The weather was uncooperative again today, but the sun managed to peek out for a few minutes this afternoon in between rain and thunderstorms. I think I will have a permanent indentation on my waist from tying my raincoat there every day. The highlight of today was definitely seeing Accidentally Brave tonight. Here are the rest of the day’s adventures:
Buvette Buvette had been on my list of breakfast possibilities in NYC for a while, primarily because of their Jambon Cru dish (steamed eggs on toast topped with prosciutto and parmesan). And since the weather didn’t scream “jump out of bed and go do something” this morning (the restaurant doesn’t open til 9), I decided it was a good day for a leisurely breakfast at this small French cafe. Sadly, it didn’t live up to my expectations, not even a little. Sure, the food was picture perfect, but the rest of the experience left a lot to be desired. The food was pretty boring aside from the presentation and the $8 homemade soda was so strong on the ginger flavor it left my throat burning. It was an expensive breakfast and I can now say “been there, done that”. I should have stuck to my original plan of a Doughnut Plant donut and a walk in Central Park.
Museum of Jewish Heritage The Auschwitz exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage was my main reason for coming to the city this week. I have long been fascinated by the Holocaust, and plan to visit Dachau when I’m in Germany in a couple of weeks, so when I saw this exhibit was coming to New York, I knew I had to make a trip to see it. I spent nearly 3 hours touring the 20 “rooms” in the exhibit, which trace the history of Auschwitz from the background of Jewish faith in Germany through to the stories of those who survived and lived to tell the story of their experiences. The most moving part for me was seeing the personal belongings of those interred in the camp, gathered either as they arrived or when they were sent to the crematorium. It continues to boggle my mind that all of that was going on while the rest of the world stood by, oblivious to the horrors taking place because the Germans were so good at concealing what was really going on. The photographs by Alberto Errera, a Greek Jewish member of the Sonderkommando, were also striking. He was able to secretly capture four images of the gas chambers and mass cremation at Auschwitz and the film was smuggled out of the death camp in a toothpaste tube. The entire exhibit was very well put together and it was definitely a worthwhile visit.
Ribalta What can I say? I’m a creature of habit. Once I find a place I like, I tend to return. So, for the third time this trip, I found myself revisiting a previously enjoyed restaurant. Ribalta has amazing Neapolitan pizza, but this time I opted for the calzone. It was delicious, albeit a little too much ricotta for my taste. Dessert was an incredible mascarpone pudding/mousse with strawberries and homemade cookies.
Accidentally Brave I was intrigued when I first read the story behind this play and couldn’t seem to put it out of my mind. So I stopped by the TKTS booth this afternoon to buy a ticket for this evening’s performance. In a nutshell, it is Maddie Corman’s one-woman, first person account of how her world was turned upside down when her husband was arrested on child pornography charges. Maddie Corman does an amazing job of telling her story in a way that is simultaneously deep, raw, and real, mixed with just a touch of humor. As she said at the end, she hopes her story is a service to others. People who are willing to tell their story in such an honest and poignant way are my kind of people. I would go back to see it again in a heartbeat and it should be at the top of everyone’s must-see list.
Traveling with Laura 