Dear Readers: You’ll notice several abrupt style changes to the AnnCavittFisher blog over the next week as I move my website from WordPress.com over to Bluehost.
What you’ll see:
I normally use a magazine style WordPress theme, which makes it much easier for readers to see a variety of articles on the home page of my site.
However, to initiate the move, the whole site will change to a very simple, classic blog theme where all of the articles will appear in the classic blog reverse order style. You may see this for several days.
Once WordPress has assisted me with the move, I will install a new magazine theme, but things may look a little odd (poor image sizes relative to the columns of text), until I go through and tweak layout throughout the site.
This will take a week or more, since there are now well over 100 pages of articles!
Why move my site? WordPress.com has been a wonderful home for me for the first 2.5 years of blog life. The support team has been helpful, and the WordPress community has been a great place to be. However, as I move into making my blog my livelihood, I need additional freedom and functionality that I can’t get within the WordPress.com space. I’ll still be running a WordPress theme though — to my mind, this is far and away the best content management system on the internet.
So, pardon my mess! I’ve got a little heavy lifting to do before everything is back in order 🙂 .
Meet SoBou, one of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans. At SoBou, expect riffs on old favorites. Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez’s menu is playful, tongue in cheek. No boundaries — or at least not many of them.
Geaux Fish at SoBou. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
With good food at every turn in the Big Easy, what does a restaurant have to do to make an impression?
Tough question, isn’t it?
I grew up in NOLA and regularly make it back to visit, to take photographs, and to eat — it’s one of my favorite things to do in this wonderful city. In my mind, there are three things a restaurant must do to make my list:
Be innovative
Be fun
Be consistently outstanding
SoBou knocks the ball out of the park along all of these lines.
Front dining room at SoBou, “a spirited restaurant south of Bourbon.” Photograph, Ann Fisher.
I first visited SoBou on a road trip through New Orleans in May 2017. It had good reviews, the menu caught my eye, AND it was one of the Brennan’s family restaurants I’d never tried.
My meal was an early supper, and I had a great table with a view out onto Chartres Street. I chose Geaux Fish, fun faux-Cajun wordplay on the children’s card game. Great name for a dish that changes based on fresh fish and the inventiveness of the chef. The night I had it, the fish was black drum served with crawfish tails, spinach, and gnocchi that had been cooked in the crawfish liquid. Very enjoyable!
A warm glow from SoBou on Chartres Street in the French Quarter. Photograph courtesy of the Commander’s family of restaurants.
When you dine at SoBou, what will the dish be like? I don’t know — Geaux Fish! 🙂
I’d say that SoBou doesn’t take itself too seriously. Except of course, they do, in terms of the quality of their food and the experience. What I mean by this, is this is no “stuck up” restaurant. It truly has a free spirit.
It’s wonderful that there are many restaurants in NOLA that adhere to the classics in a tried and true way. We need that. Otherwise, you risk losing the traditional recipes/traditional methods. But cuisine in New Orleans is also a living, breathing thing and should be allowed to grow and change — otherwise it’s as stuck as a dead body in a mausoleum.
At SoBou, expect riffs on old favorites. Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez’s menu is playful, tongue in cheek. No boundaries — or at least not many of them.
In October, on a driving trip to Florida, I stayed a couple of nights at the Monteleone, and made a point of dining with SoBou again.
Honey Buzz Milk Punch: Honeynut Cheerio infused rum, acadiana honey, milk, holiday pie bitters. Photograph, Ann Fisher
Since there were two of us, I had the opportunity to try a wider variety of dishes. I love being able to taste many things without committing to a huge portion; small plates are big favorites.
I tried two of their current cocktails, one of which was the Pisco Punch (pisco, pineapple, tea, angostura, lime, fino sherry, violet). Pisco is brandy from Chile or Argentina. This was a delightful, light cocktail, with the tea and sherry preventing the pineapple and lime from being too acidic. The hint of violet was very subtle.
During dessert, lead bartender Laura Bellucci brought a seasonal version of milk punch for me to try; lovely take on this cocktail — sweet, but not overly so, certainly inventive version of a traditional favorite.
Smoky oysters en escabeche — with a bottle of hooch in the background. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Smoky Oysters en Escabeche: Cold smoked oysters on the half shell presented atop bed of seaweed, and garnished with a frozen rosé (called “F’rosé” at SoBou), with a scallions. I loved this dish. Such a different take on raw oysters – a delicate smokiness complemented by the delicate ice chips of rosé.
Red beans and dirty rice wontons. Photograph, Ann Fisher
Red Beans & Rice Smoky red bean purée. Dirty rice wontons Truly inventive fusion between the beloved New Orleans red beans and Mexican refried. Crispy, delicious wonton filled with dirty rice — perfect with a dollop of creamy red beans.
Chicken on the Bone Four drumettes of fried chicken confit. Creole seasonal salad, guava jelly. I’m a big fan of duck confit, and this version with chicken did not disappoint!
Chicken confit and a different version of Geaux Fish in the background, this one with broiled tomatoes. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Cherries Jubilee & White Chocolate Bread Pudding with house made vanilla bean ice cream. Anyone who has been to Commander’s Palace is familiar with their fantastic bread pudding soufflé . Since SoBou is a member of the Commander’s Palace/Brennan’s family — it has its own version of this dessert. Light, airy — a nice tartness from the cherries to offset the white chocolate. This is possibly the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. Be aware: if you want this lovely, it takes 25 minutes to make — so tell your waitperson that you want it when you order dinner.
Cherries Jubilee and white chocolate bread pudding — wicked and wonderful! Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Jazz Brunch and Bella Blue
My third meal at SoBou was a spur of the moment decision. I’d arrived in New Orleans in the late morning, and my group of friends wouldn’t make it in until 7:00 or so in the evening.
I looked at my watch. Hum . . . what to do?
No reservations, but I set off to see if I could squeeze in to the Jazz brunch at SoBou.
One seat left at the bar! So lucky! While the bar menu is much smaller than the regular brunch menu, there was plenty to like.
The Jazz Brunch at SoBou is so much fun! Burlesque entertainment was a big part of the French Quarter scene from the 1940’s until the burlesque clubs were shut down in the 1960’s. Happily, it’s enjoying a renaissance in the Big Easy. Bella Blue‘s fan dancing is beautiful; a tasteful nod to erotic burlesque entertainment that is tame enough to keep most people comfortable 🙂 .
I chose the Legs and Eggs: poached eggs, apple cider braised pork osso bucco, with bourbon & bacon braised collard greens. The meaty, smoky pork combine well with perfectly poached eggs. There is a little heat from the Tabasco in the hollandaise, but it’s not overdone. I particularly liked their take on collard greens.
There is only one thing wrong with this dish — it’s SO filling! I loved it, but it’s impossible to eat anything following it. My recommendation: share it!
I leave you with a taste of a little jazz and fan dancing . . . signing off from a lovely Sunday afternoon in NOLA.
I really enjoyed the wonderful cocktails prepared team by Bar Chef Laura Bellucci! Photograph, Ann Fisher
Yesterday, The North American Travel Journalist Association announced its 2017 Award Winners for excellence in Travel Journalism.
I am very honored to have been awarded a Gold Award in Travel Series, Online Publication for my three article series on Zambia, a Bronze Award in Cruises, Online Publication for Crossing the Atlantic on a Tall Ship, and then also placed as a Finalist in Travel Series, Online Publication for my series on the road trip to New Mexico.
I am very honored to have been awarded a Gold Award in Travel Series, Online Publication for my three article series on Zambia, a Bronze Award in Cruises, Online Publication for Crossing the Atlantic on a Tall Ship, and then also placed as a Finalist in Travel Series, Online Publication for my series on the road trip to New Mexico.
Gold Award, Travel Series Online: my series on our safari in Zambia
A three part series covering our safari in Zambia. My daughter Catherine had just graduated from high school, and we joined my sister for a trip of a life time — our first safari in Africa. My two favorite posts cover our walking safari, an experience I can hardly wait to repeat.
Our African Safari in Zambia
So, you want to go on safari in Africa. But where?
To say that the continent is vast is a gross understatement. Africa holds more than 20 percent of the Earth’s total land mass. How we chose Zambia and a description of the beginning of our safari. Link to Our African Safari in Zambia.
In her hills and hollows, in her wrinkles, perhaps . . . there is the topography of the whole earth. African Elephant. Photograph, Ann Fisher
Walking Safari: Day One
We walked single-file out of the Camp Tena Tena just after dawn on a Sunday morning.
There were six of us. In the lead, Chris carried the rifle, followed by Braston our guide. I came next, then my daughter, Catherine, my sister Carolyn, and finally Bishod, guide in training.
To walk the savannah, down, up and over empty oxbow lakes, and then step into the cool shade of a grove of ebony — it’s like that. You feel Africa close. Link to Safari: Day One.
Hippo Highways: Day Two of our Walking Safari
After a light breakfast and some coffee, we left for our second day of walking.
Why do three women from Texas love Hippo Highways? Because in Africa, even flat isn’t flat! Link to Hippo Highways.
Bronze Award, Cruises Online: my article on the Atlantic crossing on Star Flyer
Crossing the Atlantic on a Tall Ship
And so it begins . . . I am on Star Flyer as she heads out into the Atlantic making for Barbados and winter in the Caribbean.
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a tall ship is the stuff of dreams. Rope and cable thrumming in the breeze, the crack of a sail filling with wind: these are sounds old in human time — these sounds lie deep within our collective consciousness. Link to Crossing the Atlantic on a Tall Ship.
Finalist, Travel Series Online: my series on road tripping in New Mexico
A series on a road trip from the coastal plains of Texas to Santa Fe and Ghost Ranch, a discussion of Route 66 and the great American Road Trip, meeting a quirky old man in Santa Fe, losing my heart at Ghost Ranch, and discovering Georgia O’Keefe.
Road Trip to New Mexico
One of my best friends is living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for several months to complete a project — and I thought, what a perfect excuse for a road trip! “I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.” — Jack Kerouac, On the Road. Link to Road Trip to New Mexico.
Embracing Santa Fe
Each time I return to New Mexico, my affection for this state grows . . .
Doc looked like he came straight out of central casting. Film order: we need a quirky old man to play a part in a Coen brothers film set it Santa Fe. Link to Embracing Santa Fe.
Ghost Ranch
In the great wide open places, I can see the forever. The sky enfolds you, and then you are inside it. Whatever small place you came from is no more because you are part of that sky and the big beyond, and the rest isn’t important.
When the Spanish first rode into this valley in northern New Mexico, they called it Piedre Lumbre — the shining stone. Link to Ghost Ranch.
Whether you’re a party type, a history buff, a nature enthusiast, whiskey connoisseur, or simply want to check Ireland off the bucket list, just about everyone wants to see Dublin. A list of stops for the perfect guys’ weekend.
Gaelic Football. Offaly and Westmeath play in the Leinster football championship. Croke Park, Dublin. Photograph, Eoghan McNally — Shutterstock.
After six years living in Dublin, I’ve had to come to grips with one undeniable truth. Whether you’re a party type, a history buff, a nature enthusiast, a whiskey connoisseur, or simply want to check Ireland off the bucket list, just about everyone wants to see Dublin. And tiny Dublin is well able to meet your needs.
But, for a group of guys (“lads” in local parlance) looking to get away for a few days of male camaraderie and bonding, the Irish capital is particularly well suited to the task.
With a compact downtown that’s easily reached from the airport and boasts hotels in every price range, hundreds of bars/pubs and restaurants, whiskey shops, sports venues, and great steaks (minus the steakhouse prices), Dublin has it all. But the wealth of choices can be a bit daunting.
What follows is one American ex-pat’s highly subjective (but, of course, 100% spot on) list of stops for the “perfect” guys’ weekend in Dublin. And I’ve included a few stops where you lads can pick up something for that special someone back at home.
Kevin and Howlin. Photograph, Glenn Kaufman
Kevin & Howlin (Wool and tweeds) Acting under the assumption that you’ll want to look the part of an Irishman (or know someone at home who might), this is the go-to spot for flat caps, tweed vests and jackets, and wool scarves that are easy to pack and make great gifts. 31 Nassau Street (www.kevinandhowlin.com)
Celtic Whiskey Shop, Dublin. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Celtic Whiskey Shop (Wine and Spirits) This shop is, hands down, Dublin’s best (and most convenient) shop for everyone from whiskey aficionados to the whiskey curious. Yes, it’s in a tourist district, but the selection is so extensive, and the prices so good, that it’s the preferred whiskey stockist for locals. Bottles on offer include not just the full range of Irish whiskeys, but a deep selection of Scotch whisky as well.
The Celtic Whiskey salespeople are not pushy, offer regular tastings, good advice, and will ship your purchases home (though it’s expensive unless you’re shipping in quantity). The Celtic Whiskey Shop also has an entire wall of sample (airline-sized) whiskey bottles, so you can put together a selection of your favorites rather than buying full bottles. And for the wine lovers in your party, the other half of their name is “Wines on the Green”. 27-28 Dawson Street (http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com
Whiskey tasting in the Celtic Whiskey Shop. Photograph, Glenn Kaufman.
Peterson of Dublin (Tobacconists) – If you’ve left home without cigars for the weekend, or fancy a classic pipe to compliment your new flat cap, Peterson of Dublin has been supplying Dublin with pipes, cigars, and all things tobacco since 1865.
Peterson of Dublin. Photograph, Glenn Kaufman.Cuban cigars in Peterson’s humidor. Photograph, Glenn .Kaufman
In addition to a wall full of pipes (their signature product), and a wide selection of their own branded tobacco, tools, pouches, lighters, and sage advice, they have a walk-in humidor of Cuba’s best. Yes, you heard correctly. If you’re from the U.S.A, this is Ireland, where there are no trade restrictions, so Peterson’s humidor specializes in Cuban cigars. 48-49 Nassau Street (www.peterson.ie)
Gaelic Football. Offaly and Westmeath play in the Leinster football championship. Croke Park, Dublin. Photograph, Eoghan McNally — Shutterstock.
Croke Park (Sports) – If you and your mates fancy a match while you’re in town, then “Croker” is the place to go. It’s Dublin’s premiere stadium, the third largest in Europe, and the home of GAA (the Gaelic Athletic Association, which promotes traditional Irish sports). Under the GAA banner, the stadium hosts Gaelic football and hurling matches. It’s also possible to catch soccer (football) and rugby matches. And, in keeping with its involvement and promotion of indigenous sports, Croke Park is also home to the GAA Museum, a fascinating repository of all things Irish sports. Jones’ Rd, Drumcondra (www.crokepark.ie) (www.gaa.ie)
Steak and chips at the Larder.
The Larder (Steaks, Wine, and Other Good Food)– The Larder is a local favorite for steaks, seafood, and a fresh twist on ‘classic Irish’ fare, Centrally located, but off the beaten path, you’d never hear of it unless a “local” told you about it (you’re welcome).
Prices are reasonable, and the Irish beef (always a good bet) is top notch. As it’s a fairly small room, it’s best to make reservations in advance (always good advice in Dublin). 8 Parliament Street www.thelarder.ie) 01-633-3581
Dublin Writers Museum (History & Literature) In a city and country known for its writers, the Dublin Writers Museum is a great place to learn the history of town and country through the lens of its creative class. The museum is also located just across the street from the Garden of remembrance, a memorial to all those who lost their lives in the struggle for Irish independence.18 Parnell Square North(http://www.dublin.info/writers-museum/)
Avoca (Irish Products and Gifts) – Also located near Nassau Street (Peterson’s, Celtic Whiskey Shop, etc.) Avoca is a sprawling emporium of wool and gifts (Irish and other). 11-13 Suffolk Street (www.avoca.com)
Dublin Pub. Photograph, Glenn Kaufman.
Pubs – I’ve deliberately avoided pubs on this list. There’s plenty online about Dublin’s several thousand pubs, and, frankly, labeling any one as “the best” or “the perfect Irish Pub” is like labeling the best “air”.
That said, you should visit your first pub in Ireland/Dublin armed with a bit of the lingo:
Cider – Hard cider. A fermented (sparkling) drink made from apples, and generally on the sweet side. “Dry” cider will be less sweet, while “medium” cider can almost be too sweet.
Crisps – In Ireland potato chips are referred to as “crisps”. And in pubs, the preferred type is usually salt & vinegar, cheese & onion, or Pringles.
Chips – In Ireland, French fries are “chips”, and are usually thick cut (chunky), as opposed to the thin cut (skinny) chips.
A Glass – A half pint. In Ireland, you’ll generally get a pint of beer or cider unless you ask for “a glass of Guinness,” etc.
Toastie – A hot ham and cheese sandwich, often made in toaster behind bar. This may well be the only food available in the pub.
Whether you’re a group of old friends or a group who’ve come together from different worlds (to celebrate a buddy’s wedding, etc.), Dublin offers a wide range of things for you to see, do, bond over, and places to buy gifts for the missus.
If you like good food, drink, sports, history, cigars, tobacco, or perhaps always fancied one of those caps John Wayne wore in ‘The Quiet Man,” Dublin is where you ought to go.
Cheers,
Glenn K.
Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne in The Quiet Man.
Glenn Kaufmann
Glenn Kaufmann is a freelance travel, food, and film journalist based in Dublin, Ireland. As a child of the American South, he has a weakness for buttermilk biscuits. As an escapee from Los Angeles, he has a love for seeing beaches and deserts in the same day. And, now, in Ireland, he’s developed a fondness for whiskey (and a collection to match).
A gallery of photographs from a Windstar cruise on the Wind Surf Yacht: the Yachtsman’s Caribbean itinerary out of St. Maarten.
Photographs from my cruise on Windstar’s Wind Surf. What a lovely itinerary! We embarked in St. Maarten, then dropped anchor in Falmouth, Antigua. Afterwards, we went on to the British Virgin Islands for short hops to Soper’s Hole on Tortola, Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke, and then to Virgin Gorda. Our final stop was Gustavia in St. Barths before returning to St. Maarten.
How is St. Maarten post hurricane? Both airports are operational and over 60 flights a day are landing on the island. According to a New York Times article published on February 2, 2018, “300 hotel rooms are currently available to book on the island’s French side; before Irma, that number was 1,700. At least 10 more hotels are scheduled to reopen before the end of the year.”
The article continues, “On the Dutch side of the island, around 80 percent of the restaurants are open, and 1,600 hotel rooms are available to book; before the hurricane, 4,115 rooms were available.” Full article here: St Martin Starts a Comeback.
If you look at Windstar’s itineraries, they are sailing to many ports the Caribbean, out of Barbados, San Juan, Puerto Rico, — but will return to St. Maarten in December 2018.
I thoroughly enjoyed this small ship cruise — which is SO different from being on the large cruise lines. You’ll find a full review of the Windstar Cruise here: A Wind Surf Cruise: The Yachtsman’s Caribbean.
What a beautiful part of the world this is!
Anegada is the northernmost of the British Virgin Islands. Population: 285. The Wind Surf excursion to this island was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Canada II yacht in the America’s Cup Regatta in St. Maarten. SO much fun!
One of my favorite things to do each evening: have a glass of champagne and watch the sun set — as here, in Antigua
Eating at Rosemary’s Lolo in Marigot. After my meal, it was easy to understand why Anthony Bourdain featured it in one of his programs. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Rosemary’s pan fried snapper was outstanding!
My stateroom — cabin 205, on Wind Surf was lovely.
One of the buildings at Nelson’s Dockyard at English Harbour in Antigua. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Bananaquit on a poker plant at Nelson’s Dockyard. Lovely these bright and lively little birds that feed on nectar.
Pillars restaurant in Antigua — great place for a rum punch after exploring Nelson’s Dockyard!
Garden at Pillars restaurant is lovely.
Tender arrives to take us back to Wind Surf.
Compass Rose bar on the stern of Wind Surf. Perfect place to end the day!
Queen conch at Anegada.
The weekly beach barbecue is a big event on Wind Surf. After eating, a little swimming and a beach nap under a sea grape tree.
One night on each cruise, the kitchen staff puts on an amazing feast on deck — paella, grilled fish and meat. Beautiful job!
Wind Surf moored in Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
White bay on Jost Van Dyke — loved that there were no crowds! Photograph, Ann Fisher.
One Love Beach Bar and Grill. It was March, but hey, the Christmas tree is pretty cute! Photograph, Ann Fisher.
The “interior” of One Love.
Beautiful color post-sunset from the back of Wind Surf.
The dinner on the deck of Wind Surf was lovely. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
They pulled out all the stops: lovely tables all over the deck made it easy to enjoy this lovely meal.
Like Jimmy Buffet? “Cheeseburger in Paradise” was written at Le Select in Gustavia in St. Barths. Photograph, Ann Fisher
Lunch in Gustavia at Pipiris’s. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Shrimp risotto at Pipiri’s was perfect!
The Marine platform on Wind Surf makes it easy to take a swim while the yacht is moored. Photograph, Ann Fisher
The sun has set on our final evening, moored off of Gustavia. The week went SO quickly!
This is my kind of Night at the Museum — Michelangelo, me, and very few other people! A review of an after hours VIP visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Michelangelo exhibit.
My After Hours visit to the Michelangelo exhibit: very special! Photograph, Ann Fisher
This is my kind of Night at the Museum — Michelangelo, me, and very few other people!
Michelangelo’s sketch of Masaccio’s fresco Expulsion from the Garden. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
The Met show, Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer, contains over 200 works of art by Michelangelo and his colleagues (133 drawings by the master himself), including chalk drawings, paintings, and works of charcoal on paper, along with bronze and marble sculptures.
The exhibit was eight years in the making. The exhibition’s curator, Carmen C. Bambach, started with a tour to Europe to visit the different works under consideration, and once a list was developed — then came the arduous process of soliciting the artwork.
Many of the drawings are rarely seen at all, and certainly not together. On the left is a very early sketch — the young Michelangelo’s Study of Adam and Eve after The Expulsion from the Garden fresco by Masaccio. It’s fascinating to see drawings from this period in the artist’s life.
In an interview with Artsy, Bambach said, “This is a drawing that hardly anybody has seen in the original other than the specialists,” says Bambach. “Though it’s housed in the Louvre’s collection, it is rarely seen. Having that very powerful drawing in red chalk and in the company of all [other] late 15th-century works…is really a first,” she says.
The exhibit is an extraordinary opportunity to see Michelangelo’s evolution from a young artist into a sculptor, then into a painter, and finally into an architect, through works of art that have never been displayed together at one time. Sadly, the exhibit runs only three months . . . and the clock is ticking: the end is coming quickly. It closes February 12, 2018.
Michelangelo, Sketches of the Virgin, the Christ Child Reclining on a Cushion, Museen zu Berlin, Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo, Study of the Torso of a Male Nude Seen from the Back, Albertina, Vienna. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo Study of a Dragon over sketches of heads by a pupil. The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo, Designs for the Profiles and Moldings and Column Bases, Sketches of a Staircase in the Vestibule of the Laurentian Library. Casa Buonarroti, Florence. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo, Draft in Prose for a Poem and Sketches of Profiles for the Bases of Pilasters. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo, Studies for the Libyan Sibyl in the Sistine Ceiling, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo, Fall of the Phaeton. Windsor Castle – The Royal Collection. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Giovanni Bernardi da Castel Bolognese , after a lost drawing by Michelangelo. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo, Apollo-David (unfinished). Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo, Apollo-David (unfinished). Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Michelangelo with some assistance from Tiberio Calcagni. Bust of Brutus (unfinished). Photograph, Ann Fisher.
In late January, about three weeks before the exhibit is set to close, The Met announced that over 500,000 people had already visited Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer.
This is, of course, the problem.
My daughter Catherine went to see the exhibit in the fall, and although she was there when the museum opened, the Michelangelo exhibit was quickly swamped. It’s hard to feel a personal relationship with a work of art when you’re standing eight people deep trying to look at the same drawing.
And the crowds aren’t just for the Michelangelo exhibit. According to the New York Times, over the last 13 years attendance at the Met has soared from 4.7 million to over 7 million annual visitors.
Entrance to the Michelangelo Exhibit. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
One of the most beautiful rooms in the exhibit was the space devoted to the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The illuminated copy of the ceiling in a 1:4 scale is displayed along with the master’s sketches of many of the figures in the fresco.
The Sistine Chapel ceiling: an illuminated copy at 1:4 scale of the original. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
As our world becomes more crowded, and more people travel, personal and quiet access to places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the things I value most highly, and that I am willing to pay to have.
In an increasingly crowded world, access and quiet may be our greatest luxuries. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
A closing photograph from the Michelangelo exhibit, the Young Archer.
If you are not going to get to see the exhibit before it closes, consider getting the catalogue, which is one of the finest I’ve ever seen: you can find it here in the Met shop online.
Detail of the Young Archer, by Michelangelo. Photograph, Ann Fisher.
Practical Information about my After Hours viewing
The ticket I purchased through Viator granted access to both the Michelangelo and Hockney exhibits. I arrived twenty minutes ahead of my 6:00 admission, and entered the museum at a street level door at 81st Street, an area reserved for groups. They checked the After Hours ticket holders off the list, and whisked us up in two elevators.
We walked through a couple of rooms on the way to the Hockney and Michelangelo exhibits. No, you can’t just go rambling through the museum!All side rooms were cordoned off.
I have to admit, I was having twitchy feelings about sneaking away and trying to spend the night at the Met 🙂 . If you’ve ever had a desire to live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and you haven’t read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, it’s wonderful.
I passed through several galleries on the way to the Michelangelo exhibit. Here is the empty Rodin gallery that I enjoyed looking around on my way out of the museum.
The night I went, there were three entry times to choose from: 6:00, 6:30, or 7:00 pm. At each entry time, according to what I read, entry was limited to 150 people over the whole evening — staggered out fifty at a time, so that not everyone entered at once.
After Hours Viewings at the Met — Availability for this will come and go. The After Hours viewing nights of the Michelangelo show are finished, but look for them to happen from time to time for exhibits that are particularly popular and crowded.
Viator VIP Empty Met Regularly available: a 1.5 hour tour before the Met opens to the public. Note, you will be with a guide for the tour, but then you can stay for as long as you like, and see anything you like on your own, once the museum opens.
While the strategies listed below may not work as well for special exhibits like Michelangelo, the entire Metropolitan Museum is SO HUGE that you can definitely have a quieter experience without paying a premium price:
Go on the weekdays, not the weekend. A no-brainer, right?
Go early, or stay late –Be there when the museum opens, or choose to visit one of the several nights each week that the museum is open late. Check out the Met’s hours.
Try a concert — yes, you will have to pay extra for these, but there are always interesting performances happening at the Met and the Cloisters that allow you experience them in an entirely different way.
And really all of this means — do your homework. If visiting this amazing museum is an important part of your visit to NYC, look at the Met calendar as you are planning your trip!
Disclaimer: While I paid to take this tour, I do have an affiliate relationship with Viator, which means that if you book through one of my links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you, my reader. I use Viator’s services — and I particularly love the VIP access to museums, which I’ll be buying again. I never recommend things that I don’t love, believe in, and do. Thank you for your support! It makes this my work and this web site possible.
Additional info: I first found Viator VIP experiences when I was in Rome a couple of years ago. My friend Joyce had never been to Italy, and we had to do all of the crowded Roman sights. Since we were going to be there in the summer, I started doing research to find ways to see the Colosseum and the Vatican without lines — and without dying of heat.
The VIP experiences I have had with Viator in Rome have been very special: Breakfast at the Vatican, and Night Tour of the Coliseum with a rooftop dinner, both so good I did them twice: once with Joyce, and then the following year when my sister and I were in Rome. You can read about those here — Rome: Beating the Crowds.
Ann Cavitt Fisher 