The Cloisters - NYC

One of the most beautiful, restful places in NYC is the Cloisters - part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have been going there for relaxation since college and many years later, it still works its magic.



This is an apse taken from a church in Spain and rebuilt in NYC.



This is the outside view - this photo was taken in December. Northern Manhattan is a cold place but the Christmas decorations are beautiful and worth the trip.

It's beautiful in any season, but the gardens are especially wonderful in the summer. High above the Hudson, you can enjoy the sights and smells of a Renaissance garden (smell the herbs - watch for bees!)

My absolute favorite thing in the museum. This is called a "rosary bead" - a smaller-than-a-tennis ball work of carved art. Pictures do not do it justice.

This is how you scare the faithful into being good - here is a depiction of hell in one of the cloisters.

Beautiful carvings are everywhere - I see something new every time I visit.

This is a fountain by an inner cloister. They occasionally have chants playing. With the sound of splashing water, you can meditate and cogitate in peace.

All of the cloister elements are here - water, the cross, natural beauty.

Here is an example of espalier - I have watched this plant for many years and it's beautiful in every season.

I love the statue dogs at the feet of the dead - to keep them warm in the after life.

Those statue "heads" used to contain relics of saints. That's before their trip to the new world.

The Cloisters - spend an hour or a day. It may be the best museum in New York City.