A Lovely Saturday In The Park

My mother is visiting from Minnesota, and she is also a walker and an adventurer.  The first stop on today's calendar was the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Picasso exhibition.  It's quite extraordinary, and features the artist's work from his very early paintings to his late work.  I was not particularly a fan of Picasso prior to this morning, but I have a different and far more appreciative view now.  If you are in town-- it's well worth the visit.

The MMA is perched right on the edge of Central Park, and we wandered in, drawn by the lush greenery.  We ran into the Resevoir, which I had never seen before.  It's entirely fenced off, though the birds of course had no problem trespassing.  I was impressed by the view from the shoreline:

Satisfied, we continued north to the Conservatory, which I have wanted to visit ever since my arrival in NY.  It's often mentioned as one of NY's "little known secrets", though plenty of people seemed to have found it this afternoon.  It's a formal garden placed in the far northeastern corner of the park.  It was exquisite, and is now in a tie with Bryant Park for my favorite spot in NY. 

For a moment, I felt like I had arrived in Europe.  Do you see the pergola behind the fountain, above the tiered bushes? I'll show you the view from there in a bit.

Strolling down the walkways...I love the trees arching overhead.

Beautiful fountains.

My favorite part by far was sitting in the pergola, with its gorgeous walkway and view over the park.  My mom and I sat there for close to two hours, resting in the shade

I plan on going again soon.  Come with me next time.