New York 2018

Chicago MarathonTrip Week 2: Monday October 8 – Friday October 12, 2018

Overnight fire alarm in my Chicago hotel further disrupted an already disrupted nights sleep. It had taken me awhile to fall asleep on Sunday night, with post-marathon twitchy legs waking me just as I nodded off. I finally fell asleep only to be woken by the fire alarm at midnight. I got out of bed, got dressed and hobbled down 3 flights of stairs. Half an hour later we were allowed to return to our room only to have the alarm set off a further two times. So with barely 4 hours sleep I set off in the pre-dawn dark to catch the train to the airport. I had an early flight to New York for a post – marathon celebration trip.

The five days in New York went by very quickly. I had hopes of getting tickets to see Stephen Colbert but missed out. And with the falling Australian dollar, tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway were still way too expensive for my budget. The weather was generally georgeous with one grey and rainy day. But even with a grey overcast sky it was nice to be out walking through the skyscraper canyons.

I walked everywhere and 3 days after the Chicago marathon my legs were recovered enough to go for a run in Central Park. It was humid and warm and the park had still not put on its autumnal colour display.

An absolute highlight of the five days in New York was a visit to the Guggenheim Museum to see the Hilma af Klimt exhibition. My first visit to the Museum and an apt timing to visit Frank Lloyd Wrights last commissioned building. So many hallmarks of his meticulous attention to detail. And the Hilma af Klimt exhibition blew my mind. I spent almost a full day at the Guggenheim – admiring the building and the exhibition in equal measure. She was such an extraordinary and prolific painter who was decades ahead of her time. The visit to the Guggenheim completed my Frank Lloyd Wright pilgrimage for this trip. Next will have to be a trio to Pennsylvania to visit Fallingwater.