no signs to tell you what you were dishing up.  They bring various kinds of meat to your table on huge skewers and slice off whatever you want - very different.  Lamb, chicken, ham, beef.  We each had small tongs to 'catch' our meat when is was sliced.

Across the street was a bakery owned by the girl who plays Abby on NCIS, Pauley Perrette. 

 

 The bakery is named after her mother.  I wish we would have been there when it was open.