Voyage Sagas

A Weekend in New York City (Part 3) … More metro rides, this time we were entertained with some youngsters bringing in much-needed afternoon energy with a break-dance performance. I enjoyed such a complementary event. We hopped off across the East River and strolled around Brooklyn neighborhoods. It was a sight for sore eyes & feet. The vertical Manhattan island prohibited our eyes from wandering beyond a block or two. Here we were treated to quiet residential areas and sidewalks lined with trees. The breeze and falling trees hinted at the looming fall season. We marched on to the waterfront, where others like ourselves kicked back and took in the view. It is pristine to see Manhattan served on a platter with Long Island and the Brooklyn Bridge fitting in the view. It felt so serene as I gazed at the sun setting by the waters. Panoramic Manhattan skyline & Brooklyn Bridge, New York City (2018) Copyright © Kidus Assefa 2023 We walked around some more and headed to the Brooklyn B...

A Weekend in New York City (Part 2) … Last night was very short; today is going to be long. I didn't get much sleep but still had all the energy to take on the day's plan. Lucky for us, our location is convenient, so we grabbed a quick breakfast. I had a whole-grain breakfast panini with eggs, tomatoes & avocado. Everything felt within reach as we strolled into Grand Central Station, a couple of blocks away, to catch a subway. Ahhh, the New York metro. I love how I can go anywhere with these trains. Life would be impossible (or very expensive) without the metro. It is a lifesaver. I was entertaining the idea of being an art dealer around this time. Our first stop for the day would be a game-changer had I continued down that line. We waited for opening hours to start and went into MoMA – the Museum of Modern Art . The six floors of vast gallery space were enough clues of the treasure trove between these four walls. Noticing a donor list with names like Rockefeller, Getty, an...

A Weekend in New York City (Part 1) I’ve always said if you had categories of all “kinds” of people, you would find at least one of each kind of person somewhere in New York City. You would realize this right away once in the big city. It is a concrete jungle where the trees have jungles within, the river networks are underground, and the critters share tight [public] spaces. New York City is a lot to take in, and it would take anyone a lifetime. I once heard it would take you five years non-stop to eat at every restaurant in the city. I have been here before and had a blast, but I was 12 years old. This time I was determined to make the most out of it and observe more sharply. My aunt offered an unplanned weekend there. I couldn’t resist the offer, so we were off. We started our drive from Silver Spring early in the morning. I was excited to spend some time on the road; I have come to enjoy long drives more than ever. We drove past Washington D.C. and Baltimore (where I had visited a ...