Reina Sofia museum of modern art

Next day hopped along to the modern art museum. I sketched a bit of Guernica.

Have you got a quarter?

The Q train goes over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. Manhattan is full of strange old retail and residential buildings, jumbled together. You cross from 1st Avenue to Avenue A, entering Alphabet City, and back again. Steam pours out of tall, stripey towers. My fingers are cold even in gloves. It's bright but freezing on Madison. The latte in the cupcake cafe which sells red velvet cake, suprise economic hit of NYC. The Guggenheim has an exhibition of futurist and classical inspired art of the inter-war, fascist years, don't look down, look at the sturdy Picasso on the rounded walls. The kiosks sells cheap coffee and pretzls with salt chrystals that look like snow. My mind walks further than my feet. The dusty Russian souvenir shop on 14th street, I try to buy a blue and white ceramic rabbit and he suggests 45 dollars. Rows of plastic frames with no lenses, strips of village lace. Pigeons and sparrows everywhere. Christmas market on Union Square selling machine knitted panda hats. 'I'm cold'. 'Help me out'. 'Have you got a quarter?'

MOMA and Rockerfeller's

Wow. What an amazing day yesterday. I forced Debs to come with me downtown to the Museum of Modern Art. We saw the two painting and sculpture galleries. I was particularly taken with the de Koonings, wow! And the Picassos. And the Motherwells.

I got introduced the American artist Andrew Wyeth for the first time. Very cinematic, very open air. Really transports you to that open skies and fields, the big American scenery.

Debs loves the pregnant goat in the sculpture garden. She used to sit there and eat her sandwiches by this Picasso.

Took a video of Deborah waving through the legs of a Futurist sculpture. Might post it on Youtube when I get home.

Strangely, I found a new toothbrush on the road outside, just what I need. My old one has died a death.

Afterwards we went to the Rockerfeller Centre, saw the huge Xmas tree, and darling chocolate shops, the cool Angels and all the people ice skating around and around.

Didn't have enough money to go in the Russian Tea Room (apart from poking my head inside the foyer) but I did pose as a teapot in the street outside.