Continuing in Holiday Mode


Two winters ago we saw a wonderful play, "Opus," by Michael Hollinger, when it opened in Philadelphia. Michael's lovely wife Megan teaches at the school where I work, and she had told us a bit about the play, so we decided we had to see it. Turned out to be about the best play we'd ever seen. It is about the highs and lows of a string quartet, and as we watched it, we kept thinking how much Tom, our violist son, would enjoy it.

. . . .

This spring Megan told me that "Opus" would be opening in New York this season. We pressed Tom and Anastasia to find a date that they could come up. They arrived mid-day yesterday and we left for NYC in the early afternoon. Traffic was horrible, and we were quite pressed for time. We made it to the play with minutes to spare. T&A liked it as much as we had hoped they would.

. . . .

We don't go to New York very often. On the odd occasion that we do, if we're spending the night, we always try to stay at The Algonquin. I'd known of the hotel for ever, it seems, but we never stayed there until about five years ago. It was everything we had hoped for -- it is a small hotel, and not glamorous and sparkly like some of the Westins. Instead, it is elegant and familiar. The lobby is done in shades of caramel, eggplant, dark green, and mahogany (oooh -- do I feel a quilt coming on?) and makes one think of dear William Morris. The walls in the corridors are papered with old "New Yorker" cartoons; perusing them makes the wait for the elevator quite pleasant. The rooms aren't large at all, but are beautifully appointed and we love the elegant old bathrooms -- the one last night had a marble vanity. We love to eat at the Round Table and have become partial to the Caesar Salad there. Their Eggs Benedict measure up to Honna's and my standards quite easily. I like to stay at the same hotel or B&B each time I visit a place. It certainly feels right to have The Algonquin be "our place" in New York.

. . . .

Got home about twenty-four hours after we'd left. T&A have headed south again; they will be spending tonight with Amy and Andrew in Alexandria and return to Richmond tomorrow. And tomorrow we, too, leave again for another couple of days of holiday! Stay tuned . . . .

Comments

Ms. Jan said…
Now I know just where to stay when I get to NYC. It sounds like you are making the most of every minute of your summer time off.
Mrs. Goodneedle said…
You are becoming quite a gadabout! I agree w/ Jan, I'll take your NYC recommendation should I need one! Enjoy your time away, check in whenever you return... we'll be waiting.
CONNIE W said…
The hotel looks like the building my step-daughter lived in there but hers had been an old hotel made into apartments so probably isn't the same one. We used to go out and visit her every so often and it was a great place to get around from. I can't remember the street names but it was about a block from Zabar's. The show sounds very interesting and one that I would probably enjoy.
Judy B said…
You & the Ghost of Dorothy Parker: perfect! Both of you are mistresses of witticisms. One of my favorites of her is:

Four be the things I'm better without:
Love, curiosity, freckles, & doubt.

Your quilts & trip to Greece look superb.

Blessings!
Judy B
Susan said…
Sounds like a lovely place to stay. I'm so glad you had an opportunity to share the play with people you thought would really enjoy it. That's the fun thing about our children growing up, isn't it?

Have a great 'nother vacation!
NoVA Dad said…
I love the Algonquin, but more because of the literary heritage of the lounge at the hotel. Some of the greatest writers in the history of American literature met there regularly (and I think some still do). It's a classic New York hotel; I've never stayed there, but always make a point of walking by just to see who might be lingering.....