Pilgrimage-Part One

Not long ago, Eleanor and Chauncey embarked on a journey to the East Coast. It was their first trip back in four years. They often referred to their trips East as a pilgrimage because the people and places they visited were sacred to them. 

Helen and Amanda on the High Line.

The first stop was New York City, Eleanor’s birthplace as well as the birthplace of Eleanor and Chauncey’s eldest daughter Prudence. Eleanor and Chauncey stayed with their friends Helen and Amanda in their apartment facing the top of Central Park in Harlem. Helen and Amanda landed in New York three years ago after a year in Istanbul but were not convinced it was their final destination. Amanda complained she had not yet fallen in love with the city. She acknowledged that the bagels from the Koreans on Broadway were the best she'd ever had. Helen and Amanda agreed they were lucky to have a view of the park and an elevator in their building.

Eleanor and Chauncey's first apartment.

Helen and Amanda treated Eleanor and Chauncey to a spectacular version of New York starting with a walk on the High Line which took them from 34^th Street near the Hudson River down to the meatpacking district in the West Village. At the crossroads of Washington Street and West 11^th, Eleanor and Chauncey stood in front of the building they lived in before they were married. They reminisced about taking baths in the tub in the kitchen and carting groceries up four flights of stairs, now carpeted. 

The Empire State Building was visible through the trees.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent having lunch in Battery Park City with Amanda’s 93-year-old mother who almost blew away on a walk to the Irish Hunger Memorial. She returned home while Eleanor, Chauncey, Helen and Amanda continued the tour of the memorial and meandered northwards along the Hudson River. There were benches for staring out at the river on one side and a green field on the other. The Empire State Building was visible through the trees. 

Off to the Connecticut shore.

The morning before they left for the Connecticut shore, Eleanor and Chauncey ate fresh bagels with Helen and Amanda at a park next to St. John the Divine. They looked at the Peace Fountain and discussed the meaning of the statue of St. Michael. Each of them expressed gratitude for the time they spent together exploring nature in New York City.

Short Ribs

Prudence used a recipe from Bon Appetit.

“This meat is melt–in-your-mouth tender,” said Eleanor. She and Chauncey were enjoying braised short ribs at their daughter and son-in-law’s apartment. Prudence, their daughter, had used a recipe from Bon Appetit. The rest of the meal included swiss chard sauteed with onions and garlic as well as slices of baguette with roasted peppers and ricotta cheese. The table was alive with reds, yellows and greens.

Georgia hung around for a photo op.

When Eleanor and Chauncey arrived for dinner, Prudence was playing Simon and Garfunkle on the turntable Michael, her husband, had given her for Christmas. Both cats came out to say hello. Mason disappeared after sniffing Chauncey’s shoe but Georgia hung around for a photo op.

Eleanor admired the art.

Eleanor admired the art on the walls, particularly the collage featuring an image of Marilyn Monroe. Eleanor was reminded of the fact that Prudence shared a birthday with Marilyn and wrote a report on her in school. Michael said his friend’s brother made the collage many years ago, before Michael met Prudence.

Prudence and Michael were married a year ago at what used to be the Ahmanson Ranch. The sun was setting as they promised to love one another forever. Family and friends celebrated with much toasting and dancing until the shuttle driver announced it was her last run down the mountain and whoever was left would be camping out.

After dinner, Chauncey and Michael talked about their helicopter ride yesterday. Michael is a professional photographer and had to get aerial shots of some houses in Bel Air and Malibu. Chauncey was invited to go along and help locate the houses. He said his favorite part of the trip was flying out over the Pacific and hearing the pilot say to Michael, “I hope you’re done because we have about 6 minutes of fuel left.” Michael did not take the pilot seriously and kept shooting.

Prudence was playing Simon and Garfunkel.

The onramp for the 405 north was closed so Chauncey took an old route home through Beverly Canon from Sunset. He used to work at UCLA and was a vanpool driver to offset the transportation costs of commuting from Altadena to Westwood. He remembered picking Prudence up from day care and the two of them sitting up in the front with the rest of the van stretching out behind them. That was over 20 years ago but seemed like yesterday now.