It must be twenty years since I last visited the Cloisters.
I have no idea why I’ve let so much time pass between visits to this extraordinary place.
In the early seventies, when I was writing my medieval cookbook, To the King’s Taste, I used to go up there often to study the spits and cooking pots and eventually to teach children medieval cookery at an afternoon program there.
Even on a somewhat crowded Sunday afternoon, the three cloistered gardens retain an aura of tranquility:
There’s a quince tree growing in one of the cloisters:
The stained glass is remarkable, especially when the late afteroon sun is shining through it:
There are people and animals with funny faces staring at you from every nook and cranny:
The views of the Hudson are magestic:
The Cloisters is only about five miles from where I live, but to go there is to climb into another world:
Get thee to the Cloisters now!
I wonder which of the pilgrims in the last photo initially had the idea of going to the Cloisters: she is holding the leash, but her friend is in the lead. Serious searchers indeed!
By: jazzlives on October 12, 2009
at 11:17 +00:00Oct
Thank you so much for the visit and memories. I was married there in the gardens overlooking the Hudson 39 years ago this coming Saturday. It’s still just as beautiful! We’re planning a drive up to Ipswich, MA to celebrate with a visit to the Audubon Sanctuary – with a lobster roll thrown in for good measure!
By: Susan Johnston on October 13, 2009
at 11:17 +00:00Oct
Oh, what a glorious place to be married. And hearty congratulations on 39 years together. That’s a WOW.
By: lornasass on October 13, 2009
at 11:17 +00:00Oct