More than a city: the extraordinary beauty of New York State

Photo by the author

I was lucky to meet the Empire State (The Empire state). In fact, nobody knows the origin of this unofficial name. But according to one of the theories, New York received it due to the statement of George Washington: “The state of New York will become the base of our empire”.

I went on a tour with a group of former and current diplomats from different countries. The average age of our group was 50 years. If it were not for me, he would have gone too far for 60. And I'm such that I can communicate with everyone, and even more with interesting people with experience, so I gladly went with them.

Our first stop was United States Military Academyalso known as West Pointwhich is one of the 5 oldest military academies in the United States and has the largest campus territory in the world. In order to enroll in this academy, candidates must submit an application, as well as receive a recommendation for admission from a member of Congress. Training in the academy is fully paid by the army, but for this every cadet is obliged to serve in the army for 5 years after graduation. In addition, about 20 foreigners are accepted every year.

On the campus of the United States Military Academy there is also a cadet chapel, which houses the largest brass organ in the world. And the temple itself is executed in the Gothic style.

Then we were shown the local landscape - as they said, “worth a million dollars.” Well, yes – nature, yes – a river, but to call it one million dollars view is already too much. It was also drizzling, so after a quick look around West Point, we moved on.

And then the fun began. We began to distribute the numbers in the hotel, and my neighbor - do not believe, was my grandmother, a former congressman, who years old for 70. The fact that the bathroom was filled with tubes of medicine was half the trouble, but when I went to wash off the makeup before going to bed and saw the false jaw in the cup ... it was something! This I did not expect ... Then this dear lady snored all night. You can imagine my condition ... I could not wait for the morning to pack up and go away.

The next day we arrived at the home of the American writer Washington Irving - Sunnyside. Irving is often called the father of American literature. You probably heard or read his "Legends of Sleepy Hollow", where one of the characters was a headless horseman who searched for his head every night.

This house on the banks of the Hudson River is in such a beautiful place that you don't want to rush anywhere. I just want to enjoy the birds singing and the silence around. But the excursion continued, and we went further - to the Church of the Union (Union church).

It was built by J. Rockefeller Jr. in 1921 as part of his plan to develop the town of Pocantico Hills. After the death of his wife E. Rockefeller, their son N. Rockefeller ordered a stained glass window in the shape of a rose from the famous artist Henri Matisse - in honor of his mother. But when J. Rockefeller himself died, the children commissioned the equally famous artist Marc Chagall for a stained glass window “The Good Samaritan” in his honor. That's the truth! The greatness of these artists can be observed with the naked eye. Their work is a masterpiece. Unfortunately, it was impossible to take photos inside to show you this beauty.

Our next stop was a truly enchanting place - Philipsburg Manor. The first owner of this estate was Lord F. Philips. After his death, it was passed down to his sons and grandchildren. But then the land was confiscated from F. Phillips III for treason against the revolutionary power of New York and sold at auction. Whatever the history of this place, I felt like at home or somewhere in the village with my grandmother.

And so we went up to the top of the hill and saw housethat was a dwelling for 4's generations rockefeller family. The building itself is certainly beautiful, but I was more delighted with the area around the house. Hanging gardens, unique sculptures, fountains and the view from the terraces - that's why you need to go there.

Of course, lovers of contemporary art will also be very interested there. In the basement is the N. Rockefeller collection, consisting of paintings, tapestries and sculptures by world famous artists and sculptors - such as Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore and others. Also on the estate is a collection of classic cars and carriages. In general, there is something to see there.

After such beauty, we could not just go to dinner at some restaurant, so we went to Culinary Institute of America. There we had a little tour and fed us delicious food. "Well, at least do something with me, but it's better in the world of dishes than Olivier and mashed potatoes, for me there is nothing." ?

The next day we went to find out more about the Roosevelt family, whose lives I am very interested in.

I will not go into the details of the family Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, but I will say that they and their possessions are a huge part of US history.

This family has made a great contribution to the development of America. Probably, the fact that F. Roosevelt elected 4 for the presidency of the USA will tell you something. And during his 4-th reign, he died just a month before the end of the Second World War.

Impressed by what we saw, we went home to Washington. And as a souvenir, I photographed those places that are definitely worth a visit if you travel along the Hudson River.

PS Despite the age of our group, I, thanks to this trip, had a couple of good friends. ?