I Am Smitten

How in the world had I never been to the Cloisters before? No really, someone please explain this to me. I do not know how I have lived in this city for five years without experiencing this absolutely stunning museum. And I was an Art History major!! I think a paper topic along the way might have given a work within the Cloisters as a possible topic, but I chose a piece in the Met... The Frick might have just gotten replaced as my favorite museum locale...

Stunning.
As soon as I stepped off of the A train and found myself in an entrancing Eden-like garden overlooking the Hudson, I was mesmerized by the entire experience. I guess give me a cliff and a body of water and I'm smitten and reminiscing over Marin views, but seriously how do people not rave about this more?! You find yourself forgetting that you are even in Manhattan, which can be a much needed excursion and return to natural beauty. Especially on this beautiful fall day and after the museum closed, for the sunset on the water is as always my weakness. And the way the fall foliage set it off!! Amazing!!!

I was also wowed by the way the Cloisters incorporates architectural fragments into the framework of the museum space itself (built in 1938 in neo-medieval architecture), making me question what was modern neo-medieval and what was actually authentic Gothic and Romanesque art and architectural fragments. Even architectural elements as massive as church apses (12 century!) were combined within the building's design, blending in impressively and hauntingly with the modern structure. Such an impressive way to display this collection.

Such an incredible day!!, which was topped off by the company of two of my favorites and some feisty rounds of Scattergories to follow. That's all for now :)