Katharine Hepburn Garden

Beautiful spring we have here!

Chrysler Building from the other side.

And I certainly enjoy my leisure walk around Katharine Hepburn Garden in Manhattan, New York, on my way to UN Headquarters.
Named after the famous artist, this little piece of heaven is a lovely mini park with  benches and fountains is one of my favorite spots in the city.

Katharine Hepburn Garden, NYC

located near the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza

The clear blue sky never fails to remind me how lucky I am to able to breath and enjoy this endless beauty of my Rabb's creation. 
I know I will always find solace on those magnificent blue skies, wherever I am.

Wishing you all an enjoyable, beautiful spring, wherever you are.
And stay blessed, dear friends.

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beauty of the skies from all over the world 

Spring in Blue

Spring in Blue

After months of bitter cold weather, we finally get to enjoy clear blue sky, sunshine, and beautifully blooming trees and flowers.

Spring is finally in the air.

These are some snaps I took this morning as I walked with my hubby and Obi to here school.

Such a glorious day indeed.

Wishing you all an enjoyable spring, wherever you are.
Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beauty of the skies from all over the world 

A Little Walk at Shibuya

Here are some snaps I took when I had a little walk at Shibuya, Tokyo, which is well-known for its super crowded yet neat crossings and Hachiko statue, the dog famous for its loyalty to its owner. I believe my kids will love to see this statue and hear more about the story of Hachiko.

Don't miss Shibuya when you are around Tokyo. 
Very interesting to see this spot with its eclectic crowd.



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Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan

Before enjoying spring in New York City, I was privileged to see the cherry blossoms at Ueno Park, while I was Tokyo, Japan.
Click here to read my little story in Japan : Hello Tokyo

Ueno Park has been famous to be one of the most favorite places to enjoy cherry blossoms.

And I chose this place to stay over as it is the last stop of Skyliner, the fast train taking us to and from Narita International Airport.

Located at Japan, 〒110-0007 Tokyo, Taitō, Uenokoen, ５−２０(as I copied from Google Maps), Ueno Park covers quite a huge area to explore. It have several museums in the surrounding area and more temples as well as shrines to explore. It also has big pond and famous Zoo here. Too bad I only have limited time so I didn't manage to see them all.
But if you want to see the 'old' Japan, with more traditional houses and temples and less skyscraper buildings, then Ueno will be the perfect place for you.

And back to the cherry blossoms!
Be it in the morning, or at night, sakura is forever beautiful.

Those pinkies, rather small petals are fully blooming in a beautiful way.

It looks fragile, yet it stands the test of the wind.

For only the strong one stay and bloom.
Pretty much the survival test of nature.

When I arrived in Ueno on the first leg of my flight, it was already dark. It was only 5.30 but the sun set already and it was dark. Yet as I stepped out of Ueno Park, it was bright  as lights from the neon signs illuminated the pinky flowers dotting the trees. I stopped there, lining up with others as people started taking photos and selfies with the cherry blossoms.

Here's the map of Ueno Park:

Some tips for enjoying cherry blossoms:

1. If you happen to be around, make sure you come down here early in the morning before the park is packed with people, especially in beautiful, warmer days. I came to the park at 7.30 AM and it was beautifully serene, with a few joggers and runners joining me. 

2. Makes sure you wear your comfortable shoes as you can walk along the park and it was quite a distance. And mind you, Ueno park is huge, covering many temples, museums, statues, shrines, ponds and even Zoo. As for the cherry trees, it is lining up from Shitamachi Museums to Tajo-Ten jin Shrine/Hanazono Inari Shrine.

3. Get ready to line up. Many people want to enjoy the cherry blossoms as well so people tend to line up neatly and take their turn politely, considering that many people love to do the same.

4. If you have allergies to pollen or similar substances, better stay away of course. Or if you still can tolerate it (and I do know people who have allergies but still can enjoy cherry blossoms to certain extent), better get yourself prepared with the medicine needed.

5. Thinking of having a picnic? Bring the mat and the food you love to have or snatch them from the nearby restaurants or cafes. Well, when I came here the cherry blossoms were not fully blooming so I didn't see too many people yet. By the way, I found the Ueno Station has a great bakery and the pastries are exquisite. I bought some from there and they are yummy indeed.

4. And finally, don't forget your camera and/or your phone. Sometimes we get so excited about seeing something new we forget the important things. Well, that happened to me before.

So, enjoy the cherry blossoms and cheers.

Join us also on Skywatch Friday and enjoy those magnificent sky from every corner of the world.

New Caledonia in Blue

As I continue traveling to the Pacific, arriving at New Caledonia and staying there for 6 days, I truly enjoy the serenity of this territory.

Noumea from above

The clear blue sky provides solitude for me.
Especially amidst this crazy week where meetings seem to be endless and discussion can be tense.

Just looking up, or looking down, those clear blue skies are there to admire.

From a simple morning jog, to an early morning flight, quick shopping at the local market and lunch break, I was blessed to witness this territory at its best.

New Caledonia in blue. 

the marina next to the local market

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy those magnificent sky from every corner of the world.

Sunset at St. Vincent and the Grenadines

The trip was made in May 2017 but I still remember vividly how beautiful the sunset at St. Vincent and the Grenadines!

The golden sky is such a a pretty sight!
I literally held my breath, unconsciously, while taking this photo :).
This one is taken from my hotel, Mariners, Arnos Vale, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Coming out to the French Verandah, this is what's welcoming us.

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Strawberry Field and More Winter Sky from Central Park

Winter loves NYC this time.
Its freezing weather is lingering and white frost are popping up here and there.
And somehow, it doesn't dampen our spirit to stroll around the Central Park, the west side this time, and enjoy the famous Strawberry Field with the one and only Imagine, John Lennon's legendary song, mosaic tiles covered in snow.

Imagine

Yoko Ono will narrate the story.

Strawberry Fields forever.

And here are more winter sky,- or rather winter scenes, from Central Park, snapped with my phone :).

It was cloudy and cold, yet we enjoyed our brisk walk.

oh yes, it's cold down here :)

the frozen pond

Stay warm to those engulfed in winter right now and have a lovely weekend!

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy those magnificent skies from all over the world.

Winter Blue Sky

“The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.”

                                                            John Muir 

Winter blue sky is breathtaking.

And we were lucky that New York City got slightly warmer so we could enjoy the winter outside.

Off we went to Central Park West and here's what we enjoyed.

Hope you like it as much as we do!

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The Frozen Pond

Winter is here to stay!
I hope you don't get bored with me saying it again and again for the last 3 months.
But things have been improving here in NYC, at least in the weather department.

After those series of bone-chilling-double-subzero-temperature days, NYC starts experiencing warmer days.
And we can comfortably go outdoorsy again.
Yipeee!

Just like many New Yorkers, we all went to Central Park.
Right at the exit of line N, we walked straight to the Pond and voila, it was still frozen.
Not the first we saw the frozen pond at Central Park but no matter how many times we have been here in different settings, seasons and weather, Central Park always mesmerizes us with its charms.
It's amazing to see the blue sky and the frozen pond, with the sky scrapper buildings at the background.

the apples of my eyes :)

We were just goofing around and taking tons of picture as always.

And it did feel good to go out again!

How's your weekend? 

Is the weather becoming friendly again in your place?

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Cloudy Wintery Day

After series of double digit subzero days, finally NYC gets slightly warmer days.
Well, we call 32 - 40 degree Fahrenheit, or 0 to 4 degree Celsius warm now after being hit by minus 20 C and colder.
It's obviously a new standard for us, Indonesians, who are so accustomed to tropical weather!

Anyway, as the temperature gets warmer, we have cloudy days.
And this Friday, I just went out to the UN Rose Garden before having an early meeting.

The rose garden was obviously missing all those colorful roses already as winter is coming
But the whole UN 'backyard' remains my favorite place.
The sky sure was cloudy but I loved the breeze.
This is something I can enjoy.

the gift from Russian, if I'm not mistaken

typical wintery scene :)

How's the weather in your knack of the wood?

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the magnificent sky wherever you are.